Selfish Giving
MAY 24, 2010
Two news stories caught my attention last week. The first was the report that Panera had opened a “Community Cafe&# that encourages customers to “take what they need and give all they can.”. The cafe is like any other Panera except there are no prices. Customers pay what they want and what’s raised –minus expenses– goes to charity.
The Agitator
MAY 3, 2010
Seth Godin did one of his trademark "short but sweet" — and provocative — posts the other day, titled, No New Customers. Here it is in its entirety … What if a rift in the time-space continuum changed the universe and it was suddenly impossible to get new customers, new readers, new donors or new viewers? How would that change what you do all day and how you spend your money and what you measure?
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Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 10, 2010
For the last 4.5 years, I have been providing lots of little tips on how nonprofits can increase their ROI through my Twitter , Facebook , YouTube , and MySpace Best Practices, but now that the vast majority of nonprofits utilize social media and have been for awhile, I think most of us are ready some more advanced strategies. My Top Five are below: 1.
Fundraising Coach
MAY 13, 2010
Today marks the 2nd anniversary of Ask Without Fear! being on Amazon! Years ago, I crowd-sourced a fun “ Soundtrack for the Alumni Director’s First Year. So to celebrate this milestone, I’d like to make an “Ask Without Fear!&# soundtrack based on each of the four steps: Research. Engage. Ask. Love. Today, we’ll start with fundraising Step #1: Research.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 3, 2010
During last week’s webinar on Creating a Social Media Policy for Your Nonprofit , we used the Policy Tool for Social Media to create a rough draft of a policy. The online interview in the tool includes 12 questions, and I asked the 30 or so webinar participants to pick the answers via GoToWebinar polling. What resulted is a crowd-sourced rough draft of a nonprofit social media policy (link to a Word doc for you to download).
Care2
MAY 17, 2010
All the nonprofits I work with have one thing in common: they're working overtime just to keep up with the sheer volume of work on their plates. Adding new tools or tasks to their workload wouldn't make me popular, so I've searched high and low to find things that will increase a nonprofit's productivity at little or no cost. Along the way, I've found three platforms or programs nonprofits should seriously consider.
Selfish Giving
MAY 10, 2010
It was only a matter of time before it happened. In some ways I’m surprised it even took a week. It began with this tweet from fellow cause marketer Steve Drake : White Castle is selling a hamburger and onion scented candle in their restaurants and online for ten bucks with proceeds (good luck finding out how much, but this article says the promotion will raise $50,000) going to Autism Speaks.
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Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 24, 2010
Nonprofits and their adoption of social media has created an interesting, albeit interdependent relationship with large companies like Google, Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. Nonprofits use the sites to build their online brand and supporter base, and the companies in turn then benefit from having tens of thousands respectable, well-known nonprofits promoting their sites and tools to millions of supporters (a.k.a. potential consumers).
Fundraising Coach
MAY 25, 2010
Not long ago, I received this great 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. A: Interesting question. I’m tempted to say 100%. But there are so many variables: If fundraising is your only income stream – you must be constantly fundraising.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 10, 2010
On Tuesday, May 11, Gail Perry and Claire Meyerhoff are presenting a webinar at Nonprofit Marketing Guide called Turn Your Fundraising Event into the Best Party in Town. Last week Gail discussed why it’s so important for nonprofits to think of their events as parties. Today, she gives you some practical tips on how to get those VIPs to come to your event.
Care2
MAY 18, 2010
Check out any nonprofit Web site these days, and in addition to an About Us page, you're likely to see icons for Facebook, Twitter and MySpace. These social-media widgets have fast become wallpaper on almost all charitable sites. But does social media really work for fundraising? To answer this question, get a sense of how much money nonprofits are actually raising via social media and garner some advice on best practices in using these tools, I went straight to the expert.
Selfish Giving
MAY 17, 2010
Boston’s own Scott Beaudoin , who’s also MS&L Worldwide’s North America director of CSR and cause marketing, asked in PRWeek Insider’s blog last week is this “The End of Corporate Philanthropy?&#. Scott’s prompt was Nestle SA Chairman Peter Brabeck-Letmathe’s recent remarks that he’s against corporate philanthropy because it could lead to a misuse of funds.
The Agitator
MAY 13, 2010
At Engage: Hispanics , Lee Vann of interactive agency Captura Group offers the latest stats on use of social media by Hispanics. Some key factoids: 84% of Hispanics have a broadband connection vs. 79% of Whites. 36% of Hispanics view the Internet as tool for building a better life vs. 30% of general market. 68% of Hispanics are wireless Internet users vs. 54% of Whites. 81% of Hispanics text vs. 62% of Whites.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 5, 2010
I just followed my 20,000th nonprofit organization on Twitter at @ NonprofitOrgs ! I started the profile 18 months ago with the primary mission to only “Follow&# nonprofits in order to serve as a portal to nonprofit organizations on Twitter. To celebrate the milestone, I just donated $20 to 20 of my favorite nonprofits. Related Links: 20,000th Nonprofit Organization :: Marine Conservation Society || @ MCSUK.
Getting Attention
MAY 4, 2010
Your feedback by May 7 please! Choosing a corporate sponsor for your nonprofit has tremendous potential to either help or harm your organization and its mission. And there are many great examples where such sponsorship has proven to be a genuine win-win. But it can be a slippery slope once you step out. Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been watching, sometimes mouth agape, an ill-conceived and poorly handled corporate partnership.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 7, 2010
Happy Friday! And Happy Mother’s Day to all of you Moms out there. I’m personally looking forward to French Toast in bed Sunday morning. but until then, let’s share some Mixed Links! Two Studies on Generations and Giving. The Next Generation of American Giving: A Study on the Contrasting Charitable Habits of Generation Y, Generation X, Baby Boomers, and Matures.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 11, 2010
UnJourUneBlaque, Flickr. Remember how younger folks used to trust no one over thirty? And they rebelled? And they rolled their eyes at authority? Well, I picked the right time to be a parent, because apparently my near-millennials are going to be different. I was recently on a panel with the director of research at MTV, Nick Shore , who pointed out that today’s millennials aka Gen Y aka Echo Boomers are NOT rebels and NOT without a cause.
Selfish Giving
MAY 19, 2010
The 8th Cause Marketing Forum Conference is coming to the Westin Chicago River North on June 2 & 3. Folks, I barely leave Boston for anything (Hell, why would I! I even wrote a post about getting a conference experience from the seat of your couch). But each year I make a point to dig out my travel bag for the Cause Marketing Forum Conference. Here are 8 reasons why I’m going (and why you should to).
The Agitator
MAY 6, 2010
The latest data suggests that Twitter has stalled out at 17 million users. Here’s a good analysis. Personally, I take this as a welcome sign that there is still some semblance of substance and sanity on the planet. If someone in your nonprofit is trumpeting the urgency of getting on board the Twitter phenom, fire them. Hire instead a really good copywriter.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 19, 2010
Corruption on Wall Street. War profiteering. Catastrophic oil spills. Predatory lending. Corporate lobbying on Capitol Hill. Illegal logging of rain forests. Wildlife poaching and animal testing. Sweat shops. The list goes on and on. Almost every problem in the world today has its roots in corporate greed. The nonprofits below are working to empower and educate consumers and corporate accountability activists to keep that greed in check, and to build a more just future for all of us.
Getting Attention
MAY 27, 2010
Last month I reached out for your input on what makes an e-newsletter effective and received some great feedback and models. Thank you. Then I integrated your take into my curriculum for a workshop I ran a for nonprofits in the NY metro area. Here’s the most important thing I learned from you — e-newsletters remain a winner among nonprofit marketing channels , far ahead of social media at this point.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 23, 2010
Is your marketing plan for 2010. dancing around in pieces in your head? scattered across who-knows-how-many post-it notes and scraps of paper? shot to heck, because what you thought would happen so far this year didn’t? hopelessly unrealistic? non-existent? I’m going to show staff at 20 nonprofits how to take control of their marketing programs , set realistic goals, prioritize how they spend their time and money, and make great things happen for their organizations by the end of 201
Care2
MAY 20, 2010
While social media isn't a magic solution for nonprofits to raise millions of dollars, you can't deny that this evolving medium is more and more integrated into many nonprofits outreach strategies. Can nonprofits also use it to raise a little money too? You bet. Check out these three cool tools that nonprofits can experiment with to generate a bit of extra revenue.
Selfish Giving
MAY 26, 2010
I visited my local Whole Foods last weekend and saw this cause marketing program at the register. I’ve seen these passive cause marketing programs before at Whole Foods, but this one was different. It benefited the West Suburban YMCA right down the street from the supermarket. It was the first time I had seen a program at Newtonville Whole Foods benefit a nonprofit in my town.
The Agitator
MAY 24, 2010
Last week, in a piece entitled Is Your Favorite Charity Spying on You? , the Wall Street Journal’s “Smart Money&# column set off a mini-firestorm in our trade over the use of data mining for prospect research and donor analytics. Among the tidbits of raw meat tossed into the WSJ piece: “When your favorite nonprofit isn’t busy saving the whales, chances are it’s making a serious behind-the-scenes effort to know you better — using increasingly sophisticated technology.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 20, 2010
Seemingly every time I login to Facebook these days, something is different. And thus far, I am not a Fan, er, Like the changes. That’s no secret. Well, there’s two more changes that Facebook Admins need to know about and they are related to the Static FBML App: 1) You can no longer create a Custom Tab and make it your Default Landing Tab.
Getting Attention
MAY 3, 2010
This simple marketing strategy on the part of the SVDP thrift shop — building business and awareness (and a corps of messengers) by motivating customers to learn its tagline in exchange for a discount — is brilliant. SVDP (the Society of St. Vincent de Paul of St. Louis) reached out via Facebook and Twitter to make this no-risk special offer.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 19, 2010
My First Peek at the Book. I’ve sometimes compared writing my first book, The Nonprofit Marketing Guide , to having a baby, and the metaphor held true today. Just like our second-born daughter, the book arrived more than a week before it was expected! I was told to expect my copies late next week at the earliest, and Amazon has been using June 9 as its shipping date.
Fundraising Coach
MAY 24, 2010
As I mentioned in an earlier post , Ask Without Fear! was listed on Amazon.com two years ago. Last week I asked for suggestions about songs that dealt with Research. Some of the answers were: “The Gambler&# Kenny Rogers. “Private Eyes are Watching you&# Hall & Oates. “If I had a milliion dollars&# BNL. “She Blinded Me with Science&# Thomas Dolby. “I always feel like somebody’s watching me&# Rockwell.
Selfish Giving
MAY 5, 2010
Last week we enjoyed a sumptuous Foursquare promotion created by Boston’s own Boloco. The Foursquare Mayor Boloco Card is bursting with creativeness, spices and natural goodness, just like the food Boloco serves. The promotion is a feast for us who are looking for ways to use geo-location services. Boloco’s efforts offer direction on how causes can create their own 4sq promotion with local businesses.
The Agitator
MAY 16, 2010
Last week in my Promise Me post, I urged nonprofit fundraisers to connect your "asks" as much as possible to specific goals. Then commit to your donor/prospect that your organization will break its back to achieve those goals, and report regularly on your progress toward them. Then I noticed a comment about SMART goals in an unrelated Social Citizens article , reminding me of this basic "project management" goal-setting approach.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 26, 2010
Thousands of nonprofits haven’t logged into their MySpace profiles in months, or even a year or more. The majority have moved on to Facebook and Twitter. That said, MySpace is not dead. Traffic has definitely sloooowed, but the site still has 57 million monthly visitors in the United States ( as of December 2009 ). They just don’t tend to be the same folks that regularly visit Facebook and Twitter.
Get Fully Funded
MAY 23, 2010
After being on a 6-day vacation, I’ve returned to find my inbox pretty full. I’m a bit overwhelmed at the thought of wading through all those messages. Sound familiar? We all get overwhelmed from time to time. I thought I’d share with you how I handle it when I have way too much to do. My strategy is to go through my inbox and prioritize things. 1.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MAY 17, 2010
On Wednesday, May 19, 2010, Nancy Schwartz of GettingAttention.org , who I turn to for all things nonprofit branding, messaging and taglines, will be our guest expert for a special Q & A Coaching Call for Nonprofit Marketing Guide All-Access Pass Holders. Nancy will offer some tips on making your messages more memorable and will then answer your questions directly.
Care2
MAY 7, 2010
“Our donors are aging-out.&# “We need to attract younger donors.&# “We need do be on Facebook.&# These are some of the common refrains I hear from nonprofits. It seems that everyone is trying to bring younger donors into the fold. But what does younger mean? Does it mean connecting with the Baby Boomers, creating a gateway to the Millenials, or both?
Sea Change Strategies
MAY 25, 2010
A front page Washington Post piece yesterday raised questions about the practice by major conservation organizations, notably the Nature Conservancy, of accepting contributions from BP and other petroleum, mining, chemical, etc. companies. A guest blog post by Nancy Schwartz in the usually letter perfect Nonprofit Marketing Blog on how a TNC communications director should react diverges sufficiently from my own view that I feel compelled to respond.
The Agitator
MAY 12, 2010
comScore, a leading measurer of the digital world, reports that 64% of US internet users now pay at least some of their bills online. This is up a sharp 19 points since one year ago. And 52% use automatic bill pay, up 10 points. This is good news for US fundraisers, especially use of automatic/recurring bill pay, as it potentially sets the stage for more — and more reliable — monthly giving.
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