Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Is Your Direct Mail Funnel All Bookends?

We send out X pieces, Y people respond. Done and dusted. This isn’t a funnel, it’s two bookends and no books. You’re missing out on the stories, lessons, and nuances contained within the “books” in the middle – the donor behavior, preference and needs in these crucial steps. Here’s a much more complete mental model […]

Learn More October 20, 2023

What Happens When All the Paper Checks Are Gone?

There was a day when the last phone call was made by rotary dial. Similarly, the last buggy manufactured, and the last VCR tape inserted. And someday is a day in the horizon when the last paper check will be written. But we needn’t wait for that day as it’s already dawning and as European […]

Learn More October 18, 2023

Beware the Danger of Status Quo Fundraising

Direct response fundraisers face an uncertain future (declining number of donors, declining retention rates, increased costs, increased shortage of experienced staff are just a few of the troubling indicators). So, in figuring out how to navigate choppy waters it’s helpful to understand that the default position for most of our sector is to resist […]

Learn More October 16, 2023

Where’s the Donor In Your Test Design?

Most testing in our sector looks like this: Test Control Object : online form, letter, envelope Your idea to change the object Object stays same Let’s say your Object idea is to change the messaging by emphasizing the person being helped is hardworking and diligent. The message goal is avoiding people incorrectly assuming the beneficiary […]

Learn More October 13, 2023

Stop Testing If_____________

you assume everyone’s the same. 99.9% of tests are of this variety, the random nth, A/B test. Hidden in many “losing” test results is a test idea that worked for some and not others. Here are World Vision test results with prospective donors randomly split into the control (altruism) and test (self-interest). Nothing to see […]

Learn More October 11, 2023

Fundraisers Who Know vs. Fundraisers Who Care

The Agitator spreads most of its digital ink covering the strategies, tactics, and trends in fundraising. Among all these trees of technique it’s easy to lose sight of the forest called mission. If you’re not motivated, captured, and deeply committed to the mission of your cause or movement it’s likely you’re […]

Learn More October 9, 2023