"Free." We all love that word. Fortunately, "free" is no longer just a gimmick. It's a movement, encouraged by thought leaders such as Chris Anderson, who wrote "Free: The Future of a Radical Price."
Thanks to all of the generous organizations and gurus in the nonprofit space, we have lots of ways to gain expertise right at our computers. Here are three ways you can sharpen your wits and skills ... all for free.
Free Access to the Blackbaud Nonprofit Conference
Next week Blackbaud, provider of software and services to nonprofits, holds its conference for nonprofits in Charleston, SC. But, if you weren't able to arrange to go to the conference, Blackbaud plans to broadcast several live sessions.
You can catch the live stream Monday, Nov 16, through Wednesday, Nov 18. The nicest part of this is that these broadcasts will be free. So you can tune in right from your office and listen to several nonprofit experts.
A special treat is that Derreck Kayongo is one of the keynoters. Kayongo is the founder of The Global Soap Project, a new social enterprise that is getting considerable attention.
Of note among the presenters are Holly Ross of NTEN, Richard McPherson of McPherson Associates, Jay Love of eTapestry, and Dean Feener of the Salvation Army. Sessions include these juicy topics:
- Is Your Fundraising Strategy in Need of a Makeover?
- Practical Advice to Ensure a Smooth Public Launch of Your Website
- Google Analytics and Search Engine Optimization
No registration is necessary for the live streaming sessions. Here is the schedule and link you'll need: Livefrom Blackbaud's Conference for Nonprofits
Nancy Schwartz's Free Tagline Report
You may have read about the recent tagline competition that Nancy Schwartz, of Getting Attention, organized. The contest turned up some tagline jewels such as "Nothing Stops a Bullet like a Job," from Homeboy Industries; and "Because the earth needs a good lawyer," from Earthjustice.
Now a full guide to writing your own tagline is available from Nancy. The 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Report provides everything your organization needs to jump start its own tagline development process, such as:
- Why a Nonprofit's Name Isn't Enough
- How a Strong Tagline Benefits Your Organization
- The 10 Have-Tos for Successful Taglines
- Using Words that Work
- The 7 Deadly Sins, 9 Snores and 5 Best Ways to Antagonize Your Audience
- Research, Create, Revise, Test, Repeat - The right steps to take to craft a potent tagline
- Over 2,500 Nonprofit Tagline Examples to put to work for marketing brainstorming.
You can download the (free) report here, and start creating or improving your taglines right now.
Foundation Center's Free Webinar
Free webinars are just gifts, plain and simple. I attend as many as possible. There are many coming up, but I chose one from the Foundation Center to highlight.
How to Approach a Foundation will take the fear out of your communications with prospective funders. The 60-minute webinar, one of the basic courses at the Foundation Center, will reveal the secrets to that initial contact with a foundation, as well as what to do after you get funded. From initial contact to a lasting partnership, your communications can be planned to be effective and useful.
This webinar has three dates: Nov 17, Dec 18, and Jan 21. You can find all the details and register here.
If you'd like to find other free webinars, Rebecca Leaman, of Wild Apricot, has compiled a list of 19 free webinars in November.
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Charles Bronfman and Jeffrey Solomon, of the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies, present two sides of the philanthropic equation in their new book, The Art of Giving: Where the Soul Meets a Business Plan.
Bronfman is the philanthropist and founder of his family foundation, and Solomon serves in the senior staff position as president of that organization. Together they bring years of experience to the advice and counsel they offer to budding philanthropists.
One of the conundrums the authors discuss is how a donor can figure out how to give in a way that achieves maximum results. They remind the readers of the parable of two men who see people drowning in a river. One of the men jumps in to save each person. The other man races up the stream to try to keep more people from falling in. The dilemma is always whether to address consequence or cause--immediate needs or the root causes.
Bronfman and Solomon suggest that donors not just direct their gifts to the support of services, but rather consider ways to help that leverage their contributions for greater impact. Those ways might not be as public, but, like the man preventing disaster from taking place before it happens, such gifts can have a powerful effect. The authors call these types of gifts "accelerants," because even small changes can make big differences.
Here are five giving possibilities that Bronfman and Solomon suggest in their book:
- Support Advocacy.
Think of the civil rights movement, the rights of women, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. These societal changes have been brought about by activists who were funded in some measure by donors who put their gifts into long-range, but magnificent, goals. Such advocacy is not necessarily costly, but can have major impact.
- Make a Targeted Gift to Support Marketing.
Marketing can dramatically improve the reach of a nonprofit, but this is the activity that often gets slashed when the organization faces tough times. It doesn't dare touch services so cuts back on outreach. A donor could support marketing efforts, such as a specific campaign that would bring in new supporters, clients, or customers. This type of support might actually generate many times its cost in new revenue. Marketing is usually overlooked by funders, as are other business expenses, such as an audit that might be required to apply for additional funding, a needs analysis, or a marketing survey.
- Support Infrastructure.
Enhancing the capabilities of an organization can have long-range effects that will help it do its job more effectively. Consider technical assistance that helps the staff get more out of their existing systems such as database management. Infrastructure support might be as simple as improving insulation to cut overhead costs, or as profound as paying the legal fees for a class-action lawsuit that will help thousands of people.
- Fund a Prize.
Prizes have become a popular way to stimulate research into a particular disease or issue, or to spur innovation in an emerging field. Many are extremely well known, but others are more modest or serve specialized niches. Think of the X Prize, which encourages breakthrough innovation; The Templeton Prize, which recognizes intellectuals who unify science and religion; and the McArthur Fellows Program that funds people in a variety of fields who show the promise of great societal contributions and creativity.
- Fund the Creation of Standards or Help an Organization in Meeting Them
In many fields, there is a need for new criteria and national standards. Bronfman and Solomon point out many such needs right in the field of philanthropy, such as the lack of standards for nonprofit boards. Also, many nonprofits don't have the funds to meet accreditation in their particular fields. Providing the funds for fairly simple things that help the organization reach the necessary standards can be life-giving to many small nonprofits and may allow them to serve many people.
All of these giving possibilities fit the criteria of "accelerants." Their effects go far beyond just the value of the gift. They affect root causes or expand capacity so more people can be ultimately served. Such gifts may not result in a building with your name on it, but all are sparks that can result in a much greater bonfire eventually.
Related:
Photo by Getty Images
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
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Thursday November 5, 2009
If you're only defining a donor as someone who has given you money, you are making a big mistake. Just like political parties want to provide a big tent to draw in supporters, you may want make your donor pool a lot more inclusive.
That is one of the many admonitions from Kim Klein in her new book, Reliable Fundraising in Unreliable Times: What Good Causes Need to Know to Survive and Thrive. Klein is a noted consultant and founder of the Grassroots Fundraising Journal.
Klein suggests that you expand your view of "donor" to include:
- Someone who gives time.
- A person who shares ideas about how your organization can succeed.
- Those who say nice things about the work you do.
- People who open doors for you.
- Someone who expresses gratitude for the services you provide.
Klein's simple thesis is that the paths of donations are many and murky. You never know just how a donation made its way to you.
These days, many donors are going through tough times. They might, for financial reasons, drop out as a donor or delay donations, but then recover and start again. Small donors that you don't pay much attention to might spread the word of your good deeds to groups they interact with, resulting in new donors. A volunteer may fall in love with your cause and introduce it to her colleagues at work, who then become involved.
Develop a broad definition of "donor" as someone who connects as well as gives. Look for people who have a lot of relationships, who offer to help in all sorts of ways, and who are grateful for your services. Then get in contact with them and stay in contact. Say thank you frequently for whatever "gifts" they provide, and nurture those relationships.
Photo by Amy Butler/Getty Images
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