Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Don’t get trapped in simply doing what you’ve done before this year.
Have you made your new year’s resolutions and picked at least one thing you’ll do differently or better in 2014? Here are some great posts to set yourself up for success in the coming year.
TOP 5 Clairification articles from 2013: In case you missed any of these, here are the five articles that generated the most interest and readers over the past 12 months. Enjoy!
#1 5 Secrets of Psychologists: How to Get Donors to Say “Yes”
#2 Philanthropy, Not Fundraising: I Have a Dream
#3 6 Ways to Raise More Money with Your Annual Fundraising Appeal
#4 THANKS(for)GIVING: 8 Mistakes Nonprofits Make When Thanking Donors
#5 3 Secrets to Getting Your Donor Thank You Out in 48 Hours
Moving Forward
Click-It: 2014 New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members by Gail Perry is a must-read for staff and board members. Here are 10 great resolutions that will move your nonprofit forward by leaps and bounds if you follow them. I started to try to pick my favorite pieces of advice/wisdom for you, but I simply couldn’t. They’re all essential. Truly, this article is a ‘keeper.’ Keep it by your side and refer back to it often.
Click-it: 29 Essential Tools for Social Media Marketers [Infographic + Tips] John Haydon shares highlights of tools in these areas: Learning and content curation; Publishing; Scheduling; Facebook contests; Monitoring and Analytics. Get more productive with your social media in the coming year!
Click-it: 5 simple steps to content marketing success. I’m going to be talking to you a lot in 2014 about creating and disseminating engaging, relevant content. So let’s kick it off with this post from Dennis Fischman. I too often hear nonprofit leaders say “We’re the best kept secret out there.” One of the reasons is your content marketing strategy – or lack there of. Invest in content marketing next year so folks will not only find you; they’ll keep coming back!
Click-It: How to Listen toYour Donor. This post really goes to the heart of all successful fundraising. You’re taking your would-be supporters on a journey. You’re the ‘Director of Donor Experiences.” Are you enjoying your fellow travelers? Are you enjoying the journey? Read this from the gentlemen from Veritus Group and think about how you can shift towards a more open, embracing fundraising practice in the coming year. You’ll be glad you did.
Never Apologize for Asking
Click-it: “Poverty porn” vs. fundraising: Let’s get serious. This post from Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now reminds us of why we’re in this business. To alleviate suffering. To save lives. To end poverty, sickness and hatred. We should never apologize for doing this vital work.
AS THE YEAR REVS UP…
Build your donor pipeline so you’ve got folks to ask, and learn how to do so with pride and passion. Now’s the time to resolve to put in place a systematic plan to find the right prospects, make the right cultivation moves and ask for larger gifts. Want to blow your 2013 results out of the water this coming year? Then check out my new E-Course: Winning Major Gift Strategies for small and medium-sized shops. Plus, don’t forget to begin with saying thank you, promptly and personally. For the former, get my 48 Hours: Your Donor Acknowledgment Solution Kit. For the latter, get How to Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude and Keep Your Donors. All my materials and courses come with a 100% guarantee.
Photo, Flickr, Photopin
