My recent post about showing your donors you know them* through personalization struck a big chord. Folks have asked for more tips on the subject of building and sustaining meaningful, loyal relationships, so I’ve taken the liberty of sharing this article originally published in The Bridge. The 5 tips are towards the bottom, so scroll down if you’re impatient. Okay…
DetailsWhat’s the number one thing you strive for in your marketing and fundraising strategy? Challenge yourself to think about this for a moment. Really think. Trust me; you’ll remember it better if you think first. Don’t skip ahead.
Got a word?
There’s one word that should come to mind. This word should become your mantra. It should underscore everything you do. Your annual appeal writing. Your special events. Your newsletters. Your blog posts. Your proposals. Your reports. Your social media.
If you take this one word to heart, you’ll be leaps and bounds ahead of the competition. Moreover, this is the one word that can set you apart. That can help you build relationships like nothing else. Ready?
DetailsFundraisers report that money is the number one reason they leave their jobs [See Part I of this two-part series here]. While I do believe too many fundraisers are underpaid relative to their skill sets and performance, I’ve a hunch it’s not the real chief culprit for fundraiser dissatisfaction. What is?
DetailsWhat’s love got to do with it? Show me the money. I recently read Chronicle of Philanthropy contributor Holly Hall’s article about the need to Shake Up Development Offices and Curb Turnover. She cites Penelope Burk’s five years of research which have culminated in a new book, Donor-Centered Leadership as well as a much-talked-about study by CompassPoint and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund that found half of chief development officers plan to leave their jobs in two years or less. And 40% plan to leave fundraising entirely.
What’s going on, and how can you fix it? Is it about money, or something else?
DetailsNonprofits wanting gifts should give them. Relationships work that way. Give and get.
This principle of reciprocity applies in spades to social media. Generosity begets generosity.
What you don’t want to do with social media is:
This month’s SMIT (Single Most Important Thing I have to tell you) is that if you don’t take care of your social media it’s going to pee on your floor, tear up your furniture and chew up your shoes. No fooling. Social media is like a puppy. Everyone wants to play with the cute, cuddly…
DetailsIf any of the following apply to you, your nonprofit is not ready for the 21st century. The cure? Read Monday’s post to get serious and avoid being pranked — or spanked! — for failing to embrace the fact that we’re all social businesses now. Truly, it’s time to get serious (just not today; for now, have a little fun, a super good week-end and… get determined after April 1st). Let’s get in the spirit!
Do you:
DetailsFirst you get in the game. This should go without saying, but I still hear too many executive directors saying they don’t want to play. Folks: you gotta play to win. And it’s not the lottery. Your chances of winning are really good. It’s a game of skill, not luck.
Then you acknowledge that everyone is getting into the game. So you won’t get noticed just because you’re on the field. An October survey of U.S. nonprofits by VerticalResponse found that more than three out of five nonprofits reported spending more time on social media than they did a year ago. Nearly two out of five reported devoting six or more hours per week to social media. Ninety-six percent of nonprofits said they were on Facebook; 80% of these organizations reported posting on the site multiple times per week. Twitter also gets significant attention from nonprofits. The site was used by nearly three-quarters of nonprofits, and the organizations were more likely to post several times a day on Twitter (19.5%) vs. Facebook (13.8%).
Just because you’re flitting and twitting around doesn’t mean you’re getting anywhere fast. It reminds me a bit of the big pile-up on the football field. An amorphous mass.
DetailsPhilanthropy; Not Fundraising
People. Purpose. Passion. Plan. Four “P”s in a row. I know… you’re thinking, cute. Yawn. But wait. Before your eyes glaze over, stop a moment and think about these 4 “P”s.
They’re central to your success in inspiring philanthropy. Because even though I’ve written, and truly believe, that there are fundamental ways fundraising has changed significantly over the past five years, there are also things that haven’t changed at all. You simply must translate these fundamentals to the digital world:
It’s human nature to love to listen to – and tell – a story. So let’s figure out how to make that happen for your organization – and for your donors.
DetailsPhilanthropy; Not Fundraising
This month’s SMIT (Single Most Important Thing I have to tell you) is to never lose sight of the “Why.” And total props to Hugh MacLeod (whose brilliant cartoon is shared here) for the reminder. It’s a simple concept; not so simple to comply.
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