Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
The past two weeks flew by, and now it’s time again for your opportunity to click through to any of these free curated goodies I’ve found for you across the web. I’ve categorized them so you can more easily find what strikes your particular fancy.
Speaking of which, in the last issue I asked if you would do me the favor of completing a super quick survey (1 minute) so I can provide just the right content for you moving forward. Thanks to those who’ve already provided input – you are the best!
I’m offering one more chance to those who’ve not yet participated; then I’ll take everyone’s feedback into account and let you know the consensus.
I know my readers are an eclectic group – executive directors, development, marketing, volunteer and program staff, board and committee members, direct service volunteers and even donors. I don’t want to leave anyone out!
At the same time, I know this is truly a huge sackful of material (I do a LOT of reading), and I don’t want to overwhelm you. If less would be more, please let me know. I do this to be helpful to you, not to overwhelm you. There’s a one-minute survey HERE.
Thank you, as always, for doing the tremendously important work you do.
P.S. Please join me in giving a big shout out to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible to offer this to you for free. [If you appreciate it, please let them know. I’m sure they’d love to hear from you, and your thanks will be warmly received: Shhh… they don’t know I’m asking you to reach out; I want them to receive a delightful surprise (which, BTW, is what you should do for your donors as often as possible). Email steven.shattuck@bloomerang.co with a big “Hip, hip, hooray! Thanks for sponsoring the Clairity Click-it!“
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
Content Marketing
Click-it: Influencer marketing ideas to support your nonprofit.The folks at 4aGoodCause have put together some inspiration from top nonprofit experts to help you tap into the growing nonprofit trend of influencer marketing. It’s a terrific way to extend your reach outside your own traditional networks and lists.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Second Gift Strategy. A donor who renews within the 1st three months has a lifetime value nearly 2X as high as someone that gives a year later. That’s why you absolutely must prioritize renewing new donors. Get tips in my recent article for the Bloomerang blog.
Click-it: Moves Management: The Essential Guide. The name of this guide from Neon uses a term usually associated with major gift fundraising. In this case it’s about building a smart cultivation plan – in 6 steps — for all sorts of donor segments.
Events
Click-it:35 Unique & Exciting Raffle Basket Ideas for Greater Fundraiser Revenue. Want to add a revenue-generating activity to your next event? Here are some ideas from Winspire. They could also be used as auction items. Or, at your next community fair, how about using this as a means to entice folks to leave you their business card for a chance to win?
Major and Legacy Giving
Click-it: The 1 Mistake (You Can Avoid) that Can Kill a Planned Giving Prospect. What do you think it might be? Nathan Stelter had an insight which he shares in this article. He’ll also let you in on the #1 reason people make a planned gift.
Online Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Bright Idea: The Camphill School Shows Donors What They Support on Giving Tuesday. This is a great strategy to use any time of year – for an online appeal, blog article, website landing page, social media share, emailed donor thank you or even a #GivingTuesday appeal! The folks at Qgiv show you how it’s done.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: 10 Tips for More Effective Meetings. Meetings can be a huge, painful time suck. That’s why you need to make the most of them rather than squander folks’ valuable time. Grab these tips from Lindauer to make your meetings worthwhile.
Click-it: Icebreakers for Online Meetings That Introverts Will Love. Beth Kanter has the best ideas, and these are no exception.
Website
Click-it: 10 conversion tools to help improve your website. I love to borrow expert ideas from for-profit businesses, and here are a bunch of tools — from data collection tools to testing software — recommended by Lilach Bullock to increase visitor conversion when folks land on your website. Share this with your IT and/or marketing staff.
Year-End Fundraising
Click-it: How to craft your year-end fundraising appeal. Check out this interview/Q & A I did with the folks at 4aGoodCause.
YOU
Click-it: What To Wear When You’re In A Funk. There’s a reason your brain gravitates to particular outfits for particular desired outcomes. Next time you’re meeting with a big donor, presenting for a group, or just trying to energize your day, think of this. Also think of it when you need some down time and the equivalent of a warm hug. Fun stuff from HuffPost!
FREE AUDIO-VISUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES
The more you learn, the more you grow.
Finding webinars you’d like to attend that overlap? Note that for many of these webinars you can obtain a copy of the recording if you’re unable to join live – as long as you register!
Donor Retention
Click-it: From Acquisition to Upgrade: 3 Ways to Optimize Your Donor Lifecycle [Register for free webinar, 10-15-2019]. Join experts from Classy and Kindful to explore the entire donor lifecycle. You’ll learn how to effectively manage each stage to bring your donors to the next level.
Culture of Philanthropy
Click-it: Changing Your Non-Profit Culture [Listen to free podcast]. Still wondering how to get a culture of philanthropy at your nonprofit? Join Mark Rovner, of Sea Change strategies, in an interview conducted by the principles of the Veritus Group. You’ll get some great ideas on how YOU can help change your non-profit’s culture, how to be effective in doing it, and how not to lose hope in the process.
Giving Tuesday
Click-it: Ask Me Anything [Register for free webinar, 10-22-2019]. Join Classy who’ll be hosting two Giving Tuesday experts with winning tips to spur your campaign to success.
Marketing
Click-it: Marketing Trends Nonprofits Need to Know (and Embrace) [Download free video]. Digital marketing, content marketing, social media marketing—each plays a role in a nonprofit’s strategy. Join the experts at Firespring to discuss the 2019 marketing trends that’ll shape your nonprofit’s future and grow your impact.
Online Fundraising
Click-it: 8 Year-End Fundraising Emails You Need to Send this Year [Register for free webinar, 10-24-2019]. The folks at NextAfter have tested many new email fundraising tactics and uncovered 8 essential fundraising emails you need to be sending this year-end. Grab their tips and tricks on how to make your emails stand out in a cluttered inbox.
Year-End Giving
Click-it: Countdown to Your Best Year-End Giving Campaign [Register for free webinar, 10-16-2019]. Want to craft the perfect year-end asking strategy? Pamela Grow joins the team at Mobile Cause to give you useful tips to optimize your campaign.
FREE DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS
Bequests
Click-it: Bequest Potential Calculator. Greg Warner of MarketSmart and Michael Rosen of ML Innovations collaborated on this tool to help you begin to understand your organization’s planned giving potential. If you want to persuade the ‘powers that be’ to invest in bequest marketing, all you have to do is enter the number of donors to your organization into the online tool.
Boards
Click-it: Your Nonprofit Board of Directors’ 10 Basic Roles and Responsibilities [Download free checklist]. EXACTLY should your Board be doing? And what should they NOT be doing? This useful guide comes from Sandy Rees, Get Fully Funded.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Sustainer Programs: Complacency Means Stagnation and Less Revenue [Download free Whitepaper]. Want to improve your monthly giving program this year? Want to start one? Today’s monthly giving programs are vastly different than the programs of five years ago, largely due to advances in technology which make acquisition and retention much easier. The folks at Merkle are experts at this, and offer a slew of useful tips here.
Pin Up Next to Your Computer
This is SO important, I just had to ‘borrow’ it for you from Steven Screen and Jim Shapiro from the Better Fundraising Co. Keep this in mind before asking donors to give to your campaign. Please stop bragging about all the people you served… how you won an award… how you’re the first, best, biggest… how wonderful your programs are… and all that egocentric stuff. That’s what you care about. Think about what they care about. They care about the sausage; not how it gets made.
Did You Miss My Recent Articles?
My motto: If I know it, I want you to know it!
Here are links to the most recent articles on the Clairification Blog:
- Your Secret to Mindblowing Fundraising – Improve Donor Retention Just 10%
- 5 Ways Mobile Bidding Can Help You Raise More Revenue
- Why Donor Wooing Requires WOWing
- 8 Secrets to Keeping New ‘Third Party’ Donors
- Easy Ways to Boost Your Nonprofit’s Monthly Giving
Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below). The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable because of their generosity.
Hope to see you in Clairification School!
