AOL

[Editor’s Note: This piece originally appeared in the June 12 issue of eM+C Weekly, an e-letter produced by FundRaising Success sister publication eM+C. It’s written for for-profit e-marketers, but the information is equally applicable to nonprofits. To subscribe to eM+C Weekly, go to www.emarketingandcommerce.com] Social networking is still in its infancy, but already we have seen rapid evolution in the way that consumers and marketers alike are using the new channel. One of the things I can’t help but notice is the similarity between the way social networking is evolving and how e-mail evolved. While there are some things that are different and/or better

There is no question political and advocacy campaigns have embraced the Internet as part of the 2008 campaign cycle. Blogs, social networks and the YouTube phenomenon all are prevalent aspects of the marketing mix, and most campaigns have perfected fundraising and e-mail marketing online. However, to date, the presidential campaigns have overlooked an opportunity to capitalize on what non-political marketers have known for years: online advertising works. Otherwise, it would not be a $20 billion industry, surpassing radio advertising revenue and continuing to grow at 20 percent each year. Today, online represents about 7 percent of all commercial advertising spending in the U.S., versus

Sure, you might hear some really, really forward-thinking folks saying that e-mail and the Internet are so ’90s when it comes to nonprofit fundraising. But the truth of the matter is that a good deal of small and mid-sized organizations still are feeling their way. That in mind, e-mail marketing firm Constant Contact offers this really basic and incredibly helpful glossary of terms for companies and organizations that are just starting to make e-mail marketing and fundraising a priority. If you have ever felt out of your depth in a discussion about e-mail marketing, rest assured you are not alone. These top 25 common

Dick McPherson’s new book, “Digital Giving: How Technology is Changing Charity,” is a comprehensive yet highly digestible volume that marries McPherson’s sage insights with real-life case studies, tips and observations from myriad nonprofit fundraisers and consultants. In it, McPherson, president and creative director of Malvern, Pa.-based McPherson Associates, breaks down e-philanthropy to its essential elements and details how those elements need to be addressed by nonprofits hoping to raise money and awareness online and through other new technologies. Here, an excerpt that outlines tips for success from Katherine Miller, director of communications for the United Nations Foundation, which recently partnered with Sports Illustrated and the

“Not a known member.” “Undeliverable.” “Deleted.”

These e-alternatives to the old postal pain-in-the-neck message “Return to Sender” can be annoying at best. At worst, they can signal a sad state of affairs in your e-mail files that can waste your organization’s precious time and money — not to mention eroding delicate donor relationships because your advocacy, fundraising, educational and thank-you messages, etc., simply aren’t getting through.

As the amount of e-mails sent to consumers and donors has increased, the use of e-mail filters to sort spam and unwanted e-mails has as well. An e-newsletter that gets caught in a filter and fails to get delivered is a missed opportunity to touch a would-be donor or build a relationship with a long-time constituent. Nancy Schwartz, president of marketing and communications firm Nancy Schwartz & Company, says there are techniques that nonprofits can employ so their e-newsletters don’t get caught in filters. She touches on these in the article “Avoiding Filters — 11 Tips for E-Newsletter Success,” which appears on her

Three Keys to Cultivating Donors Online Dec. 27, 2005 By Bill Strathmann Network for Good's success is rooted in three principles of online outreach, which are key to any nonprofit focused on cultivating donors on the Internet:   1) Reach out to audiences when they already feel an impulse to give. Network for Good does this through our powerful media partners, AOL and Yahoo! For example, in the wake of Katrina's devastation and after the horrible earthquake in South Asia, AOL and Yahoo! news content included "how to help" links to our site. People heard the news, they were moved by the plight of