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Although I appreciate this post, and hope that most donors keep their membership cards, Jeff I do not. I already have too many cards in my wallet that serve a purpose.
If charities can develop loyalty programs affiliated with their cards, now we're talking! :)
The compelling power of "membership cards" in fundraising
We want donors to feel they're a part of the cause. We want to be inclusive. We want them to know we are paying attention to their generosity and appreciate it. "Membership cards" can help meet these needs. And if Uncle Maynard's mailbox is an indication, they work. I once attended an organizat...
Just as it is in the business sector, Jeff. It's about being customer-centric.
Things fundraisers do to chase away their new donors
Any time a donor gives to an organization for the first time, you should see it as a trial: The donor trying the organization. Whether or not the donor is thinking of it that way, that's what it is. It explains why the rate of subsequent giving is so low: Organizations don't past the test. From t...
Perfect for a keynote intro. I have yet to catch up to that level. My intros have to be really short. :)
Make your client look good
On the speaking circuit, the audiences I’ve addressed have suffered through some terrible introductions of me. It’s a bummer for an audience, anticipating a keynote speaker, to suffer through a bumbled intro. It makes the people who organized the event look unprepared. And as a speaker it means I...
Love the idea of personal account managers for major gifts donors, Craig!
My aspirations for 2013: Putting relationship fundraising into action and measuring emotions
This post is my submission for the January 2013 Non-profit blog carnival. The theme is vision and bringing it to life in 2013 and is hosted by Nancy Schwartz. I've been spending a lot of time recently thinking and reading about customer experience, relationship fundraising and lifetime value. Pa...
Loved Olivier Blanchard's post, Gavin! Thanks for sending me there.
Five Must-Read Posts from Last Week
Some weeks there are plenty of great blog posts to read and to select for this article. Other weeks, there is hardly anything that seems to leap out at me. This week is one of the former. I have avoided any articles related to the Olympics – there will be plenty of analysis available on brands a...
David, we seem to be devoid of decent marketing terms these days. As we embraced technology, some traditional definitions just didn't apply any more.
As much as I welcome newer versions, this one for public relations doesn't quite work. I agree with you that PR is not always "mutually beneficial." In our dreams.
Although my fellow Canucks did one better, the CPRS definition still isn't right. I don't believe that PR achieves "mutual understanding" or is always in the "public interest."
One thing I will add, in which PR specialists may disagree - PR is a communications activity designed to fulfill an organization's overall strategic marketing strategy.
Do you agree?
Now, finally, we know what we do at work
PRSA announces new crowd-sourced definition of PR and now the discussion begins... After an effort that goes back several months, the PRSA has announced what it will adopt as the new definition of Public Relations. The process, to update an old definition that goes back to 1982, tried to b...
Absolutely love this... "And you might check out who is contacting you and if the person has nearly 8 times the number of Twitter followers as your @Jon2012HQ feed, you just might want to connect." LOL
Marketing advice to Jon Huntsman and his daughters
I admit I am a big geek when it comes to the long drawn out US presidential campaign season. I enjoy the marketing and PR aspects immensely. Many people think the two-year campaign is too long. Not me. I love all the debates and speeches and talk show appearances and news coverage. All marketer...
Gavin, just remember who gave the world the Millennials, The Baby Boomers! :)
Best. Generation. Ever.
Often when we talk about the big, world changing trends that will shape our future, we focus only on technology. But, for me, the single biggest challenge facing us all in the next ten years is the retirement of the generation known as Baby Boomers. It was previously expected that 2011 would ma...
David, how about pitches with grammatical and spelling errors in them? Ouch. :(
Dear Blogger
I'm getting more email pitches that start out with "Dear Blogger". What a silly way to try to get attention! Here are some of the many problems with this approach: Dear Blogger tells people that you don’t care enough about them to read their blog and learn their name. It's much better if you p...
Really well done!
[Infographic] Where to Give in the Season of Giving
Just in time for the holiday season, the folks at the credit card comparison Web site CreditDonkey.com have put together this warm-and-fuzzy infographic on charitable giving using data from the National Center for Charitable Statistics, Giving USA, the Foundation Center, and others. In it, you'l...
Sybil, I believe that nonprofits are in a new reality - one in which they need to strategize differently. It's actually been a long time in the making, so tackling this now is reactive.
Consolidate. That's been my buzzword since 2004. Reduce doing things that are nice to do, but not necessarily crucial to do. Take time to look at new opportunities - for collaboration, changing programs and services, diverse revenue-generating streams. Ensure that you have revenue put aside for innovation.
Once the threat of sustainability is out of the equation, then all stakeholders can be more engaged as they look towards the future and not doing things the way they've always been done.
Visit me anytime at Totally Uncorked on Marketing http://elainefogel.net.
What Can Nonprofit Leaders Do to Keep Volunteers and Employees Engaged?
I’ve heard from numerous nonprofit professionals and volunteers in response to my recent posts on “When Passion for the Mission Isn’t Enough.” The following comments are representative of the feedback I received. I wanted to share them with you to stimulate discussion and ideas on how to better ...
Yes, yes, and yes! Very much agree, Gary.
2012 Prediction: Paper Will Be the Next Disruptive Technology
There’s a little-known scene in the movie “Star Trek: First Contact,” where Lt. Commander Data, an android, observes Captain Jean-Luc Picard touching the hull of an historic spacecraft. The captain smiles and taps the ship with his bare fingers, to which Data asks, “Sir, does tactile contact a...
Nice story. Happy Thanksgiving, Sybil!
A Thanksgiving Tribute
It’s appropriate this Thanksgiving that I share the following story from Carol Henn, soon-to-be-retiring Executive Director of the Lehigh Valley Community Foundation. Reflecting on a successful career in community philanthropy, Carol recently shared her experience about visiting Central Europe i...
And it's all part of a poor brand experience! Too bad more orgs don't "get" that. :(
Volunteers: When Passion for the Mission Isn't Enough
Like nonprofit employees, volunteers can also exit when they get frustrated and fed up. The reasons for disengagement are similar, and while it might seem easier for volunteers to leave a nonprofit since they’re not held to an employment contract, that doesn’t mean it’s any less painful when the...
Laurie, your post really made think about this issue. Part of me agrees with you - that giving represents a gift without an expectation of reciprocity. On the other hand, if these social "investors" want to call what they do "giving," so be it, as long as the charity benefits.
That's Not Giving
Are charities diminishing the value (and meaning) of "giving"? This thought occurred to me as I read a post about "Social Impact Giving" on LinkedIn. The premise behind this funding method, allows funders to "invest" in a social project and receive a profit back (usually from the government) -...
Excellent post, Meisha. Psychologists and marketing researchers believe there are a variety of reasons why people give to charity. The challenge for nonprofits is to know which motive fits with which people. :)
Note to Change Agents: No One Cares About Your Cause & You Might Be a Debbie Downer. Now Do Something About It.
When it comes to communications, I'm a big fan of tough love. Sometimes people in the field need a little nudge to realize the best idea can't trump a simple truth. This is especially the case for cause communications, a field where failing to properly spread a message can jeopardize more than a...
Wuhoo! I still can't figure out why we are still singing this tune. So many nonprofits focus on tactics and wonder why they aren't getting anywhere.
From the Expert: Why Your Nonprofit Needs a Marketing Plan
This post by Susan Burnash originally appeared on Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta. Ms. Burnash is serving as an Expert in Residence for our Atlanta location. This is her first in a series of posts on marketing for nonprofits. It’s a fact: for a nonprofit to truly be successful, it needs...
I agree with you, Sybil. There are, however, some nonprofit leaders who have been with their organizations for decades and continue to hang on to the history to their detriment.
Why Nonprofits Need to Look Backward as Well as Forward
Talking about nonprofit marketing with colleagues recently sparked an interesting discussion on using an organization’s history (aka “heritage marketing”) - for example, celebrating a notable anniversary of a nonprofit’s founding to kick-off a fundraising drive or reinforce an organization’s l...
Welcome aboard, Sybil!! :)
Quality Service Marketing Joins the World Wide Web
I’m happy to introduce my new website! Until now I resisted the idea, using this blog in lieu of a separate website. So why now – especially given social media’s blending of internet marketing tools? The decision to have my own website was necessitated by two key factors: the growth of my bus...
Amen to that, Drew! Perfect for my three-hour workshop in January for the PPAI called, "Cause Marketing for Small Businesses." Thanks!
Marketing tip #57: Charitable dollars are marketing dollars
I believe that every business has a responsibility to give back. No matter where you practice your trade -- there's a community that makes it possible. To not share your time, talents and treasures is irresponsible and short-sighted. I honestly think most companies share that belief and serve...
Hey, David. I see your point. After blogging for MarketingProfs for years, I started my own blog - late in the game. What a challenge it has been building readership during a blog saturation point.
I also adore writing and will continue to post, not only because it's cathartic, but I frequently add links to my posts in my monthly marketing newsletters. What would be even nicer is to develop a following and ongoing dialog on my own blog so I know that people are actually reading what I write. :)
http://elainefogel.net
Why I Should Stop Blogging (But Probably Won't)
Logically, there's not a compelling reason to blog anymore. Want the latest and greatest on social media? There's Mashable. Need fresh business perspectives? See HBR. Digital Marketing? See Ad Age. Tech Crunch was bought by AOL—and most media with a substantial audience ends up looking more like...
Thanks so much for posting this! Our planning committee and the AMA staff are looking forward to hosting all our participants.
Last Chance to Register for the AMA Nonprofit Marketing Conference
2010 Nonprofit Marketing Conference October 11-13 | Chicago, Il Now is the time to market. Now is the time to transform. Now is the time to succeed. Unrivaled is the 2010 Nonprofit Marketing Conference... its cutting-edge and innovative platform will equip you with actionable take-...
David, this issue has underscored the pervasive undercurrent of racism in this country, Frankly, it's shameful. You are correct that the center will be like the Y. In fact, it isn't a mosque at all, but a community center with a prayer room in it.
The imam and his followers are Sufi Muslims, a moderate sect of Islam that is hated by the radicals/terrorists. Apparently, the US government sent him to the Middle East to influence others.
All of this shouldn't even matter anyway. Either we live in a nation where all people have rights or we don't. If the tables were turned and the group was Jewish or Black, would the response have been the same? Maybe decades ago, but not now. Muslims today are the Blacks and Jews of yesteryear. When will America grow up?
Headlines Stirring the Pot
I don’t intend this as a political commentary, although some will surely see it as such. I do have feelings on the issue, which will come out in this post. But my intent in writing this is to focus on the journalistic aspects of what has become a hot-button issue. The Islamic cultural cen...
I applaud your commitment, Craig. As they say in our tribal language, Kol Hakavod.
Same reason why I choose to help nonprofits market and brand better. It isn't going to make me rich, but it sure is rewarding.
Best!
Why I'm a staffer, and more
Folks, people ask me why I'm permanently committed to my job as customer service rep at craigslist. Also asked: why I'm not interesting in selling the company. The deal is that my personal mission, my twist on public service, means that I gotta stay firmly part of the grassroots, the virtual ...
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