Selfish Giving

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Nothing Komen for the Cure does surprises me anymore. They sell deep-fried chicken to raise money to cure breast cancer. They sue other nonprofits that use “for the cure” in any variation in their name. Now, they’re flexing their muscle and shutting off the funding to Planned Parenthood. For Komen, it’s just another day being a big, arrogant SOB that has swallowed too much of its own public relations and is drunk with power and eager to show its fight.

Marketing 278

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 278

Nonprofit Tech for Good

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

At the end of the Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits is a nine-page “Nonprofit Tech Checklist” which I have copied and pasted below. Each item on the list is discussed in the book and some items won’t make sense unless you have read the book, but most will. I hope you find it useful. That was my number one priority when writing the book… to create a comprehensive, useful social and mobile media how-to guide for nonprofits.

Public and Social Policy 107

Public and Social Policy Technology Nonprofits Fundraising 107

Fundraising Coach

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

Nonprofit’s can be incredibly crushing places to work. We give all we have because we believe in our cause. Our passion is admirable but leads to bad choices about our own lives. I’d argue this is especially true for fundraisers. People don’t really get what we do. And when we’re successful, the bar gets raised! Either way, it’s like killing the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs in hopes of getting more gold.

Non-Profits 101

Non-Profits Fundraising Fundraising Ethics 101

Fundraiser Ideas

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

In today’s economy, many organizations are faced with ever-shrinking budgets. Luckily, fundraising doesn’t necessarily have to involve high amounts of upfront capital. The following are 10 cheap fundraising ideas for when money is tight: 50/50 raffle – This is one of the best cheap fundraising ideas, because the only cost to the organization is a roll of raffle tickets.

Fundraising 100

Fundraising Fundraising Children Advertising 100

The Agitator

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

Pew Research has just released this study on how Americans use their mobile phones to assist with in-store purchasing decisions. There’s an underlying phenomenon here that’s highly relevant, I think, to nonprofit fundraising. Pew reports that more than half of adult cell phone owners used their cell phones while they were in a store to seek help with their purchase decision: 38% of cell owners used their phone to call a friend while they were in a store for advice about a purchase th

Production 96

Production Children Management Values 96

Getting Attention

FEBRUARY 28, 2012

I’m so sorry! I forgot to tell you that I’m guiding a limited number of organizations to strengthen their messaging this spring. And there are just a few seats left for the next Message Focus Project , starting March 6. Learn more here. Over the years, I’ve often been asked by nonprofit communicators like you to offer training on message development, and I just wasn’t able to provide it beyond occasional speaking engagements and workshops.

Participation and motivation 81

Participation and motivation Communication Marketing Marketing 81

Selfish Giving

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

I’m trying to learn more about volunteering and employee engagement initiatives for businesses that want more than the transactional cause marketing campaigns I specialize in. These are the days when I wish employee volunteering expert Chris Jarvis lived closer to me and not in the home of terrible baseball, Toronto. The employee engagement side of cause marketing is mostly new to me.

Marketing 270

Marketing Marketing Insurance Health 270

Fundraising Coach

FEBRUARY 13, 2012

Thank you! As a fundraiser for a nonprofit cause, you are changing the world. Making it a better place. We need people like you! Loving the askers. If we’re good at fundraising, we spend considerable time thinking about how to best thank our donors. We throw galas, write notes, set up tours and appointments with the Executive Director. This is perfectly appropriate as they are the ones that fund what we do.

Fundraising 79

Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 79

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

Erica Mills. Last week on the main Nonprofit Marketing Guide site (you are reading the blog now), I published an article called, “ Blah, Blah, Blah: What to Do When You Write Too Much. ” In today’s guest post, Erica Mills of Claxon Marketing takes it to the next step by showing how specific words can actually debilitate your messaging.

Food 76

Food Poverty Universities Marketing 76

The Agitator

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

You know how much I love to see fundraisers using video! Here’s a 24-page guide from YouTube — YouTube-for-Good — advising on how to tell better stories and get them noticed (i.e, more visible to search engines). They’re also sponsoring a one-day video boot camp for nonprofits in San Francisco on April 2. You must apply to attend (applications due February 27).

Nonprofits 94

Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising Communication 94

Getting Attention

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Read the main story here. The story of Komen for the Cure’s (Komen) defunding of Planned Parenthood (PP) continues to roll, and I wanted to update you before stepping back to see how things evolve. I’ll share my thoughts with you again in a few days, once I get some distance from the story. Update, 8pm Feb. 2, 2012. 1) The groundswell of support for access to quality health care for women continues to grow : Women’s health groups, lawmakers and some of Komen’s own affiliates have ask

Health 79

Health Leadership Foundations Nonprofits 79

Selfish Giving

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

Nice Superbowl ad for rescue dogs. It ties into a Facebook Like promotion at Budlight’s page that rewards each like with a one dollar donation to the Tony LaRussa’s Animal Rescue Foundation , up to $250,000. I also think it was probably the best ad of the game, admitting that the other ads were pretty lackluster. You can watch the commercial here.

Foundations 256

Foundations Marketing Marketing 256

Nonprofit Tech for Good

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

If your nonprofit has yet to start using Pinterest , then hopefully new data released for January 2012 illuminating that Pinterest now drives more referral traffic than Google+, YouTube, and LinkedIn combined will motivate you to start pinning – or at the very least to sign up and reserve your first choice of usernames (hint, hint!). To get started, here’s a step-by-step tutorial for nonprofits and a list of nonprofits already using Pinterest effectively.

Nonprofits 97

Nonprofits Marketing Marketing Fundraising 97

Fundraising Coach

FEBRUARY 22, 2012

In the last 24 hours, I’ve heard 6 different commentators talk about the polarization of our US government being exacerbated by the fact that no one socializes anymore. Ok. I was one of the people. And I was talking to my aunt and uncle in a restaurant in Hanover, NH. But then on NHPR , I heard a person talking about how our US government was designed to run on compromise.

Governance 78

Governance Nonprofits Energy Leadership 78

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

The apology that Susan G. Komen for the Cure issued on Friday was the first step. The obligatory resignations are next. But if Komen is going to repair the damage done by its behavior last week, they have quite a few more steps in the process. “What should Komen do next?” That’s the question many of you have asked me, and it was certainly the top question asked of me in my role as nonprofit marketing pundit last week.

Public and Nonprofit Management 76

Public and Nonprofit Management Leadership Production Marketing 76

The Agitator

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Officially The Agitator is a blog about nonprofit fundraising and communications. So I’m recommending you read Getting Attention’s Nancy Schwartz’s excellent analysis of the Komen vs. Planned Parenthood debacle from the perspective of what makes for effective (and ineffective communications) and smart fundraising (on Planned Parenthood’s part) in response to threat.

Communication 81

Communication Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 81

Getting Attention

FEBRUARY 1, 2012

Martin Luther King inspired me to ask fellow bloggers to join me in the January Nonprofit Blog Carnival , to “pick any dream you have—for your cause, organization or the nonprofit sector—and share it and how you plan to make it real.” I am inspired and energized by the richness of your contributions. I urge you to digest them to energize yourself and to focus you and your colleagues on the pathways to increased impact and results in 2012: 1) Dreams of productive changes in the way nonprofi

Nonprofits 77

Nonprofits Associations Production Fundraising 77

Selfish Giving

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

I’m dying to know, which one will you choose, QR codes or NFC? QR codes have their advantages. QR codes are offline hyperlinks that connect the offline world to online content. The technology is being used by 14 million people. QR codes can be put on anything and only need to be one square inch to be effective. You can customize QR codes. You can make them pretty, add your logo and use every color in the rainbow.

Technology 229

Technology Nonprofits Food Activism 229

Nonprofit Tech for Good

FEBRUARY 27, 2012

The following is an excerpt from Chapter 1 of Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits. These best practices serve as a foundation for your online fundraising campaigns, but much of your nonprofit’s success also depends upon the service you choose to process your online donations and the design and frequency of your e-newsletter.

Nonprofits 93

Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising Children 93

Mission Minded

FEBRUARY 24, 2012

I’m a Mac girl myself. But I was fascinated to read about Microsoft’s new Windows logo and the fact that it has changed about as often as Windows itself has come out with updates. At Mission Minded we encourage our nonprofit clients to change their logo as infrequently as possible. Why? Because changing a logo is [.].

Nonprofits 74

Nonprofits Communication Fundraising Fundraising 74

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

I worked my way through my snail mail inbox today and here’s what I found: It’s a thank you card from Regan Walsh of Flying Horse Farms. Here’s what was inside: A brief, but personal and heartful thank you for the free webinar I did last week (Note: timely, related to my “gift” and what it means to her/how it will be used).

Communication 76

Communication Nonprofits 76

The Agitator

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Bryan Miller at blog Giving in a digital world has made a herculean effort over the month of January to unload a pile of insights about online and mobile fundraising. They’re well-worth looking through … Bryan has a strong fundraising background, both on the agency (Merkle, Rapp Collins) and client (Worldvision, Cancer Research UK) sides.

Fundraising 80

Fundraising Fundraising Communication Marketing 80

Getting Attention

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

Here’s your chance to strengthen your nonprofit marketing results, with tested, proven strategies shared by 219 of your peers around the world: Download your free copy of The Nonprofit Marketing Wisdom Guide 2012 right now to capitalize on their smarts, effort and experiences for your organization. Here’s what you’ll get: 219 succinct, engaging first-hand accounts of marketing techniques that work — from colleagues who face the same challenges you do.

Marketing 77

Marketing Marketing Leadership Nonprofits 77

Selfish Giving

FEBRUARY 24, 2012

Social media consultant and Pinterest Superuser Noland Hoshino joins Megan and me to discuss the phenomenal growth of Pinterest as a social platform and how companies, causes and cause marketers can reach its 10 million+, primarily-female users to visually capture their brand story and why they’d want to. Listen NOW! We’ve yet to see any active cause marketing campaigns on Pinterest but Megan , me and Noland pontificate on ways cause marketers could use this medium for good.

Marketing 227

Marketing Marketing Philanthropy Nonprofits 227

Nonprofit Tech for Good

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

As Facebook Timeline continues to roll out to individual users site wide, it’s worth noting that three ‘Giving” apps have been launched in Facebook’s new App Gallery for Timeline: Causes , FundRazr , and Artez Interactive : Organized under the category of “Giving” in the new App Gallery for Timeline , two of the apps focus on social fundraising (friends asking friends to donate to causes and their favorite nonprofits) and one is a simple Share-on-Facebook-th

Activism 84

Activism Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 84

Fundraising Coach

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

I am fond of saying that “fundraising is an extreme sport.” Like great athletes, fundraisers need to focus on the basics. At Blog World Expo last November I got to do a live interview with Susan McLennan about those basics, treating people with respect, and an easy way to do a “thankathon.” Watch the entire interview here: Buy the book or DVD at the Ask Without Fear!

Fundraising 74

Fundraising Fundraising 74

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

With great pleasure, I present another guest post today, this time from Claire Meyerhoff. It’s been faaaarrrrr tooooo loooong since Claire wrote for us! Enjoy! ~Kivi. Guest Post by Claire Meyerhoff. Claire Meyerhoff. At NonprofitMarketingGuide.com, we kid about jargon all the time. Kivi and I regularly lace our nonprofit marketing jokes with terms like “capacity building” and “impacting youth,” which says a lot about us as marketing geeks with a high-concept (!

Marketing 76

Marketing Marketing Advertising Nonprofits 76

The Agitator

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Regular Agitator readers know I’m a big fan of online videos to support nonprofit fundraising and communications. Many, many nonprofits have now dipped their toes in the online video water. So go ahead, enter the 6th annual DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards sponsored by YouTube, with the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) and See3 Communications.

Nonprofits 79

Nonprofits Technology Communication Fundraising 79

Fundraiser Ideas

FEBRUARY 7, 2012

Involving children in fundraising can help show them the importance of giving to others. However, youth fundraising raises significant safety concerns. The following are 10 safe and fun youth fundraising ideas your children can use to positively contribute to their favorite cause: Recycling. Kids can raise money and be environmentally responsible in the first on our list of youth fundraising ideas.

Children 74

Children Fundraising Fundraising Environmental 74

Selfish Giving

FEBRUARY 29, 2012

Swoop is a new online content service that expands the potential for web pages to deliver deeper engagement with users. When you hover over keywords or icons additional content is revealed without ever leaving the page. Right now the service is just being used with food and recipes , but cause marketing could be next. Say the online grocer Peapod in New York uses Swoop and when visitors scroll over certain products a window opens with information on The Food Bank for New York City and how a po

Marketing 215

Marketing Marketing Food Production 215

Nonprofit Tech for Good

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

UPDATED 2/26/12: Please note that the best practices listed below are a work in progress and are updated regularly. To be alerted of when new best practices are posted, please subscribe to the Nonprofit Tech 2.0 e-Newsletter. Also, since the Google+ Pages launched after the release of Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits , please consider this blog post a supplement to the book.

Nonprofits 76

Nonprofits Production Recruitment Children 76

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

FEBRUARY 15, 2012

People crave connection. And when you ask someone to support your cause, you are inviting one of the deepest connections possible. You are giving people the ability to change lives, the gift of attachment to others and the benefit of being part of something bigger than themselves. (If you don’t believe me, just check out these personal mini-stories about Generosity Day !).

Universities 73

Universities 73

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

FEBRUARY 2, 2012

Julia Reich. For those of you interested in the ongoing Komen-Planned Parenthood story, I will continue to update yesterday’s post at the bottom of the original content. Today we are moving on with a new topic. Our resident design expert, Julia Reich, is back with the latest trends in logos. And if you are embarrassed with your organization’s current logo or think it’s just time for a change, be sure to join us February 8th for Julia’s webinar called, “ Help!

Marketing 75

Marketing Marketing Communication Nonprofit Organizations 75

The Agitator

FEBRUARY 22, 2012

One of the worst things you can do to a donor is waste their time. I was reminded of that reading this article about marketing to the affluent. But it’s not just the affluent who are time deficient. It’s everybody! How do you waste a donor’s time? By sending them something that’s not: #1 Relevant (use whatever you know about your donor to make your message, and even the fact that you are communicating in this instant, uniquely appropriate for them to hear). #2 Important (

Communication 79

Communication Marketing Marketing Fundraising 79

Care2

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Ever wonder how charitable your city is? You’re in luck because Convio recently released their report on the 273 most generous cities across the United States. Convio analyzed cities with total population of more than 100,000 based on per capita online giving and the total amount donated through the Convio platform. The average gift size remained steady in 2011 at about $65 with more than $435M donated to charities.

Marketing 77

Marketing Marketing Fundraising Fundraising 77

Selfish Giving

FEBRUARY 21, 2012

For six years now, the DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards has been shining a spotlight on all the innovative ways that nonprofits use video. The contest is about moving the field of nonprofit video forward and encouraging cause-video creators to try new approaches that make their work different. Different is just what The Case Foundation is looking for in this year’s contest.

Foundations 199

Foundations Nonprofits Production Communication 199

Getting Attention

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Like many of year, I’m interested in seeing where Susan B. Komen for the Cure goes after last week’s controversy. I wish the best to them—they’ve done so much very good work over the years. I hope they are able to refocus, clarify their mission and act on it, then communicate well around it. These Facebook posts from yesterday are a good start with clear, honest communication and action (I’m sure Handel didn’t leave voluntarily).

Leadership 71

Leadership Communication Marketing Marketing 71