Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Crooked Fundraisers Beware

Eleven months ago we reported a case of nauseating fundraising fraud involving a rip off of $75 million. Eleven months later justice is done as a Federal Court deals out justice — and immense financial penalties. First, a bit of background. Last May the U.S. government’s Federal Trade Commission joined by attorneys general in all […]

Learn More March 31, 2016

Video Marketing Ammunition

Still having trouble justifying the use of more video in your online/digital fundraising efforts? Take a look at this white paper and infographic from Brightcove. Sure, they’re in the video marketing biz, but the data cited is not to be sniffed at. Might even convince your boss … and indeed they even suggest the conversation you […]

Learn More March 30, 2016

Are You A Short Order Cook/Fundraiser?

Very often, marketing guru Seth Godin’s briefest posts are his most penetrating. His recent Short order cooks rarely make change happen is a good example. His point is captured in two questions: “How far in the future does your agenda extend? One way to tell: of the things you worked on last week, how many […]

Learn More March 29, 2016

Radar for Attrition

The loss of donors — especially newly acquired donors — is silent and deadly. There’s no screaming or shouting. No door slamming. Seldom any advance notice. One day they’re just gone. This is why it’s so important to discover, before the donor quits, which of the experiences you’re providing are seen as positive or negative. […]

Learn More March 28, 2016

Does The Agitator Have A Split Personality?

Or more properly, does The Agitator suffer from dissociative identity disorder? Yesterday, in Yawning All The Way To The Bank, Roger wrote persuasively on the importance of fundraisers NOT chasing the latest ‘shiny new thing’. Indeed, he made the case for being boring, particularly with respect to consistency of message. Communications whiz Tom Ahern picked up […]

Learn More March 25, 2016

Yawning All The Way To The Bank

In his post Why Boring Fundraising Is So Exciting, our pal Jeff Brooks riffs off a Nick Ellinger piece in NonProfitPRO warning that although donors’ use of media is changing, this trend DOES NOT signal that direct mail is dead. While it’s fine, in fact wise, to be alert to new channels, the successful fundraiser won’t abandon […]

Learn More March 24, 2016