"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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