Award Winning Blog - Agitator

The Vanishing American Donor

The share of American households contributing to charities has dropped to the lowest level in nearly 20 years. As reported by the Associated Press, a study published by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy finds that from 2000, when 66 percent of U.S. households donated to a charitable organization, the number dropped to 49.6 percent in […]

Learn More July 28, 2021

Engagement Lessons From a Dating App

Badoo is a dating app with almost half a billion registered users worldwide and 300,000 new, daily sign ups. But the dating app biz is a crowded space with low barriers to trying other dating apps, low barriers to exit and thefore, high promiscuity (had to, sorry). So, customer acquisition is only as good as […]

Learn More July 26, 2021

To Social Proof or Not Social Proof, That is NOT the Question

Sorry Shakespeare. Now get me to a soapbox. Does anyone think they aren’t influenced by what other people do? What else explains 80’s hairstyles? Of course you’re influenced by others. Equally inarguable is the direction of influence (I copy what those people do, I do the opposite) and degree (no influence, mild, moderate, heavy) differ […]

Learn More July 23, 2021

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

Back in May we previewed Ken Burnett’s new book, The Essence of Campaigning Fundraising in 52 Exhibits and 199 Web Links —likely to become another Ken classic. Of course, we’re prejudiced because The Agitator played a small part in the book’s preparation. Roger wrote the Foreword, and some Agitator posts were linked as commentary on […]

Learn More July 21, 2021

Stop Talking About Donor Experience. Start Measuring (and Acting on) It.

Do you really think the donor experience matters? We’d argue the only way to answer this question is by defining experience, otherwise it feels amorphous and fuzzy. An interaction with your brand creates an experience. That experience creates a judgement by the human being on the receiving end– your donor/advocate/supporter. Those judgements add up over […]

Learn More July 19, 2021

Is the Donor in Your Test Design?

Most testing in our sector looks like this: Test Control Object : online form, letter, envelope Your idea to change the object Object stays same Let’s say your Object idea is to change the messaging by emphasizing the person being helped is hardworking and diligent. The message goal is avoiding people incorrectly assuming the […]

Learn More July 16, 2021