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Get Resourceful with Your Nonprofit’s Limited Budget
Time and time again as we are working with our nonprofit clients we hear a common challenge: We don't have the budget to do that. Whether it's investing in a new website, buying a better camera, spending money on a fancy social media metrics dashboard, or even having a full-time social media employee, the refrain is all the same - small nonprofits are strapped for cash and have a limited [...]
The Future of the Workplace (As Requested by My Network)
There's a lot of talk about what the future of the workplace will look like. So, a few weeks ago, I put out a general question to my social media networks: When considering a potential (or current) employer, what is a non-negotiable for you? I wasn’t entirely sure what I was expecting. But let me tell you that people are super passionate about this. I spent some time really trying [...]
Conducting Your First A/B Test (and getting buy-in from your boss)
Like everything else in the world, your audience is constantly evolving, expanding, and changing. It’s impossible to keep a pulse on your audience without constantly testing. And this is where an A/B test can come in handy for marketers and fundraisers. Before you decide to do an A/B test, you MUST have a solid why. WHY are you doing this? WHY will anyone besides you care? WHY will these [...]
Marketing Q&A with Marissa Ranalli at DoSomething
DoSomething.org is currently ranked #5 on the Top 100 Nonprofits list. This is especially remarkable since the list is based on a mix of stats spanning web, social, fiscal responsibility, and transparency metrics and DoSomething is one of the youngest and smallest (in terms of full-time staff) on the list. In short, Marissa and the rest of the DoSomething team punch well above their weight class, and orgs of all sizes can [...]
How to Build a Successful Recurring Giving Program Using the Tools and Theories of Behavioral Economics
Did you know that recurring donors can be up to 4x more valuable than one-time donors? Online retention rates for recurring donors are above 85% with the average recurring donor giving 42% more over the course of a year than a one-time donors. Having a recurring giving (or 'monthly giving') program in place, is nothing short of a necessity. This online workshop will teach you how to set one up [...]
7 Super Steps to Recruit Nonprofit Volunteers
How can you recruit the right nonprofit volunteers? In The Seven Deadly Sins of Recruiting Volunteers, Volunteer Power provides seven tips to recruit volunteers. Just Ask. People liked being asked to volunteer. Announce why and when your organization needs volunteer help, but invite your best leads personally. Team. Work with your employees or board to create a list of individuals you feel work best for you, and then ask them to [...]
Influencer Marketing and Nonprofits
This is part one of a six-part series based on content from Social Media Week Los Angeles, held at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica, June 12-14, 2018. For more tidbits and conference coverage, follow #SMWLA on Twitter. If you pay any attention to digital marketing trends, one of the most popular buzz words right now is “influencer” marketing. In fact, I had a fellow freelance digital marketing [...]
How Simulating Vision Loss Helped Donors Connect to Our Cause
When you’re so absorbed by an issue every single day, it’s easy to forget that many people (even donors) may not completely understand the issue that you’re trying to solve. Our donors know that loss of vision makes life incredibly difficult for those who are living in the countries we work in - but many people think that ‘blindness’ means the complete loss of vision with no remaining perception of [...]
Fundraising Research: Strategies that Work
As you plan your organization’s next appeal or upcoming campaign, it certainly helps to know what has worked—and what has not worked—for organizations similar to yours. UPDATE: Did you miss the live webinar with Melissa Brown, where she revealed the findings of the latest study? No worries: listen to it ON-DEMAND here. (The webinar is free, but does require registration) Donors partner with your charity to implement the donor’s visions of [...]
Rethinking Your Mission Statement
The mission statement; It is easily one of the most important piece of any nonprofit’s outward messaging. Yet what I have discovered through my experience working with several nonprofits is that it is often the most confusing and convoluted piece of messaging as well. A large portion of mission statements I have come across seem unnecessarily bloated to the point where they often confuse the reader. Avoid Elaborate Language One [...]
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