Recent Posts
Recent Comments
Popular Articles
About Us
What’s Paula Deen Got To Do With Your Nonprofit Marketing?
I’m a Food Network junkie and one of my favorite Food Network Stars has always been Paula Deen. Paula’s the Southern charmer who begins every recipe with either stick of butter or a cup of mayonnaise, throwing in plenty of “ya’alls” for good measure. Why am I telling...
To Engage With Younger Donors … Connect With Them Where They Live
A recent joint study by Convio, Edge Research and Sea Change Strategies, “Early Signals on Mobile Philanthropy: Is Haiti the Tipping Point?”pointed to some striking statistics on text giving. Prior to January 12, 2010, “little more than $1 million had been raised via mobile text.” ...
Where’s Your Social Media Manners?
It is possible in this world to be successful AND kind.Choosing to add kindness is one hallmark of a civilized person. Bill Nigh Marketing genius Dan Kennedy’s recent “No BS Information Marketing Letter Special Report” entitled “Don’t Waste Time,” had a great article...
Does Your Organization’s Thank You Letter Suck?
Recently I made a donation to a local arts organization. I’m pleased to say that, yes, contrary to the statistics, I did receive a thank you letter. Granted it arrived approximately four weeks after the fact. But I did receive one. Sadly it was the standard thank you letter. You know. The kind...
Nonprofit Blog Carnival: First Time High
Somehow I missed submission to this month’s About.com Nonprofit Blog Carnival, sponsored by Katya Andresen, but the topic of Nonprofit Career Highs and Lows was too good to miss. What’s the Nonprofit Blog Carnival? Glad you asked. I wasn’t quite sure myself what it was all about, despite the...
Successful Fundraising – Not for the Thin-Skinned
You can’t please everyone so you gotta please yourself. Ricky Nelson I was reminded of this truism recently when the board president of an organization I am working with called to vent about their low Charity Navigator ranking. Apparently she had been contacted by a potential donor who said that...
Learn How Writing for One Can Invigorate Your Nonprofit Marketing
I’m in the midst of reading Ken Burnett’s marvelous book, “Relationship Fundraising: A Donor-Based Approach to the Business of Raising Money.” One of my favorite things about Relationship Fundraising is that Ken prefaces every chapter with a “Donor Profile,” an in-depth...
Social Media for Nonprofit – Re-thinking the Rules of Engagement
This blog post came out of an impromptu phone conversation with marketing consultant, Rob Olic. The content was too good not to share. If you like it, let me know and I’ll get him to contribute again! Pam: Did you read my latest blog entry on engagement? Rob: Yes. Pam: What did you think? Rob:...
Let’s Get Engaged, Honey
Let’s just say it: engagement is a buzzword. I spent a few years in the educational publishing business, and it was a word I saw trotted out again and again, to describe every latest and every greatest. Engaging resources. Engage your students with this product. It’s all about engagement. After...
Don’t Give Me Gobbledegook …
With thanks to Hildy Gotlieb, I’d like to share this wonderful video. A good reminder to everyone who writes in the nonprofit arena. Social Bookmarking
8 Biggest Grant Proposal Mistakes
1. Have you followed the grant application guidelines? When I worked for a grant-making foundation, you wouldn’t believe how many times my colleagues and I would look at each other with dropped jaws: “Did they even BOTHER to read the guidelines?” we would wonder. It’s truly...
My Theme for 2010 … Three Words?
Every year, I evaluate the year just passed. Did I meet my career goals? My health and fitness goals? Did I stick to my resolutions of the previous year? While, yes, I stuck to my fitness plan (for me that’s a no brainer. Exercise has been an integral part of my life for 20something years), ...
KISS – Keep it Simple Sweetheart … with Swipe Files!
“Imitation is the highest form of flattery.” -Coco Chanel Regular readers of my newsletter, The Grow Report, know that I am a huge fan of the online fundraising resource SOFII. SOFII showcases exhibits from the best fundraisers in the businesses – people like Mal Warwick, Ken Burnett, Tom...
Sometimes it Really IS Who You Know
The year was 1982 and I was working as an administrative aide to the House Chairman of the Appropriations subcommittee of Mental Health. It was a fascinating time to be working in government, particularly in the field of mental health. I worked for a brilliant, compassionate individual by the name...
Keep Christmas in Your Heart All Year Long
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all year.” Charles Dickens Many years ago I was working for the Philadelphia Bar Association at their offices on South Market (near the famous Reading Terminal Market … about the only positive about working for the Philadelphia Bar Association...
15 Nonprofit Social Media Stocking Stuffers and Resolutions
Today’s post is from guest author Aerin Guy. If you’re like me, you’ve spent the better part of 2009 exploring the explosion of emerging social media tools. This year has brought a lot of “wow”, a little “whoa!”, and a whole lot of “what next”? The jury is out on Google Wave,...
11 Books for the Fundraiser on Your Gift List
When it comes to nonprofit development, you’ll find that many authors have a tendency to make simple things enormously complex. Quite the contrary, strong development involves learning basic marketing techniques, the value of truly understanding your donor, and, lastly, how to develop simple,...
Is Every Donor Your Favorite? They Should THINK That They Are!
This morning I saw this wonderful quick video from Carrie Wilkerson (also known as the Barefoot Executive) about how to make every client think they’re your favorite. I think there are some great donor retention lessons to be learned here: Social Bookmarking
