This month, as we turn our focus to the international face of fundraising, I’m turning over my column and a large part of the editorial planning for the issue to the charismatic, highly regarded Tony Elischer, who very kindly agreed to act as Guest Editor.
It was 10 minutes past the time I was to meet someone in the lobby of the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel during the Nonprofit Technology Conference last month. I wandered through the atrium and took a seat alongside Rick Christ, president of NPAdvisors.com, and explained to him what was going on. “Twitter her,” Rick said. “Twitter her, and ask her what’s up.” I gave him the “blinkies” look — perfected during 22 years of parenting — that says, “What you have just said to me is so ridiculously out of the question that it is nearly incomprehensible.” To his credit, he held
Late last month, FundRaising Success launched its second e-strategy guide, Giving 2.0, a twice-monthly (for now) e-letter that offers insight, tips and advice on the most cutting-edge tactics that fundraisers are (or should be) using to meet their goals.
A few months ago, I saw a full-spread, anti-slave labor ad that featured shackled hands, one on each side of the two pages. Attaching them was a strip of paper that formed a chain holding the pages together. It was an arresting image that seized my attention. Then it got even better. It got interactive.
Since FS launched in 2003, we’ve been blessed to have an Editorial Advisory Board made up of some of the most knowledgeable and passionate people in the fundraising sector. Meet some of our 2008 board here, and look for the rest next month and, in coming months, Q-and-A interviews with each where they’ll share their insights on fundraising.
Imagine you’re waiting at the bus stop on a busy street in your town. It’s a cold day, and you’ve got your hood up and your head down. You’re thinking about a lot of things. That you’re going to be late to work if the bus doesn’t soon appear. That you forgot to pick up your dry cleaning. That all that holiday overconsumption has made your pants too tight. That your spouse doesn’t look at you the same way anymore. That you forgot to feed your daughter’s guinea pig this morning.
“If you’re focused on fundraising, you’re probably focused on inspiring generosity in other people. But how generous are you? I’ve found in life, in fundraising and in blogging, the more generous I am, the more successful my efforts. Scrooges in terms of sharing information, credit and or time get little. Be a good fundraiser (and person) by: 1. Being generous with our thanks. Thank people before they give, after they give and every chance you get. All of us have many options for spending the precious time we have in our short lives. If someone chooses to spend a few moments on you —
Editor’s Note: Perhaps the best way for nonprofit organizations to learn how to effectively increase their online presence through innovative multichannel programs is to look to their peers that already are utilizing Web 2.0 channels for advocacy, friendraising and fundraising. We asked Katrin Verclas, executive director of NTEN: The Nonprofit Technology Network, to talk about some of the organizations that she sees as leading the way.
Nonprofit direct-response fundraising programs historically have centered around one channel, usually direct mail. But as other channels become more viable and new ones emerge — can you say W-E-B? — innovative organizations have become aggressive in incorporating them into their fundraising mix.
Rebranding efforts take a lot of energy. Before nonprofits rebrand they should make sure they have identified the right problem to solve so that their energy is going into the right place. This was the advice shared by Katya Andresen, vice president of marketing for Network for Good, in a post on Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog on Feb. 8. If an organization determines that rebranding itself is the solution to its problems, Andresen advises it truly rebrand, rather than just change its look with a new logo, name or Web site. “If you have an aging or dwindling donor base, problems articulating your
