Selfish Giving
AUGUST 23, 2013
'This is a guest post from my Toronto-based cause marketing buddy Phil Haid. He runs a great company called Public Inc. You should check them out. Anyway, because professional baseball in Toronto is sooooooo bad, Phil came out with this great cause promotion for Yankee and Sox fans that ends Monday. And, as I like to say: “Go Sox!” Hey, New York Yankee and Boston Red Sox fans!
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 2, 2013
'I’m glad to introduce you to Tom Harrison, the CEO of Russ Reid. Tom and I are members of the FundRaising Success Editorial Advisory Board and were able to present at a recent conference in Philadelphia. He has an amazing mind for nonprofits and a good sense of humor, as can be seen in this post. In this post, which originally appeared in FundRaising Success Magazine , he shares 15 fundraising mistakes your team doesn’t have to make. #6 mystifies me.
The Agitator
AUGUST 5, 2013
'Some days I wish I could call an emergency meeting of all Agitator readers, if for no other reason than to get your immediate reaction to one or another of our insane ideas — or at least Tom’s insane ideas. Until last week I figured that the time, cost and logistics of reaching 5,000 Agitatees would be prohibitive or impossible. Now I know better.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
AUGUST 7, 2013
'Nonprofits were the early adopters of social networks. The were active on Myspace, YouTube, and creating Facebook Groups long before most of the companies that are often praised for being the pioneers of social media. One of the reasons was that social networks were free to join and lacked monthly fees. Enterprising nonprofit staff (usually GenXers) with a love for the Internet created communities on Myspace, YouTube, and Facebook in 2004/2005 and most often without executive buy-in.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
AUGUST 1, 2013
'(Credit: United Way, Source: Peter Panepento/The Chronicle of Philanthropy). Social media is a fantastic tool to make your presence known online. But are you using it correctly? Many nonprofits are using it to promote themselves, but often in the wrong ways, said Peter Panepento , assistant managing editor at The Chronicle of Philanthropy , at the Washington, DC, edition of the Social Media for Nonprofits conference.
Mission Minded
AUGUST 14, 2013
'A pitch-perfect tagline can be the foundation of all the messages you create about your organization or program. It’s a powerful way to reference the brand promise your nonprofit makes to the public—but how long should your tagline be? Some say a tagline has to be short to be good, but we don’t agree. It […].
Selfish Giving
AUGUST 29, 2013
'Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Nic Covey , Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility for Nielsen , about a new global study on consumer attitudes toward companies and social responsibility. . Nic discusses how consumers are expecting more from companies than ever before, and how the sentiment is shared worldwide by global citizens.
Nonprofit Leadership Zone brings together the best content for advertising professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Agitator
AUGUST 21, 2013
'Enter the terms ‘donor’ and ‘digital’ into Google and you get 13,600,000 results. Yesterday Google itself added to the searchable research pile on donors’ digital behavior. In a study titled The Path to Donation ( download summary here ), Google and the market researchers from MillwardBrown Digital revealed that donor research leading up to year-end giving starts early and spans multiple sources.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
AUGUST 24, 2013
'With the launch of new a LinkedIn Groups design , the company resolved one of its most pressing problems – LinkedIn Group spam. Group management had become cumbersome and time-consuming for many admins of medium and large groups. Flagging irrelevant discussions as promotion posts or deleting them altogether can take up to thirty minutes a day and if you didn’t invest the time to get rid of the clutter, then the group would become overrun with spam and lose its appeal to group members.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
AUGUST 13, 2013
'Is your nonprofit website sending the right message to potential donors? Year-end fundraising season will be here before you know it. Now is the time to clear away the cobwebs and roll out the welcome mat for prospective donors, volunteers, and those who may benefit from your work. If you haven’t updated your site in a while, you might give donors the impression that your organization is no longer active.
Getting Attention
AUGUST 8, 2013
'Guest blogger, Annie Escobar has created over 60 videos for over 30 purpose driven organizations. She believes there is more good than bad in our world, and she’s driven to share the stories she’s heard that prove this. When an organization comes to me and says, “We want a video about our program,” I always cringe a little bit. Many non-profits fall into what I call “The Program Trap.
Selfish Giving
AUGUST 8, 2013
'Today on CauseTalk Radio we talk to Artis Stevens , National Vice President, Marketing Strategy & Operations at Boys & Girls Clubs of America , about its back-to-school cause marketing campaign, Great Futures. Artis talks about some of the impressive early results from the program, including at least $800,000 from a July round-up program with jcpenney , and the range of cause marketing programs from pinups to collection programs.
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 27, 2013
'Like to be entered. Facebook promotions used to be a weird thing. Nonprofits did them but technically, they risked Facebook deleting their page. Facebooks changes its terms again. This time for the good! Now according to Facebook’s blog you can run those promotions without fear! You’re now able to use likes and comments as votes and entries into contests.
The Agitator
AUGUST 25, 2013
'We all know the two sides of our brain have their different ways of looking at the world and responding to what the world, including all of us fundraisers, throws at it. While a bit over-simplistic, we accept the basic notion that one side favors logical analysis and categories while the other favors emotion and the big picture. As fundraisers, we fight a blizzard of stimuli to win the attention of our prospects … and resort to emotional appeals to do so.
Care2
AUGUST 25, 2013
'Even though social media has been around for several years, many organizations have not adapted a formal social media strategy. Having a social media strategy is important to measuring its impact on your organization and the community you serve. If you are just starting to map out your social media strategy, check out this great infographic I found on socialmediaexplorer.com that highlights 8 strategies for you to consider.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
AUGUST 28, 2013
'A few weeks ago I shared tips for assessing whether or not a visitor would consider your nonprofit’s website open for business. This week, I wanted to share some examples of nonprofits who are getting it right. The home pages in the slideshow below are great nonprofit examples because they focus on getting their message across quickly and clearly, while offering clear paths for donations and further engagement.
Getting Attention
AUGUST 6, 2013
'Our daughter, Charlotte, is away at Camp Harlam for 3 1/2 long weeks this summer. It’s her first time, and our pleasure in relaxed evenings and quiet weekend mornings is punctuated by severe pangs of missing her. Most evenings we can quiet our pangs by going to the private website where photos from the day are posted. Charlotte frequently shows up in a photo or two, and we can get a sense of what she’s up to and how much she’s enjoying it (or not).
Selfish Giving
AUGUST 1, 2013
'On today’s episode of CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to John Kordsmeier , President of the Northwest Mutual Foundation , about the first year results of their fundraising efforts for Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation and Starlight Children’s Foundation. John talks about how Northwest Mutual chose childhood cancer as its cause, what made ALSF and Starlight good partners and how the company empowered employees across the company to host fundraisers.
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 22, 2013
'Are you making excuses or raising money? If I had a dollar for every fundraiser that’s told me they’re not making major gift calls because “August is a slow month,” I’d be able to make much larger gifts to nonprofits! I actually like hearing that, in a twisted way. The more people “taking it easy” this month, the more chances are I’ll get through.
The Agitator
AUGUST 11, 2013
'Odds are that in countless budget and board meetings this summer and fall there will be the usual share of naïve hand wringers warning that ‘our donors are too old’ and urging that ‘we simply must spend more to attract younger donors’ Fortunately, Blackbaud has just released its Next Generation of American Giving study that provides some helpful ammunition to counter the ‘let’s-move-to-the-young-side’ zealots.
Care2
AUGUST 28, 2013
'After working on over 400 nonprofit email recruitment campaigns, and helping clients plan successful recruitment strategies, I’ve realized that most nonprofits don''t send nearly enough standalone fundraising appeals. I''ve seen clients make their money back on their investments with Care2 in as little as three months, or as long as four years.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
AUGUST 6, 2013
'This week, Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project released their latest findings on social media adoption. Even if you’re a socially savvy fundraiser, you’ll find these stats interesting. If you’re still skeptical about social media, this is a wake-up call. Think about this: Seventy-two percent of all adults online now use social networking sites.
Getting Attention
AUGUST 7, 2013
'Beware the deadly Promotions Tab, the latest “improvement” for Gmail users! That’s what communicators like us have have been sweating about in the past few weeks. In case you haven’t heard, Google is now automatically filtering Gmail users’ email messages to pre-defined content tabs. They’re sending emails from friends and family to the Primary Inbox (where we’re used to looking all the time), and sending most e-newsletters and other emails from organiz
Selfish Giving
AUGUST 22, 2013
'This week on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and I talk to Jenifer Snyder , Executive Director of The mGive Foundation , about the myths of mobile marketing for nonprofits. The mGive Foundation has supported more than 10,000 text donation campaigns for more than 500 nonprofit partners and processes around 85 percent of all text donations made today. Working with their partners, mGive helped charities raise almost $70 million through text message donations.
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 28, 2013
'Today, August 28, is the day you’ve long been waiting for: National Bowtie Day ! To celebrate this sartorially splendorific day, I’m giving away my bowtie cards for free. True, I always give them away for free. But today, I’ll even mail them to you. Just fill out the form below and I’ll take care of the rest! You can join all the cool kids, like these: More on my Google+ bowtie album and on my Facebook bowtie album !
The Agitator
AUGUST 14, 2013
'If you’re an online fundraiser, it sure better! Mobile phones and tablets now account for 41% of all email opens in the US, up from 27% a year ago, according to this study from eMarketer. Epsilon goes further, and says that for most of their clients, mobile now accounts for 60% or more of opens. For online fundraisers, obviously this means that your online appeals must be designed with mobile in mind.
Care2
AUGUST 9, 2013
'Even though the U.S. economy is still recovering, the majority of Americans (60%) still give to charity, according to the Next Generation of American Giving study by Blackbaud. The study looked at giving habits and trends across four generations of donors – Matures (68+), Boomers (49-67), Gen X (33-48) and Gen Y (18-32). Unfortunately the economy has taken its toll on charitable giving as donations have remained flat.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
AUGUST 28, 2013
'Jay Baer’s Youtility truly puts smart marketing to the test. The book’s premise is that marketing should be ‘about help not hype.’ Instead of the now-antiquated push marketing (Think: The earth is polluted! Children are starving! Our nonprofit is remedying these problems!), Baer argues the collaborative economy and nature of social media leaves consumers wanting help from nonprofit and corporate brands, not more marketing speak.
Getting Attention
AUGUST 12, 2013
'Please post your nonprofit marketing position here for full-time or part-time staff, consulting or internship opportunities. New Opportunities. Communications Assistant , Statewide Organizing for Community eMpowerment (Knoxville, TN). Communications and Outreach Manager , La Peña Cultural Center (Berkeley, CA). Communications Manager , National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (Arlington, VA).
Selfish Giving
AUGUST 16, 2013
'In this episode of CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Aria Finger , COO of millennial-focused nonprofit Dosomething.org and President of TMI , a new youth-focused agency. Aria debunks myths about millennials and explains why the data scientists that explore their preferences, habits and beliefs are the rockstars of her organization. We discuss how Dosomething.org effectively uses humor to engage millennials and why listening to your audience is always (ALWAYS!
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 26, 2013
'I get lots of questions similar to this all the time: Quick question: Do you have a few favorite donor database software recommendations. Especially for collecting donor giving habits. My answer. Here are the ones I hear good things about from clients. I’m most familiar with RaisersEdge but am seriously impressed by Bloomerang. RaisersEdge. (You can have it hosted by companies like Beyond the Nines.).
The Agitator
AUGUST 19, 2013
'I’m just about finished with my book — Retention Fundraising – that will be headed to the publisher at the end of this week. But some of the key stuff in the book just shouldn’t wait. Hopefully you can put some of the research and findings to work immediately. Of course, I’ll flog the book to you when the publishing date is set. Right now it’s more important to share some advance information on what I’ve learned.
Sea Change Strategies
AUGUST 6, 2013
'We can learn a thing from Bruno Mars about making our audiences (and donors) the “stars” of our communications vehicles. Bruno Mars is featuring fans dancing to his hit “Treasure” on a new website called TreasureDance.com. The site looks for videos posted with the hashtag #TreasureDance on Instagram, takes the newest 100 videos and places them in a random sequence alongside Bruno Mars’s preexisting music video for Treasure.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
AUGUST 18, 2013
'Directed by internationally acclaimed filmmaker Werner Herzog, From One Second to the Next is a documentary-style PSA in AT&T’s “ It Can Wait ” campaign. The film is a sobering look at the consequences of texting and driving. It features the heart-wrenching stories of the victims of these accidents, as well as interviews with some of the drivers who caused the tragedies.
Mission Minded
AUGUST 29, 2013
'Fall marks the beginning of admissions season—when independent schools compete for students who are the right fit for their communities. Admissions materials convey a school’s priorities and its personality. They make the first impression and serve as at-home reading materials for parents and students who are making crucial decisions about their family’s future.
Care2
AUGUST 22, 2013
'So you launched your new website and have an online marketing plan in hand to help you reach new audiences. Everyone at your organization thinks the new website is fantastic. Your board, donors, and activists love it too. Now what? How are you going to maintain the website and make it compelling over time? What are you really going to implement from the online marketing plan that is packed with a lot of great ideas, but in all honestly, you just don’t have the resources to do them all.
Fundraising Coach
AUGUST 1, 2013
'I’m tremendously proud of being part of 100 Donors in 90 Day. This week, there’s a special offer. So I made this video. Alas, the lavalier volume was wonky. And my webcam is no HD. But you still get why 100 Donors is such an incredible program. 100 new donors in the next three months. Watch this video. It’s short. And then head over to [link].
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