Expert insights. Personalized for you.
How can social marketers put more creativity and innovation into their work to inspire and move people and communities to better health and improved well-being? Being ‘creative’ or ‘innovative’ doesn’t happen by simply giving people permission to do so. Many managers and staff come from academic backgrounds where creativity and innovation are never directly addressed in their coursework, field (work) placements or internships (though there are exceptions ). MORE
Thompson’s insights come from her new book Creative Conspiracy: The New Rules for Breakthrough Collaboration. Who hasn’t been in a creative meeting that was dominated not by the people with the best ideas, but by the ones with the strongest personalities? Likewise, there’s those creative sessions where half or more of the attendees use the time to catch up on email, or daydream, or nosh on the food. Then both groups were given tests of creativity. MORE
The piece also reminds me of news we recently got from creative whiz Jeff Brooks, who some of you know as (former) writer of the Donor Power Blog. This is why you don't want two creatives in the room at once!]. Direct mail maven Denny Hatch recently wrote "They Forgot the Importance of ‘YOU’", a column in which he took the Obamas to task for their losing performances in trying to sell Chicago to the International Olympic Committee. MORE
At Causemarketing.biz I often review elements of cause marketing campaigns but I generally shy away from reviewing creative. That's because I don’t have a hardcore agency creative background. Those confessions made, the creative for the American Red Cross series looks like a mistake to me. The creative features a clay everyman with several other 3-D objects set against 2-D drawings in the foreground and/or background. But the art part of the creative leaves me cold. MORE
The above are all great positive steps in the right direction, however in my opinion 2014 should be the year we finally start to see some truly creative , original approaches for digital engagement in the public sector sphere. To get you thinking, I’ll leave you with the now infamous video from WestJet that takes the crown for 2013 creativity, all the while staying true to the brand and generating a preposterous amount of earned media. MORE
The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on “The Future of Media” is leading an effort to celebrate and amplify “ Creative for Good ” projects. With a number of strong collaborators including the National Social Marketing Centre, The Kaiser Family Foundation, Osocio and others, the call for submissions shares: As much as world change may be about politics or economics, as its heart it’s a creative proposition. Creative for Good. MORE
I want to curate some creative examples of benefits for virtual event sponsors. What creative things have you offered virtual event sponsors? Three things to share with you today. First, join Doctors Waters and Giagrando (the Cause Docs !) MORE
I have so much to do but don’t know where to start! MORE
This month at Nonprofit Marketing Guide, we presented a series of webinars aimed at helping you get more creative with your nonprofit communications, including using metaphors and humor. For now, here is a roundup of some recent blog posts to get you thinking more creatively. MORE
A creative brief is a quick worksheet that you fill out before you get started on any significant piece of communications work. You can also use a creative brief as a mini-strategy for how you’ll use a particular social media channel (e.g. Using a creative brief forces you to consider important questions before you get started. Has a creative brief helped you get better work done more quickly? MORE
Blogging Content Curation Content Marketing Copywriting Creative Ideas E-Newsletters Ideas for Nonprofit Writers Nonprofit Communications writing prompts“Content is King,” they say. While that may be true, “they” don’t mention how hard it is trying to come up with fresh ideas that resonate with your readers. Inspiration can be hard to come by some days, but that’s where our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts come in. MORE
Find out what the media really needs before, during, and after your event with journalist and nonprofit consultant, Antionette Kerr, during her next webinar: Creative Strategies to Get the Media to Cover Your Next Event. The post Creative Strategies to Get the Media to Cover Your Next Event appeared first on Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog. Do you expect the media to attend your fundraisers or other events? MORE
Creativity is hard. But the difference between creativity and running — at least for me — is that once I start practicing creativity, the easier it gets. Here are four tell-tale signs I’m practicing enough creativity: My curiosity increases — “expert mind” becomes more child-like and inquisitive. And while creativity begets creativity, kick starting the creativity train can be tough. Running is hard every time — all the time. MORE
5 Creative Examples of Nonprofit Instagram Stories Want inspiration? Check out how these nonprofits are using Instagram Stories in strategically creative ways. Do Something Do Something engages users in a creative and fun mini-campaigns to grow and engage their mobile supporter base. Fun, interactive, and creative! What other creative Instagram Stories have you seen? MORE
This — mind you — coming from two creative whizzes who have written more than their fair share of long-lived control packages! Ironically, they wrote just as I was thinking how much more important strong creative might be these days. But after that, wouldn’t you think that standout creative has a huge impact? Were I seeking fundraising help these days, I’d want to see evidence of nothing less than inspired creative. MORE
Creative Ideas Nonprofit Communications Professional DevelopmentWe've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. MORE
Today, I’d like to share one of the greatest challenges—Many smaller organizations, like mine, don’t have an explicit, documented process for creative workflow. But what I do know is that most of my career successes were built on the foundation of a documented creative workflow. Here’s how to put a creative brief to work: Document Your Outreach: Two Examples. Try a Creative Brief for Your Next Event or Media Op. MORE
He writes the Future Fundraising Now blog and is creative director at TrueSense Marketing. Jeff Brooks has been working on behalf of nonprofits for more than 20 years and passionately blogging about fundraising since 2005. The interview was conducted by Don Akchin, a principal of Nonprofit Marketing 360 and a frequent contributor to the MKCREATIVE blog. NPM360: What do you consider to be the greatest challenge of being a good copywriter? MORE
Being innovative means being creative. And what are the prerequisites of being creative? creativity Don''t Miss these Posts innovation premium Roger and I are always going on about innovation. Here’s a reminder post , but try searching ‘innovation’ on The Agitator website for plenty more. MORE
But this could be a creative, engaging way to issue event invitations or say thanks to your supporters, among other things. Creative Commons photo credit: marcmo Flickr/marcmo. MORE
If your organization creates campaigns year after year, you know the challenge: How do you make sure your creative stays true to your brand, while also bringing something fresh and new to the table? On the one hand, each season brings new offerings for your audiences and new goals for your team—this is especially true […]. Blog Nonprofit Branding Nonprofit Design Storytelling MORE
Well Aware, a nonprofit in Austin, TX has come up with a variation on the a-thon fundraising model. In their "Shower Strike: campaign, they've asked people to form teams to raise raise $1000 to benefit Well Aware. Now here's the. MORE
How can social marketers put more creativity and innovation into their work to inspire and move people and communities to better health and improved well-being? Being ‘creative’ or ‘innovative’ doesn’t happen by simply giving people permission to do so. MORE
That is, until I started asking them in creative ways. Creative Way #1: Replace a Gift with a Donation. Creative Way #2: Host a Game Night Party. Creative Way #3: Provide a Service. Creative Way #4: Sacrifice for a Donation. Creative Way #5: Give Something in Exchange for the Contribution. Creative Way #6: Save the Change. Creative Way #7: Ask for Their Input. Creative Way #8: Make Something to Sell. MORE
It’s Get Creative Month here at Nonprofit Marketing Guide, and Lane Phalen, a board member with the TAILS Humane Society , shared one way that her organization has been getting creative to solve a common problem: More cats waiting for adoption than dogs. Customizing an adoption event specifically around black cats is a creative way to solve shelter population problems. How have holidays or events on everyone’s calendar inspired your creativity? MORE
Creative Ideas Nonprofit Communications Professional DevelopmentWe've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. MORE
Welcome back to guest blogger, Susie Bowie, Communications Manager at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County … There’s an unexpected stranger standing at the intersection between nonprofit organizations and creative agencies offering “free” website, advertising or marketing services. MORE
Here’s a unique grant opportunity: Made possible by the CTK Foundation Philanthropic Fund and Grammy award-winners, Los Lonely Boys, The Heart and Soul (H&S) grant is an innovative and creative way for nonprofits to apply for funding. To apply for the grant, the organization must submit a 4-8 line poem (lyrics) that represents the “heart and soul” of their mission. MORE
Creative Ideas Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofit Writers Nonprofit Communications Nonprofit Personality integrated marketingI’m always urging you to give something new a try, and to mix it up a bit. Here’s a great example: A Groundhog Day campaign from House of Charity in Minneapolis. Melissa Musliner, House of Charity’s Marketing & Development Director, is a Nonprofit Marketing Guide All-Access Pass holder. MORE
But the creative team at VM didn’t stop there. A Cause Marketing Coup. If you’re a Target shopper and/or a Ben & Jerry’s (B&J) fan you probably know about Volunteer Match ‘s (VM) cause marketing coup. MORE
DIY peer-to-peer fundraising, or do-it-yourself fundraising if you’re not into acronyms, is quickly becoming an integral component to the modern nonprofit fundraising toolkit. The ability to allow supporters to create a fundraiser when and how they want to is pivotal to providing real opportunity to make huge impact for your cause MORE
I’ve read heaps of academic literature and pop psychology on “creativity&# and where it comes from, whether it can be nurtured, what other traits are associated with it, etc. But here is one of the most concise and useful treatments I’ve seen regarding the blockages that can impede the creativity, at whatever level, of any of us … and how to avoid them. The article, 8 Bad Habits That Crush Your Creativity And Stifle Your Success , appeared on Copyblogger. MORE
Agencies care about achieving higher creative standards. But in my view what should matter most for agencies is the degree to which the creative they produced is aligned with the nonprofit’s goals and objectives. Or did they bring creative that won cheers from their peers and yawns from the nonprofit's stakeholders? How should an agency evaluate a cause marketing campaign it had a hand in creating? Agencies have their own unique gloss on evaluating the success of a campaign. MORE
Ken Stern, former chief exec of NPR, takes the view that the nonprofit world needs more “creative destruction” He wrote recently in the Chronicle of Philanthropy : “To foster real change, we need to figure out a way to make sure that the charitable license is not a lifetime grant of immunity. Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now just ran this guest post — Why donors get jaded, and how you can stop it — from George Crankovic at TrueSense Marketing. MORE
This is a BEAUTIFUL example of creativity at work in promoting a nonprofit - in this case the AARP. What are you doing to tell your story in a unique, empowering, memorable and creative way? Tags: creative Allison Fine online video MORE
Here at MarketSmart, we know that critiques of creative should be based in reality, drawn from experience, and aligned with an understanding of your target audience. The post 3 big reasons why some fundraisers should not critique creative appeared first on MarketSmart | . Recently one of our beloved clients critiqued something we thought she should do by saying, “Well if I saw that envelope I’d throw it in the trash!” MORE
I’m calling August “Get Creative&# month at Nonprofit Marketing Guide. I’m hosting the August edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival and the theme is “Creative Ideas You Can Make Your Own.&# Please put “Get Creative&# in the subject line. MORE
What can you do TODAY to creatively communicate your story? Cleaning my desk, I just found this “chew on this&# card from our local homeless shelter. I must’ve received it 4-6 months ago. In that time, I’ve thrown out more pamphlets and brochures than I can count. But I kept this card. Maybe it was the size–bigger than a business card, smaller than a full sheet. Maybe it was the card stock–heavier than regular paper. MORE
Are you giving yourself time away from your work problems so that you can solve them more creatively? Yes, you need to stop thinking about them in order to actually get anything creative to happen. How can you build more space for deep and creative thinking into your work life? Creative Ideas Nonprofit Communications Professional Development creativityIt’s true. And that means you need to build downtime into your work day. MORE
The post COVID-19 Commercials – A united message or simply a lack of creativity? You’ve probably seen a few COVID-19 TV commercials by now, maybe even shed a few tears. Empty roads, parked airplanes, deserted cities, playgrounds with no kids, you name it. If the location once had people in it, it is now being shown as empty with some sombre piano music concurrently nourishing our auditory senses and reminding us what we are all missing. MORE
Share and Enjoy: Other Possibly Related posts: Creative messages stick! Yesterday, I got an email from Red Box asking me to take a picture of myself hugging a Red Box. Hugging a huge DVD dispensing box. Why haven’t I done this with my nonprofit?! This is a simple tactic of creating buzz. And it’s really easy! If you’re Western Kentucky University , you could have a contest of alumni hugging red towels. MORE
The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on “The Future of Media” is leading an effort to celebrate and amplify “Creative for Good” projects. With a number of strong collaborators including the National Social Marketing Centre, The Kaiser Family Foundation, Osocio and others, the call for submissions shares: As much as world change may be about politics or economics, as its heart it’s a creative proposition. Creative for Good. MORE
Today we look at: The Creativity Plot Creativity stories create those big “Aha!” For a good creativity plot, you need a well-understood problem and a standard response that just doesn’t work. Many nonprofits use this plot to tell their “founding” stories because finding creative new solutions to old problems is behind the formation of lots of nonprofits. MORE
Creativity is: Embracing what you don’t know and asking the silly questions. Knowing the strategic box that your creative energy should fill. Creativity can be learned. Let’s be creative. Making up a job that didn’t exist before you had it — and now does. Changing your social circle to get new perspective. Pushing yourself to the edge of comfort. Yoking together two disparate ideas in a way that makes total sense. Making someone laugh. MORE
Creative Related Topics Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 13, 2019
Today we look at: The Creativity Plot Creativity stories create those big “Aha!” For a good creativity plot, you need a well-understood problem and a standard response that just doesn’t work. Many nonprofits use this plot to tell their “founding” stories because finding creative new solutions to old problems is behind the formation of lots of nonprofits.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
MARCH 12, 2019
5 Creative Examples of Nonprofit Instagram Stories Want inspiration? Check out how these nonprofits are using Instagram Stories in strategically creative ways. Do Something Do Something engages users in a creative and fun mini-campaigns to grow and engage their mobile supporter base. Fun, interactive, and creative! What other creative Instagram Stories have you seen?
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 17, 2011
Are you giving yourself time away from your work problems so that you can solve them more creatively? Yes, you need to stop thinking about them in order to actually get anything creative to happen. How can you build more space for deep and creative thinking into your work life? Creative Ideas Nonprofit Communications Professional Development creativityIt’s true. And that means you need to build downtime into your work day.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
This month at Nonprofit Marketing Guide, we presented a series of webinars aimed at helping you get more creative with your nonprofit communications, including using metaphors and humor. For now, here is a roundup of some recent blog posts to get you thinking more creatively.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 5, 2016
A creative brief is a quick worksheet that you fill out before you get started on any significant piece of communications work. You can also use a creative brief as a mini-strategy for how you’ll use a particular social media channel (e.g. Using a creative brief forces you to consider important questions before you get started. Has a creative brief helped you get better work done more quickly?
iMarketSmart
MARCH 24, 2017
Here at MarketSmart, we know that critiques of creative should be based in reality, drawn from experience, and aligned with an understanding of your target audience. The post 3 big reasons why some fundraisers should not critique creative appeared first on MarketSmart | . Recently one of our beloved clients critiqued something we thought she should do by saying, “Well if I saw that envelope I’d throw it in the trash!”
Getting Attention
MARCH 17, 2011
Welcome back to guest blogger, Susie Bowie, Communications Manager at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County … There’s an unexpected stranger standing at the intersection between nonprofit organizations and creative agencies offering “free” website, advertising or marketing services.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
AUGUST 5, 2010
I’m calling August “Get Creative&# month at Nonprofit Marketing Guide. I’m hosting the August edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival and the theme is “Creative Ideas You Can Make Your Own.&# Please put “Get Creative&# in the subject line.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
JUNE 20, 2011
Creative Ideas Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofit Writers Nonprofit Communications Nonprofit Personality integrated marketingI’m always urging you to give something new a try, and to mix it up a bit. Here’s a great example: A Groundhog Day campaign from House of Charity in Minneapolis. Melissa Musliner, House of Charity’s Marketing & Development Director, is a Nonprofit Marketing Guide All-Access Pass holder.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
SEPTEMBER 10, 2012
Blogging Content Curation Content Marketing Copywriting Creative Ideas E-Newsletters Ideas for Nonprofit Writers Nonprofit Communications writing prompts“Content is King,” they say. While that may be true, “they” don’t mention how hard it is trying to come up with fresh ideas that resonate with your readers. Inspiration can be hard to come by some days, but that’s where our Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts come in.
Public Sector Marketing 2.0
APRIL 28, 2020
The post COVID-19 Commercials – A united message or simply a lack of creativity? You’ve probably seen a few COVID-19 TV commercials by now, maybe even shed a few tears. Empty roads, parked airplanes, deserted cities, playgrounds with no kids, you name it. If the location once had people in it, it is now being shown as empty with some sombre piano music concurrently nourishing our auditory senses and reminding us what we are all missing.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
AUGUST 17, 2010
It’s Get Creative Month here at Nonprofit Marketing Guide, and Lane Phalen, a board member with the TAILS Humane Society , shared one way that her organization has been getting creative to solve a common problem: More cats waiting for adoption than dogs. Customizing an adoption event specifically around black cats is a creative way to solve shelter population problems. How have holidays or events on everyone’s calendar inspired your creativity?
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 19, 2013
Creative Ideas Nonprofit Communications Professional DevelopmentWe've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.
The Agitator
MAY 22, 2014
Being innovative means being creative. And what are the prerequisites of being creative? creativity Don''t Miss these Posts innovation premium Roger and I are always going on about innovation. Here’s a reminder post , but try searching ‘innovation’ on The Agitator website for plenty more.
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
FEBRUARY 20, 2013
Creative Ideas Nonprofit Communications Professional DevelopmentWe've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us. We've Moved! Update your Reader Now. This feed has moved to: [link] Update your reader now with this changed subscription address to get your latest updates from us.
SocialButterfly
JANUARY 23, 2013
The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on “The Future of Media” is leading an effort to celebrate and amplify “ Creative for Good ” projects. With a number of strong collaborators including the National Social Marketing Centre, The Kaiser Family Foundation, Osocio and others, the call for submissions shares: As much as world change may be about politics or economics, as its heart it’s a creative proposition. Creative for Good.
CrowdRise
JANUARY 7, 2019
DIY peer-to-peer fundraising, or do-it-yourself fundraising if you’re not into acronyms, is quickly becoming an integral component to the modern nonprofit fundraising toolkit. The ability to allow supporters to create a fundraiser when and how they want to is pivotal to providing real opportunity to make huge impact for your cause
Social Marketing and Social Change
MARCH 9, 2015
How can social marketers put more creativity and innovation into their work to inspire and move people and communities to better health and improved well-being? Being ‘creative’ or ‘innovative’ doesn’t happen by simply giving people permission to do so.
Marketing for Nonprofits
JANUARY 12, 2010
This is a BEAUTIFUL example of creativity at work in promoting a nonprofit - in this case the AARP. What are you doing to tell your story in a unique, empowering, memorable and creative way? Tags: creative Allison Fine online video
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
OCTOBER 25, 2017
Find out what the media really needs before, during, and after your event with journalist and nonprofit consultant, Antionette Kerr, during her next webinar: Creative Strategies to Get the Media to Cover Your Next Event. The post Creative Strategies to Get the Media to Cover Your Next Event appeared first on Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog. Do you expect the media to attend your fundraisers or other events?
Selfish Giving
SEPTEMBER 23, 2020
I want to curate some creative examples of benefits for virtual event sponsors. What creative things have you offered virtual event sponsors? Three things to share with you today. First, join Doctors Waters and Giagrando (the Cause Docs !)
Fundraising Coach
JUNE 10, 2011
What can you do TODAY to creatively communicate your story? Cleaning my desk, I just found this “chew on this&# card from our local homeless shelter. I must’ve received it 4-6 months ago. In that time, I’ve thrown out more pamphlets and brochures than I can count. But I kept this card. Maybe it was the size–bigger than a business card, smaller than a full sheet. Maybe it was the card stock–heavier than regular paper.
SocialButterfly
JANUARY 23, 2013
The World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on “The Future of Media” is leading an effort to celebrate and amplify “Creative for Good” projects. With a number of strong collaborators including the National Social Marketing Centre, The Kaiser Family Foundation, Osocio and others, the call for submissions shares: As much as world change may be about politics or economics, as its heart it’s a creative proposition. Creative for Good.
Sea Change Strategies
JANUARY 30, 2013
Creativity is: Embracing what you don’t know and asking the silly questions. Knowing the strategic box that your creative energy should fill. Creativity can be learned. Let’s be creative. Making up a job that didn’t exist before you had it — and now does. Changing your social circle to get new perspective. Pushing yourself to the edge of comfort. Yoking together two disparate ideas in a way that makes total sense. Making someone laugh.
The Agitator
OCTOBER 11, 2010
I’ve read heaps of academic literature and pop psychology on “creativity&# and where it comes from, whether it can be nurtured, what other traits are associated with it, etc. But here is one of the most concise and useful treatments I’ve seen regarding the blockages that can impede the creativity, at whatever level, of any of us … and how to avoid them. The article, 8 Bad Habits That Crush Your Creativity And Stifle Your Success , appeared on Copyblogger.
Cause Related Marketing
MARCH 13, 2013
Thompson’s insights come from her new book Creative Conspiracy: The New Rules for Breakthrough Collaboration. Who hasn’t been in a creative meeting that was dominated not by the people with the best ideas, but by the ones with the strongest personalities? Likewise, there’s those creative sessions where half or more of the attendees use the time to catch up on email, or daydream, or nosh on the food. Then both groups were given tests of creativity.
Get Fully Funded
JULY 14, 2009
Here’s a unique grant opportunity: Made possible by the CTK Foundation Philanthropic Fund and Grammy award-winners, Los Lonely Boys, The Heart and Soul (H&S) grant is an innovative and creative way for nonprofits to apply for funding. To apply for the grant, the organization must submit a 4-8 line poem (lyrics) that represents the “heart and soul” of their mission.
ImpactMax
SEPTEMBER 9, 2010
But this could be a creative, engaging way to issue event invitations or say thanks to your supporters, among other things. Creative Commons photo credit: marcmo Flickr/marcmo.
Cause Related Marketing
DECEMBER 12, 2011
At Causemarketing.biz I often review elements of cause marketing campaigns but I generally shy away from reviewing creative. That's because I don’t have a hardcore agency creative background. Those confessions made, the creative for the American Red Cross series looks like a mistake to me. The creative features a clay everyman with several other 3-D objects set against 2-D drawings in the foreground and/or background. But the art part of the creative leaves me cold.
Fundraiser Ideas
MAY 17, 2012
That is, until I started asking them in creative ways. Creative Way #1: Replace a Gift with a Donation. Creative Way #2: Host a Game Night Party. Creative Way #3: Provide a Service. Creative Way #4: Sacrifice for a Donation. Creative Way #5: Give Something in Exchange for the Contribution. Creative Way #6: Save the Change. Creative Way #7: Ask for Their Input. Creative Way #8: Make Something to Sell.
Mission Minded
FEBRUARY 4, 2015
If your organization creates campaigns year after year, you know the challenge: How do you make sure your creative stays true to your brand, while also bringing something fresh and new to the table? On the one hand, each season brings new offerings for your audiences and new goals for your team—this is especially true […]. Blog Nonprofit Branding Nonprofit Design Storytelling
Non Profit Marketing 360
MARCH 15, 2012
He writes the Future Fundraising Now blog and is creative director at TrueSense Marketing. Jeff Brooks has been working on behalf of nonprofits for more than 20 years and passionately blogging about fundraising since 2005. The interview was conducted by Don Akchin, a principal of Nonprofit Marketing 360 and a frequent contributor to the MKCREATIVE blog. NPM360: What do you consider to be the greatest challenge of being a good copywriter?
Blue Sky Collaborative
AUGUST 13, 2009
Well Aware, a nonprofit in Austin, TX has come up with a variation on the a-thon fundraising model. In their "Shower Strike: campaign, they've asked people to form teams to raise raise $1000 to benefit Well Aware. Now here's the.
Public Sector Marketing 2.0
JANUARY 6, 2014
The above are all great positive steps in the right direction, however in my opinion 2014 should be the year we finally start to see some truly creative , original approaches for digital engagement in the public sector sphere. To get you thinking, I’ll leave you with the now infamous video from WestJet that takes the crown for 2013 creativity, all the while staying true to the brand and generating a preposterous amount of earned media.
Sea Change Strategies
FEBRUARY 4, 2013
Creativity is hard. But the difference between creativity and running — at least for me — is that once I start practicing creativity, the easier it gets. Here are four tell-tale signs I’m practicing enough creativity: My curiosity increases — “expert mind” becomes more child-like and inquisitive. And while creativity begets creativity, kick starting the creativity train can be tough. Running is hard every time — all the time.
Getting Attention
SEPTEMBER 21, 2010
But the creative team at VM didn’t stop there. A Cause Marketing Coup. If you’re a Target shopper and/or a Ben & Jerry’s (B&J) fan you probably know about Volunteer Match ‘s (VM) cause marketing coup.
Fundraising Coach
SEPTEMBER 18, 2011
Share and Enjoy: Other Possibly Related posts: Creative messages stick! Yesterday, I got an email from Red Box asking me to take a picture of myself hugging a Red Box. Hugging a huge DVD dispensing box. Why haven’t I done this with my nonprofit?! This is a simple tactic of creating buzz. And it’s really easy! If you’re Western Kentucky University , you could have a contest of alumni hugging red towels.
Cause Related Marketing
JUNE 7, 2012
Agencies care about achieving higher creative standards. But in my view what should matter most for agencies is the degree to which the creative they produced is aligned with the nonprofit’s goals and objectives. Or did they bring creative that won cheers from their peers and yawns from the nonprofit's stakeholders? How should an agency evaluate a cause marketing campaign it had a hand in creating? Agencies have their own unique gloss on evaluating the success of a campaign.
The Agitator
MARCH 7, 2013
Ken Stern, former chief exec of NPR, takes the view that the nonprofit world needs more “creative destruction” He wrote recently in the Chronicle of Philanthropy : “To foster real change, we need to figure out a way to make sure that the charitable license is not a lifetime grant of immunity. Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now just ran this guest post — Why donors get jaded, and how you can stop it — from George Crankovic at TrueSense Marketing.
Getting Attention
MARCH 22, 2011
I have so much to do but don’t know where to start!
The Agitator
OCTOBER 14, 2009
The piece also reminds me of news we recently got from creative whiz Jeff Brooks, who some of you know as (former) writer of the Donor Power Blog. This is why you don't want two creatives in the room at once!]. Direct mail maven Denny Hatch recently wrote "They Forgot the Importance of ‘YOU’", a column in which he took the Obamas to task for their losing performances in trying to sell Chicago to the International Olympic Committee.
The Agitator
APRIL 7, 2009
This — mind you — coming from two creative whizzes who have written more than their fair share of long-lived control packages! Ironically, they wrote just as I was thinking how much more important strong creative might be these days. But after that, wouldn’t you think that standout creative has a huge impact? Were I seeking fundraising help these days, I’d want to see evidence of nothing less than inspired creative.
Getting Attention
APRIL 6, 2016
Today, I’d like to share one of the greatest challenges—Many smaller organizations, like mine, don’t have an explicit, documented process for creative workflow. But what I do know is that most of my career successes were built on the foundation of a documented creative workflow. Here’s how to put a creative brief to work: Document Your Outreach: Two Examples. Try a Creative Brief for Your Next Event or Media Op.
77 
Let's personalize your content