Selfish Giving

MARCH 9, 2009

It’s been too long since I posted regularly here at Selfishgiving.com. But I have a good excuse: I’ve been busy creating useful and exciting offline content! Just last week I was in Dallas, TX for the annual Run, Walk, Ride Conference where I delivered a four-hour seminar on Selling Local Sponsorships for Nonprofits. Putting together the program was a lot of work, but the material was well received by a diverse group of fundraising pros.

Nonprofits 185

Nonprofits Medical Health Marketing 185

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 11, 2009

Or, Can a Girl Get a Thank-You Note, Please? Back on November 24, 2008, I cashed in a bunch of credit card miles through Capital One’s No Hassle Giving Site , converting them into cash gifts to charities. Capital One partnered with Network for Good to deliver the donations to the charities. I specifically selected 12 national charities that I had not previously contributed to, but whose missions I support, in order to see what the communications response would be to my $25 gift.

Children 163

Children Communication Marketing Marketing 163

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 14, 2009

With all the blog posts I’ve done on Twitter for nonprofits , you know I’m having a blast with Twitter. I’m connecting with old friends and new ones. I even used Twitter to rewrite a fundraising appeal! But over the last few weeks, I’ve seen some repeated habits that really annoy me: People asking for followers. I don’t understand why people would send tweets asking, sometimes begging, people to follow them.

Fundraising 101

Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 101

The Agitator

MARCH 23, 2009

A recent study by Blackbaud’s Target Marketing on online fundraising (Roger commented here ) noted that many donors who make their first gift online wind up making their subsequent gifts, if any, via direct mail. Agitator reader Dave Raley has a theory about this. I reproduce his comment below. My own — perhaps too blunt — spin on Dave’s theory is: Direct mail fundraisers know how to raise money; online "fundraising" is left to techies who don’t.

Retention 58

Retention Nonprofit Management Management Marketing 58

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

Sea Change Strategies

MARCH 29, 2009

How many of you have taken Andy Goodman’s storytelling seminar ? Pretty mind-blowing, huh? Andy unlocks the secrets of good story-telling, decoding a formula for narrative going at least back to Aristotle’s Poetics. There are easily thousands of non-profit communicators who have passed through Andy’s program. But here are we are mostly all agreeing that “storytelling is really really important,” but for the most part the non-profit remains really bad at it.

Non-Profits 55

Non-Profits Homelessness Universities Health 55

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 30, 2009

Awhile ago, Microsoft made this amazing video about the changing expectations of consumers and the failures of advertisers to recognize how their marketing efforts MUST evolve. It’s one of my favorites. It’s called advertiser vs. consumer: Here at Network for Good, we thought much of this dynamic applied to fundraisers and donors… So we made our own version, starring Network for Good’s own Will Keller and Melissa Riggs.

Advertising 47

Advertising Fundraising Fundraising Marketing 47

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 12, 2009

Wow - yesterday’s post about thank you notes and the lack thereof got the conversation started! Thanks to everyone who took the time to add some thoughts to the debate. Several people mentioned that the practical realities of nonprofit management mean that getting thank-you notes out promptly, especially when donations come through non-traditional channels for your organization, can be difficult.

Nonprofit Administration and Development 161

Nonprofit Administration and Development Public and Nonprofit Management Communication Culture 161

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 24, 2009

Last week I was at the annual conference for the New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy. It was a great conference, and I did alot of tweeting. You can see all my NEAHP tweets here. A great session I went to was on managing development staff by Betsy Rigby, Director of Development with Partners HealthCare. Two things she said have particularly stuck with me: Theory X and Theory Y, and.

Management 72

Management Organizational Development Healthcare Leadership 72

Getting Attention

MARCH 25, 2009

Had a great time yesterday teaching a social media immersion class to staff members of 25 nonprofit orgs in the Norfolk, VA region. The organizations these folks represented are varied in size, experience, issue focus and more. Yet the group came together as an incredibly productive learning community around social media. During my intensive prep for the class, I had to do a lot of sifting -- through tons of resources, tools and, the greatest challenge, my own perspective and experience with non

Food 40

Food Production Marketing Marketing 40

The Agitator

MARCH 31, 2009

We’ve been talking about the value of market (i.e., donor) research lately, and how/when to listen to it. So my curiosity was peaked when this article by Karl Greenberg, Market Research Must Get Real, Not ideal , popped up. The article cites Nathan Berg, a professor of economics at the University of Texas, who asserts current market research frequently assumes an impossible degree of analysis by consumers, and that people who know less frequently make a better-informed choice.

Production 40

Production Advertising Universities Marketing 40

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

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 12, 2009

You have to love this. (There’s sound, so keep in mind if you’re at work. Some of my poor readers got in trouble at work watching my Colbert clips. Fair warning this time.). 1. funny. 2. hard not to forward. 3. easy to spread on facebook (I posted it on my facebook page after seeing it from Shaun, with just a click). 4. delivers a great message in a positive way.

Governance 47

Governance 47

Selfish Giving

MARCH 23, 2009

Beth Kanter ( @kanter ) shared this Performance Research study with me that shows that American consumers are in favor of more corporate sponsorship dollars flowing to causes and nonprofits. . A few key points for cause marketers: 41% of those surveyed believed that sponsorships of nonprofits and causes should increase to raise opinions of corporate America.

Marketing 100

Marketing Marketing Retail Culture 100

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 4, 2009

I’ve heard from several nonprofits lately who are only sending their 4-8 page print newsletters to their supporters twice a year. They wish they were sending it more often, but they just can’t make it happen because of time or budget constraints. My response: What’s the point? Updating your supporters twice a year on your work is not often enough to keep them engaged in what you do and top of mind when they consider contributing time or money.

Public and Nonprofit Management 160

Public and Nonprofit Management Marketing Marketing Management 160

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 19, 2009

I have a been enjoying a real treat: Hildy Gottlieb’s latest book The Pollyanna Principles. This is a pretty amazing book. But we’ve come to expect that from Hildy! In The Pollyanna Principles , Hildy moves beyond simply telling how to run a nonprofit. She questions the very assumptions that undergird our current economic reality. And she challenges us to create a better world.

Fundraising 55

Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits 55

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Management

Getting Attention

MARCH 3, 2009

Walking on the beach last week (a heavenly respite), I was struck hard by the powerful strategy of this one vacation rental spot. Note the mailbox location and label. Unlike the hundreds of other beach front properties, these folks are 150% audience-focused. They've noted that Florida visitors walk on the beach, whether they're lucky enough to be staying on the beach or not.

Communication 40

Communication Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 40

The Agitator

MARCH 30, 2009

I’ve been pre-occupied with Facebook lately, in part because its demographics are changing so rapidly. Here’s the current profile, as reported by MediaPost.com : "Facebook is aging fast. The number of U.S. users over 35 has doubled in just the last 60 days, according to new data from Inside Facebook. The burgeoning crowd of older users means that the majority of Facebook members are now over age 25." The more Facebook’s population ages, the more valuable it will become

Public and Nonprofit Management 40

Public and Nonprofit Management Activism Nonprofit Management Communication 40

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 19, 2009

I heard a scary stat yesterday, cited by the social media guru Allison Fine on Twitter. Apparently one in ten arts organizations is on the brink of collapse. So I tweeted Allison to ask why. Movie attendance is up - why are the arts down? She answered with a whole blog post, bless her heart. And she wove in the issue of our dying newspaper industry.

Values 42

Values Nonprofits 42

Selfish Giving

MARCH 16, 2009

The second stop in our series on Selling Local Sponsorships for Nonprofits takes us not in search of prospects or data for client pitches, but rather looking inward at what really drives successful sponsorship programs. There are four key questions that every nonprofit should ask themselves before ever researching a prospect or making a sponsorship call.

Recruitment 100

Recruitment Nonprofits Philanthropy Marketing 100

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

MARCH 9, 2009

I’ve seen lots of interest from nonprofits in using video to communicate with supporters about their causes, along with an equal amount of trepidation about how to do it. I’m not a video expert, but I know several people who are, so I put out a call over Twitter for some guest posts to share with you. I’m expecting several more, but I’ll share two that have come in some far: Steve Braker of Worthwhile Films | Nonprofit Media posted some do-it-yourself video tips on Faceb

Production 149

Production Nonprofits Philanthropy Marketing 149

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 10, 2009

Last fall, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported on a study of 33 people showed that they understood charities needed to have overhead expenses and were willing to fund them. Granted, 33 people isn’t a huge sample. But these weren’t necessarily “typical&# donors: they each gave over $1.5 milllion a year to charity. This reminds me of a blog post I wrote a few years on one of the seven fundraising myths , a myth also included in my book on fundraising , the Mickey D’s Fal

Fundraising 55

Fundraising Fundraising Philanthropy Associations 55

Getting Attention

MARCH 31, 2009

Looking for marketing answers? Stuck and need inspiration? Surprised at something that's worked great and want to spread the word? Please join me and (already) 400 fellow nonprofit communicators in the Getting Attention (GA) Group on LinkedIn. Here's the deal. For years, folks have been sending me queries on nonprofit marketing dilemmas (Ask Nancy).

Communication 40

Communication Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 40

The Agitator

MARCH 29, 2009

Last week , talking about FaceBook’s cave-in (as some pundits see it) to two million of its users, I raised the issue of when should nonprofits listen to their donors. I don’t want to put words in his mouth, but Jeff Brooks over at donor-centric Donor Power Blog would probably say "Always!" Personally, I’m all for listening to the customer, but I’m not entirely ready to hand over the car keys.

Non-Profits 40

Non-Profits Public and Nonprofit Management Nonprofit Management Communication 40

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

MARCH 3, 2009

I really did. It was this guy, a canvasser for Save the Children: I answered the door because it was 15 degrees outside, and I figured a canvasser holding a clipboard must be awfully dedicated to something interesting to be out on a night like this. He was raising money for Save the Children. Little did he know who he was getting behind my door—a professional fundraiser who might actually end up blogging his visit.

Children 42

Children Fundraising Fundraising Communication 42

Sea Change Strategies

MARCH 9, 2009

Do you feel like your online community needs some new blood? You are not alone. Alia will show you case studies and tactics that work in an upcoming webinar - part of a a 4-part NTen webinar series hosted by Triplex Interactive. You’ll learn tactics for getting more offline donors online, tapping into donor and activist social circles, and getting yourself out there through online advertising including list rental, search and more.

Advertising 40

Advertising 40

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 18, 2009

I’ve created a couple of new partnerships recently to help nonprofit communicators. Free and Discounted Services from PR Newswire. First, Nonprofit Marketing Guide has teamed up with PR Newswire to provide you with some outstanding discounts, free services and resources. Join PR Newswire today and receive a free annual membership (normally $195) and access to more than $2,000 in free and discounted services.

Communication 146

Communication Marketing Marketing Nonprofits 146

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 31, 2009

Last week, I had the privilege of being a panelist on a Twitter seminar hosted by Helping Hands for Coaches. What a spirited conversation! We had people from all over the United States, including the media person for the Phoenix Suns, and a media coach from the UK. I as you know, I think every fundraiser should at least experiment with Twitter. This panel might just convince you to give it a try!

Fundraising 53

Fundraising Fundraising Marketing Marketing 53

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

Getting Attention

MARCH 25, 2009

Had a great time yesterday teaching a social media immersion class to staff members of 25 nonprofit orgs in the Norfolk, VA region. The organizations these folks represented are varied in size, experience, issue focus and more. Yet the group came together as an incredibly productive learning community around social media. During my intensive prep for the class, I had to do a lot of sifting -- through tons of resources, tools and, the greatest challenge, my own perspective and experience with non

Food 40

Food Production Fundraising Fundraising 40

The Agitator

MARCH 26, 2009

So, you go do this fancy survey of your donors and they say: 1) Scrap the newsletter, and 2) by the way, we don’t understand why you’re spending 80% of "our" money on program X … cut it in half. Do you listen to your donors (i.e., customers) and do what they say? If not, why not? Isn’t it their organization? These questions come to mind as I read the fascinating debate over Facebook’s attempt to revamp its homepage.

Nonprofit Management 40

Nonprofit Management Management Communication Marketing 40

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

MARCH 31, 2009

Mal talked about his new book today on Network for Good’s Nonprofit 911 call - you can listen HERE. We had over 3,000 people sign up to hear this today! My favorite part? Be careful how you talk about your financial woes right now as an organization. Don’t whine about how you are running out of money. Tell donors all the steps you are taking to stretch your dollars and more effectively run your organization.

Nonprofits 40

Nonprofits 40

Sea Change Strategies

MARCH 4, 2009

When I look at the nonprofit sector and its millions of committed donors and activists, all I can think of is “no good deed…”. Most nonprofits have a fundraising goal that was set when the world’s economy was a different universe. The non-profit fundraising staff see the goal getting further and further away, and the pressure to make the impossible happen – meet an out of reach goal — is excruciating.

Non-Profits 40

Non-Profits Leadership Universities Fundraising 40

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