Selfish Giving
JUNE 7, 2010
I had a great time at this year’s Cause Marketing Forum Conference. Did you? Here’s what I liked about this year’s event. A few things I didn’t. And some suggestions for next year. Then it will be your turn. Hospital Corporate Development Summit. Now, I’m bias here, because I taught the session with two outstanding colleagues, Maureen Carlson and Phil McCarty , but I believe the program really has some great potential.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
JUNE 11, 2010
A really simple, but crucial upgrade… but also potentially problematic. Facebook Page Admins can now remove other Admins – including the Page’s original creator. Nonprofits (and businesses) have been requesting this functionality for years. It is often the case that the original Page creator is a long-gone volunteer, intern or staff member, yet they continue to have access and control over a nonprofit’s Facebook Page because the functionality to remove them as an Admin di
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The Agitator
JUNE 17, 2010
A few days ago, I posted some advice regarding creating online videos deserving of viral success. Here are two examples of such videos. The first comes from Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) and deals with the Gulf oil spill. I think you’ll find this video moving … but I’ll let it speak for itself on that score.*. But additionally, this video isn’t just hanging out there.
Fundraising Coach
JUNE 26, 2010
I’m surprised by how many nonprofit professionals see “marketing&# as a bad word, a practice that is somehow beneath them. If that’s your attitude, a new book called Guerrilla Marketing for Nonprofits will help you move beyond that and become excellent at communicating your message. This book is packed with useful ideas, detailed strategies, and helpful tips from experienced professionals.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 2, 2010
You know they have to be short. But what else makes a good nonprofit Twitter or Facebook update? As with everything we say and do, we need to start by asking, “What’s the goal?&# Or more specifically, what do you want the reaction to be when your tweet or update is read? I think this boils down to three basic choices in nonprofit social media.
Getting Attention
JUNE 16, 2010
As pressure to perform grows for nonprofit marketing, many of you are trying to redefine priorities in your new, more streamlined environment. The most effective way to define your nonprofit communications priorities is to evaluate what strategies are working best, and do more of them. But as you told me a couple of years ago, only 37% of nonprofits track communications outcomes.
Selfish Giving
JUNE 28, 2010
Our newest cause marketing program is Phantom Gourmet Meal Deals. It teams up a popular Boston TV and radio show with two of our best cause marketing partners, iParty and Ocean State Job Lots. Here are the highlights. The program starts this week! At least at iParty stores. It will begin at OSJL stores in July. Both programs will run for two to four weeks.
Nonprofit Leadership Zone brings together the best content for advertising professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Agitator
JUNE 21, 2010
We often write about the importance of storytelling as the path into donors’ heads and hearts. Here , courtesy of fundraiser Fraser Green, is one more exclamation mark on the point! Says Fraser: “The ‘ magic moment, ‘ as I call it, is when the audience stops being an audience – and becomes a part of the story. Total involvement.
Get Fully Funded
JUNE 30, 2010
Thanks to my guest Hank Lewis for today’s post. I think you’ll like it. Who Is A Major Gift Prospect ?? By Hank Lewis, MA CFRM. When the question of major gift fundraising first arises, many unsophisticated board members, volunteers and staff immediately begin talking about the “rich and famous” — with Bill Gates being the name at the top of almost everyone’s list.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 11, 2010
A guest post by Claire Meyerhoff, our resident media expert and event producer extraordinaire. The “Goody Bag” is a nonprofit event staple, but once you’ve extracted and enjoyed the goodies, do you even notice the bag? Will you bring it home, especially when you you’re traveling by plane halfway across the country? Is that canvas bag, wicker basket or pretty shopping bag worth lugging through an airport?
Care2
JUNE 24, 2010
“If 2009 was the year of the "tweet", 2010 is the year of the "check-in", said Joe Waters, Director of Cause and Event Marketing at Boston Medical Center on this weeks Live Discussion over at the Chronicle of Philanthropy. After all, location apps like Foursquare and Gowalla were the breakout technology at SXSWi just a few months ago. Following SXSWi though, Frogloop questioned if apps like Foursquare are a novelty or buzz worthy , particularly for nonprofits.
Selfish Giving
JUNE 9, 2010
“Lazarus! Come Forth!&#. Attending Cause Marketing Forum’s annual conference , which happened last week in Chicago, is always a big rush for me because I get to see lot of friends from the field I don’t normally get to see. It’s also a great recharge because it gets me pumped for the cause marketing work that obviously lies ahead.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
JUNE 14, 2010
An online database of Twitter Apps called oneforty currently lists almost 2,900 third-party Twitter Apps. While some nonprofits have been early adopters of Twitter Apps, the vast majority are not. They may not even know the tools exist. Once you start browsing around and experimenting, you’ll quickly come to realize that there are a phenominal number of free Twitter tools now available to nonprofits – that can also be used to improve website, e-newsletter, blogging, and social media
The Agitator
JUNE 24, 2010
The Agitator is often asked to endorse specific fundraising campaigns, and our policy is to respectfully decline. There are simply too many, we haven’t the resources to evaluate conscientiously, and who are we to pick and choose anyway?! It’s bad enough that we bombard you daily with our fundraising POV! But here’s a proposal we like, because it doesn’t involve endorsing a fundraising campaign, but instead, if acted upon, would benefit many necessary fundraising efforts a
Getting Attention
JUNE 14, 2010
Let me introduce you to guest blogger Celeste Wroblewski, vice president of external relations at Donors Forum in Illinois. Celeste is a longtime friend and colleague, and one of the smartest minds in the field… As I review advice on social media for nonprofits, I often come across rules like these: It’s about conversing and listening: It’s not about sharing your own news.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 21, 2010
A minute ago, I introduced you to a new partnership with NCGives , where we will all hopefully learn a lot more about running a communications department of one for a small nonprofit, through the experiences of Melinda Pearce, NCGives’ communications director. One of the challenges that Melinda is facing right now is how to use a board marketing or communications committee.
Get Fully Funded
JUNE 22, 2010
This was the topic of one of my presentations at the AFP Northern Arizona Education Day last week. Here are some key points from this session: Donor relationships are like gardens. They bear the most fruit when they are properly tended to. Keep them weeded, watered, and fertilized, and you’ll be delighted with the results. 1. Good donor relationships are the key to successful fundraising.
Selfish Giving
JUNE 30, 2010
Brigid at Actually Giving doesn’t think cause marketing gifts are real gifts. &# Despite what consumers (and the product marketers) would like to believe, these transactions are simply Not Gifts.&#. I don’t buy that. There are just as many people that give as sincerely and generously at the register as there are people that give in other ways.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
JUNE 28, 2010
Foursquare now has 1.6 million users. That may not seem like very many compared to Facebook’s 465 million users, but Foursquare is only one year-old and growing quickly. Part social networking site, part smartphone App, Foursquare is a tool meant to be primary used on the go on your smartphone. Quite simply, you “Check-in” to venues while physically at the venue and offer “Tips” and send out “Shouts”.
The Agitator
JUNE 7, 2010
In the case of many non-profits the much-vaunted “Fundraising Pyramid” too often resembles an hourglass. Fat on the ends, skinny in the middle. So I was particularly pleased to see Nicole Wallace over at the Chronicle of Philanthropy recently tackle the subject of middle donor or mid-level donor programs. As the name implies, Mid-Level or Middle Donor Programs are fundraising efforts that fall between the mass, small gift efforts at the base of the Pyramid and the large, major gifts at the top.
Getting Attention
JUNE 8, 2010
I’ve always advised nonprofit communicators to put key content up top on website pages, so users don’t have to do anything to see (or act on) it. It’s part of my “make it easy for your base&# philosophy. In other words, your want to shape your nonprofit website to generate the actions you need. So I was thrilled to discover the hard data in website usability guru’s Jakob Nielsen latest research findings : Web users do scroll down to the next “panel,&# but only
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 29, 2010
Here’s a new question from Melinda Pearce at NCGives ( read about our partnership here ): How do you connect online and offline communities? from Kivi Leroux Miller on Vimeo. At the NC Tech4Good conference last week, we learned that North Carolina is second only to Texas for the total number of people living in rural communities, and 20% of rural North Carolinians have no access to broadband, even if they were willing to pay for it.
Fundraising Coach
JUNE 22, 2010
A few weeks back, I posted this question: Q: As an E.D., what percentage of my time should be spent on fund raising? I am relatively new at this and want to balance my schedule. My answer was something like, “100%.&#. And I got some comeuppance. Here are some of the comments: Roger Carr responded: I appreciate that you are a fundraiser, but I am concerned with the answer you gave (and with many of the answers I have been reading lately from other fundraising consultants)…Raising mone
Selfish Giving
JUNE 23, 2010
We recently got an Apple iPad as a gift. I knew I would like it because I love my iPhone , and in many ways the iPad is really just a big iPhone. But at first it was a little bit too much like an iPhone–just one I couldn’t put in my pocket. But the more I used it more I liked it. I downloaded apps for the iPad. I also bought the keyboard dock so unlike my iPhone I wouldn’t be stuck pecking away one letter at a time on the screen’s keyboard.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
JUNE 22, 2010
Last week the Nonprofit Organizations Facebook Page reached the 10,000 fans milestone. It took 2.5 years. In 2008, many of the friends of the Nonprofit Organizations MySpace migrated over to Facebook, then in 2009 and 2010 a good number of the new fans came from @NonprofitOrgs on Twitter. One website may lose its popularity for the next, but I have found that your friends, fans and followers move with you to next one.
The Agitator
JUNE 13, 2010
Ricky Van Veen started College Humor in his dorm room. The website now has 10,000,000 unique visitors a month, and his company produces TV shows, films, live tours and books. [Another one of those guys we love to hate!]. In this article, 10 Web Content Urban Legends , he shares his thoughts on creating compelling web content. While Ricky’s content (look at the Dr.
Getting Attention
JUNE 8, 2010
Rosemary Roussil, Development Officer at the Metropolitan Washington Ear, emailed me yesterday. She was eager to know if we were running a 2010 Nonprofit Tagline Awards Program. Rosemary had perfect timing, as I was just finalizing the 2010 awards program and report schedule… I’m pleased to tell you that we’ll be opening up this year’s awards for entry in late June.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 22, 2010
I’m working on my fall schedule and I’m wondering when I should next offer some webinars and e-clinics on marketing planning. Will you take this quick poll and let me know when you are most likely to write your 2011 nonprofit marketing plan? ( Here is the link if you don’t see the poll live.). Questions View Results. I’ll also be offering a one-day in-person marketing planning workshop with Nancy Schwartz in October in New York City and Washington DC.
Get Fully Funded
JUNE 1, 2010
One of the greatest skills a professional Fundraiser can develop is listening. I find that I listen with not only my ears, but with my eyes and my intuition. Sometimes a donor says what they really think and sometimes they leave things unsaid so it’s good to be able to pick up on all the subtleties. Listening also will help you get along better with Board members, volunteers, and co-workers.
Selfish Giving
JUNE 16, 2010
I really like the point-of-sale cause marketing program A. C. Moore and Easter Seals recently completed. Even though it was a national program, it has some good lessons for local cause marketers like me (and probably you). The breakdown of the program was simple. At A. C. Moore’s 136 stores cashiers asked customers to donate a dollar to Easter Seal’s Act for Autism campaign and together they raised over $141,000.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
JUNE 30, 2010
To make it easier and more affordable for individuals to attend multiple DIOSA Communications webinars without locking in dates at the time of purchase, attendees can now purchase webinar credits at discounted rates and redeem them quickly and easily when they are ready to register for an upcoming webinar. Credits need not be redeemed by the same person.
The Agitator
JUNE 23, 2010
We’ve talked about word-of-mouth (WOM) as the top driver of today’s consumer decisions. Here’s a report from Online Media Daily on an interesting Yahoo study that has attempted to drill into WOM behavior. It notes that 76% of all WOM still occurs face-to-face … however, increasingly it just might be that two individuals are sitting side-by-side talking about something they are viewing on their respective smartphones!
Getting Attention
JUNE 24, 2010
Great Words Promoting Good Causes. Your nonprofit or foundation could be one of this year’s Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award (a.k.a. The Taggies ) winners! And this year, for the first time, you can submit your organization’s program, fundraising campaign and/or and special event taglines, in addition to your organizational tagline. So enter here now.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 8, 2010
At Noon Eastern today (9:00 a.m. Pacific), I’ll be answering your questions live during a Chronicle of Philanthropy chat on “ Smart Ways to Make a Small Marketing Budget Go Far. &# It’s part of my Virtual Book Tour. You’ll be able to review the transcript even if you can’t make the chat live. Watch later today for an interview that Katya Andresen did with me for The Nonprofit Marketing Blog (update: here it is ).
Care2
JUNE 29, 2010
One of the big issues nonprofit campaigners face in their day-to-day job is choosing what online channels and tools should they be investing in. Video blogging (aka vlogging) has been around for quite some time, yet many nonprofits don’t utilize it. Should nonprofits carve out more time for video blogging? Sue Anne Reed who regularly participates in #BlogChat over on twitter (and an avid reader of Frogloop) did a great write up on this very topic. “Some are using it to replace their
Selfish Giving
JUNE 16, 2010
I really like the point-of-sale cause marketing program A. C. Moore and Easter Seals recently completed. Even though it was a national program, it has some good lessons for local cause marketers like me (and probably you). The breakdown of the program was simple. At A. C. Moore’s 136 stores cashiers asked customers to donate a dollar to Easter Seal’s Act for Autism campaign and together they raised over $141,000.
Fundraising Coach
JUNE 29, 2010
How To Become a Fundraising Hero – International Bowl Expo 2010. View more presentations from Marc Pitman. Here are my slides from today’s session How to Become a Fundraising Hero at the 2010 International Bowl Expo here in Las Vegas, NV. I really had a blast talking to for-profit businesses and helping them help nonprofits in their community without going out of business.
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