Network for Good's Training Series

Homer Simpson for Nonprofits: The Truth about How People Really Think and What It Means for Promoting Your Cause

rebecca.higman — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:20:25 -0500

The success of your online outreach hinges on your understanding of the inner workings of the human mind. Learn the basics of the new and revolutionary field of behavioral economics and how you can use these principles to craft more effective messages that will win the hearts and minds of your audience.

People are not rational beings, but the patterns of irrationality are consistent, and understanding them is key to effective marketing and fundraising.

Some ideas to look forward to:

Small, not big - The bigger the scale of what you're communicating, the smaller the impact on your audience
Hopeful, not hopeless - People tend to act on what they believe they can change--If your problem seems intractable, enormous and endless, people won't be motivated to help
Peer pressure still works (Nope, it doesn't end after high school) - People are more likely to do something if they know other people like them are doing it.

This special Nonprofit 911 call identifies more guiding principles like these and focuses on takeway lessons for marketing, fundraising and public engagement.

About our speakers
Katya Andresen (Chief Operating Officer, Network for Good): Katya is 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.

Alia McKee (Principal, Sea Change Strategies): Alia helps nonprofit clients innovate engaging, inspiring, and successful online fundraising, advocacy and marketing campaigns. Currently she works with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Environmental Defense Fund, the International Rescue Committee, and Conservation International among others. Alia holds a masters degree in public policy and communications from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Mark Rovner (Principal, Sea Change Strategies): Mark is one of the pioneers of using the Internet for fundraising, organizing and strategic communications. Over the past ten years, he has led online efforts on behalf of a host of organizations, including World Wildlife Fund, Amnesty International, the Christopher Reeve Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the International Campaign for Tibet. Mark took up scuba diving in 2005, and it's hard to get him off the subject. He's also a lawyer, but he is not proud of that fact, though it keeps his mother off his back.

Making a Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard

rebecca.higman — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 10:23:03 -0600

Why is it so hard to make lasting changes in our organizations, in our communities, and in our own lives? The primary obstacle is a conflict that's built into our brains, says Dan Heath, the co-author of the new book, Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard.

Psychologists have discovered that our minds are ruled by two different systems--the rational mind and the emotional mind-that compete for control:

The rational mind wants a great beach body; the emotional mind wants that Oreo cookie.
The rational mind wants to change something at work; the emotional mind loves the comfort of the existing routine. This tension can doom a change effort-but if it is overcome, change can come quickly.

In this Nonprofit 911 call, Heath discussed his findings from Switch, which shed new light on how we can effect transformative change. Heath argues that successful changes follow a pattern, a pattern you can use to make the changes that matter to you, whether your interest is in changing the world or changing your waistline.

Ensuring Your E-Newsletters are Read - Not Dead - On Arrival

rebecca.higman — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 08:58:02 -0600

Download the audio and written transcripts below Related Documents, and find Kivi's bonus articles below Related Articles!

Every time you hit send on an email message to one of your audiences-your donor list, e-newsletter subscribers, etc.-there's a sense of satisfaction. All that hard work and project coordination to get your text, links and images together has paid off and your e-mail is out the door.

But when it arrives at your subscriber's inbox, how do you ensure it's opened and read? What are keys ways to engage-or turn off-your readers' attention?

Join Kivi Leroux Miller as she provides practical advice for putting together a winning email strategy and plan for 2010:

The steps to developing an editorial calendar, what type of content mix works best, and how often you should send
E-newsletter ideas for every month of the year
A refresher checklist on the dos and don'ts of good email writing and design
How to know if your plan is working

About our speaker
Kivi Leroux Miller is president of Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com and EcoScribe Communications. Through training, coaching and consulting, she helps small nonprofits make a big impression with smart, savvy marketing and communications. She is a nationally recognized speaker who teaches a weekly webinar series and writes a leading blog on nonprofit communications at NonprofitMarketingGuide.com. Her first book, also called "The Nonprofit Marketing Guide," will be available from Jossey-Bass in May 2010.

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.

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."

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.

The Procrastinator's Guide to Year-end Fundraising

rebecca.higman — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:29:56 -0600

Download the transcript, audio recording, presentation slides and full "Procrastinator's Guide" below Related Documents!

Is your nonprofit ready to ramp up your online fundraising this holiday season? The last weeks of the year are the biggest and most important for online charitable giving. (In fact, Network for Good processes 40% of online donations for nonprofits like yours in December!) With some quick tweaks to your website, as well as incorporating marketing and communications best practices, you will have all the tools you need to to take advantage of the season.

To help you get started right away, Alia McKee and Mark Rovner from Sea Change Strategies, as well as Kathryn Powers with Conservation International, and moderator Eric Rardin of Care2 will discuss 11 critical action steps for mobilizing your donors and raising money.

Participants will learn the most successful fundraising strategies including:

How to create compelling fundraising campaigns that motivate web visitors to make a donation on your website
What easy fixes you can make to your donation page, so that donor's complete the donation process
How to communicate with donors before, during, and after they donate money online to your nonprofit and build long lasting relationships

About our speakers
Alia McKee (Principal, Sea Change Strategies): Alia helps non profit clients innovate engaging, inspiring, and successful online fundraising, advocacy and marketing campaigns. Currently she works with the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Environmental Defense Fund, the International Rescue Committee, and Conservation International among others. Alia holds a masters degree in public policy and communications from the LBJ School at the University of Texas at Austin.

Mark Rovner (Principal, Sea Change Strategies): Mark is one of the pioneers of using the Internet for fundraising, organizing and strategic communications. Over the past ten years, he has led online efforts on behalf of a host of organizations, including World Wildlife Fund, Amnesty International, the Christopher Reeve Foundation, Environmental Defense Fund, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and the International Campaign for Tibet. Mark took up scuba diving in 2005, and it's hard to get him off the subject. He's also a lawyer, but he is not proud of that fact, though it keeps his mother off his back.

Kathryn Powers (Online Fundraising Manager, Conservation International): Kat came to Conservation International from the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) where as Director of USA Operations she honed her fundraising skills. Previously, she served as Membership Coordinator for the Society for Conservation Biology.

Eric Rardin (our host! and Director of Nonprofit Services, Care2): Eric currently helps nonprofits recruit passionate supporters from Care2.com. Care2 is an online social network of over 12 million people worldwide who want to make a difference in causes they care about. Prior to joining Care2 Eric designed and executed integrated advocacy campaigns for environmental nonprofits for more than seven years.

Fundraiser’s Confidential: How to Adapt Now to the 6 Trends Changing the Fundraiser-Donor Relationship Forever

rebecca.higman — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:49:54 -0600

Download the slides below Related Documents!

There are six trends fundamentally transforming the relationship between fundraiser and donor. Do you know what they are? Are you prepared to handle them? Have no fear: Katya Andresen will tell you what is changing, why we have to change (generational, cultural and technological shifts mandate it) and how we survive and thrive in this new philanthropic world order.

She'll also give you a bonus four secrets to strengthening your appeals in this lackluster economy. Don't miss this brand-new content, which will significantly strengthen your fundraising results in 2009 and the years beyond.

Katya will cover the following trends, providing tips for deftly adjusting to each in your upcoming appeals:

1. Impact
2. Involvement
3. Impulse
4. Community
5. Competition
6. Transparency

You'll also get the four tweaks you must make to your holiday appeals given the lackluster economy, from showing thrift to detailing impact.

About our speaker: Katya Andresen
Katya Andresen is Chief Operating Officer of Network for Good, as well as a speaker, author and blogger about nonprofit marketing, online outreach and the basics of social media. In addition, she is an adjunct professor of communications at American University's Key Certificate Program and serves on the board of EarthShare. 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.

Katya is the author of the book, Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes and was featured in the e-book, Nine Minds of Marketing. She is also a co-author with Network for Good CEO Bill Strathmann of a chapter in the book, People to People Fundraising - Social Networking and Web 2.0 for Charities. Fundraising Success Magazine named her Fundraising Professional of the Year in 2007.

How to Build Your Nonprofit's Brand to Engage Today's Value-Conscious Supporters

rebecca.higman — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:34:36 -0600

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

In a world that's adapting to radical social and economic change, today's nonprofits are forced to reimagine how they do more with less:
What could things look like if our costs went down, our reach went up, and we could multiply our impact?

Innovation is no longer the exception, it's the new imperative.

As competition for mindshare reaches new heights, the opportunity has never been more ripe for nonprofits to reposition themselves. And it starts by listening to and engaging the new consumer. (They are, after all, your next donor.)

Join values-driven branding and marketing firm BBMG in a discussion that will help your organization meet the new consumer, elevate your brand and drive social impact.

Specific takeways and tips include:

Five Laws of Branding: Learn BBMG's Five Laws of Branding that advance social change and help you engage your supporters around their vision and values.
Insights into New Consumer: Explore the three key factors that drive success for both consumer and nonprofit brands today, revealed by BBMG's 2009 Conscious Consumer Report.
BBMG's Triple Value PropositionTM: Today's most successful nonprofit brands demonstrate their practical value, social value and tribal value for their audiences in a Triple Value Proposition. Discover the core questions essential to capturing your brand's Triple Value Proposition.

About our speaker
Mirm Kriegel leads the philanthropy and social enterprise practice at BBMG, a nationally recognized branding and integrated marketing firm dedicated to creating innovative brands that engage and inspire today's increasingly conscious consumers. With deep experience in both marketing and development, Mirm has managed national and international marketing campaigns in the nonprofit sector. Recent clients include Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, InterAction, Ocean Conservancy and Interfaith Alliance.

Prior to BBMG, Mirm was the director of marketing at United Jewish Communities (formerly UJA), a $2 billion annual enterprise, where she led a national branding initiative for 150 local affiliates. Mirm earned her B.A. from Duke University and a Masters in Strategic Communications from Columbia University.