Award Winning Blog - Agitator

The High Price Of Failure To Listen

“Roger, please don’t talk to me when I’m not listening.” That was the standard response from a client who expressed surprise each time something blew up and I reminded him that we had discussed the very issue months before. “Don’t talk to me when I’m not listening.” Those words came flooding back as I wrote […]

Learn More July 15, 2015

Why Is Direct Mail Seeing A Resurgence?

Roger and I are direct mail … well, er, sluts. Whenever someone writes anything along the general lines of ‘direct mail punches on’, there we are, drooling and wagging our tails, like dalmatians responding to the fire alarm. Because we write in praise of direct mail so often, I’m always nervous about whether we’re covering […]

Learn More July 14, 2015

Playing The Fundraising Blame Game In The U.K.

A fundraising firing squad is now being formed in the UK. Unfortunately, it seems to be forming in a circle. If ever there were a time for calm, cool, thoughtful and different fact-finding and exploration, it’s now. I’m afraid that in the name of ‘protecting’ the donor, the true reform desperately needed by our sector […]

Learn More July 13, 2015

Ask Them To Call, But First …

Too many nonprofits fail to see themselves as providing ‘customer service’, yet as Roger has emphasized repeatedly (here and here, for example), ineffective servicing of donor questions and concerns (on matters as ‘simple’ as correcting misspelled names) can be a major reason for anemic donor commitment and even defection. Here’s a study indicating just how […]

Learn More July 10, 2015

Please Pass The Cake

Here’s your assignment. Write 2,600 articles on fundraising. Make ‘em sharp. Give good advice. Do it for free. Any takers? We doubt it. Frankly, no sane person would do what we’re about to describe. While most of the sector’s fundraisers have been planning their vacations or busily polishing their resumes, preening and positioning to get […]

Learn More July 9, 2015

The Donor Is Not The Enemy

Of course we all know the donor is not the enemy. Don’t we? Maybe not. Given the language so much of the sector uses, I wonder. If we’re truly about the business of building committed and lasting relationships, why do we use language that is better suited for an Army field manual? As in, ‘target’ […]

Learn More July 8, 2015