Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Starting Over #7: Forget Success. Focus On Value.

Why do so many nonprofit CEOs and Boards ignore ‘value’ when it comes to fundraising? In fact, why do so many fundraisers ignore it also? Tom’s The Boss Wants to See You! provides a painful reminder that all too often the ‘flashy’, the ‘cool’, the ‘new, new thing’, not to mention expedience, ignorance and ‘going with […]

Learn More July 20, 2016

The Boss Wants To See You!

Just when you were getting ready to really settle into your summer slumber, the call came … “The boss wants to see you … just a quick review of what’s cookin’” Panic! The boss hasn’t asked for you since that tragic meeting last November when you had to admit that your take on Giving Tuesday was less than the […]

Learn More July 19, 2016

Pokémon Go for Fundraisers

OK, Tom, we’re gonna have to give up Candy Crush and jump into Pokémon Go. “What’s that?”, you say. It’s the latest social media frenzy — a free game app that works on smart phones — that’s been downloaded close to 10 million times in the U.S. alone and has folks of all ages out […]

Learn More July 18, 2016

Dancing With Donors

I just read a delightful musing about giving, written on 101 Fundraising by The Whiny Donor. It’s titled How Far Do I want To Go With You? and boy did it strike a chord with me. I urge you to read the whole piece … I’m sure your head will be nodding in agreement. But […]

Learn More July 15, 2016

Starting Over #6: Measuring Donor Experiences

A surprising number of fundraisers fail to understand a basic axiom of a successful organization/donor relationship: It is the actions an organization takes toward its donors (the so-called ‘donor experience’) that determines the attitude — positive or negative — of the donor. In turn, it is the donor’s attitude that determines the donor’s behavior toward the […]

Learn More July 14, 2016

Don’t Count On Unhappiness

According to the political pundits just about everybody in America is unhappy … damn mad, in fact (although to folks here in New Zealand, ‘mad’ has a different connotation in this case). Isn’t that the explanation for the success of Bernie and, even more so, Donald, according to the political analysts? Especially Donald and his angry […]

Learn More July 13, 2016