Nonprofit Tech for Good
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'According to Shop.org’s annual Holiday 2014 Pre-Holiday Retailer and Consumer Study , two out of five U.S. consumers started their holiday shopping in October. The study also found that o nline shoppers plan to spend 16 percent more than brick-and-mortar shoppers this holiday season on gifts, decorations, greeting cards, and food. All told, online shoppers expect to spend an average of $931.75.
EveryAction
OCTOBER 16, 2014
'A frequent assumption is that social media runs itself, but the “build it and they will come” model won’t yield the engagement or impact that you’re looking for. It’s important to approach social media with a multifaceted strategy for spreading your message and getting the attention of your audience.
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Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 7, 2014
'Lately, I''ve been getting a lot of questions about my "view" of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. When I saw it happening, I watched with professional curiosity. I love seeing a nonprofit hit a fundraising campaign out of the park! You''d think that as a guy lost his mom less than a year ago due to ALS, I''d have a more emotional connection. But I didn''t.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 21, 2014
'EDITORS’ NOTE: On September 4th The Agitator sounded the alarm , questioning whether fundraising efforts were rising to the level required for the impending Ebola disaster. Our conclusion, in the post Fundraisers and Ebola , was “NO!” We urged our sector shed it’s complacency. Many Agitator readers agreed. Seven weeks later, on Monday, October 20th, the New York Times , in a piece by Stephanie Strom titled “Donations for Ebola Relief Are Slow to Gain Speed” reported that, with the exception of
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 8, 2014
'At a recent workshop with more than 200 nonprofit board and staff members, we did an exercise where board members shared what they secretly wanted staff to know on yellow notes, and staff shared what they wanted board members to know on pink notes. Today and tomorrow, I’ll share the most popular messages with you, starting today with what board members wish they could say to staff.
Ann Green
OCTOBER 28, 2014
'Many of you are busy with your year-end fundraising campaign. Even if you mail your appeal letter, a bunch of people will donate online. If you’re sending out reminders by email and social media, you’ll also include a link to the donation page on your website. Is your donation page ready for an onslaught of online donors? Find out by asking yourself these questions.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
OCTOBER 19, 2014
'With more than 1 billion active users, Facebook is the largest social network in the world. More than two-thirds of its users log in every day and three-fourths do so on a mobile device. Without a doubt your nonprofit’s supporters use Facebook on a regular basis. Therefore, Facebook Pages should be your first priority and entry into social networking. but to stand out from the other 50 million pages regularly active and all vying for likes, comments, and shares, you must excel at Facebook in or
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Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 15, 2014
'Being a nonprofit board member can be an exciting adventure. You''re part of something bigger than yourself, doing incredible work. But the joy tends to evaporate when you''re asked to talk about your nonprofit to your friends. My coaching clients often ask me questions like: "What do I say?" "Why would they care?" "What if I say the wrong thing?".
The Agitator
OCTOBER 14, 2014
'Over and over Tom and I receive emails and comments claiming there just isn’t enough time or staff resources required to make some of the basic changes we suggest, or engage in much innovation. Yet, anyone who’s spent time with most nonprofits knows that’s simply an excuse without much truth to it. Tom’s post yesterday , applauding the commitment of Ann Kensek and The Counseling Service of Addison County-Vermont , made that abundantly clear.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 6, 2014
'Genna Kasun. Here’s the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators, where we ask you to describe your day in your own words. Want to be featured in this series? Tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro. Genna Kasun is a marketing and advancement writer whose work varies from writing and supervising social media and enrollment content to grant writing, case statement work and institutional proposal writing.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 8, 2014
'#GivingTuesday – what for many will be the launch of the December giving season – is now just 7 weeks away. Gulp. Your year-end campaigns are just about ready to go, but making the most of December is probably in the back of your mind all the time. Perhaps you’re asking yourself if there is anything else you can put into motion today that can move the needle at year end.
Ann Green
OCTOBER 3, 2014
'Have you ever received an appeal letter from an organization you’ve donated to for years and they make no mention of your previous donations? Or maybe you get a letter that thanks you for your past support and you’ve never donated to this organization. Grrrr. This is why is you need to know your audience and personalize your letters as much as possible.
EveryAction
OCTOBER 23, 2014
'Believe it or not, it''s already time to start planning for the wealth of marketing, education, and networking opportunities for nonprofits in 2015.
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 28, 2014
'I''m a huge fan of Andrea Kihlstedt. She''s a true expert in fundraising - one that makes you feel smarter just by being around her. She''s the author of multiple books and the creator of the "asking styles" way of helping people ask in coordination with their hard wiring, not against them. She''s also done the best teaching I''ve found on exactly what to say during the major gift solicitation.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 5, 2014
'When producers of TV talk and cable news shows score an extraordinary guest appearance, it’s called a ‘get ‘ Well, last Friday Tony Martignetti’s Nonprofit Radio scored fundraising media’s equivalent of a huge ‘get’ — an interview with Barbara Newhouse, the CEO of the ALS Association , better known to most as ‘The Ice Bucket Challenge’ people.
iMarketSmart
OCTOBER 16, 2014
'You are not a fund raiser. You are , instead, an engagement facilitator. And, the purpose of your engagements with donors is to discover why they give; what would inspire and motivate them to give; and, how you can help them to give. Let’s face it, people give for a variety of reasons. But they rarely think deeply about them. And why should they?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 29, 2014
'Alexandra Ale Bezdikian. TechSoup’s annual Storymakers contest had some great entries this year. Watch the winners and see what you can learn from them. ~Kivi. Guest Post by Alexandra (Ale) Bezdikian of TechSoup. The world is changing. The landscape of communication is evolving at an exponential rate, and digital media creation is riding at the head of the wave.
Ann Green
OCTOBER 17, 2014
'Most of you are about ready to launch your year-end appeal. We have many ways to reach out to our donors – by mail, email, social media, phone calls. But your fundraising campaign will be more effective if you use a combination of these. Some donors may respond to your direct mail piece, but donate online. Others will see your email message, but prefer to send a check.
EveryAction
OCTOBER 21, 2014
'I’ve read and written hundreds of nonprofit digital strategy documents. As a former consultant for the nonprofit space, “I need to create a digital strategy” was something that I heard almost daily. The problem is that you don’t need a digital strategy. You need a strategy.
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 18, 2014
'I''m shocked at how people looking for solid fundraising tactics, simply blow off storytelling. It''s as though there is some cosmic organizational chart in the sky that has storytelling is on one side (the "marketing" side) and fundraising is on the other. Divorcing storytelling from fundraising will reduce your fundraising success! Even communicating research needs stories.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 19, 2014
'The Chronicle of Philanthropy just announced that giving is up 10.8% at America’s top 400 charities. Rah, Rah, Rah! However, elsewhere in the universe, if you’re a small nonprofit in your local community or region trying to raise funds for, say, homeless shelters or a health services charity or an arts group, might this be your worst nightmare … ?
Getting Attention
OCTOBER 22, 2014
'She got me… The rain was pouring down this morning as our daughter, Charlotte, was getting ready to walk to school, so I caved and drove her. And I’m glad I did. Because as I dropped her off to join the gaggle of noisy, drenched kids waiting outside the middle school, I started thinking. Here were all these kids crowded round the dripping doorway to march in for another day of challenge, learning and growth.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 2, 2014
'You may have seen this graphic or its cousins floating around on social media lately. I liked it a lot, because it helped me explain some concepts to my 11-year-old, who is suddenly concerned about her purpose in life. I certainly believe that I have found my professional purpose by founding Nonprofit Marketing Guide and am grateful for it every day.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 14, 2014
'The countdown is on. In exactly 7 weeks, or 49 days, #GivingTuesday will be here! For many organizations, #GivingTuesday will launch the giving season, fueling energy and excitement that will carry through to year-end. We’ve written a series of posts to help you make the most of #GivingTuesday. Today, we’re focused on one of the most important year-end strategies for any organization: creating a compelling online presence and outreach campaign to inspire support. 11 to-do’s for #GivingTuesday a
Mission Minded
OCTOBER 31, 2014
'Recently, I attended a forum on education. I rose early, drove to the elegant downtown ballroom, poured myself a coffee with cream and two sugars, and took my seat, ready to listen. The session began, and eight superintendents representing urban, suburban, and rural districts responded to questions about the state of education in their districts, […].
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 7, 2014
'A few weeks ago, The Nonprofit Academy joined the Fundraising Coach. With over 50 webinars, templates, and tools in the NPA Online Vault, it''s already a great resource for affordable, efficient, and effective nonprofit trainings. But members typically get one new online training and one coaching call with me each month too. October is special for Nonprofit Academy members!
The Agitator
OCTOBER 7, 2014
'This is an alert for those rare and very adept boards, CEOs and fundraisers who seriously plan beyond the next 36 months. You’re in BIG TROUBLE. Why? Student loans. The smoke alarm hasn’t yet gone off. And it probably won’t for some time. But for those fundraisers who genuinely care about the long-term future, as opposed to those hopping to their next job, there’s a BIG problem coming.
Getting Attention
OCTOBER 7, 2014
'Breath this in deeply. It’s a strong model of that golden communications rule: Show, Don’t Tell. Here, on its Facebook page, Breast Cancer Action (BCA) zigs rather than zags, with memorable results. See post in full size here. Most nonprofits would have simply told folks that pink-labeled water bottles is pinkwashing, and leave it at that.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 30, 2014
'Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/28681973@N00/15053486347/. OK, copywriters. Listen up. It’s year-end fundraising time. You’re probably planning to crank up your nonprofit’s email schedule with fundraising appeals in December. How many are you going to send? One, four, six? No matter how many you send, let’s all agree that you’ll send one e-appeal on Dec. 31.
iMarketSmart
OCTOBER 6, 2014
'I thought I’d see how many powerful ways I could end an email or letter in 10 minutes. Ready… Go! 1. [First name], I’m really counting on you! 2. [First name], when you look back on this moment, you’ll be so glad you [mission-oriented copy here]. 3. [First name], this is your chance to make a huge impact on [mission-oriented copy here]. 4.
Mission Minded
OCTOBER 2, 2014
'Not every nonprofit that refreshes its brand needs a name change. In fact, we typically counsel our clients to lean against changing their name. Even if it isn’t a great name, it likely has meaning for many of your constituents, and that’s valuable for you. But some nonprofits have reached an important moment in their […].
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 20, 2014
'This final quarter can shine as the time to generate the donations you need to move your organization’s mission forward, if you do it right. In fact, 40% of online donors make their gifts in December, and that 40% to 60% of those gifts are made the last two days of the month according to superstar fundraiser Gail Perry. Offline giving is up as well in December, says Perry.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 1, 2014
'In 1969, even with my hair in a mega-fro and wearing an embroidered and beaded denim work shirt (or maybe because of that) I was hired as the fundraiser to raise the seed money and help launch a new U.S. citizens’ movement called ‘Common Cause’ My professional colleagues thought I was nuts. Asking $15 a head from citizens to join an organization intending to reform government and end the Vietnam war made absolutely no sense they said.
Getting Attention
OCTOBER 14, 2014
'Within the first five minutes of meeting Leili Khalessi last year, I learned that she and her colleagues were in the process of rebranding their organization, including a new name. As Marketing and Communications Manager with (what is now) Red Rover , Leili was right in the middle of that challenging project. So I jumped on the opportunity to ask if she’d share the organization’s experience in this marketing adventure.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 10, 2014
'Sending a thank you letter to your donors is not just the polite thing to do. Nor should it just be a tax receipt. Nonprofit thank you letters need to be thought of as a very important, highly strategic piece of communication. With that in mind, we recently updated our nonprofit thank you letters resource page to include tips and advice based on your personal experience with writing thank you letters.
Care2
OCTOBER 27, 2014
'Let me cut to the chase: You can''t make campaigns go viral. But that doesn’t mean you can’t create awesome campaigns that are compelling, sharable, and focused on building a ladder of engagement with your community and network. This is one of the key concepts that I discuss in my book Social Change Anytime Everywhere , co-written with Amy Sample Ward of NTEN.
NonProfit Hub
OCTOBER 21, 2014
'Is your marketing strategy so last season? Update your marketing plan and maximize the impact that your dollars make in 2015 with these five significant trends. 1. Mobile is hot. Still. We’re almost starting to sound like a broken record, but if mobile has not been a priority for you, now’s the time to embrace it. Responsive website design is a must-have functionality that provides optimal user experience whether your website is accessed via mobile, tablet or desktop, plus it tells people that
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