Award Winning Blog - Agitator

News Flash … Emotion Works!

Along with your general avalanche of year-end online fundraising messages, I hope you’re including video to sell your story. December should deliver a boatload of compelling video fundraisers to eager donors! And in case you’re wondering what makes for a compelling video — one so impressive it will not only elicit a gift but also […]

Learn More December 4, 2014

Milkshake Mistakes

Editors’ Note: The following is an excerpt from Roger’s Retention Fundraising: the new art and science of keeping your donors for life. Available here in paper or e-book versions. ——————————————————————————- Among the many great insights in Clay Shirky’s Cognitive Surplus (2010, Penguin), I came across one valuable lesson for those of us involved in fundraising, […]

Learn More December 3, 2014

Off To A Flying Start

I can think of two ways to get off to a flying start with your 2015 fundraising. The first is actually to end 2014 in spectacular style. I shouldn’t need to pump you up. You already know how big a month December will be to your annual revenue. Indeed, 10% of all U.S. donations happen […]

Learn More December 2, 2014

Secret To Work-Life Balance

All fundraisers are now caught up in the year-end fundraising frenzy. Only 31 days left to make your numbers for the year. Pressure. Pressure. And more pressure. Our U.S. fundraisers couldn’t even totally relax through their Thanksgiving holiday. Many were worrying … will three online appeals per week be enough or too much?! ‘Gluttony’ and […]

Learn More December 1, 2014

Thanksgiving Test

Our friend Tom Ahern’s Luggage is My Life blog contains a pithy — and seasonally themed — piece on thanking donors. It’s in the form of a test question posed by Tony Elischer, managing director over at THINK. Question: When you receive a contribution … which comes first? [ ] Bank the check [ ] […]

Learn More November 28, 2014

Giving Thanks

Chances are there’s not a U.S. Agitator reader online or browsing The Agitator today. Even Tom and I are taking the day off. You see, it’s Thanksgiving. The preeminent day in the U.S. The one holiday all Americans seem to agree on and celebrate. Even celebrate to the extent of traveling thousands of miles, paying exorbitant […]

Learn More November 27, 2014