Award Winning Blog - Agitator

The Model That Knows When To Shut Up

Most fundraising models rely on a simple set of assumptions: Recency means readiness Frequency means loyalty Bigger gifts mean bigger love And that all this adds up to a reliable way to pick who gets your next fundraising appeal. But here’s what most models don’t ask: What happens when you actually market to someone? Did […]

Learn More April 16, 2025

Best Practice Is Just Peer Pressure in a Blazer

There’s this belief in our sector that the quicker we ask the better off we are. This applies to the frequency of the appeals, but also within a given appeal. Best practice only exists to be challenged and replaced. A case in point, we analyzed thousands of tele fundraising calls done by our team to […]

Learn More April 14, 2025

DON’T EAT THE SEED CORN: A Checklist for Fundraisers in Tough Times

Let’s not sugarcoat it. Economic turbulence is here—and it’s got teeth. The stock market’s sliding, anxiety’s rising, and if history is any guide, fundraisers are bracing for another punch in the gut. I’ve been working in the fundraising trade for more than 60 years. That means I’ve lived and worked through every recession since 1960—and […]

Learn More April 11, 2025

Why Your Best Appeal Is Failing 80% of the Time

We ran a test, five versions of a fundraising letter. Each one told the same story about the same woman — her loss of sight, her journey to get it back, and how donors made it possible. What changed? The way the story was told was tailored to match the personality of the reader. The […]

Learn More April 9, 2025

You’re Being Watched. Protect Yourself.

The AFPICON 2025 Conference is coming up soon (April 27-29) and there’s a growing unease among Canadian and other non-US fundraisers—an anxious undercurrent that’s hard to ignore. Many who once eagerly crossed the border for conferences and gatherings now find themselves hesitating. It’s not the logistics of travel or the cost. It’s the climate—the political […]

Learn More April 7, 2025

“Audience-Led” Is the New Low Bar. Time to Raise It.

“Audience-led” sounds strategic. But too often, it just means sorting your file by lifecycle stage, giving level, or age group — and sending slightly different versions of the same thing. It’s like a choose-your-own-adventure where every path ends with the same appeal, just in a different font. Different ≠ Deeper Yes, coordinating across channels is […]

Learn More April 4, 2025