Learn the Language of Change -- Your Org will Benefit Big-Time

Fundraising veteran Tom Suddes offers his golden (but free!) advice on how to shape your language to strengthen your organization, which Tom swears (and I think he's right) will change the way you think about your org.

Listen now to change your org's life, and your own perspective. Can't ask for more in 45 minutes.

Three key insights:

• Don't define yourself negatively, as a NOT-for-profit. Define yourself positively, focusing on your impact. You're a for-impact organization.
• Your impact drives your income, not the other way around.
• Just ask!

Here's my favorite takeway -- reframing key nonprofit communications language. Examples include:

• Old: charity --> New: cause or philanthropy
• Old: mission statement --> New: message (clear, consistent, succinct)
• Old: survival (of your org) --> New: transformation
• Old: sustainability --> New: solutions
• Old: inform --> New: involve
• Old: overhead/administrative costs --> New: priorities (people, programs and places).

Listen up now. It'll change your perspective today and increase your impact tomorrow, promise.

Tip of the hat to Gayle Thornsen.

P. S. Don't miss out on in-depth articles, case studies and guides to nonprofit marketing success -- all featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.  Subscribe today.

Join Me, 2pm (et) Today w/Expert Mal Warwick -- Fundraising When Money Is Tight (for NTEN members only)

It's far from secret that we're dealing with a tough economic environment these days and there's no magic 8 ball to tell us when things might turn around.  And it is in these tough times that innovation, creativity and some common sense can take you further than even before. 

In his new book, Fundraising When Money Is Tight: A Strategic and Practical Guide to Surviving Tough Times and Thriving in the Future, fundraiser extraordinaire Mal Warwick shares some simple yet sometimes counter-intuitive steps are presented that you can take to ensure that your organization will suffer the least possible damage in a down economy -- and emerge healthy and poised for renewed growth when the economic crisis has passed.

Join me today at 2pm (eastern) as I host Mal in NTEN's Ask the Expert.  Register now (for NTEN members only, join here) to learn from a master and ask your own questions.

5 Steps to Magical Fundraising -- Dixon Place Case Study

I attended an incredible performance at NYC's Dixon Place a few weeks ago, along with my husband and some friends. This is a venue I've known forever, and have seen grow from a tiny spot in the founder's living room to its latest incarnation in its own beautiful building. But I haven't been there much lately and was incredibly impressed by its magical fundraising.

Here's how Dixon Place worked it:

1. The minute the lights flickered and the audience was seated, a staffer thanked us for being so central to the theater's success, thoroughly reviewing its growth from step one to the new building (this was one of the first performances there).
2. That worked to engage an already excited audience, making us feel proud of ourselves even if the only support we provided to date was buying the tickets for that day. 
3. The magic hat was passed, with a request to keep it coming. Passing the hat made it all tangible, and the fact that it was a bicycle helmet, rather than the common cap, emphasized the originality of Dixon Place's agenda. Who could resist? And giving further engaged us.
4. Next, the staffer suggested we visit the theater's's Web site to get more involved , capitalizing on the here-and-now of our attention. On to the show...
5. And a big final thanks after the compelling show.

My personal poll of our group of five showed a deep feeling of engagement, interest and openness to more Dixon Place. 5 steps to magical fundraising!

P.S. Magical fundraising requires effective messaging. Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Brilliant Awareness Building & Micro-fundraising Campaign for Global Women's Rights -- Twitter Used to Spread the Word like Wildfire

A powerful, imaginative coalition of organizations has formed to fight global poverty in honor of International Women's Day, in the A Powerful Noise campaign . Most interestingly, they've put a highly-viral micro-fundraising campaign on Twitter at the center of their awareness building strategy for global women's rights.

The campaign is working big time. Here's how:

1. The coalition developed a documentary on the issue, entitled A Powerful Noise, to be shown on Intl. Women's Day (March 5th).
2. The documentary is complemented by a visual petition (very cool) and the micro-fundraising campaign.
3. Individuals (like me, and so many others already) were invited to include #apowerfulnoise in a tweet (a post on Twitter) anytime from March 2nd to March 5th. The word has spread like wildfire.
4. For every post, film distributor NCM Fathom will donate $.50 to CARE (for up to 10,000 tweets), an organization working to end global poverty, in honor of the documentary's one-night premiere with a town hall discussion featuring women all-starts. The single night date drives immediate action.
5. The tweet campaign (which I'm sure wil generate the full $5,000 donation) works far beyond raising that gift. More importantly, its working fantastically (at little organizational cost or effort -- beyond the creative genius) to spread awareness to a huge network, peer-to-peer.

Jump on Twitter before COB March 5th to make a powerful noise; simply post an update including #apowerfulnoise. Then get thinking how you can put your base to work to expand your network -- via Twitter or any other social media tool that makes it easy to spread the word.

Open It Up -- How to Engage Your Base Behind the Scenes

In an era when even Loehmann's (THE original discount ladies clothing store w/famously-communal dressing rooms) has a Facebook fan page*, you know it's hard to get through to your network of supporters, much less engage them.

But giving folks a chance to go beyond -- whether behind the scenes, after the show or standing in the shoes of -- is a powerful way to do just that. Here are some great examples:

==> Behind the scenes: As a long-ago member of New York's American Museum of Natural History, I joined a behind-the-scenes tour of the entomology (bugs) department. It was incredibly compelling,  and gave me a real understanding of what it takes to find, research and exhibit the incredible shows at the museum.

The research side of the institution is something the public is largely unaware of, and this was a powerful way to show how an exhibit evolves. I renewed my membership for several years thereafter.

==> After the show: My husband and I see many experimental performances in the Peak Perfs series at a local university. The performances usually raise questions and consciousness, and are often complemented by discussions after the performance and online (in perpetuity). These discussions erase the lines between the audience and the performers/production team/author, adding another dimension to the experience as participants become a single community discussing a work or issue from various perspectives. In the end, the opportunity to participate morphs these performances into memorable interactions.

==> Standing in the shoes of: As part of its 75th anniversary celebration, The School of American Ballet is inviting the public to "stand in the toe shoes of," by observing one of Jock Soto's master class in for senior students. This "as is" picture of how these classes run is likely to succeed hugely in developing new ballet fans (it's free after all) and increasing the engagement level of long-time devotees.

*5,000 Facebook users became fans of Loehmann's Facebook fan page in its first 24 hours.

P. S. Don't miss out on the in-depth articles, case studies and guides on branding, messages and more featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.  Subscribe today.

Think Before You Speak: Messages Matter

We just received this fund-raising piece from the adoption agency we worked through to adopt our daughter, Charlotte. Couldn't believe it.

Obviously, we are very supportive of the agency and their work in bringing families together. However, its marketing messages are off base time and time again, which makes us question the strength of the operation.

This latest piece takes the cake though! When you hear the expression "icing on the cake," it usually means something extra. Something not really necessary.

But these folks are using "icing on the cake" in a way most people won't understand, in a way that's completely different from the common meaning.  This crazy message sloppiness just doesn't make sense to us, and frankly, at a time when money is tight and giving is limited, makes us question whether we'll give at all.

Think before your speak and test your messages with folks outside your organization. If you don't, you're going to confuse, annoy and possibly alienate your network. That's the last thing you want to do.

P. S. Don't miss out on the in-depth articles, case studies and guides on branding, messages and more featured in the twice-monthly Getting Attention e-update.  Subscribe today.

Empower Your Supporters To Fundraise -- Board Prez Offers To Match Gifts

"Make a gift today and I'll double it."

That's the "gotta open this one" subject line of the email I received recently from Michael Stein, nonprofit tech consultant and Idealware board president.

Seems Stein and his fellow Idealware board members are putting their money where their mouths are, offering to double any contributions made by year end. I love it.

I assume the email was sent to the Idealware email list (I'm on it) but I urge Michael and friends to hit up their own contacts as well. We know that friends and family are a huge influence on giving and this is a great way to make the ask.

How about turning the matching gifts concept completely on its ear, empowering your supporters even more broadly (staff, board members, individual donors, volunteers) to execute their own matching gift campaigns? Anyone doing so?

P.S. Here's another great way to help your supporters fundraise: Show them how Facebook makes it easy for them to create a Facebook cause page, asking for birthday gifts for your organization. Here's how nonprofit tech blogger Amy Sample Ward did it. Hat tip to Beth Kanter.

P. P.S. Yes We Can! When a powerful tagline is joined to a compelling mission...nothing is impossible! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Register Now For 12/17 Webinar: I'll Help You Boost Fundraising By Strengthening Your Brand

Join me, Big Duck's Sarah Durham and brand brain Larry Checco Wed., 12/17 to learn how to make sure your org's brand shines through the deluge of messages and media out there.

We'll guide you to do so in this info-packed hour-long webinar sponsored by FundRaising Success, Wednesday, December 17th, 2pm eastern/11 pacific.

You'll learn: 1) How to establish a strong, memorable brand for your organization; 2) How to create a powerful tag line that will bolster your organization’s brand; and 3) How to monitor consistency of your brand across channels.

Come to this session armed with your questions about branding, to be answered in a live Q&A segment.

Register now. Slots are limited and going fast.

P.S. Yes We Can! When a powerful tagline is joined to a compelling mission...nothing is impossible! Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!

Ask Your Base to Make the World a Better Place, Without Spending a Cent: The Give List

The Give List, launched just last week by Allison Fine and Marnie Web, already lists 71 ways to support communities and causes without opening their wallets.

It's rough out there right now for all of us, but that means that other folks and organizations need our help more than ever. So incredible minds Fine and Webb put their heads together to shout out for ways gift givers can strengthen lives and communities.

What's great is that Fine and Web are putting Web 2.0 to work to brainstorm far and wide, and have already received some great ideas. Take a look at this eye-opening list of $0 helping ops from Lacey at the LA Chamber Orchestra.

Take 15 minutes today to brainstorm how your supporters can help your org even if they can't give a cent, then shout it out via your blog, site and e-news. Don't forget to add your ideas to the Give List by tagging your ideas with #givelist on Twitter, or with "givelist" (without the quotation marks) on de.licio.ous, your post or flickr photo so the Give List team can share them with the world.

Great job of seeing the bright side, Allison and Marnie, and crafting a network to inspire others to share their bright ideas for making the world a better place.

Photo: Kevin Eddy, Flickr

Let's Do Lunch: Simple but Surprising Marketing Works for Bag a Lunch Day

Join me in donating one day's lunch money to Table to Table, a NJ regional organization working to fight hunger in our communities (which frequently appear more affluent than they really are). This is the 10th year of the Bag a Lunch program, but it's more meaningful (and likely to be more successful) than ever now when big giving is less possible for many folks. 

The bag (with description, see above) was front and center at the check-in desk at my local JCC (gym, community center, day care center and more), just one of many local venues and companies asking its members, visitors or employees to donate that cash they'd normally spend for lunch. The bag, as simple as it is and perhaps BECAUSE it is so simple and part of daily life (especially if you're making school lunches every day), grabbed my attention like no brochure or huge sign could. It surprised me: I've never seen a bag that doubles as a brochure and donation collection device. Brilliant!

Not only was I drawn by the bag, I was drawn further in by the JCC inviting me to participate. Since the JCC is a community I'm already involved with, this invitation was more meaningful than if it had come directly from Table to Table, which I didn't know. Brilliant again to build on existing relationships, rather than asking for $ while trying to build a new relationship (never works)!

Congrats to Table to Table. They've put a low-cost, simple but highly effective marketing campaign to work for Bag a Lunch Day. Win-win, all in a paper bag.

P.S. Learn how to craft a compelling story for your org in 8 words or less. Download the free Nonprofit Tagline Report for must-dos, don't dos, case studies and 1,000+ nonprofit tagline examples!