Award Winning Blog - Agitator

Are You Defining Engagement Downward?

Aah Engagement, a euphemism if there ever was. An English word that once had meaning, twisted and contorted to its lowest common denominator of likes, clicks and superficial, mostly meaningless outcomes. Too many groups jump to the end and cobble together non-financial behaviors (click, like, attend, follow) and call it an “Engagement Score”. Facebook calls […]

Learn More January 20, 2023

How Much Has Donor Trust in Charities Changed in the Past 5 Years?

In this age of “fake news”, “alternative facts” “hyper partisanship” and what seems to be a general erosion of trust why should we even care? And if we care what can we fundraisers do about it? Of course, every fundraiser should care because trust is the lynchpin of a solid and sustainable relationship with a […]

Learn More January 18, 2023

Does Your Job Security Match that of a Roman Emperor?

Being a Roman Emperor came with certain upside – power, money, luxury, debauchery (if into that sort of thing)… With that upside is a high likelihood of suffering a violent death. Fundraising chieftains or those brought in to deliver a new world order won’t be publicly executed but their survival rate likely mirrors that of […]

Learn More January 13, 2023

My High Openness Got In the Way of Your Social Proof Nudge

One (tiny) facet of behavioral science is nudges or the tendencies of humans to be influenced by certain types of information or presentation. This is where Cialdini’s six principles of persuasion fit in. Authority: People are more likely to be swayed by those perceived as expert or authorities on a subject. Consensus (and it’s Social […]

Learn More January 11, 2023

Why Do Liberals Drink Lattes?

Are you a liberal? Did you find yourself buying more from brands that took a political stand, especially during the Trump presidency? You’re not alone. Compensatory consumption theory says people buy as a way to compensate for psychological needs or deficits. In other words, if we feel like we’re lacking control or meaning in our […]

Learn More January 9, 2023

Remember When?

I remember when people were in awe of email. They loved it. Until they didn’t. The convenience –the ability to communicate directly and personally in writing regardless of time zones and free of telephone buzzy signals or answering machines and fax machines—was astounding. Unfortunately, that early awe of convenience and effectiveness has now morphed into […]

Learn More January 6, 2023