Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Beyond Buzz … To Beef

Walter Mondale scored big in 1984 when he challenged issue-speak Gary Hart with the famous “Where's the Beef?” line. Today in some circles (circles not heavily populated by folks who will actually vote in great percentages in 2008), the twenty-month-to-go presidential campaign is already generating a great deal of online noise (er, buzz). “I've got […]

Learn More March 1, 2007

Is The Donor Always Right?

No! Donors can be wrong, abusive, over-demanding, distracting. Sean Stannard-Stockton at Tactical Philanthropy has been presiding for a few weeks now over an important, well-articulated and stimulating “debate” amongst fellow bloggers on the issue of donor accountability … in this case, meaning accountability to donors. I commend him for persisting on the theme. In a […]

Learn More February 28, 2007

Who Do You Trust?

Where do you stand on this question … Generally speaking, would you say that most people can be trusted, or that you can't be too careful in dealing with people? Pew Research recently used this and two related questions to compile an index of public trust. Among all adults, Americans are closely divided. 45% believe […]

Learn More February 27, 2007

Crisis Strikes

Hopefully most nonprofits will never face the sort of devastating public confidence breakdown that JetBlue has recently suffered in the commercial world. Still, **** happens. Someone up in the executive suite, down in accounting, or out in the field embezzles some money (e.g., the Red Cross). The media claims, fairly or otherwise, that services are […]

Learn More February 26, 2007

Prez Campaigns Flock to New Media

Awhile back we urged nonprofit fundraisers and communicators to pay attention and learn from the online strategies of the presidential candidates. According to an estimate cited in the Wall Street Journal, political spending on online ads and website development for the 2008 cycle might reach $80 million, up from $29 million in the 2004 cycle […]

Learn More February 24, 2007

Your Direct Mail Letter Is A Person

In yet another wonderful piece, “What Orson Welles Can Teach Us About Direct Marketing,” Denny Hatch talks almost wistfully about the intimate power of the (well-crafted) direct mail letter. He quotes at length from freelancer Malcolm Decker. Here's a passage for every direct mail fundraiser to remember … “The Direct Mail LetterWith the CAN-SPAM Act […]

Learn More February 23, 2007