November, 2012

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CauseTalk Radio Ep33: Author David Neff Talks About the Future of Nonprofits

Selfish Giving

The great thing about having a guest like David Neff on CauseTalk Radio is that you’ll never run out of things to talk about! Dave is a futurist and the co-author of The Future of Nonprofits. For nine years he pioneered social media practices at the American Cancer Society. He’s the founder of Lights. Camera. Help. a popular Austin film festival that celebrates cause-related films.

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HOW TO: Ensure Your Nonprofit’s Facebook Fans See All Your Posts

Nonprofit Tech for Good

Except for a short test in 2009 , your nonprofit’s Facebook Fans have never seen all your posts and as most of us have by now have realized, the percentage that do has gotten significantly smaller over time. The most recent changes to Facebook’s Edgerank has decreased the percentage to 6-9% on the Nonprofit Organizations Facebook Page. Personally, I am not surprised or annoyed much by the changes.

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A 2-step fundraising letter audit

Fundraising Coach

With Thanksgiving sixteen days away here in the USA, it’s a great time to do a quick 2-step gratitude check. Pull out your most recent fundraising letter. (You sent one in September, right?) Or your next one. (You have one queued up for late November/early December, right?). With a green Sharpie circle all the times you use words like “thanks” and “you.” And with a red Sharpie circle all the times you use words like “we,” “us,” and “our

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Fundraising Needs An Emotional Revolution

The Agitator

Francesco Ambrogetti, fundraising advisor for UNAIDS in Geneva, recently made a strong case for an “emotional revolution” in fundraising in this article written for 101 Fundraising … Cry me a river: WHY and HOW emotions can save fundraising and the nonprofit world. Any fundraiser worth his or her salt knows the driving power of emotions.

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Did people give on #GivingTuesday?

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

Since I work at Network for Good , I have access to all kinds of nifty data on giving. We process donations for tens of thousands of nonprofits via their websites and partners like Crowdrise and YourCause. So I was interested to see if the big push to encourage giving earlier this week - the first ever GivingTuesday “national day of giving” - yielded results.

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What Does Your Organization Do? Draw It Out

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

Jessica Pullano. Illustrated videos are very popular right now with everyone from big corporations to small nonprofits. Jessica Pullano, who is currently participating in my Mentoring Program , shares how her organization created one to help explain what they do. ~Kivi. Guest Post by Jessica Pullano of the San Francisco Education Fund. Like many communications people, my ongoing quest is to find simple, compelling and new ways to answer the question, “What does your organization do?

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Book Review: Measuring the Networked Nonprofit

Selfish Giving

Beth Kanter’s first book, The Networked Nonprofit , taught us how to use social media tools. Her latest book, Measuring the Networked Nonprofit , which is co-authored by Katie Delahaye Paine , teaches us how to measure what we’ve done. The whole idea of measurement and insight has been on my brain for two reasons. First, During Pinktober Megan Strand and I interviewed the author of Pink Ribbons Inc. on CauseTalk Radio.

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Are you using “the phrase that pays”?

Fundraising Coach

A couple weeks ago, I got to lead a storytelling training with presidents of community colleges from around the country and their board chairs. They were a refreshingly lively group! As these board presidents shared, many of them told stories of students who’d attended their institutions and done fabulous things. The stories were powerful because they were: about one person—people can connect with one person so they get into the story much easier. about overcoming odds—stories are more compellin

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Acquisition: 16 Reasons Your Prospecting Is Running Out Of Gas

The Agitator

Your prospecting returns are dropping … running out of gas. What’s the problem? Here are some reasons I can think of. If it’s been happening for awhile … a longer-term trend. 1. The worst news possible … your cause/mission/strategy is simply losing relevance and importance to an otherwise well-targeted audience. 2. You’ve plumbed every depth and vein of your natural market. 3.

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How to reduce donor attrition in three minutes

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

Here’s the bad news. As if we needed more bad news about our ability to retain donors… The Chronicle of Philanthropy shares that donors aren’t just annoyed by our lack of follow-up—they are really, really annoyed. (Read here.). More than 20 percent of donors say they were never even thanked! So the obvious remedy is to thank donors, tell them what their gift accomplished and report on your progress in your mission.

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Website Content for Homeless People?

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

I saw this tweet from Mark Horvath of Invisible People and We Are Visible via Facebook yesterday: I followed up on Facebook with Mark and he said he couldn’t come up with any good examples of agencies that serve the homeless who actually had good content directed at homeless people on their websites. He says most of those websites are donor-centric or all about the organization itself.

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Win a Pro-Bono Cause Marketing Campaign Worth $25,000 from Phil & Co.

Selfish Giving

Enter online by November 9th! This is guest from Phil & Co., a group of outstanding professional that I’m happy to support. Phil & Co. excels in creating campaigns that humanize brands and tell cause related stories in ways that are meaningful and compelling to consumers. The agency specializes in being a bridge between consumers, corporations, and nonprofits.

Marketing 237
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Six Simple Ways Nonprofits Can Increase Their Exposure on Social Media

Nonprofit Tech for Good

Most nonprofits approach social media with the strategy of increasing awareness for their cause by posting and sharing content on their profiles and then when time permits, engaging their fans and followers as they respond to the content posted and shared by the nonprofits. That’s what social media marketing is and the premise upon which all social media strategies are conceived, launched, and maintained.

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Pls Help Now: From Post-Sandy NJ

Getting Attention

I hope that this note finds you, and your family, safe and well post-Sandy. While the actual storm has passed, its effects are powerful here in NJ (we’re just outside NYC). I’m lucky. My family is safe and our home without power but untouched—but many others are not. We are dealing with devastation here in such massive proportion—its impact will be felt for a long time.

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Acquisition: Prospecting Hope For Small Organizations

The Agitator

Sadly, when it comes to direct mail acquisition the deck is stacked against small organizations; especially those with a regional or local mission focus. The main question they face: How to get enough quality/responsive names to build a donor base? Traditionally, there just aren’t that many donor names available for exchange or rental from other organizations in that geographic area.

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The 6 things you must know about the science of persuasion

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

If you have never read the classic book Influence by Robert Cialdini, you really should. But you’re also in luck, because the Influence at Work team just released this summary of the six principles of persuasion that the book covers. Spend 11 minutes watching this video - it’s well worth your time. Trouble viewing the video? Go here. No time to watch?

Values 89
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What’s a Reasonable Amount of Content to Produce?

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

I just took another look at the preliminary results from our 2013 Nonprofit Communications Trends survey ( take it now, please! ) and “lack of time to produce quality content” is the biggest challenge nonprofit communicators are facing, with almost 52% of the 300+ who have taken the survey picking that answer out of a list of a dozen choices.

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Veterans Day Cause Marketing – Pinterest Roundup

Selfish Giving

This past week HBO re-aired its miniseries The Pacific , which chronicles the U. S. fight against the Japanese during World War II. Some scenes are difficult to watch. The death, grief, hardship and fear these men endured would incapacitate most people. I’m sure I’d be rocking back and forth in a foxhole. It’s important for us to give thanks to all soldiers – living and dead – who defend our country.

Marketing 228
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Free Webinar on January 9! Five Reasons Why Your Nonprofit Should Prioritize the Mobile Web in 2013

Nonprofit Tech for Good

Date: Wednesday, January 9, 2013. Time: 1-1:45pm EST. Cost: Free. How to Register: Sign up ! Presented By: Heather Mansfield. View: All Webinars for Nonprofits. The Mobile Web is often discussed as a future trend that nonprofits have time to prepare for, but the reality is that by the end of 2013, the majority of your supporters and donors will be viewing your website and social media content on mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets.

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18 Orgs Honored for High-Impact Taglines: The 2012 Taggies

Getting Attention

Congratulations to the. 2012 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award Winners! These 18 winners, reviewed in this brief video , were selected by more than 3,300 voters from 63 nonprofit tagline finalists identified by our expert panel of judges. And the finalists were drawn from the 1,400 nonprofit taglines entered. The organizations behind the winning taglines range from the regional (Elder Services of Worcester Area, Inc.) to the national (Wounded Warrior Project) and global (The TARA Project

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Minced Pie And Fundraisers

The Agitator

The memory came flooding back last week as I read Tom’s post on telemarketing …. … I had just made what I felt was a mighty effective case for a major gift from the CEO of a major American company and was absolutely startled when he said “No, I won’t give!”. Shocked, I asked him, “Why?” His response: “I won’t give because of minced pie.” Dumbfounded, I just looked at him, then found my tongue.

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It’s #GivingTuesday!

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

If you want to feel happy - and wonderful about yourself - science has the answer. Do something for someone else. Researchers Lalin Anik, Lara Aknin, Michael Norton and Elizabeth Dunn have shown that people who commit random acts of kindness are significantly happier than those who don’t, and spending money on others makes you happier than spending money on yourself.

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A Few Great Thank You Videos

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

This may have been the “Year of the Thank You Video” – lots of really great stuff arrived in my inbox in the last week. So much so that even the well-written Thanksgiving messages without videos seemed a little boring and dated to me. The ones with video felt so much more alive and real. For two years now, I have been using the “Our Scientists Say Thanks” video from the Nature Conservancy as the model for others to steal from aspire to.

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4 Steps To Achieving Lasting Cause Marketing Partnerships

Selfish Giving

This is a guest post from Ashley Halligan, an analyst at Software Advice. You can reach Ashley at ashley@softwareadvice.com. The idea of cause marketing has been around since the ’70s — that is, developing a partnership between nonprofits and for-profits with a sense of lateral interest and synergy, demonstrating ROI for both parties. How does a nonprofit begin a cause marketing endeavor?

Marketing 225
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11 Holiday Gift Programs That Benefit Nonprofits

Nonprofit Tech for Good

November 27, 2012 is the first ever #GivingTuesday. Launched to inspire charitable giving and conscious consumerism throughout the giving season, the 11 nonprofit gift programs listed below are ideal holiday gifts for family members, friends and work colleagues who are committed to social good and would rather you donate and invest in a nonprofit than spend money on another candle, sweater, or bath gift set.

Poverty 90
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Are You Doing the Right Things?

Getting Attention

These are the questions you ask me most frequently: What’s the right way to market a nonprofit like mine? And how do I know if I’m doing the right things? Not knowing the answers leads to self-doubt, paralysis or—even worse—just doing what you’ve always done, regardless of the impact it may (or may not) have. There’s a better way. Wouldn’t it feel so much better to know you’re making good choices, so you can move beyond doing what sounds right, to doing the things—the right things—backed b

Energy 73
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Make Popcorn For Thanksgiving

The Agitator

Agitator readers know how infatuated I am with online video as a tool for fundraising storytelling. Here’s a tool — Popcorn Maker — that could revolutionize how you tell tell stories online with video. In essence, Popcorn lets you take a video, then amplify its content with other pertinent content — photos, links to articles, maps, etc.

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The social media question to ask yourself - three times

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

Another great cartoon from Marketoonist Tom Fishburne. Why are you engaged in social media and what do you hope will happen? This was the topic of my panel last week with Beth Kanter and KD Paine, authors of Measuring the Networked Nonprofit. They have a good way to avoid the nonsense this cartoon so vividly portrays. It’s super simple—and invaluable.

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My Favorite Post-Sandy Email

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

I received lots of post-Sandy email from nonprofits, with content all over the map, from direct pleas for assistance for those affected, to educational and advocacy emails tying severe weather to climate change. In looking through them all, one stands out: This email I received the day after the storm passed through Washington, DC from the Washington Humane Society.

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CauseTalk Radio Ep35: Men, Mustaches & Movember

Selfish Giving

On today’s show, Megan and I talk to Jason Hincks , Chief Operations Officer of Movember , about the mustache-growing phenomenon that is sweeping the world. We discuss the origins of Movember, and the challenges of building a movement around an issue that isn’t on most donors’ radar: men’s health. Sadly, men’s health finishes a distant fourth – after women, kids and pets – in the hearts and wallets of donors.

Health 222
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HOW TO: Upgrade Your Nonprofit’s Pinterest Profile to a Business Account

Nonprofit Tech for Good

On Wednesday, November 14 Pinterest rolled out business accounts for brands and the best news is that there is a new “Institution/Non-profit” category. The new business accounts do not change the design or functionality of your nonprofit’s Pinterest profile, but it will give you access to new tools and case studies for brands as they become available.

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This Is Getting In Your Way—Strong Stories Will Help

Getting Attention

It’s a simple equation, at least theoretically. Your goal is to change how people perceive, think, and give or act around your issue or cause. Connection is the lubricant for those changes. You have to connect to convince and convert. But… The way many organizations discuss their causes, approach and impact is a huge barrier to connecting.

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Brilliant Fundraising Products

The Agitator

I’ve always been intrigued with the challenge of growing monthly giving programs. We’re all familiar with the undisputed king of monthly giving — child sponsorship (this might be the first … Plan Spain, 1937 ). [I'm not quite sure why SOFII included The Onion's hilarious spoof of child sponsor programs in its coverage here. Although I must confess we at The Agitator have used The Onion's 'expose' !

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Cheese! Photos make you more persuasive

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

A series of studies ( described in Neuromarketing by Roger Dooley ) shows that including a photo with your message makes it far more persuasive. Says Dooley: “Even general knowledge claims were enhanced by photos. The statement, “Turtles are deaf,” was judged to be true more often when accompanied by a photo that shows a turtle but in no way demonstrates their hearing ability or lack thereof.” I’m a cute turtle and may be deaf.

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Biggest Challenges for 2013

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

Here’s another little taste of preliminary data from our 2013 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report . We’ve heard from about 900 nonprofits, and want to make that at least 1,200 before we shut it down on November 30. So please take the survey and share this link with your nonprofit friends: [link]. So far, nonprofit communicators have identified these challenges as their top five for 2013: Lack of time to produce quality content.

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Forget #GivingTuesday. Want to Save the World? Send a Tweet

Selfish Giving

Next month marks my fifth anniversary on Twitter. I feel like I owe a lot to the humble tweet. It’s helped me find more readers for my blog. I’ve learned a lot about social media and cause marketing. I’ve even made some great friends on Twitter – some of whom I’ve actually met. Every tweet calls for words that are clear, direct, active and short.

Activism 222
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Six Wall Calendars That Benefit Nonprofits

Nonprofit Tech for Good

For millennia human beings have been watching, documenting, and turning the pages of time and it’s a tradition that will continue in 2013. In our household we have four calendars and the first day of each month is always met with the anticipation of flipping over to the next month to see what new picture will be revealed and how it will change the semblance of the room.