Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Drivers Of Donor Commitment

Most fundraisers talk a good game these days about the need to build durable donor relationships. They appreciate the pay-off in terms of higher retention, net income and lifetime value. But how to do it? My colleagues Roger Craver and Kevin Schulman (at DonorVoice) will give you their recommendations at a free DonorVoice/Agitator webinar on […]

Learn More September 14, 2011

Blame It On The Boomers

Matt Thornhill of The Boomer Project is one of my favorite marketing pundits on my generation. In Blame The Boomers (Again) on the blog Engage:Boomers he takes on those who say the Boomers are to blame for America’s decline — e.g., the theory of NY Times columnist Tom Friedman. Since we’ll all be trying to […]

Learn More September 13, 2011

Email Marketing Best Practices

Target Marketing is offering a free (registration required) ‘white paper’ on email marketing best practices. Actually, it’s more of a tip sheet, but valuable nonetheless. I’ll preview their 12 tips, but urge you to get the full paper. Best Practices Write great subject lines. Don’t forget the preview pane! Avoid SPAM language. They offer words […]

Learn More September 12, 2011

Dealing With Gloomy News

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that two-thirds of donors are planning to cut back their giving in the balance of the year, blaming the sour economy. And this Peter Hart survey for Citibank provides an excellent look at the depth of the public’s economic gloom. What to do? Katya Andresen at Katya’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog […]

Learn More September 9, 2011

The Ideal Premium?

Ideally, no premium. Seth Godin has been promoting End Malaria the past couple of days, and here explains the case for that fundraising initiative using a book premium. He says the book is better than a tote bag. Now, I’m not a fan of premiums, period. Yes, I know they can lift response (not always), […]

Learn More September 8, 2011

Writing Wrong

OK wise guy … yes, it’s ‘writing wrongly’. But that doesn’t make for as intriguing a headline. Or so I thought. Last week, writing in Fundraising Success, Pamela Barden offered three wonderfully simple cautions regarding fundraising copy. I thought they deserved further airing now that we’re all back at our post-summer desks. Here’s what to […]

Learn More September 7, 2011