Selfish Giving

MAY 23, 2018

The big news this week is that I'm at the Engage for Good Conference in Chicago Wednesday and Thursday. For cause marketing geeks like me #EFG2018 is like dying and going to heaven! It's that much fun! Are you at the conference too? Or are you in Chicago (even for the day!)? I would love to meet you. I look like this guy >>> That's me throwing down some wisdom at last year's conference.

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The Agitator

MAY 20, 2018

If you care about the future of your monthly giving program I urge you to take 2 minutes and complete this confidential Agitator Survey. Here’s why. As technology changes and competition increases, many organizations are switching CRM database vendors and credit card payment processors. SURPRISE! Many organizations making this switch are discovering to their shock that either their old CRM or old payment processor—or both– are refusing to transfer their monthly donors’ credit card or oth

Technology 81

Technology Communication Nonprofits Nonprofit Management 81

Fundraising Coach

MAY 24, 2018

Fundraising is a counter-intuitive profession. But it is a profession. Experts research fundraising tactics and test strategies to find out what works. Often, the results seem illogical. Like is the case in writing fundraising letters that actually raise money. The We/I Test. In our fundraising letters, we typically think our job is to convince donors that we - the nonprofit is a safe investment.

Fundraising 74

Fundraising Fundraising Communication Nonprofits 74

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MAY 24, 2018

Nonprofit leaders often complain about limited resources — and with good reason. After all, even the best-run nonprofits lack the money or the staff to accomplish everything they set out to do. But while money is tight, there’s one resource that is almost always in ample supply: words. Often, nonprofit websites and print materials are burdened with way too much text.

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Education Education Foundations Nonprofits 66

Selfish Giving

MAY 22, 2018

Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Chris Jarvis , Partner, Realized Worth and Executive Director, RW Institute , about a recent episode of the Freakonomics podcast entitled Does Doing Good Give You License to be Bad. The show makes some pretty serious claims about CSR programs that we examine and debunk! On the show, Megan, Chris and I discuss: Chris Jarvis, RW Institute.

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Mission Minded

MAY 23, 2018

With video coming at us from every direction, what really makes a good nonprofit video these days? Videos capture hearts by sharing experiences your audience can connect with. And the best videos make a compelling emotional appeal that leads viewers to support your work. But before you get out the old video camera, or your […]. The post 3 Things Your Next Video Has To Do appeared first on Mission Minded.

Nonprofits 60

Nonprofits 60

Fundraising Coach

MAY 24, 2018

Fundraising is a counter-intuitive profession. But it is a profession. Experts research fundraising tactics and test strategies to find out what works. Often, the results seem illogical. Like is the case in writing fundraising letters that actually raise money. The We/I Test. In our fundraising letters, we typically think our job is to convince donors that we – the nonprofit is a safe investment.

Fundraising 52

Fundraising Fundraising Communication Nonprofits 52

EveryAction

MAY 24, 2018

The annual M+R Benchmarks Report has arrived again, shining a light on trends that are shaping nonprofits’ digital programs. With data from 154 nonprofit participants, we are once again treated to invaluable insights on numerous facets of digital engagement, covering websites, email messaging, online engagement, social media posts, and digital ads. It’s clear to us from this year’s report, that digital engagement has taken some important leaps forward for nonprofits of all shapes and sizes.

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The Agitator

MAY 23, 2018

This time, I’m going with a non-fundraising book: Hacking Marketing by Scott Brinker of Chief Marketing Technologist fame. The idea is how to take the lessons from the agile software development movement and apply them to more traditional marketing. In the book, Scott espouses agile marketing values of: Individuals and interactions over processes and tools.

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MAY 21, 2018

Mark Zobel. Welcome to the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators! This series lets you describe your workday in your own words. We’d love to feature YOU in this series! Don’t be shy – tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro. Dr. Mark Zobel is the Director of Annual Giving at Blackburn College in Carlinville, Illinois, where he also holds an adjunct faculty appointment, teaching an introductory cou

Communication 42

Communication Health Nonprofits Energy 42

NonProfit Hub

MAY 21, 2018

This article was originally published in Nonprofit Hub Magazine. A mantra is a thought or expression that encompasses your basic beliefs. Similar to a mission or brand positioning statement, mantras help capture and bring focus to your goals. Aligning your marketing goals and tasks with your brand can sometimes be a chore, so having a couple marketing mantras to look back on is always helpful!

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EveryAction

MAY 21, 2018

Planned Giving is a steadily growing area of focus for nonprofit fundraisers. Recent studies show that 33% of Americans are willing to consider making a bequest to a nonprofit organization, but only 5.3% of those over 50 have actually committed to doing so. With such a large group of potential donors waiting to be engaged, more and more nonprofits are devoting time and resources to Planned Giving programs.

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Nonprofits Healthcare Environmental Universities 40

iMarketSmart

MAY 23, 2018

On Monday I wrote about the oversized check photo-op and posted a link to it on LinkedIn. The post is approaching 10,000 views in under 48 hours. Clearly it struck a chord with folks. Many of the comments on the article point out that almost all oversized check photo ops: Happen at the request of the donor; The donor is usually a company, organization, foundation, etc.

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Leadership Children Communication Fundraising 40

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MAY 23, 2018

I am working on a new keynote presentation that I’ll be giving in late June on how nonprofits can collaborate on marketing communications. I would love to feature your organization in my presentation if you’ve been involved in anything like. Developing a new brand to represent products/services from multiple nonprofits. Jointly targeting a specific group of potential clients, volunteers, or supporters with a unified message that benefits two or more nonprofits.

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Collaborations Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 41

Care2

MAY 22, 2018

Here’s an astonishing fact: Last year, people used online payments platform PayPal to contribute a staggering $8.5 billion to charity. To be fair, online giving is still just one method by which Americans donate a total of $390 billion annually to nonprofits. But the PayPal figure is a sign of the times. The shift to digital giving is a rising and considerable trend.

Nonprofits 43

Nonprofits 43

EveryAction

MAY 23, 2018

Choosing the right nonprofit software can seem like an overwhelming task, from getting each stakeholder on board, to researching all of your options and hoping to find one that fits both your needs and your budget, to actually transitioning to and implementing the new system. Here are three things to keep in mind to put you on track toward finding the best option for your organization.

Technology 40

Technology Nonprofits Production Activism 40

iMarketSmart

MAY 21, 2018

I hadn’t really thought about it until now, but I have always felt uncomfortable seeing a bunch of fundraisers holding an oversized check. Perhaps, subconsciously I wondered: Who are those people and why are they congratulating themselves ? What will they do with that money? Will they squander it? By the way, where are the donors? Hey, that’s a fake check!

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Fundraising Fundraising Leadership Philanthropy 40

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MAY 22, 2018

Nonprofit communications directors have LOTS of decisions to make. Some are small, like word choice in a tweet, and some are big and complicated, like prioritizing communications strategies to best support the growth of your nonprofit. And, of course, there’s a lot in between. In my new book, CALM not BUSY (Amazon) , I included several chapters that address decision making and how to overhaul it at your nonprofit if it’s not as smooth and strategic as you might hope.

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Nonprofits Communication Marketing Marketing 41

The Agitator

MAY 24, 2018

Let me guess. This month, your inbox looks more or less like mine below. Your turn to guess. How many of these did I give my consent to? How many did I read or even open? My work relates closely to GDPR. Yet I didn’t bother with any of these. As a sector we’ve been consumed by GDPR for the last couple of years. But not all supporters are aware of this change or what it means.

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Non-Profits Law Communication Activism 45

Nonprofit Tech for Good

MAY 22, 2018

Inspiring people to take online surveys is tough! We are grateful to the 3,573 people who have taken the 2018 Global Trends In Giving Survey thus far. This year we are getting more participants from outside of the United States, but we definitely need more diversity in our survey respondents for the data to truly reflect the global donor community. The survey is available in five languages – ????????????

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Technology Fundraising Fundraising 41

The Agitator

MAY 21, 2018

I have a confession to make. I still dog-ear pages. Yes, this goes against my former-library-employee training. No, I don’t leave books open so it breaks their poor spine; I’m not a total monster. Yes, I know I can take pictures of the pages and put them on Evernote or Pocket now. Yes, I can bookmark them on Kindle or Audible too. But I still do it.

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Retention Nonprofits Foundations Culture 45

The Agitator

MAY 22, 2018

Next up is The Why A xis , by Uri Gneezy and John List, two of the community of economists who work on charitable giving. Roger had already covered one item I had noted back in 2013: that 1:1 matches work just as well as 2:1 or 3:1 matches. And I talked about how people give more when they are closer to a goal in December. But here are three additional insights from this book: Matches work better when people feel outnumbered.

Leadership 45

Leadership Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising 45

Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MAY 25, 2018

The Hound. Auburn, AL. Welcome to the – almost – weekend! I’ve picked out some of the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. Today’s batch includes a new feature for Facebook Groups, trends in video, and copywriting mistakes among other things. It’s time for Mixed Links…. Find out How to Use Facebook Group Units to Organize Your Content.

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Communication Nonprofits Marketing Marketing 42