Award Winning Blog - Agitator

The Not-So-Hidden Bonanza

Last week the Journal of Philanthropy carried the summary of a study by Campbell & Company on bequest giving. And once again I found myself asking why arent fundraisers — particularly those good in direct response — falling all over themselves to get in on what the Journal of Planned Giving estimates to be a […]

Learn More May 22, 2007

Give Your Donors A Voice

By now, most nonprofits publish an e-newsletter of some sort. These range from uninspired re-hashing of print newsletters to original e-pubs that take full advantage of the tools that can make online publications far more dynamic and compelling. For example, commercial marketers increasingly are enlisting their customers to create and submit content of their own […]

Learn More May 18, 2007

Evaluating Your Online Investment

A recent review of some of Convio's online benchmarking data reminded me of the importance of true bottomline metrics. Especially in view of results from a recent survey by blogger Nancy Schwartz at Getting Attention indicating that barely one-third of nonprofits actually measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. Unbelievable! The other two-thirds should be […]

Learn More May 17, 2007

What Does It Take?

I just read the results of a client's survey that, among other things, was seeking to identify the issues that respondents regard as “crucial to the well-being of the country.” Out of eighteen issues offered to a constituency that tilted “liberal” on social issues, only 20% selected “fighting for a better life for disadvantaged Americans” […]

Learn More May 16, 2007

Taking Your Testimonials To A New Level

Testimonials from happy customers (as well as donors and beneficiaries) have long been a staple of marketing, advertising and fundraising. But with the advent of “consumer-generated-media” on the internet, the marketing initiative shifts to the “do it yourself” consumer. The net effect, as the Washington Post observes in Putting the I in Advertising, is that […]

Learn More May 15, 2007

Have Donors Changed In 50 Years?

I audited a direct marketing webinar the other day dealing with improving customer acquisition results. One of the presenters made the case that for all the hype about database this and viral marketing that, the most important reality is that human nature doesn't change. If you want someone to respond to your offer (or appeal […]

Learn More May 14, 2007