Nonprofit Tech for Good

MARCH 29, 2015

'Anyone who has ever posted, shared, retweeted, pinned, or tumbled an infographic has first hand experience of how popular and poweful infographics can be online. Communicating your data and calls-to-action in visual format is smart strategy. However, you can have an exceptionally well-designed, useful infographic, but if its not compatible with social media and mobile devices, then it’s unlikely to gain traction.

Nonprofits 111

Nonprofits Foundations Communication Fundraising 111

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 10, 2015

'Do you struggle to find time in your workday to actually sit and think? To plan for what are strategically the best new moves for your organization? Is it a badge of honor to NOT use vacation days, or to work late into the night, every night? To respond to emails as soon as they arrive in your inbox, at all times of day and night? I’ve been hearing stories like these for a long time in the nonprofit world, but as I mentioned last week, we heard many more during the session on work-life ba

Culture 109

Culture Communication Marketing Marketing 109

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 16, 2015

'I like John Fulwider. His energy, optimism, and experience make a powerful force for helping nonprofits. I suppose this is in part because of his expertise with Gallup''s StrengthsFinder. He knows every organization and every leader has strengths and he''s skilled at building on them. His new book Better Together: How Top Nonprofit CEOs and Board Chairs Get Happy, Fall in Love, and Change Their World is a great example of that!

Fundraising 105

Fundraising Fundraising Leadership Recruitment 105

The Agitator

MARCH 31, 2015

'Confirming rumors that have been circulating for some time, the organizers of GivingTuesday announced late last night that this year’s event, slated for December 1st, has been canceled. Knowledgeable sources with close ties to the GivingTuesday Founders Council revealed to The Agitator that a new event — RandomWednesday — would be launched as the replacement.

Foundations 101

Foundations Fundraising Fundraising 101

EveryAction

MARCH 23, 2015

'An email series is a set of pre-written emails that are sent to a user after that user takes a specific action. It can also be called a drip campaign, email workflow, or branching email campaign.

Marketing 91

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 91

Mission Minded

MARCH 2, 2015

'We counsel our clients to repeat, repeat, repeat: Get a good message and stick with it—in print, digital, and spoken communications. In fact, we often say that someone needs to hear a message 14 times before they will take action based on that message. I recently went looking for the original source material for that […].

Communication 90

Communication Nonprofits 90

Nonprofit Tech for Good

MARCH 23, 2015

'Working at a nonprofit often pays less than the for-profit sector, but the perks of extended vacation time, flex time, and the personal satisfaction of having a meaningful professional life can outweigh the financial downside of building a nonprofit career. And the good news is that 2015 is predicted to be a great year for nonprofit sector hiring thanks to a rebounding economy.

Philanthropy 110

Philanthropy Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising 110

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 10, 2015

'Dear Marc, Help!! My board wants to do ANOTHER fundraising event! We''re already doing 10 events a year. How can I tell them we don''t have the resources to do another one? Stressed in San Diego. My Answer. Dear Stressed, Oh no! I definitely feel your pain! I think your board is living out the "when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail" truism.

Food 104

Food Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 104

The Agitator

MARCH 11, 2015

'As I emphasize repeatedly in my book, Retention Fundraising , over the long haul, Lifetime Value (LTV) is the most significant measure for benchmarking and steering your fundraising efforts. In fact, as Charlie Hulme, head of DonorVoice’s U.K. operation, puts it, “Unless you believe you’ll find the cure/right the wrong/feed every child with your next appeal, it’s unethical not to focus on lifetime value.

Retention 93

Retention Fundraising Fundraising Values 93

Ann Green

MARCH 25, 2015

'Spring is finally here, and after the winter we’ve had in Boston, it’s about time. Spring is a time for new beginnings. It’s a time to clean up, throw stuff out, and make room for improvements. Many of you may take on spring cleaning projects in your home. Here are a few spring cleaning projects you can do that will benefit your nonprofit organization.

Nonprofits 88

Nonprofits Management Fundraising Fundraising 88

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 27, 2015

'It’s round up time in the NFG corral! Mosey on over and check out this week’s best nonprofit resources and recommended reads. Why do donors give? Science has the answer. Most of this we’ve covered before, but these principles are important for all fundraisers to keep in mind. via The Guardian. “Philanthropy is a way for people to experience human love.” Don’t miss this great profile of Jen Shang , Professor of philanthropic psychology at University of Plymout

Psychology 87

Psychology Universities Philanthropy Nonprofits 87

Nonprofit Tech for Good

MARCH 15, 2015

'The reports listed below are just a small sampling of some of the research available to nonprofits on the subjects of online fundraising and social media. The data can be used to help your nonprofit craft a technology and fundraising strategic plan. If you would like to suggest a report be added to the list, please post the name and a link to the report in a comment below.

Fundraising 108

Fundraising Fundraising Universities Foundations 108

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 17, 2015

'Peter Panepento. Last month, Peter Panepento challenged nonprofits to Stop Approaching PR Like It’s 2007. This month’s he’s back to share more about how you can best reach your audience and cultivate relationships with the media. ~Kivi. Guest Post by Peter Panepento of Panepento Strategies. You probably wouldn’t expect Bob Dylan to draw inspiration from Frank Sinatra.

Public and Social Policy 89

Public and Social Policy Public and Nonprofit Management Health Donor Motivation 89

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 30, 2015

'Each week, I send out a coaching email to nonprofit CEOs , Executive Directors, and leaders. These Fundraising Kicks are quick emails designed to help them get out from behind their desk and in front of donors. Often they have scripts or task lists. Sometimes they contain attitude adjustment reminders. Here''s one I wrote for today. It will definitely help in your fundraising this week.

Fundraising 104

Fundraising Fundraising Values Nonprofits 104

The Agitator

MARCH 29, 2015

'Unfortunately, not every nonprofit can afford to hire accomplished copywriters and designers to prepare their fundraising messages. I wish everyone could, because there’s an enormous bank of know-how out there, and there’s no real substitute for it … fundraising copywriting and design is a craft. But the fact is, in many — if not most — nonprofits the task of preparing fundraising appeals falls to the same untrained person juggling numerous other tasks … or e

Nonprofits 92

Nonprofits Communication Fundraising Fundraising 92

EveryAction

MARCH 19, 2015

'We’ve come a long way since 1999. The web has seen multiple updates to HTML and CSS, witnessed the explosion of video, and the meteoric rise in mobile traffic among many other siesmic shifts.

Nonprofits 82

Nonprofits 82

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 13, 2015

'Another Friday the 13th? Never fear! There’s nothing scary about these blogs, events, and resources that rose to the top this week. Our friends at Social Media for Nonprofits kick off their new monthly Twitter chat today at 1pm ET. This month’s session focuses on measuring social media for the most impact. Follow along with the hashtag #SM4NPChat. via Social Media for Nonprofits.

Philanthropy 87

Philanthropy Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising 87

Nonprofit Tech for Good

MARCH 8, 2015

'15-second video interviews are the new elevator pitch. In a world where attention spans are waning, the ability to communicate a message succinctly and on camera is a very valuable skill. While a few individuals succeeded in just one take, most needed two or three takes. Getting your point across verbally in 15 seconds while the camera is recording is much harder than it looks!

Technology 103

Technology Nonprofits Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit Organizations 103

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 9, 2015

'Don’t shoot yourself in the foot! I hear it all the time from nonprofits: Our e-newsletter doesn’t work. Direct mail doesn’t work for us. Social media doesn’t work for us. When I probe a little deeper, what people often mean is that their communications don’t seem to be motivating people to do what the nonprofit wants, whether that’s donating money, signing up to volunteer, or registering for an event.

Participation and motivation 88

Participation and motivation Collaborations Education Education 88

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 23, 2015

'If you raise money for a hospital, or are thinking of moving into that career, you need to register for the The Hospital Fundraising Summit. It''s coming April 6 - 12 and gathering 48 of us, giving over 70 sessions! The schedule for The Hospital Fundraising Summit. I''ve just heard that the schedule for The Hospital Fundraising Summit is now final.

Fundraising 95

Fundraising Fundraising Foundations Healthcare 95

The Agitator

MARCH 15, 2015

'A recent email to The Agitator urged Roger and me, among other things, to stop pontificating. Wanting to know precisely the crime we were accused of, I consulted the Oxford Dictionary , where I found this definition: Pontificate: Express one’s opinions in a pompous and dogmatic way. Hmmm, I concluded, she must have been talking about Roger. Seriously, it’s true both Roger and I rant and get emotional.

Retention 92

Retention Values Fundraising Fundraising 92

Ann Green

MARCH 18, 2015

'In college basketball, players are allowed to turn pro after playing one season. This is known as one-and-done. If you watch the NCAA tournament (aka March Madness), it’s likely that many of the players won’t be around next year. I’m not a fan of one-and-done. I think players should stay in college longer. I’m also not a fan of one-and-done in fundraising, but it seems to happen a lot.

Fundraising 81

Fundraising Fundraising Retention Energy 81

Getting Attention

MARCH 10, 2015

' Guest blogger Stephanie Bowen leads communications and marketing for Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action (MAMA). Howdy y’all! Just back from Austin and this year’s NTEN Conference (#15NTC) , and I’m buzzing with energy from all I learned and those I met. But about halfway through the conference, I felt totally depleted… I was stressed by balancing my work responsibilities, things back home and the many choices I had before me in Austin.

Energy 79

Energy Communication Marketing Marketing 79

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 10, 2015

'It’s likely that most of your nonprofit’s individual giving comes from donors who are Baby Boomers or older. So, why should you care about Millennials now? Young supporters represent the leading edge of technology adoption and online behavior, and this behavior actually influences how other age groups interact with your cause. If you want to know where donor engagement and digital giving are heading, look to Millennials to understand how all generations are evolving online.

Technology 76

Technology Activism Communication Fundraising 76

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 3, 2015

'Photo Credit: https://flic.kr/p/oQdBuA. Do you break out in a sweat trying to write the first line of your email appeal or advocacy alert? And do you struggle with connecting ideas in your donor communications? . You’re not alone. Even professional copywriters struggle with these all-important lines. If the first thing you say is confusing or dense or boring, chances are very high that your reader will simply move on and never read the rest.

Communication 82

Communication Nonprofits 82

EveryAction

MARCH 4, 2015

'In case you haven''t heard, it''s Inbound Marketing Week ! Across the world, marketing pros working in every industry, public and private, for-profit and philanthropic, are gathering to discuss the past, present, and future of inbound marketing. Our team attended the Mid-Atlantic Inbound Summit hosted by the folks at Quintain Marketing + learned a whole lot about how nonprofits can do a better job at inbound.

Marketing 76

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 76

The Agitator

MARCH 26, 2015

'Given a choice, the harder something is to use the less people will use it. The more difficult something is to read the fewer people will read it. Most organizations don’t bother measuring the difficulty donors have in using their online donate pages. Nor do they bother measuring the readability of what they write and stick in the mail. Countless hours and dollars are spent in meetings and on designers creating ‘award winning’ web pages that glow in the dark.

Retention 91

Retention Communication Fundraising Fundraising 91

iMarketSmart

MARCH 9, 2015

'Too often people engage with charities but get very little in return. Yet, they keep trying. . They’ll involve themselves with your charity over and over again even though the experience is never all that great. They become “loyal to a fault” because they have a deep desire to be part of your mission and there might be few or no alternatives.

Values 76

Values Retention Fundraising Fundraising 76

Getting Attention

MARCH 25, 2015

'Thanks to guest blogger Caryn Stein, VP at Network for Good. I’m so eager to share with you the incredible learning experience I had at the recent Nonprofit Technology Conference (NTC). I learned all about nonprofit rebranding via Farra Trompeter, Vice President of Big Duck , and Will Nolan, Senior Vice President of Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD).

Recruitment 78

Recruitment Communication Associations Leadership 78

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 9, 2015

'[Editor’s Note: We’re pleased to share our latest blog post in the Recurring Giving Challenge series. Today’s piece is courtesy of Erica Waasdorp, President, A Direct Solution , Author of Monthly Giving. The Sleeping Giant. Her second book on monthly giving is expected to be published later this year. ]. One of my favorite breakfasts is the Big-To-Do at Friendly’s.

Marketing 73

Marketing Marketing Communication 73

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 4, 2015

'Greetings from Texas, Y’all! Kristina and I are currently in Austin, TX at this year’s Nonprofit Technology Conference. This morning, Stephanie Bowen, Leili Khalessi, Kerala Taylor and I led a session called Paradox but Possible: Hardcore on Work AND Life. Stephanie, Leili, Kerala, and Kivi. After the session, we heard this statement from about 20 people who were NOT in it: “Oh, I wanted to go to that session, but I decided that would have been more for me personally, and I ne

Technology 81

Technology Communication Nonprofits 81

EveryAction

MARCH 17, 2015

'We asked storytelling expert Vanessa Chase of The Storytelling Non-Profit to share the most common mistakes organizations make when talking about how + why they do what they do. Read on for her advice on doing nonprofit storytelling right! Check out the brand new Epic Guide to Nonprofit Storytelling!

Non-Profits 74

Non-Profits Nonprofits 74

The Agitator

MARCH 5, 2015

'Somewhere in Fundraising Land right now there’s a meeting where folks are debating colors, content, navigation and other visible elements of their website. Unfortunately, few are paying serious attention to spotting and fixing what matters most: the invisible and frustrating traps that visitors and donors will encounter on that website. Neuromarketing guru Roger Dooley calls these hidden traps “land mines, or CX [customer experience] bombs”, because they are sure fire ways to drive customers an

Retention 86

Retention Marketing Marketing Fundraising 86

Care2

MARCH 12, 2015

'Acquiring a new donor is just the start. Developing long-term donors who contribute year-after-year should be the goal of any fundraiser. Donor acquisition takes a lot of work. What can you do to improve your donor retention rate? Consider these nine ideas: Say thank you. A “thank you” is one of the easiest things you can do, but it’s often forgotten.

Public and Nonprofit Management 77

Public and Nonprofit Management Retention Participation and motivation Universities 77

Getting Attention

MARCH 4, 2015

'When executed well, visual storytelling cuts through the clutter, delivering a mental image that resonates and is remembered (so more likely to be repeated). Take this unforgettable example from MAMA (Mobile Alliance for Maternal Action). I couldn’t look away, but instead lingered on the image, taking in the different women and their range of expressions.

Health 73

Health Education Education Marketing 73

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 13, 2015

'The power of peer giving is hard to ignore. At Network for Good, the volume of dollars and number of donations going to nonprofits through peer-to-peer fundraising has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years. As we become more connected with through mobile technology and social media, it’s easier to leverage those networks (and the ease of giving online) to raise money on behalf of the causes we love.

Fundraising 70

Fundraising Fundraising Activism Technology 70

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 16, 2015

'Kelly Murphy. Here’s the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators, where we ask you to describe your day in your own words. . Marketers, Fundraisers, etc – We Need More Days! If you communicate, we want to hear from you. Tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro. Kelly Murphy is the Senior Manager of Communications & Special Events for the Philadelphia History Museum, a city Museum dedicated to engaging Phil

Communication 80

Communication Public and Nonprofit Management Education Education 80