Are you writing your own fundraising letters? Worse still, is your Executive Director writing them? According to Jeff Bros “insiders” like you and your key staff are simply too close to the organization to write effective, persuasive copy. Why? Because over time you/they have developed a certain way of thinking, and a certain proprietary knowledge,…
DetailsI just read an eye-opening Harvard Business Review blog article about the Six Attitudes Leaders Take to Social Media, demonstrating how business leaders are beginning to embrace the real opportunities social media offers. Most, however, are still on the wrong side of the fence (the article includes an assessment tool link to help you figure…
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This morning I opened the newspaper and read about how the Occupy movement can take advice from marketing and branding gurus. They’ve been criticized for being all over the place, and not having a distinct message or rallying cry. Too often, businesses – nonprofit or otherwise – do the same thing. The inevitable result when…
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My original title was: Asking the Questions; Doing Something with the Answers. A corollary would be “plan the dive; dive the plan”. In other words, we shouldn’t be diving into things (think about what you’re doing with your brand, website and social media in particular) without first asking some critical questions. I added “clueless” to…
DetailsSo powerful. So sobering. I just watched “The Girl Effect” video for the “n”th time; it never loses its potency. A simple story. Rapidly told. Presenting examples. Playing to our emotions. Offering a solution. Messaging doesn’t get compelling than this. In cased you’ve never seen it, The Girl Effect: The Clock is Ticking is…
DetailsMuch of philanthropy occurs during holiday seasons. These sacred days – often shared with family and friends — encourage us to lo deeply at our lives, our actions, our blessings, our challenges and our dreams for the future. We think about being a better person… reaching out generously… sharing our blessings… giving back. Recently,…
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We’ve all been struck by the lightening fast pace at which technology keeps changing. ’s evolution is the latest case in point. Brian Solis calls this “Digital Darwinism”, and his recent post on the subject is quite provocative. Sometimes it’s difficult to foresee the change is coming, let alone prepare to adapt to the change…
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Just happened upon a term I’d not heard. BRANDJACKING. http://brandjacknews.com/ It’s when an organization loses control of the social media conversation around its brand to someone else. There’s been a lot of conversation about branding and how social media has impacted the particular sense we and others have of our unique identity. Please note: I…
Details“Must have effective writing and oral communication skills.” When we include this in our job descriptions, what is our underlying thinking? Do we want someone who writes good fundraising letters? Do we want a persuasive, effective public speaker? Do we want someone who is able to compellingly ask people for philanthropic investment? I hear you…
DetailsI just came across this blog post. Technology Can’t Help YouWhile I agree that technology will not improve the writing skills of someone who is a poor writer, nor will it ignite the passions of someone who just isn’t that into you, I do take issue with the title. Technology CAN help us, and it…
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