Network for Good Learning Center

6 Words for Nonprofits to Avoid

rebecca.higman — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 10:45:42 -0600

Recently, Lake Superior State University published its 35th annual List of Banished Words for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness. It included terms from 2009 such as friend (as a verb—thanks, Facebook); Tweet (good luck not using that one, nonprofiteers); and chillaxin’ (which I’m pretty sure isn’t a word to begin with, but yes, it’s tremendously annoying and disturbingly ubiquitous).

Well, that got us thinking… What words do we nonprofit people overuse or misuse, and what terms are generally useless or shouldn’t be used?

So without further ado, here’s a short list (in no particular order) along with the reason(s) for its inclusion here:

System—This is a word of many meanings and yet no real meaning. We’re guessing there’s probably a clearer, more specific term within your English arsenal of words. Perhaps you use system to mean your organization’s workflow, or perhaps you mean the government. Consider using workflow or government.
Infrastructure—Unless you’re speaking of roads, rail, bridges, tunnels, power lines or other public works, this is a word worth avoiding. Using infrastructure to discuss the people of your organization, for example, takes the humanity out of your work.
Capacity—Who doesn’t say “capacity building”? Heck, at Big Duck, one of our areas of work is around capacity building. The real trouble with capacity is that people use it to mean many things, including capability or ability, both of which are clearer, less pretentious words. Watch how you use this one.
Impact—Politicians and marketing/communications professionals (you’re welcome!) may have fooled you into thinking that impact is a verb that means “to have an effect.” For example, “Our work impacts the lives of teens.” To the chagrin of language purists (of which there is more than one here at Big Duck), impact will likely join the growing list of nouns that have been verbed into existence (such as contact, date, curb, or elbow). Until the standard style guides and dictionaries tell you it’s okay, we recommend that you avoid using impact as a verb and angering the language purists in your circle. They live among you. I’ll get some headshakes for using verb as a verb too. And by the way, impactful isn’t a real word.
Web site—Everyone has a website, and you should feel free to talk about yours. But when you write about your website, write about your website, not your Web site. Nothing will make you seem like a fuddy-duddy faster than capitalizing Web site and making it two words. It’s like you’re harkening back to the simpler days of the World Wide Web and its Information Superhighway. Strive toward having some tech cred. If you have a style guide that still says Web site, it’s probably time to update it.
Catalyst—A lot of nonprofits like to think of themselves as catalysts, never changing but affecting change in their arena. It’s a nice metaphor. I struggled with high school chemistry, and I had this really tough and serious teacher from Iran. I managed to really screw up on a couple of the tests early in the semester, from which my overall grade would never be able to recover. I had my sights set on some competitive colleges, so this was very worrisome for me. But I worked hard and showed improvement, eventually getting an A- on the final. On the final day, the teacher asked if I wanted to hear my grade. Knowing I’d mathematically earned a C, I despondently told him to go ahead. “Daniel…” he said (no one called me Daniel), “You work hard and show improvement. I think I give you an A.” It was amazing. The only problem is that when I hear catalyst, my mind goes back to high school chemistry, not your organization. Am I alone on this?

There are more examples, I’m sure, and you probably have some of your own. Please feel free to share your suggestions.

Are we saying that you shouldn’t use any of these words? I’m a bit of a free speech purist, so I wouldn’t absolutely forbid you from saying or writing certain terms. By all means, use these words if you really want to. Just know that if you do we’re sitting here in our offices totally judging you. Totally.

But don’t worry: we’re judging ourselves too. Some of these terms get a lot of airplay at Big Duck. But hey, that just gives us something to strive toward throughout 2010.

Source: Duck Call blog from Big Duck. See the original post here.

12 Questions that Lead to a Better Fundraising Story

rebecca.higman — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 08:55:30 -0600

Who Do You Truly Represent?

It's easy to tell the story of the clients you serve -- especially in 2010, if you have a flip video camera, a social media platform and a few juicy questions to ask.

Unfortunately, it's much harder to tell a story with which your donors can identify.

Let's be honest: Storytelling often gets muddled when it comes to the fundraising process. While you're judged by your impact on beneficiaries, it's ultimately your donors that must buy into your story.

There's the secret to really great fundraising: If you can put yourself in the shoes of your donor, your financial appeal stands a much greater chance of success. Remember that donors are increasingly cynical, suspicious and exhausted. That's why you need to speak in a more thoughtful manner.

Here are a total of 12 questions to help you reinforce the emotional connection and the perceived value of your work.

1) Do I Belong Here?
That's the first question in the mind of every donor. One way or another, they must locate themselves in your story. They must experience a genuine emotional pull that what you do matters to them, personally. It might be the cause itself, a pet project that means something, their relationship to a staff person - the possible intersections are endless. It's your job to help connect the dots and determine why people generally get involved.

Additional Questions:

Can you describe who most easily identifies with your work?
What are you doing to remind them of how they belong with you?
How might you give them something to remember you for?

There are many reasons people are motivated to donate - but the constant same is meaning. That is your true currency and the building block of all great stories. How can you create a pride of belonging?

2) What Do You Stand For?
More than just numbers, donors invest in organizations that reflect their own personal values and worldview. In giving to a specific group, they are expressing themselves through the work that you do. Their image of self is bundled with how they direct their giving. When they give to your organization, that's a reflection of who they are - or who they aspire to be. Now, just how are you reinforcing their story of identity?

As a teenager, I remember that Amnesty International left a really big impression on me. The universal desire for freedom is a story that meant something. Perhaps the MTV-style celebrity concerts helped bring the issue to my awareness. Fast forward to a couple years back - I decided to join as a member. Yet in the course of the following 12 months, Amnesty did a masterful job of completely driving me away from their organization. Their historic message of freedom had morphed into a dystopian vision of the future. While I still believed in the larger cause, Amnesty's angry view of the world was a far cry from my own. Needless to say, I've yet to renew my contribution. And my letter of feedback to the organization's President went unanswered. What's the lesson for you?

Additional Questions:

How do you communicate the philosophy of your organization?
Does your ethos speak to a narrower or mainstream audience?
What might you do to evolve your story for greater relevance?

As the saying goes, "The most important things are choosing what's most important". That's why you need to clearly articulate your values, and in a manner that hopefully is generative for attracting more people into the mix.

3) Are You For Real?
There's plenty of "worthy" causes. Yet increasingly donors question what organizations are "worthy" of contribution. We all know that duplication and inefficiency is rampant throughout the sector. People more and more question where there money is going, and whether they're making the right choices. Being "for real" requires that you demonstrate your authenticity and legitimacy. More than just numbers, it means that you are judged for your knowledge, trust and social capital.

Additional Questions:

Why was the organization founded or started (in response to what)?
What unique approach or knowledge do you have on your issue?
Who do you truly represent, and how do you prove their support?

Communicating your nonprofits unique difference is a matter of survival. So while you must paint a picture regarding the scale of impact, it's not just about over-rationalized arguments. You need to tell a bigger story that inspires the imagination. At the end of the day, are you giving you donors a story they can proudly believe in?

About the Author
Michael Margolis is the founder of Get Storied, an education, publishing, and consulting company that works with diverse world-changing efforts. Michael advises nonprofits, businesses, and entrepreneurs on how to get others to believe in their story. You can download a free copy of his storytelling manifesto for change-makers and innovators - www.believemethebook.com. Starting February 18, Michael is leading a 4-week telecourse on storytelling for change, an affordable hands-on program for nonprofits seeking to craft a bigger story. For more info visit - www.getstoried.com/quickstartprogram

Three Big Screw-ups in Online Fundraising, and How to Avoid Them

rebecca.higman — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 17:46:41 -0600

Download the slides, audio recording and transcript below Related Documents below this article!

Has any of these happened to you?

You had great plans to do all kinds of online fundraising, but, well, things got busy and other priorities got in the way, and it just sort of fizzled out.
You send out e-appeals. Some of them work, some of them don't. And nobody is quite sure what the pattern is.
You keep reading about how online fundraising is going through the roof, with double-digit growth year after year -- but your own program just seems to be stuck.

If so, you are not alone. These are the most common troubles nonprofits face when it comes to online fundraising, and they happen to nonprofits great and small.

In this session, you'll get honest, real-world help for overcoming these obstacles to you can start growing your online fundraising program. You'll get hands-on help you can put to work five minutes after the session is over!

About Our Speaker
Jeff Brooks is creative director at TrueSense Marketing, a fast-moving, growing fundraising agency that champions listening to donors and giving them choice. He has served the nonprofit community for more than 20 years, mostly from the agency side, and is honored to have worked with the best causes in the world.

In addition to writing the blog "Future Fundraising Now," he co-hosts a podcast called Fundraising Is Beautiful, and writes a monthly column for FundRaising Success Magazine. You can follow him on Twitter: twitter.com/jeffbrooks.

In a dimly remembered past life, he was an English teacher (and if you're looking for the author of "Minimalist Tutoring," he's the guy). Jeff plays the double bass in his spare time. He lives in Seattle.

3 Steps Toward a Better Nonprofit Website

rebecca.higman — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 08:00:35 -0600

Your website is the single largest opportunity to reach as many people as possible for your organization. Where else can you directly pitch to 73% of adults in the U.S.¹?

With an audience that big, you'd better make the best of it.

So what makes an effective website? What truly determines a non-profit website's ability to educate its market, garner donations and inspire involvement? The answer is good branding. Effective branding will enable your market to do three things:

ATTAIN
The goal of your organization must feel reachable. In order to get people passionate about a cause, they have to feel as though their contribution (whether that be service-oriented or financial) can make an impact. A mission statement is a macro view of your desire to impact the world. But be sure to offer your readers a micro view of what you hope/need to accomplish to reach your mission.
CONNECT
There has to be a common ground between those serving/giving and those in need. Let's assume, for example, the cost of one latte a week is the same as the mosquito netting that will save a family from the threat of malaria in Africa. The value has now been put into terms that every iPhone-toting college kid in the US can understand.

Organizations like Mocha Club and OneDaysWages have become very successful using parallel connectivity. Once your donor understands the value, they can better justify a giving program.
BELIEVE
Like it or not, the new change-driven generation (25-35) and the one following (19-24) have been trained to make a lot of assumptions based on the overall look of a product or service. This goes for causes, too. Look at Blood:Water Mission, charity:water, and TOMS. All three have in common an incredible design aesthetic and are remarkably successful in penetrating their target markets. They're taken seriously because they look serious and they look good. An emphasis on the visual aesthetic of your website builds legitimacy for your organization.

Even in a struggling economy companies like Target and Apple continue to put an emphasis on their visual brand. There's no compromise when it comes to quality either. It should be no different for non-profit organizations.

So how can you connect with your target market as successfully as TOMS and Target? Here are some small, simple steps that will allow you to connect with your viewers and help your organization's website stand out from the digital crowd:

Get to the point. Don't overwhelm your readers with too much information. You don't want to be the over-eager sample food peddler at your local mall food court, shouting and shoving your product in people's faces, overwhelming and offending them. Pare down your homepage content and give them a concise, yet clear and accurate taste of what you're about. If you whet their appetite, they'll dig deeper for more information. Same goes for your navigation. Cut it down to 5-7 main links (no drop-downs!) that make the user want to find out more: What We're Doing, Get Involved, etc.
Organize with a purpose. Your site architecture should take the readers on a path. Information should be organized intentionally so that a potential supporter can effortlessly be educated and pointed to a call to action. Direct their reading and viewing path. Point your readers to the information you want them to know. If you have a page that describes your service trips to Africa, be sure to add an additional link to a schedule of future trips so readers can sign up to volunteer.
Give them every opportunity to donate and/or get involved. Your donate button should be a mainstay in your header or somewhere consistent on every page. The same goes for newsletter or street team signups. Don't let a donation or volunteer slip by because your readers can't find out how to take action online.

While quality branding and clear communication are key to a successful non-profit website, too many worthy organizations don't have the budget to bring on a designer or hire an agency to create a knockout brand identity. Even these simple revisions require the help or direction of someone who has an eye for design (just because you installed Photoshop on your computer doesn't mean you are a designer!) and knows something about html code.

Source: ¹ Pew Internet & American Life Project, April 8-May 11, 2008 Tracking Survey

WANT TO FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR BRAND AND WEBSITE?

Fortunately, there is a great resource that has done the dirty work for you and at a price that won't break the bank: STREETLIGHT is a new non-profit cheerleader that understands the need for good design and organization and creates affordable, high-quality websites and branding materials specifically designed for non-profit organizations and causes. And, they're giving away one of their STREETLIGHTexpress branding packages to one of you! (Check out STREETLIGHT's website here: http://streetlight.uberdm.com)

Here's the giveaway:
Semi-custom STREETLIGHTexpress website plus your choice of two of the following:

500 business cards
50 11x17 posters
500 postcards

How to win it:
Between now and Valentine's Day (February 14) , email us with one sentence on why you hate your brand look and a link to your home page. We’ll pick the one in most dire need of help. When the makeover is done, we'll update this article in the Learning Center and share the results with our thousands of Tips e-newsletter readers!

Thanks a Million: How to Thank Your Donors So They'll Come Back and Give More

rebecca.higman — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 15:36:07 -0600

Download the transcript, audio recording and slides below Related Documents!

Amidst the hub-bub of annual reports, strategic planning and grantseeking calendar development, your focus as a fundraiser is out in front of you to the year ahead.

But as your attention shifts from this year to the next, are you maintaining and building your relationships with donors as well as you could be? Are you saying exactly what your supporters need to hear such that they'll become repeat donors?

Join Network for Good's Katya Andresen and Care2's Jocelyn Harmon as they delve into effective donor cultivation and ideas for effective messaging:

What (and how often) to say to donors to keep them interested in your work-and their impact on it-as you enter the new year
How to make your follow-up personal
What vehicles are most appropriate to say thank you
An overview of the four must-have pieces of text for your follow-up

About our speakers
Katya Andresen is Chief Operating Officer of Network for Good, as well as a speaker, author (Robin Hood Marketing) and blogger about nonprofit marketing, online outreach and the basics of social media. Katya has trained thousands of causes in effective marketing and media relations, and her marketing materials for non-profits have won national and international awards.

Jocelyn Harmon is the Director of Nonprofit Services at Care2. Jocelyn is passionate about helping charitable organizations and causes succeed online so that they can change the world. Jocelyn is also a recognized blogger and speaker on online marketing for social change.

What others said about this session:

"Thank you for your time and expertise. I appreciated the well-organized presentation, conversational and encouraging tone of the conference. Also, thanks to Network for Good for making it available free-of-charge!"
"I was really excited to participate today. The information you shared today will prove most beneficial as I interact with everyone here at work and everywhere really. It really brought home how much I can relate to what our donors may feel receiving gratitude in a genuine and sincere way. Thank you for a new perspective to expressing gratitude to everyone; not only donors."
"Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge and making yourselves available to the non-profit community. You're already making a difference in our work. While on this teleconference, I thought up several good ideas for expressing gratitude to our donors and building positive relationships with our donors and readers. Can't wait to get going."

5 Trends that Will Affect Online Fundraising in 2010

rebecca.higman — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 08:14:38 -0600

No one can say for sure what 2010 will bring. Will there be an economic recovery? Will direct mail continue to thrive? Will more and more donors continue to turn to the Web as their preferred means of giving?

Last year the Chronicle of Philanthropy shared their "Trends That Will Affect Fund Raising in 2009," penned by Robert F. Sharpe, a planned-giving consultant in Memphis.

In 2010 Network for Good has taken a crack at the five trends we've seen (with an online spin):

You may see a greater number of donations with a smaller average gift size. Here's a piece of news that's probably not news to you: Your donors are generous. They want your organization to succeed. They're even willing to continue to give when the economy is in a bad way. However, we've found that people made more, smaller charitable contributions in a down economy. What this means for you: Nonprofits will have to mentally prepare for the possibility of receiving smaller gifts and it will be on your shoulders to reach out to your past supporters (and their networks!) and grow your donor base.
As much as the media talks of a possible economic rebound, prospective supporters will still be wary of donating to new causes. Yes, folks will donate (as we discussed in number 1 above), but that crowd of new potential donors will need to be sold on the good works and impact their gifts can really make. They'll be looking for transparency (i.e. the real story behind where donated funds go) and the potential for real involvement. What this means for you: You will need to work your hardest to make your mission accessible. Show where the money goes. Share the credit when your nonprofits does its great work. Make your supporters a part of the picture-not just an ATM in the background.
Email outreach will continue its upward trend, meaning more email in subscribers' inboxes. The popular buzzword for this phenomenon is "clutter." As more companies, schools and other nonprofits begin to use email marketing, your subscribers will be moving even more quickly and furiously to dig through the clutter and find the messages that really appeal to them. What this means for you: You need to be at the top of your email game! With some stellar subject lines and catchy (relevant) copy, your messages will rise to the top.
Recurring gifts will be a huge portion of online giving. Here at Network for Good we've seen that approximately 20 percent of all donations coming through are from recurring (regular, repeat) donations. With a one-click set-up, many donors have shown their preference for this type of giving for a number of reasons: folks needn't remember on their own to come back and give again; it's convenient and feels like "automatic bill-pay"; and, donors can divide up a larger gift over time. What this means for you: Your nonprofit needs to make recurring giving a priority in your online fundraising strategy -- not a footnote. It needs to be an option every time a donor enters a gift amount. With all of your messaging and fundraising appeals you can encourage this process.
As in the past, year-end gifts will account for a substantial percentage of total annual contributions. For a bit of background, December giving comprised about a third of the total dollar value and a quarter of the total number of donations made in 2009. Fourth quarter giving comprised over half of the total dollar value and number of donations made in 2009. This is not out of the ordinary either-we've seen roughly these numbers for the past five years! What this means for you: Though we're happy to share procrastinator's tips when November and December eventually roll around, we're much happier to encourage you to start planning now. Start thinking about where folks got stuck on your website and what changes you can make during the first quarters of the year. Review the communications you sent out-which ones did well and which ones fell flat? The earlier you analyze and plan, the more successful you can be next time!

Want to see other trends we picked up from 2009 results? See Network for Good's press release "Despite Weak Economy, Online Giving Strong - $113 Million Strong - in 2009" on our website!

The Year-end Gift: This Nonprofit Nailed It

rebecca.higman — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:39:51 -0600

I always like the last week of December when it's the end of a fiscal year. Budgets adopted (hopefully), goals checked off (if not, nothing you can do about it now), year-end appeal contributions rolling in - containing wonderful feelings of generosity and thanks for work well done. Staff is tired, taking a deep breath, but there's a real sense of optimism for a good new year ahead.

I can't think of a better way to "remind" members of their opportunity to give a year-end gift than this example by the Whidbey Camano Land Trust, including their year-end video telling the story of their work this year. Full disclosure - I worked for the land trust a few years ago. I continue to donate and to be absolutely in awe of the work they do for my island home, but I had nothing to do with this project. Frankly, I'm not sure I could have improved it much.

Here are 10 ways they nailed it:

Short & sweet; front & center - video, thanks, ask, donate button - all together prominently on their web site's home page.
Great use of visuals - they managed to get a LOT of visuals in a short video, but layout, transitions, and variety of images were all good.
Tells their stories - project and people included - in the video we see the beautiful land conserved, but we also see the faces of people personally involved in that conservation. Communicates to us that this is more than pretty land, it's a story of people, just like you and me, who make conservation happen.
Good music - Grammy award-winning local musicians donated their time as performers for the land trust's 25th anniversary celebration event this year and carried on to perform for this video.
Content teaches without boring us - video quickly shows us the specific, diverse projects they completed. We learn something without boring, distracting statistics or charts.
Communicates gratitude without an ask; yes without an ask - the video shows us what the nonprofit did with our contributions of volunteer time and money but doesn't ask for anything. While my one suggestion would have been to end the video with a simple "thank you", gratitude is implied. Remember that it is critical to engage donors without always asking for something.
Easy to donate - web site home page has custom "donate now" button at top, specific short ask right below button and next to video. Great placement makes the ask obvious and the giving easy.
Year-end ask has sense of urgency - web site message makes it clear there is short window of opportunity to protect specific forest acreage if donors respond rapidly.
Reinforces year-end appeal message & serves as reminder to donate - home page message matches message in year-end appeal letter. Reinforces what members read a couple of weeks ago in the appeal letter. Reminds us to donate in case we've set this aside during the holidays, but doesn't knock us over the head with a plea.
Easily shared using social media - already going viral on Facebook as supporters share a beautiful video that appeals to folks (literally across the globe) who love our island but might not be members of the land trust.

I think this is a great model and I hope you pick up a few tips you can use with your nonprofit. Now, where's my checkbook? I've got a year-end check to write to a certain land trust that inspires me and makes my community better.

Source: Nonprofit Execs on the Edge blog

Top 4 Things to Ensure Last-minute Giving Success

rebecca.higman — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:00:52 -0600

If you haven’t gotten out your year-end online appeal yet, there's still time!

You aren’t the only procrastinator – your online donors are just like you.

At Network for Good we process donations for about 40,000 nonprofits annually, and our data reveals that out of the 365 days in the year, the two most popular days to make donations are December 30 and 31. Generous procrastinators like to get their gifts in at the last minute for tax purposes. So, it’s not too late to be successful, but now is the time to be strategic!

Here are the top four things you need to remember:

Strike now and then again at the last minute: The best piece of advice I can give you at this time of year is this: Send out an appeal soon – then send out a last-minute reminder appeal the week between Christmas and New Year’s. Surprisingly few nonprofits send out appeals then, so you get the double advantage of gaining visibility and reaching donors when they are most inclined to give.
Craft a great ask: Forge an emotional connection right away that tells the donor why they should personally care and what tangible difference they will make. Then put that appeal in the mouth of someone the prospective donor trusts.
Make sure your donate form is in perfect working order — easy to find, quick to use, and full of security assurances. You want it to feel simple and safe to give. Ask one of your more technically-challenged friends to make a donation and see if they can do it. If they can’t, fix your form.
Receipt and thank quickly and graciously: Send out the receipt instantly and thank profusely. Remember: the number one irritation of donors is lack of gratitude or information on the impact of their gift. It’s the season to ask for money, but it’s also the season to give thanks.

Source: Article originally printed on Social Media 4 Nonprofits in Plain English

6 Steps to Building a Dynamic Grantseeking Calendar

rebecca.higman — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:03:55 -0600

Download the slides, transcript and audio recording below Related Documents!

Too often we prepare grant proposals just because the opportunity appears on our doorstep. Too seldom do we develop a calendar that builds a comprehensive grantseeking schedule around a set of projects identified and blessed by our boards.

In this Nonprofit 911 Call with Cynthia M. Adams, CEO of GrantStation, you will learn:

How to establish your own grantseeking calendars for 2010
To uncover the right grant makers - private and government - for your programs and projects
To understand trends in corporate and foundation giving, as well as significant trends in government grants - stimulus funding as well as other federal and state programs

This will be a lively training call with accompanying PowerPoint slides and worksheets for registrants. Register today to take the first step toward zeroing in on your fundraising plan and mix for the coming year!

About our speaker
Cynthia Adams has been a fundraiser for over 35 years. Working directly for nonprofits and as a fundraising consultant, Ms. Adams specializes in building bridges between funders and grantseekers. She strongly believes that successful grantseeking requires a thorough understanding of the funders and sound knowledge of the playing field. Her life's work has been to level that playing field, creating an opportunity for all nonprofit organizations to access the wealth of grant opportunities throughout the world.

Is Your Story Big Enough?

rebecca.higman — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 15:41:54 -0600

Download the participant handout, transcript and audio recording below Related Documents!

While the economy is slowly recovering, are your fundraising appeals still in need of mouth-to-mouth resuscitation? You've tried creating a sense of urgency and alarm, but your message is falling on deaf ears. You're not delivering the numbers you need to produce.

Why have people stopped listening? Here's a little secret: Donors don't really give to a program or organization; they invest in the bigger story. In other words, donors give to issues where they feel a direct personal connection. Your work must mean something to them, or else their dollars go to a cause that does.

That's why supporters want more than clichés and platitudes about "doing good". They need a story they can locate themselves into; and that usually requires moving beyond the classic adversity/victimization story.

In this Nonprofit 911 Call with Michael Margolis, author and President of Get Storied, you will learn:

Why the classic hero story creates unnecessary adversity for your cause and might be doing more harm than good in your fundraising appeals
How to break the cycle of guilting or shaming others into supporting you, and how to find a genuine attention-grabbing message that people can truly believe in
Where to look for the essential truths at the heart of your brand/mission that invites and unites, rather than drives away potential supporters

About our speaker
As the President of Get Storied, Michael Margolis advises nonprofits, businesses, and entrepreneurs on how to get others to believe in their story. With a background in social enterprise and cultural anthropology, Michael helped launch two pioneering nonprofits before the age of 22. Michael has since worked with dozens of world-changing efforts and helped to revitalize and translate the bigger story for each of his clients.

Believe Me: a Storytelling Manifesto for Change-Makers and Innovators, is a new book by Michael Margolis with fresh perspectives for anyone in the business of change. His short little manifesto introduces 15 storytelling axioms that will help you re-think how nonprofits must communicate their work, especially in this new adaptive age. Download a free excerpt at www.believemethebook.com

Michael's unique work and ideas have been featured in Fast Company, Brandweek, and Storytelling Magazine. Michael teaches Brand Storytelling at Schulich School of Business and delivers keynotes, story coaching, and learning programs around the globe. Michael believes its time for everyone to reclaim or reframe towards their bigger story. And eat more chocolate.