Selfish Giving
MAY 23, 2009
Chicago Cause Marketing Forum Tweetup. If you're planning to attend the Cause Marketing Forum Conference this coming Wednesday & Thursday, there's a Tweetup planned for Wednesday night. Some great cause marketers will be there, including @scottyhendo and @michael_hoffman who are leading a session on social media and cause marketing on Wednesday.
Get Fully Funded
MAY 2, 2009
I just got back from a week of R&R. I’ve been going full steam for quite some time and had gotten into such a rut, I forgot to take time out for myself. I realize now what a mistake that is!! . We work so hard for our nonprofits and our causes. It’s important work, no question. But we’ve got to make sure to recharge our batteries or we won’t be quite as effective when we work.
The Agitator
MAY 31, 2009
Here’s another prediction of the death of direct mail, as reported on frogloop. Says research firm Borrell, spending on direct mail will decline by 40% over the next five years. Get a move on direct mail fundraisers! In five years your medium will be dead. Just like radio. Forget this prediction. In fact, ignore all the "death" and "next big thing" predictions.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 4, 2009
My favorite session at last week’s Nonprofit Technology Conference was “This is Iron Chef. Battle Nonprofit.&#. Three teams made up of consultants from four different agencies ( Beaconfire Consulting , Forum One Communications , Free Range Studios , and Firefly Partners ) got together on a Sunday for a strategy and design competition. Their challenge was to remake the online presence of Youth Speaks, a nonprofit presenter of Spoken Word performance, education, and youth development
Fundraising Coach
MAY 5, 2009
Last week, I had someone pay me a huge, though unintended, compliment when unsubcribing from my email newsletter. She said the content was “far too basic&# for her. I was thrilled! I strive to make fundraising simple, basic, and easy to understand. Many of you have heard me say that the most extreme thing about fundraising is doing the basics: doing research , engaging prospects , asking for money , thanking donors and reporting back on how donations are used.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 19, 2009
If you’re a nonprofit, here’s my list: 1. Something that tugs the heartstrings - an arresting image, a bold statement, the start of an incredible story. 2. A 2-second statement that sums up who you are and what you do so that anyone glancing at the page gets it right away. 3. Clear, intuitive navigation that is organized according to the brain of the people who come to your website and NOT your org chart. 4.
Selfish Giving
MAY 19, 2009
“ That’s easy. Start off as a billionaire and buy an airline.&# - Sir Richard Branson’s reply when asked how to become a millionaire. I felt like I had a similar answer when someone asked how we were going to even come close to raising the $2.1 million we raised last year at our Gala, the hospital’s biggest fundraiser. Easy. Do exactly what we did last year but in a lousy economy and we should raise close to $2 million in one night!
Nonprofit Leadership Zone brings together the best content for advertising professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Agitator
MAY 7, 2009
Writing in Engage: Hispanics , interactive marketing consultant Lee Vance provides this astonishing stat: Back in February 2008, Facebook produced a Spanish-language version (note: with help from its user community). At the time, there were 2.3 million Facebook users in Spanish-speaking countries. Within six months that number had shot up to 9.9 million, a remarkable gain of 7.5 million!
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 5, 2009
Today the Chronicle of Philanthropy hosted an online chat on getting started in nonprofit marketing , based on my free e-book “ The First 100 Days of Your New Nonprofit Marketing Job.&# Sandra Bate, executive director of marketing for the Indiana University Foundation , joined me in fielding the questions, such as. Most media outlets don’t want to include event sponsors in the stories.
Fundraising Coach
MAY 19, 2009
I’ve been through a flurry of bad powerpoint presentations recently. At the last one, the speakers turned their backs to the audience and read the slides word-for-word. I kid you not. Perhaps it was because the words were so tiny none of us could see them. If you’re using Powerpoint or a similar slide-style program to communicate your fundraising story, this has got to stop!
Getting Attention
MAY 8, 2009
"The IRC (International Rescue Committee). Dedicated to helping refugee mothers rebuild their families and their lives." That's the ad I heard on public radio this morning, finely tuned to last-minute mothers day shoppers and cooks. It's a strong example of hooking your org's message to what's top of mind. What's impressive here is that IRC doesn't hit listeners over the head with a request to "celebrate your mother," but relied on the power of the message to generate that connection.
Selfish Giving
MAY 4, 2009
I’m not much of a foodie, but I love to listen to the three Andelman brothers of Phantom Gourmet banter on their weekly radio show here in Boston. My friend and colleague Joanna MacDonald is an even bigger fan and shares my wife’s love for their weekly food and dining show on TV38. The show is really a riot and, of course, they review some great places to eat in Greater Boston.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 6, 2009
Reader Sonia emailed me today to note her local paper is doing a series of exposes on charity. (Fortunately, Sonia’s organization is not in this story - nor shoud it be!) But Sonia worried this type of coverage , by raising doubt about charity in general, could hurt giving to her organization. Here’s what I told her: You want to regularly assure all of your donors and prospects that you’d never be caught up in the shenanigans exhibited by the sorry crew in the paper.
The Agitator
MAY 13, 2009
All I can say is WOW! Today, the Women’s Funding Network and Women Moving Millions announced that more than 90 women have committed individual gifts of $1 million or more, with a total of $174 million raised, to improve the lives of women and girls. These funders have responded to a three-year campaign initiated by philanthropists Swanee Hunt and Helen LaKelly Hunt.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 19, 2009
If you want to raise more money with your fundraising letters, set aside Noon-1:00 p.m. Eastern (9:00 - 10:00 a.m. Pacific) on Thursday to learn how to do it right. That’s when Mal Warwick will be presenting in our Nonprofit Marketing Guide webinar series. Mal is the author of the best-selling How to Write Successful Fundraising Letters and also published Fundraising When Money Is Tight: A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future earlier this year.
Fundraising Coach
MAY 18, 2009
Apparently 2009 is going to be the year of learning to delay Alzheimer’s. In today’s news, work is apparently officially proven to delay Alzheimer’s. The equation? 1 year or work = 6 weeks of delay. Earlier this year, I read that drinking strong coffee may reduce the risk of dementia or Alzheimer’s by 65%! What does this have to do with fundraising?
Care2
MAY 31, 2009
My, my. Isn’t it curious how people who are young and enthusiastic about online communications are so firmly convinced that direct mail is dead or dying – while professional fundraisers, that is, the people who are responsible for bringing in the bucks, think the young critics are living on another planet? For starters, I’m addressing this question on the basis of 30 years in direct mail fundraising and 15 years in fundraising online.
Selfish Giving
MAY 3, 2009
Twitter Marketing: Why You Don't Need to Mass Follow Twitter Users. Great post for nonprofits to read as they approach how they should use Twitter. Of course, nonprofits think they need to follow everyone, but that's that may not be the strategy that will help them use Twitter effectively. Tags: Cause Marketing Links.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 14, 2009
This just went out in the Network for Good newsletter - authored by my colleague Rebecca Ruby Higman. I’m sharing because I liked it. A lot! Hope it’s useful in your nonprofit marketing and fundraising. Picture one of your supporters sitting at her computer. She’s browsing your website. She just finished reading a heart-warming story of success about someone whose life has been transformed by your nonprofit’s program, and there’s a tear in her eye.
The Agitator
MAY 3, 2009
On Friday, the White House signed on to Twitter (as well as Myspace and Facebook) - the latest high profile poster on the world’s fastest growing social network. Twitter traffic has already more than tripled in 2009. In fact, over the past 12 months, traffic to Twitter.com has increased 27 times. Twitter is estimated to have 10 million users today, growing - if current rates continue - to as many as 100 million by the end of the year according to some estimates.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 26, 2009
I hear great stories all the time from nonprofit staff who are using their All-Access Passes to Nonprofit Marketing Guide’s webinar series to get more support for their good causes and to develop their own careers. Here are stories from three people who are relatively new to the nonprofit sector. “A group of fellow cancer patients and myself recently formed PMP Research Foundation to promote awareness and fund research for our rare form of cancer.
Getting Attention
MAY 26, 2009
You know it from your personal life, and on the professional side too -- when you share something personal (but appropriate, can't be too much), it can deepen understanding, interest and the connection. The same goes when your organization -- or you, speaking for your organization -- does so. Here are a couple of recent examples that wowed me: Holly Ross, NTEN 's executive director, used a double fun strategy to raise $10,000 for scholarships to the recent NTC conference.
Get Fully Funded
MAY 31, 2009
Here’s some recent blog postings I found interesting and thought you might enjoy them, too. Oneicity had a good post about ways to get people to your website. [link]. Step By Step Fundraising has a post about live auctions. [link]. The Accidental Marketer has a great story about getting a Thank You phone call from a Habitat affiliate. [link].
Care2
MAY 22, 2009
frogloop Home frogloop Home Receive monthly updates Subscribe to our RSS feed Follow frogloop on Twitter Most Popular Posts Social Network ROI Calculator Social Networking for Nonprofits: ROI, Tracking Tools and More "While Theyre Hot!" Download a Webinar on Converting Donor Leads The Art of Getting ReTweeted Top 8 Social Media Tracking Tools 10 Things Every Nonprofit Should Know About Social Media and Online Communications Nonprofit Benchmarks Studies MEMBER OF Frogloop Home (Hidden Modules) fr
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 29, 2009
IssueLab recently told me this was possible. I said, “really? Prove it with a guest post.&# And here’s what they have to say: Does your organization have a stale list of publications on your web site or a shelf full of research you produced years ago? Are you looking for a way to hook into a hot news topic or online discussion but you don’t have the resources to produce new research?
The Agitator
MAY 18, 2009
Joe Keenan of e-Marketing & Commerce muses here on the future evolution of social networks, relying on the prognostications of Forrester Research. He notes that 42% of social netters maintain profiles on two or more social sites, and points to applications that will make identity "portability" a reality soon. From that point, says Keenan/Forrester, we’re headed toward the "era of social commerce." "Beginning in about two years, social networks will become more power
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 21, 2009
I’m always talking about the power of storytelling in nonprofit marketing, and a lot of those stories end up taking the form of personal profiles of donors, clients, volunteers and other supporters and partners. Problem is that many of them are just plain awful. I see bad profiles falling into four categories: 1. Tedious Bio Syndrome. It’s the narrative equivalent of a resume.
Getting Attention
MAY 28, 2009
I was really jolted by this Ask Nancy query I recently received. Jessica (names have been changed to protect the innocent) asks for help with the most challenging (and most critical) step in nonprofit marketing -- getting the support of decision makers and colleagues for doing it right. Q: Help -- We're losing ground past and we need professional marketing help.
Get Fully Funded
MAY 26, 2009
Don’t be afraid of the storm. Instead, learn to dance in the rain. View from my deck 5-25-09. Troubles come and go in nonprofit organizations. We’ve all seen them. What matters is how you handle them. I try to always look on the positive side of things and it serves me well. It’s not always easy, but it helps me identify solutions quicker and do a better job at managing the turbulence.
Care2
MAY 21, 2009
“If you don't brand yourself, Google will brand you,&# says branding expert Sherry Beck Paprocki. Yes, it’s true and that’s why it’s important for all nonprofits that are advocating for causes to start becoming a part of the conversation publicly and not just behind closed doors or on “the hill.&# Think about it. When the NYT writes about climate change is your environmental group quoted?
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 27, 2009
I recently had the folks behind the oldie but goodie, The Raising of Money (circa 1983, since updated) reach out with a nice offer for you - a free electronic copy of their first edition here. It’s been around awhile, but like all good wisdom it still holds up. Here’s a promo of the book from their marketing folks: Every seasoned fundraising professional knows two things: First, face-to-face cultivation of personal relationships is the proven path to attracting large investments̵
The Agitator
MAY 6, 2009
Expanding on an Agitator post of several weeks ago, here’s some fresh demographic data on social net usage from Harris Interactive. 5% of Americans online use Twitter, while 48% use Facebook or MySpace. No surprise … usage goes up with education, and down with age. For example, 74% of those ages 18-34 use Facebook or MySpace, while 24% of those 55+ do so.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 15, 2009
Penelope Burk of Donor-Centered Fundraising fame spoke at the Planned Giving Days conference in DC that I also spoke at yesterday, and one of her main themes was that donors really, really want to hear about what you did with their money in specific, measurable, and meaningful ways before they will give you another gift. ( I tweeted highlights from her talk - she’s full of great info , if you aren’t familiar with her research.).
Getting Attention
MAY 20, 2009
I've heard from many nonprofit marketers lately who are unmoored by the uncertain environment in which we're living. Swine (a.k.a. H1N1) flu is just the icing on the cake. Folks are wondering how to respectfully engage with so much competing for attention and anxiety at an all-time high. So here are a few of my guidelines for effectively sharing stories on your organization's impact, even now: Take your base's pulse.
Get Fully Funded
MAY 25, 2009
There’s an interesting piece in the May issue of Fundraising Success Magazine identifying 25 random things about fundraising. A fewof them struck me and I thought I’d share them with you. The most read part of a fundraising letter is the PS. If you aren’t including a PS in your letters, you should start. The more recently a donor gave, the more likely it is that she’ll give now.
Care2
MAY 8, 2009
frogloop Home frogloop Home Receive monthly updates Subscribe to our RSS feed Follow frogloop on Twitter Most Popular Posts Social Network ROI Calculator Social Networking for Nonprofits: ROI, Tracking Tools and More "While Theyre Hot!" Download a Webinar on Converting Donor Leads The Art of Getting ReTweeted Top 8 Social Media Tracking Tools 10 Things Every Nonprofit Should Know About Social Media and Online Communications Nonprofit Benchmarks Studies MEMBER OF Frogloop Home (Hidden Modules) fr
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 26, 2009
I’m delighted today to have a guest post from Margaux O’Malley. Take it away, Margaux—we are dying to see actual humor here. Margaux O’Malley is the president and co-founder of Grand Junction Design , a Washington DC-area studio that works with nonprofits to create social change through effective websites. Those of us who are working for social change run into a lot of sensitive and challenging issues.
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