Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Is Your Quality Data 3,008 or So 2000 and Late?

The Black-Eyed Peas may not be in my most played list but hey, a catchy, memorable lyric is a catchy, memorable lyric. Retention data is the rearview mirror view on quality, it’s 2000 and late. It’s a lagging indicator of quality. You don’t need more donors, you need more donors who stick around. But if […]

Learn More April 14, 2023

Do You Share Elon Musk’s Personality?

How you speak says volumes about who your disposition, your personality. In fact, the ‘origin’ story for the Big Five (OCEAN) started with the supposition that our individual differences are reflected in the words we use. So, it stands to reason that I can decipher your personality by analyzing the words you use in conversation. […]

Learn More April 12, 2023

“Because It Works, That’s Why.”

Perhaps it’s time to rethink the ‘because it works’ claim so often trotted out in defense of dubious, deceptive fundraising tactics; enter the political email season. Between April 1st and 19th of 2019 the presidential candidates (at the time) sent a combined 1,730 messages, more than 19 a day, to supporters. In defense or explanation […]

Learn More April 10, 2023

Speed Kills

Urban Dictionary says “Speed Kills” is an expression the British police made up to justify all the money made from speed cameras. That origin story is patently false but also patently funny. In our world speed matters. I expect readers’ fast-twitch muscles kick in and interpret that to mean faster is better, which ain’t the […]

Learn More April 7, 2023

Creating Quality Donors From Scratch

Are you tired of playing “Donor Roulette” with your acquisition efforts? Growing weary of playing the numbers game and crossing your fingers for donor gold? What if we told you there’s a better way to know your donors from the get-go? A way to ensure you’re not just acquiring any donor but cultivating the right […]

Learn More April 5, 2023

WANTED: Fundraisers and Consultants Who Can Count

Regular readers will note that we’ve been devoting a good deal of coverage lately to the use of AI, particularly as it relates to creative and copywriting. Today, we’re hitting “pause” on AI and returning to 8th grade arithmetic. You know, the type of intelligence that enables you to work with numbers in everyday life. […]

Learn More April 3, 2023