The Agitator

I was reading this article from Online Spin about the competition between Nielsen Online and comScore as to who has the biggest and best online panel for measuring online behavior. This is the sort of thing that market researchers can get quite passionate about. And indeed, given that marketers ...  Read more

The verdict is in from Agitator readers … 2009 fundraising for the first half of 2009 is, well, so-so! First of all, thanks to the 130 readers (81% from nonprofits, 19% consultants/agencies) who completed our mid-year assessment survey. Here’s the topline of how you are viewing 2009 ...  Read more

Avid Agitator readers will recall that we took your fundraising "pulse" as 2008 ended, and we anticipated a bleak 2009. With 2009 half gone, it’s time for a mid-year pulse check. Take our very brief survey here. More optimistic or less? Have you adjusted any of your fundraising ...  Read more

According to Giving USA, total giving to US charities declined 5.7% in real terms in 2008 compared to 2007, the first decline in real terms since 1987. Total giving in 2008 amounted to $307.65 billion, with these components (all declines inflation-adjusted): Individuals — $229.3 billion ...  Read more

This week, a brand you’ve all heard of — and probably enjoyed — announced it was beginning its first ever loyalty program. Here are some quotes from the brand’s spokesman, Mike Giresi, as reported in DM News. Try to guess the brand. "We’ve been talking about ...  Read more

Our latest white paper on donor loyalty, Donor Superstars: Working with Your Missionaries, is now available. Based in part upon our DonorTrends survey research, Donor Superstars looks at two very special groups of donors — Recruiters and Loyalists. Recruiters are the donors who actively ...  Read more

Awhile back, I posted on the 90 super-wealthy women who committed $174 million to causes and charities serving women and children. Here’s an example of women joining other women at the local level to support such causes. It’s equally important because it shows the impressive power of ...  Read more

Danny Moldovan, Director of Jobs for Change, asked for our help in promoting this effort  to provide a hub for those seeking a career in the "change" sector. Here’s how he describes the initiative: "We’re launching a site called Jobs for Change, a career service ...  Read more

Yesterday I whined about mainstream nonprofits seeming to ignore Hispanics, at least as prospective donors. "Am I beating a dead horse," I asked, or can some Agitator readers who are doing anything to enlist  this audience step forward? Lilliam Sanchez of the March of Dimes did so ...  Read more

Periodically, I pass along articles talking about marketing to Hispanics. Here are a few more … from Business Week re TV advertising, Online Media Daily re online behavior, and from Engage:Hispanics re  brand perceptions. All good background reading. But am I beating a dead horse here? ...  Read more