July, 2012

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My Communications Director is an Idiot

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

I’m friends with many nonprofit program and research directors who confide in me about their various scuffles with communications or fundraising staff in their organizations. Nothing strange there. But what I do find a little surprising is how often I will meet a program or policy director, or even an executive director, for the first time, and upon learning what I do for a living, they will say, “Ugh.

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4 Steps to Launching a Fundraiser on Pinterest

Selfish Giving

Sloane Bennett sent me this news on the latest campaign from beauty brand Elizabeth Arden that combines cause marketing with Pinterest. I was struck by how easy it is to execute a cause marketing promotion on Pinterest – and that Elizabeth Arden was a darn good teacher. This is how it works: Step 1: Recruit a Company Partner. Yeah, this is the hard part for most nonprofits, but not for Look Good Feel Better , which teaches beauty techniques to cancer patients that have appearance-related s

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11 Nonprofits That Excel at Social Media

Nonprofit Tech for Good

Large nonprofits usually have the expertise and resources necessary to launch and maintain successful online communications and fundraising campaigns. They’ve been able to hire some of the most well-trained and experienced staff, consultants, and designers that work in the nonprofit sector. Small to medium-sized nonprofits with small to medium-sized marketing and communications budgets may not have the resources that many of the larger nonprofits do, but that doesn’t mean your online

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6 tried and true truths about my work

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

I recently posted on five nonprofit marketing mistakes, and my friends over at Branded Out Loud added some more (check out their post here. ). My favorite was this: Chasing the latest and greatest, before mastering the tried and true. The older I get, the more I believe there are immutable, tried and true basics that underlie just about everything in marketing.

Energy 96
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Navigating Payroll Compliance: Future-Proofing Payroll in an Evolving Regulatory Landscape

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.

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Direct Mail Hanging In

The Agitator

The Direct Marketing Association notes in its recently released 2012 Response Rate Report that direct mail response rates have dropped nearly 25% over the past nine years. Even so, direct mail pulls a better overall response than digital channels. The report also says that: Cost per order or lead for acquisition campaigns were roughly equivalent for direct mail ($51.40), post card ($54.10), email ($55.24), and paid search ($52.58).

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Google+ is suddenly more relevant for nonprofits

Fundraising Coach

Yesterday HootSuite [affilate link] announced support for Google+ Pages! Back in November, I blogged about Google+ being open for nonprofits. But one of the hardest things for nonprofits has been the fact that they have to remember to go to the Google+ site rather than using their social media tools like HootSuite. Suddenly, Google+ is more relevant for nonprofits.

More Trending

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Want to Raise More Money? Focus on Current Business Partners

Selfish Giving

Every nonprofit wants to recruit new corporate partners, but your best bet to raise more money is to find new ways to work with your existing partners. It just might lead to a new partner. Here’s how to turn an existing partner into a better partner. Be insanely helpful. Don’t take a one and done approach with partners. Share new ideas with them, even ones that aren’t relevant to your partnership but may be useful to their business.

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12 Useful, Well-Designed, Worth-Downloading iPhone Apps Created by Nonprofits

Nonprofit Tech for Good

It’s been challenging for the nonprofit sector to create iPhone and Android Apps that people want to first download and then repeatedly use – at least in large numbers. In general, your supporters have minimal interest in downloading a budget-friendly app that only includes a news or blog feed, a link to your YouTube Channel, and “Donate” option.

Food 102
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5 secrets of innovative new nonprofits

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

How do relatively young nonprofits like Charity: Water catch fire and thrive? What can we learn from them? James Read has a great article in the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII) that offers five answers. Here are his principles with my own commentary. What I like is they aren’t so secret at all. What’s magic about this every common-sense approaches is the way these nonprofits apply them, every day, in every way. 1.

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Oh, And While You’re At It

The Agitator

For all you one-armed paperhangers toiling away in (especially) smaller nonprofits, once again, Scott Adams hits a nerve. We might add another frame, with the caption … “Oh, and while you’re at it, could you also redesign our website and bring in a few bequests?” Tom.

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Less Stress, More Success: Accounting Best Practices & Processes for 2025

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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Make Your Nonprofit Messages Stick

Getting Attention

The best infographic ever. Absorb it, print out a full-size copy , and share with colleagues as a gentle reminder. Thanks to Wilf for creating under the dazzling influence of Chip and Dan Heath!

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How Are Nonprofit Newsletters Changing?

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

Is the classic nonprofit newsletter still relevant? If yes, why? If not, why not? What changes have you made, or what changes are you seeing or recommending, in nonprofit newsletters — in print and online? Those and any other questions or issues related to producing nonprofit newsletters in 2012 and beyond are the focus of the upcoming Nonprofit Blog Carnival , which I’m hosting in August.

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Day Three: 4 Ways to Celebrate the Fourth of July & Give Back

Selfish Giving

Just because the Fourth of July is over doesn’t mean you’ve seen your last cookout this week. Folks will be grilling, chilling and drinking right through the weekend. That’s why my third pick of the week for cause marketing that celebrates Independence Day is a Massachusetts company called 50 Back , which brews a beer called T he Brew of the Brave.

Activism 230
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Five Reasons Why Your Nonprofit Should Hire a Social Media Manager

Nonprofit Tech for Good

My last full-time, Monday-through-Friday job was as an outreach director for a small international development organization in San Francisco. Working within the confines of an almost non-existent online communications budget, my primary responsibilities were to maintain our website and publish a twice-monthly e-newsletter, quarterly print newsletter, and numerous print fundraising appeals through out the year.

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Recognition Powers High-Performance — If You Do it Right

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.

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How to get to the heart of your story

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

As you know, I’m fan of Lisa Cron, who blogs on storytelling and whose book, Wired for Story: The Writer’s Guide to Using Brain Science to Hook Readers from the Very First Sentence is now out. (I posted on it here when I received a review copy.). Since it’s now out, I wanted to share a few more tips from the book that pertain to our work.

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Simplicity Marketing

The Agitator

The mantra on advertising’s Madison Avenue these days is ‘simple’ This NY Times article headlines the point: Paring Down Marketing Messages to a Few Simple Basics. Columnist Stuart Elliott says marketers are reacting to three trends: “how busy life today seems, the growing complexity of technology and the increasingly complicated economic picture.

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10 Simple Fundraising Ideas for Clubs

Fundraiser Ideas

Fundraising is a very important function for clubs. However, your fundraisers don’t have to be complex to be successful. In fact, sometimes simple is better! Following are 10 simple fundraising ideas for clubs. Flower Bulb Fundraiser – Lots of people love flowers! A flower bulb fundraiser involves taking orders for flower bulbs from your family, friends, and neighbors for their gardens.

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Evergreen Content – Why You Need It and Where It Goes

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

Evergreen Content - Why You Need It and Where It Goes. Evergreen content is information that stays fresh from season to season, much like an evergreen tree. You may not need to change it all, or to only make minor tweaks from time to time. Evergreen content often takes these forms: How to articles or tutorials. Top ten or “best of” lists. Core principals, ideas or values.

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Why Every Small Business Needs an HCM Solution: A Comprehensive Guide

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.

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Raise More Money From Businesses with Donation Boxes

Selfish Giving

Donation boxes – also called coin canisters – are one of the simplest and cheapest ways to raise money from businesses. The action happens at the register after customers buy something and they drop a few coins, or a buck or two, into a donation box.

Marketing 224
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How Many Hours Per Week Should Your Nonprofit Invest in Social Media?

Nonprofit Tech for Good

To follow up on Monday’s post about why nonprofits should consider hiring a social media manger , below is an excerpt from Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits that helps further explore the time commitment necessary to create and sustain a comprehensive social media stategy for your nonprofit. The estimates below allow for the time required to research and create content for your social media campaigns, the actual time spent engaging and participating in your nonpro

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Guilt doesn’t inspire Americans to go green

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

Last week, I blogged about how buying green products can make people feel they are off the hook for further good. In fact, their purchase might even give them a license for bad behavior. Today comes more interesting news for environmentalists—sent to me via Mark Rovner - saying that guilt doesn’t inspire people to go green. Image from National Geographic.

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Stop thinking

The Agitator

My third, and final, recommendation on actions to take at this mid-point in the year is simply this: stop thinking. I’m not suggesting you cease using your considerable cerebral powers, but rather when it comes improving your bottom line results I do want to recommend a new type of thinking. And that means you need to stop thinking the conventional way most direct response fundraisers think.

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How to Scale Recurring Giving for Sustainable Growth

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!

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Social Media Guide for Nonprofits

Care2

If you're nonprofit wants to ramp up its social media posting strategy, check out this One-Page Social Media Posting Guide by Topnonprofits.com , which offers tips on content strategy, the best times to post social media updates, and understanding your audiences. The guide was created for organizations that don't have full time social media staff or have limited resources.

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Evolution of a Nonprofit Annual Report

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

You should all know by now that I love the shorter and more visual nonprofit annual reports as opposed to skimming through 20+ pages of boring financials. I recently received an email from Katie Bryan, communications director at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement on how their annual report has changed over the years based on the training she’s taken with us a Nonprofit Marketing Guide, along with a few of her thoughts on the changes.

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4 Cause Marketing Campaigns to Celebrate on Independence Day

Selfish Giving

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays so I’m combining it with my other favorite thing: cause marketing. For the next four days I’m profiling four different cause marketing programs to celebrate Independence Day. My first pick is Starbucks’ Indivisible campaign. Indivisible isn’t a new program or specifically focused on Independence Day.

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11 Group Text Messaging Best Practices for Nonprofits

Nonprofit Tech for Good

Contrary to its title, the last four chapters of Social Media for Social Good: A How-To Guide for Nonprofits are dedicated to mobile technology and mobile fundraising. I am firm believer that social media will be the foundation of the Mobile Web and the book was written to help prepare nonprofits for the coming shift from desktop and social to social and mobile.

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Best Practices to Streamline Compensation Management: A Foundation for Growth

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.

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The sign that says it all when it comes to marketing

Nonprofit Marketing Blog

During a morning run, I saw this sign outside a church in my Washington DC neighborhood. I had to snap a photo. This is great advice for life, yes, but also for marketing. Your first order of business is ALWAYS to show you care - and to make others care. The emotional connection MUST precede detailed information about your organization or issue. Connection before education.

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Remembering Kay Partney Lautman

The Agitator

Tomorrow, Lautman Maska Neill & Company , the fundraising firm founded by Kay Lautman will hold its 20 th Anniversary reception. Of course what’s noteworthy, far beyond the laudable two decade anniversary of a good agency is the death on Monday of its Founder – Kay Partney Lautman at age 74. You can read all about the professional achievements and the admiration of colleagues of this remarkable woman in yesterday’s online issue of Fundraising Success and on her company’s website.

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11 Outstanding Nonprofit Reports You Should Read

Care2

There are a ton of smart people writing about nonprofit technology and communications to help nonprofit communicators keep up on the latest online trends and developments. When you need to take a really deep dive into critical topics, but don’t want to rely on your own trial and error it helps to look beyond blogs and social media. Thankfully, you can take advantage of great in-depth research and findings published in nonprofit reports.

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Telling Stories of Homeless People with Mark Horvath

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

If you don’t know Mark Horvath , you should. Mark’s done an incredible thing: he’s empowered the people who are often the most powerless in our communities — the homeless — via social media to tell their own stories, in their own voices. He founded InvisiblePeople.tv and every time I hear someone at a nonprofit make excuses about why they can’t do this or that thing, I think of Mark.

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Engage, Empower, Excel: Transforming Performance in the New Era of Work

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.