Here’s a summary of recent articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please forward this to others who might benefit from the information. Thanks again for reading!
FUNDRAISING
- A Fairy Tale About Fundraising. Snow White and the Seven Small Woods People: There was once an evil fundraising queen. So vain and out of touch was she that she could not bear to think that anyone could do better… by Roger Craver for The Agitator
- Two Things Smart Fundraisers Always Do. Fundraising can be a lonely business. You know it. And I know it. There we are – facing doubtful board members and CEO’s who think they know better than we do. And there we are — trying to convince decision makers to follow smart strategies that we know will pay off. And trying to get them to abandon tired old strategies that don’t work. … by Gail Perry
- A DIY workshop for lead conversion: Do try this at home! Exercises to identify the stages that a supporter or prospect undergoes between moment of first contact and the point at which she becomes a committed donor; and how you can move each constituent from one stage to the next.…by Sarah Clifton for 101fundraising
- Mathematical proof that “donor fatigue” isn’t real. If you have ever cited “donor fatigue” as something that might be hurting your fundraising results, you need to read this article … by Jeff Brooks for Future Fundraising Now
- A donor acquisition recipe that works. Do you struggle to acquire new donors? If you do, you’re not alone. For many, many nonprofits and ministries, it’s a real challenge … by Steve Thomas for oneicity
MARKETING / COMMUNICATIONS
- How Often Should Your Nonprofit Send Email to Your List? This is a follow up to a webinar recently presented for GuideStar called Taming Your Communications Calendar Six Months a Time. One of the frequently asked questions was “How often should we send email publicity to our audience?” … by Kivi Leroux Miller
- Help your corporate partners be brainiac cause marketers. Human beings are inherently empathetic. Our brains are hardwired to relate to other people’s experiences. When we witness or imagine someone acting, our neurons fire the same way they would if we were undertaking the same action. … from Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
- How Story Trumps Description. I’m a sucker for stark contrast. It’s one of the best learning tools ever, and today I’m drawing on examples from Mass Mentoring Partnership (MMP). MMP supports and strengthens mentoring programs in Massachusetts and faces this marketing challenge common to every organization… by Nancy Schwartz for Getting Attention Blog
- Do You Have a Membership Content Strategy? What is a content strategy and how does it apply to small membership organizations? by Lori Halley for Wild Apricot Blog
LEADERSHIP
- How to establish thought leadership for your nonprofit. Thought leadership is one of the most effective and least expensive ways an organization can build awareness of their cause and influence the communities they need to reach … by Caroline Avakian for Socialbrite
- A Love Letter to My First Board of Directors. There is a lot of wailing and gnashing of teeth when it comes to the subject of nonprofit boards. And it’s true that many nonprofits have woefully inadequate boards that don’t understand their fundraising duties nor even want to engage in helping with fundraising… Joanne Frtiz for About.com
- The Role Policies Play in a Culture of Philanthropy: Policies contribute to that culture by helping to create a respectful and transparent relationship between people in your organization and donors. It’s a misconception that policies constrain. In fact, when they are well-written and widely communicated, they can actually make it easier for you to raise funds.… from AFP Resource Center
- Strategic Partners for Social Change. “In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.”— Charles Darwin Why seek allies? First, if you’re working on any worthwhile cause, it has to be more than you can handle. So find a partner to share the burden, two are stronger than one. Partners also bring to the effort assets you don’t have, creating greater possibility.… by Tom Peterson
- Tapping the Entrepreneurial Potential of Grassroots Innovation. The unmet needs of disadvantaged people living in developing countries pose a complex challenge for development planners, but like many challenges, it also provides an opportunity … SSIR Articles
NONPROFIT NEWS
- Treasury Inspector General Report on IRS “Scandal”. On May 14, 2013, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration released its report on the IRS targeting of conservative groups in reviewing applications for exemption under Section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code. … by Gene Takagi for Nonprofit Law Blog
- ProPublica Launches Online Tool to Search Nonprofit Tax Forms. The investigative-journalism organization ProPublica started a free online service today for searching the federal tax returns of more than 615,000 nonprofits… From The Chronicle of Philanthropy via AFP
- Do We Have The Wrong Idea About Charity? Activist and fundraiser Dan Pallotta calls out the double standard that drives our broken relationship to charities. Too many nonprofits, he says, are rewarded for how little they spend — not for what they get done. Instead of equating frugality with morality, he asks us to start rewarding charities for their big goals… From NPR via AFP
