You don't have to have a story to tell a story. You just have to find another one. One that's already there.
The primary advice about social media is to take your time and do it right. You are building relationships, and that is not going to happen overnight. Be consistent, be true to your mission and stay active on these channels. It works.
While none of these ideas in and of themselves will radically alter your fundraising program or results, sometimes the simplest tweaks or slight changes in focus can impact bottom line —assuming you think of them!
As we continue our journey through the alphabet, you'll find more ideas to help recharge your fundraising, using P, Q, R, S and T as my "copy triggers." (Just like writing a good fundraising appeal, right?!)
More and more, nonprofits are using infographics in their communications. How? Lucky for you, integrated marketing provider Production Solutions created a handy infographic on how nonprofits are utilizing infographics.
A recent industry study in 2011 found that "too much" was only a problem if the messaging wasn't relevant. Hence, the questions we should be asking ourselves are what our donors expect, how they feel and what we're doing to drive a great communication experience with our brands.
What kind of message does it send to donors when a nonprofit shells out the big bucks to run a Super Bowl ad? Yes, this is an opportunity to reach more people than any fundraiser could hope for, and it certainly puts an organization in front of eyes that may not have been drawn to the organization otherwise. But in an era of accountability and fiscal scrutiny of nonprofits — whether right or wrong — it seems like spending so much money that could be invested into the organization may send the wrong message that an organization is more concerned with brand awareness than with investing in its programs and working toward its mission.
This little element on the outer envelope just struck me as clever, and seems somehow more immediate and real than merely including a note saying basically that someone, somewhere will match your gift.
This telefundraising tactic seemed just too cheesy to me — and so shady that I was actually surprised to find out that the organization in question seems legitimate and its mission quite worthy and noble.
More and more, it seems fundraisers and nonprofit consultants are touting the idea that "it's never too early" to start planning for the year-end holiday giving season. And recently, it seems like holiday fundraising campaigns are starting earlier and earlier.
