Strategic Planning

A strong social media strategy can be a fantastic tool to enhance a nonprofit’s online presence. Authenticity is critical when using this platform, because social media is about connecting donors and prospects with the organization’s mission. Nonprofits need to humanize their social media message, so the audience can effectively connect with your organization...

We’ve had this conversation before. The nonprofit sector is changing, and it’s more important than ever to understand how it’s changing and why it’s changing. We’re adopting a more digital mindset when it comes to our “business” strategies—it’s how we acquire donors, build relationships with them and get them to donate to our organizations...

It’s no secret that volunteers are one of the most important components to the success of your nonprofit and its ability to achieve goals. If volunteers engage in a positive experience with your nonprofit organization, they can fill multiple opportunities of need and take part in your fundraising campaigns. The truth of the matter is that providing an outstanding experience for your volunteers starts from the first communication you have with them...

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — When nonprofit organizations launch fundraising campaigns, it’s not as simple as ready, set and go; hitting that target goal isn’t a one-two punch. Whether it’s for raising funds, acquisition, retention or whatever, fundraising campaigns can be much like for-profit marketing campaigns...

Generous givers inspire me! This past weekend, I had the privilege of attending the fraternity convention of Phi Kappa Theta. I have the honor of serving as chairman of the fraternity’s foundation and was interacting with many generous donors over the weekend...

A cursory search on the Internet for “volunteer handbooks” produces disappointing results. Most examples are no more than a couple of pages stapled together, highlighting dress codes, attendance policies and general volunteering expectations...

If your job is in peer-to peer fundraising, you are in the movement business. Movements require numbers—big ones. Mainstream fundraisers often look at P2P fundraising with suspicion veiled in skepticism. It looks a little bit like magic, too much like an art and certainly not a science. It looks like messy work, too, with big numbers of humans all attached to small donations...

Podcasts are a great way to hear from the nonprofit industry influencers personally and glean some of their information from their numerous years in the industry. Many of them have insightful advice into the inner workings of nonprofits and how to do better at what they do everyday. But just as you’re making the world a better place, sometimes you need to make your world a better place...

Over the past 20 years, I have had my share of jobs and have started some fundraising offices within nonprofits as part of my consulting practice. As a result, I have gotten pretty good at figuring out the first steps when setting up your development office...

There is something inherently satisfying about setting up an automated marketing system. Whether it’s retargeting, welcome series, scheduled social updates, automated ad buys, there is a temptation to "Ron Popeil" these efforts (“Just set it, and forget it!”)...