Award Winning Blog - Agitator

AGITATOR WEEKEND: Fundraising in Tough Times

Week-In Review: The dismal drone of economic downturn continued unabated as stock markets dipped, retailers forecast a bleak holiday season, Ad Age reported that online consumer spending is also slowing, and representatives of the G-20 convened an emergency economic summit in Washington, D.C. that will run through the weekend. Here at the Agitator we released […]

Learn More November 15, 2008

Tell Us Your Vital Signs – 2

Two weeks ago, The Agitator began to take the pulse of nonprofit fundraisers regarding the fundraising outlook for the balance of the year, via our Vital Signs Survey 1. We reported the responses to Survey 1 here. We are repeating our brief Vital Signs Survey 2 to collect your ongoing perceptions and predictions. Whether you […]

Learn More November 14, 2008

Online Spending Growth Slows

As reported in this Ad Age article, consumer spending online is slowing this year-end, reflecting the overall economic downturn. Perhaps there are warning signs here for online fundraising. Forrester Research says the rate of growth in online sales for November and December over the previous year’s Christmas season will be 12%, compared to 20% a […]

Learn More November 13, 2008

NY Times on Giving

The latest NY Times special section on giving is, as usual, a "must-read" comprehensive review of the state of the philanthropic and charity universe. Whatever your field of interest — medical research, alleviating poverty, arts & culture, education, international humanitarian assistance, and much more — and whether you are a donor or a recipient, there’s […]

Learn More November 12, 2008

Conscious Consumption – All About Value

Here are two exceptional articles exploring how commercial advertisers are responding to the challenging task of selling during a severe economic downturn. As they see it, given today’s consumer psychology, every offer must emphasize — in a word — value. From the LA Times: "’We’re moving toward an era of conscious consumption — just because […]

Learn More November 11, 2008

New Agitator Paper: Giving Across Generations

Today The Agitator releases the first in its new series of DonorTrends White Papers. These papers are available to subscribers to The Agitator’s new Premium service. The first paper is titled Giving Across Generations: Issues That Appeal. It examines the levels and focus of charitable giving of three segments of US donors: Seniors – born […]

Learn More November 10, 2008