Award Winning Blog - Agitator

The “Give” Decision is Different Than The “How Much” One

We are nothing if not laser focused on the “why” of giving. So much so that we know there are really two giving decisions, not one. No donor would ever report this in a focus group or a survey. These separate mental decisions are occuring subconsciously. Testing allows us to prove what’s going on and […]

Learn More February 14, 2022

The Importance of Building Trust in a Cynical World

Can declining trust in institutions be partially at fault for the overall decline in personal giving? That’s a critical question international fundraiser Richard Pordes posed in commenting on our post reprinting Tom Ahern’s Is Mass Fundraising Extinct? In Richard’s words: “But aren’t there larger societal trends that have caused the decline in numbers of households […]

Learn More February 11, 2022

“You Can’t Fix Stupid”

“You can’t fix stupid.” Ahhh, the sound of the exasperated fundraisers and consultants who’ve thrown up their hands after trying for the 5oth time to explain to a Board, a CEO, or a Client why that “brilliant insight” just won’t work. Sure, you can be a seasoned, proven and highly respected pro, but somehow you […]

Learn More February 9, 2022

Is Mass Fundraising Extinct?

For the past 10 years The Agitator has sought to put meat on the jargon-ridden bones of the Donor-Centric skeleton. That’s why we dwell so much on essential vertebrae of donor-centricity such as Donor Identity, Donor Psychology and Personality to name a few. Although this detail is essential in becoming truly donor-centric, it’s important to […]

Learn More February 7, 2022

Make Em’ Wear the Schwag

Here’s a crazy idea, so crazy it’s genius or maybe it’s just crazy interesting. I don’t know. The idea: make the wearing of the “premium” schwag a requirement to give (time or money). “What the hell did he just type?” I can hear the reader whisper. I admit to having lingering questions about this idea […]

Learn More February 4, 2022

Persuasion is an Uphill Battle

Jack Trout was a TV ad man who helped pioneer the concept of brand positioning who famously quipped, “If your assignment is to change people’s minds, don’t accept the assignment.” Seems he knew what he was talking about. A huge study of TV effectiveness on changing people’s attitudes and beliefs about social issues found it […]

Learn More February 2, 2022

Award-Winning Blog

The “Give” Decision is Different Than The “How Much” One