Creative

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…

If only there was an easy answer to our fundraising woes—too much to do, too little donor loyalty, too many unrealistic expectations. While I don’t have the final answer, I do have two suggestions based on science...

The spring-appeal season is underway, and I’ve been barraged with appeals for the last couple of weeks. For many organizations, this is their main fundraising drive of the year. Unfortunately, some of these organizations need a refresher course in appeal writing. Whether you’re planning a spring campaign or one later in the year, here are…

For some time now, I’ve been saying fundraising has changed more in the past five to 10 years than in the previous 50. It’s due to the digital revolution that fundamentally has changed business as usual—for everyone. Change is inevitable, yet change is hard. And nonprofits seem to have a more difficult time embracing change than their for-profit counterparts. Perhaps it’s due to the way social-benefit organizations are structured.

In 2000, children’s charity Barnardos produced one of the most shocking adverts ever for its Giving Children Back Their Future campaign. An advertising watchdog urged newspapers not to carry the image (The Guardian and The Observer defied the ban) of a baby injecting itself with heroin, and the charity swiftly replaced it with a smiling…

A sparrow landed on Bernie Sanders’ podium in Portland, Oregon and the Internet went bonkers. Within hours, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter were flooded with trending topics about #BirdieSanders. You Can’t Predict What Will Go Viral If I told you that a sparrow literally would perch herself on Bernie’s podium and light up the Internet, you’d…

A great-grandfather in the United Kingdom will be awarded a Guinness World Record for becoming the oldest person to get a tattoo at age 104. Jack Reynolds chose to get his nickname, “Jacko,” and his birth date, April 6, 1912, inked on his upper right arm, Metro.co.uk reported. “I’m a big, strong lad, and I’ve…

How can a small, local nonprofit simultaneously spread the word about its organization—and ultimately get more donors—with minimal impact on the budget? Tap local pools of talent. With a small staff, it's likely you have neither the time nor all of the expertise needed to accomplish your marketing, fundraising and awareness campaigns. As you tap…