Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Social Media – No Killer App

We have an interesting discussion underway on The Agitator regarding the utility of social media today for nonprofit fundraising. "Go slow" seems to be the prevailing sentiment. I urge you to flick through this week’s posts and comments if you haven’t yet done so. But nonprofits are not alone in this quandary. Here are two […]

Learn More August 6, 2009

Social Nets: Fundraising Snake Oil?

Two days ago, I urged Agitator readers to check out this report on Engagement, which proffers evidence that the most financially successful commercial brands are also the most adroit users of online social media. And I suggested that this same relationship might hold for nonprofits. I love a good argument! Reader Stephen Best of direct […]

Learn More August 5, 2009

Social Netizens Back Causes

A study by Anderson Analytics of online social net use, reported here on MediaPost and here in Business Week, contains good news for cause marketers and fundraisers. According to the study, which followed 5,000 online users, those who belong to a social net are four times more vocal about products or services than those who […]

Learn More August 4, 2009

Engagement = $$

Here is ENGAGEMENTdb, a study of the top 100 global brands (as rated by Business Week/Interbrand) and their use of social media, done by two firms that specialize in the space, Wetpaint and Altimeter Group. I’ll jump right to the conclusion: "… the most valuable brands in the world are experiencing a direct correlation between […]

Learn More August 3, 2009

Is Your Fundraising News-Driven?

For some nonprofits, fundraising can be quite sensitive to the headlines … a natural disaster here, a Supreme Court nomination there. I once had a client castigate me, rightfully, for "sitting on" an urgent appeal opportunity until Monday, triggered by an event that occurred the previous Saturday (this is pre-Internet, I’ll say in meekest of […]

Learn More July 31, 2009

Calculating Your Online $$ Potential

Convio is brandishing a new "fundraising calculator" that claims to compute the future value of your integrated direct mail, telemarketing and online fundraising stream. Says Jordan Viator of Convio: "The tool allows nonprofit organizations to estimate their online fundraising potential based on their actual number of donors, donations and online donor activity — giving them […]

Learn More July 30, 2009