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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The next stop in our series on Selling Local Sponsorships for Nonprofits is identifying the prospects for sponsorship. This section will have you going in circles, but I promise the exercise won’t be in futile! Going in circles is actually a good thing when you see them as rings making up a target. And when I prospect for sponsorships I–like you–aim for a bullseye.
The next stop in our series on Selling Local Sponsorships for Nonprofits is identifying the prospects for sponsorship. This section will have you going in circles, but I promise the exercise won’t be in futile! Going in circles is actually a good thing when you see them as rings making up a target. And when I prospect for sponsorships I–like you–aim for a bullseye.
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.
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.
frogloop Home frogloop Home Receive monthly updates Subscribe to our RSS feed Follow frogloop on Twitter Most Popular Posts Social Network ROI Calculator Social Networking for Nonprofits: ROI, Tracking Tools and More "While Theyre Hot!" Download a Webinar on Converting Donor Leads The Art of Getting ReTweeted Top 8 Social Media Tracking Tools 10 Things Every Nonprofit Should Know About Social Media and Online Communications Nonprofit Benchmarks Studies MEMBER OF Frogloop Home (Hidden Modules) fr
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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!
Have you ever analyzed your nonprofit organization's online donor list and wondered why many of the people listed aren’t recurring online donors? Your organization is not alone. According to the donorCentric study published by Target Analytics, which gathered data from 25 large nonprofit organizations ranging from CARE to Amnesty International, many nonprofits have mastered raising money from Direct Mail campaigns, but haven’t quite figured out how to replicate their fundraising succ
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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).
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
I was at a board meeting this week, where everyone was looking around the table at each other wondering what we could do to raise more money for the organization. I couldn’t help but think about the webinar we are hosting here at Nonprofit Marketing Guide on Monday on starting a planned giving program — where you ask your supporters to include your cause in their retirement and estate plans, creating a much more stable, long-term source of revenue.
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!
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.
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.
A must-read from nonprofit marketing guru and screenwriter friend Mark Rovner. Here’s a taste: One screenwriting guru, Michael Hauge, boils all stories down to three elements. They are. character; desire; conflict. That’s it. You have those three, and you have a story.
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
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.
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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