Falling Into Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links + Free Resources

Artificial intelligence (AI) is in the news so much these days, I thought I’d help us all take a step back to discover, or finally understand, some of the basics. What it can do; what it can’t. Towards that end, my “special feature” this week includes some different perspectives on AI basics.  And, of course, I couldn’t omit what the inimitable Seth Godin has to say (below). He always has a knack for cutting through to the hear t of the matter.

Omitting the herbs

Without salt, human beings don’t survive long.

But it’s possible to eat for a month without tasting an herb. The food will sustain you.

Herbs are an expensive non-obvious addition, while also being a bargain if the goal is to create delight, interest or satisfaction.

As we digitize our interactions, the first thing to go are the herbs. We strip away anything that’s not obviously functional.

The first 100 interactions you have with an AI will leave you amazed, and then a bit empty.

And when a skilled user experience professional arrives, the first thing she does is add back the herbs. Tiny speed bumps, moments of tension, opportunities for traction or surprise.

— Seth Godin

Do you want to raise a bunch of money before the end of the year? More than last year?  Then, as the folks at Nike say, “Just Do It.”

No ifs, ands or buts. Stop making excuses.  You can do this! Look for your special moments. Give folks opportunities – more than a few – to make a demonstrable impact. Give them meaning and purpose. Make yourself, your donors, your community and the world feel just a little bit better. Move the needle, every day.

And use some of the wisdom gleaned in this week’s issue of the Clairity Click-it to help you. Whatever your role, you’ll find something in this issue to nourish you. So, start digging through the curated content from across the web. I hope it will make your job easier, and more fulfilling. There’s lots to get curious about!

As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.

Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,

Claire

claire@clairification.com

P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]

P.S. Even if you don’t care about all the Clairification School benefits, and are happy just being on the Clairity Click-it newsletter list, if you enjoy reading it and want to send a little love my way by enrolling, I promise to send it back.

Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…

SPECIAL FEATURE: AI

AI has spread its tentacles everywhere – and so fast! – I wanted to share some perspectives to help you frame your approach to this new technology. You’ll find an explanatory article and also a webinar, an article that offers hope you’ll never be replaced, some practical strategies and even some philosophy to help you adapt to this new reality.  Hope you find something that speaks to you!

ARTICLES

Click-it: AI Myths Debunked. This article from the experts at Momentum provides all the basics about different uses for AI. It then goes on to address a lot of concerns that may be keeping you (or your leaders) from successfully and effectively using the new tools at your disposal. This is a good place to get started on your AI learning journey.

Click-it: The Real Reason Marketing Content is Getting Worse. I love Mark Schaefer for marketing advice, and this article on his Grow blog may make you feel good. Because AI may be leading us to content so homogenized, that no one will want to pay attention to it. Which means – your human creativity is still very much needed. “Create work that no AI could dream up. Be so good they can’t ignore you.”

Click-it: AI & Donor Relationships — The Good And The Bad. Olga Moshinsky Woltman explores in The Nonprofit Times how to use AI in a responsible (not icky) way. Frontline bot fundraisers sound scary. But within seconds, a clever behind-the-scenes AI helper can analyze giving and participation patterns to help prioritize donor relationships, focusing on those who are most likely to have long-term impact and value to the organization. This is a thorough, well-written piece.

AUDIO VISUAL

Click-it: The AI Explored Podcast—Helping You Put AI to Work. This podcast from Social Media Examiner explores the practical side of AI adoption. It’s for marketers and creators everywhere, not just nonprofits. And there are plenty more useful podcasts to explore.

Click-it: Does Marketing Have an AI Problem or Does AI Have a Marketing Problem? [Listen to free podcast]. Here’s some more wisdom and insight from Mark Schaefer’s Marketing Companion podcast. He interviews Paul Roetzer, founder of Marketing AI Institute. Mark is more philosopher than technologist, so don’t worry this conversation will be over your head. It’s interesting and thought provoking.

Click-it: Demystifying Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Nonprofits [Register for free webinar, 9-17-2024].  The use of generative AI has nearly doubled in the last six months alone and 75% of folks in one work trend survey say they use AI tools to help them save time, focus on building relationships rather than administrative tasks, and enjoy their work more.  What are you doing? Join Network for Good to find the path forward that makes the most sense for you.

ARTICLES

Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising

Click-it: 3 easy fundraising lessons. Do you know what a “bangtail envelope” is? If not, read this from Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now, to learn why you shouldn’t be using one. Plus… more tips.

Business Partners

Click-it: Corporate Partnerships for Nonprofits: Guidance and Best Practices. Want a way to generate a nice slice of new income for your overall funding pie? This article on the Personify blog walks you through the world of corporate partnerships – different types, features and benefits, and best practices to bring them to fruition.

Donor Retention

Click-it: How to Segment New Donors for Effective Communications. Almost all nonprofits lose way too many first-time donors. If you want to improve your results, check out this guest post by Jay Love on the Hands-On Fundraising blog.

Events

Click-it: How to Create Effective Auction Donation Request Letters. This article from Auctria outlines 4 ways to get terrific auction donations. You’ll get “do’s,” “don’ts,” and lots of strategic advice about who to approach and when to make your ask. There’s even advice about what to do after the ask has been made!

Click-it: Oh Joy! It’s Gala Fundraising Season! Subtitled: Or event PTSD season. One of my favorite takeaways from this article by Patick Kirby, Do Good Better Consulting (and there are many), is this: “If you don’t have a fund-a-need component to your event, you are leaving money on the table.” Shifting your auction’s focus will save you a lot of time, and make your bidders feel rally good. Most don’t want/need “stuff.”

Online, Digital and Mobile Fundraising

Click-it: Inbox Visibility. If your donor’s inbox is anywhere near as crowded as your own, what makes you hopeful they’ll see your email at all, let alone click on it and take your desired action response? Ephraim Gopin, 1832 Communications, offers some tips for boosting the likelihood your email recipients will act on your missive.

Strategy, Management and Planning

Click-it: Deepening Impact Through Relational Philanthropy. This is a meaty, deep-thought article from Stanford Social Innovation Review. One of the questions it asked is how do we define ‘community’ in philanthropy?   One of the concepts I like is defining community as a circle, not a pyramid. Set aside some quiet time to dive in. It’s well worth the read, especially in the “us vs. them” times we find ourselves in.

Click-it: Breaking Free of the Past. Roger Craver of the Agitator-DonorVoice always calls it as he sees it, and this article highlights a problem that’s too-little-addressed. Give it a read, and see what you think. How do we move forward, as a sector and as a people?

WEBINARS, PODCASTS, ROUNDTABLES & ON-DEMAND AUDIO RESOURCES

If you can’t attend live, or are interested in sessions happening at overlapping times, note many are available via recording – but ONLY if you REGISTER!

Annual (Year-Round) Giving

Click-it: Maximizing Impact: The Blueprint for Success with Recurring Donors [Register for free webinar, 9-11-2024]. Join monthly giving expert Erica Waasdorp for this free 45-minute Charity How-To session. Learn how to create the ideal combination of focus, commitment, systems, and storytelling to grow your recurring program to the next roaring level. There is no better teacher on this subject than Erica!

Branding

Click-it: Why Your Nonprofit’s Logo Is Not Your Brand [Register for free webinar, 9-11-2024]. Join brand strategist Lyn Chamberlin and Nonprofit Tech for Good for a free 20-minute session exploring the critical distinction between logos and brands and why focusing solely on logo design can lead to a disconnect between visual representation and brand essence. You’ll also see examples of ineffective logos so you don’t repeat these mistakes.

Culture of Philanthropy

Click-it: Becoming a Responsive Nonprofit [Listen to free podcast]. Learn how to break down walls between different groups of your team, stay connected to your cause through adopting a willingness to get shoulder-to-shoulder with people, and become a model of transparency and authenticity as a leader in your organization. On this Nonprofit Hub episode, host Meghan Speer sits down with Gabe Cooper, Virtuous Founder, to discuss strategies for creating a responsive nonprofit that builds a culture of generosity inside and outside its office.

Grants

Click-it: Introduction to finding grants [Register for free webinar, 9-12-2024]. New to the world of grant seeking and writing. This webinar from Candid is explicitly for you. You will learn the 10 most important things you need to know about finding grants.

Major and Legacy Gifts

Click-it: Capital Campaign Conversations [Join free live convo 9-10-2024]. Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt of Capital Campaign Pro leads this town hall conversation every second Tuesday. If you’re in a campaign, or thinking about one, bring your burning questions. You’ll get answers, motivation and encouragement as well as timely sector updates.

Strategy and Planning

SAVE THE DATE [9-17-2024 — Please calendar for noon PT/3:00 p.m. ET]!. Wish you had a crystal ball to see the future for your organization? You won’t need one when you attend this special session with Kiersten Hill of Firespring, who is unfailingly an entertaining and engaging speaker. Gain invaluable insights into crafting a case for capacity that merges strategic prowess with impactful storytelling. Learn how to sell to your board; build steps for engagement; construct a compelling case, and identify critical messages. This is exclusively for the Clairification community, so don’t miss out! Registration link will be provided shortly.

Click it: Developing Your Philanthropic Strategy [Register for free webinar, 9-11-2024]. Join the Sharpe Group for this discussion on why philanthropy is the engine that drives mission programs, how to use bench-marking to assess where you are, and what next steps your program should take to maximize your fundraising success. In this one-hour webinar, specific ideas will be shared on how to best communicate these strategies to leadership.

DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES

Donor Retention

Click-it: The Art and Science of Retaining Digital Donors. Bloomerang offers some of the best free resources around, so be sure to take advantage! This one gives you a donation page checklist and 21 ideas for your donation confirmation page. Plus lots more.

Major and Legacy Gift Fundraising

Click-it: The Five Steps of Proposal Writing for Major Gifts [Download free paper]. You’ve visited your donor, they’ve indicated interest, and you’ve told them you’ll send more information. Now what? It’s time to send a compelling proposal with a specific ask. Learn how in this paper from the major gift experts at Veritus Group.

Online, Digital and Mobile Fundraising

Click-it: 5 Ways Text Messaging Can Help Food Banks [Free templates available]. Whether or not you’re a food bank, a marketing shift to mobile makes a lot of sense if you want to meet people where they are – constantly on their phones. This article from the experts at Rally Corp explores 5 ways to use SMS campaigns to boost donations and connect with your supporters. And if you do happen to work for a food bank, you can grab a free Mobile Playbook with a strategic plan, social media images, posts, and templates

Psychology of Giving

Click-it:. The Behavioral Economics Nonprofit Playbook [Download free e-book]. If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I love to apply principles of psychology and behavioral economics to fundraising. That’s exactly what this e-book from NextAfter does! Discover 32 behavioral concepts, each unpacked with clarity and backed by real-world examples and experiments, tailor-made for the nonprofit landscape.

Strategy and Management

Click-it: Nonprofit Strategic Plan Examples [Download free case studies]. The Ross Collective shares some of the work they’ve done for other organizations so you’ve got a springboard for building your own planning process. There’s also a link to a free template.

Did You Miss My Newest Clairification Articles?

Here are links to recent articles on the Clairification blog. Remember, your goal is not simply to squeeze money out of people. It’s to give donors a squeeze and a hug for being caring and generous. This will make them feel good, which will move them to continue sticking with you.

7 Breakthrough Annual Fundraising Appeal Strategies

Leading Your Nonprofit with Hope, Not Optimism

Building Donor Relationships is Hard: Here’s how to make it easier

5 More Top Strategies to Prepare for Fall Fundraising

Top 5 Strategies to Prepare for Fall Fundraising NOW

Nonprofit Gift Planning: Do You Use the Language of Love?

>> FINALLY… if you have a question, any question…

>> Check out my free fundraising advice column on the Bloomerang blog — and feel free to ask your own questions! Here’s a recent one: How To Best Approach Sponsors Around Different Giving Levels.

REMINDER for Clairification School students: Don’t forget to log in to your “My Clairification/Subscriber Dashboard/Monthly Tips” to grab your exclusive, timely tips for each month. SEPTEMBER tips are now live on your Clairification School Dashboard (this month they’re an eclectic mix)! If you’re not yet an enrolled student, and don’t have access to ALL my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts and much more, you can get in on the fun here — and grab your a special BONUS! 

“Love of humankind,” aka philanthropy, is all around — if you only look for it!  I’m still “hunting for hearts in the urban wilds,” plus looking for other inspiration in nature and my environs. Here’s what I found over the past two weeks!

Amazing, naturally occuring circle of soaring redwoods.

What Tom Sawyer would’ve painted on his fence if he’d been a philanthropy facilitator.

Stone heart tucked in a garden. But definitely not a “heart of stone.”

Idyllic outdoor restaurant sculpture — clearly coming from a place of love. I wanted to take it home with me!

Love is all around! Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below).

The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable, because of their generosity.