Best Links: Nonprofit Transparency to Reducing Donor Attrition
- Open Organizations. There is a lot of discussion right now about transparency in the nonprofit sector. Some organizations are jumping out in front of the issue by making more information available to supporters via various means. One method is through an online "dashboard," which contains a variety of information -- financial and otherwise. Lucy Bernholz, on her blog, Philanthropy 2173, provides a good summary of the issues, links to other blogs, and to samples of what some organizations are doing in this arena.
- Online giving: A Lively Spot in the Lackluster Economy. Katya Andresen reports that Network for Good has now processed over $300 million in online donations to more than 50,000 charities since its start. Online giving turns out to be a bright spot in this economy, Katya says, and suggests how nonprofits can make the most of it.
- Grant Planning for 2010: A Silver-Lining for a Gloomy Outlook? April Northstrom, of Grant Savvy, provides a sober overview of fundraising for 2010, but then suggests several ways to approach your grant planning that will make your proposals more successful, despite the economy.
- Best Practices for Designing Nonprofit Websites. Smashing Magazine provides tips about how to make your nonprofit website both functional and attractive. If you feel confused about website design, this article cuts to the basics that are the most important, and then provides 20 examples of great nonprofit sites.
- Beyond the Thank You Letter. If you're not familar with the website, SOFII, this is your chance. SOFII is a depository of advice for fundraisers and, more importantly, many actual campaigns. This one, for Greenpeace, details a welcome process for new donors that is geared to deepening their relationship with the organization and reducing donor attrition.
Photo by Getty Images
5 Suggestions for High Leverage Charitable Giving
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:
- A series of blog posts about The Art of Giving is currently appearing at Tactical Philanthropy; and a recent article about the authors appeared in The Chronicle of Philanthropy (subscription required).
- How to Be an Inspired Philanthropist
- The Life You Can Save - A Review
Photo by Getty Images
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by the publisher. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.
How Do You Define "Donor?" Develop Big Tent Thinking for Maximum Effect
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
Ban Boring Volunteer Recognition Events With On-the-Spot Polls
Susan Ellis at Energize Inc always has great suggestions for making your volunteer recognition events something that people look forward to...not dread.
Our favorite tip is about recognizing everybody. Ellis suggests that in addition to/or in place of the formal recognition process, you act as if everyone present deserves some thanks. Ask the audience questions that a lot of people will qualify to answer, and that they can answer just by standing up and then receiving applause. Here are some sample questions that would work:
- Who fills more than one assignment here as a volunteer?
- Who has applied something they learned at orientation in their volunteer work?
- Who has hunted more than 15 minutes for a parking spot?
- Who has met the Executive Director before tonight?
- Who has volunteered for more than a year? Five years? Ten?
- Who recruited a friend or relative to become a volunteer here?
- Who gave up their favorite TV show to be here tonight?
- Who speaks more than one language?
Ellis says questions such as these are like an instant poll, and by the time people rise several times, they will feel very included.
Can you think of some other fun questions for volunteers? Tell us in the comments.
Related:
- 10 Ways to Make Volunteers Happy
- Placing the Right Volunteer in the Right Job
- My Favorite Volunteer Experience Was...
5 Reasons Why I Loved Reading "Twitterville"
You know, I'm not a geek. I clearly remember facing my new IBM desktop computer years ago and trying to figure out what "boot" meant.
I am rarely an early adopter, but I am frequently a late enthusiast. Recently that enthusiasm has been Twitter.
I saw the buzz about Shel Israel's (@shelisrael) Twitterville, looked at the bright blue cover on Amazon, and decided I had to have the book. Once in hand, I ate it up quickly...in fact couldn't put it down. Here's why...More...
Nonprofit Blog Carnival: Fundraising Tips from 9 Experts
The news for fundraisers has not been good. The Chronicle of Philanthropy found that the largest charities expect giving to decline by a median of 9% this year and weakness to persist well beyond 2009.
To add insult to injury, CNN just listed "Fundraiser" as one of its most Stressful jobs that pay badly.
Never mind. Fundraisers are resilient. Besides, the best fundraising months are coming up...let's hope everyone will be in a giving spirit.
We've collected advice from nine fundraising experts about how to deal with the current fundraising climate and beyond.
- Katya Andresen, of Network for Good and author of Robin Hood Marketing, provides timely tips with Four essential tweaks to your appeals in a recession.
- Obviously, Nell Edgington, of Social Velocity, is a pragmatist and knows her way around a budget. She provides a clear-eyed tour of Calculating the Cost of Fundraising.
- Beware of "list fatigue" during the holidays, warns Jo Miles, of Beaconfire Consulting. She says to mix it up and segment in her post, In fundraising, sometimes less is more.
- I didn't know a "LYBUNT" from a "SYBUNT" until Lori Jacobwith filled me in with her Effectively Using Your Data. If you're confused about where to put your time and energy during this busy fundraising season, Lori's data checklist will be heaven-sent.
- Do you know which months are the worst for fundraising? Jeff Brooks, of Future Fundraising Now, shows you with his quick-hit chart in Fundraising during your off season. But don't despair, because Jeff provides four great tips for making those months the best they can be.
- Crushed because your grant proposal was turned down? April Northstrom of Grant Savvy reminds us that the rejection might be the starting point for your next (successful) proposal in Proposal Rejection: Saying Thank You.
- Sandy Rees, of the Get Fully Funded Blog, keeps her three Favorite Fundraising Tips completely donor-centric, beginning with letting donors choose when they want to be contacted.
- Barbara Talisman points out that major donors can be identified through social media, a place you might not have thought to look. She explains how to recognize those donors and interact with them.
- Coming full circle (remember the CNN label of "underpaid, stressful job" applied to fundraiser?), Sasha Dicter, of the Acumen Fund, wonders why fundraising is so rarely a path to the top, and if we need to rebrand the role of fundraiser. Food for thought?
Follow our contributors on Twitter.
Coming up: The next Carnival will be hosted by FIO Partners Perspectives. "Collaboration" is the theme. Submit posts here by November 25th.
Acknowledgments: Thanks to all who submitted to the Carnival. Thanks also to everyone who tweeted and retweeted the call for submissions, especially @rjleaman (WildApricot), whose RTs made a big difference.
Best Links: PRSA Tweetchat, Email Black Holes, and Social Media Karma
- PRSA Colorado is hosting a tweetchat called PR Boost: Giving Nonprofit PR a Leg Up on Wed. Nov. 4 from 11-11:45 a.m. MST. A panel of public relations professionals will answer questions from nonprofits across the country through a live streaming conversation on Twitter. Panelists include Kristy Bassuener from the Denver Art Museum and four PR consultants with experience in nonprofit communications. Check it out and even get your questions in ahead of time.
- The Case of 4,000 Twitter Followers Who Don't Care. A cautionary tale from Debra Askanase's blog. Get your social media Karma together.
- Online Fundraising - Back to Basics. Do you have an email black hole? Don't do anything else until you see if your website commits any of these faux pas that Lisa Sargent revealed on the blog of The Agitator. "Egads," she says!
- Donor Research: Donor motivations vary across income and education levels. Fascinating research explained at The Center on Philanthropy. Is "Thinking" or "Feeling" More Persuasive? New take on how to phrase your donor appeals, from Stanford business school.
- Cause Marketing Even More Important for Women In Down Economy. At Fast Company, Stephanie Schomer delves into the popularity of cause-related marketing with women, especially when budgets are tight.
5 Lessons in Corporate Social Responsibility from TOMS Shoes
The darling of the "philanthropic capitalism" fan club right now is TOMS Shoes. And for good reasons.
TOMS Shoes is the handiwork of Blake Mycoskie, a young entrepreneur whose business model has put a new spin on corporate social responsibility.
Mycoskie was the subject of a profile recently in Success Magazine, one of the best articles I've seen on this young company that is winning both sales and hearts by giving away a pair of shoes for every one that is sold through its business.
Mycoskie got the idea for TOMS Shoes when he visited Argentina and saw many children who had no shoes. At the same time, many adults in that country were wearing a very simple yet comfortable shoe that caught Mycoskie's eye.
Mycoskie's new company, TOMS Shoes, adopted that shoe style, produced it in many styles and colors, and promised customers that for every pair of shoes they bought, another pair would go to children in need around the globe.
The idea took off, and now Mycoskie spends half of his time on his business and the other half flying around the world making "shoe drops" to smiling kids all over the world.
TOMS Shoes embodies several lessons for others who want to combine doing good with business...More...
What Is Your Best Fundraising Tip for Nonprofits? The Nonprofit Blog Carnival Wants to Know
I am hosting the ever popular Nonprofit Blog Carnival this month and would love your submissions.
If you are a nonprofit fundraiser or a consultant to nonprofits, send me the URL to your blog post or article. You could write a tip, discuss best fundraising practices, provide a case study, put together a list of dos and don'ts, or tell us about the newest thing in sparking supporters to donate to a good cause.
Please send the permalink by Wednesday, October 28, to nonprofit.guide@about.com or via the Blog Carnival form.
Get Ready for the Flu: How to Handle H1N1 at Your Nonprofit Office
Although the Daily Beast lists 8 diseases Scarier Than Swine Flu, it is Swine Flu that might strike your nonprofit office later today.
People who work for good causes are typically dedicated beyond what most people would believe possible. Therein lies the danger. When you're managing a group of hardworking idealists, you don't worry so much about malingers as about a sense of "over-responsibility." Your folks may be in the habit of working through anything. This is different. You may have to step in and send people home.
Lyn Freundlich, Director of Administration and Human Resources at Third Sector New England, provided some pointers for nonprofit organizations about how to handle H1N1 at the office:
- Take Staff and Constituent Well-Being Seriously.
The fact is that sick staff in the office or in the field spread illness. The flu that is hitting us now is an unknown. We can't just assume that a sniffle or a cough is not serious. Show that you care about everyone in your office and all who come in contact with them.
- Review and Align Your Sick Leave Policies
First communicate your expectations to the staff: if you are sick, stay home. Then show them that you mean it. Explain how you will handle sick leave. If someone has used up all of the sick time, will they be penalized? Tell everyone, up front, how you will handle these situations. Perhaps you will want to waive your usual practices for the duration of the flu season. Or you might want to provide a way for staff to make up time later.
- Don't Require an Ok from a Doctor.
Physician offices are overloaded, and they don't want to turn their waiting rooms into infection centers. Mild cases might distract from more serious ones needing rapid attention.
- Be Sensitive to Staff Members With Children.
Those kids might become ill, or even have their schools closed. Reassure staff that their families are important to you too. Work with parents so that they can provide the care their children need.
- Prepare for Contingencies
Identify your most critical business functions (like payroll, for instance) and create back-up plans if they don't already exist. Involve staff in these discussions and then communicate these plans to everyone. Not only will doing so ensure that people understand their roles, it will also reassure employees that the sky won't fall if they need to stay home.
Consider stocking meeting rooms, copy stations and other common spaces with hand sanitizers and tissue.
- Most of All, Be Proactive.
Decide now how you will handle illness over the next few months, communicate your policies, be consistent, and be firm. Help your dedicated staff do what they need to do.
Tips to Stay Well or Get Better Sooner From the CDC:
- Symptoms of flu include fever or chills and cough or sore throat. In addition, symptoms of flu can include runny nose, body aches, headache, tiredness, diarrhea, or vomiting.
Stay home until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit or 38 degrees Celsius) or signs of a fever (have chills, feel very warm, have a flushed appearance, or are sweating). This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medicines like Tylenol or Advil.
- Also remember to cover your coughs and sneezes and wash your hands often with soap and water. Use an alcohol-based hand cleaner if soap and water are not available. If a severe flu outbreak hits our community, we will take additional steps to avoid spreading the flu virus in the workplace.
You can get more information at Flu.gov
Related:
Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images