Selfish Giving
FEBRUARY 24, 2010
Thanks to everyone who came out to the AMA Boston event on Cause Marketing During Challenging Economic Times. It was a great event. As promised, below are links to some of the topics I discussed. What is cause marketing. One thing that was clear from everyone on the panel is that Bonnie , Erica Vogelei from Cone and I all had a different understanding of what cause marketing is.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Not to be confused with Text-to-Give campaigns (Text HAITI to 90999 to donate $10 to the Red Cross), text alert campaigns are when individuals opt-in to be alerted of breaking news or calls to action via text message. They can opt-in by sending a Keyword (NONPROFITORGS) to a Short Code (41411) , or through a subscribe page/widget on a nonprofit’s website.
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The Agitator
FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Can’t ignore Facebook as a channel for reaching nonprofit donors. Apart from the sheer volume of traffic on Facebook, 112 million unique visitors in 2009, as reported in Online Media Daily , consider this … "…older users remain among the fastest-growing populations on Facebook. Men 45 to 54 showed the highest growth rate last month — with 472,000 joining, or 10.5%, followed closely by women 55 to 65, at 9.4% (391,000).
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
It’s time to share the results of my 2009-2010 “What I Got When I Gave&# Experiment. The point of this experiment is to see what kind of communications response I get in return for unsolicited donations to national charities. This does not include the automated email receipt that I get from the payment processor; I’m looking for communication from the charity directly.
Sea Change Strategies
FEBRUARY 6, 2010
Dear Convio, The news reports say you are preparing to go public. Congratulations. Your investors must be salivating at the thought of their imminent payday. Before that day arrives, I urge you to consider what happened when Kintera went public. They serve as a cautionary tale. I know you know whereof I speak. The day you go public you will be locked in a permanent, intense conflict of interest between your stockholders and your customers.
Fundraising Coach
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Q: Marc, I’m embarrassed to admit that we don’t yet have a website. But do you have any advice about choosing a domain name? A: Great question! Getting a memorable domain name is a very important step in online fundraising. All fundraising, really. Donors often check out an organization’s website before making a gift. So putting thought into your domain name can help you raise more money.
Selfish Giving
FEBRUARY 10, 2010
I’m frequently asked what apps I use to stay abreast of the latest news on cause marketing, how I add my two cents and find the occasional prospect. My list is actually a lot shorter than you might think. Tweetdeck. Twitter is my main source of information on just about everything, including cause marketing. Just 18 months ago I read a slew of magazines and three newspapers a day.
Nonprofit Leadership Zone brings together the best content for advertising professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
The Agitator
FEBRUARY 18, 2010
Ethan Boldt at Inside Direct Mail reports these U.S. direct mail stats from the DMA’s new 2010 Statistical Fact Book: Direct mail accounts for 52% of all mail (over half of all mail has been direct mail since 2007). Households receive 24.7 pieces of mail per week (down from a high of 26.2 a few years ago). In terms of mail individuals say they "read immediately" … From federal government, 63%.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 15, 2010
I’ve been working as a volunteer board member with Positive Wellness Alliance (PWA), a small nonprofit that serves low-income people with HIV/AIDS, to incorporate more storytelling and more gratitude into their donor communications. If you’ve been reading this blog for long, you know how strongly I believe in both storytelling and thank-yous as powerful nonprofit marketing and fundraising tools.
Care2
FEBRUARY 22, 2010
Since the days of Edward Bernays , marketing has attempted to convince consumers of their hidden desire to buy products. Have fifty years of manipulation run their course? Many leading members of the cause marketing industry feel that consumers are beginning to demand corporations not only provide quality products but also become responsible members of the community.
Get Fully Funded
FEBRUARY 24, 2010
Since I’m sharing about Special Events this week, I thought I’d post some tips for making them better. Here are 5 tips for maximizing your events: 1. Clearly define each event you hold. This is so important! Is the event a friend-raiser or fund-raiser? Are you having the event to raise awareness? Knowing your purpose will help you set the direction and expectations for the event to ensure success.
Selfish Giving
FEBRUARY 5, 2010
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Association of Fundraising Professionals Brown Bag today to hear me, Joanna MacDonald and Dan Curtin , General Manager of Zipcar Boston , talk about cause marketing. As promised, here are my slides from the presentation (at least the most relevant ones). I’ve linked them to several posts that might be helpful to you.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
FEBRUARY 24, 2010
If your nonprofit is experimenting with text-to-give, text alerts and/or smartphone Apps (or planning to), then launching a mobile website is something your organization should seriously consider. If not an entire site, then at the very least your organization should create select web pages that are designed to be easily read on mobile devices. Here are four reasons why: 1.
The Agitator
FEBRUARY 9, 2010
Direct marketing pro (and publisher of Target Marketing ) Denny Hatch, who’s seen it all, distilled a ton of experience into this article on direct response copywriting. I’ll summarize some of his takeaways here, but you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t taste the full flavor of Denny’s entire piece (our " edu" readers will be especially tantalized).
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 26, 2010
Katya Andresen is hosting this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival where the theme is Nonprofit Highs and Lows, so I thought I’d share a story with you that several people have asked me about recently. If you want to know how Nonprofit Marketing Guide really got started, here’s the honest account. Let’s flip back to March 2007. way before the word “webinar&# entered my daily vocabulary.
Care2
FEBRUARY 6, 2010
Repeat after me. "I will no longer send out fundraising appeals with boring subject lines and long-winded pitches.". In today’s battle of the inboxes, tweets, Facebook updates, text messages, and banner ads flying across the screen, organizations can’t afford to ignore online fundraising 101 strategies to motivate and inspire supporters to donate money.
Get Fully Funded
FEBRUARY 8, 2010
Are you planning to get major gifts? Or are you waiting for a major donor to just pop up with a large gift? If you really want to get the most ‘bang for the buck’, plan to spend some time cultivating your top 10 donors this year. It can be intimidating to get major gifts when you’re just starting out in fundraising. But here’s the scoop: it’s all about building relationships.
Selfish Giving
FEBRUARY 12, 2010
Before my sales people head out to close a potential sale I always give them the same piece of advice: Don’t screw it up. But it’s hard not to, and I still do it myself sometimes. Closing a sponsorship deal isn’t easy, especially these days when companies are scrutinizing everything and watching every penny. Here are three tips to make sure that you earn the title of salesperson, instead of that of glorified customer service rep who can talk all day but can never close a deal!
Nonprofit Tech for Good
FEBRUARY 10, 2010
Google has been working double-time launching new products over the last few months. From Google Wave to Google Voice , to Social Search and now Google Buzz , I think that now is a good time for nonprofits to reserve a Gmail account if they haven’t already. I haven’t had the chance yet to look too deeply into their products, but I am big believer in nonprofits being proactive and protecting their online brand from squatters.
The Agitator
FEBRUARY 23, 2010
The NY Times had an interesting article yesterday on how Tufts University was inviting applicants for admission to submit YouTube videos as part of their applications. Great idea! While enterprising students have been sending videos with their applications for some time at their own initiative, it appears Tufts is the first school to incorporate online videos into its "official" process.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 19, 2010
Yesterday in “ 10 Donations. 3 Thank-Yous. 7 Failures to Communicate ,&# I shared the results of my recent giving experiment, where only 3 out of 10 national nonprofits acknowledged my gift with a thank-you. These results mimic last year’s , and in the comments on last year’s post, a few people suggested that the fact that the donations were processed by Network for Good may have been part of the problem, because Network for Good may not be the nonprofit’s preferred way t
Care2
FEBRUARY 28, 2010
Is your nonprofit reaching women and harnessing their power for social change? If your nonprofit is not actively marketing to women and recruiting them, your organization is missing out on major fundraising opportunities. During last week’s webinar The She Spot – Best Practices in Marketing to Women , Lisa Witter co-author of the book The She Spot and Morra Aarons-Mele of Women Online discussed why women are the market for changing the world and how to reach them. “Women have n
Fundraising Coach
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Q: Hi Marc! You seem to know much about fundraising…any great ideas on a fundraiser for Cub Scouts…we need to raise $1500 for a new pinewood derby track…however the pack is in an area that the people don’t have tons of money…HELP! I need a jump start. TY Katherine. A: Well that seems perfect for corporate sponsorship! You could ask 5 businesses to contribute $500 each and give them recognition on the track (logo or something).
Selfish Giving
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
Back in September, I introduced you to my friend Beth Pfiel ( @readerbean ) and her nonprofit The Bachmann-Strauss Dystonia & Parkinson Foundation. Beth had asked for my help creating their first cause marketing campaign , a pinup program with Garden of Eden , a grocer and specialty food store with five locations in New York and one in New Jersey.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
FEBRUARY 26, 2010
Good news! In addition to the United States and the United Kingdom, nonprofits in Canada and Australia can now also take advantage of YouTube’s Nonprofit Program. The benefits of the program incude: Premium branding capabilities and increased uploading capacity ( View Example ). The option to drive fundraising through a Google Checkout “Donate&# button.
The Agitator
FEBRUARY 10, 2010
No … I’m not talking about prospecting letters that break even. Nor am I talking about telemarketing calls. I’m referring to that most venerated publication of all nonprofits … The Annual Report! Here’s a question from Agitator readers Bob Bland and Matt Wolcott that I can’t resist passing along for your comments: "It is Annual Report season.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
With freezing rain falling and snow on the ground here in North Carolina, it’s time for some hot mixed links! Free Training on E-Newsletters. I’m doing another free conference call for Network for Good’s Nonprofit 911 series, this time on Ensuring Your E-Newsletters are Read – Not Dead – On Arrival This Year. Join us next Tuesday, February 9 at 1:00 p.m.
Care2
FEBRUARY 5, 2010
When a nonprofit organization is beginning the process of doing a software implementation (such as a new website, or a new CRM or donation management product,) it is often unaware of the things that might underly whether such a project will succeed, how long it will take, and how much it will cost. Since nonprofits focus on their mission, and not software projects, that is an unknown to them, and understandably so.
Fundraising Coach
FEBRUARY 28, 2010
Did you see this free "Movie Mondays" by 501 Videos on How Funders are Changing the Game ? (Sorry. I haven’t figured out how to embed these videos into my blog.). If you want to get the free movies each Monday, sign up at: Movie Mondays. Hurry, a new movie gets posted tomorrow! (c) Marc A. Pitman, FundraisingCoach.com. Learn how you can set up a brand new fundraising program, or re-tool your existing fundraising, to raise serious money for your cause.
Selfish Giving
FEBRUARY 26, 2010
Our friends at Cone this week shared that Jiffy Lube had already reached more than 65 percent of its $1 million national fundraising goal for the 2010 Maintenance Partners for Life campaign. Thanks to customer support at the register for a $3 savings book, the fast lube franchise has already raised $658,655 for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement in just three weeks, as of February 22.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
FEBRUARY 12, 2010
IconsPedia.com is my source for free social media and mobile technology icons. I use them on my website, Facebook Pages, MySpace, and most importantly, on the right side of this blog. They have a great set of Google icons , but not yet for Google Buzz. My graphic design skills are very limited, but I did create an interim Google Buzz icon for those early adopters out there.
The Agitator
FEBRUARY 2, 2010
“The most poorly written mail I get is from people who want my money.&#. –January 26 post signed by “Disgruntled Writer&#. The lesson I’ve learned in 40 years as a copywriter is this: Even if only 50% of your clients can read, you can be absolutely certain that 100% of them are convinced they can write! No wonder that Nancy Schwartz’ recent survey of 900 nonprofit leaders found that “86% of the organizations characterize their messages as difficult to remember
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 9, 2010
I just wrapped up an hour-long teleconference for Network for Good’s Nonprofit 911 series titled “Ensuring Your E-Newsletters are Read – Not Dead – On Arrival This Year.&# The focus of the call was on creating a newsletter strategy that really provides value for your readers. I created two new pages at Nonprofit Marketing Guide for the call: Making Your Newsletter Valuable to Your Readers , which I used as my speaking notes for the call.
Care2
FEBRUARY 17, 2010
“Everyone has three lives: a public life, a private life, and a secret life,&# said author Gabriel García Márquez. This quote “resonates with how we live our lives today, and perhaps how we have lived since the start of human society,&# writes blogger Stowe Boyd. It got me thinking about how much personal info online activists are willing to give up to nonprofits?
Sea Change Strategies
FEBRUARY 21, 2010
This is the way your brain works. I’m in Disney World, the fulfillment of a 16th birthday promise to my daughter. Amidst the raucous gaiety of roller-coasters, stroller jams and spontaneous parades, it got to be lunch time. I chose the barbecue stand while the girls went in search of pizza. At Disney, all of the servers and staff are “cast members” and they all wear badges with their town and country of origin.
Selfish Giving
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Seems lately the more I talk to nonprofits about cause marketing the more I talk about social media and how the two are inseparable. Unfortunately, many aren’t quite sold that these two belong together. Here’s my case for why social media and cause marketing go hand in hand. Social media teaches you cause marketing. Social media is the only tool I use to follow trends in cause marketing.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
FEBRUARY 16, 2010
Act.ly brings a whole new spin to online activism. Online petitions and e-mail advocacy have been around for almost a decade, and now there is a new tool to add to your nonprofit’s arsenal – Tweet-based Petitions. Want to use Twitter to petition @ JessicaSimpson to stop wearing fur? Or @ CarnivalCruise to clean up their mess? Or President @ BarackObama to suspend “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell&# ?
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