Creative

With an estimated 7.5 million U.S. downloads of "Pokémon Go," that is a whole lot of people who are getting outside, discovering new areas and meeting new faces. So how can your nonprofit use this rocketing app to its benefit? Beth Kanter rounded up a great collection of how nonprofits have been using the game to their advantage. Here’s what we took away from their efforts...

When you meet someone and they ask what your nonprofit does, what do you say? If you’re like most people, it sounds something like this: “We’re a 501(c)(3) nonprofit providing rescue services to at-risk populations in blah, blah, jargon, jargon, acronym, acronym, blah, blah.” Boring. Your listener tuned out about two seconds in. Being able…

I saw this Centers for Disease Control and Prevention display in an airport the other day. It's not a fundraising message, but it makes a communication error that's often made in fundraising. Here's the error: The CDC is talking about the issue from its own point of view, not that of its audience. If you work at…

We all know the sorry state of donor retention: 96 donors lost for every 100 gained. Join us to learn how to hold onto donors.

Stories come in many forms, and people process information in different ways. Some people respond better to visual stimuli. In our information-packed world, a visual story can be a great way to connect. Tell a story in an instant with a photo Your donors are busy and may not have time read a story, but…

Need some new ideas for your newsletter, blog or social media? Consider one of these five summer-inspired themes: 1. Summer Heat. How does hot weather impact your services or your clients? Can you offer advice to your readers about anything related to summer heat? Humane societies can offer tips for keeping pets cool. Agencies that address…

We were meeting with people at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission to help them build a major-gift program and start developing real relationships with donors. The rescue mission has some really faithful donors, but many of them have not been challenged to make a real investment in the mission...

Why is fundraising so hard? One reason: We barely give people a reason to give, much less talk about us and spread the word for us. Really. Can you imagine normal, sane humans saying any of these things? "You've got to hear this: I can give some amount of money and this charity will use…

Collecting stories consistently is ranked as the No. 1 storytelling challenge that fundraisers face in the surveys and research that I conduct. This fact was clear in the 2015 research project I did with Network For Good, called The State of Storytelling. Perhaps you can relate to this challenge, too. In my own experience, there…

Storytelling can be an endeavor that takes a lot of time and resources. For nonprofits that are small shops or that are strapped for time or resources, this can be a big barrier to telling their stories. Today, I want to share a few tips to help organizations in this position ensure that their powerful…