When I interviewed for my job here four years ago, I came in kind of blindly. I knew the parent company — North American Publishing Co. — produced trade publications, but I didn’t know what sort of magazine, specifically, NAPCO was launching.
I extend my deepest apologies to all of you over the age of 40 who now will have that stupid “Brady Bunch” song stuck in your heads all week. (If you’re younger and have no idea how it goes, count your blessings.)
That said … the song, obviously, is about change. And so, perhaps less obviously, is this special section, “Big Ideas for Smaller Nonprofits.”
Community-based organizations come in many flavors: small, large, health-centered, arts-centered, etc. They’re as varied in scope and size as the communities they represent. But they do have one thing in common: They are distinctly qualified to directly impact their surrounding cultures.
“Community-based programs are unique to fundraising efforts because of the potential impact they have on emerging and existing issues within their specific community — and also because of the organizations’ vast knowledge and connection to their community,” says Monique Hanson, chief development officer of the YMCA of the United States.
Just the mention of the word “fundraising” can make many nonprofit board members a little nervous. But there are ways we can change their minds about fundraising. Here are 10 important steps that can re-energize your board and engage their hearts and minds for fundraising.
Has it really been a year since I wrote a column announcing the First Annual Gold Awards for Direct-Mail Excellence? Must be, since it appeared in the March 2005 issue. But I haven’t even filed all of the paperwork from that competition. And it feels as though the awards just got mailed last month. (OK, they did just get mailed. But we won’t have that delay next time — I promise.) Wow, time really does fly. The deadline for this year’s awards is close of business on May 31. It’s a little earlier than last year because the competition already has grown, and judging
As I write this, Mother Nature has just now started to blow cooler breezes our way. My calendar says October. As you read this, yours probably says November.
Still, I have Christmas carols in my head. And this uneasy feeling that there aren’t enough shopping days left. Such is the fuzzy-logic limbo that is editorial planning. You live and breathe in quarters rather than days, and by the time a new season or even year rolls around, it’s been old news for three months.
In every nonprofit’s life, there comes a time when questions arise about the general health of its database.
This could come as a result of a new initiative to push the organization ahead. It could stem from a mandate to raise additional funds within a certain period of time. It could be a desire to increase brand awareness among donors and prospects. Or perhaps the organization has recognized the need to identify, communicate and track its audiences’ activities.
So, you want your $100 check writers to start writing $200 checks and your $250 folks to give you $500? Well, all you have to do is ask. Be warned, however, that any time you push to increase the size of a gift you will, more than likely, reduce the response rate of the initial mailing or offer. But the net impact over the next 12 months can be significant and positive. You see, for every mailing from that point on you can begin building your gift array or ask table based on the highest previous contribution. So if you double or even slightly
On the way to a recent conference, I noticed the digital billboards in the airport -- the kind that shifts messages every 30 to 60 seconds. The overhead screen launched a stream of messages as throngs of passengers on cell phones rushed past. Jumping into a cab, I noticed that the digital portal on the back seat offered sports scores and the latest news. At the hotel, I was greeted with a sign-in kiosk as an alternative to the front desk, which allowed me to upgrade my room. And as I dashed into the elevator, a major network show was playing on a
If you don't know where you're going, it's kind of hard to get there April 5, 2005 By Margaret Battistelli Editor-in-Chief FundRaising Success "Chesire Puss," Alice began, "would you please tell me which way I ought to go from here?" "That depends on where you want to get to," said the cat. "I don't much care where," said Alice. "Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the cat. Ah, the wisdom of Lewis Caroll. But who knew he could be such a valuable leader in the field of fundraising? Edith Falk ... apparently. Falk, president of the Chicago-based philanthropic firm Campbell &
