Non-Profit Organization Strategies

Branding Resources

2009-03-25T12:13:00.003-05:00

If you need a research resource for ideas on creating an effective brand for your organization, then the website "All About Branding" should be helpful. It contains a number of excellent free articles and other tools that provide insightful guidance.

Although the site is focused on for profits, with a little imagination the resources should be easily adapted for use in a nonprofit organization.

To access the site, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising Tips for Turbulent Times

2009-03-16T10:21:00.004-05:00

Jerry Panas has created a weekly series of tips to help nonprofits with their fundraising during this time of economical turmoil. The series is entitled “Economy Response.”

According to Mr. Panas’ website:

“ECONOMY RESPONSE is our answer to the turmoil the economy is in these days. The good news is that many organizations are actually raising more money now than they have in the past.

There’s a reason for this. In tough times, people actually give more. But here’s the rub. They only give more to organizations they care about. Those that are lower in their philanthropic priority will receive less or are dropped.

Your response to all this is to be scrupulous in your stewardship... get in front of your donors on a regular basis...make your case more dramatic and compelling, and more urgent... show how your institution is more distinctive— a mission without parallel... demonstrate that your delivery is more effective than ever... let them know you are cutting all expenses that don’t provide better service...and you are touching more lives than ever before.

That is what this series is all about. Each week, ECONOMY RESPONSE will offer a special message to help you get your friends and donors into your institutional hug, a lasting embrace.”

To access the series, just click on the title to this post.

Values Based Branding

2009-03-09T10:59:00.001-05:00

An organization’s marketing and communications efforts can be substantially enhanced by creating an effective branding strategy. Here’s a video about a values based approach to branding:

Fundraising During Challenging Economic Times

2009-03-03T09:19:00.001-06:00

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) makes available free resources on its website, particularly on the “Resource Tools” page found under “Resource Center” on the left menu bar (www.afpnet.org).

One such resource is a recent article written by Derrick Feldmann, which provides suggestions about building stronger ties with donors during tough economic times. Mr. Feldmann provides suggestions centered around being proactive, involving donors and communication.

To access this helpful resource, just click on the title to this post.

Marketing- Search Engine Optimization

2009-02-22T07:52:00.002-06:00

An effective marketing program for your nonprofit or educational institution requires optimization of search engine results. In other words, you want your organization’s site to appear as near as possible to the top of the results list when someone does an applicable query in search engines like Google or Yahoo.

Here’s a video to help get you started:

Digital Marketing

2009-02-15T06:42:00.001-06:00

According to its website,

“Stamats is the nation's leading provider of marketing solutions for higher education institutions, offering a full array of marketing services, including advertising, brand marketing, direct marketing, interactive media, planning and consulting, print media, and marketing research.”

Although Stamats focuses on higher education, many of their recommendations and observations are also applicable to other levels of educational institutions, as well as other types of nonprofits.

“QuickTakes” is Stamats enewsletter providing insights into topics such as organizational leadership, strategy and integrated marketing. The current issue of QuickTakes, includes a discussion of the “Top 10 Digital Promises for 2009.” Here are the suggested promises:

1. I will work from a clearly defined strategy.

2. I will focus on people first and then technology.

3. I will improve my content.

4. I will focus on simplicity.

5. I will make usability my first priority.

6. I will provide an experience.

7. I will move my Web site to the center of my marketing communications.

8. I will measure what I do.

9. I will engage social media in a strategic way.

10. I will take integration seriously.

To read the discussion related to each promise, just click on the title to this post.

Major Gifts- Donor Cultivation System

2009-02-09T07:19:00.001-06:00

The most effective major gifts programs are those that are well thought out, systematic and properly executed, day in and day out. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) has created an excellent guide to help their member stations implement and manage a major gifts program. The guide should be adaptable for any organization involved in fundraising.

The guide is entitled “The Donor Cultivation System.” It is explained on the CPB website as,

“a collection of tools and instructions on how to use them that will take you from identifying donors through cultivating them to getting the gift. There are three principal tools in this system:

1. Prospect ratings tools

2. Moves management tools

3. Prospect call sheets

Some of these tools have more than one component. For instance, the moves management tools include a ratings grid for clustering your prospects—identifying those with the greatest potential—and a spreadsheet for tracking moves. These tools work together as part of a system, and the system is an integral part of this site.”

To access the guide, just click on the title to this post.

Resources from the United Kingdom- Institute of Fundraising

2009-02-01T15:54:00.003-06:00

According to its website:

“the Institute of Fundraising is the professional membership body for UK fundraising. Its mission is to support fundraisers, through leadership, representation, standards-setting and education, and it champions and promotes fundraising as a career choice.”

The Institute’s website contains many practical resources for fundraisers, no matter which country you live in, available for free download. If you live outside the UK, you should be able to adapt the resources for the needs of your organization and compliance with the laws of your country.

In particular, the Institute has assembled a library of best practice codes. Currently, there are 29 codes in the library on various fundraising and related topics, including:

acceptance or refusal of donations,

major gift fundraising,

direct mail,

event fundraising, and

many more.

To access the Institute’s homepage, copy and paste the following link into your address bar: http://www.institute-of-fundraising.org.uk/

To access the Institute’s directory of best practices codes, just click on the title to this post.

Social Media Research

2009-01-25T18:30:00.001-06:00

Understanding research into social media can help nonprofits and educational institutions with their communication and marketing efforts. Hewlett-Packard, the computer company giant, is engaged in extensive social media research.

According to their website, “HP Labs is the exploratory and advanced research group for Hewlett-Packard, tackling complex challenges facing our customers and society over the next decade, while pushing the frontiers of fundamental science.”

Fast Company TV interviewed Dr. Bernardo Huberman who “is director of the social computing lab at HP Labs and is a senior fellow, too. Why is HP doing social research? Well, Bernardo tells us and gives us some insights into what his team is learning.”

Technology- Resources for Keeping Up to Date

2009-01-18T17:24:00.001-06:00

Current and emerging web technology allows organizations to communicate their messages very efficiently, especially when compared to traditional media. Of course, when considering their target audiences, many organizations need to use a blend of communication strategies, including web, print, television, radio and other options, in order to tell their story effectively.

Keeping up to date with new web communication options can be a challenge, but there are many resources available which can help. Here are a couple:

1) YouTube- (www.youtube.com)- just type in the name of what you want to learn about along with the words “how to” or “training” or “instruction” (e.g. twitter training, blog how to), and

2) Common Craft- (www.commoncraft.com)- see the bottom of their homepage for free explanatory videos on tech topics including titles such as “RSS in Plain English” and “Twitter in Plain English.”

You can also subscribe to short tech audio podcasts from “How Stuff Works” via iTunes. To access the podcast, just click on the title to this post, scroll down to “What’s Hot,” click on “Podcasts,” and then click on “TechStuff.”

Communications and Marketing- Podcasts

2009-01-11T15:39:00.004-06:00

Podcasts are a great, inexpensive way for your organization to spread its message and news. To learn how podcasts work, here’s a video from Common Craft:

If you would like to learn how to create a podcast, here's another video:

For more guidance, click on the title to this post.

Communications- Using Wiki's

2009-01-04T16:46:00.004-06:00

Using email to accomplish a group task can be frustrating. If you find yourself in this situation, perhaps a "Wiki" might help. Here's an explanatory video:

Fundraising- Major Gifts- Jerry Panas: “The Fundraiser’s Credo”

2008-12-28T20:46:00.004-06:00

Jerry Panas is an exceptional fundraising consultant with a unique understanding of what motivates donors to make major gifts. He has written a number of helpful books and articles … all of which are worth reading. One of my favorites is entitled “Asking.” It is a practical, easy to read resource for both professionals and volunteers involved in major gift fundraising.

Some of his articles are available from “Contributions” magazine. “Contributions” is a free online magazine which covers topics such as “board development, major gifts fundraising, prospect and donor research, direct mail fundraising, volunteer management, nonprofit marketing, Internet and email fundraising, proposal writing, planned giving, and corporate and foundation fundraising.”

One of Mr. Panas’ articles, available from “Contributions,” is entitled “The Fundraiser’s Credo.” Mr. Panas has developed what he refers to as “the absolute truths about fundraising and philanthropy.” Here are a few that he writes about in the article:

“You must ask for the gift.

It is absolutely amazing what you don’t raise when you don’t ask! In every study we’ve conducted, the reason most often cited for why a person hasn’t made a gift is “because I’ve never been asked.”

…

Individuals give emotionally, not cerebrally.

Your donors give to dreams and dazzling visions. Giving is visceral. The larger the amount, the more likely it’ll go from the heart directly to the checkbook.

…

It’s harder to get an appointment than it is to get the gift.

Actually, more strategy, planning, and innovation are needed to get the visit than to sell the program. I know now that securing the visit means you’re 85 percent on your way to getting the gift. This means you need to use all your ingenuity and resolution, artful persistence, in getting the visit. The gift will follow.

The decision to give is spontaneous.

You’ve made a dazzling presentation. There’s almost an immediate spark of electricity. You can feel it. The amount may still be in doubt, the timing may be a question, the manner in which the gift will finally be made may require further study – but the decision is made.

…

The commitment regarding the major gift won’t likely be made on the first visit.

If you get a gift on the first visit, chances are you’re not getting as much as you should. You’re leaving money on the table. Spend much of your time during the first call showing the drama, the power, and the excitement of the program. Sell the dream.

Don’t sell the needs of the institution.

People have needs. Institutions don’t have needs. They have answers and solutions. Sell the answers and solutions. Your donors don’t give because you have needs. They give because you have solutions. They give to opportunities. Bold, visionary, exhilarating opportunities.”

To access the complete article, just click on the title to this post. To find more information about Mr. Panas, just copy and paste this link- http://www.jeroldpanas.com/

Branding- Communicating Character and Authenticity in a Digital World

2008-12-21T17:01:00.003-06:00

Whether it be for donations or students, most nonprofits and educational institutions face significant competition. The competition can take many forms, including- a nonprofit with a similar mission of service, other educational institutions offering the same programs, and even for profit companies seeking to provide services or education.

Given the ever increasing competition and the realities of our digital world, to achieve the greatest success nonprofits and educational institutions must communicate their brand effectively using a variety of channels. To get a perspective on how to do so, focusing on digital media in particular, we can look outside of the nonprofit world for guidance.

Poul Mikkelsen is a partner with DDB Denmark. DDB is one of world’s largest advertising and marketing networks. Mr. Mikkelsen has written an article entitled, “Brand Personality- Communicating Character and Authenticity in a Digital World.” Reading his article from the viewpoint of how his ideas and suggestions might be used in your organization may provide some interesting insights and help it acheive even greater success.

Mr. Mikkelsen writes in part:

“Communication channels to the consumers are extremely complex today because digital technology has fragmented the media picture. This necessitates thinking about marketing and media planning in new terms. In terms of a brand, the message must be sufficiently unique and effective to function on a number of media platforms, both old and new. In terms of consumers, we must now capture their attention through new, often nontraditional, channels, many of which are more relevant to the brand story than traditional media or their online platforms.

…

This new world will permit companies to reach a global audience predisposed to their market by producing and publishing their own content on the Internet. In combination with other marketing activities, this creates a program where the communication ‘cascades,’ extending the reach of all media. It requires starting with something that is worth talking about, and which has attitude and authenticity sufficient to come through the dialogue unscathed but
surely tested.

…

‘Word of mouth is the best medium of all,’ one of the founders of DDB, Bill Bernbach, said. This applies even more today, because consumers are forming social relationships as never before. The Facebook and MySpace community sites have created contact between millions of people and are now two of the most visited network sites on the Internet.

….

Consumers have a greater influence on branding and commercial success than ever before. New digital technology and social networks enable consumers all over the world to endlessly exchange information, advice, comments and criticism of your brand and company. Consumers now define the brand and have increasing control. You have no choice but to adjust to the new rules of the digital marketplace and the ever growing sophistication and engagement of your customers.”

To read the entire article, just click on the title to this post.

Resource- Marketing and Public Relations

2008-12-14T20:57:00.000-06:00

The Network for Good website has a variety of helpful articles for nonprofits on topics ranging from fundraising to marketing. One recent article, written by Rachel Meranus of PR Newswire is entitled, “Public Relations 2.0.” Focusing on the use of social media, the author observes,

“in terms of PR, social media is a maturing business tool, offering new and innovative ways to drive awareness and communicate to customers--often using less expensive techniques than traditional advertising or marketing campaigns. It's worth being aware of the various elements that make up the social media landscape, and concentrating on the ones that are particularly applicable to your organization.”

The author also explains the use of blogs, multimedia, social media news releases, bookmarking, news sharing and twitter as tools to communicate your organization’s message.

For access to the article, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- Integrated Development Plan

2008-12-07T17:52:00.003-06:00

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting has created an excellent resource website to help its affiliated stations plan and execute fundraising initiatives focused on major gifts.

Part of the information provided emphasizes the importance of the creation of an Integrated Development Plan (IDP). According to its website,

“Development plans come in all shapes and sizes but the best ones share four common elements, which are outlined below. Choose whatever format works for you and is consistent with the rest of your station's planning, but be sure to include these elements. It may be useful to tie them together with a narrative so that the budget is useful even for those who have not been closely involved in its preparation.

Four elements of an Integrated Development Plan:

1. Case Materials
Your internal case materials are a critical part of your Integrated Development Plan because they provide the link between your development plan and your station's strategic plan. …

2. Budget
The best plan in the world will fail if it is not based upon a realistic projection of revenues and expenses. Setting goals and allocating resources is a critical part of the planning process and often the subject of lots of internal negotiation. … Be sure to pay particular attention to the personnel costs as you plan your budget. Major giving is a labor intensive process.

3. Operational Plan
At the heart of your Integrated Development Plan is an Operational Plan that takes each of your goals and breaks them into a series of "SMART" (specific, measurable, attainable, results-oriented and time-determined) Objectives and Action Steps. …

4. Annual Calendar
One of the best ways to ensure coordinated planning among all of your development activities is to use [a] Fundraising Calendar Template to plan, schedule and track all of your activities.”

The website also has resource links to serve as examples and guides in developing each of the elements listed above. Overall, the materials should be suitable for adaptation for use with any organization.

To learn more just click on the title to this post.

Resource- Media Plan and News Release Guide

2008-12-01T08:41:00.006-06:00

According to its mission statement,

“the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of the U.S. communities where the Knight brothers owned newspapers.”

The Foundation has launched a website “with a step-by-step guide to creating a media plan and writing a news release.” Here are just some of their tips for creating an effective news release for a nonprofit which has received a foundation grant:

• “A strong, brief headline.
• A compelling opening sentence (a “lead”) telling the news in a nutshell (the who and the what).
• A second paragraph explaining the grant’s context — major results expected,the big problem it’s trying solve.
• A strong quote from a key player saying why this matters to average people sometimes called “the so-what.”)
• Additional details of grant activities and expected results.
• Brief background on your organization, the funder, as well as other groups involved.
• Key names, numbers or websites leading to further information.”

The guide is an excellent resource. To access, just click on the title to this post.

Resource- Philanthropy Journal

2008-11-22T09:31:00.000-06:00

The Philanthropy Journal is a free online publication of the A. J. Fletcher Foundation. According to its website, the Journal-

“delivers news, information, resources and opinion about charitable giving, fundraising, management, leadership, marketing and communications, focusing in particular on organizational effectiveness, donor engagement and collaboration.”

The Journal is an excellent resource for timely articles, information and analysis. If you decide to explore their site by clicking on the title to this post, be sure to access the “Resources” page for more in-depth coverage of subject areas.

Fundraising- Grant Writing Basic Training

2008-11-15T17:17:00.003-06:00

If you are new to writing foundation grant proposals or need a refresher, then the short course provided by the Foundation Center may be helpful. The Foundation Center is a nonprofit organization which conducts research and provides extensive resources and training related to foundations.

The Center’s free online tutorial covers the essentials of proposal writing, including- gathering background information, components of a proposal, executive summary, statement of need, project description, budget, and organizational information. Additionally, the elements of a letter proposal are covered.

Remember to always check the proposal requirements of the foundation you are submitting your proposal to in order to insure compliance with their rules.

To access the tutorial, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- Online Gifts

2008-11-03T21:09:00.002-06:00

If you want to learn more about the intricacies of accepting gifts online, then you may want to attend “Donation University.” On its website, Qgiv, the creator of Donation University states:

“Donation University is a free, web-based guide to understanding online giving. Donation University offers a step-by-step approach that details the online processes, definitions, accounts and the options associated with online giving and payment processing, and allows a visitors to proceed at whatever pace best suits them.”

Of course, there are a number of service providers who process online gifts. The tutorial should be helpful as you consider which company is best for your organization.

To access Donation University, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- The 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes, Part II

2008-10-28T08:27:00.003-05:00

Last week’s post contained a link to a Guidestar article discussing David Lansdowne’s first ten of the twenty biggest fundraising mistakes he wrote about in his book entitled “The Relentlessly Practical Guide to Raising Serious Money.”

Here are the next ten:

“11. Failing to Have a Strong Rationale

12. Failing to Cultivate Donors

13. Failing to Set a Realistic Goal

14. Failing to Train Solicitors Adequately

15. Failing to Thank Your Donors

16. Failing to Focus on Your Top Prospects First

17. Failing to Ask for a Specific Gift

18. Failing to Focus on the Best Sources and Methods

19. Failing to Find the Right Person to Ask

20. Failing to See Your Top Prospects in Person.”

The article concludes with the following observation:

“Harold Seymour, legendary fundraiser, puts it best: 'For clinking money, you can shake the can. For folding money, you should go ask for it. For checks and securities and gifts in pledges, you have to take some pains—make the appointment, perhaps take someone along, count on making two or more calls, and in general give the process enough time and loving care to let it grow and prosper.'"

The article also contains a discussion about each of the mistakes and how to avoid them. For access, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- The 20 Biggest Fundraising Mistakes, Part I

2008-10-24T17:11:00.002-05:00

David Lansdowne is a professional fundraiser who wrote a book entitled “The Relentlessly Practical Guide to Raising Serious Money.” Guidestar has available two articles based upon excerpts from the book which identify 20 of the biggest mistakes fundraisers can make.

Here’s what is covered in the first article:

“Call them what you will—gaffes, blunders, oversights, or errors—mistakes creep into everyone's professional life. But in fundraising—unlike other fields—where thousands if not millions of dollars are often at stake, mistakes can be especially hazardous.

Who hasn't forfeited a significant gift, or received but a token one, due to some serious miscalculation?

While there may be hundreds of them, 20 potentially costly fundraising mistakes stand out. They can't really be ranked, since circumstances alter their impact. But here they are in an effort to ward you away from them.

1. Thinking Your Organization Will Attract Support Simply Because It's a Good Cause …

2. Thinking That Others Can Raise the Money …

3. Believing That Because People Are Wealthy They Will Contribute to You …

4. Thinking You Can Whisk Wealthy Prospects In at the Last Minute …

5. Failing to Research and Evaluate Prospects …

6. Failing to Ask …

7. Thinking That Publicity Will Raise Money …

8. Failing to Recruit the Right Trustees …

9. Believing You Can Raise Money by the Multiplication Table …

10. Failing to Have Deadlines …”

The article discusses each of the mistakes and provides suggestions on how to avoid them. If you would like to read more, just click on the title to this post.

Nonprofit Network Presentation- Bylaws and Related Policies- What You Need to Know

2008-10-15T22:17:00.007-05:00

Conflict of Interest Policies

2008-10-13T10:07:00.001-05:00

Adoption of a Conflict of Interest Policy, applicable to a nonprofit’s officers and directors and compliant with governing laws, is considered a management and governance best practice. As explained by BoardSource:

“board service in the nonprofit sector carries with it important ethical obligations. Nonprofits serve the broad public good, and when board members fail to exercise reasonable care in their oversight of the organization they are not living up to their public trust. In addition, board members have a legal responsibility to assure the prudent management of an organization's resources. In fact, they may be held liable for the organization's actions. A 1974 court decision known as the "Sibley Hospital case" set a precedent by confirming that board members can be held legally liable for conflict of interest because it constitutes a breach of their fiduciary responsibility.”

There are many examples of such policies that can be found through a web search of with the terms “conflict of interest policy nonprofit.”

In particular, the Nonprofit Resource Center of Texas has created a conflicts policy that you may find helpful. To access their policy, just click on the title to this post.

If you are interested in reviewing a sample policy provided by the Internal Revenue Service, just copy and paste this link into your browser: http://www.irs.gov/instructions/i1023/ar03.html

To access the BoardSource explanation, just copy and paste this link: http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=3.389

Prospect Research- Helpful Hint #1- Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA)

2008-10-06T21:10:00.003-05:00

To say that a good prospect researcher is “worth their weight in gold” is an understatement. A researcher is an essential part of the fundraising team and can make a dramatic difference in the productivity of the entire advancement effort.

An excellent resource for professionals who work in research, analytics and relationship management is the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA). According to its website,

“APRA is the premier international organization for fundraisers who specialize in research and information management. APRA is committed to providing leading-edge educational and networking opportunities to fundraising research professionals, establishing and promoting high professional standards and ethical guidelines, and providing advocacy and a representative voice for the profession.

Representing more than 2,500 development professionals around the world in all types of nonprofit environments, APRA is easily the most diverse organization dedicated to the fundraising research professional. APRA offers numerous opportunities and services intended to enable members to more effectively meet the needs of their institutions and maintain the highest ethical standards.

In an increasingly dynamic technological environment, APRA is dedicated to the professional growth of its membership. Whether through education, networking opportunities or publications, APRA encourages and assists members to stay ahead of the curve in the areas of technology, resources and best practices of information management.”

For further information, click on the title to this post.

Alumni- Helpful Hint #1- Best Practices

2008-09-30T06:36:00.002-05:00

Building a large base of supporters is critical for the fundraising success of any organization. If you work at an educational institution, you already know that your alumni are an important segment of the base. If your organization is not in education, you may be able to adapt some of the best practices utilized by educational institutions to engage their alumni to help build your support base.

The University of Michigan Alumni Association has assembled a group of best practice resources that provide guidance for their alumni clubs. According to their website:

“To help regional clubs reach alumni in their area as effectively as possible, we developed this set of "best practices," based on input from clubs across the country. We hope that these examples will help describe what a model alumni club should look like and give you ideas for ways to improve upon your current club structure and activities. Each of the following areas is important to having a club that is first and best for all alumni.

• Club Mission
• Club Events
• Collaboration
• Leadership Succession
• Scholarship and Student Support
• Public Relations and Promotion
• Membership
• Financial Basics”

On their website, each of the areas described above is a hyperlink to individual sections of their best practices guide. To access these resources, just click on the title to this post.

Media & Public Relations- Helpful Hint #1- Media Toolkit

2008-09-22T08:17:00.001-05:00

The National Education Association (NEA) focuses on advancing public education at all levels of the educational system. The organization maintains a website rich with helpful resources. Although geared towards education, many of the resources are very useful to organizations with missions other than education.

In particular, the NEA has an online media tips toolkit that is a great place to start if you are looking to begin or enhance your media/public relations program. For example, their site contains guidelines on working with the media, outreach ideas (with sample documents you can tailor to your situation), writing a press release (with examples), tips for distributing your press release and advice on developing a press kit.

If you would like to view the toolkit, just click on the title to this post.

Marketing & Branding- Helpful Hint #1- Branding Tutorial

2008-09-16T21:10:00.001-05:00

Nancy Schwartz is a marketing and communications consultant to non-profits. She has written a good basic guide to branding entitled “What is Branding? A Tutorial for Nonprofit Organizations.”

Ms. Schwartz points out:

“Branding is the art of creating a consistent, recognizable, and clear unified voice or personality that conveys your organization’s uniqueness, focus, and values. The public sees your message every day – through communicating with your employees, looking at your Web site, reviewing your print material, and even reviewing a fundraising appeal. Your brand creates a unique position for your organization in your audiences' minds, making it possible you to differentiate your offerings. It is the most efficient means of communicating organizational values to all of your audiences. Your brand and image should be clear, and every communication should build upon the foundation of your mission.”

She goes on to discuss the importance of effective branding and how to get started. If you would like to read her entire article just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- Helpful Hint #4- Capital Campaign- Feasibility Study (a/k/a Planning Study)

2008-09-09T07:41:00.004-05:00

A Feasibility Study (commonly referred to these days as a Planning Study) is an excellent tool to help your organization gather information about its internal and external readiness for a capital campaign. It is also a very valuable tool that can be used to cultivate key decision makers, major gift prospects and potential leaders.

A good basic discussion of the benefits of a study, as well as the process, has been created by Tony Poderis. Identifying the value of a feasibility study, Mr. Poderis points out:

“At one time, a feasibility study for a capital or endowment campaign was little more than a process of identifying where the money was -- who had it and how much they might be willing to give. No longer. In today's donor-centric world, an organization needs to assess the:

1. Community's perception of the importance of the need for which
money is to be raised.

2. Feelings, both positive and negative, about the organization and
its mission.

3. Size of the potential donor base and its ability to give.

4. Availability of strong campaign leadership and effective volunteers.

5. Internal resources available for the campaign and the preparedness
of the organization to undertake it.

6. External factors that could influence the outcome of the campaign.”

To access Mr. Poderis’ complete article, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- Helpful Hint #3- Major Gifts- Moves Management

2008-09-02T21:52:00.005-05:00

If you are attempting to increase the results of your major gift fundraising program, Blackbaud, the parent company of a variety of fundraising software solutions including Raisers Edge, has a series of helpful white paper reports available. Their article entitled “Embracing Technology for Moves Management® Success,” is a particularly good place to start.

The article offers the following explanation of the Moves Management process:

“Do you visit prospects, create gift proposals, solicit individuals or organizations for donations, and cultivate and steward donors? The actions you take to bring in donors, forge relationships and keep the contributions coming are known as Moves, and Moves Management, simply put, is the system of policies, procedures and practices that directs these actions.

An effective Moves Management program will improve your bottom line and facilitate a number of internal processes. Look for an enhancement of:

• Constituent relationship management (CRM): Finding, analyzing and tracking constituent information to form personal, lifelong relationships with your donors.
• Solicitation strategy: Increasing the success of your efforts by targeting prime donor prospects.
• Program and pipeline management: Move prospects through successive pipelines: identify, qualify, cultivate and solicit — with the intent of progressively turning them into donors and predicting future gifts.
• Strategic analysis and execution: Evaluating your program in light of specific goals and objectives to ensure optimal results.

A successful Moves Management program increases the success rate of every solicitor action, communication and appeal. As with any new policy, procedure or process, however, it is important to begin with a foundation of solid goals and objectives.”

If you would like to read the entire article, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- Helpful Hint #2- Strategic Planning

2008-08-25T16:43:00.005-05:00

The strategic planning process is an excellent tool for an organization to utilize, not only to help it understand how to get from where it is today to where it wants to go, but also to help determine fundraising objectives and cultivate potential donors. Once the organizational strategic plan is completed and fundraising objectives determined, the advancement or development department can also use a strategic planning process to help it achieve the objectives.

Dr. Carter McNamara of Authenticity Consulting, LLC, points out, that “strategic planning serves a variety of purposes in organization, including to:

1. Clearly define the purpose of the organization and to establish realistic goals and objectives consistent with that mission in a defined time frame within the organization’s capacity for implementation.
2. Communicate those goals and objectives to the organization’s constituents.
3. Develop a sense of ownership of the plan.
4. Ensure the most effective use is made of the organization’s resources by focusing the resources on the key priorities.
5. Provide a base from which progress can be measured and establish a mechanism for informed change when needed.
6. Bring together of everyone’s best and most reasoned efforts have important value in building a consensus about where an organization is going.

Other reasons include that strategic planning:
7. Provides clearer focus of organization, producing more efficiency and effectiveness
8. Bridges staff and board of directors (in the case of corporations)
9. Builds strong teams in the board and the staff (in the case of corporations)
10. Provides the glue that keeps the board together (in the case of corporations)
11.Produces great satisfaction among planners around a common vision
12. Increases productivity from increased efficiency and effectiveness
13. Solves major problems.”

If you are interested in learning more about strategic planning and how it may help your organization, Authenticity Consulting’s “Free Management Library” website is an excellent place to start. To access their site, just click on the title to this post.

Fundraising- Helpful Hint #1- Assessment

2008-08-18T18:34:00.003-05:00

Fundraising is most successful when it is coordinated with the organization’s strategic plan, properly staffed (paid and volunteer), adequately resourced, utilizes a comprehensive programming approach, and consistently executed, at a high level, year in and year out.

The first step in positioning your organization to achieve the best results possible is to perform an assessment of your current program. An assessment is essentially a thorough review of your current program and is intended to shed light on areas that you may need to improve.

The Institute for Conservation Leadership has posted a basic assessment questionnaire which you may find beneficial as you begin your review. To access their webpage, just click on the title to this post.

Crescendo Interactive- Training Resource #2

2008-08-09T17:29:00.002-05:00

Crescendo Interactive has long been recognized for their outstanding software designed to aid in the presentation of planned gift opportunities. In addition to their software and other related planned giving tools and seminars, they also offer online training.

As explained on their website:

“GiftCollege provides a unique environment for gift planners nationwide to expand their knowledge from the comfort of their home or office. Webcasts are a great way to improve your skills and understand how to close major planned gifts. Webcasts can be viewed live during a regularly scheduled webcast or at your convenience through our on demand webcasts.”

If you are interested in learning more about Crescendo’s online training for planned giving, just click on the title to this post.

Boards- Helpful Hint #6- Executive Sessions

2008-07-28T20:42:00.001-05:00

BoardSource has an excellent article available entitled “Executive Sessions: How to Use Them Regularly and Wisely.” The article explains:

“By the board and for the board, executive sessions enable the board to manage itself. They create an appropriate forum for board members to talk openly about topics that warrant special treatment. In effect, executive sessions are a kind of special meeting-within-a-meeting. Executive sessions may take place before, in the middle, or at the end of a regular board meeting. They are, by definition, exclusive to board members, but others, such as the chief executive or professional advisors, may be invited to join for part or all of the session.”

Some of the reasons given to convene an executive session include:

“First, the board needs time alone to strengthen relationships and communication among board members and with the chief executive. For example, board members may be reluctant to challenge the chief executive in front of staff for fear of undermining his or her authority. In other instances, board members may wish to discuss sensitive topics like succession planning, senior staff performance, or executive compensation. Likewise, the chief executive may want to discuss future retirement plans without causing consternation among staff.

Second, board members need an opportunity to get to know and trust each other, personally and collectively. They need to be able to speak freely to air concerns and explore all aspects of issues. Executive sessions afford the board an opportunity to raise warning flags, discuss time sensitive opportunities that can’t yet be made public, and allow the board to explore different courses of action. Some issues involve the board itself, such as board performance or individual member participation. Other issues might warrant further board discussion with the chief executive, such as negative community reaction to a recent decision.

Third, as a governing body, the board needs to demonstrate and exercise its independence from the chief executive. For example, a nonprofit board serves as a check-and-balance when accepting the financial audit and determining chief executive compensation. These oversight activities require the board to make decisions that are not controlled by the chief executive.

Fourth, the board has a responsibility to maintain confidentiality to protect the organization. The law allows boards to handle certain situations in a restricted setting. For example, if an organization has been sued, the board, chief executive, and legal counsel may meet in executive session to decide whether to settle the case and the terms of the settlement. Sound business sense may also require that key strategic decisions be discussed privately. For example, if an organization is considering a merger, the board, chief executive, and chief financial officer may need to consider the pros and cons before discussing alternative courses of action with various stakeholders.”

The article contains much more information about executive sessions and how to use them wisely. If you are interested in reading more, just click on the title to this post.

Boards- Helpful Hint #5- Interview Questions for Prospective Board Members

2008-07-16T17:44:00.001-05:00

Proper selection of board members is key to the performance of a non-profit. Board members who work together cooperatively, have a passion for the organization’s mission and help secure financial resources lead to success. On the other hand, board members who are antagonistic, lack passion for the mission and avoid donating and raising funds lead to an organization’s underperformance or failure.

For help in determining interview questions for prospective board members, try reading GuideStar’s article entitled “What to Ask Every Prospective Board Member.” The article discusses questions to consider, including:

• How passionate are you about our cause?
• What expectations do you have from the management of organizations on whose boards you serve?
• What are your personal dreams or aspirations that could be enhanced by service on our board?
• What professional or personal constraints on your time or service might you anticipate?
• Are you willing to make a financial commitment that is a stretch?

To access the article, just click on the title to this post.

Your Website- An Easier Way to Keep it Up to Date

2008-07-08T12:37:00.004-05:00

If you are having problems keeping your organization’s website up to date, you may want to consider using a web content management system program. According to Wikipedia,

“usually the software provides authoring (and other) tools designed to allow users with little or no knowledge of programming languages or markup languages to create and manage content with relative ease of use. …

Unlike Web-site builders like Microsoft FrontPage or Adobe Dreamweaver, a WCMS allows non-technical users to make changes to an existing website with little or no training. A WCMS typically requires an experienced coder to set up and add features, but is primarily a Web-site maintenance tool for non-technical administrators.”

For more information, click on the title to this post. Be sure to scroll all the way down the page for links to some of the available open source software.

Music

2008-07-02T15:33:00.006-05:00

Would the addition of music enhance your organization's website or blog? If so, here's an example of a free service called Project Playlist that may be useful:

You can explore this service more by clicking on the title to this post.

Research Resource #3- The Foundation Center

2008-06-26T09:55:00.004-05:00

The Foundation Center is an excellent resource for researching foundations, as well as learning the in’s and out’s of preparing grant requests. Here’s a brief glimpse at its mission, history and focus:

"The Foundation Center's mission is to strengthen the nonprofit sector by advancing knowledge about U.S. philanthropy. Established in 1956, and today supported by more than 600 foundations, the Foundation Center is the nation's leading authority on philanthropy, connecting nonprofits and the grantmakers supporting them to tools they can use and information they can trust. The Center maintains the most comprehensive database on U.S. grantmakers and their grants — a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance philanthropy at every level.”

By clicking on the title to this post, you will find yourself at The Foundation Center’s webpage of free reports. For a more complete perspective on all of its learning opportunities and resources, be sure to explore the entire site.

Research Resource #2- National Center for Charitable Statistics

2008-06-18T19:01:00.004-05:00

If you feel like competition has increased in generating revenue from gifts and grants, you are absolutely right. Each year more non-profits are formed and consequently potential donors are receiving an increasing number of gift solicitations from a broadening array of institutions.

For example, according to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, the number of non-profits increased from 1,084,939 in 1996 to 1,478,194 in 2006, and that doesn’t include a vast number of small nonprofits and religious entities that do not have to file with the IRS.

According to its website, “the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is the national repository of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States. Its mission is to develop and disseminate high quality data on nonprofit organizations and their activities for use in research on the relationships between the nonprofit sector, government, the commercial sector, and the broader civil society.

Working closely with the IRS and other government agencies, private sector service organizations, and the scholarly community, NCCS builds compatible national, state, and regional databases and develops uniform standards for reporting on the activities of charitable organizations.”

The NCCS website contains a wealth of information to help us understand the changing landscape that non-profits are facing. It even breaks down statistical information by state.

If you would like to find out more, just click on the title to this post.

Boards- Helpful Hint #4- Using Due Diligence in Board Member Selection

2008-06-09T21:07:00.002-05:00

Grant Thorton is a national accounting firm with a large non-profit organization practice. Their current issue of “Forward Thinking,” discusses using a process of due diligence to increase the likelihood that new board members will be a good fit. The authors observe,

“organizations are concerned that selecting the wrong board members could lead to governance problems, reputational damage and, simply put, bad chemistry. Moreover, heightened scrutiny and transparency requirements from the IRS and state agencies also have raised the stakes for candidate selection. But how do organizations identify and select the most ideal candidates for board membership? While there is a wide range of methods, a growing number of savvy not-for-profit organizations are undertaking due diligence in assessing candidates for board membership.”

A number of suggested procedures that can be used to employ due diligence in the new member selection process are included in the article. To read more, just click on the title to this post.

Boards- Helpful Hint #3- Consent Agendas

2008-06-02T12:42:00.003-05:00

BoardSource has an excellent article available which discusses the use of Consent Agendas to improve board meeting productivity and governance. According to the article,

“a consent agenda can turn a board meeting into a meeting of the minds around the things that matter most. A consent agenda is a bundle of items that is voted on, without discussion, as a package. It differentiates between routine matters not needing explanation and more complex issues needing examination. While not difficult to use, a consent agenda requires discipline in working through the following seven steps:

1. Set the meeting agenda

2. Distribute materials in advance

3. Read materials in advance

4. Introduce the consent agenda at the meeting

5. Remove (if requested) an item from and accept the consent agenda

6. Approve the consent agenda

7. Document acceptance of the consent agenda

With a consent agenda, what might have taken an hour for the board to review, takes only five minutes. Because it promotes good time management, a consent agenda leaves room for the board to focus on issues of real importance to the organization and its future, such as the organization’s image and brand, changing demographics of its constituents, or program opportunities created by new technology.”

The article discusses in detail how to effectively use consent agendas. It also provides helpful tips and a sample agenda.

If you would like to access the article, just click on the title to this post.

Research Resource #1- GuideStar

2008-05-27T09:58:00.004-05:00

A nonprofit’s United States Tax Return Form 990 reveals a significant amount of useful information, particularly if you are researching foundations for potential funding. For example, by reviewing the 990, you can find out about a foundation’s assets, amount distributed, to whom distributions were made, and the names of its officers and directors.

An excellent, free resource for finding 990’s is GuideStar. According to their website:

“GuideStar's mission is to revolutionize philanthropy and nonprofit practice by providing information that advances transparency, enables users to make better decisions, and encourages charitable giving.”

For more information, you can access GuideStar's website by clicking on the title to this post.

CASE- Training Resource #1

2008-05-21T06:32:00.002-05:00

CASE, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, is an excellent resource for fundraising and advancement guidance and training. Although its focus is on educational institutions, many of the lessons learned at their conferences and from their informational articles are applicable to all forms of institutions.

If you are looking for a high quality training experience, you might want to explore their 80+ conference and 20+ online offerings per year.

You can access the CASE conferences webpage by clicking on the title to this post.

Online Fundraising Observations

2008-05-19T09:14:00.006-05:00

AFP, the Association of Fundraising Professionals, has a short article available entitled “Online Fundraising In 2008: Can We Blink Yet?” It provides a quick glimpse of the current landscape, as well as some helpful observations of how to make the best use of your online fundraising efforts.

For example, did you know-

1) “one-third of people over 65 (those most philanthropically inclined) are now active on the Internet. Plus, nearly three-quarters of those in the 50–64 age group (i.e. the folks making the most money) are going online regularly,” and

2) the vast majority of donations online are still generated by websites that make a compelling case, in both words and photographs, and succeed in getting people to visit them. (Another fact: a recent survey found that 62 percent of Americans visit an organization’s website before donating!).”

Keeping up do date and implementing best practices in online fundraising will help keep your donors informed and should help increase total dollars raised.

To access the complete article, just click on the title to this post.

Boards- Helpful Hint #2- How to Keep Members that Miss a Meeting on Track

2008-05-14T19:59:00.002-05:00

With the hectic schedules of many board members these days, it is almost inevitable that some members will miss meetings. Here’s a suggestion for keeping those that miss a meeting on track.

Helpful Hint #2- If a member must miss a meeting, try to make arrangements for their participation via speaker phone or conference call (be sure to follow Helpful Hint #1 so the member will be prepared and have any last minute documents which have been changed or were not included in the pre-meeting package emailed to the member). If it is not possible for attendance via telephone, then consider having the executive director- 1) send any meeting documents the member has not yet received to the member and 2) make an appointment to go over, either in person or by telephone, what took place in the meeting.

Boards- Helpful Hint #1- How to Help Avoid Getting Bogged Down in Meetings

2008-05-13T15:51:00.006-05:00

Are your board meetings getting bogged down? If so, it may be because board members are receiving the information being discussed for the first time at the meeting.

Helpful Hint #1- Consider requiring all materials that will be discussed at the board meeting to be sent to your executive director 10 days in advance of the meeting. Next, make it the executive director’s responsibility to send a pre-meeting package (preliminary agenda and materials to be discussed) to all board members so that they have at least 5 days prior to the meeting for review.

Of course, some items may come up at the last minute, but this method should help ease member’s uneasiness with being asked to make a decision based on information they have had little time to consider. The potential benefits include not only speeding up your meeting, but a more thoughtful discussion since the members have had time to study the materials beforehand.

Welcome

2008-05-10T14:05:00.009-05:00

This site is dedicated to providing useful, best practices information for board members, staff and volunteers of NPO's (non-profit organizations).

Best wishes as you make a positive impact on those you serve.