Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

APRIL 5, 2018

Two weeks ago, my college friend Kim Pevia and I led the second webinar in The Inclusive Conversations series called How to Talk to Your Boss (and co-workers) about offensive communications. It was all about how to stop ignoring “The Crunch,” have difficult conversations in the office, and promote a more inclusive environment. Even the title of the webinar could be perceived as confrontational, so we are excited about those who took the next step of joining the conversation.

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MAY 7, 2019

Whether it’s clicking on a button or link to donate, volunteer, register or do anything else, when someone takes that action online, we call it a conversion. Conversion copywriting is one of the seven writing styles that all nonprofit communications pros should master. For example, Donate Now has become the default conversion call-to-action for nonprofit fundraising pages. Take a look at your conversion copy.

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iMarketSmart

SEPTEMBER 30, 2020

The post The worst way to start a conversation with a donor. “Did you get the [information, brochure, or letter] I sent?” ” Has anyone really had great success starting an outreach call with this question?

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Getting Attention

JULY 11, 2012

Your response to findings from our Nonprofit Messages Survey highlights your desire for messages that connect quickly and strongly with the people whose help you want and how few of your organizations have those messages in place. This is a huge opportunity to improve your connection with your base, and one that’s absolutely doable by organizations of every size.

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Getting Attention

DECEMBER 11, 2014

This is a huge problem for nonprofits like yours because social change happens largely through conversations. And this is exactly what social media does best, scales conversations quickly and at no extra cost. Moving to being “in conversation with” begins by asking Matterness questions, rather than broadcasting messages. Being in conversation with people means letting go of what organizations can’t control anyway: what people think and do.

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

AUGUST 22, 2019

If you are interested in leveling up your team’s communications work, you should be having these five conversations. The post 5 Strategic Conversations Your Comms Team Should Be Having appeared first on Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog. Find your team’s Marketing Maturity Level here and get a customized training plan (it’s free). How can we think further ahead?

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 14, 2018

Communications directors are in the perfect place to lead inclusive conversations–but let’s be honest–it’s not always easy. My colleague, Kim Pevia, is an expert in this field and she often calls inclusive conversations “crunchy.”. That’s the crunch,” Kim told me one day when we were collaborating for the March 22 Inclusive Conversations webinar. We created the second Inclusive Conversation webinar to help you take the next step.

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Get Fully Funded

SEPTEMBER 21, 2009

Being me, I struck up a conversation with him before I had completely said “hey&# to the ladies. As I thought about what made it so simple to be with Paul, I came up with these ABCs of relationship-building conversations: A. Tags: Donor Relations Major Donors donor conversations Last week, I met up with some friends for lunch and got a lesson in relationship-building from a 3 year-old.

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

DECEMBER 14, 2017

Antionette Kerr is back with us today for another post in the series we are calling “Inclusive Conversations.” It’s all about cultural competency and how communications staff can not only be more inclusive and therefore effective in their communications work products, but also lead these conversations within their own nonprofits. Inclusive Conversations: Make a Statement in 2018 . Consider this another step in moving beyond conversation to meaningful action!

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

AUGUST 2, 2018

This summer, my colleague in the Nonprofit Marketing Guide’s Inclusive Conversations Series, Kim Pevia, and I hit the road to gather with nonprofits. While we found ourselves having some open and honest conversations and realized that many of you out there have had it with Fake equity within your organizations! Start a conversation with someone who needs to be pushed to think about race and justice.” The post Inclusive Conversations: Are You Tired of Fake Equity?

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NOVEMBER 27, 2012

Now that they’ve expressed interest and (hopefully) you’ve said hello and introduced your organization, strike up a conversation with them beyond your annual appeal or email newsletter. Be a Good Listener: Conversations are two-way communications. Remember that group of people who signed up to receive your newsletter, liked you on Facebook or followed you on Twitter? Don’t just leave them hanging.

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The Agitator

NOVEMBER 10, 2016

Most of the time you read advice about words that are good to use in fundraising … like ‘you’ But here’s a fascinating article on seven words to avoid on your website conversion pages. And guess what, ‘you’ — actually ‘your’ — is one of them! The other six … Submit (implies ‘yielding’, something not many people instinctively like to do). Synergy (actually, this is really a placeholder for all jargon).

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

FEBRUARY 3, 2015

So you’re talking to a nice couple in their 70s who have been giving to your organization for years. You think they are a great candidate to ask for a bequest. Now what? Well here are a few things you probably shouldn’t say: “So… how was that last doctor’s visit?” ” “Since your kids turned out to be really horrible people… ” “Have you had that mole on your neck looked at recently?”

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Getting Attention

OCTOBER 1, 2013

It’s rare to see an organization change its name and that’s a good thing. Name changes are a delicate matter. Assuming you’ve done a good job of building relationships with supporters, partners and others, your org’s name has equity. Members of your network—donors in particular—have established ways in which they relate to your organization, and your name is the most memorable trigger you have.

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The Agitator

JULY 31, 2014

Video improves conversion metrics. Including the word ‘video’ in an email subject line increased open rates rose by 7%, conversion rates with a video rose by 21% and average order value rose by 24%. Why should you be using video in your online fundraising efforts? And in any other call-to-action email/online messages? Simple. For example, here are some figures from Experian.

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iMarketSmart

AUGUST 8, 2018

Before you can even get to ‘the ask’ you’ve got to start and maintain a conversation. Then, ask them what they hope to get out of the conversation you’re having. Focusing on starting and maintaining conversations might even result in gifts without uncomfortable hard asks. Related Posts: >>How to increase the likelihood that your major or legacy donor prospects will engage in a meaningful conversation with you by 700%.

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Giving in a Digital World

JANUARY 11, 2015

So, to get started let’s focus on the one thing without which none of your other online activity is likely to deliver good results – namely Website Conversion Rate Optimisation. Back in January 2012 I wrote about the crucial importance of fundraisers getting serious about how they track and improve the conversion rates of their fundraising pages. Online Fundraising Web design Bryan Miller Conversion Rate Optimization digital fundraising trends

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The Agitator

JULY 6, 2015

But to appear productive to my spouse … Second, I actually multi-tasked, canvassing a slew of websites — for nonprofits, publications, and digital consultants — in a search of the magic formula for killer online lead conversion. I spent all of my July 4th holiday nursing a case of laryngitis, brought on by a lingering head cold that defies all intervention. Any tips?] Looking for a silver lining to my situation, I found two.

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

AUGUST 31, 2017

It’s important to remember that every conversation you have with a journalist is considered on the record. If both you and the journalist agree to go off the record, anything you share during that portion of the conversation cannot be attributed to you. You can simply choose to keep the information to yourself and redirect the conversation. At any point during the off-the-record conversation, either party can ask to put the conversation back on the record.

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

APRIL 12, 2018

Inclusive Conversations: Beyond Policy into Practice will cover: Real life scenarios of communications pros who have implemented the Inclusive Conversations tools. Tools for keeping your allies— allied during these difficult conversations. The post Inclusive Conversations: Are Your Communications Making FRIENDS or FOES with People of Color? CultureStrike’s Julio Salgado reimagines 90’s sitcoms with diverse casts.

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iMarketSmart

JUNE 8, 2015

Softening statements help you “get your toe in the water” with difficult conversations. . That’s because we’re not using softening statements before we say things that might tap a sensitive nerve during our conversations with supporters. The post Softening Statements: 22 effective ways to ease into difficult conversations with supporters appeared first on MarketSmart.

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Non Profit Marketing 360

JULY 16, 2012

Difficult to say that social networks have already grown to be mature means of communication. Moreover, some platforms shoot wide and far ( vis Facebook for everyone), while others target a specific subset of the social-media community ( vis Epernicus for the scientific community). Figuring out how to negotiate those platforms can seem daunting. But we have some advice that might help ease the stress of trying to reach everyone. Don’t try to reach everyone.

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JCA Insights

FEBRUARY 8, 2011

Examining a client’s database, whether in preparation for a data conversion or to plan an in-situ data cleanup, is a little like an archeological dig. When we plan a conversion to or from the Blackbaud® software The Raiser’s Edge® , for example, we dig down through layers of historical strata to prepare for mapping. One of the most useful reports that JCA has developed to assist with system analysis and data conversion and cleanup is a Code Frequency Report.

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JCA Insights

APRIL 13, 2011

We’ve been working with nonprofit technology for more than twenty years, and nonprofit websites have been a part of our client conversations for at least the last decade. It has been interesting to me to note how those conversations have changed over time and their impact on technology projects. . And that was as far as the conversation needed to ever go. A changing conversation. But what do the conversations about websites sound like now?

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GenerationYGive

JUNE 15, 2008

But many online efforts are conversations" according to her, and therefore should not be limited my a "campaign" mentality. Special note: I am updating my blogroll with many of the cool blogs I learned about this week. Keep an eye out for the next week or so for new adds. The last few days have been crazy! I attended 2 conference on social media and web 2.0. Complete information overload.

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Non Profit Marketing 360

NOVEMBER 21, 2012

The post #HOWTO: Use Crowdbooster To Marshall Your Social Media Conversations appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing 360. Let this platform tame your Tweetstream and Timeline. Numerous social-networking monitoring sites are out there by now: Hootsuite , Sprout Social , Klout , Tinker … As programmers develop new tools, and social platforms like Facebook or (even!) MySpace evolve, the staff at a nonprofit can feel overwhelmed with the changes.

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Non Profit Marketing 360

MAY 8, 2012

The latest thing in promoting the online conversation is a ‘Twitter Wall’ (many news programs and their networks’ election coverage have used them). A Twitter Wall adds dynamism to even the smallest event. Though weather in the mid-Atlantic continues to flirt with spring while staying surprisingly loyal to winter, it is the season to be planning summer festivals, fundraisers, and rallies.

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Fundraising Coach

MARCH 29, 2013

I recently received this question from a client: I have a question for you. I have a list of wealthy prospects, many have given our hospice small dollar amounts thru memorials. My intent is to build a relationship with them, can you give me an example of what to say to get that first visit? My answer. Getting the first visit is tricky. At least in our minds. Often it’s just a matter of calling and saying: “Hi _. This is __ from.

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Getting Attention

SEPTEMBER 1, 2011

“Social media is not a megaphone, it’s a conversation.&# Having a “conversation&# with people you may not know very well, on a platform you’re not entirely comfortable with, isn’t easy to pull off. In other words, each group will want to have their own conversations. More importantly, we had a new idea about how to approach our social spaces — channel-specific conversations.

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Non Profit Marketing 360

NOVEMBER 17, 2011

One of the hard truths of the report is that about 70% of people who have that tough conversation about their terminal conditions die at home and among loved ones, in contrast to under 40% who do not have that conversation yet do not die in a hospital. Remember Obama’s Death Panels ? No, they didn’t exist. But like ‘cooties,’ the scared and the immature just kept repeating that they were waiting to snatch us up.

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Social Media Bird Brain

OCTOBER 1, 2010

A Pocoyo Softie Yesterday’s Twitterstream had scads of RTs of a story on how 71% of all Tweets show no reaction – no reply or RT. Some are speculating that this means that what early detractors were saying about Twitter is true; it’s mostly people posting about their favourite sandwiches. Needless to say, I don’t agree. What I think is that there’s more people who are either seeing the value.

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

MARCH 23, 2011

But what I’m really more interested in is how nonprofits go through the process of creating and managing all their own writing and visuals, as well as the equally good and better stuff from others, while also encouraging and embracing the back-and-forth conversations with supporters, which social media makes so much easier. It’s where creating and curating meet content and conversation, and I think it’s a place where most nonprofit communicators should be working.

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iMarketSmart

MARCH 23, 2018

The Harvard Business Review found the results to be particularly shocking in light of a previous study in which they found the following: Firms that tried to contact potential customers within one hour of receiving an inquiry were nearly seven times as likely to qualify the lead (which was defined as having a meaningful conversation with a key decision maker) as those that tried to contact the customer even an hour later—and more than 60 times as likely as companies that wait 24 hours or longer.

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Cause Related Marketing

FEBRUARY 26, 2013

A recent study finds that your Facebook posts are more memorable than individual sentences from books, or even human faces. One possible reason is that people remember Facebook posts is that they're more like dialogue and less like dry prose. The paper published in the January 2013 issue of Memory and Cognition and called Major Memories for Microblogs and it details several experiments involving how well people remember Facebook posts. The paper’s authors were Laura Mickes, Ryan S.

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The Agitator

MAY 20, 2013

But ‘conversion’ is a mis-used term tossed around with far too much abandon and far too little real understanding. Tons of false and unrealizable expectations and far, far too much wasted money on efforts that should never be thought of as ‘conversion’ in the first place. Kevin goes on to cite what he calls “a few classic examples of the folly of conversion”, assuming the goal is net income and lifetime value. Care to share your conversion experiences?

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Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

AUGUST 4, 2010

Amanda Byrne, IT Administrator at the Carolina Tiger Rescue , recently shared a story with me about changes she made to the way she managed her Facebook page after hearing me give a presentation on using social media to empower your fans. Here is Amanda’s story in her own words. Amanda Byrne of Carolina Tiger Rescue with Kaela. “We recently participated in Chase Community Giving , and I was the representative managing our Chase profile.

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Non Profit Marketing 360

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Social networks offer wonderfully inexpensive means to expand and magnify conversations, but they also create stunning amounts of ‘noise’ that readers have to learn to tune out without getting distracted (no easy task). Such conversations might be great fodder for a few blog posts, sure. Strive to inspire your colleagues to talk with each other before, during, and after their conversations with donors, volunteers, and constituents.

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Diva Marketing Blog

JULY 26, 2010

Since they communicate in the digital public square their conversations are overheard by thousands if not by millions. Perhaps those people RT (retweet) or add a status up to their Facebook page or write blog posts or even take it offline at office water cooler conversations. Without that initial direct to brand customer conversation, can a brand still create customer intimacy through social media?

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Diva Marketing Blog

APRIL 7, 2010

the blather of marketing messages posted on social networks like Facebook or Twitter are conversational hoaxes. Conversation Hoax 1: People don't pass along messages to their friends. Conversation Hoax 2: Buzz alone does not make the cash register ring. If the product/service is off target the conversation is a hoax. She was confused why a campaign, that pulled a huge number of social media 'impressions', was lack lusher in conversions.

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Non Profit Marketing 360

OCTOBER 17, 2012

Social networks offer wonderfully inexpensive means to expand and magnify conversations, but they also create stunning amounts of ‘noise’ that readers have to learn to tune out without getting distracted (no easy task). Such conversations might be great fodder for a few blog posts, sure. Strive to inspire your colleagues to talk with each other before, during, and after their conversations with donors, volunteers, and constituents.

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Diva Marketing Blog

NOVEMBER 25, 2009

It's not a revelation that social media occurs in the digital conversations of the Internet. However, some find it strange that conversations with people who might be more of an acquaintance than one we might call a "friend" often lead to important ideas. But it's a conversation that shows how much you care. It's a conversation we need to engage in with grace and caring sooner than later. Believer in the Power of Conversation.

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JULY 1, 2009

Good email writing is friendly and conversational. While there are certainly times where the newsy, facts-only journalistic style can work, most nonprofit newsletters should be much more personal, and even a little chatty. People give to and support nonprofits for highly subjective reasons. Your supporters get something deeply personal out of their affiliation with your organization as a donor, volunteer, or advocate.

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Getting Attention

JULY 22, 2009

What happens when control of your nonprofit’s message (frankly, always an illusion) passes from your organization, and the traditional media, to your audiences? Well, you better figure it out quick, because it’s happened. Most organizations I know have centered their communications strategy around a brand (whether defined as such, or not), expressed through a graphic identity and a narrative one — positioning and key messages.

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