In Part 1 of this three-part series about developing your unique, essential “Case for Support.” I introduced the concept of the nonprofit mission, values and vision triad. Together they’re how you are known in the community. They become your brand. “A brand is the essence of one’s own unique story… [...]
Mission. Values. Vision. Organized, they become your brand, and your singular and compelling case for support. Together they drive everything your nonprofit does today. And everything you will do tomorrow. They are your body, heart and soul. Combined, they define your essence. They are how you are known in the [...]
If you’re not actively engaging with folks online in today’s digitally-revolutionized zeitgeist, you’re missing a huge opportunity. One of the best ways to engage with folks online is through content marketing. In Part 1 of this three-part series we looked at how you can create a value-for-value exchange with [...]
Ask not what your donor can do for you, but what you can do for your donor. The donor is always right. The donor’s priorities are our priorities. These are adages for the modern age in which nonprofits compete with for profits in a service-oriented digital economy. It’s one of [...]
We live in an “all about me” world. All about me doesn’t have to be a bad thing, even if at first blush it sounds ego-driven. You see, there’s nothing wrong with ego. It drives us to want to be better. We want to look in the mirror and see [...]
In Nonprofit Newsletters Donors Abhor I wrote about the ways many of our publications are downright dull and deadly. They serve no useful purpose, for you or for your readers, and they’re simply a waste of everyone’s time and resources. Don’t let this bad thing happen to your good organization! [...]
Most nonprofit newsletters, sadly, are the antithesis of what donors crave. In 2001 I attended my first workshop with Penelope Burk, author of Donor-Centered Fundraising. It completely changed how I approached fundraising. It also changed how I approached nonprofit marketing. Specifically, I learned something most donors simply won’t tell you [...]
Content marketing is about engagement. Not just any content will do though. It must be closely aligned with your constituents’ interests, which means creating and disseminating content simply for “top of mind awareness” is no longer sufficient. It’s critical that you integrate content marketing and fundraising. The single biggest step [...]
SPECIAL EVENTS WORTH DOING MUST NOT EXIST IN A VACUUM. If you’re planning a special event, write this down on a sticky note, post it next to your computer, and make it your mantra. Or reap the consequences of doing fundraising the absolutely least cost-effective way possible. What a waste. [...]
The most extraordinary special event experience is one where, throughout the evening, your guests find themselves exclaiming (aloud to others or silently to themselves): Wow! Wow! Wow! When it comes to nonprofit fundraising events, the road to success is paved with impress. In our last article we looked at how [...]
Let me begin with a true story that’s informed every single special event I’ve ever developed. [TRUE STORY] Early in my nonprofit career, before I ran my first special event, I attended an Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) luncheon (it was called N.S.F.R.E. at the time) where Charlotte Mailliard (now [...]
Chances are, if you’re an executive or development director, you’ve been asked to create a development strategic plan. It’s not difficult, but it’s not something most of us are taught. So it can be tricky to know where to begin. When it comes to development planning, it’s important to begin [...]