Award Winning Blog - Agitator

“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

On #GivingTuesday, Thank, Don’t Ask

Earlier this week I took my traditional pot shot at #GivingTuesday, suggesting one might better focus on real fundraising, like growing a monthly giving program. Somewhat to my surprise, those who commented seemed to share my skepticism. Some favored a ‘#MonthlyGivingMonday’. But I was really taken by a great idea suggested by Claire Axelrad, a jujitsu […]

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New free ask string white paper and webinar

Wanted to let you know quickly about two new free resources: We have a new white paper up called The Science of Ask Strings. It walks through donor psychology, how to set your ask string goals, and how to use behavioral science to get the results you want. It’s a free download here. Thanks to […]

Learn More September 14, 2016

Starting Over #11: Knowing WHAT And WITH WHAT To Communicate

A key driver of donor commitment and loyalty is the donor’s perception of just how effective your organization is in achieving its mission. No one buys a Chevy because GM needs the money. By the same token, donors don’t give because your organization has a need to balance its budget or meet your quarterly numbers. Although many […]

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You Choose

Two emails arrived today in my in-box, competing for attention. The first was the first exhortation I’ve received so far to get ready to participate in this year’s Giving Tuesday. It was from MobileCause (who usually sends cool stuff) inviting me to a webinar titled “Supercharge #Giving Tuesday”. The second was my regular ‘fix’ from […]

Learn More September 13, 2016