Award Winning Blog - Agitator

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

A Win for Nudging, Another Loss for Generational “Horoscopes”

Millennials on Better Track for Retirement Than Boomers and Gen X This was a recent headline in a Wall Street Journal article. It’s feels like clickbait and so, I clicked. Wow, millennials are saving much more for retirement than their generational predecessors. This is because they are more tech savvy, value experiences over physical possessions, are […]

Learn More October 6, 2023

Which Pair Belong Together?

How do we foster connection? We need to dig deeper in our understanding of the humans we’re asking for money. And we need to undo our segmentations. We instinctively start grouping people based on what’s available, convenient and intuitive – income, age, gender, internal donor flag or status (active, lapsed), channel. The minute our grouping […]

Learn More October 4, 2023