Selfish Giving

APRIL 20, 2010

I want to love Komen’s new cause marketing partnership with Kentucky Fried Chicken, Buckets for the Cure. I really do. The partnership is a cause marketer’s dream with 5,000 stores participating. Cause marketing programs work best with lots of locations and lots of foot traffic. KFC has both. 50 cents of every bucket ordered by restaurant operators (interesting how the donation isn’t triggered by customers buying buckets but by operators ordering them) during the promotion per

Marketing 279

Marketing Marketing Food Education 279

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 20, 2010

One of the best tactical sessions I attended at NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference week before last was “Optimizing Your Site for Search Engine Performance: And We Ain’t Talkin’ Just Keywords.&# Here is the slide deck. It’s a mouthful, but it boils down to this one simple idea: Getting Google and other search engines to point people to your website.

Nonprofits 205

Nonprofits Technology Marketing Marketing 205

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 24, 2010

Reconsider. To think about again. To reassess. To reevaluate. I have been mulling this post over for months, and with some recent changes made by Facebook, the time has come. Some of the opinions I express below I have had for a while and speak to them in my webinars and trainings, but some are so recent that I am still in the stage of “Seriously Facebook?

Non-Profits 95

Non-Profits Advertising Nonprofits Ethics 95

Fundraising Coach

APRIL 20, 2010

Q: My organization is building an endowment fund and several people have made generous donations in the past few months. Of course, we’ve thanked them personally, but we want to find a more “public&# way of recognizing them. We will include them in a special list in our Annual Report, but you have any additional recommendations or resources on donor recognition categories, donor recognition events, donor recognition memorabilia (like a big plaque with their names on it!

Philanthropy 85

Philanthropy Fundraising Fundraising Marketing 85

Speaker: Amanda Adams, Fractional CFO, CPA

Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Amanda Adams, a seasoned fractional CFO and CPA passionate about transforming back-office operations for finance teams. This session will cover critical best practices and process improvements tailored specifically for accounting professionals.

Finance

The Agitator

APRIL 8, 2010

I could easily spend a couple of hours each day reading articles (and books) on customer loyalty and loyalty programs in the commercial space. Here’s a typical example from DM News about companies like Target, Hilton, Best Buy etc and what they’re doing to capture more share of wallet from existing customers. I guess the first point to make is that they’ve "found religion" in focusing more than ever (in a down economy) on existing customers and leveraging the informatio

Retention 80

Retention Marketing Marketing Fundraising 80

Care2

APRIL 28, 2010

"It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done," observed Oscar Wilde. And so it goes with an unfortunate entry on Snopes.com (a site usually quite good about debunking urban legends), that characterizes "internet petitions" as "slacktivism", a pejorative suggesting that activism is worthless if it doesn't require considerable effort.

Energy 78

Energy Activism 78

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 14, 2010

Last week at the Day of Service at the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Atlanta, I met with Executive Director Megan Anderson and Volunteer Coordinator Courtney Hodges of the Furniture Bank of Metropolitan Atlanta. Each year, the NTEN community helps scores of local nonprofits in the conference’s host city , and this year I signed up to assist the Furniture Bank.

Marketing 191

Marketing Marketing Homelessness Technology 191

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 24, 2010

This very long post has been a long-time coming for so many reasons. Some of the opinions I express below I have had for a while and speak to them in my webinars and trainings, but some are so recent that I am still in the stage of “Seriously Facebook? Really?&#. That said, people love Facebook. The vast of majority of nonprofits love Facebook too.

Nonprofit Administration and Development 94

Nonprofit Administration and Development Non-Profits Advertising Health 94

Getting Attention

APRIL 19, 2010

I was shaken by new stats on a crucial shift in online user behavior– only 5 to 15% of your website users are coming in through your home page. Tip of the hat to Gerry McGovern’s take on the decline of the home page for clarifying what works now for nonprofit marketing online. As a result, your site users: Won’t be “introduced&# to your organization (as happens when they enter via the front door, or home page).

Marketing 64

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits Communication 64

The Agitator

APRIL 4, 2010

Over Easter, I had a chance to read The 8 Online Fundraising Changes You Must Make in 2010 , an excellent e-book by Katya Andresen at Network for Good. If you are looking for very practical tips in terms of techniques and best practices, you won’t be disappointed. But this guide is much deeper and richer than "tips." For me, the special contribution Katya makes revolves around this observation: "You can have a huge donate button on your home page – or a snazzy Facebook pa

Fundraising 80

Fundraising Fundraising Environmental Nonprofit Management 80

Speaker: Radhika Samant and Todd Wuestenberg

Employee recognition has often been deemed a "feel-good" initiative, tied closely to rewards. While we understand its importance, we tend to associate recognition with intangible outcomes like engagement and sentiment, rather than direct impacts on retention and high performance. In today’s workplace, the true ROI of recognition lies in its ability to regenerate tangible, business-driven results.

Retention

Care2

APRIL 6, 2010

If your nonprofit is not developing yearly benchmarks for its fundraising program, website visits, email and e-newsletter open and click-through rates, start now. Establishing benchmarks helps organizations better leverage supporters, engage activists and keep websites dynamic with compelling content that drives people to take action. While benchmarks should be set realistically based on each organizations goals and year-to-year metrics, it’s always important to know what the average bench

Nonprofits 71

Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising 71

Selfish Giving

APRIL 12, 2010

The majority of calls I take on cause marketing are from budget-conscious small nonprofits raising anywhere from a few hundred thousand to a few million a year. They have a small staff and one or two development people, who usually have other responsibilities like marketing or public relations (or sometimes everything!). They also have limited resources and can’t invest in new staff, advertising or training.

Marketing 226

Marketing Marketing Advertising Communication 226

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 22, 2010

I’m putting together a new webinar called Creating a Social Media Policy for Your Nonprofit (it’s on Wednesday, April 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET). As I’m thinking about the variations I’m seeing in social media policies, I’m measuring them up against what I’ve been using as the “good nonprofit marketing through social media&# yardstick: Does the policy encourage staff to be genuine, generous , and grateful ?

Marketing 181

Marketing Marketing Management Communication 181

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 30, 2010

Today is Arbor Day. I wanted to promote the the National Arbor Day’s Facebook Page on the Nonprofit Organizations Facebook Page. So, I searched Facebook for “Arbor Day&# and three Pages came up: 1) Arbor Day :: 79 Likes: www.facebook.com/pages/Arbor-Day/103129336394300. 2) National Arbor Day Foundation :: 99 Likes: www.facebook.com/pages/National-Arbor-Day-Foundation/103799689659272. 3) Arbor Day :: 2 Likes: www.facebook.com/pages/Arbor-Day/108514969173871.

Foundations 92

Foundations Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofits 92

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Management

Get Fully Funded

APRIL 11, 2010

Hello from sunny Baltimore! I’m here for the AFP Conference (which starts today!) and will be speaking on Tuesday about fundraising with blogs. I’ve been looking for good examples of nonprofit blogs to share in my presentation and along the way, I’ve noticed something that I want to share with you. I’ve seen lots of different blogs representing a variety of organizations, but I’ve seen something conspicuously absent from many – an easily-seen “Donate N

Nonprofits 64

Nonprofits Fundraising Fundraising 64

The Agitator

APRIL 25, 2010

Not every Agitator reader has a multi-million dollar fundraising and communications budget to work with! So we keep an eye out for fundraising advice that’s especially relevant for smaller nonprofits. Here’s an example from Doodig Blogs. This article — 5 Top Fundraising Mistakes Made By Small Nonprofits — stresses five points … all essentially about donor communications: Not thanking donors.

Retention 77

Retention Nonprofit Management Communication Management 77

Fundraising Coach

APRIL 26, 2010

If you subscribe to my bi-weekly fundraising email newsletter , you know I’m a big fan of 501Videos’ Movie Mondays. These short, free movies, are timely training tools and wonderful weekly reminders. Plus, they give you an inside look at how other fundraising professionals are approaching their work. I’ve even been privileged to be in a couple of them: 2 Stories of Fundraising Success in this Tough Economy and.

Fundraising 63

Fundraising Fundraising Education Education 63

Selfish Giving

APRIL 27, 2010

I’ve scheduled the first part of my Six Figure Cause Marketing webinar for June 10th from 2pm to 3pm EST. The four following parts will be held on June 15, 17, 22 & 24 at the same time. All the information you need about the program can be found here. This program will be hands-on, practical and each hour will be jam-packed with advice (All delivered with a thick Boston accent that will undoubtedly make you exclaim, “Huh?!

Marketing 200

Marketing Marketing 200

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.

Foundations

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 26, 2010

Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now is hosting the next Nonprofit Blog Carnival with an April Fool’s theme, so I decided to share with you those times during my week when I am most likely to think, “This is a joke, right?&#. This happens several times a week, as I review the email that comes from my blog’s contact form. Here are the three most frequent requests that make me think, “Seriously?

Production 178

Production Poverty Associations Communication 178

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 6, 2010

First there was 10 Nonprofit Text Alert Campaigns. Then 10 Nonprofit Mobile Websites. Now 10 Free Nonprofit iPhone Apps. I thought it was important to lay the foundation of group texting and mobile websites for nonprofits before moving into examining how nonprofits are using iPhone Apps: 1. National Public Radio :: Download. App Name: NPR News. Updated: March 4, 2010.

Nonprofits 88

Nonprofits Technology Foundations Law 88

Care2

APRIL 25, 2010

Whether you're a large organization with brand awareness through the roof and a budget to match or a small nonprofit makeing do on a shoe string budget, you can't afford to waste resources. Not even on your Facebook page. Whether people became your fans, or, in the new Facebook parlance, "like" you, you invest in your presence on Facebook to build relationships with current or potential donors, volunteers, and activists to move them to take action that support your mission.

Nonprofits 67

Nonprofits 67

The Agitator

APRIL 12, 2010

Awhile back I saw this LA Times article about a new website/organization (is there a difference these days?) launched by Chris Hughes, one of Facebook’s co-founders and online organizing whiz for the Obama campaign. But as I read about the site — Jumo, promoted as a venue for connecting causes/charities and interested volunteers — I thought to myself … Who needs this?

Nonprofits 66

Nonprofits Nonprofit Management Production Management 66

Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Corporate Brand

Is your organization ready to build a recurring giving program that not only sustains but also propels your mission forward? 🚀 In this new webinar with industry visionary Tim Sarrantonio, we’ll guide you through the critical steps to establishing and scaling a successful recurring giving program. Whether you’re starting fresh or enhancing an existing program, this session will provide the strategies you need to deepen donor relationships and secure long-term support!

Nonprofits

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

APRIL 23, 2010

Now here’s a home page for you. Be sure to click on it for the full effect. What to say? First off, I have to credit Webpagesthatsuck.com for tipping me off to this splash page, which won the dubious honor of one of the worst nonprofit websites of the year. Second, I hope it made you laugh. It is the month of April Fool’s Day, after all.

Marketing 61

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 61

Selfish Giving

APRIL 14, 2010

Before you read this post you and I have to agree on some basic things. You should be doing cause marketing. (And not knowing what cause marketing is isn’t an excuse.). If you’re doing cause marketing, you should be discussing and promoting your program online via a website or blog. It’s good for you, for your corporate partners and for business development.

Marketing 179

Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 179

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 6, 2010

I’ve been listening intently to all of the great ideas you’ve been sharing with me about the kinds of coaching programs you want on nonprofit marketing and communications. After much deliberation, I’ve decided to create three different coaching programs over the next three months (It’s just too much to cram into one month). In May, we’ll cover nonprofit writing.

Nonprofits 136

Nonprofits Communication Marketing Marketing 136

Nonprofit Tech for Good

APRIL 13, 2010

I was just getting ready to add “Create a Facebook Page for a campaign in addition to your organization’s Facebook Page&# to my Facebook Best Practices for Nonprofit Organizations when I read that Facebook had launched “Community Pages&#. I have yet to see one live, but they are Facebook’s response to a growing trend on Facebook where individuals launch and run Facebook Pages like: Can this pickle can get more more fans that Nickelback?

Nonprofits 84

Nonprofits Activism Nonprofit Organizations Nonprofit Organizations 84

Speaker: Radhika Samant and Adri Glover

The world of work has fundamentally changed. The series of waves that the pandemic began have rippled through the Great Resignation, quiet quitting, the Great Regret, and other eloquent phrases that boil down to the same thing: people aren’t engaged at work or enabled to perform at their best. The truth is that engagement and enablement is more important than ever, but how we do it is the critical differentiator for many organizations.

Activism

Care2

APRIL 29, 2010

Thanks to Allyson for inviting me to guest post. I’ll try to keep it short and just sweet enough to fill you in on everything you need to know about the new 2010 eNonprofit Benchmarks Study from M+R Strategic Services and NTEN. (This stuff fascinates me – which I guess is good since it’s my job. But I won’t be offended if you just want to skip straight to the report itself !).

Fundraising 65

Fundraising Fundraising Marketing Marketing 65

The Agitator

APRIL 15, 2010

Seth Godin raises a provocative question in his recent post, Fear of Philanthropy. Here’s the gist of it: “Marketers at good causes have a real challenge as they try to raise money from people who aren’t billionaires. As they approach people with $10,000 or $100,000 in the bank, this fear of not seeing a limit is very real, and if it’s not confronted, they will fail at both raising the money and generating satisfaction for the donor … What’s enough?

Environmental 65

Environmental Philanthropy Nonprofit Management Marketing 65

Get Fully Funded

APRIL 22, 2010

I’m hearing lots of whining these days about how hard fundraising is due to the economy. People just aren’t giving, folks aren’t making their goals, blah, blah, blah. (Get ready – I’m jumping on my soapbox!). Too many nonprofit staff and volunteers have used “the economy&# as a crutch or a scapegoat. It’s easier to blame our fundraising failures on the economy than to take responsibility for it ourselves.

Fundraising 53

Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 53

Selfish Giving

APRIL 6, 2010

I love how Boston-based New Balance is attacking the Boston Marathon like I wish I had attacked Heartbreak Hill when I ran the great race in 2005. They’ve outpaced the official shoe sponsor of the marathon, Adidas , and come up with a strategy to leave their mark on the hometown run. They’re doing everything that will connect their brand with the world’s greatest race–except pay the sponsorship fee.

Non-Profits 174

Non-Profits Associations Recruitment Health 174

Speaker: Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader

In today’s competitive market, pricing is more than just a number — it’s the cornerstone of profitability. The right pricing strategy ensures that you capture the true value of your offering, paving the way for sustainable growth and long-term success. Join Igli Laci, Strategic Finance Leader, in this exclusive session where he will explore how a well-crafted pricing approach balances customer perception with business objectives, creating a powerful tool for securing both competitive advantage a

Finance