Giving Tuesday. What’s it all about? Read about the origins here. It’s one of those things that sounds good on paper, but in actual implementation it can be less than ideal. Why? Because it comes right smack dab in the middle of most folks annual campaigns. So there’s often little time to do it right. And it can cannibalize other fundraising efforts.
DetailsOne of my favorite things to do is to raid the halls of business blogs to see what they’re doing that should be applied to nonprofit businesses. Sadly, we still seem to be last to the party when it comes to really thinking outside the box, adopting tried-and-true best practices (I don’t mean the shiniest new object; I mean stuff that’s working super well, creating lots of brand awareness and raising lots of money). So this week I’ve got a bunch of simple and powerful business tips for you… plus some stuff to get you thinking. I hope a light bulb goes off for you!
DetailsIn Part 1 of this article we discussed four out of nine tricks to boost your social media traffic and build relationships with your target audiences. They included (1) optimizing your profile; (2) joining different networks; (3) crafting catchy, relevant titles, and (4) creating engaging content. Now it’s time to reveal the rest.
Before I do, it’s worth noting that there’s one dominant strategy underlying all my recommendations: Develop and rock a blog. All of these tricks will work without one, but a blog is the absolute best way to deliver content to your social networks. So make it the hub of your marketing communications strategy. Honest-to-goodness it will make your life easier! If you have numerous excuses holding you back from blogging, read this article to get over them [and see below for some help with implementation]. Got it? Okay. Let’s move on to tricks five through nine.
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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.
DetailsDid I scare you with that big BOO!? Aw, shucks. Just trying to get you in the mood for Halloween. I want you to have more than a ghost of a chance at generating leads and converting visitors into supporters. And that’s why I’m offering up 9 tricks to help you make your social media strategy worth the effort you’re putting into it.
In fact, these 9 tricks are really treats. If you use them, no one will end up with rotten egg on their face. So… fear not! Why the heck not get in the spirit and … go for the ghoul?
DetailsHere 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.
DetailsI’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,
DetailsDonor 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.
DetailsDid 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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Do you know about The Donor’s Bill of Rights? Does your staff know about it? Your board of directors? If you do know about it, do you heed it?
You should.
For the sake of your donors. For the sake of your nonprofit. For the sake of the entire social benefit sector.
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