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Falling Into Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

Artificial intelligence (AI) is in the news so much these days, I thought I’d help us all take a step back to discover, or finally understand, some of the basics. What it can do; what it can’t. Towards that end, my “special feature” this week includes some different perspectives on AI basics.  And, of course, I couldn’t omit what the inimitable Seth Godin has to say (below). He always has a knack for cutting through to the hear t of the matter.

Omitting the herbs

Without salt, human beings don’t survive long.

But it’s possible to eat for a month without tasting an herb. The food will sustain you.

Herbs are an expensive non-obvious addition, while also being a bargain if the goal is to create delight, interest or satisfaction.

As we digitize our interactions, the first thing to go are the herbs. We strip away anything that’s not obviously functional.

The first 100 interactions you have with an AI will leave you amazed, and then a bit empty.

And when a skilled user experience professional arrives, the first thing she does is add back the herbs. Tiny speed bumps, moments of tension, opportunities for traction or surprise.

— Seth Godin

Do you want to raise a bunch of money before the end of the year? More than last year?  Then, as the folks at Nike say, “Just Do It.”

No ifs, ands or buts. Stop making excuses.  You can do this! Look for your special moments. Give folks opportunities – more than a few – to make a demonstrable impact. Give them meaning and purpose. Make yourself, your donors, your community and the world feel just a little bit better. Move the needle, every day.

And use some of the wisdom gleaned in this week’s issue of the Clairity Click-it to help you. Whatever your role, you’ll find something in this issue to nourish you. So, start digging through the curated content from across the web. I hope it will make your job easier, and more fulfilling. There’s lots to get curious about!

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

P.S. Even if you don’t care about all the Clairification School benefits, and are happy just being on the Clairity Click-it newsletter list, if you enjoy reading it and want to send a little love my way by enrolling, I promise to send it back.

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Do Something Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

Let’s get right to this week’s collection of free resources!

If you poke around this issue of the Clairity Click-it, I’m sure you’ll find something to help you DO SOMETHING positive to change the world — at least in your little corner of it. Or something provocative to fuel your thinking around what your might do differently to more effectively engage your constituents. Or something to help you raise more money to fuel your cause and create extraordinary outcomes. Or something simply to gladden other people’s lives.  Or something to lighten your heart.

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

P.P.S. Even if you don’t care about all the Clairification School benefits, and are happy just being on the Clairity Click-it newsletter list, if you enjoy reading it and want to send a little love my way by enrolling. I promise to send it back.

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Getting Ready Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

As you’re planning ahead, and readying your year-end fundraising initiatives, take a little time to think about your communication delivery mediums. Not to mention your message content. Are you reaching the right audiences, and making it easy for them? Are you sharing messaging that’s relevant to your constituents, and also authentically you?

Take some inspiration from the inimitable Seth Godin:

Little billboards

On the West Side Highway in Manhattan, there’s currently a billboard for some sort of placebo supplement. In the corner is a QR code for more information.

Unless the person in the passenger seat has a telephoto lens on their phone, there’s no way in the world that this is going to work.

My late friend Jay Levinson said that the most effective billboard would say, “FREE COFFEE, NEXT EXIT.” A call to action, relevant to the viewer, easy to see and understand.

Actual billboards are a whole category of media, but now we’re surrounded by a new kind, a smaller, more evanescent and common one: Social media posts. You might see a thousand of these a day.

Social media began as text updates from one human to another, but thanks to photo sharing, some of the posts have become something else entirely. A chance to create consistent, actionable and clear reminders of what you are and what you stand for.

But keeping Jay’s edict in mind, they work best when they’re about the viewer as much as they are about you. They work better when they can be seen and understood from a distance. And they work better when they “sound like you.”

I publish the Clairity Click-it to offer all kinds of resources for all kinds of nonprofit consumers. Whatever your role, you’ll find something in this issue to nourish you. So, start digging through the curated content from across the web. I hope it will make your job easier, and more fulfilling. There’s lots to get curious about!

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year donation you get all my new blog articles, exclusive monthly tips, bonus e-guides, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support!  [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Clairity Click-it: Sandpail Full of Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

Seth Godin once famously said, “The ideas that spread, win.” Hugh MacLeod of the GapingVoid just reframed this as “The ideas that spread are the ones that become social objects.” They enable social interaction.

If this brings to mind the recent memeification of the Kamala Harris campaign, or Trump’s red MAGA hat, or the amazing lightening-in-a-bottle nonprofit Ice Bucket Challenge, you’re right. Once you see a social object, you can’t unsee it.

And, of course, when building awareness for your nonprofit’s cause, that’s what you strive for, right? You want to be memorable. But, in a good way.

Social objects are what businesses – for-profit and nonprofit – are built on. So, ask yourself if the idea you want to spread is a social object.

Truly, everything you do in fundraising and marketing should enable a value-for-value exchange. Everyone should get something from the conversation.

Towards that end… let’s get right to this week’s collection of free resources!

If you poke around this issue of the Clairity Click-it, I’m sure you’ll find something provocative to fuel your thinking. What might you do differently to more effectively engage your constituents? To raise more money to fuel your cause and create extraordinary outcomes?  

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

HOT Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

In the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” some of you may remember the scene where Mr. McGuire takes Dustin Hoffman’s character, Benjamin, off to the side and says “Plastics … there’s a great future in plastics.” Little did we know…

While that turned out poorly for the planet, there’s a similar word that could be the future for nonprofits. And the sage who’s offering it up is none other than the inimitable Seth Godin.

Plasticity

It’s pretty easy for some kids to switch gears. They can go from sad to ebullient in seconds, and switch contexts without much fuss. Others have more trouble.

As we get older, our natural ability to thrive in a new situation can decrease. But, like a muscle or a skill, it responds to practice.

The same is true for organizations. As the world changes faster and faster, it seems clear that organizations that prize plasticity will thrive.

— Seth Godin

I encourage you to be thoughtful about what’s working/not working for you and your organization currently. Be open to change. Organizations that adapt are organizations that thrive. Organizations that are buoyant are organizations that flourish. People too.

If you poke around this issue of the Clairity Click-it, I’m sure you’ll find something provocative to fuel your thinking. What might you do differently to make your work easier, more fulfilling and more successful? Find something, then… go make something happen!  

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Even if you don’t care about all the Clairification School benefits, and are happy just being on the Clairity Click-it newsletter list, if you enjoy reading it and want to send a little love my way by enrolling. I promise to send it back.

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Proud Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

This is a great month to do something you’re proud of. And to support others who are showing their spirit and pride. Actually, every month is good for these things!

Which, as it often does, brings me to share a bit of wisdom from the sage Seth Godin.

Simple five step plan for just about everyone and everything

The number of people you need to ask for permission keeps going down:

1. Go, make something happen.
2. Do work you’re proud of.
3. Treat people with respect.
4. Make big promises and keep them.
5. Ship it out the door.

When in doubt, see #1.

— Seth Godin

What do you have to be proud of? Think about this both professionally and personally. Pick one thing your organization did last week or month that made you proud. Pick one thing you did personally that made you proud. I encourage you to think about the proud moments and bask, as much as possible, in the positives. While you’re at it, poke around this issue of the Clairity Click-it and find something that speaks to you. Then… go make something happen!

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Even if you don’t care about all the Clairification School benefits, and are happy just being on the Clairity Click-it newsletter list, if you enjoy reading it and want to send a little love my way by enrolling. I promise to send it back.

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Anniversary Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

June 13^th marked the 11^th anniversary of the Clairity Click-it Newsletter.  That’s 312 issues (whoa!), all chock full of resources I hand select for you from across the web. And nothing I select will cost you a dime! I search assiduously, read every single article before sharing with you, and only select trusted resources for webinars, podcasts, white papers, reports and the like.

How can I afford the time, you wonder? I can’t! Which is why I have some sponsors to help underwrite what is, mostly, a labor of love. Please scroll down to the bottom of the page to see who they are, and maybe click on their links to learn more about them.  They’re all terrific resources for you, and definitely worth your attention. I also want to extend a special shout out to my lead sponsor, Bloomerang, for all they do – beyond just their wonderful product — to help nonprofits make lasting change in their communities and the world.

If you’ve been along for the ride for a while, I hope you’ve gleaned some useful nuggets to help you in your work, and maybe even in your personal life. If you’re new, welcome!  I love sharing insights, research and practices from other disciplines, including psychology, neuroscience, behavioral economics, mindfulness, for-profit marketing, and more. If you’ve found this newsletter thought-provoking, educational or just plain practical, please forward it to a curious colleague.  They can subscribe here for free.

But why stop here?

ENROLL in ‘Clairification School’ (modest annual charge to cover my costs) and receive access to ALL original articles (including 1,000+ article archive) + exclusive members’ only benefits: bonus content with actionable tips and ‘how-to’s,’ specific monthly tips, access to webinars and podcasts, and generous discounts on products and courses. Get your exclusive member benefits here!

ANNIVERSARY ENROLLMENT SPECIAL:

In honor of this anniversary, anyone who enrolls in the next week will receive an additional bonus e-guide — “Use Gratitude to Build Relationships that Pave the Way for Future Gifts” — jam-packed with actionable tips.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Even if you don’t care about all the Clairification School benefits, and are happy just being on the Clairity Click-it newsletter list, if you enjoy reading it and want to send a little love my way I promise to send it back.

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Bustin’ Out Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

Skipping the good days

Part of the luxury of living near the ocean or the mountains is that you can be picky. If the surf or the powder isn’t great, leave it for the tourists. Good is insufficient, wait for the great moments…

When we’re young, or the project is going really well, it’s easy to waste the good days. After all, there will be another one tomorrow.

What becomes clear, though, is that good days are precious. When you’re feeling even a little creative, don’t wait. Write it down, roll tape, speak up. When you’re feeling reasonably healthy, go for a walk.

They’re all good days, if we choose.

— Seth Godin

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June is bustin’ out all over, and nature beckons. Don’t waste it!  And don’t waste your creative sparks when you feel them either.  If any of the content you unlock in this edition of the Clairity Click-it sparks your imagination, do something with it. Don’t tuck it aside to think about tomorrow. Too often, tomorrow never comes.

Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. What calls to you? Pick at least one thing to click on. What did you learn? What did it make you think about doing differently? Write it down and calendar a time to dig into it a bit more sometime next week.

As always, I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a broad spectrum of materials for a range of adult learning styles. A big thank you to my Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year you get all my new blog articles, monthly tips, bonus tips, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support!  [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Forward Motion Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

I just can’t stop taking inspiration from the inimitable Seth Godin.

This week I’m inspired by a piece talking about things we can, and cannot, do. If something about your work (or personal life, for that matter) is keeping you up at night, ask yourself if it’s a problem you can address or a situation you can’t change. This should help you shift priorities to things capable of being accomplished. Otherwise, you’ll just keep pushing that proverbial rock up a hill. And nothing will change. Exhausting!

Inverting the vex

“Life can be irritating.

And sometimes, we can make a choice.

The thing that’s vexing you: is it a situation or a problem?

Problems have solutions. If we care enough, we can find a way to solve a problem, but it might cost more money, require more effort or involve more risk than we’d prefer. If we’re ready to ease some of the constraints, that problem might go away.

Situations don’t have solutions. That’s why we don’t call them problems. There might be constraints we are not prepared to confront, or the structure of the situation may simply make it impossible to change.

If a problem is vexing us, we can use that irritation as fuel, finding the energy to deal with it. We can turn the moment into curiosity and forward motion.

And if it’s a situation? Then being vexed is a choice. If it’s helping you to be irritated, enjoy it. If not, then why bother?

Hunger and exhaustion are physically based. But being annoyed is a concoction based on expectations and the stories we tell ourselves. We can change the story if we try.”

— Seth Godin.

Okay, let’s get in to today’s content. Enjoy these resources I’ve collected over the past two weeks. I dare you not to find at least one that will help you enact your mission. As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you.

It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

Clairity Click-it: MAY Nonprofit Links + Free Resources Be Yours

It’s not always easy to find all the good stuff across the web. That’s why I do the work for you! Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the time hunting and gathering. You’ll find this is another robust issue.

Find a topic that interests you, and… click away!  Whatever type of learner you are, there’s something here for you. Tactical advice. Theory and science. New approaches. Stuff to read. Stuff to listen to. Stuff to watch.

Per usual, I’d love to also share a bit of inspiration from the inimitable Seth Godin:

Bottom of the funnel

“It’s easy to get focused on the public-facing mouth of the funnel.

More followers.

More impressions.

More buzz, hype, promotion. Get the word out.

Just about all the time people who call themselves “marketers” spend is on this. Don’t worry about what happens later, just pour more attention into the top.

But the math is simple:

Most of the people at the top leave long before they engage, buy or spread the word.

Which means that doubling your conversion is exactly the same as doubling the number of people who are aware of you.

It means that by the time you get to 20 people (out of 1,000) who are ready to become committed fans, each of these people is worth fifty times as much effort as you’d put into getting one new stranger to be aware of what you do.

Don’t send a poorly-written mail merge to your best prospects. Send them a handwritten note.

It’s not the bottom of the funnel. It’s the foundation for your future.”

Are you spending your time wisely? Think about it.  If you happen to be an enrolled ‘Clairification School’ student, this month’s Bonus Tip is largely about prioritization and time management. So don’t forget to go to your dashboard and check it out.

To everyone, it is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. 

Thank you for doing such vital and compassionate work, and giving to others on a regular basis,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? I am deeply appreciative to all who enroll in Clairification School. This is what enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box every week, give you access to all my webinars, and offer up exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…