Speak to Me!

Excuse me, but don’t I know you? Sure, I do. You “bought” me a drink at the open-bar cocktail reception at that fundraising conference a few months ago. And between bite-sized chunks of sharp cheddar and baby carrots with that fabulous dip, you pitched me a terrific story idea.

Problem is, edit space in the print edition of FundRaising Success is at a premium. That’s why I launched this column, ProSpeak, earlier in the year. It’s a Web-only deal that appears here on the FS Web site at www.fundraisingsuccess.mag.com. And it’s the place for you — the fundraising consultant, agency folk or service/technology provider — to share your valuable insights with our readers. As you know, our readership is comprised of development professionals from nonprofit organizations of all sizes and missions across the country and soon, I hope, the world.

ProSpeak topics are up to the author, so long as they offer practical, actionable ideas for seasoned fundraising professionals and are not in any way promotional — same as with the magazine. They can be tips (200-300 words); long-ish blog-type entries (about 500 words); columns (about 800 words) or as features (about 1,200 words). They can be casual or more formal, depending on your mood and the topic. Most importantly, they can be a place for writers to let loose and really get into the nitty-gritty of what they see as important right now in the fundraising sector -- a trend, a new strategy, a new twist on an old strategy, etc.

A new ProSpeak, with author’s photo, goes up each Monday, then remains on the home page for a month before being archived. Readers can comment on each article and, as they do, I forward the comments to the author so he or she can respond. Sort of a blog, but not quite. The reader-interaction part has been slow in coming, but I’m hoping it will grow.

Words to Live By

And if you work at a nonprofit organization, we sure do want to hear from you too. The print version of FS has a special place just for your thoughts. It’s called Words to Live By, and I’m looking for someone from a different nonprofit each month to share his or her thoughts on the sector from the organization’s standpoint. WTLB columns run 800-1,000 words.

If you have a topic suggestion for a ProSpeak or WTLB column, please drop me a note at mbattistelli@napco.com. Or just send along something you’ve written. If it fits our guidelines, I’ll let you know. But please, nothing recycled. We like our content like we like our sushi -- bright, colorful and so fresh you want to smack it. Thanks for reading!

— Margaret Battistelli, Editor-in-Chief, FundRaising Success