When my daughter turned 2, I first understood the sheer power of logos and branding. We were driving in the car, and we passed one of many Dunkin’ Donuts in my town – I live north of Boston, and Dunkin’ Donuts are like oxygen around here. MORE
Spencer Brooks. Don’t let your website visitors get away! Use these tips from Spencer Brooks of Brooks Digital. Kristina. Guest Post by Spencer Brooks. Last year, I uncovered some data that shocked me. MORE
Wendy Hayes. Welcome to the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators, where we ask you to describe your day in your own words. We’d love to feature YOU in this series! MORE
You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors. You need better ways to determine who has the capacity. You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors. You need to spend more money and time on getting to know those with capacity. You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors. You need to put forth more effort toward providing highly relevant, personalized engagement experiences for those with capacity. You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors. MORE
If you haven't checked out the 2017 America's Charity Checkout Champions report, it's a must-read for anyone in the cause marketing space. Congratulations to the Engage for Good team for putting together such an outstanding resource! MORE
You probably know that hashtags are words or phrases with the hash symbol (#) in front of them. The hash symbol creates a link and clicking on that hashtag will bring up other posts with that tag. MORE
Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Pete Brace , Vice President of Pet Parent Relations & Communications for Merrick Pet Care , a leader in natural and organic pet food, about their 3-year partnership with K9s for Warriors. MORE
Summer. It stirs up thoughts trips, outdoor activities, and school break. A pause in the normal routines of life. Even though we're no longer in school, we still let that "summer mentality" affect us. Rest is good. But taking a break from fundraising in the summer can kill your fundraising. MORE
Tom’s post Designing a Customer-Centric Organization triggered a number of valuable comments from readers. I especially note Tom Ahern’s channeling of Mark Phillips insight, “The only thing worth a damn is the donor experience.” Then Ahern added, “And that experience has many parts worth considering.” MORE
I always hated when my staff sent me an Excel file showing our astounding growth. You might be thinking, “Why would you hate getting an Excel file that reflects astounding growth?” ” But the reason is that numbers in little rectangles in Excel don’t excite me. I like charts! MORE
Giving to charity is the neurological equivalent of winning the lottery! So why do 3 out of 4 donors not make a second gift? It may be that you aren’t taking advantage of the “post gift glow” – that feeling donors have right after they give. MORE
Today, the fundraising think tank Rogare published "Less Than My Job's Worth." In this important "green" paper - a paper created for discussion - Rogare's director Ian MacQuillin exams the questions "is fundraising a profession?" and "does it matter if fundraising isn't a profession?" MORE
A few weeks ago I was invited to Astana, Kazakhstan by the United Nations Development Program to deliver a workshop on the latest strategic digital / social media marketing and communications best practices being used by the public sector here in Canada and around the globe. MORE
When creating and implementing your nonprofit online fundraising campaign, remember that getting people’s attention is much harder than it seems. The trap nonprofits too often fall into is that they feel entitled to attention, and even donations, from their supporters and online community members. MORE
OK- I had never heard of emotional labor before- but then I found this thread- And I got to thinking- Is fundraising a lot of emotional labor? Is this the reason that so much of #fundraisingisfemale ? What is emotional labor? It’s making the effort to keep a relationship going. MORE
76/10, not 80/20! Last year the Congressional Budget Office released a report about wealth in the United States. Here are some points to consider: The top 10% of families held 76% of total wealth in the U.S. The average was $4 million net among the top 10% of families after paying off debts. The bottom 51st% to 90th% accounted for only 23% of total wealth. The entire bottom 50% of the U.S. population holds just 1% of the wealth in the U.S. MORE
The journey the organization wants the donor to go on is not usually the journey the donor wants to go on. The reason for this disconnect is that few organizations truly understand why donors choose to stay or leave, let alone know when the donor makes the decision to leave. This is not a new insight. The reason donor experience and donor journeys are becoming such a big issue is not because organizations have suddenly seen the light. MORE
Happy Friday, everyone! Join me for some of the best Mixed Links around… Something that could help you with your nonprofit communiations – How to Add Color and Richness to Your Writing … Without Making Us Want to Barf. MORE
We’ve all seen it – a nonprofit website or Facebook Page filled up with pixelated, cut-off corporate logos, often accompanied by a generic caption such as “Thank you so much to Great Local Business for sponsoring our gala.”. Eye-catching? Interesting? Inspiring? Not at all. MORE
Most money is not cash. According to the Wall Street Journal , people put their wealth in lots of places, but not in liquid assets. The chart below shows that the top 1% put 92% of their wealth everywhere else (and the rest of society does the same). MORE
It’s tough to implement methods that keep your nonprofit marketing organized and on track when you can’t effectively manage your own time, attention and energy. MORE
Years ago, I wrote about Zig Ziglar teaching that nobody wants a drill. He said millions of drills are sold every year. But no one wants a drill. They want a hole. The same is true with donors. No donor wants to make a donation. Donors want the value the donation will make. So tell them about that. MORE
Petitti visits with patients at Cleveland Clinic's Children's Hospital. Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to A. Petitti , President of Petitti's Garden Centers , a 8-store chain based in Ohio, about their partnership and support for Cleveland Clinic's Children's Hospital. MORE
June is the last month of the fiscal year for many nonprofits, when supposedly the deep questions are being asked. Are we on the right track, programmatically and financially? Do we have enough Facebook ‘Likes’? MORE
Congratulations, you’ve got new email subscribers! Now what? Dump them in your normal communications stream without recognition or welcome? Welcome them – quickly, warmly, sincerely. The welcome email may be the single most important email you send. MORE
Large amounts of money are at stake. This might be the largest amount of money your organization will ever raise. Getting an experienced consultant onboard will increase your chances of success exponentially. Time is of the essence. You’ll need someone who’s been there and done that to keep things on-track. Failure is not an option. You won’t want egg on your organization’s face. No flying by the seat of your pants! MORE
Slowly, but surely, research in the field of behavioral science is making its way into Fundraising Land. MORE
Follow up. It’s vital but so tough to do right. Either we don’t know what to say, fear “bugging” the very folks we want something from, or both. So we don’t follow up enough or well, which undermines engagement and results—no matter how compelling our campaigns may be! Follow up shows we care. MORE
As an independent marketing and communications consultant, I work with a wide variety of clients, from nonprofits of all sizes, to agencies, to training companies. MORE
Previously on HOLY MOLY-why are people in my life (for example male relatives or friends) not emailing me and calling me more?- we discovered that emotional labor is seen as women’s work ! What is Emotional labor? It is part of # FundraisingisFemale. MORE
1- Permission. Donors have immense power these days. They can ignore your communications! The best way to ensure that they don’t exercise that power is to gain their permission to communicate with them. Having a list of 100,000 matters little if no one engages with your outreach. MORE
Did you know you can make furniture without screws, nails or fasteners? Great artisans make furniture using glue, miters, and specialized wood joints. It takes longer to do it this way and I don’t think the quality is actually any better. MORE
Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Sarah Delea , President of the Mondelez International Foundation (MIF) on the impact and results from its school and community-based gardening programs on five continents. MORE
Charlatans? Have you ever wondered if the speaker at the conference scolding you for not “asking” enough has ever asked at all? Have you ever noticed that the blogger chastising you about the lack of donor-centricity on your website has an even more confusing website than you? MORE
Giving USA has released its annual study on giving, reporting that for 2016 all giving rose to $390.1 billion, or 1.4% over 2015 (inflation adjusted). That represents 2.1% of gross domestic product, slightly above the 1.9% average of the past 40 years. MORE
Last week we held our MARCOM Annual Conference (more on that in a future post) where I moderated a roundtable discussion on bots. I thought I ‘d share a few notes from my handout. Working Definitions (sometimes used interchangeably). MORE
Last week I spoke at the annual Engage for Good Conference in Chicago on how nonprofits can dramatically increase their cause marketing success with content marketing. MORE
iMarketSmart
JUNE 23, 2017
I always hated when my staff sent me an Excel file showing our astounding growth. You might be thinking, “Why would you hate getting an Excel file that reflects astounding growth?” ” But the reason is that numbers in little rectangles in Excel don’t excite me. I like charts!
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 22, 2017
Congratulations, you’ve got new email subscribers! Now what? Dump them in your normal communications stream without recognition or welcome? Welcome them – quickly, warmly, sincerely. The welcome email may be the single most important email you send.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 13, 2017
It’s tough to implement methods that keep your nonprofit marketing organized and on track when you can’t effectively manage your own time, attention and energy.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 7, 2017
1- Permission. Donors have immense power these days. They can ignore your communications! The best way to ensure that they don’t exercise that power is to gain their permission to communicate with them. Having a list of 100,000 matters little if no one engages with your outreach.
Getting Attention
JUNE 8, 2017
Follow up. It’s vital but so tough to do right. Either we don’t know what to say, fear “bugging” the very folks we want something from, or both. So we don’t follow up enough or well, which undermines engagement and results—no matter how compelling our campaigns may be! Follow up shows we care.
Selfish Giving
JUNE 6, 2017
Last week I spoke at the annual Engage for Good Conference in Chicago on how nonprofits can dramatically increase their cause marketing success with content marketing.
J Campbell Social Marketing
JUNE 13, 2017
When my daughter turned 2, I first understood the sheer power of logos and branding. We were driving in the car, and we passed one of many Dunkin’ Donuts in my town – I live north of Boston, and Dunkin’ Donuts are like oxygen around here.
Fundraising Coach
JUNE 9, 2017
Summer. It stirs up thoughts trips, outdoor activities, and school break. A pause in the normal routines of life. Even though we're no longer in school, we still let that "summer mentality" affect us. Rest is good. But taking a break from fundraising in the summer can kill your fundraising.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 15, 2017
As an independent marketing and communications consultant, I work with a wide variety of clients, from nonprofits of all sizes, to agencies, to training companies.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 5, 2017
Did you know you can make furniture without screws, nails or fasteners? Great artisans make furniture using glue, miters, and specialized wood joints. It takes longer to do it this way and I don’t think the quality is actually any better.
Selfish Giving
JUNE 20, 2017
If you haven't checked out the 2017 America's Charity Checkout Champions report, it's a must-read for anyone in the cause marketing space. Congratulations to the Engage for Good team for putting together such an outstanding resource!
The Agitator
JUNE 12, 2017
The journey the organization wants the donor to go on is not usually the journey the donor wants to go on. The reason for this disconnect is that few organizations truly understand why donors choose to stay or leave, let alone know when the donor makes the decision to leave. This is not a new insight. The reason donor experience and donor journeys are becoming such a big issue is not because organizations have suddenly seen the light.
J Campbell Social Marketing
JUNE 7, 2017
When creating and implementing your nonprofit online fundraising campaign, remember that getting people’s attention is much harder than it seems. The trap nonprofits too often fall into is that they feel entitled to attention, and even donations, from their supporters and online community members.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 12, 2017
Wendy Hayes. Welcome to the latest installment in our series on the “Day in the Life” of nonprofit communicators, where we ask you to describe your day in your own words. We’d love to feature YOU in this series!
iMarketSmart
JUNE 21, 2017
Large amounts of money are at stake. This might be the largest amount of money your organization will ever raise. Getting an experienced consultant onboard will increase your chances of success exponentially. Time is of the essence. You’ll need someone who’s been there and done that to keep things on-track. Failure is not an option. You won’t want egg on your organization’s face. No flying by the seat of your pants!
Selfish Giving
JUNE 13, 2017
Petitti visits with patients at Cleveland Clinic's Children's Hospital. Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to A. Petitti , President of Petitti's Garden Centers , a 8-store chain based in Ohio, about their partnership and support for Cleveland Clinic's Children's Hospital.
The Agitator
JUNE 14, 2017
Slowly, but surely, research in the field of behavioral science is making its way into Fundraising Land.
J Campbell Social Marketing
JUNE 21, 2017
We’ve all seen it – a nonprofit website or Facebook Page filled up with pixelated, cut-off corporate logos, often accompanied by a generic caption such as “Thank you so much to Great Local Business for sponsoring our gala.”. Eye-catching? Interesting? Inspiring? Not at all.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 16, 2017
Happy Friday, everyone! Join me for some of the best Mixed Links around… Something that could help you with your nonprofit communiations – How to Add Color and Richness to Your Writing … Without Making Us Want to Barf.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 9, 2017
Charlatans? Have you ever wondered if the speaker at the conference scolding you for not “asking” enough has ever asked at all? Have you ever noticed that the blogger chastising you about the lack of donor-centricity on your website has an even more confusing website than you?
Selfish Giving
JUNE 6, 2017
Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Sarah Delea , President of the Mondelez International Foundation (MIF) on the impact and results from its school and community-based gardening programs on five continents.
The Agitator
JUNE 6, 2017
June is the last month of the fiscal year for many nonprofits, when supposedly the deep questions are being asked. Are we on the right track, programmatically and financially? Do we have enough Facebook ‘Likes’?
Fundraising Coach
JUNE 21, 2017
Today, the fundraising think tank Rogare published "Less Than My Job's Worth." In this important "green" paper - a paper created for discussion - Rogare's director Ian MacQuillin exams the questions "is fundraising a profession?" and "does it matter if fundraising isn't a profession?"
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 14, 2017
You probably know that hashtags are words or phrases with the hash symbol (#) in front of them. The hash symbol creates a link and clicking on that hashtag will bring up other posts with that tag.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 12, 2017
76/10, not 80/20! Last year the Congressional Budget Office released a report about wealth in the United States. Here are some points to consider: The top 10% of families held 76% of total wealth in the U.S. The average was $4 million net among the top 10% of families after paying off debts. The bottom 51st% to 90th% accounted for only 23% of total wealth. The entire bottom 50% of the U.S. population holds just 1% of the wealth in the U.S.
Selfish Giving
JUNE 20, 2017
Today on CauseTalk Radio , Megan and I talk to Pete Brace , Vice President of Pet Parent Relations & Communications for Merrick Pet Care , a leader in natural and organic pet food, about their 3-year partnership with K9s for Warriors.
The Agitator
JUNE 13, 2017
Giving USA has released its annual study on giving, reporting that for 2016 all giving rose to $390.1 billion, or 1.4% over 2015 (inflation adjusted). That represents 2.1% of gross domestic product, slightly above the 1.9% average of the past 40 years.
Wild Woman Fundraising
JUNE 19, 2017
Previously on HOLY MOLY-why are people in my life (for example male relatives or friends) not emailing me and calling me more?- we discovered that emotional labor is seen as women’s work ! What is Emotional labor? It is part of # FundraisingisFemale.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 14, 2017
Most money is not cash. According to the Wall Street Journal , people put their wealth in lots of places, but not in liquid assets. The chart below shows that the top 1% put 92% of their wealth everywhere else (and the rest of society does the same).
Public Sector Marketing 2.0
JUNE 6, 2017
A few weeks ago I was invited to Astana, Kazakhstan by the United Nations Development Program to deliver a workshop on the latest strategic digital / social media marketing and communications best practices being used by the public sector here in Canada and around the globe.
The Agitator
JUNE 5, 2017
Tom’s post Designing a Customer-Centric Organization triggered a number of valuable comments from readers. I especially note Tom Ahern’s channeling of Mark Phillips insight, “The only thing worth a damn is the donor experience.” Then Ahern added, “And that experience has many parts worth considering.”
Wild Woman Fundraising
JUNE 18, 2017
OK- I had never heard of emotional labor before- but then I found this thread- And I got to thinking- Is fundraising a lot of emotional labor? Is this the reason that so much of #fundraisingisfemale ? What is emotional labor? It’s making the effort to keep a relationship going.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 8, 2017
Giving to charity is the neurological equivalent of winning the lottery! So why do 3 out of 4 donors not make a second gift? It may be that you aren’t taking advantage of the “post gift glow” – that feeling donors have right after they give.
iMarketSmart
JUNE 16, 2017
You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors. You need better ways to determine who has the capacity. You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors. You need to spend more money and time on getting to know those with capacity. You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors. You need to put forth more effort toward providing highly relevant, personalized engagement experiences for those with capacity. You don’t necessarily need more low-dollar donors.
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