Fundraising Coach
MAY 20, 2014
'Since writing about the exact words to say on your next major gift ask , many have asked me for what to talk about during the meeting, both before and after the ask. What to say to a donor prospect. Here are 5½ things you can say on your next major gift visit: Hi. Having a genuine relationship with a donor significantly reduces any jitters you may experience during the meeting.
Ken Goldstein
MAY 26, 2014
'I love dogs. Who wouldn''t? They''re fun, happy, and above all, loyal. It doesn''t take much to earn a dogs love. a scratch behind the ear in just the right spot, a tossed tennis ball, or dropped bits of food of any sort will do the trick. Dogs are easy. I love dogs, but I prefer cats. Cats are seen as aloof. Cats can be fickle. Cats demand respect.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 4, 2014
'The following is an excerpt from Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits. Another form of real-time communications is using mobile and social media to report live from your events and conferences. To do so effectively, you’ll need a staff person whose sole purpose is tweet, post, share, blog, photograph, record, and interview during the event.
The Agitator
MAY 13, 2014
'Demonstrating what should be a staple in your acquisition toolkit, here’s a brief ‘petition-to-donor’ case study from Care2, involving the African Wildlife Foundation (AWF). Very straightforward. AWF’s petition to stop illegal wildlife poaching was promoted across the Care2 online network. In two weeks, the petitions attracted 29,000 signers, each furnishing online and mail contact info.
Getting Attention
MAY 8, 2014
'Guest blogger, Julie Brown, is the program director at the Findlay-Hancock County Community Foundation. Julie is intrigued by storytelling, and the opportunity it offers to inspire donors and volunteers to act. We’ve all seen them: social media pages or websites for grassroots nonprofit agencies that appear to have been designed by a student or a well-intentioned volunteer.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 22, 2014
'How important is recurring giving to your organization? We examined recurring donations across Network for Good’s platform and found that donors that set up a recurring gift gave an average of 42% more per year than those that only gave a one-time gift. In line with stats from our Digital Giving Index , we also saw that donors were 31% more likely to set up a recurring gift on a branded donation page vs. a generic giving experience.
Mission Minded
MAY 12, 2014
'Also titled: Why I Refuse to Get Out My Snow Shovel Today is Monday, May 12, 2014, and I’m feeling a bit glum. I’m feeling glum because I expect certain things from May 12th: standing barefoot on my lawn while playing catch with my kids, a nice glass of wine while sitting on my front […].
Nonprofit Leadership Zone brings together the best content for advertising professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 2, 2014
'The reports listed below are just a small sampling of the research available to nonprofits about online communications and fundraising, social media, and mobile technology. 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. Most of the reports listed are based on U.S. nonprofit research, but I would also like to add similar reports from other countries.
The Agitator
MAY 21, 2014
'In his post yesterday, Proud To Be A Fundraiser , Roger cited an article by our UK colleague and fellow curmudgeon Ken Burnett, titled Keeping the right fundraisers. Now, given that The Agitator’s niche audience consists entirely of fundraisers of various stripes and capacities, one might think that both of those titles would attract a fair bit of reaction.
Getting Attention
MAY 29, 2014
'When I heard that Maya Angelou had passed away this week, I was saddened, humbled and hugely appreciative. Unlike most writers (especially poets and memoirists) or activists, Dr. Angelou made herself and her perspective accessible and relevant to all. She did so by shaping her writing around the same sensations and feelings each one of us experiences, bridging the gap between her life and point of view, and ours: Human beings should understand how other humans feel no matter where they are, no
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 20, 2014
'You’ve seen it happen: When we stop putting energy into relationships with family and friends—relying on past interactions to hold us together—those relationships tend to fall apart. Like your college roommate or that work friend from your first job. Relationships with organization’s donors require the same kind of focus and energy for the duration—if you want to keep them happy, involved, and giving.
Care2
MAY 13, 2014
'Social media strategists (ok, not all) love to discount email in favor of, you guessed it - social media. They have deemed email a dying communications channel, which is absurd. Email lists and email marketing continue to grow, especially for the nonprofit sector where list size grew at least 14% in 2013, according to the 2014 eNonprofit Benchmark study.
Mission Minded
MAY 30, 2014
'This morning, Mark and Priscilla Zuckerberg posted an op-ed in the San Jose Mercury News to announce a $120 million donation to Bay Area schools. Because we’re brand and communications nerds over here at Mission Minded, we couldn’t help but read this exciting announcement with a bit of a critical eye. Sure enough, it proved […].
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 24, 2014
'Date: Thursday, June 26. Time: 2pm NZST (Auckland). 12pm AEST (Sydney). 10-11am SGT (Singapore). 7:30am IST (New Delhi). Cost: Free! How to Register: Sign up. Presented by: Heather Mansfield. Now a decade into the Social Web, mathematicians and social scientists have had ample time to study how, when, and why online individuals engage with brands on social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
The Agitator
MAY 11, 2014
'There’s no question that the shortage of investment funds for fundraising is perceived as a principal barrier to growth. That sentiment was voiced by many attending the DMANF Leadership Summit last week, and it’s certainly a reason offered in a lot of the comments and email from Agitator readers. The solution to this problem may lie within your organization itself.
Getting Attention
MAY 1, 2014
'Here’s the hot-off-the-presses story I just received from Leili Khalessi, Communications Manager at Red Rover. Leili and her colleagues have done a terrific job responding to the deadly tornadoes and torrential rains that are wreaking havoc with our lives, and those of our pets. The response has been great—Leili reports that local agencies have shared Red Rover’s disaster-related resources via Twitter and other channels and the org’s 15,000+ Facebook fans have been sharing its
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 12, 2014
'The Playoffs are like the year-end giving season for NBA players. Just like your nonprofit’s staff in December, during Playoffs, athletes are busy, tired, and they have their eye on the prize. What can nonprofits learn from the 16 teams that are competing for the championship title? Here are 4 takeaways you can share with your colleagues: Every little victory matters.
Care2
MAY 19, 2014
'Is your nonprofit investing the right amount of money, resources, and strategy into digital? Probably not. Heck, even the NYT admitted in a leaked report that they are struggling with their digital strategy. To help get your organization thinking about this investment, check out the key findings from the Charity Dynamics'' report: How Today''s Nonprofits Approach Digital Spending and Why It Matters to You.
Ken Goldstein
MAY 1, 2014
'I''m not sure how closely any of you have been following the legal battles over "net neutrality" but the FCC has issued new (draft) rules that would effectively kill it (along with the ability of most nonprofits to use the web as an inexpensive communications strategy), all while wrapping itself up in the language of net neutrality. Net neutrality is the concept that all content traffic on the web should be treated equally, and that ISPs (the companies you purchase your internet access from, li
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 18, 2014
'While many international NGO online directories do exist, the ability for international NGOs worldwide to accept online donations through the soon-to-be-launched .NGO Global Directory is a unique service – especially for smaller NGOs from underserved regions. One of the greatest obstacles to global online fundraising has been that there in no international database of verified NGOs upon which donation service providers can build online fundraising tools.
The Agitator
MAY 18, 2014
'Alfred Sloan was the General Motors Chair and CEO who led GM from the 1920s through the ‘50s and grew it to become largest corporation on Earth at the time. In a board meeting at GM, Sloan asked the board about an important decision: “I take it that everyone is in basic agreement about this decision?” Everyone nodded yes. Sloan’s response: “Then I suggest we postpone the decision.
Getting Attention
MAY 28, 2014
'What if.you and your colleagues labored for years to fund, design and (finally) open your highly-visible museum (or cause/issue-focused organization)? What if —because the museum’s reason for being is so close to folks’ hearts and heads—the design and build is highly scrutinized for the many years it takes to launch? And what if , when the museum finally opens, it gets hammered with criticism because… you’ve been creative, resourceful and realistic in terms of budget ne
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 29, 2014
'In last week’s edition of Tips, Network for Good’s weekly e-newsletter , we wanted to get a feel for what’s going on around the sector, especially in the trenches. So in our first-ever reader survey, we asked, “What’s the one thing about your organization that keeps you up at night?”. Here’s how you responded: We had a friendly bet going around the department for the #1 reason nonprofit professionals lose sleep and we are astounded and delighted by the results!
Care2
MAY 13, 2014
'Social media strategists (ok, not all) love to discount email in favor of, you guessed it - social media. They have deemed email a dying communications channel, which is absurd. Email lists and email marketing continue to grow, especially for the nonprofit sector where list size grew at least 14% in 2013, according to the 2014 eNonprofit Benchmark study.
iMarketSmart
MAY 16, 2014
'Donors build relationships with nonprofits the same way they build relationships with people. Slowly! Step 1: Meet through friends. Step 2: Chat a bit. Step 3: Find out what we have in common. Step 4: Get together privately. Step 5: Share memorable experiences. It takes a long time. People don’t suddenly become best friends overnight. It happens through many, lightweight engagement experiences. .
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 25, 2014
'Through a partnership with the Public Interest Registry , Heather Mansfield of Nonprofit Tech for Good will be attending the Cause Marketing Forum ( #CMF2014 ) in Chicago on May 28 and May 29 to report live and share the event in real-time with the @NonprofitOrgs community. The objectives are: 1) To share with the nonprofit community who can not be in attendance the best advice and marketing tips provided by the expert speakers at the forum. 2) To study how to report live effectively from
The Agitator
MAY 5, 2014
'When you personally make a charitable contribution, what’s really going on? Are you looking to feel good or feel effective? You could take the coward’s way out and say ‘Both!’ About two weeks ago I read this column in the NY Times — Donating, and Making Sure the Money Is Put to Work. I set it aside because it left me feeling uneasy.
Getting Attention
MAY 15, 2014
'Guest blogger, Caroline Avakian is the founder & CEO of SourceRise , a social enterprise connecting journalists to nonprofit subject matter experts and sources, and managing partner of Socialbrite , a social media for nonprofits consultancy and digital learning hub. Conference season is ongoing these days. So I was particularly pleased when, at the recent, Harvard Social Enterprise Conference, keynote speaker and Echoing Green president, Cheryl Dorsey, shared some valuable hints to us a
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 30, 2014
'Affectionately known as “Queen of the Net,” Mary Meeker is back with her zeitgeist of digital insight. Meeker, partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield Byers, presented the 2014 Internet Trends report during this week’s Code Conference. This annual report is full of useful nuggets, including key stats and opportunities for innovation.
Care2
MAY 30, 2014
'If nonprofits are going to solve the world''s toughest social justice issues and create real world impact, then we need to disrupt the charities and radically change the way they function and are led. Creating real world impact and disrupting the status quo will be a couple of the central themes at the Nonprofit 2.0 Unconference on June 26 th at SEIU headquarters in Washington, DC.
iMarketSmart
MAY 5, 2014
'Almost 50 years ago, Albert Mehrabian figured out that our words matter least and our body language matters most in face-to-face communications. His landmark studies ( “Decoding of Inconsistent Communications” and “Inference of Attitudes from Nonverbal Communication in Two Channels”) uncovered w hat elements you should focus on most for effective communications as follows: Body language = 55%.
NonProfit Hub
MAY 12, 2014
'Great news from a new study by M+R and the Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN): Online giving is bigger than ever. In 2013, internet users donated more than any previous year, with online giving up 14% since 2012. More than 5.5 millions total gifts and nearly $325 million were raised, making 2013 a huge year for nonprofits working to optimize their online presence.
The Agitator
MAY 14, 2014
'Building on Drayton Bird’s blog, Five shocking lessons from a lifetime in marketing , Jeff Brooks added some fundraising spin of his own with 5 things you wish you already knew. Jeff inspired me to think more specifically about basic marketing mistakes fundraisers make. Here is my first pass at a list of ‘Top Fundraising Fallacies’ … 1.
Getting Attention
MAY 22, 2014
' The Range of Nonprofit Marketing & Communications Job Descriptions I see is Incredibly Broad… As I vet dozens of nonprofit marketing and communications jobs for our weekly jobs post , I get a good sense of what organizations like yours are seeking in their marketing and communications hires. This is key stuff for all of us—these roles and responsibilities are our lives, present and future—and I’ve become intrigued by the incredibly varied range of experience, skills and person
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
MAY 5, 2014
'As fundraisers, we often want to know why and how our supporters plan to donate in any given year. As donors, we usually want to know the same thing from the organizations we support. If I give to your organization, what can I expect? Do you have a plan for me if I am a new supporter? A lapsed donor? A major donor? A peer-to-peer giver? A recurring donor?
Nonprofit Tech for Good
MAY 18, 2014
'The following is an excerpt from Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits. The amount of time that a nonprofit can invest in mobile and social media depends on capacity. Small nonprofits that are not in a position to hire a part- or full-time social media manager should limit themselves to one or two social networks and place the highest priority on their website, email communications, and online fundraising campaigns.
iMarketSmart
MAY 22, 2014
'When I mention donor advised funds to fundraisers their eyes roll and they sigh with exasperation. Here are some stats on donor advised funds: Over 200,000 donor advised fund accounts exist (A 7% increase over the previous year). They now hold a total of more than $45 billion (up almost 19% from the prior year). $13.71 billion was added to donor advised funds (34% more than the prior year).
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