Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Do You Read?

Have you read a book lately about some aspect of your nonprofit marketing or communications or management craft? Or about broader social trends that might influence the future of your cause or charity? Or about the psychology, sociology or even physiology that shapes behaviors like joining and giving? In a post about the value of […]

Learn More May 3, 2007

Aging Progressive Donors Still Rock

The over-60-years-old direct mail donors who have fueled most progressive causes and charities over the years might be passing the torch to Boomers, and even younger online donors. But they'll certainly go out in style, as this music video shows! Turn up your audio and click here to view. Caution to the impressionable: Militant donor […]

Learn More May 2, 2007

So Why Do They Divorce?

A couple of weeks ago Peter Panepento wrote a piece in the Chronicle of Philanthropy titled Bad Consultant Confidential. As the headline promised, it was about client/consultant relationships that didn't work out. My take was that most of the “bad endings” cited arose from “bad beginnings.” That is, either mis-communication out of the box about […]

Learn More May 1, 2007

Idol Gives Back … And It Ain’t Cheese!

Back in March we defended American Idol, the “cheesy” (many say) pop talent show, for tackling extreme poverty. Philanthropy purists and cultural highbrows sniffed at the notion that a crass entertainment program and its grubby corporate sponsors might aspire to do good. Today we're back to give a standing ovation for their tremendously successful program […]

Learn More April 30, 2007

Online Social Networking — Getting Serious

Many nonprofit fundraisers and communicators are getting deeper into exploring the potential of online social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook. Here are two timely studies that look more closely at visitors/users of these sites and their potential value. Serious online marketers should take a look. Forrester Research has developed a typology for characterizing participation […]

Learn More April 27, 2007

Grenade Throwers Unite!

I see that Nick Allen of Donordigital has merged with David Fenton of Fenton Communications. These guys “get” the necessity and efficacy of integrating online and offline advocacy and fundraising strategies. Nick has always been a new media pioneer. I met him in the early 80's when he was trying to do something I was […]

Learn More April 26, 2007