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October Halloween Nonprofit Blog Carnival – Major Gifts Tricks and Treats

 

Fear not! The Halloween Nonprofit Blog Carnival is back, offering tricks and treats galore from nonprofit experts all around the web – a full Baker’s Dozen (or shall I say a Witches Coven)! — to help you find, cultivate, solicit and steward your major donors. When you trick and treat, you always like to go to the houses that give out the most candy, natch?  Well… let’s find the donors giving out the most goodies so your mission is assured of success. But you’ve got to be prepared! No just showing up without a costume, a plan of attack or a strategy for success. You’ll get some lollipops and stuff, sure. But I know that’s not what you really want. Go for what you need.  Go for what will make your time spent on this effort feel worth your while.  And we’ve got 13 experts telling you exactly what to do.

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Clairity Click-it: Think; Fundraising Habits; Donor Retention; Landing Pages

Here are a bunch of October goodies for you. Treats to get you thinking about the role of philanthropy in society…  habits of the most effective fundraisers…  what it takes to grow loyal supporters… how to assure your website visitors don’t run from you screaming in horror…  and much more. And these treats won’t even give you cavities!  Don’t miss the special offers at the bottom of the post.

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How to Deal with Disgruntled Donors: Don’t Waste Valuable Complaints

I’m going to tell you to do exactly what I do.

Don’t ignore a single disgruntled supporter. Express compassion and contrition.

If someone takes the time to tell you they’re unhappy, that means they care. They’re connected to you. They want something from you, and you’re disappointing them.

This is your golden opportunity to get inside your donor’s head and find out what your supporter really cares about!

Don’t blow this person off. Instead,

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Clairity Click-it Donor Communication Special: Eliminate Silos; Customer Service; Social Media; Content Marketing; Using the Phone + Call for Submissions

Donor Communication Special Edition

I cannot say this strongly enough. Do not segregate marketing and fundraising as separate silos.

When it comes to fundraising, communication with your donors should not be an “add-on.” Nor should it be relegated to the marketing department. As the guru of donor-centered fundraising, Penelope Burk, states:

It is a core fundraising function that produces long-term income security. Make meaningful communication with donors your development department’s top priority.

Here are some tips from experts across the web to show you how to do a more effective job with your donor communications.

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It’s Blog Action Day: No Blog Needed to Participate; Learn How – and Feel Good!

Did you know today is Blog Action Day? It’s a day when bloggers all over the world get together to shine a light on one single thing that’s not going right in our world.

We shine this light on Blog Action Day so that, together, we can fix things.

There’s an old Jewish parable that begins with the notion that at one time everything in the world was perfectly balanced. It was “tzedek” (balanced) – which happens to be the root of  the word “tzedekah” ( justice) and the term for the money that is collected by every Jewish community to take care of its poor. Our goal, throughout our lives, is to do what we can to get back to that equilibrium. That time when there was no injustice. No unfairness. No fighting. No wars.

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2 CommentsContent Marketing

Clairity Click-it: Donor Communication; Donor-Centered Leadership; Call for Submissions

Here’s a timely October Click-it to help you get ready to communicate in a donor-friendly fashion with all your supporters this fall.  It’s giving and gratitude season, so grab yourself some great advice and be thankful — for the wisdom of the experts and for your donors.  May the force be with you.

And don’t miss some timely October announcements below.

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Find Yourself Failing at Fundraising? Put on Your Radiator Cap!

Do you find yourself sinking into a fundraising hole?

If so, you’re not the first. And you won’t be the last.

I’m going to tell you how to begin to dig yourself out!

First, stop blaming others. It’s not because so-and-so foundation just pulled their grant (how dare they?).  It’s not because the government just cut back funding in your area (those bastards!). It’s not because your development director is lazy (why can’t she work 70 hours?)… and it’s not because your board doesn’t give enough (they’re so stingy!).

Sure, some of those things may be happening.  But

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