Some say it’s “the most wonderful time of the year,” but it can also be the busiest.  Whether you’re elbowing past last-minute shoppers, dodging tourists, attending a million holiday parties, figuring out how to roast a ham, or trying to squeeze in time with family, it gets pretty hectic. And that’s before we even begin […]

What do a) fundraising and b) screwing around in front of a crowd in a dimly lit bar basement have in common?  We recently had a chat with Porter Mason, the Deputy Director of Social Media at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, and a former improv teacher at the UCB in NYC.  He let us […]

All right, first things first: this is not a post on how to be funny. (In fact, if you aren’t “funny,” you should stay that way. Unfunny people are the often the funniest of all, just not in the ways they want.) This is a post, however, about how to include more humor in your […]

Do you feel like your online fundraising site isn’t getting as many donors as you should? Here are some tips to help you get more clicks on your donate button. Have a strong call to action Donors are far more likely to donate online when the action you are asking them to do is clearly […]

Blogging is a powerful way to drive search engine traffic to your nonprofit website or online fundraising site. Here are some tips to maximize your online fundraising efforts with blogging. Topics When visiting blogs, users are not looking for a stream of promotional material or asks for donations. They want to read informative, relevant information that is […]

Recently we spoke with Debra Askanase, founder of Community Organizer 2.0, which provides digital media strategy consulting to nonprofits, to learn more about why organizations should invest resources in building communities, especially through social media, and how best to go about it. Two major points came across: 1. The Two-Way Street. Too many organizations simply […]

Recently, we had a chat with Sarah Durham, founder of Big Duck, a marketing consulting firm that focuses exclusively on nonprofits.  Sarah is also the author of Brandraising:  How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Communications. Suffice it to say, she knows her stuff when it comes to nonprofit branding.  Here are four tips […]

Black Friday – the day when Americans shed their turkey-induced lethargy for a stampede-style shopping frenzy. Businesses know all about how to prepare for and make the most of this consumer-driven day. But do you? Let’s take a look at what you can learn from Black Friday to make an awesome online fundraising campaign. 1. […]

Happy Thanksgiving! We’re grateful to all of our subscribers and wish you a very happy Thanksgiving holiday. A few weeks ago, I made my first turkey from scratch after spending the last two years heating up a turducken (chicken stuffed in a duck stuffed in a turkey). There are four basic steps in cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving, which […]

photo: eater.com Now that Thanksgiving is right around the corner, it’s a great time to thank those who mean the most to your organization: your supporters! Here are 12 ways to do it: 1. Newsletter. In your next newsletter, include a personalized item of thanks to a specific supporter. You can call out the biggest […]