Clairity Click-it: Effective Altruism; Team Building; Year-End Giving; Free Resources

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On the anniversary of 9-11, I’ve put together a group of posts that show that more people than not want to do good in this world. There’s a lot of inspiring food for thought here. Plus, since the critical end-of-year fundraising window is fast approaching, I’ve got a few things to help you with your planning – not only to acquire donors, but to sustain their giving over time. Plus one thing I thought was pretty cool, and that just brought a smile to my face! Spend a few minutes today to reflect on how we can come together to heal the world.

Effective Altruism

Click-it: Forum: The Logic of Effective Altruism. Peter Singer opens the debate about an exciting new movement, “Effective Altruism” (posted on the Boston Review) with this statement: “A minimally acceptable ethical life involves using a substantial part of one’s spare resources to make the world a better place.” The movement is spreading across universities and effective altruism organizations are forming. It’s a fascinating discussion, and one of which all who work in the nonprofit sector should be aware because effective altruism seeks to provide incentives for charities to demonstrate their effectiveness. Interesting note: most effective altruists are Millennials.

Click-it: Giving to charity makes you happy. Did you know there’s a demonstrated, research-based link between happiness and altruism? Not only that, it can reduce blood pressure! It means you should never – ever – feel bad about asking people to make a charitable gift. It doesn’t make them poorer. It makes them richer. And healthier. It’s effective for the charity, the world and the donor. Check out this article from the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Click-it: P2P Lessons from the Icebox Challenge. Speaking of how people come together to move the needle, did you know the Icebox Challenge really made a demonstrable impact towards finding a cure for ALS? Not only that, the response of the ALS organization to this unprecedented viral event has been spot-on. They could have just taken the money and run. But that would have made the event a one-time transaction. Instead, they’ve embraced the phenomenon, made it their own and helped to build a transformational philanthropic movement. Read about what they did to seize the opportunity and make it bigger than themselves in this article on Nonprofit Pro by Sean Norris. (BTW: I went to their website last month and was super impressed. The Home Page was completely taken over – covered with Ice Box Challenge photos and a campaign slogan: “Every August until There’s a Cure”).

Palmitas, Mexico transformed through art into a joyful 215,000 square-foot rainbow

Click-it: Mexico Asked Graffiti Artists to Paint an Entire Town – Joy Was the Result. There are many ways to make the world a happier place, and here’s one that makes me smile and smile and smile.. This group of street artists is hoping to challenge whatever stereotypes the world might have about their country and its people. There are multiple means to show love of humankind. Thanks to McKinley Corbley on the Good News Network for sharing.

Team-Building

Click-it: Help Your Team Agree on How They’ll Collaborate. It’s hard to come together to repair the world if you’re clueless how to build a team. This article from Harvard Business Review by Mary Shapiro provides a road map.

Year-End Giving

Click-it: Are you Smarter than a Fourth Grader? Fourth graders know what’s up. How to be direct. How to cut to the chase. We could learn a thing or two from them. Here, Michael Rosen of MLInnovations suggests a couple of lessons. One deals with how to ask; one with legacy giving, and one with monthly giving.

FREE RESOURCES

Fundraising & Nonprofit Marketing

Click-It: 10 Social Media Tips for Giving Tuesday. Clare McDowall & Allie Kosela of Socially Good are offering this free downloadable e-book to help you prepare for Giving Tuesday – a time when the entire social benefit sector is coming together to promote philanthropy. Should you choose to participate, you can get practical assistance here. By the way, Giving Tuesday now offers its own roadmap for your success on its website.

Click-It: Cause Marketing Cheat Sheet [Infographic]. Joe Waters of Selfish Giving has put together this super useful cheat sheet to help you to partner with businesses to make a difference. If you could use more business support (and who couldn’t?), be sure to check this out. Thanks Joe!

And since the critical year-end giving season is fast approaching…

How to Raise More Money + Do More Good THIS YEAR!

Don’t miss a trick if you want to raise more money at the end of the year!

Nonprofits will raise 25% – 40% of their total annual campaign goal from mid-November to December 31^st. Don’t miss opportunities that can make a big difference in your results! The Foundation Center and I are collaborating on a super useful webinar next Thursday. We’ll cover lots of ground, go into detail and have ample time for Q & A. I urge you to join us!

Your Year-End Fundraising Checklist 90-minute Webinar

• Thursday, September 17, 2015 11 – 12:30 PST; 2:00 pm – 3:30 pm EST
• Get more details and register here.
  

The Clairity Click-it is a weekly publication linking to insights inspired by the 7 Clairification Principles that help you “clairify” your values, stories, branding opportunities, social marketing channels, support constituencies, engagement objectives and resources. Check out my newly expanded 7 Clairification Keys to Unlock Your Nonprofit’s Fundraising Potential which builds on these principles. If it doesn’t reinvigorate the way you approach your work, I offer a full 30-day money- back guarantee — no questions asked. To your success!

Photo: Flickr, Isaac Torronterra