The Agitator

Here are two recent articles from Marketing Daily describing the current state of play of cause marketing in the U.S. In the first, sponsorship giant IEG projects that $1.55 billion will be spent on cause marketing in 2009. IEG cites survey data saying that 41% believe companies should increase ...  Read more

A study by Anderson Analytics of online social net use, reported here on MediaPost and here in Business Week, contains good news for  cause marketers and fundraisers. According to the study, which followed 5,000 online users, those who belong to a social net are four times more vocal about ...  Read more

This story from Brandweek says Yes. One marketer says "green" is too intellectual … the payoff for getting involved is too distant. Others attribute a surge in community service to the exhortations of President Obama. Here are two excerpts that struck me … "Perhaps no ...  Read more

We’ve been talking lately about using social nets like Facebook and MySpace as “enablers” that can equip a nonprofit’s strongest supporters – your missionaries – to help fundraise for your cause. In this instance, your nonprofit would be reaching out to its most ...  Read more

 The Agitator’s Week In Review.  As news of economic woes continued again this week  tension and quiet terror grew even more noticeable among some fundraisers. Tom and I have quite different views over just how worried we all should be.  So, we talked it over and put up our first audio ...  Read more

  The Agitator’s Week In Review.  This was a week for politics, beginning with the Washington, D.C. soap opera over the on-again-off-again bailout of the  U.S. financial system and ending with the on-again Presidential Debates in Oxford, Mississippi. Regardless of where you ...  Read more

This recent survey by the Pew Research Center has found that of the 44% of the public that goes online regularly at work, 70% check the news through the day.But what news are they following?Observes Pew:“The quest for news at work might come as a surprise in the face of findings about the ...  Read more

I might be late to the party, but I’m still blown away by the "Great Turtle Race," a multi-faceted campaign designed to draw attention to the plight of endangered leatherback turtles. Sponsored by Conservation International and a coalition of partner groups. Sponsoring companies ...  Read more

Here is an excellent post from fundraiser Joe Waters, who blogs at Selfish Giving. Joe offers smart advice on how small- and mid-size nonprofits should pitch cause marketing relationships to small- and mid-sized businesses. Two of his observations: "As a mid-size nonprofit working with ...  Read more

I’m an unabashed shill for Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, which aims to improve the self-esteem of teen girls. The Campaign plans to reach 5 million girls by 2010, with most outreach through the Girl Scouts. Dove’s Self-Esteem Fund will spend $1.5-2 million this year. Are they ...  Read more