Benchmarks are bullshit. There — I’ve said it. The benchmarks that we all live and die by — the well-annotated, appendiced-to-death, 97-page Annual Findings that determine whether you are successful — are crap. Why? Because they don’t represent anyone’s reality....
For the last decade or so, we have argued whether storytelling or data is more effective in fundraising. Data made it on the scene as it solves the “what” and the “how” of our marketing strategy. While these are two VERY important components, there is one equally as...
Here in America, we all know the regular “spooky” superstitions. For instance, the number 13 is perceived to be very unlucky. We avoid having a 13th floor in our elevators or a 13th row on our planes, just to prevent any superstitious conflict. We also avoid black...
As peak year-end fundraising season begins for many nonprofits, I encourage you to take just five minutes out of your day to slow down a bit and reflect on how much has changed in our world. Specifically, let’s take a look back at 2004 — a year when MySpace was in and...
One would be hard pressed to find an adult in America who would not recognize the name “Uncle Sam,” and even less likely to find someone who couldn’t recall the famous “I WANT YOU” WWI recruitment image. Not only has it been seen in every history classroom across the...
