Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Thank You, Thank You, Thank You

Since the election, I've received email thank-you's from a number of advocacy groups — MoveOn, League of Conservation Voters, and Environmental Defense among them — expressing gratitude for all I helped accomplish as an activist during the campaigns. You're welcome. Now I hate to be an ingrate, but I have to admit I did nothing […]

Learn More November 16, 2006

Fundraisers Versus Communicators

You're probably overdosed on post-election punditry by now, but the Agitator just can't resist applying some of the smart analysis we've read to the fundraising and communications missions of progressive advocacy groups. Why? Because a classic battle is about to intensify within many cause groups. “Fundraisers” — whose mission is self-explanatory — thrive primarily by […]

Learn More November 15, 2006

150 Donors And Thinkers

Slate, the online salon, and the Bill Clinton Foundation are co-hosting the Conference on Innovative Philanthropy, gathering 150 “donors and thinkers in hopes of spurring more and better giving.” Wow … we hope they don't all take the same elevator! Here at Slate is a series of pieces prepared for the session — some provocative […]

Learn More November 14, 2006

Do You Know What They Know About You?

This post by Seana Mulcahy alerts us to a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission by the Center for Digital Democracy and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. They complain that website owners are using powerful tools for user tracking and behavioral targeting to capture and exploit too much data on their visitors, without […]

Learn More November 13, 2006

Nabuur to Neighbor to Neighbour

One of the great movement entrepreneurs of the past 15 years is a Dutchman little known outside his home territory of the Netherlands and in global wildlife conservation circles. His name is Siegfried Woldhek (he's the guy on the right in the photo to the left above) and he's pioneering a new way of volunteer […]

Learn More November 12, 2006

Excellent Customer/Donor Service = Loyalty

Too many businesses and nonprofits alike treat customer service as a backwater. They give the function low priority, few resources, and no serious thought as to its potential brand enhancing — or destroying — impact. Here's an example of how to do it right, directly from our experience at The Agitator as a customer. We […]

Learn More November 11, 2006