The Agitator

Back in July, Mark Dolliver wrote this terrifically insightful article in Adweek regarding marketing to today’s age 65+ consumer. [Sorry, I'm just catching up to this, thanks to a mention by the Boomer Project.] Dolliver refers to this group as the Silent Generation (born 1925-42) ...  Read more

Half way through the year, like the mythical Janus, capable of viewing the past and future at the same time, I’m leafing through a pile of good stuff I should have passed on to Agitator readers, but somehow didn’t. Shame on me.  BUT … it’s not to late to put this ...  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

All I can say is WOW! Today, the Women’s Funding Network and Women Moving Millions announced that more than 90 women have committed individual gifts of $1 million or more, with a total of $174 million raised, to improve the lives of women and girls. These funders have responded to a ...  Read more

We have to confess that The Agitator does not do justice to the important area of planned giving. Now we don’t have to feel quite so guilty! Our colleague Phyllis Freedman of Continuum Planned Giving has begun The Planned Giving Blogger. She’s a pro. In case you don’t know ...  Read more

Last Friday, The Agitator hosted over 70 nonprofit fundraisers in a "tele-briefing" on "Fundraising in Tough Times." We reviewed fundraisers’ responses to our recent Vital Signs surveys (results here and here) and offered our advice on how to cope. Attesting to the level ...  Read more

The Agitator’s Week in Review. In Christopher Columbus’ day navigators wondered whether they’d fall off the edge of the earth or be swallowed alive by sea monsters. This week, in the words of Yogi Berra, it was déjà vu all over again. As we waited for the ...  Read more

Fundraising consultancy The Stelter Company argues that fundraisers should be targeting a younger age segment than traditionally the case for planned giving.As reported in Fundraising Success, they have conducted a study indicating that 41% of adults prepare a will by the time they reach age 40 ...  Read more

Attention all you fundraisers out there! We’re looking for some savvy folks who have "solved" any of the key challenges — or should we say opportunities — we see presently out there in the nonprofit fundraising world. Here are the challenges: 1. You have improved you ...  Read more

In his November newsletter, direct mail maven Mal Warwick tells this story. A donor makes a first gift of $5 in response to an advocacy group in 1984. Then makes 25 more gifts over the next 22 years, totaling $425. Then makes a bequest of $90,000 in 2007! Many — maybe most — major ...  Read more