Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Retentionomics

Roger and I are rather passionate when it comes to preaching the donor retention gospel. And we’re always on the watch to see how our cousins in the corporate marketing arena come at the retention (often ‘turn’ for them) challenge. Here’s a fascinating report — Retentionomics: The Path to Profitable Growth — prepared by relationship […]

Learn More September 22, 2016

Goldilocks Fundraising

You may think you don’t have an over-solicitation problem, but your donors think otherwise. That’s the premise The Agitator and DonorVoice will explore at Noon EST today in the 2nd of our behavioral science webinars titled, Capitalizing on Donor Intent: Increasiing the Number of Donor Gifts Per Year. Agitator readers can register here and attend free. […]

Learn More September 21, 2016

Unethical Fundraising … Or Just Dumb?

Yesterday Roger wrote an eloquent plea for fundraisers to get serious about ethical issues in the business of fundraising … The Fundraising Ethics Gap. I assume he meant to exclude political fundraising, which seems to know no bounds whatsoever. I happen to lean Democratic, as least as perceived by Democratic fundraisers grasping at some shred of […]

Learn More September 20, 2016

The Fundraising Ethics Gap

As a kid I vividly remember Grandma Craver shaking her head, and sometimes her fist, at the radio as it blared forth the ravings of an on-air evangelist whom she particularly despised. She would turn away from the radio and sternly warn me, “Roger, just you remember. Everyone who talks about heaven ain’t going there.” […]

Learn More September 19, 2016

“There is obviously hope for us all …”

That’s the message of my favorite Tweet this week. It’s from @AdrianSargeant and attached to it is this marvelous piece of correspondence. Not only is it evidence of Adrian’s point that there’s hope for us all, it’s equally a reminder of the danger that springs from believing the safest course of action lies in sticking with the status quo. Have […]

Learn More September 16, 2016

How are you baiting your line?

Worms. Grubs. Caterpillars. Rat-tailed maggots. All of these are used commonly as bait by anglers looking to land a fish. How do they decide which one to use? I assume they taste each one and see which one is the tastiest. After all, that’s what often happens with our fundraising letters: we put in the […]

Learn More September 15, 2016