This site uses cookies to improve your experience. To help us insure we adhere to various privacy regulations, please select your country/region of residence. If you do not select a country, we will assume you are from the United States. Select your Cookie Settings or view our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Used for the proper function of the website
Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Cookie Settings
Cookies and similar technologies are used on this website for proper function of the website, for tracking performance analytics and for marketing purposes. We and some of our third-party providers may use cookie data for various purposes. Please review the cookie settings below and choose your preference.
Strictly Necessary: Used for the proper function of the website
Performance/Analytics: Used for monitoring website traffic and interactions
Someone recently told me that while they appreciate all the diverse professional development topics that we and others offer on nonprofit communications and marketing, the fact that there is so much of it and so many things to learn also contributes to her sense of imposter syndrome. I get it! There really is so much variation in this work, and things are changing constantly.
Every person who works for a nonprofit or is associated with an organization internally is an ambassador of that organization by virtue of association. As an employee of The Salvation Army, I wear, with pride, a shirt with the logo of The Salvation Army. Volunteers also wear clothing that signifies an association with the organization.
In my last post, I wrote about the importance of connecting with your donors by sharing stories. Written stories are great, but donors may not have the time or energy to read a story. This is why you also need to use visual stories. Some people respond better to visual stimuli, anyway. Here are a few ways to tell visual stories. Tell a story in an instant with a great photo.
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.
This online appeals post is part two in a six-part series. You can read part one here. In part 1 of this series, I outlined my top six fundraising strategies for 2021: . Investing in digital-first fundraising and marketing communications. Mastering online appeals, user experience and messaging. Mastering relevant content marketing. Mastering personalized, customer-centered philanthropy facilitation, especially mid-level and major donors, to increase donor lifetime value.
By Emily Rose Patz , Senior Copywriter at DonorPerfect – a top-rated donor management system and fundraising platform for nonprofits. Those aboard the online fundraising train tend to not look back. That’s because a digital strategy can truly transform every aspect of your organization’s work – from marketing to events. So much so that online revenue in the nonprofit sector grew by 32 percent in 2020.
Last week I shared An Exercise to Reduce Burnout (and More): Start a List of Every Single Thing You Do at Work. The goal of that exercise was to see ALL of your tasks in one place so you could prevent burnout, manage expectations, combat imposter syndrome, and realize your worth. This week, I have a similar exercise for you, but this is more for times when your brain is completely overwhelmed with the things you need to do (or cluttered with things you just think you should do).
Last week I shared An Exercise to Reduce Burnout (and More): Start a List of Every Single Thing You Do at Work. The goal of that exercise was to see ALL of your tasks in one place so you could prevent burnout, manage expectations, combat imposter syndrome, and realize your worth. This week, I have a similar exercise for you, but this is more for times when your brain is completely overwhelmed with the things you need to do (or cluttered with things you just think you should do).
If your organization is a university or hospital foundation with millions in the bank, then hiring a company to do all video-related communications for you might make sense. For everyone else, the important thing is to share your organization’s mission story in a compelling way – and "compelling" doesn’t necessarily mean professionally produced. Use your iPhone or Zoom or whatever tool you are comfortable with to do the recording.
Is your nonprofit database starting to look like a library without a librarian? Use these 5 tips to clean it up and establish better hygiene practices. . By Gabrielle Perham. Your nonprofit’s donor database is like a library. When a librarian is present, the library stays clean and orderly, with everything in the right place so visitors can quickly find what they’re looking for.
How can your B2B Tech Marketing Strategy Go Green. Are you looking to Improve your CSR by going Green? Check out what you can do as a B2B company to improve your Marketing around it. In these economically and ecologically challenging times, customers are increasingly embracing social causes. They purchase from companies that align with their values. .
Did you know as many as 81% percent of new donors don’t return to give again? And only 43% of all donors remain loyal? Do you know what your retention rates are or how to increase donor loyalty? The sorry state of donor retention has been a topic of discussion for at least the past decade, since the Fundraising Effectiveness Project Report began collecting data.
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.
How often do you read about the wonders of automation for nonprofits? Chances are, you’ve seen a little bit about this everywhere. As technology continues advancing , we see more articles discussing how automation takes pressure off of staff members and how organizations need to increase their use of software to optimize their communications with supporters. .
What are all of the things that nonprofit communications teams need to think about and potentially act on to be successful? Of course, it’s a really, really long list of potential items. To put some structure around it, so that you can start to understand your choices and then make them, we’ve identified ten keys to nonprofit communications success.
Technology and more people-centric (i.e., donors and supporters) ways of giving continue to expand, which is essential for nonprofit leaders to understand. For example, people could open a donor-advised fund (DAF) for very little money and give with the ease of tech platforms. Also, leading organizations, such as St. Jude, are reaching out to new audiences, like gamers, because they know they have to meet people where they are, to support a good cause.
After the year we’ve just been through, most people have realized the importance of connection. Your nonprofit organization also needs to make connections with your donors. One of the best ways to do that is to share stories. Donors want to hear your stories. I would guess you’re not using stories as much as you should. That’s a mistake because people respond better to stories than a bunch of facts and statistics.
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!
“We nonprofits often put a great deal of time and effort into our annual reports, especially compared with how briefly most recipients will look at them,” begins the Blue Avocado article, The Secret to a High Impact Annual Report. “Rather than slave and anguish over the parts almost no one will read anyway,” the author […]. The post Still Publishing Donor Names?
There’s a hotel in Hollywood where the rooms are dated, the furnishings are sparse, and the walls are bare. Its name is the Magic Castle Hotel, but it’s not a castle. It’s a 1950s converted 2-story apartment complex painted canary yellow. . Next to its small pool is a cherry red phone. When you pick it up, the person on the other line answers, “Hello, popsicle hotline.” Moments later, a waiter wearing white gloves delivers your orange, cherry, or grape popsicle to you on a silver tra
Another article - this one from the Tampa Bay Times - questioning the audacity (No, the GALL!! I'm clutching my pearls) of a retailer asking for a donation at the register! Oh, the misery! ?? Oh, the effrontery! ?? Oh, the embarrassment! ?? Give. Me. A. Break. 1. No one is forcing you. If you don't want to give, don't. It's that simple. Are you really concerned what the person in line behind you will think of you?
Your nonprofit acknowledges that you can’t do it all as a comms team of one. Yay! But they don’t want to hire staff right now, and would rather contract out the work. So what should you outsource? Here are the five places I would consider first. 1. Media Relations / PR. Here’s why: If you are serious about getting regular, ongoing media coverage or you want to break into major or even national news markets, it’s a lot of work.
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.
We’re going to review the Facebook Fundraising Benchmarks Report 2020 by GivePanel. Let’s clarify what “Facebook fundraising” refers to. It’s probably exactly what you think it is: when someone on Facebook starts a fundraiser to support your nonprofit. But there’s some fine print here.
Last month, philanthropist MacKenzie Scott announced that she, in partnership with her husband Dan Jewett, donated another $2.74 billion to philanthropic entities. Her third round of grants in less than a year, Scott wrote that grant recipients were “286 high-impact organizations in categories and communities that have been historically underfunded and overlooked.
In May 2020, when Black Lives Matter protests ignited by the murder of George Floyd erupted across the country, many organizations started becoming more aware of the need to challenge racism and to encourage racial equity in their own spaces. At Race Forward, this increased awareness became evident when inquiries about our racial equity training […].
Consistently attracting new potential donors is vital for you to expand your mission and, more importantly, to have the funding needed to make it through unexpected times. Unfortunately, if you can’t have in-person events or if you don’t have a big marketing budget, finding new donors can be difficult. . This is why a fundamental shift in your approach to marketing, to fundraising, and even to your mission is needed.
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.
Last week I read a wonderfully detailed article on Hubspot called Sales Email vs. Cold Call: When to Use Each According to Data. The article was even written by a Boston guy, which increased my respect for it even more. But then I thought, "I wonder if Dan Cohen (aka 'The King of Cause Sales') would agree with his advice?" Heck, maybe the guy who wrote this article isn't even from Boston??
Crisis communications is not just about being prepared for a rogue board member or sketchy financials. The pandemic, social unrest, and increasing displays of hate have thrust nonprofits into the position of needing to revamp their communications plans and messaging on a dime. At some point – likely soon – your nonprofit will face another defining moment where it will be essential to provide clear, timely messaging.
You might have mixed feelings about the idea of finding and implementing new peer-to-peer fundraising software. Maybe you’ve seen the signs that it’s time for a new solution, but you dread the process of finding the right technology for your nonprofit. When you’re on the buyer’s side, product demos can be tricky. Time is limited, and it’s important that you see all you need to see to make the right selection for your organization and feel confident in your decision.
Look at your desk right now, and tell me how many sticky notes are on it. How many to-do lists? How many reminder notes to yourself? If you feel like you have too much to do and aren’t getting enough done, you need to increase your nonprofit productivity. The first step may be to change the way you work. That’s right. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different result.
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.
How nonprofit employees can help ideas be heard and embraced Bryan has an idea for something he thinks might help his nonprofit. His supervisor, Wanda, already has a lot on her plate at the moment. When Bryan says, “Here’s my idea,” it feels like a threat to Wanda’s energy, even if she’s open to hearing […]. The post The Worst Way to Share an Idea Is to Say, “I Have an Idea.” appeared first on Blue Avocado.
A majority of all adults experience imposter syndrome at some point in their careers; 70% by the latest figures. . It affects professionals of all occupations and backgrounds, with the impact on individuals in the nonprofit community being a significant one. . Be you a newly qualified doctor or starting up your own charity, doubts can creep in that you don’t deserve your success or promotion.
The Fourth of July is over, but I'm still thinking about it because it really didn't happen here in Boston. The whole weekend was a disaster. We got five inches of rain and we set a new record low temperature for July 3rd. Don't get me wrong, the gahhden ?????? the rain , but did it have to fall on a holiday weekend??? Of course, events were cancelled due to weather.
No, this isn’t another request for submissions to our Day in the Life of a Nonprofit Communicator blog series (but you are welcome to submit yours as part of this exercise ). I want to encourage you to do a simple assignment: Make a list of all of the things you do in a day (or week) at work – both big and small. This is NOT just your to-do list.
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.
We organize all of the trending information in your field so you don't have to. Join 27,000+ users and stay up to date on the latest articles your peers are reading.
You know about us, now we want to get to know you!
Let's personalize your content
Let's get even more personalized
We recognize your account from another site in our network, please click 'Send Email' below to continue with verifying your account and setting a password.
Let's personalize your content