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Are you doing what you said you wanted to do?

If you want to be a poet, write poetry. Every day. Show us your work.

If you want to do improv, start a troupe. Don’t wait to get picked.

If you want to help animals, don’t wait for vet school. Volunteer at an animal shelter right now.

If you want to write a screenplay, write a screenplay.

If you want to do marketing, find a good cause and spread the idea. Don’t ask first.

If you’d like to be more strategic or human or caring at your job, don’t wait for the boss to ask.

Once we leave out the “and” (as in, I want to do this and be well paid, invited, approved of and always successful) then it’s way easier to do what we said we wanted to do.

— 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! 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.]

This is the magic season for fundraising. Why? Because as we approach what I call the “Grateful for Blessings Holidays” (emotional trigger) and the end of the calendar year (financial/tax trigger), people naturally turn their thoughts toward generosity and philanthropic giving. The fairy dust is already in the air, just waiting for you to wave your magic wand to propel it into action.

This means it’s time for you to think about what you’re going to do to tap into what’s going on right now in people’s heads and hearts. Especially their hearts, as for most people tax benefits is way, way, way down on the list of reasons why they give.

As you prepare your year-end pitches, consider how you might wave your wand to encourage would-be donors to become part of your story. Show them how to make a difference. How to bring joy to sadness… hope to despair… healing to hurt. How to bring the happy ending they, and you, wish to see.

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 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.]

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, and 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.]

The dog days of summer (in the northern hemisphere) bring with them a bit of time for reflection. As you laze on a beach (or visit one in a reverie, watching kids make sandcastles and dodge waves), take a bit of time for personal reflection. Breathe. Relax.  Ask yourself: What’s really important?

Which brings me to this week’s bit of wisdom…

“Is that the most important thing?”

“If you want to have an argument, to raise tempers or to distract, the easiest thing to do is start bringing up things that are easy to argue about.

Not the things that are important.

Because the important things require nuance, patience and understanding. They require an understanding of goals, of the way the world works and our mutual respect.

If someone keeps coming back to an irrelevant, urgent or provocative point instead, they’re signaling that they’d rather not talk about the important thing.

Which is precisely what we need to talk about.”

— Seth Godin

This may resonate on both a meta and micro level.  For today, I’d like you to think about this in terms of the people with whom you work.  Probe for what’s most important.  Don’t get sidetracked by the complaint about the messy desk, bathtub ring, toothpaste tube or whatever type of distraction is raised. What’s really at the bottom of the other person’s argument?

It’s only when you dig, thoughtfully, that you’ll be able to make sense of what might otherwise appear irrational.  Always consider:  Where might this person (e.g., your boss, board member, co-worker, direct report, donor, volunteer) being coming from?

You’ll find lots more wisdom and actionable tips in this issue of the Clairity Click-it.  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.

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, monthly tips (July’s are now live!), 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.]

Wherever you are, here’s hoping you’re managing to keep cool!

And I don’t mean just physically. As we begin to ramp up for the busiest part of the fundraising year, try to let cooler heads prevail. Hopefully, some of the wisdom you find in this newsletter will help you with great ideas to lessen your stress.

First, this week’s bit of wisdom…

Discernment in creativity

The hard part isn’t good ideas. It never has been.

The hard part is choosing.

Ask GPT for ten subtitles for your book, or sixteen ways to hold a surprise party, and you’ll be delighted at how useful they are. Ask Dreamstudio or Kittl for some logo designs, same thing.

There is creativity in discernment.

AI and templates have made it easier than ever to find pretty good ideas.

It doesn’t matter so much.

The hard parts have always been the guts to choose and the will to put in the effort to bring your choice to the people who need it.

“I don’t have any good ideas,” is a cop out.

— Seth Godin

You’ll find good ideas galore in this issue. As always, 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 (July’s are now live!), 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.]

Whether you’re celebrating Independence Day, Canada Day, your favorite team’s win, or perhaps a birthday with some sparklers on your cake, my wish for you this month is some brilliant light to illuminate your universe!

With this double issue of the Clairity Click-it, I hope to set off some fireworks in your brain. Pow!  Find something that makes a lightbulb go off, and use it to guide your way in the coming month.

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 month, 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 (July’s are now live!), 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.]

P.P.S. You’ve got a full month to digest this double issue, as I’m finally taking my first real vacation since the pandemic.  So, if you’re busy or traveling right now, tuck this away for a time when you can do a bit of summer reading. I’ll be back in your in-box before you can miss me!

June 13^th marked the 10^th anniversary of the Clairity Click-it Newsletter.  That’s 260 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.

This week’s bit of wisdom…

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

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.]

This blew my mind:

Seth Godin wrote people are really making good use of the free AI on his blog – and so far, it’s pretty trustworthy. I gave it a try, and these were the results.

I asked “How do you choose a good vacation spot?”  After all, it’s that time of year! AI answered with:

When it comes to choosing a vacation spot, Seth Godin doesn’t directly provide a method or criteria, but he does emphasize the importance of the journey, destinations, and perceived risks in our lives in general in his post on Destinations, risks and journeys. He states that our everyday choices about destinations shape the journeys we take, and along those journeys, we experience both risks and an internal narrative about those risks. With this in mind, you could consider selecting a vacation spot that provides a meaningful or enjoyable journey, with a balance between the desired destination and the risks you are willing to take or encounter.

Remember, the destination isn’t the journey, and your perception of the risks is up to you. Consider a vacation spot that resonates with your interests, allows you to enjoy and learn from the journey, and includes risks or challenges that are within your comfort zone or that inspire growth.

It then gave me links to five blog posts if I wanted to know what Seth actually said.

Whew!  Such a great answer, and not at all superficial to my mind. In fact, it’s a good philosophy to apply to shaping donor journeys. And perhaps your personal career journey as well. I like the idea it should be meaningful, enjoyable and balanced.  Food for thought.

Speaking of food for thought, you’ll find plenty in this issue of the Clairity Click-it. Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a broad spectrum of materials for a range of adult learning styles.

As always, 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.]

This week’s borrowed wisdom:

The empathy device

It’s interesting to realize that mirrors weren’t perfected until a few hundred years ago. Human beings spend a lot of time considering our own appearance and our own feelings and most of all, our own needs.

The market produces a shift. When it’s a fair and open exchange, the customer gains in power. As a result, the selfish merchant or producer loses market share until they figure out how to build empathy into their work.

It’s not for you, it’s for them.

And if you do a good job of making it for them, then you get your needs taken care of.

Big companies and monopolies and other institutions seek lock-in so they can go back to looking in the mirror instead of paying attention to what their customers and prospects need and want.

— Seth Godin

What a great philosophy to apply to nonprofit fundraising: Look out the window, not in the mirror. Lead from empathy, love and gratitude. The work you do isn’t for you, it’s for them – the clients, volunteers, donors and community who rely on you to help them make positive change happen.

My wish is this issue of the Clairity Click-it helps you find one or more resources to help you look out the window to create a better world. Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a range of materials for a range of adult learning styles.

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. 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 consider getting access to all my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts, bonuses and other content via enrollment in ‘Clairification School.’ I am deeply appreciative for your support!