Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Happy Independence Day

Roger and Kevin

Learn More July 3, 2026

You Can Educate Donors Right Out of Giving

Donors give, and keep giving, when they feel clear enough and confident enough to say yes. Our job is to have the donor feel like they get it. “It” being the gist of the problem, what you do about it, how their money fits and what happens next. What they don’t need is your full […]

Learn More July 1, 2026

When Best Practice Becomes a Bad Habit

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” I always attributed that line to Mark Twain. The internet is less sure, which is fitting since I would have bet the house on Twain in the Jeopardy category of “Quotes Everyone Misattributes With […]

Learn More June 29, 2026

AI Won’t Fix the Mess You Feed It

Somewhere in America right now, a self-proclaimed AI expert is taking the stage at a nonprofit conference. He has a logo. He has slides. He has the phrase “AI-powered fundraising transformation” in his bio. He’ll spend 45 minutes explaining what artificial intelligence means for your organization without once mentioning your data, your retention rate, or […]

Learn More June 26, 2026

Know or Listen to Those Who Know

Frank O’Brien has spent four decades helping some of the sector’s most consequential organizations—Doctors Without Borders, the ACLU, Planned Parenthood, Oxfam—find the words that move people. I’ve known, competed with, and admired Frank’s commitment, dedication and skill ever since he arrived in Washington, D.C. 40+ years ago. Not only does he know what works, he […]

Learn More June 24, 2026

When “Help Them” Needs a Little “This Matters to You”

Most fundraising assumes the donor opens the appeal as a fully assembled human being – alert, reflective, morally cued up and sitting in a sunlit breakfast nook, perhaps with herbal tea, considering the human condition. The more likely scenario is skimming your email between a Slack message, a pharmacy refill reminder and a child asking […]

Learn More June 22, 2026