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'Danielle Gates. 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. Danielle Gates is the communications assistant for the marketing and communications department at RedRover. She supports the team through social media, copywriting and design, and embodies RedRover’s values of being ever-vigilant and ready to spring into action.
'A while ago, I was invited to be a guest lecturer at Brandeis. As my friend David Mersky was introducing me, I put this question across various social media platforms: RIGHT NOW: Nonprofit people, what marketing tips would you tell a graduate class on philanthropy? I''m guest lecturing at Brandeis right now and would love to show the power of social media.
'Spring is report season in the nonprofit sector. A slew of new data is released and this year the emerging theme is that online fundraising is rapidly rising, especially on mobile devices. Nonprofits that have not yet adopted a mobile-first approach to online communications and fundraising can use the new data to help convince executive staff and board that a new mobile-compatible website should be high on their priority list.
'Brian Saber, president of Asking Matters, has spent his career asking for donations on behalf of nonprofits. Now he’s really done it with a cool online test that helps you determine your asking style so you can improve upon it by focusing on your strengths to close more gifts. Try it out here. P.S. – In case you’re wondering how I did… I am a “kindred spirit” (according to the test).
Your financial statements hold powerful insights—but are you truly paying attention? Many finance professionals focus on the income statement while overlooking key signals hidden in the balance sheet and cash flow statement. Understanding these numbers can unlock smarter decision-making, uncover risks, and drive long-term success. Join David Worrell, accomplished CFO, finance expert, and author, for an engaging, nontraditional take on reading financial statements.
'Roger has written on several occasions about the obstacles that nonprofit boards can present to effective fundraising and growth — see, for example, here and here — especially when it comes to direct response fundraising. Similarly, Tom Harrison, chairman of Russ Reid, writing a recent column in Fundraising Success , recited some of the ‘wisdom’ he’s heard from board members: slash the acquisition budget in digital, mail, DRTV in order to improve the current year’s
'Sometimes people dread fundraising because they view it as simply asking people to give you their money. However, you don’t have to take the common approach to fundraising. You can, and should, have fun to help your nonprofit raise money. We’ve asked around and collected some of our favorite, more unique fundraising approaches. These can help you enjoy the fundraising process and engage the community in a different manner than a straight ask campaign.
'Here’s a quick tip for you today on using Microsoft Word to check how easy it is for your supporters to read your communications. Word has the ability to let you know your Flesch Reading Ease score and your Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. You just have to turn it on! Wait, what? The Flesch Reading Ease score and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level are readability tests that let you know if your copy is easy to read or not.
'Here’s a quick tip for you today on using Microsoft Word to check how easy it is for your supporters to read your communications. Word has the ability to let you know your Flesch Reading Ease score and your Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level. You just have to turn it on! Wait, what? The Flesch Reading Ease score and the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level are readability tests that let you know if your copy is easy to read or not.
'This month''s Church Executive features an interview with me on how pastors can use social media for fundraising. The editor pulled out 15 of the most important tips I''ve learned, both pastoring a church and in coaching church planters and others in ministry fundraising. It was fun to see what she chose! Social media tips for online fundraising. It’s OK to ask for money.
'The following is an excerpt from Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits. The rapid rise of mobile and social media has directly correlated with a rise in Internet trolls —individuals whose sole purpose is to rant, vent, and incite discord. Most users of mobile and social media have come to recognize a troll and ignore rather engage them.
'We know that emotion is tied directly to giving , but does it matter when it comes to sharing online? This week, Business Insider shared a chart to illustrate the primary emotions evoked by the top 10% of most shared content. Awe, amusement, and joy are among the top emotions that prompt people to share with their networks. However, the emotions that work to power the viral engine are not necessarily the same ones that drive people to give.
'Sooner or later someone in your organization, totally devoid of fundraising knowledge (likely the CEO, a board member or the spouse of one) is going to come up with the brilliant idea of changing your organization’s name. Or your logo. Or your tagline. Or your graphics and copy style. Heaven help you. Because if they succeed your organization’s likely to be out of business or at least headed for a fire sale.
Traditional budgeting and forecasting methods can no longer keep pace with today’s rapidly evolving business environment. Static budgets, rigid annual forecasts, and outdated financial models limit an organization’s ability to adapt to market shifts and economic uncertainty. To stay ahead, finance leaders must leverage a future-forward approach—one that leverages real-time data, predictive analytics, and continuous planning to drive smarter financial decisions.
'Last week, we wrote about how to recruit life-time volunteers for your nonprofit instead of relying on one-time helpers. Today, we are going to dive further into the topic and focus on one group that has the potential to provide you with life-long volunteers: Millennials. Millennials, often categorized as people born in the early 1980s to around 2000, grew up with a computer in their home and a smartphone in their pocket.
'Our social media and online campaigns adviser, Kerri Karvetski, has created a new download for you on how to harness the power of hashtags to promote your good cause on social media. In case you are brand new to social media, hashtags are words or phrases with the hash symbol (#) in front of them. The hash symbol creates a link and clicking on that hashtag will bring up other posts with that tag.
'I''m just finishing up another family trip to Walt Disney World. Every time I''m here, I study the culture, habits, and design of the parks and resorts. I''m fascinated by their attention to detail, their ability to create brand new merchandising opportunities, and their ability to engage guests of all levels. I''ve written about lessons on giving donors a behind the scenes experience and three things Disney can teach you about fundraising celebrations.
'Thanks to a sponsorship from the Public Interest Registry , for the first and only time all Nonprofit Tech for Good webinars are being offered for free to the nonprofit community. Nonprofit Tech for Good occasionally offers free webinars, but the paid series has never before been offered at no cost to the public. Over the last five years more than 25,000 nonprofit staff worldwide have attended webinars offered by Nonprofit Tech for Good (free and paid), and thanks to this new sponsorship that
Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Corporate Brand
Do you really know your donors? Not just what they give, but who they are? 👥 In this interactive session, we’ll break down how nonprofits can use behavioral indicators (affinity, recency, frequency, and monetary value) to build prospecting segments that go beyond wealth screening and actually align with donor identity. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to move beyond basic demographics and cultivate supporters based on how they already engage with you!
'Is your newsletter one that people welcome? Do your supporters read and get inspired by it? If you’re not sure, or if you have a sinking feeling it could be better, we’re offering 7 ways to make your writing the kind people want to read. Most of these ideas will make your annual report, website, […].
'Kim Wallace, co-author of the fascinating Why People Don’t Buy Things , just posted a terrific guide to making and using Donor Testimonials. Not only does Kim explain why donor testimonials are so effective, he also illustrates his points on producing outstanding testimonials with this video collection of the real things. Here are Kim’s 10 tips for success: 1.
'Indiana’s Wabash College flies under a lot of peoples’ radars. I should know, because I chose to attend there despite living 600 miles away in Nebraska. Wabash is small (901 students last year), all male (one of three such institutions left in the country), a traditional liberal arts school and the best decision I’ve ever made. Wabash knows how to leave a BIG impact, and can “school” other nonprofits on running a successful fundraising campaign.
'I have been preaching alternative annual report formats for quite a while now, but I know a lot of you are still either too nervous to make a change or can’t get approval from above. If you are in that situation, you should try a 4-page annual report first before moving to infographics, postcards or video. A 4-page report still gives you the basic layout of a longer report, but isn’t as scary sounding as “infographic” or “video” might be.
Payroll compliance is a cornerstone of business success, yet for small and midsize businesses, it’s becoming increasingly challenging to navigate the ever-evolving landscape of federal, state, and local regulations. Mistakes can lead to costly penalties and operational disruptions, making it essential to adopt advanced solutions that ensure accuracy and efficiency.
'Years ago, the school that employed me as a fundraiser paid for a subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. So when I began running a development shop, I made sure the Chronicle subscription was in my budget. But then, somewhere along the line, I realized two things: The stack of Chronicles just kept piling up on my desk. And I was getting pretty much all the news I wanted from their free Philanthropy Today email.
'Google+ Pages have a vast tool set and Google’s quest to integrate Google+ into their most popular products, such as Search, Gmail, YouTube, Local, and Wallet, is paying off as active monthly users continue to grow. That said, Google+ is low on the priority lists of most nonprofits. Many nonprofits are curious, but lack the resources necessary to create and manage yet another social network.
'I’m seeking your ideas this time round! Please tell me ( in the comments below ) what your summer camp looks like —i.e. how are you planning to use summer to get inspired, energized and even smarter? And how will you integrate that experience and the results into your work approach and/or activities in the fall. Pls share your ideas and hopes here.
'Or should it be “Fired with enthusiasm”? There’s a big difference as UK fundraiser Ken Burnett sees it. Awhile back, as part of a series Proud to be a fundraiser , Ken wrote Keeping the right fundraisers. He wrote of fundraisers as either “radiators” or “drains” … The radiators, who spread heat and passion, radiating the warm glow of making a difference.
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.
'I feel like there is a lot of donor fatigue happening right now in the nonprofit community. Our donors are being solicited on every channel from numerous organizations multiple times a day. Today I received at least 10 fundraising pitches. Instead of treating our donors like ATM machines, we need to make them feel like heroes to our movement. Here are five ways to make your donors feel totally valued. 1.
'I’m getting a lot of questions about questions — the ones you should ask donors or other supporters of your work in surveys. First, yes, surveying your donors a couple of times a year is a great idea. It not only gives you information you can use to adjust your programs and how you market and fundraise for them, but surveying also demonstrates that you actually care what your donors think!
'Building a Board of Directors might not seem like the most exciting part of running a nonprofit, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Don’t think of it as a necessary headache or jaded amalgamation of familiar faces, recognizable names and long-time donors. Instead, think of it as your crack team of commandos on a mission to take out an enemy stronghold, or even better, as your unlikely fellowship on a quest to save Middle Earth.
'Over the last two months Nonprofit Tech for Good presented a free webinar based on the newly released book Mobile for Good: A How-To Fundraising Guide for Nonprofits. Attended by more than 2,000 nonprofit professionals and volunteers, the webinar featured one best practice from each of the book’s sixteen chapters and provided the basis for writing and implementing a comprehensive mobile and social fundraising strategy.
Managing HR tasks like payroll, compliance, and employee data can overwhelm small businesses. That’s where a Human Capital Management (HCM) solution comes in. Our eBook, Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide , shows how an HCM system automates tedious processes, ensuring your business stays compliant and efficient. You’ll learn how to simplify payroll, eliminate costly errors, and empower your employees with self-service tools.
'Your strong response to The Truth Behind Nonprofit Marketing Help-Wanteds strengthened my conviction to dig further into hiring and job/project hunting practices in our field. So many organizations wear blinders when hiring, that there’s a lot of room for improvement—true low-hanging fruit! As always, I learned so much from you and other members of the Getting Attention community who shared experiences and other comments on this post.
'You’d think a $300 billion industry like ours would have empirically based standards and practices readily available and accessible to all. After all, most sectors — ranging from apple growers to doctors and hospitals, and even zoos — have them. Fundraising doesn’t. What we do have is mass of accumulated tribal wisdom, often conflicting, seldom empirically based.
'Did you know that women make contributions to twice as many charitable organizations as men do? Studies have also shown that women bring in half or more of the income in 55% of U.S. households. And women ages 50 and older control a net worth of $19 trillion. Furthermore, women are expected to soon control 70 percent of all planned giving assets. If your nonprofit is looking for more reasons to cultivate women donors and advocates, you should know that women also volunteer more than men do. 32%
'Much of what we talk about at Nonprofit Marketing Guide requires software to do well. So naturally, I’m often asked which technology providers I recommend as you go about implementing all these best practices I share. My answer is always that I am vendor agnostic. I rarely, if ever, recommend one company without listing off their competitors, and suggesting you do homework via organizations like Idealware , the Nonprofit Technology Network , and TechSoup.
Speaker: Duke Heninger, Partner and Fractional CFO at Ampleo & Creator of CFO System
Are you ready to elevate your accounting processes for 2025? 🚀 Join us for an exclusive webinar led by Duke Heninger, 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.
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