Award Winning Blog - Agitator

When You’ve Blown It!

What do you do when you’ve really screwed up with your donors or other stakeholders? First of all, I’m assuming: a) you have ways of listening to your donors; and b) you are paying attention. Second, you’ve realized that they’re right; you’re wrong. Then do what one of my favorite clients of all time — […]

Learn More February 22, 2013

How To Evaluate Your Nonprofit’s CEO

Earlier this week we reported on our survey of fundraisers’ appraisals of the fundraising prowess and commitment of their CEOs. Our fundraisers gave their CEOs pretty low grades! We asked whether some independent party like Charity Navigator or the Better Business Bureau should rate nonprofit CEOs and Boards — 35% said yes to that idea; […]

Learn More February 21, 2013

Acquisition: More On Counterintuitive Effects Of Premiums

Just to keep the pot boiling here’s a follow-up on my Premiums, Crack Cocaine and Nonprofit Suicide post that spawned some helpful comments. I was particularly interested in the comments of readers with experience in public broadcasting, where the use of back-end premiums or ‘thank you’ gifts continues — after 30 or more years — […]

Learn More February 20, 2013

Fundraisers Rate Their CEOs

Awhile back we reported on the now-infamous Underdeveloped: A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising. One aspect of the study that drew attention was the somewhat lukewarm assessment by nonprofit CEOs of their development directors — 33% were dissatisfied or lukewarm about the performance of their development directors … and 24% said their development […]

Learn More February 19, 2013

We Regret To Inform You …

INTER-OFFICE MEMORANDUM To: Belford Sunday evening FR: Craver RE: Your Request for Day Off The Agitator’s Human Relations Advisory Board has given careful consideration to your request for a one-day leave on 18 February . I regret to inform you the request has been denied. Although The Agitator has a large U.S. readership … and […]

Learn More February 18, 2013

What Is A Fundraiser?

Since I kicked off the yeasty, comment-filled week with the Fundraising Firing Squad Forms A Circle post, I think it appropriate to end the week with Ken Burnett’s brilliant What Is A Fundraiser? just to be sure your blood pressure is properly book-ended. If you’ve followed the ‘Comments’ section on The Agitator about the dustup […]

Learn More February 15, 2013