(Photo from Shubhagata Sengupta) The Nonprofit Technology Conference is one of my favorite nonprofit conferences. It always has a wide array of insightful sessions (that are more hits than misses) on everything from fundraising to big-data. We’ve presented there a couple of times, including our session on the 10 Principles of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising as well […]

“Fake! Fake! Fake!” is what they’ll call you if you don’t focus on telling authentic stories when fundraising online. You have to give your readers a memorable experience with authentic content. If not – they’re not going to donate, contribute, or support your project. Here are four ways you can be authentic in your online […]

In true David and Goliath fashion, human & environmental rights organization EarthRights International takes on corporate human rights abusers in the arena of public opinion by crowdfunding a documentary film series & training curricula that will empower activists in their pursuit of justice. “John Steinbeck was my hero,” said Katie Redford, EarthRights International’s Co-founder and […]

Before we talk shop about crowdfunding, I’d like to ponder another favorite thing of mine: food. Especially, carbs. Like, matzoh and bread, for example, both are tasty and are made with flour & water. But one is flat and crispy, the other round and fluffy. What sets the two apart? Yeast and time. Yeast is […]

Photos and videos have become the king of storytelling in the past few years. With Instagram, Snapchat, Vine, and Pinterest continuing to bring in millions of new users to share billions of pieces of media, startups are finding opportunities to take this obsession to the next level. Individuals tend to share a single photo or […]

Content marketing is a catch-all term for marketing strategies that involve the creation and sharing of content to attract and engage supporters. Blog posts, infographics, videos, and case studies are all considered content marketing. Essentially, it’s about delivering information that is relevant and valuable to your audience. How does content marketing relate to online fundraising? […]

Hollywood’s awards season will officially come to an end with the presentation of the 86th Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars, on March 2. While much of the attention tends to focus on red carpet attire, the host of ceremonies (favorite Ellen DeGeneres is back), and which actors or films got snubbed, little do […]

Need irrefutable content? Go with testimonial storytelling. I am Second is a movement of people who are inspired to live beyond themselves.  They’re using videos to spread the word about their movement. They believe less is more when it comes to testimonial storytelling. A dark room, a white chair, and a light– that’s their setup. […]

If you’ve been watching the Winter Olympics, you’ve probably seen dozens of human-interest stories about ambitious athletes, the moms who support them, and of course, the politics and passion in Russia surrounding the games. But we found a few hidden lessons that nonprofits can learn from when it comes to crowdfunding. Check them out: 1) […]

The New American Dream Mark Whitehead became a Christian when he was nine years old, but he considered himself more like a “good churchgoer” than a genuine Christian. He had worked in industrial sales for almost thirty years, been married for twenty years, and been a father to two daughters in the Birmingham, Alabama. Mark […]