Selfish Giving

DECEMBER 17, 2009

Boston’s #1 hip hop station, Jam’n 94.5 , and everyone’s favorite hip retailer, Target , which has a store less than a mile from the hospital, teamed up to reward some very needy kids with a great Christmas and a happy New Year. The partnership was a simple but generous arrangement. Target invited the morning show team from Jam’n 94.5 to the store for the whole day to collect items for BMC’s Pieces of Home Backpack Project.

Marketing 207

Marketing Marketing Medical Retail 207

Nonprofit Tech for Good

DECEMBER 13, 2009

Scheduled to occur sometime between late 2009 and early 2010, some major changes are coming to Facebook Fan Pages. My first instinct is that the changes below are going to significantly impact nonprofits, and in some cases, not in a good way. I think those nonprofits with national and international brand recognition, lots of fans, and technical resources will benefit and the changes will hardly affect them.

Advertising 110

Advertising Nonprofits Management Nonprofit Organizations 110

Fundraising Coach

DECEMBER 8, 2009

I was talking to a friend last week about her fundraising efforts. She was having second thoughts about a mailing that was going to business leaders she knew and respected. I’d rarely heard her confidence this shaken. As we started discussing the letter, I asked her if the letter needed re-writing. Maybe her hesitation was an indication that this wasn’t the right letter to be sending.

Fundraising 87

Fundraising Fundraising Associations 87

The Agitator

DECEMBER 13, 2009

Regular readers know I urge "restraint" with respect to social media fundraising … in the sense that I believe there are higher priorities if your goal is to raise money today. But I received a message recently from Mandy O’Neill at Charity Dynamics , an interactive marketing agency, describing some of their success with fundraising — some $10 million in less than a year — via their Facebook application.

Nonprofit Management 74

Nonprofit Management Activism Management Fundraising 74

Get Fully Funded

DECEMBER 29, 2009

I’ve received a couple of email solicitations this week from nonprofits who are trying to urge me to make a last-minute gift. And they’re very good. Here’s what I like about them: They’re short and to the point. . They don’t drone on about how much the organization needs my help. They tell a story about someone they serve.

Communication 65

Communication Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 65

Care2

DECEMBER 7, 2009

Driving into work today I heard a radio spot sponsored by American Express. It featured the Smart Cookies , five women who got together to get their finances under control. Andrea was struggling with debt; Angela was addicted to her credit card; Katie let shopping sprees and bills get the best of her; Robin was trying to make the most of a low-paying job; Sandra was afraid to manage her own money.

Charitable Organizations 70

Charitable Organizations Finance Nonprofits Education 70

Selfish Giving

DECEMBER 28, 2009

It’s hard to believe that this month marks my 5th anniversary blogging. On average I’ve posted 100+ times a year. (Although for a time a good many of those were “Cause Marketing Links&# (short news stories) from my Delicious account–something I don’t do anymore). This year blogging took a back seat to Facebook , Twitter and Linkedin.

Marketing 202

Marketing Marketing Activism Nonprofits 202

Fundraising Coach

DECEMBER 21, 2009

Chase embarked on the largest social media contest to date with the announcement of its Chase Community Giving initiative. The contest was supposed to crowd source their philanthropy, allowing Facebook users to vote on which charities would receive their $5 million. But as Beth Kanter writes, they changed the rules mid-course. When a few charities they didn’t like made it into the top 100, they added new rules to exclude them.

Values 71

Values Universities Philanthropy Fundraising 71

The Agitator

DECEMBER 6, 2009

Based on research conducted for them by Forrester Research, Convio estimates that online giving to nonprofits in the US will top $4 billion this holiday season (Nov 1-Dec 31 — up from $3.1 billion in 2008). The Convio study is full of other tidbits on how donors are using internet-based tools and resources to assist their giving. Some items that caught my attention (all figures are US) … More than 63% of online consumers (111 million people) plan to use the Internet to donate to char

Nonprofit Management 72

Nonprofit Management Production Management Marketing 72

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

DECEMBER 9, 2009

Photo by Orin Zebest on Flickr. I just donated $20 each to 10 national charities via the Capital One No Hassle Giving site, using my credit card miles. Want to guess how many thank-you notes I’ll get? I’m not talking about the automated emails that Network for Good , the payment processor, sends. I received those immediately. I’m talking about real thank-you notes from the charities.

Communication 62

Communication Nonprofits 62

Care2

DECEMBER 28, 2009

As nonprofits scramble to meet their year-end fundraising goals, this is also a great time of year to reflect on what online fundraising and advocacy strategies worked well in 2009. But what's coming up in 2010? Frogloop asked some of the best nonprofit experts what should organizations focus on in 2010 to be successful in fundraising, online advocacy, online marketing, and social media?

Charitable Organizations 68

Charitable Organizations Foundations Collaborations Nonprofits 68

Selfish Giving

DECEMBER 2, 2009

This week kicks-off the 6th year that Rhode Island-based Ocean State Job Lots will sell cause marketing pinups to benefit cancer care at my hospital. You can read all about how a delivery of 40,000 pounds of frozen chicken in 2003 turned into one of the most successful corporate partnerships in our history here. It’s quite a story! For all the different types of point-of-sale programs my cause marketing team executes this one is perhaps the simplest.

Retail 196

Retail Food Marketing Marketing 196

Nonprofit Tech for Good

DECEMBER 21, 2009

2010 is going to be a big year for social media. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and MySpace are constantly evolving and on the brink of going mobile on a massive scale. Group texting, iPhone apps, and mobile websites are on the 2010 To Do Lists of most national and international nonprofits. Geolocation services are going to be flooding the market, and it’s becoming apparent that blogging is often the missing link in a successful nonprofit social media strategy.

Nonprofit Organizations 78

Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofits Technology 78

Fundraising Coach

DECEMBER 27, 2009

Wondering how to increase your fundraising effectiveness in 2010? Here’s an idea: increasing your personal giving …to other organizations (not your own). Go check out Jeff Brook’s blog post “Fundraisers who don’t give don’t get it.&# In it, he refers to a post by Seth Godin who says: … if you work for a non-profit and you don’t give money to charity, what exactly are you doing in this job?

Non-Profits 68

Non-Profits Fundraising Fundraising Homelessness 68

The Agitator

DECEMBER 27, 2009

Here’s a thoughtful essay from fundraiser Ken Burnett on the "death" of direct mail. Actually, Ken emphasizes (and The Agitator agrees) that what really matters is the message and how well it’s crafted … whatever the medium used to deliver it. Here’s an excerpt: "At its heart direct mail fundraising is not about direct mail.

Energy 70

Energy Food Technology Communication 70

Get Fully Funded

DECEMBER 1, 2009

If you are running a direct mail campaign and sending appeals to your current donors, you are likely sending several fundraising letters throughout the year asking for money. But did you know that you should also send a few mailings that don’t contain an Ask for a gift? A mailing without an Ask, or a non-Ask mailing, is an important part of your overall direct mail campaign.

Fundraising 61

Fundraising Fundraising Communication Nonprofits 61

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

DECEMBER 7, 2009

Thanks to the 199 nonprofits who completed our most recent survey about what you’d like to see on the Nonprofit Marketing Guide webinar schedule for 2010. I promised to book the three most popular training topics on the list by the end of March, so here you go: Integrating Your Website, E-Newsletter, and Social Media Sites. This webinar has been scheduled for Wednesday, January 27 and registration is open now.

Associations 51

Associations Marketing Marketing Communication 51

Selfish Giving

DECEMBER 8, 2009

The big news yesterday was that Foursquare had sold its New York leaderboard to Pepsi. And all for a good cause. For every point added through December 13th, CampInteractive , which empowers inner-city youth with technology skills and mentoring, gets four cents. This could mean up to $10,000 for CampInteractive. It’s hopefully the beginning of a long line of cause marketing initiatives using Foursquare , something I’ve written about before.

Marketing 100

Marketing Marketing Production Technology 100

Nonprofit Tech for Good

DECEMBER 30, 2009

During 2009 I created and promoted 34 TwtPolls to help better understand the needs of nonprofits. The TwtPoll results are often surprising and can be very useful for nonprofits as they forge ahead with their 2010 communications strategies. Below are the 11 TwtPoll results that I think are the most telling: 1) Is your nonprofit planning on utilizing mobile technology in 2010 (live Tweeting, group texting, iPhone Apps, launching a mobile site)?

Communication 77

Communication Nonprofits Technology Nonprofit Organizations 77

Fundraising Coach

DECEMBER 8, 2009

Many of you have heard me extol the virtues of SOFII in the past. SOFII stands for. “The S howcase. o f. F undraising. I nnovation and. I nspiration.&#. And what a showcase it is! For the low cost of free , you can view articles from the greatest fundraisers from around the globe. These men and women challenge your thinking, inspire your activities, and help teach best practices.

Foundations 60

Foundations Activism Fundraising Fundraising 60

The Agitator

DECEMBER 21, 2009

I hope you’re not giving your online fundraising team time off next week.*. As Stephanie Strom reported recently in the NYT, citing data from Convio, a phenomenal spike in online giving occurs at year-end … literally December 31st. Here’s what she says … "New data from Convio, a software company, shows that charitable donors that use Convio’s online giving systems made 13.2 times more gifts last Dec. 31 than the daily average for the rest of 2008, and that the c

Retail 69

Retail Marketing Marketing Fundraising 69

Get Fully Funded

DECEMBER 15, 2009

I love days that I get to work in my office. It gives me some quiet time to think and plan. But today, my solitude ihas been interrupted. Sadie is a rather large kitty and has decided that she wants to sit in my lap. This is one of our older cats and she’s a big girl (16 pounds!). Not only is she in my lap, but she’s purring to beat the band and insists on keeping her paw on top of my arm, making it difficult to type.

Management 56

Management Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 56

Care2

DECEMBER 26, 2009

The Rise of Politicians Using Social Media. Are politicians finally understanding the value of being social via social networks? Chris McCroskey, founder of TweetCongress says that in 2009, the number of Members of Congress using Twitter has gone from two dozen to more than 160. However, about 90% of them still view Twitter as a one-way communication tool rather than having conversations with constituents, said McCroskey.

Values 56

Values Nonprofits Technology Communication 56

Sea Change Strategies

DECEMBER 14, 2009

Generosity. Fear. Facts. Dignity. Meaning. Compassion. Knowledge. Each of these words, and more than 60 others, inspires a short essay in What Matters Now , a PDF ebook conceived by Seth Godin and edited by Ishita Gupta. Godin invited 70 innovative minds—authors, entrepreneurs, bloggers, speakers, editors, CEOs—to share a glimpse of what they are thinking about and working on for the upcoming year.

Advertising 49

Advertising Marketing Marketing Communication 49

Nonprofit Tech for Good

DECEMBER 2, 2009

As I spent the Thanksgiving weekend pondering gratitude, MySpace made the top of my list of things to be grateful for. When I first started myspace.com/nonprofitorganizations almost 4 years ago I had no idea that it would evolve to become as large as it has, or that the brand/community/concept would spread to Facebook , then YouTube , and now Twitter.

Nonprofits 76

Nonprofits Children Activism Energy 76

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

DECEMBER 31, 2009

A great answer from Mint.com: budget planner – Mint.

86

86

The Agitator

DECEMBER 14, 2009

Marketing maven Seth Godin wrote The First Transaction , an interesting post about the need for cultivation to precede any ask for money. It’s a short post, so I’m reproducing most of it here … "Digital transactions are essentially free for you to provide. I can give you permission to teach me something. I can watch a video. I can engage in a conversation.

Non-Profits 68

Non-Profits Nonprofit Management Education Education 68

Get Fully Funded

DECEMBER 30, 2009

I got a couple more email appeals yesterday from local organizations. One made a big mistake that I wanted to share with you so you can avoid it. Overall, it was a good email appeal – photo, update on a couple of accomplishments for the year, reminder that year-end gifts are due this week, link to the website for the Donate Now button… then they also asked for me to participate in an event.

Fundraising 53

Fundraising Fundraising 53

Care2

DECEMBER 13, 2009

Be honest, does your nonprofit create online advocacy and fundraising campaigns that are reactive or proactive? Chances are most of them are reactive, which can leave many small online teams scrambling to react to news, legislation or changes in bills. Now answer this, how much time is your organization spending on reaching out to Millennials (people who were born between 1981 and 2000)?

Race and Ethnicity 56

Race and Ethnicity Marketing Marketing Fundraising 56

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

DECEMBER 29, 2009

I’ve been searching for a new way to give those of you who are interested in my take on your work — in other words, you want some advice, a quick review of something you are working on, or a brainstorming partner — a quick and affordable way to get it. I’ve also heard from many of you who regularly attend my webinars that you’d like to be able to take the next step and talk with me about how to use what you’ve learned in your specific situations.

Communication 46

Communication Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 46

Nonprofit Tech for Good

DECEMBER 9, 2009

Many nonprofits still struggle with how to measure Social Media ROI and are not so clear on what exactly the benefits are of utilizing social media. An obvious benefit is about take front and center stage in a few days when Google launches their Real Time Search to the public. If your nonprofit is not utilizing social media, then the only content that will show up is what others are saying about your organization.

Nonprofit Organizations 75

Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofits 75

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

DECEMBER 3, 2009

Photo art by ArtByChrysti on Flickr. Lucy Bernholz, president of Blueprint, Research & Design and author of the blog Philanthropy 2173 , just relayed her buzzwords for 2009 on Marketplace. Here are her three – along with my own! 1. Impact investing : Lucy feels people are looking to put their financial resources to work for a quantifiable financial, social and environmental impact.

Philanthropy 45

Philanthropy Social Enterprise Social Enterprise Medical 45

The Agitator

DECEMBER 16, 2009

Here is a terrific comment on yesterday’s Agitator post from Andrew Kramer describing how his organization, Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) in Houston, builds cultivation into the guts of their program … and the enormous benefits reaped. He was taking me to task for treating cultivation merely as a monetary cost. Actually, The Agitator has been a huge champion of cultivation (try searching our blog for "loyalty" or "donor retention") and I can’t find a wor

Entrepreneurship 64

Entrepreneurship Foundations Retention Values 64

Get Fully Funded

DECEMBER 10, 2009

Are you getting as many online donations as you’d like? My guess is probably not. Most nonprofits would like to see much more coming from their virtual donors. There’s a great article in the November issue of Fundraising Success that covers the basics of online giving. One thing they mention is to have a call to action. “In addition to providing intriguing content to your audience, the main purpose of your Web site is to get your users to take action.

Fundraising 45

Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 45

Care2

DECEMBER 2, 2009

Is your nonprofit about to launch a year-end online fundraising campaign? If you answered yes, then check out this fundraising checklist before you hit the “send&# button to your entire list. Have You Defined a Specific Campaign Message? Millions of people are hit with online fundraising campaigns during December. If you think your organization can compete in the ‘battle of the inbox’ in a tight economy with a generic message like “don’t forget us this holiday seaso

Fundraising 54

Fundraising Fundraising Food Nonprofits 54

Getting Attention

DECEMBER 28, 2009

I hope you have the opportunity to take a few days off over this holiday season to spend time with friends and family, with your mind cleared of work ideas and to-dos. That kind of downtime is vital, at least for me, for recharging my energy, creativity and perspective. Grab it if you can! Regardless of how 2009 played out for you, and your nonprofit communications work, the coming new year brings with it new opportunities, challenges and adventures.

Energy 40

Energy Communication Nonprofits 40

Nonprofit Tech for Good

DECEMBER 31, 2009

January’s theme is protecting endangered wildlife. The nonprofits below are doing excellent work in educating the public about the illegal trade of endangered wildlife for clothing, aphrodisiacs, “gourmet&# foods, and Chinese medicine. Most people do not realize how bad it really is or how their consumer habits are bringing beautiful animals like elephants, sun bears, tigers, gorillas, and sharks to the brink of extinction.

Food 72

Food Education Education Nonprofits 72