Selfish Giving

JULY 11, 2012

Sloane Bennett sent me this news on the latest campaign from beauty brand Elizabeth Arden that combines cause marketing with Pinterest. I was struck by how easy it is to execute a cause marketing promotion on Pinterest – and that Elizabeth Arden was a darn good teacher. This is how it works: Step 1: Recruit a Company Partner. Yeah, this is the hard part for most nonprofits, but not for Look Good Feel Better , which teaches beauty techniques to cancer patients that have appearance-related s

Recruitment 263

Recruitment Fundraising Fundraising Production 263

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JULY 30, 2012

Large nonprofits usually have the expertise and resources necessary to launch and maintain successful online communications and fundraising campaigns. They’ve been able to hire some of the most well-trained and experienced staff, consultants, and designers that work in the nonprofit sector. Small to medium-sized nonprofits with small to medium-sized marketing and communications budgets may not have the resources that many of the larger nonprofits do, but that doesn’t mean your online

Public and Nonprofit Management 111

Public and Nonprofit Management Healthcare Ethics Nonprofits 111

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JULY 17, 2012

I’m friends with many nonprofit program and research directors who confide in me about their various scuffles with communications or fundraising staff in their organizations. Nothing strange there. But what I do find a little surprising is how often I will meet a program or policy director, or even an executive director, for the first time, and upon learning what I do for a living, they will say, “Ugh.

Communication 107

Communication Values Fundraising Fundraising 107

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JULY 23, 2012

I recently posted on five nonprofit marketing mistakes, and my friends over at Branded Out Loud added some more (check out their post here. ). My favorite was this: Chasing the latest and greatest, before mastering the tried and true. The older I get, the more I believe there are immutable, tried and true basics that underlie just about everything in marketing.

Energy 96

Energy Activism Marketing Marketing 96

The Agitator

JULY 25, 2012

The Direct Marketing Association notes in its recently released 2012 Response Rate Report that direct mail response rates have dropped nearly 25% over the past nine years. Even so, direct mail pulls a better overall response than digital channels. The report also says that: Cost per order or lead for acquisition campaigns were roughly equivalent for direct mail ($51.40), post card ($54.10), email ($55.24), and paid search ($52.58).

Associations 95

Associations Marketing Marketing Fundraising 95

Fundraising Coach

JULY 20, 2012

Yesterday HootSuite [affilate link] announced support for Google+ Pages! Back in November, I blogged about Google+ being open for nonprofits. But one of the hardest things for nonprofits has been the fact that they have to remember to go to the Google+ site rather than using their social media tools like HootSuite. Suddenly, Google+ is more relevant for nonprofits.

Nonprofits 91

Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising 91

Selfish Giving

JULY 9, 2012

Every nonprofit wants to recruit new corporate partners, but your best bet to raise more money is to find new ways to work with your existing partners. It just might lead to a new partner. Here’s how to turn an existing partner into a better partner. Be insanely helpful. Don’t take a one and done approach with partners. Share new ideas with them, even ones that aren’t relevant to your partnership but may be useful to their business.

Recruitment 237

Recruitment Philanthropy Values Technology 237

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JULY 27, 2012

As the community engagement manager at Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com, I have set up a lot of Facebook Groups, and unlike some other changes Facebook has made that people find annoying, the latest updates have made Groups even more functional. Facebook Groups have become our go-to way to communicate and work with our training participants. We use them for all of our e-clinics, Kivi’s mentoring program, and we also have a Group just for our All-Access Pass holders.

Public and Nonprofit Management 80

Public and Nonprofit Management Collaborations Nonprofits Communication 80

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JULY 16, 2012

As you know, I’m fan of Lisa Cron, who blogs on storytelling and whose book, Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence is now out. (I posted on it here when I received a review copy.). Since it’s now out, I wanted to share a few more tips from the book that pertain to our work.

Universities 87

Universities 87

The Agitator

JULY 8, 2012

Here in North America we can now get back to business. Canada Day is done. Independence Day is history for another year. What is significant is that July marks the halfway point to success or failure (yeah, I know everyone has a different fiscal year, but let’s get real). You gonna make it or break it?! My guess, given what we’ve been seeing from surveys, from the Blackbaud reports, blog posts from those we trust, and just pure economics is that finishing this year stronger than last is gonna be

Fundraising 92

Fundraising Fundraising Marketing Marketing 92

Fundraiser Ideas

JULY 4, 2012

Fundraising is a very important function for clubs. However, your fundraisers don’t have to be complex to be successful. In fact, sometimes simple is better! Following are 10 simple fundraising ideas for clubs. Flower Bulb Fundraiser – Lots of people love flowers! A flower bulb fundraiser involves taking orders for flower bulbs from your family, friends, and neighbors for their gardens.

Fundraising 80

Fundraising Fundraising 80

Selfish Giving

JULY 5, 2012

Just because the Fourth of July is over doesn’t mean you’ve seen your last cookout this week. Folks will be grilling, chilling and drinking right through the weekend. That’s why my third pick of the week for cause marketing that celebrates Independence Day is a Massachusetts company called 50 Back , which brews a beer called T he Brew of the Brave.

Activism 230

Activism Marketing Marketing 230

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JULY 9, 2012

My last full-time, Monday-through-Friday job was as an outreach director for a small international development organization in San Francisco. Working within the confines of an almost non-existent online communications budget, my primary responsibilities were to maintain our website and publish a twice-monthly e-newsletter, quarterly print newsletter, and numerous print fundraising appeals through out the year.

Management 109

Management Nonprofits Communication Philanthropy 109

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JULY 26, 2012

Is the classic nonprofit newsletter still relevant? If yes, why? If not, why not? What changes have you made, or what changes are you seeing or recommending, in nonprofit newsletters — in print and online? Those and any other questions or issues related to producing nonprofit newsletters in 2012 and beyond are the focus of the upcoming Nonprofit Blog Carnival , which I’m hosting in August.

Nonprofits 80

Nonprofits Management Fundraising Fundraising 80

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JULY 26, 2012

Last week, I blogged about how buying green products can make people feel they are off the hook for further good. In fact, their purchase might even give them a license for bad behavior. Today comes more interesting news for environmentalists—sent to me via Mark Rovner - saying that guilt doesn’t inspire people to go green. Image from National Geographic.

Environmental 87

Environmental Production Values Marketing 87

The Agitator

JULY 26, 2012

For all you one-armed paperhangers toiling away in (especially) smaller nonprofits, once again, Scott Adams hits a nerve. We might add another frame, with the caption … “Oh, and while you’re at it, could you also redesign our website and bring in a few bequests?” Tom.

Nonprofits 91

Nonprofits Nonprofit Management Management Fundraising 91

Getting Attention

JULY 24, 2012

Welcome to guest blogger Meghan Hurley, Special Events Intern at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and a senior at Loyola University Maryland. . Congrats to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) for 40 years of persistent work to improve access to, and quality of, health care. RWJF has a multi-faceted anniversary campaign in place including sharing stories of those who have been touched by its work in some way.

Foundations 75

Foundations Health Nonprofits Universities 75

Selfish Giving

JULY 16, 2012

Donation boxes – also called coin canisters – are one of the simplest and cheapest ways to raise money from businesses. The action happens at the register after customers buy something and they drop a few coins, or a buck or two, into a donation box.

Marketing 224

Marketing Marketing 224

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JULY 11, 2012

To follow up on Monday’s post about why nonprofits should consider hiring a social media manger , below is an excerpt from Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits that helps further explore the time commitment necessary to create and sustain a comprehensive social media stategy for your nonprofit. The estimates below allow for the time required to research and create content for your social media campaigns, the actual time spent engaging and participating in your nonpro

Public and Nonprofit Management 98

Public and Nonprofit Management Nonprofits Organizational Development Management 98

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JULY 19, 2012

Evergreen Content - Why You Need It and Where It Goes. Evergreen content is information that stays fresh from season to season, much like an evergreen tree. You may not need to change it all, or to only make minor tweaks from time to time. Evergreen content often takes these forms: How to articles or tutorials. Top ten or “best of” lists. Core principals, ideas or values.

Associations 78

Associations Communication Values Nonprofits 78

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JULY 9, 2012

During a morning run, I saw this sign outside a church in my Washington DC neighborhood. I had to snap a photo. This is great advice for life, yes, but also for marketing. Your first order of business is ALWAYS to show you care - and to make others care. The emotional connection MUST precede detailed information about your organization or issue. Connection before education.

Marketing 81

Marketing Marketing Education Education 81

The Agitator

JULY 29, 2012

The mantra on advertising’s Madison Avenue these days is ‘simple’ This NY Times article headlines the point: Paring Down Marketing Messages to a Few Simple Basics. Columnist Stuart Elliott says marketers are reacting to three trends: “how busy life today seems, the growing complexity of technology and the increasingly complicated economic picture.

Marketing 89

Marketing Marketing Advertising Poverty 89

Getting Attention

JULY 30, 2012

More than half of U.S. adults 65 and older are now online. This surprising outtake ( “we knew it was going to happen, but now it’s here”) is one of the most crucial findings in the Older Adults and Internet Use report recently released by Pew Internet. The trend centers on younger seniors 65 to 75, with Internet use dropping off significantly after age 75.

Universities 75

Universities Health Marketing Marketing 75

Selfish Giving

JULY 3, 2012

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays so I’m combining it with my other favorite thing: cause marketing. For the next four days I’m profiling four different cause marketing programs to celebrate Independence Day. My first pick is Starbucks’ Indivisible campaign. Indivisible isn’t a new program or specifically focused on Independence Day.

Marketing 186

Marketing Marketing 186

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JULY 23, 2012

Contrary to its title, the last four chapters of Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits are dedicated to mobile technology and mobile fundraising. I am firm believer that social media will be the foundation of the Mobile Web and the book was written to help prepare nonprofits for the coming shift from desktop and social to social and mobile.

Technology 85

Technology Nonprofits Law Health 85

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JULY 31, 2012

You should all know by now that I love the shorter and more visual nonprofit annual reports as opposed to skimming through 20+ pages of boring financials. I recently received an email from Katie Bryan, communications director at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement on how their annual report has changed over the years based on the training she’s taken with us a Nonprofit Marketing Guide, along with a few of her thoughts on the changes.

Nonprofits 78

Nonprofits Production Communication Marketing 78

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JULY 20, 2012

Yesterday, I caught part of the virtual conference MCON2012 - which focuses on how to market causes to millennials. One session focused on the 2012 Millennial Impact Report - a survey of more than 6,500 people ages 20 to 35 - which shows 75% of millennials donate (in small amounts), 70% have raised money for their favorite causes and most give for reasons that span generations—they have a relationship with the cause.

Volunteerism 81

Volunteerism Volunteerism Universities Marketing 81

The Agitator

JULY 10, 2012

My third, and final, recommendation on actions to take at this mid-point in the year is simply this: stop thinking. I’m not suggesting you cease using your considerable cerebral powers, but rather when it comes improving your bottom line results I do want to recommend a new type of thinking. And that means you need to stop thinking the conventional way most direct response fundraisers think.

Retention 83

Retention Health Fundraising Fundraising 83

Care2

JULY 10, 2012

If you're nonprofit wants to ramp up its social media posting strategy, check out this One-Page Social Media Posting Guide by Topnonprofits.com , which offers tips on content strategy, the best times to post social media updates, and understanding your audiences. The guide was created for organizations that don't have full time social media staff or have limited resources.

Nonprofits 78

Nonprofits 78

Selfish Giving

JULY 31, 2012

Today on Razoo.com I wrote a post on 5 Ways to Ambush Your Competition and Steal the Gold. To give another example of ambush marketing I’m reprinting this post from 2010. Read and learn! I love how Boston-based New Balance is attacking the Boston Marathon like I wish I had attacked Heartbreak Hill when I.

Marketing 185

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 185

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JULY 16, 2012

Watch Video. Via BBC News Magazine : . The internet was once considered a great equaliser, a platform that could bring strangers together, even across racial boundaries. But internet users of the same race have recently begun clustering on certain social media websites. Micro-blogging website Twitter has seen an upsurge in traffic from Hispanic and African-American audiences.

Education 84

Education Education Children Nonprofits 84

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

JULY 10, 2012

If you don’t know Mark Horvath , you should. Mark’s done an incredible thing: he’s empowered the people who are often the most powerless in our communities — the homeless — via social media to tell their own stories, in their own voices. He founded InvisiblePeople.tv and every time I hear someone at a nonprofit make excuses about why they can’t do this or that thing, I think of Mark.

Homelessness 77

Homelessness Children Nonprofits 77

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

JULY 10, 2012

Do you have the website equivalent of scrunchies and shoulder pads? Photo from Bellasugar. I stumbled across what that looks like at post over at Branded Out Loud with 13 signs your website is out of date. The post has great examples of what not to do! So check out the full post here. It’s from last year (don’t know how I missed it), but it’s still very much in vogue.

Management 80

Management 80

The Agitator

JULY 11, 2012

Tomorrow, Lautman Maska Neill & Company , the fundraising firm founded by Kay Lautman will hold its 20 th Anniversary reception. Of course what’s noteworthy, far beyond the laudable two decade anniversary of a good agency is the death on Monday of its Founder – Kay Partney Lautman at age 74. You can read all about the professional achievements and the admiration of colleagues of this remarkable woman in yesterday’s online issue of Fundraising Success and on her company’s website.

Associations 81

Associations Management Values Fundraising 81

Care2

JULY 16, 2012

There are a ton of smart people writing about nonprofit technology and communications to help nonprofit communicators keep up on the latest online trends and developments. When you need to take a really deep dive into critical topics, but don’t want to rely on your own trial and error it helps to look beyond blogs and social media. Thankfully, you can take advantage of great in-depth research and findings published in nonprofit reports.

Public and Social Policy 78

Public and Social Policy Public and Nonprofit Management Technology Nonprofits 78

Selfish Giving

JULY 23, 2012

If Share Our Strength’s recent pinup program with Shake Shack is proof of anything it’s that incentives work in business fundraisers. Thanks in large to part to Shake Shack’s generous offer to reward a $2 donation with one of their signatures shakes, valued at $5, the chain raised $135,000 to fight childhood hunger. The amount is.

Fundraising 180

Fundraising Fundraising Values Marketing 180

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JULY 3, 2012

Blogger, LinkedIn and Myspace all launched in 2003. We’re almost a decade into using social media and yet one of the most striking realities when I give in-person social media trainings is the wide variety of experience of the nonprofits in the room. Some nonprofits are just getting started and still perceive social media as cutting edge online communications and fundraising – while others have been using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr for years and increasingly verbalize that they

Nonprofits 82

Nonprofits Foundations Activism Communication 82