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Content marketing is becoming more challenging even for the most experienced marketers. Gone are the days of simply needing to know how to write textual content for a white paper, marketing collateral or direct mail flyer. Now businesses large and small must learn not just how to inspire and engage their audiences with content, they must also learn the technologies, mediums, social networks and how to orchestrate them all together to somehow rise above the noise.
When your donors open your appeal letter or newsletter, do you bore them with a bunch of mind-numbing statistics, or do you share a story about how the Clark family moved out of a shelter and into a home of their own? Donors want to hear your stories. You may be reluctant to use stories because it’s more work for your organization, but don’t use that as an excuse.
Eugene Patron. Welcome to the 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. Eugene Patron is Communications & Marketing Director for Point Foundation, which provides college scholarships and mentoring to LGBTQ students.
I love holidays because cause marketing campaigns tend to be clustered around them. Last week's holiday, Independence Day , was no exception. My favorite campaign last week? A hashtag campaign from Keep American Beautiful (KAB) and Fishbrain. The latter bills itself as the most popular mobile app for people who love fishing. They have four million users!
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.
How do you build a brand that is a sweet orange in an online social world of bitter apples? How do the brands that leave lasting imprints in your head do it? Why is that jingle you hear one time on the radio or TV in the morning stuck in your head all day? Why do you consistently buy one brand over another? Standing out in a crowd of noise, confusion, spammers and fake bots online is a challenge.
Nonprofits need to exist as long as their issue exists. Most deal with long-term problems. Thus, they need to exist in the long-term. That’s why we preach retention above almost all other things – the donors you have are the ones who will sustain you. As a fundraising professional, it’s your responsibility to think about –and act– in support of the long-term.
You’ve probably heard that you need to make your supporters the hero of your story. It’s really at the heart of creating supporter-centered communications – talk about how awesome your supporters are for helping as opposed to how awesome you are. But every hero needs a villain, right? While you may not have a nemesis the likes of Thanos or Voldemort, you need to create something your supporters want to defeat in order to effectively communicate your mission and get your readers involved in
You’ve probably heard that you need to make your supporters the hero of your story. It’s really at the heart of creating supporter-centered communications – talk about how awesome your supporters are for helping as opposed to how awesome you are. But every hero needs a villain, right? While you may not have a nemesis the likes of Thanos or Voldemort, you need to create something your supporters want to defeat in order to effectively communicate your mission and get your readers involved in
Last week, I sent my Fundraising Kick subscribers a couple ideas on how to make the most of the different pace of the summer. Although Kicks are written for nonprofit CEO's, I thought this might be helpful to a larger group of people as well. Happy New (fiscal) Year, Kickers! For many nonprofits, July 1 is the new fiscal year. And with Canada Day being yesterday and the 4th of July being Wednesday, here in North America this is a week many take as a vacation.
Summer brings the quiet of an empty campus and the focus you need to get through your backlog of emails and articles. Not only is this a time for productivity, it’s also the perfect opportunity to learn something new to help you communicate even more effectively at your school. Why not join the Mission Minded […]. The post Learn Something New, Even Though School is Out appeared first on Mission Minded.
When a siloed staff is channel-structured and channel-incentivized, the knives come out. Direct marketers who are measured against a net budget goal are loathe to give up “their donors” to major donor prospecting or try to drive them to events. In turn, Events folks want their walkers, bikers, gala goers, etc. to keep walking, biking, going to galas,with no “interference” from those who might try to turn them into institutional donors.
Ruby Slipper. New Orleans, LA. Is this Friday the 13th is treating you kindly? Lucky you, I was able to find the best articles, posts, tips, and more from around the world of marketing and fundraising. We’ve got lots on social media this week with some email KPIs thrown in for good measure. It’s time for Mixed Links…. If you are looking to up your Instagram game, here is The 2018 Instagram Hashtag Guide—How to Use Them and Get Results from Hootsuite.
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.
In my last post, I tore up the concept of the disappearing donor. I proclaimed that donors are not disappearing. Rather, our sector’s fundraising practices are driving donors to avoid our communications because most nonprofits fail to understand and provide value. Instead, too many listen to vendors, suppliers, and so-called experts in the field who are driven by their own self-interests— leading the sector to march further downward on the declivity.
Here's a great piece of grant writing advice that comes from a rather unexpected place: a test prep and study guide. One study guide for the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) exam says this: Avoid the "fact trap." Don't get distracted by a choice that is factually true. Your search is for the answer that answers the question. Stay focused and don't fall for an answer that is true but irrelevant.
“Never, ever, think about something else when you should be thinking about the power of incentives.”. — Charlie Munger, investor, author, philanthropist and Warren Buffet’s irreverent partner at Berhshire Hathaway. In my post on the future of “full service” agencies I urged that we all give serious thought to re-directing the financial incentives to reward innovation, growth and value.
I am working on a new webinar on “simple rules” for communications teams. Simple rules help you break down and speed up complicated processes so that you can make better decisions more quickly and get better work done faster. You can see some examples here and here. I would love to hear about what’s too complicated at your organization right now related to communications.
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!
Lots of folks think donors are disappearing. . While populations in the U.S. and other philanthropic countries are still increasing how can it be that donors are disappearing ? Blackbaud’s Vital Signs report found: “The number of households contributing dropped 7% from 2010 – 2015.” The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article titled Where Are My Donors reported: “Since 2000, the percentage of households that donate has dropped in every age group.
Learn what database a small nonprofit should use, how to deal with data outliers, and how to get your team onboard with making data-driven decisions in this special Michael Jordan themed episode. Call (575) 815-4573 to leave a voicemail with your questions. Write in to tim@imarketsmart.com to email in your questions. Click here to listen … Continue reading "Advice for Small NonProfits, Data Outliers, and Getting Your Team Onboard (Season 2, Episode 3)".
A discussion of incentives in direct marketing wouldn’t be complete without talking about that Agitator bugaboo of communication volume. We’ve pointed out how volume has been poorly tested by those who advocate sending more and more … how organizations have found lower volume works better , and that donors hate it ( twice ). And… twice we emphasized that volume isn’t just the wrong answer; it’s the wrong question.
Last week, I sent my Fundraising Kick subscribers a couple ideas on how to make the most of the different pace of the summer. Although Kicks are written for nonprofit CEO’s, I thought this might be helpful to a larger group of people as well. Happy New (fiscal) Year, Kickers! For many nonprofits, July 1 is the new fiscal year. And with Canada Day being yesterday and the 4th of July being Wednesday, here in North America this is a week many take as a vacation.
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.
If email engagement is the goal (see last week’s posts here and here on why that is) and snail mail keeps getting more expensive, it makes sense in both channels to more carefully manage who is on your mailing lists so you only send to people who may actually consume that content, right? That means that you need to decide when you will STOP emailing and snail mailing people and remove them from your active lists.
The biggest barrier to entry that I have discovered over the past 4 years isn’t being unsure what to measure, or having access to information. No, it is a lack of organizational culture that supports this new way of thinking. The post 3 Steps to Build a Data-Driven Organizational Culture appeared first on Fundraising Report Card.
A few weeks ago, Kevin Schulman here ignited a firestorm by suggesting a F2F model where the canvassing vendor does some or all the financing for this new donor acquisition. There were some well-thought-out concerns about the history of financing acquisition and about the viability in today’s marketing. Regardless of on which side of that debate you fall, I’d like to argue that the incentive structure for most F2F firms gives them incentives that are different from your nonprofit’s incentives.
Why donors like CGAs. CGAs help them feel good because they get to make a gift to support a cause they believe in while also getting the benefit of a financial payout in return for as long as they live; They help donors get a reliable, fixed income until death (which may be particularly attractive for people who are concerned about outliving the amount they have saved); They help donors gain tax advantages : Get a tax credit now for making the charitable donation; Possibly lower their income tax
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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