Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Bite Apple Here

Apple’s iPhone donation policy bites. Bite back … like nearly 8,000 others so far. Beth Kanter at Beth’s Blog is on top of the issue and is urging nonprofits to protest. All the info you need, from multiple sources, is here in Beth’s update. Bite back before you leave for the holidays! Tom

Learn More December 22, 2010

Empowering Your Online Fundraisers

Here’s a good overview from Caroline McCarthy at CNET looking at the range of social media platforms — Causes, DonorsChoose, Crowdrise — that routinely enable individuals to become missionaries for causes and charities they believe in. The article addresses the issue of the ‘stickiness’ of donors who give in this fashion (i.e., in response to […]

Learn More December 21, 2010

Year-End Video Campaign

Here’s an interesting online video fundraising campaign from Volunteers of America Chesapeake, in the Baltimore/Washington area. VOA Chesapeake has prepared fifteen short videos, posted on their website and sitting on YouTube, that illustrate the ways that the group helps its clients … and how donors’ gifts will be put to use. The videos, some better […]

Learn More December 20, 2010

Anyone Playing With Jumo?

Jumo is a new ’cause and social change aggregator’ site like Change.org. It’s the brainchild of Chris Hughes, a co-founder of Facebook and director of online organizing for the Obama campaign. Consequently, the hype quotient is very high. My question: Does anyone out there really need this? Is this a hula hoop? Or as Tech […]

Learn More December 17, 2010

5 Email Mistakes

‘Tis the season for a gazillion email fundraising appeals. Here are five Email 101 pointers from direct response copywriter Ivan Levison, making some direct mail analogies: Mistake #1: Using a weak subject line. Mistake #2: Burying your Web address. Mistake #3: Failing to identify the reader’s pain quickly. Mistake #4: Keeping the email too short. […]

Learn More December 16, 2010

Email Trends For 2011

Here, from Loren McDonald of Silverpop, an ‘engagement marketing’ firm, is a good stab at email trends we might see in 2011. I’d especially draw attention to his last four points … each relevant for nonprofit communicators and fundraisers: Social and mobile become important sources of opt-ins for email programs. As email’s role changes, savvy […]

Learn More December 15, 2010