This may have been the “Year of the Thank You Video” – lots of really great stuff arrived in my inbox in the last week. So much so that even the well-written Thanksgiving messages without videos seemed a little boring and dated to me. The ones with video felt so much more alive and real.…
NTEN and CharityDynamics have released a new report called “Nonprofit Donor Engagement Benchmark Study: Insights into Donor Engagement Behavior and Preferences.” It includes a number of fun facts: — The vast number of people who give to charity give to multiple charities. — It pays to become a donor’s “favorite” charity, because individuals give 67%…
While most people get what you are doing when you use a thermometer to report the level of donations you have received toward your goal, I don’t think they make much sense as a visual for achieving fundraising goals. What do thermometers have to do with your cause? Probably nothing, but yet that’s what a…
As the people at #GivingTuesday say, “We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals….Wouldn’t it be great to have a day for giving back?” And that’s what #GivingTuesday is all about – changing the typical consumer mentality that occurs between Thanksgiving and Christmas and turning our attention toward helping others. This year #GivingTuesday is…
I received lots of post-Sandy email from nonprofits, with content all over the map, from direct pleas for assistance for those affected, to educational and advocacy emails tying severe weather to climate change. In looking through them all, one stands out: This email I received the day after the storm passed through Washington, DC from…
Here are your Mixed Links for the week. First off, I hope all of my readers in the Northeast are safe and recovering from Hurricane Sandy. Network for Good has set up a Hurricane Sandy disaster relief donation page. It lists several organizations you can donate to safely. It’s that time of year again — lots of…
I’ve been working with one of my coaching clients, Children of the Nations, on their fall fundraising campaign, which they call Hope for the Children. In addition to the direct asks for financial support, I suggested that they come up with several “engagement” asks to pair with the ask for money throughout the campaign, which…
Humor is one of the fastest ways to connect with people on a human, emotional level, but so many nonprofits are afraid to even give it a try. “The work we do is no laughing matter,” they say. “What we do is very serious. We can’t possibly make light of our work.” So earnest. So…
A friend recently recalled how I had critiqued her website during a webinar a couple of years ago, and though I don’t remember it exactly, apparently we were both somewhat appalled by how many clicks were required to make an online donation to the organization. Do you know how many clicks it takes from your…
Happy Friday! It’s Mixed Links time… First off, a quick update on our fundraiser for Positive Wellness Alliance. Every year, we host a free webinar where we collect a $10 donation for PWA. So far, you’ve donated over $1400! Thank you! This year’s webinar is Three Stories Every Nonprofit Should Be Telling and it will take place…
At the beginning of many of my marketing workshops, I present a reality check with some of the latest statistics, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you here. Today’s reality check is on why you need an online marketing strategy, in addition to a print strategy. I continue to hear some…
It’s Friday so let’s have some Mixed Links! Messaging Voting for the 2012 Nonprofit Taglines Awards Competition ends next Friday, October 5th. It only takes about 5 minutes and may actually help you consider whether your tagline is working or not. Vote today! What do you think of your mission statement? Here is a challenge: see…
