Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Canadian Squirrels, Fear and Fundraising

Tom and I each maintain a sort of electronic compost pile where ideas, press releases, reader suggestions and the memorable blog posts of others accumulate. Then, about this time of year I begin working my way through “This Year’s Pile” setting aside those items I want to carry over into the “Pile for Next Year”. […]

Learn More December 17, 2015

11 Questions Every Donor Asks

An advert in one of the fundraising ‘trades’ triggered me to look up Canadian fundraiser Harvey McKinnon’s ’11 questions every donor asks’, as presented in his book of the same name. Whenever I see a teasing list like that I just can’t resist taking a look … will I agree/disagree … could I add to it […]

Learn More December 16, 2015

Learning From The Candidate’s Digital Strategies

OK, I admit to being a Democrat of Carter-era vintage, and I cringe at the current line-up of Republican presidential candidates. But I have to acknowledge, as Neanderthal as their politics are, most of them do know their way around digital media. If you’re a digital fundraiser of any political stripe, it would behoove you to […]

Learn More December 15, 2015

Doggie Bag Of Delight

Before you collapse from the flurry of year-end activity I urge you to spend some time listing the ways you can surprise and delight your donors. Not just around the year-end giving season, but all through 2016 and beyond. Few activities signal how important donors are to your organization than the way you treat them. […]

Learn More December 14, 2015

What Is Your Image Of What Fundraisers Do?

Here’s what I mean. If you had to come up with one photo or graphic or illustration of what a fundraiser does, what would it be? I think Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now has come up with the best I’ve seen so far. I’ll show you in a moment. But before you send your […]

Learn More December 11, 2015

24 Reasons Why Board Members Won’t Ask For Money & What To Do About It

According to his publisher Jerry Panas’ ASKING is America’s top selling fundraising book. Aimed primarily at board members the book is designed to provide helpful advice and motivation to ask for a gift while taking the fear out of the process. And, according to the publisher, all in a 59 minute read. So it figures that […]

Learn More December 10, 2015