Award Winning Blog - Agitator

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

Rise Of The Sheconomy

Time magazine recently ran this interesting feature, The Rise of the Sheconomy. It’s about the growing clout of women in the marketplace. Women control more wealth, and more spending decisions, than ever before. Maybe that extends to giving to nonprofits. I say “maybe” because I’m not sure what the most recent giving data says. Our […]

Learn More December 14, 2010