I love to hear about others’ experiences at conferences I am unable to attend – especially when they gain as much knowledge as Kim McCleary, president & CEO of the CFIDS Association of America, did from this month’s AFP conference in Vancouver. (And yes, Kim is the brilliant person who used the Ryan Gosling meme, as you…
Each time we hold our Direct Mail for Small Nonprofits E-clinic, Tom Ahern and I have to help the participants overcome their pre-conceived ideas of what makes a great direct mail appeal letter. And one of the biggest challenges is trying to convince our participants (and their team) that they do NOT have to keep their…
Tomorrow, Betsy Baker of Your Grant Authority will present a webinar for our All-Access Pass Holders on how to find grant money specifically for your nonprofit’s marketing and communications programs. Didn’t think you could find grants for anything other than your programs or services? Betsy busts that myth and shares how you can get the…
Print newsletter or email? “To switch or not to switch?” is definitely the question a lot of you have on your minds. To help you answer that question, I have partnered with Network for Good to publish a new e-book From Print to Email: Take Your Newsletter on an Epic Journey. In this free download, I…
While most of us realize that Ryan Gosling is an attractive man and a good actor, who knew he would be so good at nonprofit communications? We came across the Ryan Gosling memes while updating our March edition of our free Monthly Nonprofit Writing Prompts, so we added this to our pop culture and news section…
Yesterday, David Schulz warned us about the need to protect the private information of our participants and supporters. Today David explains the 8 basic principals involved in protecting the information you store so you don’t become the kind of example he shared yesterday. ~Kivi Guest Post by David Schulz Privacy is a cherished right. But…
I worked my way through my snail mail inbox today and here’s what I found: It’s a thank you card from Regan Walsh of Flying Horse Farms. Here’s what was inside: A brief, but personal and heartful thank you for the free webinar I did last week (Note: timely, related to my “gift” and…
It’s hard to keep up with how fast communications technology is changing, let alone the implications of those changes. Even if you can’t immediately implement all of the best practices you hear about, it’s important that you understand where our field is headed — and that includes toward much more personalized and integrated communications. But…
I love receiving emails from readers or people who have seen me speak on how they handle their organization’s communications. Today I’m sharing a note from Theresa Swartwood, Director of Public Relations & Marketing, at Cross-Lines Community Outreach, Inc. Theresa shared her strategy for sending thank-you notes, and I think it is a great example of…
The apology that Susan G. Komen for the Cure issued on Friday was the first step. The obligatory resignations are next. But if Komen is going to repair the damage done by its behavior last week, they have quite a few more steps in the process. “What should Komen do next?” That’s the question many…
Tom Ahern is my go-to guy for all things direct mail. Afraid your direct mail piece goes too far and will solicit a negative response? Tom explains why that may not be a bad thing. Plus he quotes one of my other favorite fundraising bloggers, Jeff Brooks. If you are interested in Tom critiquing your…
(Updates to this post can be found at the bottom.) Yesterday afternoon, and continuing into today, I believe we are witnessing the accidental rebranding of what is surely one of America’s biggest and most well-known, and even well-loved, nonprofit brands. Komen for the Cure, it seems, is no longer a breast cancer charity, but a…
