Selfish Giving

JUNE 11, 2013

'I get calls every week from people that want to start a cause business. Good, intelligent, well-intentioned people who really want to change the world. They call. We talk. I never hear from them again. They never call me again because their business goes nowhere or fails. Here’s why: they put the cause before the business, and violate the number one rule of running one: the best way to help a cause is to be a great business, first.

Marketing 267

Marketing Marketing 267

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JUNE 19, 2013

'Some of your best learning on social media occurs when you just start clicking around and see what happens. That’s how I discovered three of the four functions below and when I give in-person trainings on Facebook and demonstrate these functions (with the exception of hashtags since the functionality was just launched last week), there are usually quite a few oohs, ahhs, and “I didn’t know that” in the room.

Nonprofits 111

Nonprofits Activism Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit Organizations 111

Fundraising Coach

JUNE 7, 2013

'Earlier this week, I wrote on how to jumpstart your year end giving. In it, I mentioned scheduling your social media updates to complement your fundraising letters. Keeping up with your own blog as well as Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and LinkedIn can be daunting. Never mind trying to add Pinterest, Instagram, Tumblr, and others that keep popping up!

Collaborations 108

Collaborations Fundraising Fundraising 108

The Agitator

JUNE 17, 2013

'Lots of folks pay lip service to the importance of donor ‘retention’. Far fewer know much about it, let alone do much of anything about it. As acquisition costs rise and response rates plummet, Tom and I have stepped up our rants on retention. In our view, retention is the new acquisition. And it’s welcome news to see the hard work of The Donor Retention Project — a cooperative effort by dedicated folks in our space who have thought and done a lot about retention — result in release

Retention 102

Retention Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 102

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JUNE 25, 2013

'The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that online donations rose 14 percent from 2011, reaching $2.1-billion in 2012. The study was based on data provided by Blackbaud, Network for Good, and PayPal, and examined online giving totals from 115,000 nonprofits. This latest analysis underscores just how online giving is growing at a more rapid pace than overall giving, which had a growth rate of only 1.5% in 2012, according to Giving USA.

Retention 96

Retention Food Philanthropy Fundraising 96

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JUNE 27, 2013

'We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.

Marketing 95

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits Communication 95

Selfish Giving

JUNE 5, 2013

'358 million. That’s how many dollars were collected with checkout programs in 2012. Checkout programs are what I call point-of-sale programs, but I kind of like David Hessekiel’s term better. As founder and president of Cause Marketing Forum , he’s the one who released a study on these programs at last week’s Cause Marketing Forum’s conference in Chicago.

Marketing 248

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 248

Fundraising Coach

JUNE 23, 2013

'I’m a huge fan of Tom Ahern. The very first time I heard him speak, I learned tactics that transformed my fundraising writing and made it much more effective. He even convinced me donor newsletters could be actual fundraising tools! So when I saw this blog post in his email a while back, I asked him to let me post it for you too. You can see him talk about effective donor newsletters by watching this Movie Monday.

Homelessness 108

Homelessness Retention Health Education 108

The Agitator

JUNE 5, 2013

'Is your nonprofit one of a kind? By that I mean, do you do something truly unique … either in terms of mission or strategy for accomplishing your core objective? If you do, you get to begin meeting your fundraising challenge with an enormous advantage. Your market (prospects) presumably readily recognizes you and your distinctiveness. Congratulations, you lucky dog.

Nonprofit Management 99

Nonprofit Management Management Communication Fundraising 99

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JUNE 30, 2013

'Recently we asked some of our favorite fundraisers and social do-gooders to share their summer reading lists. If you’re looking for inspiration, here’s a good starting point. The top pick for the summer appears to be Give and Take by Adam Grant. Sasha Dichter , Chief Innovation Officer of Acumen, along with Network for Good’s Kate Olsen and Dan Cohen , put this hot read at the top of the list.

Fundraising 88

Fundraising Fundraising Production Marketing 88

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JUNE 3, 2013

'We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.

Communication 93

Communication Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 93

Selfish Giving

JUNE 19, 2013

'I got a tweet the other day that made me think of a scene from The Godfather when Vito Corleone calls in a favor from the undertaker. With his dead son, Sonny, on a stretcher beside him, The Godfather makes his request: “I want you to use all your powers — and all your skills. I don’t want his mother to see him this way…” Last week, I too was asked to help “The Godfather.” You see, Phil McCarty is The Godfather of Cause Marketing.

Children 243

Children Marketing Marketing Fundraising 243

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JUNE 13, 2013

'The reports listed below are just a small sampling of the research available to nonprofits about online communications and fundraising, social media, and mobile technology. These reports are, however, some of the most valuable in terms of insight, useful and practical data, and how-to advice. If you would like to suggest a report be added to the list, please post the name and a link to the report in a comment below.

Communication 96

Communication Technology Fundraising Fundraising 96

Fundraising Coach

JUNE 4, 2013

'Nonprofits are making a big mistake when reading studies that show that over 50% of charitable giving happens in December. They are putting off their year end appeals until December! Did you notice that last December? My inbox was flooded with nonprofit emails begging me to give. This is foolish because it’s confusing when donors give with when donors are approached to give.

Fundraising 106

Fundraising Fundraising Activism Communication 106

The Agitator

JUNE 18, 2013

'Giving USA 2013 , the annual report on philanthropy, published by the Giving USA foundation and researched and written by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, was released yesterday. It should please both the ‘glass-half-full’ and ‘glass-half-empty’ folks among us. You can download a summary here. First the ‘good’ news.

Philanthropy 98

Philanthropy Foundations Public and Nonprofit Management Universities 98

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JUNE 21, 2013

'This week, HubSpot (the popular marketing software company) announced a partnership with charity:water. This team effort will be one to watch for innovative ideas on applying inbound marketing tactics to the world of fundraising. Of course, charity:water has long been a source of inspiration for fundraisers seeking to transform the way they raise money.

Marketing 86

Marketing Marketing Fundraising Fundraising 86

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JUNE 25, 2013

'We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.

Nonprofits 91

Nonprofits Marketing Marketing Communication 91

Selfish Giving

JUNE 13, 2013

'In this episode of Cause Talk Radio , Megan and I talk about coin collection cause marketing with Tim Siffermann , Founder and President of The Siffermann Group. Think nickels, dimes and quarters are no big deal? Think again! Ronald McDonald House Charities raised $27.9 million in 2012 collecting spare change from diners. Tim explains how he took donation boxes from a franchisee afterthought to a strategic charitable powerhouse thanks in large part to third-party administration from The Sifferm

Marketing 239

Marketing Marketing 239

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JUNE 13, 2013

'There absolutely is a math to social and mobile media. If your nonprofit has a good content strategy in place and understands the power of integrating all your nonprofit’s communications channels (website, email, Facebook, texting, etc.), then as your numbers grow on social networks so will your e-newsletter and mobile lists which in turn significantly increases your fundraising success.

Fundraising 94

Fundraising Fundraising Recruitment Activism 94

Fundraising Coach

JUNE 13, 2013

'As a fundraising coach, I take a critical look at fundraising letters and emails. It’s always thrilling to be pleasantly surprised! Last week, I was pleasantly surprised to look in my inbox and see this email subject line: Email subject line: “You made this happen.” Isn’t that a great email subject line?! I couldn’t wait to figure out what “this” was!

Fundraising 101

Fundraising Fundraising 101

The Agitator

JUNE 10, 2013

'The Center for Investigative Reporting has just released a series of reports including The 50 Worst Charities and The Failure of Regulation that should both sicken your soul and make your blood boil. A year-long study by a team of investigative reporters from the Center, The Tampa Bay Times and CNN not only names names, it details the 10-year failure of state and federal regulation and enforcement that pretty much assures that the scumbags will continue to operate with impunity.

Foundations 94

Foundations Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 94

Getting Attention

JUNE 7, 2013

'Our guest blogger Amanda Aldrich is Regional Communications Specialist with the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio. Her experience as a volunteer, board member, executive director and regular-old-employee shape the opinions she shares here, which do not represent those of the American Red Cross. I’m always moving a million miles an hour, and I know it’s likely the same for you.

Communication 86

Communication Production Activism Marketing 86

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JUNE 20, 2013

'We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.

Communication 83

Communication Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 83

Mission Minded

JUNE 11, 2013

'So you’ve settled on what you want the brand of your organization to be. Now how do you get everyone in your organization excited about bringing that brand to life? Maybe you have a new logo. Maybe you have a new tagline. Maybe you have both, but neither of these is your brand. Your brand [.].

Communication 77

Communication Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 77

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JUNE 13, 2013

'The reports listed below are just a small sampling of the research available to nonprofits about online communications and fundraising, social media, and mobile technology. These reports are, however, some of the most valuable in terms of insight, useful and practical data, and how-to advice. If you would like to suggest a report be added to the list, please post the name and a link to the report in a comment below.

Communication 92

Communication Fundraising Fundraising Technology 92

Fundraising Coach

JUNE 19, 2013

'I love using Flipboard. It’s a handy app got me back into regular blog reading. This spring, they created a way for users to build their own magazines. It is a simple way for users to curate content. Content curation is a huge life skill, at least for online work. So last month when my wife saw an announcement about a Flipboard magazine making class to teach magazine creation, she encouraged my son and me to take it.

Fundraising 100

Fundraising Fundraising Management Marketing 100

The Agitator

JUNE 19, 2013

'This is a long, but very, very important post. So freshen up your coffee before proceeding. The other day I received an email from an Agitator reader asking: “Why do you think most fundraisers are so resistant to innovation and change?”. A good question. An important question. I batted out a kneejerk and facile response — ‘risk adverse’ … ‘insufficient resources’ … ’lack of imagination’, etc. etc.

Non-Profits 93

Non-Profits Technology Marketing Marketing 93

Getting Attention

JUNE 14, 2013

'Thanks to the bloggers at the Ad Council for sharing their expertise here. The Ad Council produces public service campaigns—on behalf of nonprofit organizations and government agencies—on issues ranging from education to community wellbeing and strengthening families. The buzzword “responsive” has been floating around the web design world for the past year or so, especially in mobile contexts.

Nonprofit governance and management 76

Nonprofit governance and management Public and Nonprofit Management Governance Nonprofits 76

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JUNE 5, 2013

'We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.

Management 82

Management Communication Marketing Marketing 82

Care2

JUNE 18, 2013

'The three powerhouses, Guidestar, Charity Navigator, and Better Business Bureau, that foundations, philanthropists, and donors use to seek out information and ratings about nonprofits released an open letter to the nonprofit and foundation world yesterday. They stated that donors should not measure a charity’s performance based on overhead expenses.

Nonprofit governance and management 77

Nonprofit governance and management Foundations Governance Leadership 77

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JUNE 14, 2013

'This blog post officially launches the research stage of writing my second book which will be published and shipped in Spring 2014. A follow-up to Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits , this book will place much more emphasis on using social media and mobile technology for fundraising. That said, I am very curious how social and mobile media is changing the way donors give to nonprofits and if you are a donor, I’d love your feedback in a blog comment below – and I&#

Nonprofits 83

Nonprofits Technology Fundraising Fundraising 83

Mission Minded

JUNE 24, 2013

'Videos don’t have to be highly produced to send effective messages; they just need deliberate wording that helps solidify your reputation. If you want a video to get people interested in your work, you have to be crystal clear in the messages you send them. With video, your audiences will simultaneously see and hear the [.].

Communication 71

Communication Nonprofits 71

The Agitator

JUNE 24, 2013

'Just as I’m building my Agitator collection of favorite fundraising videos, I’ve more recently been on the watch for great fundraising infographics. You probably don’t need convincing that infographics are a powerful way to communicate facts and figures ( but just in case ). That said, I’ve seen more related to the fundraising process and tactics (usually prepared by fundraising consultants), and fewer prepared by nonprofits communicating the programmatic results of the

Fundraising 90

Fundraising Fundraising Retention Communication 90

Getting Attention

JUNE 13, 2013

'Have marketing naysayers among your colleagues or leadership? Take these quick steps to open their hearts, eyes and minds. It’s the best way to motivate their interest and participation in marketing via sharing critical insights on supporters and competitors, and learning to be effective messengers: 1) Show them this short video (in person with others if possible—grabbing a few minutes when folks are already in a meeting is best), then pause to let it sink in. 2) Take the pulse of the

Marketing 72

Marketing Marketing Participation and motivation Leadership 72

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JUNE 12, 2013

'We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We''ve Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.

Communication 77

Communication Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 77

Care2

JUNE 5, 2013

'With more than 80 million Millennials in the United States, this generation is challenging the status quo, redefining the way that people traditionally get involved with organizations. The ways that Millennials are connecting, participating, and giving to organizations requires nonprofits to question the old logic and adopt new approaches that build relationships with this dynamic generation.

Leadership 74

Leadership Philanthropy Associations Foundations 74

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JUNE 28, 2013

'A well-promoted mobile alert campaign is hard to find in the nonprofit sector. If a nonprofit is going to invest in mobile alerts, then mobile opt-ins and short code and keyword pitches should be integrated into multiple communication channels such as print, web, email, and social and mobile media. Yet strangely, it rarely happens. Mobile alerts and text-to-give campaigns seem to be managed, implemented, and promoted completely in isolation from an organization’s primary communications an

Communication 81

Communication Management Fundraising Fundraising 81