In the 1967 movie “The Graduate,” some of you may remember the scene where Mr. McGuire takes Dustin Hoffman’s character, Benjamin, off to the side and says “Plastics … there’s a great future in plastics.” Little did we know…
While that turned out poorly for the planet, there’s a similar word that could be the future for nonprofits. And the sage who’s offering it up is none other than the inimitable Seth Godin.
Plasticity
It’s pretty easy for some kids to switch gears. They can go from sad to ebullient in seconds, and switch contexts without much fuss. Others have more trouble.
As we get older, our natural ability to thrive in a new situation can decrease. But, like a muscle or a skill, it responds to practice.
The same is true for organizations. As the world changes faster and faster, it seems clear that organizations that prize plasticity will thrive.
— Seth Godin
I encourage you to be thoughtful about what’s working/not working for you and your organization currently. Be open to change. Organizations that adapt are organizations that thrive. Organizations that are buoyant are organizations that flourish. People too.
If you poke around this issue of the Clairity Click-it, I’m sure you’ll find something provocative to fuel your thinking. What might you do differently to make your work easier, more fulfilling and more successful? Find something, then… go make something happen!
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. 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.
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.]
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Inflation Messaging. Check out this alternative to asking donors to cover credit card transaction fees, based on research from the Agitator-DonorVoice. Confession: I never really liked asking folks to cover transaction fees (even though it may work). I like the idea, suggested here, of asking people to cover something that actually brings satisfaction. While both are honest approaches, this one feels more authentic and less like nickel-and-diming. See what you think – and let me know your results if you try it out!
Content Marketing
Click-it: 5 tips for gathering nonprofit annual report content year-round. Want to make your life so much easier? This article from Storyraise shows you how to compile stories, photos, quotes, impact numbers, video footage, and more so when you’re ready to put your report together (or, really, any other piece of content), you’ll have a huge head start!
Culture of Philanthropy and Lovingkindness
Click-it: 5 Top Strategies To Cultivate Loving Awareness To Repair Our World. The inequities in our world have been laid bare, and have been deepening. For many, distrust has become our default way of being. We’re missing something, and it’s hindering our ability to heal our collective wounds. In this article for the Bloomerang blog, I argue it is the loving awareness needed to build empathy. We need a better system, one that can be as simple as a shift in mindset. I’d love to know what you think!
Donor Retention
Click-it: What I Learned About Lapsed and Long-Lapsed Donors (And How It Can Help You Too). You worked so hard to acquire these donors – don’t let them leave! Lisa Sargent shares some surprising tips — and great examples — about what works to retain lapsed donors.
Click-it: Nonprofit Donor Engagement Strategies: Breaking Through the Noise. Your donor engagement strategy should outline exactly how you’ll reach out to donors and the KPIs you’ll track to measure their engagement with your organization. How are you doing with this? For lots of good ideas, check out this piece from Abby Jarvis of Neon One
In-Kind Giving
Click it: 4 Strategies for Increasing Your In-Kind Donations. This is a subject often overlooked, yet donations of goods and services can be the equivalent of a cash donation when you receive something you would otherwise have had to pay for. The key to success is cataloguing what you need; then, promoting it to your audiences. This article on the re: charity blog has some great tips.
Online, Digital and Mobile Fundraising
Click-it: $600+ Average Donation Through Text to Give: How? Relationships. If you’ve been on the fence about the merits (ROI) of adding texting to your core fundraising strategic mix, take a look at this article on the Rally Corp blog. It makes a lot of persuasive point.
Major, Capital and Legacy Gifts
Click it: A Capital Campaign Every 10 Years, Whether You Need One or Not. I often counsel nonprofits to think bigger. Here Andrea Kihlstedt of Capital Campaign Pro suggests the same. And she lays out a template for greater growth and impact, looking through the rose-colored, abundance-inspired lens of a thorough, transformative campaign.
Online Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Email Segmentation: 11 Recipes to Win at Email Marketing. Learn the benefits of segmenting your list, and the pitfalls of not doing so, in this piece from GetResponse. You’ll also learn different ways of segmenting your list.
Click-it: 4 Elements of a Great Email Fundraising Campaign. Vanessa Chase Lockshin, The Storytelling Nonprofit, shares actionable insights from a real-life example of a campaign for BC Women’s Health Foundation. The campaign exceeded its goal and demonstrates the power of careful planning and strategic execution.
Psychology of Giving and Community
Click-it: Major Donor Psychology: The Traits You Need to Pay Attention To. I’m a huge nerd when it comes to applying principles of psychology, neuroscience and behavioral economics to fundraising. Luckily, the team at Momentum is too! In this comprehensive article, learn the psychological traits of major donors, their motivations, the expected value they seek from their donations, and the different ways to appeal to their interests.
Click-it: The Power of Community: A Nonprofit’s Greatest Asset. Learn the two essential attributes of a community from a social-psychological perspective in this article by Katrina VanHuss and Otis Fulton on the Classy blog. Then learn to activate these elements to drive identity-building, trust, and constituent satisfaction.
Storytelling
Click-it: How to Tell the Donor’s Story in Your Fundraising. I want you to take this important shift in nonprofit storytelling to heart. If you want to really engage and connect with your donor, do exactly what Jeff Brooks suggests in this post for the Moceanic blog.
Writing
Click-it: Persuade with Silky Smooth Copy. Neuromarketing research reveals sensory writing has the power to fire people up by activating parts of the brain. Learn how you can put this to effect in your fundraising and marketing communications in this post from Roger Dooley, Neuromarketing.
Click-it: How to prevent a fundraising crime. Learn why only seasoned fundraisers should write fundraising appeals. Share this with anyone else in your organization who needs to understand this. From Mary Cahalane, Hands-On Fundraising.
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) Fundraising
Click it: AOG direct mail clinics! Tips, tricks and inspiration for making more money with your fundraising! [Sign up; see dates starting 7-31-2024]]. Agents of Good is offering this awesome opportunity to sit in on a series of free 15-minute direct mail clinics beginning July 31 and ending December 18 – every other Wednesday. You’ll get practical advice on how to immediately improve your individual giving and direct mail. The rest of the hour will be yours for questions.
Click-it: It’s an Election Year: Now What? [Listen to free, on-demand podcast]. There will be a lot competing for your donors’ attention. Should you change your strategy, or not? Direct mail and political fundraising experts, Joel Baugher and Jeff Kruszyna respectively, share their wisdom in this special broadcast for Nonprofit Hub. Listen to avoid common mistakes.
Boards
Click-it: Revolutionizing Board Engagement and Fundraising [Listen to free podcast]. Want to get your board more engaged in fundraising? Sean Kosovsky joins the Purpose & Profit Club podcast to talk about the role of board members and how you can work with them most effectively.
Events
Click-it: Beyond the Basics: Strategies to Elevate Your Nonprofit Events [Join live panel discussion, 7-31-2024]. Auctria is hosting four experts to help you transform your nonprofit events from good to unforgettable! You’ll hear about innovative event formats, budgeting and resource allocation, enhancing the attendee experience, leveraging technology, post-event follow-up techniques, and more.
Major Gifts
Click-it: How to Encourage Major Donors to Give Using Psychology and AI [Register for exclusive free webinar, 7-16-2024]. I’ve invited Griff Bohm, co-founder of Momentum, for a sure-to-be lively and cutting-edge session exploring the integration of psychology, AI and major gifts. If you want to improve your major gift fundraising by leaps and bounds – making it easier, more effective and a lot more fun – please join us.
NOTE: If you want to become a master of major gift fundraising – a highly valued skill — you might consider exploring certification. I highly recommend this fully revamped course from the Veritus Group: Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. If you’re the executive or manager, there’s a companion course for you! The next cohort begins August 26th, and will be the last course of this calendar year. If you have any questions, just reply to this email and I’ll be happy to discuss whether this course may be right for you. I promise to be honest. USE MY CODE, CA5, FOR A DISCOUNT.
Marketing
Click it: Marketing Trends Nonprofits Need to Know (and Embrace) [Register for free webinar, 8-1-2024]. One of our sector’s best webinar presenters, Kiersten Hill of Firespring, will talk about the top 2024 marketing trends and how you can better use things like storytelling, influencer marketing, digital experiences, automation, search engine optimization and, yes, AI in your efforts to raise awareness and generate more resources.
Storytelling
Click-it: Trauma-Informed Storytelling in Action [Register for free webinar, 7-16-2024]. The Nonprofit Learning Lab hosts this session exploring trauma-informed storytelling, a safe and healthy process for your beneficiaries, audiences, and even storytellers. You’ll be equipped with actionable insights and tools to tell trauma-informed and ethical stories that have a huge impact. Learn the three kinds of people impacted by a story, and leave with resources, tools and actionable steps to integrate trauma-informed practices into your role.
Website
Click-it: The Key To Gift Conversion: Your Donation Form [Register for free exclusive webinar, 7-23-2024]. Join me, your fellow Clairification community members, and two donation conversion experts from Blackbaud, Lacey Kruger and Samantha McGuin, to learn the key elements to designing a donation form that converts visits into donations.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Events
Click-it: The State of Event Sustainability [Download free report]. Did you know more than 10% of global carbon emissions originate from the events industry? If you’re holding a lot of them, this report from Eventgroove will give you lots of food for thought – and ways to improve your carbon footprint.
Online and Social Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Expand Your Professional Network: LinkedIn for Nonprofits. This guide from Getting Attention tells you how to set up your nonprofit’s LinkedIn profile; gives you 7 LinkedIn strategies for nonprofits, answers FAQs, and discusses which other platforms you should be using. It’s filled with excellent advice!
Psychology of Giving
Click-it: The Behavioral Economics Nonprofit Playbook [Download free e-book]. I love this resource, and can’t believe it’s free. Thank you, thank you, thank you NextAfter! Discover 32 behavioral concepts, each unpacked with clarity and backed by real-world examples and experiments, tailor-made for the nonprofit landscape.
Trends
Click-it: Giving USA 2024: Inside the Numbers – Plus A Look Back and A Look Ahead. The folks at Stelter analyze all the recent data and weighs in on how economic shifts, societal changes and emergent technologies have influenced donor behavior and charitable contributions over time. You’ll definitely want to read this for some recommendations as to how to navigate the rest of the year. Giving varies by sector, so be sure to check out what’s going on in your neck of the woods.
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.
How do you fight and lead for change during scary times?
Declare Your Independence Day – Information Overload Be Gone!
Nonprofit Strategy: Three Things to Cleverly Finagle
Donor’s Lament: You Didn’t Thank Me Properly
Does Your Nonprofit Think Too Small?
Why Smart Nonprofits Focus on Growing Monthly Giving
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 Help Your Board Overcome Resistance To Fundraising.
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. JULY tips are live! 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 time-limited special BONUS!
And now, just for fun, I went searching for hearts in the urban wilds of San Francisco. You know, “love of humankind,” aka philanthropy, is all around — if you only look for it! Here’s what I found!
Love is all around! Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below).
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