Selfish Giving
OCTOBER 1, 2012
October is such a busy month for breast cancer fundraising that it’s called Pinktober because of all the pink ribbon products and events that benefit breast cancer causes. No other breast cancer organization is more wired to Pinktober than Komen for the Cure , which raises tens of millions of dollars from cause marketing promotions with such well known brands as General Mills, Old Navy, New Balance and Walgreens.
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
OCTOBER 15, 2012
Jennifer Doron. If your website is stuck in the past, it may be time for an upgrade. Sounds daunting? Jennifer Doron of the Ohio Environmental Council shares how she approached the process of creating their new site to writing a novel. ~Kivi. Guest Post by Jennifer Doron of the Ohio Environmental Council. During the day, I serve as the Director of Marketing & Communications for the Ohio Environmental Council (OEC).
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Nonprofit Tech for Good
OCTOBER 14, 2012
One of the most important lessons that all nonprofit social media managers need to learn is that social media is constantly in flux. Once you get accustomed to a tool, it changes in an attempt to reinvent itself. Rather than lamenting this new reality, a good social media manager will adapt quickly. That said, Facebook has made some recent upgrades – and more are coming – that nonprofits need to know about.
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 3, 2012
First off, I didn’t watch the debates tonight. I find political debates to be more akin to rehearsed speeches than engaging in dialogue. But my Twitter stream was filled with tweets about the presidential debate. Tweets were all over the place. But Big Bird got a lot of space. Opportunistic Fundraising. Apparently there was a comment about removing funding for PBS from the budget.
Speaker: David Worrell, CFO, Author & Speaker
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.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 16, 2012
There’s no question in my mind that a great deal of the furor over the ‘high cost of fundraising’ on the part of the watchdog groups, the press, regulators and many nonprofits themselves stems from absolute ignorance. Ignorance about what “acquisition” is, how it should be measured, and when or whether its costs should be considered acceptable. Because the acquisition of new donors is essential to maintaining and growing virtually every organization, we all need to get much better at both unders
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 23, 2012
I got the following email today from one of my blog readers, John Scott Foster of the Wesselman Nature Society. I had an experience this weekend I thought you might be interested in. I attended two “gala” type events. One was the standard, at a conference center. Held from 6 to 8:30. Coat and tie. Arrive at 6, cash bar, sit at a table at 7. People say nice things.
Nonprofit Leadership Zone brings together the best content for advertising professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
OCTOBER 24, 2012
We all grow and change as people and as professionals, and so do our organizations. As I’ve been writing my new book on content marketing for nonprofits, I’ve tried to keep in mind the different stages that nonprofits go through as their communications and marketing programs mature. This is my attempt at describing these phases. Stage I: Doing.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
OCTOBER 15, 2012
The National Retail Federation predicts that holiday sales this year will increase 4.1 percent to $586.1 billion and that online shopping will jump a whopping 12 percent to $96 billion. These are the best numbers we’ve seen since the beginning of the Great Recession in late December 2007. For nonprofits that have online stores or receive a percentage of profits from ethical retailers, it could be a banner year for online sales.
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 29, 2012
I was honored to see my 3 Ways Google + can help drive donors to your website featured today on MovieMondays. Clicking on the image will take you to the video. In this short video, I share why Google+ can be one of the most important parts of your nonprofit marketing. It was filmed a little while ago so the reference to “+1″ has changed a bit but all three are still applicable.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 3, 2012
The Stelter Company has reported on its recent survey research (phone survey targeting age 40+ donors) regarding planned giving. Some findings from their report — What Makes Them Give? (registration required to download): Fully 60% of ‘best prospects’ are age 40-54. 20% of current planned givers say they had been donating to the nonprofit for less than five years at the time of their gift.
Speaker: Dave Sackett
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.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 8, 2012
One of the most interesting parts of the recent Money for Good research was the donor profiles that emerged. Based on in-depth research with people who donate money, Hope Consulting created six profiles of givers. Here were the top two: 1. Personal Ties: People who give to organizations when they know the leadership or when they are asked by a friend. 2.
Selfish Giving
OCTOBER 2, 2012
There’s so much to learn from Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and their cause marketing fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association that this will have to be the first of several posts. Their program is so good, so rich, so creamy and so delicious it will require more than one serving for this cause marketer. But like their frozen yogurt, I promise you’ll enjoy it!
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
OCTOBER 29, 2012
Does your communications work move at a snail's pace? One of the beefs that I hear from program staff is that their communications people are sooo slooow. Bring in the communications people, they say, and it takes forever to get anything done. By the time it’s done, they complain, it’s too late. Of course, the same is true in reverse too.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
OCTOBER 22, 2012
On the day that I submitted the final manuscript of Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits to McGraw-Hill, Facebook launched Timeline for Pages. There was no time to get in any more final edits and I feared that the book would be terribly out of date by the time it was released. After spending all that energy and time researching, writing, and editing 75,000+ words about social and mobile media best practices for nonprofits – living and breathing it for three months straight
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!
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 9, 2012
Fundraising is a funny thing. When combined with casting a vision, telling people how much you’re trying to raise can be a powerful motivator. But could announcing your goal kill your ability to raise funds? Neuroscience and goal setting. Watch this 3 minute video by Derek Sivers. If you don’t see the video above, you can link to it here [link].
The Agitator
OCTOBER 22, 2012
A drunk loses the keys to his house and is looking for them under a lamppost. A cop comes over and asks what he’s doing. “I’m looking for my keys” he says. “I lost them over there.” The policeman looks puzzled. “Then why are you looking for them all the way over here?”. “Because the light here is so much better.” It’s human nature. We all look for things where the light is better, rather than where we’re more likely to find them.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 12, 2012
This post is adapted from a webinar I hosted for Network for Good. Thanks to my colleague Caryn for the content! And while we’re on the topic of storytelling, don’t forget next week’s free webinar on storytelling ! (Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 1 pm ET— Sign up even if you can’t make it, because we’ll send you a recording afterward.
Selfish Giving
OCTOBER 18, 2012
This week, Megan and I talk to Sandra Morris of CafeGive and learn how small to medium-sized businesses are supporting causes by leveraging Facebook and CafeGive technology. Hear about how Portland-based Community Cycling Center (1,400 Facebook fans) grew a $5,000 gift from The Bike Gallery (3,100 Facebook fans) to over $18,000 in 30 days. Tune in now!
Speaker: Jennifer Hill
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.
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
OCTOBER 3, 2012
Pam Jacobsen. I think a lot of my readers will relate to today’s guest post. Pam Jacobsen shares some of the fun aspects of her multi-task job. ~Kivi. Guest Post by Pam Jacobsen, Fort Bend Christian Academy. Can you tell by the title how I’m feeling today? It’s 5:10 p.m. on a Friday and I am the only soul in the building. Today started with major website issues, the executive director’s blog had some kind of server-blah-blah-blah problem, the IT department blocked access to all constituen
Nonprofit Tech for Good
OCTOBER 19, 2012
On August 1, Google quietly launched Google Wallet for the Web – and the technology has the possibility of transforming online and mobile fundraising as we’ know it. Described simply, donors can sign up for a Google Wallet account , enter and save their credit card information, and then donate to any nonprofit (or purchase from any online store) that has a Google Wallet merchant account with only two clicks of a mouse (or two taps on a tablet).
Fundraising Coach
OCTOBER 23, 2012
Did you know the average nonprofit loses 7 donor out of 10 every year?! Indiana University’s Adrian Sargeant, author of great books like “ Building Donor Loyalty [Amazon affiliate link], has done statistical research proving this. But even ordinary, non-academicians know this to be true. Every year, a handful of my fundraising colleagues give year-end gifts to 10-12 nonprofits.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 23, 2012
No sooner had Tom reported the grim facts contained in the AFP’s 2012 Fundraising Effectiveness Report than we received news that should brighten many hearts. Before delivering the good news, here’s a nutshell summary of what the AFP found that, in Tom’s words, “drives home the futility of pouring newly acquired donors into leaky buckets.”. Every $100 gained in 2011 was offset by $100 in losses through gift attrition — a net gain of $0.
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.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 16, 2012
To follow on to yesterday’s post, here is an infographic via Scott Dunlap of PayPal. He has a great Pinterest board of social media infographics here. This is one of my favorite recent ones. (Having trouble viewing it? See it here.).
Selfish Giving
OCTOBER 4, 2012
Today on Cause Talk Radio, Dr. Samantha King, author of Pink Ribbons, Inc., shares her take on Pinktober and the overflow of corporate support for breast cancer “awareness” Samantha, Megan and I navigate the history of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (you might be surprised who is behind this effort), whether the “awareness” created is doing any good and what an ideal “Pinktober” might look like.
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
OCTOBER 31, 2012
How can you dress up that dog of a story? You are trying really hard to focus your communications on what your participants and supporters want — to make your communications more about them, what they want to read, how they can get involved, and the good work their support has made possible. But not everyone in your organization really understands what you are trying to do.
Nonprofit Tech for Good
OCTOBER 1, 2012
The vast majority of nonprofits have yet to utilize the new Twitter profile design that was launched on September 18. The good news is that upgrading to the new design is extremely easy – it can be done in just a few clicks by following these four simple steps. That said, your biggest challenge will be finding a “Header” image that looks good on multiple devices especially if you are a small nonprofit without easy access to a graphic designer.
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Get Fully Funded
OCTOBER 15, 2012
Raising money can be easy or it can be hard – it’s your choice. There are two things that make fundraising easy: knowing (and doing) what works, and believing you can be successful. If you’re using tried and true fundraising and marketing strategies, you will raise money. More importantly, if you believe in your cause and you’re passionate about the work your nonprofit is doing, you will raise BIG money.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 14, 2012
As promised, Roger and I are about to do some systematic posting on donor acquisition. But we are compelled — yes, compelled — to start the ball rolling with yet another warning about donor retention! Compelled because this recent ‘Must Read’ report — the 2012 Fundraising Effectiveness Report — from the Association of Fundraising Professionals drives home once again the utter futility of pouring newly acquired donors into leaky buckets.
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
OCTOBER 18, 2012
The title of this post is the name of a speech I gave yesterday in Charlotte for the Bank of America Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program. I want to share the trends I named and the takeaways for us. Thanks to everyone who was there live! Feel free to post any comments or questions. 1. The messenger shift. The idea : Technology has enabled people’s most trusted sources - those they perceive to be their peers - to become the most influential and amplified messengers in their lives.
Selfish Giving
OCTOBER 8, 2012
Like most Democrats, I was disappointed with President Obama’s performance during the debate last week. But I felt a lot better about his chances in November after I saw the two minute trailer for the new Steven Spielberg movie Lincoln. It aired right after the debate. The trailer is powerful, and better than the first one released in early September.
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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