The Agitator

Imagine yourself an investor being only able to follow the Dow-Jones Index on an annual or quarterly basis.  Not very helpful in today’s economic roller coaster. Well, fundraisers currently face much the same problem because, until now, virtually all publicly available information used to ...  Read more

Our friend and digital marketing consultant Nick Allen of DonorDigital developed this issue advocacy site — http://doilookillegal.com — for folks to express their opposition to Arizona’s new racist anti-immigrant law. Clever way to get folks engaged and use social media to spread ...  Read more

Last week we talked about going the extra mile to recognize donor loyalty. Here’s an illustration I didn’t want you to miss from Jessica Harrington at Schultz & Williams … "We’re absolutely doing this!  For one organization’s first renewal, we ...  Read more

Over Easter, I had a chance to read The 8 Online Fundraising Changes You Must Make in 2010, an excellent e-book by Katya Andresen at Network for Good. If you are looking for very practical tips in terms of techniques and best practices, you won’t be disappointed. But this guide is much ...  Read more

Here is a terrific comment on yesterday’s Agitator post from Andrew Kramer describing how his organization, Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) in Houston, builds cultivation into the guts of their program … and the enormous benefits reaped. He was taking me to task for treating ...  Read more

Last week, I received an email fundraising pitch from Grist, the environmental e-magazine … A Beacon In The Smog. I thought it was very well put together … 1. It used video (you know I like that!). 2. It’s style and tone was totally consistent with the Grist brand — ...  Read more

I was going through some "saved" stuff and realized I hadn’t yet called your attention to this terrific compilation of email fundraising tips and resources from Joanne Fritz, nonprofit "guide" at About.com. Lots of good material here. And as Joanne says, email is not ...  Read more

Here is a terrific article from Beth Kanter on trends she sees taking shape in the nonprofit social media world. Now, I do not want you to read her article until AFTER you are sure you’ve crossed all the "t’s" and dotted all the "i’s" on your year-end direct ...  Read more

Here, from The FLA Group, is a superb paper on how to craft your fundraising case. I wish (for the sake of US readers) I had seen it before the Thanksgiving holiday. I would have insisted that you take it home and memorize it over your "off" days. The basic principles presented in ...  Read more

Ken Burnett at SOFII (Showcase of Fundraising Innovation & Inspiration) recently wrote the following response to the question: How will donors be different in 2020 and how will they be the same? Says Ken: The answer, of course, is ‘Well, it depends…’. It depends principally ...  Read more