Selfish Giving

APRIL 19, 2016

Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to McCall Gosselin , Vice President of Public Relations at Planet Fitness , about the launch of its first national cause initiative. Building off its Judgment Free Zone policies, Planet Fitness created a pro-kindness, anti-bullying movement called The Judgement Free Generation through a partnership with STOMP Out Bullying and Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Culture 189

Culture Marketing Marketing Communication 189

Pam Moore

APRIL 28, 2016

In March I spent almost a week with 10k digital marketers at the Adobe Summit event. 2016 was my 2nd year being paid as an Adobe Insider to cover the event. Once again we were honored to take our #GetRealChat on the road and chatted on Twitter with the Adobe team and other industry leaders live from the event in Las Vegas. I love the Adobe events as I get to hang with my kind of people.

Marketing 165

Marketing Marketing Technology Foundations 165

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 30, 2016

If you are a nonprofit professional feeling restless or unsatisfied at your current job, 2016 is shaping up to be a good year to make a change. According to the 2016 Nonprofit Employment Practices Report , 57% of nonprofits plan on creating new positions in 2016. The greatest growth is expected in the area of fundraising (44%). Skills in marketing and communications are also in high demand (37%).

Philanthropy 111

Philanthropy Nonprofits Communication Fundraising 111

Fundraising Coach

APRIL 18, 2016

Grant seeking is a distinct form of fundraising - one that can seem like a complete mystery. That's why I asked Diane H. Leonard to share some tips. She's not only written grants, she's successfully helped others write them. More importantly, she's even worked in a foundation that gave out grants. She has seen it all. And she knows what works. Diane is on Twitter @dianehleonard.

Foundations 73

Foundations Nonprofit Capacity Activism Communication 73

Mission Minded

APRIL 6, 2016

In my last post, I relayed the importance of injecting emotion into your next capital campaign. Emotion, after all, is a key element in our equation for a great case for support. Rationale + Urgency + Emotion = Great Case Once you’ve written a great case statement, your next job is to make sure it […].

Communication 73

Communication Nonprofits 73

The Agitator

APRIL 17, 2016

It’s hard to come up with an example of a greater waste of nonprofit funds and time than the annual report. Well, most annual reports at least. I’ve seen dozens of CEOs, communications and development directors waste countless hours fuming, fussing and meeting over these egocentric tomes in hopes of impressing donors. And, I’ve learned from thousands of donors that when it comes to most annual reports they’re absolutely unimpressed.

Communication 65

Communication Nonprofits Nonprofit Management Retention 65

Selfish Giving

APRIL 25, 2016

From smartphones to social media, technology has altered how we live, dramatically reshaping how we communicate and connect with one another in nearly every way. Technology is also changing how we give back. It’s being used by nonprofits to help those in need and by for-profits that are offering technical support to nonprofits to help them use technology more effectively.

Technology 172

Technology Disaster Relief Production Nonprofits 172

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 2, 2016

Small (and medium-sized) nonprofits have a different experience on social media than large nonprofits. Small nonprofits have to work harder at growing their following and most often the work of social media management is added to an already full job description. On top of those challenges, Facebook reach has dropped to an abysmal 1%. Twitter requires a time investment that many small nonprofits simply do not have.

Public and Nonprofit Management 75

Public and Nonprofit Management Nonprofits Advertising Technology 75

Fundraising Coach

APRIL 27, 2016

Recently, I've been getting a lot of questions about capital campaigns. Some nonprofits are going into them wisely, knowing that they have one-time additional costs to be able to better fulfill their mission. Others are looking at a campaign like a "Hail Mary" pass - a last ditch effort to raise needed funds to operate day-to-day. The first way of thinking is good; the latter isn't.

Nonprofits 72

Nonprofits 72

Mission Minded

APRIL 26, 2016

Most of us know how frustrating it is to miss an opportunity to hook someone on our organization. If you’ve ever felt like you haven’t communicated clearly about the organization you love when you had the chance, this post is for you. Being prepared to make a strong connection with would-be supporters means having powerful […].

Communication 60

Communication Nonprofits 60

The Agitator

APRIL 12, 2016

Congratulations to Reinier Spruit, who a few days ago celebrated his 15th Anniversary as a fundraiser. He celebrated by publishing his list of 18 Ingredients for Successful Fundraising , lessons learned so far in his illustrious career at organisations from Medecins Sans Frontiers Holland to Greenpeace International. It’s a list we would all do well to embrace.

Fundraising 61

Fundraising Fundraising 61

Selfish Giving

APRIL 26, 2016

Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Steve Spangler - America's Science Teacher - about Fueling Education, a CITGO program in partnership with National School Supply , We Are Teachers and Steve Spangler that offers educators a chance to win up to $5,000 in school supplies as well as STEM-teaching workshops. On the show, Megan, Steve and I discuss: Steve Spangler, America's Science Teacher.

Education 113

Education Education Communication 113

BDO

APRIL 26, 2016

Is your nonprofit hospital prepared for an IRS review? The IRS has increased focus on the activities and policies of tax-exempt hospitals and are scrutinizing if these organizations can “justify” their tax-exempt status.

Activism 52

Activism Nonprofits 52

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 11, 2016

Launched in 2011, Snapchat is an image and video messaging app that is very popular with tweens and teens and increasingly Millennials and Gen Xers. Similar to the early days of Myspace and its users mastering HTML hacks and widgets, Snapchat has an equally dedicated user base of young people that pride themselves on becoming skilled at Lenses, Filters, Stickers, and other Snapchat tips, tricks, and hacks.

Nonprofits 74

Nonprofits Activism Communication Management 74

Fundraising Coach

APRIL 5, 2016

Last week, I sent out a fundraising coaching email to Fundraising Kick subscribers asking them if they were fundraising like Linus. My grandfather loved Charles Schulz's Peanuts comics. Everytime we went to his house, we’d see lots of Peanuts characters: Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Lucy, Pigpen. And Linus. Do you remember Linus? I’d post a picture here but I don’t want to violate copyright laws.

Fundraising 68

Fundraising Fundraising Law Nonprofits 68

iMarketSmart

APRIL 1, 2016

I’m not sure the old-fashioned estate planning seminars really work to generate legacy gifts. They’re expensive since time is the same as money. Some folks just want a free meal or free information. Others feel that the seminar offer is incongruent with the charity’s mission (leaving donors to wonder why you’re doing it in the first place).

Taxation 53

Taxation Law Values Nonprofits 53

The Agitator

APRIL 13, 2016

We were more than a little surprised — and very pleased — that 331 folks registered for the Agitator/DonorVoice/SOFII webinar on reducing F2F attrition in the first 90 days. Even if you’re not into the Face-T0-Face channel I recommend you download or view the recording of the presentation, because there are some valuable insights for every fundraiser.

Fundraising 60

Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofit Management Retention 60

Selfish Giving

APRIL 25, 2016

Nonprofits and businesses that run charity checkout programs are always asking me how they can run a more successful program and raise more money. Are there proven strategies that work? You bet there are. Here are three strategies that are guaranteed to raise you more money. 1. Ask the Customer to Make a Donation. If we know anything about raising money at checkout it's this: If you ask the customer to donate you have a good chance of getting one.

Fundraising 100

Fundraising Fundraising Activism Marketing 100

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

APRIL 25, 2016

Jennifer Starkey. 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. We need more stories! Don’t be shy – tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro. . Jennifer Starkey is the Associate Director of Public Relations within the Global Marketing and Communications unit of Webster University.

Communication 52

Communication Public and Nonprofit Management Non-Profits Universities 52

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 11, 2016

Written by Heather Mansfield who works as an Ambassador for the Public Interest Registry – the nonprofit operator of the.ORG,NGO and.ONG domains. The fact that the.NGO domains listed below (except techreport.ngo ) and in the graphic to the right are still available is astounding and for early adopters with vision, an opportunity to register a domain for good not seen since the domain registration craze of the late 1990’s.

Communication 50

Communication Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 50

Fundraising Coach

APRIL 6, 2016

Too many nonprofits think that choosing a fundraising software provider is the end of a journey. It's really just the beginning. Using software is essential, but the use you'll get from it is only as good as your data and the training your provide your team. And the tools keep changing, so it's likely that you are trying to work with lots of different types of software!

Fundraising 49

Fundraising Fundraising Technology Management 49

NonProfit Hub

APRIL 4, 2016

Grant writing is a time-consuming process. It can also be nerve-wracking if you’re inexperienced or working on a particularly important grant. Jeff Kutash, the executive director of the Peter Kiewit Foundation in Omaha, Neb, deals with grants on a daily basis. What does the head of a foundation that gave $18 million in grant money last year have to say about grant writing and the relationship between foundations and nonprofit professionals?

Foundations 55

Foundations Philanthropy Values Management 55

The Agitator

APRIL 24, 2016

In Tom’s recent post New Digital Benchmarks summarizing the extensive online 2016 findings by M+R , he noted a key observation by M+R on why some organizations are doing better than others: “These leaders are for the most part doing just a little bit better in a lot of different places. They’re pushing harder on the same sorts of tactics you are probably already using.

Nonprofit Management 58

Nonprofit Management Retention Management Communication 58

Selfish Giving

APRIL 18, 2016

Paul R. Jones , the blogger behind one of the first cause marketing blogs introduced his readers to paper icons in a 2007 post. What are paper icons? They’re slips of paper emblematic of a cause typically placed next to a cash register and sold as impulse items. They’re relatively cheap to produce, even in small print runs. In large runs they might be less than a penny apiece.In North America the typical sales price is $1, although larger dollar amounts have been tried.

Children 100

Children Associations Fundraising Fundraising 100

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

APRIL 12, 2016

Abby Jarvis. Today, Abby Jarvis is back with 3 more ways to promote your online donation page. You can find the first 3 strategies here. Be sure to tell us which one is your favorite in the comments below. ~Kristina. Guest Post by Abby Jarvis of Qgiv. Last week , we talked about the first 3 strategies for marketing your online donation page: 1. Segment Your Donors. 2.

Marketing 52

Marketing Marketing Communication Education 52

Care2

APRIL 29, 2016

A report , commissioned by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, was just released to address chronic nonprofit fundraising challenges. They conducted the survey through the lens of the following questions: What if the real answers to nonprofits’ fundraising challenges were already solved by others? What if we could identify and capture the stories of organizations that are uniquely successful in their fundraising?

Fundraising 52

Fundraising Fundraising Culture Nonprofits 52

Getting Attention

APRIL 13, 2016

There are so many compelling job opportunities for us nonprofit communicators. In fact, job responsibilities in our field continue to grow more varied as channels, platforms, and approaches evolve. For quite a while, I posted submitted jobs and others “best in class” on a weekly basis. I stopped because the job postings didn’t advance Getting Attention’s communications goals.

Communication 42

Communication Associations Nonprofits Foundations 42

NonProfit Hub

APRIL 19, 2016

Advocates are a vital piece of any nonprofit’s support system. Intangible encouragement from advocates matters just as much as any monetary donation. Advocates aren’t just voices of support, though; they’re also a great resource when you’re looking to increase your nonprofit’s volunteer base. A study performed by VolunteerMatch and Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund showed that 67 percent of volunteers also give money to the organizations where they invest their time.

Volunteerism 48

Volunteerism Volunteerism Communication Recruitment 48

The Agitator

APRIL 4, 2016

Last week both Tom and I dealt with the issue of ‘consistency’ My post Yawning All the Way to the Bank emphasized the importance of being consistent as follows: Do Not abandon proven channels like direct mail in favor of the unknown or unproven. (And, of course, at the same time staying alert to new opportunities and channels.). Do Be consistent, regardless of channel, in your messaging regardless of how bored you and the rest of the gang grow tired and would love to substitute som

Retention 58

Retention Communication 58

BDO

APRIL 18, 2016

Join us this Thursday, April 21, for the third session in our 2016 BDO KNOWLEDGE Nonprofit and Education Webinar Series, “Special Compensation Issues for Nonprofit Organizations.

Nonprofit Organizations 40

Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit Organizations Education Education 40

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

APRIL 7, 2016

Looking for ways to unite and engage your supporters online for your cause? Sure, you have your website, email list and social channels urging supporters to take action. But what else can they do to build momentum, sway decision-makers and raise awareness for change? Lots! Here are 5 tools and resources you should consider to help digitally boost your advocacy campaigns. 1.

Nonprofits 49

Nonprofits Technology Communication 49

Care2

APRIL 14, 2016

With a few months of 2016 under our belts, it's time to evaluate where we're at digitally, and if we're innovating quickly. What should nonprofits be focusing on for the remainder of the year, and what will produce the best ROI? Good news, a report conducted by Care2, hjc, NTEN, and the Resource Alliance was just released: the 2016 Digital Outlook Report: Nonprofit Trends and Strategy.

Nonprofits 52

Nonprofits 52

Getting Attention

APRIL 5, 2016

I’m riding the tide of energized learning and conversations at the recent Nonprofit Technology Conference (#16ntc), and thrilled to share my takeways with you. Use these insights from The Future of Email: From 2016 to 2026 to shape campaigns that motivate action despite the clamor of our multi-channel world: Email Still Important but Can’t Stand Alone.

Children 40

Children Technology Marketing Marketing 40

NonProfit Hub

APRIL 14, 2016

An organization’s brand is much more than what meets the eye. There’s strategy, planning and effort that go into it. At Cause Camp , Shala Wilson Graham talked about anything and everything that is related to branding and how nonprofits can improve. Graham is the principal and creative director of SW Creatives , and has provided branding and design consultation to nonprofits for over 10 years.

Values 46

Values Culture Foundations Communication 46

The Agitator

APRIL 6, 2016

As a little boy I grew impatient when others –especially grown-ups —didn’t seem to understand the wisdom of my advice, let alone act on it. In the moments of my frustration Grandma Craver would take me aside, put her arms around me, and looking me the eye soothingly say, “Roger, you shouldn’t try to make a pig sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig.

Nonprofit Management 56

Nonprofit Management Retention Management Nonprofits 56

iMarketSmart

APRIL 29, 2016

They were asked to join the Board only so the organization could use their name. Then they weren’t given anything to do. They had no real influence or decision-making power. They found others on the Board were too talkative, wasted time, and/or dominated the meetings. They were subjected to too many dog and pony shows from staff. They weren’t given enough opportunities to make serious strategic contributions.

Philanthropy 40

Philanthropy Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 40

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

APRIL 29, 2016

Happy Friday! Join me for some Mixed Links… The Nonprofit Blog Carnival for April has been published. See Erik Anderson’s blog for advice to your younger-fundraising-self. Craig Linton at Fundraising Detective blog will host the May 2016 Nonprofit Blog Carnival. The theme will be “Leadership in Fundraising: the best or worst boss you ever had.

Communication 46

Communication Nonprofits Leadership Fundraising 46