Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 19, 2018

Jenna Czaplewski. Welcome to our latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators! This series lets you describe your workday in your own words. We’d love to feature YOU in this series! Don’t be shy – tell us what you do in a typical day as a nonprofit communications pro. Jenna Czaplewski is the Director of Communications for the Coalition for Children, Youth & Families.

Communication 205

Communication Children Nonprofits Finance 205

Selfish Giving

MARCH 27, 2018

Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Bjorn Erland , Vice President of People & Experience at Taco Bell and Jennifer Walker , Director of Strategic Development at Taco Bell Foundation , about the award of $3 million in scholarships through its Live Más Scholarship program. This includes $500k in scholarships for Taco Bell employees! On the show, Megan, Bjorn, Jennifer and I discuss: Bjorn Erland, Taco Bell.

Education 160

Education Education Foundations Values 160

Ann Green

MARCH 5, 2018

In college basketball, players are allowed to turn pro after playing one season. This is known as one-and-done. If you watch the NCAA tournament (aka March Madness), it’s likely many of the players won’t be around next year. Like it or not, it looks like one-and-done will be the norm in college basketball for a while. Another place where one-and-done seems to be the norm is in nonprofit fundraising.

Retention 160

Retention Fundraising Fundraising Energy 160

Pam Moore

MARCH 16, 2018

Many marketing and business leaders spend months developing an integrated online platform, brand architectures, message platforms, social media strategies and plans, logos, and more. They launch their business or new product with huge dreams to seriously rock the online world. However, after a few months goes by, they realize their platform is delivering little if any results.

Marketing 167

Marketing Marketing Production Foundations 167

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

Nonprofit Tech for Good

MARCH 20, 2018

The first “Donate Now” button was released in 1999 by Groundspring, a nonprofit founded by San Francisco-based Tides Foundation , and throughout the early 2000’s young Gen-Xer nonprofit professionals pioneered the use of “Donate Now” buttons. They experimented with placement and color, SEO, and new email marketing services, such as ConstantContact and MailChimp.

Fundraising 91

Fundraising Fundraising Technology Retention 91

The Agitator

MARCH 20, 2018

There’s an old joke at the right that often feels like nonprofit marketing. While we do and should have ambitions of expanding the charitable giving pie, we also want to secure our own organization’s piece of said pie. One of the points Kevin made yesterday is that organizations are differentiating themselves by creating donor journeys based on donor identity.

Values 89

Values Retention Nonprofits Governance 89

Selfish Giving

MARCH 28, 2018

We're starting to make a little progress here.??With today's webinar on measuring impact and success we can check off the #1 thing you asked to learn more about in 2018. Don't worry, they'll be more on this topic. Thanks to you, my readers, I'm thinking about it all the time now (looking for relevant article for you, booking podcast guests who can talk about it, etc.).

Retail 113

Retail Technology Recruitment Foundations 113

Ann Green

MARCH 12, 2018

I’ve written several posts recently about the importance of staying in touch with your donors throughout the year. Some of you may be saying, “We do that because we have a newsletter.”. A newsletter can be a great way to engage with your donors, but how often does that actually happen? Unfortunately, not very much because most donor newsletters can be used as a cure for insomnia.

Fundraising 149

Fundraising Fundraising Nonprofits Communication 149

Pam Moore

MARCH 8, 2018

A brand is not a logo, colors, fancy tag line or even a fancy Super Bowl commercial. A brand is not your Facebook page cover video, Twitter background or set of beautifully designed Pinterest boards or images on your Instagram profile. The truth is your brand is all of these things and more. It’s what you tweet, post, pin, +1, Instagram and offer as a call to action.

Non-Profits 167

Non-Profits Culture Values Marketing 167

Fundraising Report Card

MARCH 6, 2018

Does this shift in thinking mean that fundraising is more science than art? I don’t think so. It could be that the entire argument is actually broken. Successful fundraising relies on neither art nor science to perform its best. Let’s add another phrase to the conversation: evidence based. The post Art vs. Science in Fundraising? It’s Neither. Try Evidence Based. appeared first on Fundraising Report Card.

Fundraising 68

Fundraising Fundraising 68

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

The Agitator

MARCH 4, 2018

Customer experience guru Gerry McGovern warns that even if a company is indeed “customer-centric” that may not be enough these days. “To truly be successful, you need to nurture a customer obsession culture within your organization.”, he warns. The Agitator says, “Amen.” So, let’s kick ‘donor-centricity’ up a notch and focus on what makes for a “donor obsession” culture?

Culture 68

Culture Management Values Nonprofits 68

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 7, 2018

Rachel Clemens. Do you worry you’re being too intrusive when you ask for information about your supporters? Today, Rachel Clemens shares some tips on getting that information the right way. ~Kristina. Guest Post by Rachel Clemens of Mighty Citizen. One of my first questions for any new nonprofit client is: How good is your data? I’m not asking if they have data, but how good is it?

Donor Motivation 161

Donor Motivation Communication Marketing Marketing 161

Selfish Giving

MARCH 21, 2018

The nonprofit community lost an important corporate partner last week when Toys "R" Us announced it was closing all of its U.S. stores. Whether the storied retailer was murdered Caesar-like on the Ides of March by Amazon, Target and Walmart , or was a victim of gross mismanagement , was hotly debated on the Internet last week. But one thing is for sure: causes will lose millions when Toys "R" Us disappears from malls and retail parks this spring.

Retail 100

Retail Children Fundraising Fundraising 100

Ann Green

MARCH 27, 2018

Lagom is a Swedish concept meaning everything in moderation or not too much, not too little. Keeping things simple. This is not to be confused with the Danish concept of Hygge, which means getting cozy. Not surprisingly there isn’t an English translation of these terms, even though they are much needed in our overstressed world. The term lagom can be used in almost any context – the home, relationships, work, etc.

Communication 146

Communication Recruitment Nonprofits Activism 146

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Management

Pam Moore

MARCH 4, 2018

Are you tired of looking for the magic easy button to help you get your business content to the top of the News Feed? Do you dream about your content showing up on top of the Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn News Feed? What if I told you there is no magic easy button? The truth is marketers have no guarantee their content will be seen on any medium, platform or social network, by anyone, let alone their target audience.

Marketing 165

Marketing Marketing Education Education 165

iMarketSmart

MARCH 14, 2018

Ack! Run, it's the brand police! Unfortunately, many major and planned gift officers are subject to harassment by the 'brand' police. They impede your progress telling you the colors are off, the font size is too small, or the pictures are wrong. Sometimes they even tell you the pixels online are incorrect. Here’s the issue. Too often they think ‘brand’ is a verb.

Management 66

Management Leadership Marketing Marketing 66

The Agitator

MARCH 26, 2018

Last month, we talked about the advocate donor identity: how to tell if you have one , the science behind online activism , and how to get and convert advocates. Let’s assume you’ve gone through those, determined you have an advocate identity, and found it to be valuable (not all advocates are and advocacy is not a necessary condition of a quality donor ).

Advertising 68

Advertising Activism Philanthropy Communication 68

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 15, 2018

I decided to go all in with Google for my productivity apps this year, getting everything into some combination of Inbox by Gmail , Google Calendar, and Google Keep. While I loved playing with Asana and Trello and Remember the Milk over the years, I never fully adopted them the way I have my Google apps. But Google’s products aren’t always as user-friendly or customizable as I would like.

Production 145

Production Activism Communication Nonprofits 145

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

Selfish Giving

MARCH 20, 2018

Photo via Cecilia Snyder on Flickr. Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Perry Yeatman , CEO, Perry Yeatman Global Partners , External Director, Mission Measurement about how companies and nonprofits can measure the success of social impact programs. On the show, Megan, Perry and I discuss: Perry Yeatman, Perry Yeatman Global Partners. How are you currently working with companies as it relates to social impact programs?

Culture 100

Culture Nonprofits 100

Ann Green

MARCH 19, 2018

I’m not a fan of jargon, but nonprofit organizations seem to love it. If I see one more appeal letter, thank you letter, and newsletter article laced with terms like at-risk youth, underserved communities, leverage, and impactful, I’m going to scream. I think people use jargon because it’s an insider language and it makes them feel like they’re “in the know” in their professional community.

Healthcare 123

Healthcare Advertising Food Communication 123

Fundraising Coach

MARCH 19, 2018

The Science of Giving: Why Your Brain Craves Meaning. by Laura A. Roser. Your brain is a meaning magnet. It can’t help it; it’s been conditioned. Since the hunter and gatherer days, humans have tried to make sense of the world. From the Egyptians and Greeks with their gods to philosophers with their theories to scientists with their hypotheses to small towns with their gossip, we crave explanations.

Philanthropy 58

Philanthropy Children Values Universities 58

iMarketSmart

MARCH 21, 2018

Your donors want a partner, not a solicitor. Partners ask for advice before asking for money. Partners looking for advice are looking to collaborate. Partners requesting advice are less threatening. Partners requesting advice motivate supporters to ‘lean’ in. Partners requesting advice inspire exponentially more dollars throughout their long-term, mutually beneficial relationships.

Collaborations 65

Collaborations Fundraising Fundraising Philanthropy 65

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

The Agitator

MARCH 1, 2018

Last week, we talked about advocacy as a way of building your file (and I was called out, correctly, for discounting the potential of paid advocate acquisition). So how much should you spend to get one email address? There’s new data from Steve MacLaughlin and Blackbaud (that you can get from his Data Driven Nonprofits newsletter ) on how having an email address on file is related to increased donor retention, even if that donor doesn’t give online.

Values 66

Values Retention Advertising Communication 66

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 28, 2018

Make your supporters the superhero in your story. We recently started working with a healthcare nonprofit that wanted to take a fresh approach to its communications and marketing content. The nonprofit had seen attendance at its community events slip over the past two years — and its fundraising revenues had declined. After a quick review of its website, marketing materials, and social-media accounts, it was easy to diagnose a major reason why the organization had been struggling.

Healthcare 135

Healthcare Construction Nonprofits Communication 135

Selfish Giving

MARCH 14, 2018

Back in January I asked what you wanted to learn more about in 2018. The #1 response was: How to measure the impact of a partnership on your nonprofit and for your corporate partner. I was really surprised that this topped the list! Still, I heard you and have a free upcoming webinar for you on this very topic! Join me and Catalist co-founder and CEO Brittany Hill on Wednesday, March 28th at 2pm EDT for a FREE one-hour, deep-dive discussion into data and measurement, with answers to your pressin

Retail 100

Retail Production Foundations Philanthropy 100

Bloomerang

MARCH 23, 2018

There are a lot of strategies out there about the best ways to begin a new capital campaign. And because no two campaigns are exactly the same, it can be difficult to find information and best-practices that fit your unique scenario. Generis , a consultant group specializing in helping faith-based nonprofits, churches, and christian schools fund their visions, recently published a helpful checklist outlining important considerations before launching a new campaign.

Non-Profits 52

Non-Profits Culture Education Education 52

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

Lets Talk Nonprofit

MARCH 7, 2018

If you're new to grant writing, or even if you've been at it for a while, you might have questions like these: "How long does it usually take to get a grant?" "What's a typical award amount?" "If I apply for 2 or 3 grants, will I get at least one?" Each year - twice a year, actually - you can get answers to these questions and many more. Published by GrantStation, The State of Grant Seeking Report sheds light on trends in the "grants world.

Foundations 52

Foundations Governance Philanthropy Marketing 52

iMarketSmart

MARCH 22, 2018

Joining Engagement Fundraising is Andrew Olsen, senior vice president of Newport One. If you are a fundraiser trying to find that silver bullet then this episode is for you. Andrew will be diving into why there are no silver bullets or unicorns and instead why it takes a lot of little things to make a big impact. Click here to listen on YouTube! Topic Timestamps.

Culture 63

Culture Fundraising Fundraising Marketing 63

The Agitator

MARCH 28, 2018

We’ve talked about ways to bring people in from the outside like advocacy programs and content marketing efforts. But while both are good ways to get people on your file, they may not always convert to donors. So what if it turns out that, like the Scarecrow’s brains and the True Meaning of Christmas*, the answer to acquisition was inside us, inside our organization (specifically our donor file) the whole time?

Advertising 65

Advertising Retention Communication Values 65

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

MARCH 13, 2018

Sometimes in the nonprofit world, we get consumed with the specific details of online fundraising, advocacy and education for our causes and forget about the bigger trends at play. Let’s take a quick look at three really big trends that will affect everything you do online, including fundraising. Think about all the pieces in the online experiences you are creating, including your website, email, social media and other third-party sites like crowdfunding or peer-to-peer fundraising pages.

Education 135

Education Education Communication Fundraising 135

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