Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Non Profit Premiums Are Literally Crack Cocaine – the Why and How of Stopping the “Drug Trade”

The Economist publication was first published in 1843 with the stated mission of “taking part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress”. Harsh? Maybe. Accurate? Absolutely. A similar contest exists between academia and the real world, with the former having answers too many of the […]

Learn More February 6, 2013

The Best Words

Copywriting pro Denny Hatch is writing a book on, well, writing. He says he titling it: Never Use a Word You Can’t Spell. Should be a gem. Here he teases us with the chapter on words. Anybody who needs to deal with the written word would benefit from a read, but you’ll especially enjoy it […]

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Fundraising GPS: Steering On The Past Or Future? Or Both?

Fundraisers, unlike practitioners in most other sectors, generally navigate their way forward by steering through the rear view mirror. Today, we’re offering Agitator readers two rear view mirror views … and one through-the-windshield view. Two recent reports on 2012 US giving have just hit our desk. Plus one sophisticated forecast for 2013. I regret to […]

Learn More February 5, 2013

Telephoning Works

After last week’s focus on sexy social media, it is with some trepidation that I turn this week to — dare I say it?! — mundane telephone fundraising. So yesterday. At first I wasn’t going to do this. We received an email from Rebecca Patterson at Pell & Bales, who offered a three-part series on […]

Learn More February 4, 2013

Marketers from Mars

I just read this report from ExactTarget — Marketers from Mars — which underscored for me how marketers, including fundraisers, can get too far out in front of their audiences. The report makes many comparisons about marketers’ use of social media versus consumers. For example … 90% of marketers own smartphones; only 51% of consumers […]

Learn More February 1, 2013

Nielsen’s “Social Media Report – 2012”

Market research firm Nielsen has just released what should be one of the more authoritative reviews of consumer use of social media —The-Social-Media-Report-2012. Very comprehensive information that you’ll find helpful as you plan the level of effort your organization should be making with media like mobile and social nets. Some factoids: 17% of US consumer […]

Learn More January 31, 2013