Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Slumdog Millionaire

I just got around to seeing Slumdog Millionaire last weekend, and was left feeling pretty miserable about the lives of children in India. So I was pleased to receive this press release today from CAFAmerica, an organization that helps foundations and individuals direct their international philanthropy wisely. Apparently the movie has sparked a surge in […]

Learn More March 4, 2009

Offering “Touch” And “Experience”

Yesterday I talked about the challenge for nonprofits in offering donors and prospects the opportunity to actually "touch" and "experience" their organizations. The assumption being that such closer connection would benefit fundraising. Here’s a terrific example, albeit in a category that has lots of tangibles to offer its audience — a museum. In this case, […]

Learn More March 3, 2009

How Do Fundraisers Do This?

Recently I read two articles from the commercial marketing world that — for me — raised the question: "How do fundraisers do this?" The articles deal with the importance of the non-cerebral side of, first, making a sale, and then, winning loyalty. In this report from Science Daily, we read that if the customer touches […]

Learn More March 2, 2009

The Intimacy Of Social Networks

Today I’m forwarding two quite different articles about online social networks — both have relevance to online fundraising. The first, from Center for Research, is your typical report on social network usage — who does it, what they do, etc. It’s actually a compilation of two other reports from Netpop Research and Insight Express. When […]

Learn More February 27, 2009

More Tips On Using Social Media

I see a lot of articles these days advising how to use social media. Here’s one by Stephanie Miller of online marketing agency Return Path that I particularly like. Why? Because it draws interesting insights from successful email marketing, and those in turn reflect some fundamental principles of direct marketing. I’ve extracted the basic thoughts, […]

Learn More February 26, 2009

Loyalty Lesson From The Who

New ads for Shure, the microphone maker, feature various artists — like Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey of The Who — professing their steadfast loyalty to the brand. Says Daltrey: "These mics are the only ones I’ll use." Do you have stories of commitment from your most loyal donors? Have you asked for them? Don’t […]

Learn More February 25, 2009