Mobile and Event Fundraising with Christy Noel

Capacity-Building for Non Profits

Email Prospecting for Partnerships

Fishing for the Big Fish

James Smiley

How to Get Attention with James Smiley

Free or Low-Cost Tools for Social Media

How to Get Better Results with Your Data

Behind the Scenes with Social Media

Decision-Making and Strategic Planning for Non-Profits

Setting Up Fundraising Funnels for Online Giving

The Grow Your Non-Profit Podcast helps inspired non-profits build and engage their communities so they can improve their online fundraising without tech overwhelm or marketing hype.

Whether you’re well established as a non-profit executive, or just getting started identifying the impact you want to bring to the world through your organization - this is a must-listen podcast for you! Naomi does an incredible job leading conversations that cover a huge breadth of topics related to the ins and outs of building a thriving non-profit, and life you can be proud of - from leaders who’ve actually experienced success themselves. Highly recommend listening and subscribing!

Empowering, insightful and actionable! 🙌

Helpful information on marketing and fundraising for non profit organizations. Expert guests in their respective fields offer a treasure trove of information non profits can actually use.  Highly recommend this podcast.

Grow Your Non Profit

Grow Your Non-Profit: Marketing and Technology

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary There are ways that you can raise money, save money, and receive grants to improve your nonprofit’s operations. Google Grants is one of these ways that can help organizations earn up to $10,000 per month in grants. All you have to do is:  Select words that are related to your cause. Write short text ads using Google’s online system and choose landing page for each ad. Pay attention to the ad as it shows up in the search results that are related to the keywords you selected before. Encourage people click the ads to donate to your cause. Make sure the ad is compelling.  One tool that fundraisers can utilize to improve their campaign is a funnel. A funnel is a marketing tool that allows organizations to direct their leads toward a call to action, this call to action usually asks for a donation or volunteers (as is the case for nonprofits) and sales (for businesses). If you provide a subscription page for people in your community to sign up and support your organization, and then provide a confirmation page that thanks your new subscriber, then you would have created an email opt-in funnel. Take that email opt-in funnel and add an option to donate to a special campaign on the confirmation page, and then you’re well on your way to creating fundraising funnels that convert website visitors into donors. But, if only it was just that simple… Because here’s the truth… It’s not. In order to convert visitors into donors, we need to nurture them and create trust in your relationship. We need to create a strong connection with our audience through discovering what messaging immediately resonates with them. And, we need to consistently build on their preferences to provide ways to enable them to deepen their involvement and support. One chapter in our book discusses the use of marketing funnels in detail, along with the importance of having an updated website. The principle behind this to make it easy for your supporters to give their support, to guide them at their own pace, so that when they’re ready to give, they do so freely and whole-heartedly. There is no need for subliminal influence, deception, or any of the sort of underhanded trickery. A genuine, honest campaign is what truly gets you support. Our book follows the example of one of history’s most loved figures, Abraham Lincoln, in his quest to eliminate slavery and to ultimately save the soul of the nation. You can build a community that takes action. Remove ANY distractions. Have a clear purpose and no more than ONE call to action… Use messaging that stands out… Create content that is clear, direct and easy to relate to from the reader’s point-of-view. Structure your steps. Organize smaller steps in a logical way that teaches your community members to interact and engage with your content that calls to action… Find what readers identify with… Focus on WHAT matters to YOUR audience and what they base parts of their identity on. For example: create connection, provide ways for your readers to connect by visiting your website, joining your mailing list or following you on social media. All of these strategies will bring YOU and YOUR readers closer… Remember to check out the podcast as we are joined by Jackie Posada-Hess who’s going to help us learn more about raising money, saving money and receiving grants for Your Non-Profit. About Jackie Posada-Hess GEMZ founding member Jackie Posada’s career has been in the marketing, business development and sales for over 25 years with the last 15 years being an online/offline entrepreneur Small business, Nonprofit Consultant. She has been heavily involved with helping the Latino, minority community start and grow businesses and nonprofits as well. She has facilitated marketing bilingual trainings for Building Contractors, local small businesses as well as nonprofit organizations. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary There are ways that you can raise money, save money, and receive grants to improve your nonprofit’s operations. Google Grants is one of these ways that can help organizations earn up to $10,000 per month in grants. All you have to do is: <ol> <li>Select words that are related to your cause.</li> <li>Write short text ads using Google’s online system and choose landing page for each ad.</li> <li>Pay attention to the ad as it shows up in the search results that are related to the keywords you selected before.</li> <li>Encourage people click the ads to donate to your cause. Make sure the ad is compelling.</li> </ol> One tool that fundraisers can utilize to improve their campaign is a funnel. A funnel is a marketing tool that allows organizations to direct their leads toward a call to action, this call to action usually asks for a donation or volunteers (as is the case for nonprofits) and sales (for businesses). If you provide a subscription page for people in your community to sign up and support your organization, and then provide a confirmation page that thanks your new subscriber, then you would have created an email opt-in funnel. Take that email opt-in funnel and add an option to donate to a special campaign on the confirmation page, and then you’re well on your way to creating fundraising funnels that convert website visitors into donors. But, if only it was just that simple… Because here’s the truth… It’s not. In order to convert visitors into donors, we need to nurture them and create trust in your relationship. We need to create a strong connection with our audience through discovering what messaging immediately resonates with them. And, we need to consistently build on their preferences to provide ways to enable them to deepen their involvement and support. One chapter in our book discusses the use of marketing funnels in detail, along with the importance of having an updated website. The principle behind this to make it easy for your supporters to give their support, to guide them at their own pace, so that when they’re ready to give, they do so freely and whole-heartedly. There is no need for subliminal influence, deception, or any of the sort of underhanded trickery. A genuine, honest campaign is what truly gets you support. Our book follows the example of one of history’s most loved figures, Abraham Lincoln, in his quest to eliminate slavery and to ultimately save the soul of the nation. You can build a community that takes action. Remove ANY distractions. Have a clear purpose and no more than ONE call to action… Use messaging that stands out… Create content that is clear, direct and easy to relate to from the reader’s point-of-view. Structure your steps. Organize smaller steps in a logical way that teaches your community members to interact and engage with your content that calls to action… Find what readers identify with… Focus on WHAT matters to YOUR audience and what they base parts of their identity on. For example: create connection, provide ways for your readers to connect by visiting your website, joining your mailing list or following you on social media. All of these strategies will bring YOU and YOUR readers closer… Remember to check out the podcast as we are joined by Jackie Posada-Hess who’s going to help us learn more about raising money, saving money and receiving grants for Your Non-Profit. About Jackie Posada-Hess GEMZ founding member Jackie Posada’s career has been in the marketing, business development and sales for over 25 years with the last 15 years being an online/offline entrepreneur Small business, Nonprofit Consultant. She has been heavily involved with helping the Latino, minority community start and grow businesses and nonprofits as well. She has facilitated marketing bilingual trainings for Building Contractors, local small businesses as well as nonprofit organizations. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Raising Money, Saving Money and Receiving Grants

The Secrets of Social Start-Up Success

You change people by how you make them feel. - Nahdya Weathers Influencers have the power to attract new audiences and impact existing ones. While organizations send out thousands of email campaigns to thousand of people, each of those email addresses belongs to one person with a relatively small network. Influencers are equipped with an audience in the hundreds of thousands. They have the power to cultivate a movement or structure an opinion with thousands of heads nodding in agreement. By tapping into an already fulfilled audience allows an organization to reach potential supporters. When putting together a campaign for influencer relations, organizations need to consider the amount of people they are trying to reach an analyze the possible accounts that could be a match. How do you decide which influencers are best to work with? Discovering how often they share relevant content , how many connections they have, identify their discussion topics, and finally what prior interactions have they had with other brands. This information is going to help identify which influencers are going to work best with your campaigns. Keep in mind when working with influencers your main goal isn’t just about link clicks, likes, or donations. It's about the nonprofits authenticity and sharing the message to as many people as possible. You want to give the audience a reason to care about the message. Listen to the podcast to learn more about The Power of the Influencer. We share detailed information on obtaining an influencer, developing a campaign with them and more. You're not going to want to miss this one!

You change people by how you make them feel. - Nahdya Weathers Influencers have the power to attract new audiences and impact existing ones. While organizations send out thousands of email campaigns to thousand of people, each of those email addresses belongs to one person with a relatively small network. Influencers are equipped with an audience in the hundreds of thousands. They have the power to cultivate a movement or structure an opinion with thousands of heads nodding in agreement. By tapping into an already fulfilled audience allows an organization to reach potential supporters. When putting together a campaign for influencer relations, organizations need to consider the amount of people they are trying to reach an analyze the possible accounts that could be a match. How do you decide which influencers are best to work with? Discovering how often they share relevant content , how many connections they have, identify their discussion topics, and finally what prior interactions have they had with other brands. This information is going to help identify which influencers are going to work best with your campaigns. Keep in mind when working with influencers your main goal isn’t just about link clicks, likes, or donations. It's about the nonprofits authenticity and sharing the message to as many people as possible. You want to give the audience a reason to care about the message. Listen to the podcast to learn more about The Power of the Influencer. We share detailed information on obtaining an influencer, developing a campaign with them and more. You're not going to want to miss this one!

The Power of the Influencer

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary In this episode of the Grow Your NonProfit podcast, Amanda Goldman-Petri, founder of Market like a Nerd, explains how nonprofits can work smarter, not harder, on their online marketing through creating partnerships and building traffic that they own. There are many ways to do this. A few examples have even been discussed in these podcast episodes: (insert links to “using alternative marketing to stand out”, non-profit fundraising and engagement”, and “the power of the influencer”.) Regardless of which marketing strategy you use to attract traffic to your site, the ultimate premise here is for you to leverage the influence that you currently have, to gain more influence.   Amanda gives her recommendations for organizations that are looking to pump up the volume on their online marketing campaign. These recommendations will help you get much more visible and enable you to build a strong online community of supporters who are ready to take action and become ambassadors of your brand. This is one podcast that you don’t wanna miss out on! About Amanda Goldman-Petri Amanda Goldman-Petri, founder of MarketLikeANerd.com, is an internationally renowned “Work Smarter, Not Harder” Online Marketing Coach for entrepreneurs who want to maximize their profits while minimizing the amount of time and effort they put into their business. After overcoming poverty, child abuse, rape, teen pregnancy, and near death, Amanda was able to persevere and not only create multiple 6-figure businesses at the ages of 22, 23, and 25, but also expand her business to 19 different countries. In her recent Market Like A Nerd "Anti-Launch", she also generated over $500,000 in a hustle-free way. Amanda has featured on major media outlets such as Forbes, Fast Company, Small Business Trendsetters, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, The Huffington Post, Worth Magazine, International Business Times (and more) for her unique and nerdy approach to marketing. She was also named on Influencive as one of the Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary In this episode of the Grow Your NonProfit podcast, Amanda Goldman-Petri, founder of Market like a Nerd, explains how nonprofits can work smarter, not harder, on their online marketing through creating partnerships and building traffic that they own. There are many ways to do this. A few examples have even been discussed in these podcast episodes: (insert links to “using alternative marketing to stand out”, non-profit fundraising and engagement”, and “the power of the influencer”.) Regardless of which marketing strategy you use to attract traffic to your site, the ultimate premise here is for you to leverage the influence that you currently have, to gain more influence.   Amanda gives her recommendations for organizations that are looking to pump up the volume on their online marketing campaign. These recommendations will help you get much more visible and enable you to build a strong online community of supporters who are ready to take action and become ambassadors of your brand. This is one podcast that you don’t wanna miss out on! About Amanda Goldman-Petri Amanda Goldman-Petri, founder of <a href="http://MarketLikeANerd.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">MarketLikeANerd.com</a>, is an internationally renowned “Work Smarter, Not Harder” Online Marketing Coach for entrepreneurs who want to maximize their profits while minimizing the amount of time and effort they put into their business. After overcoming poverty, child abuse, rape, teen pregnancy, and near death, Amanda was able to persevere and not only create multiple 6-figure businesses at the ages of 22, 23, and 25, but also expand her business to 19 different countries. In her recent Market Like A Nerd "Anti-Launch", she also generated over $500,000 in a hustle-free way. Amanda has featured on major media outlets such as Forbes, Fast Company, Small Business Trendsetters, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, The Huffington Post, Worth Magazine, International Business Times (and more) for her unique and nerdy approach to marketing. She was also named on Influencive as one of the Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under 30. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Marketing Strategies to Maximize Influence and Traffic-Building Opportunities for Resourceful Non-Profits

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary You can create an authentic fundraising experience that is as interesting as it is strategic. All you need to do is to know your story and find leverage in what distinguishes you from the rest. Marketing trends are great to watch because they give you a sense of what’s out there and what people are responding to. However, just because a trend works for one organization doesn’t mean it will work for yours. Each organization has its own purpose, views, and mission. Your organization’s mission will become the backbone of your story. Staying true to your mission and being creative in the process will help you find your story and share it with passionate people who can intimately relate with your story. Find your tribe and share your story. Package your story into your marketing campaign and see how storytelling can easily help others understand your mission. All brands and organizations (whether they’re nonprofits or not) have stories that ensure that they both gain new supporters and retain loyal supporters. Your story and your brand go hand-in-hand. Although design is very important, establishing your brand goes far beyond creating a logo and a style guide. Branding is the combination of your story, personality, and values. What words, feelings, and visuals come to mind when you think about your organization? What about when others think about your organization? Branding even goes beyond showing your audience who you are and what you’re like. It’s also a matter of creating real estate in your audience’s minds. Your audience may know you, like you, and trust you - but will they remember you? Branding is an exploration in trust. A chapter in our book, “Brick By Brick”, delves deeply into the importance of having a great backstory. A prime example wherein this concept is so properly and commonly executed is in the way that superheroes are so successfully marketed. Superheroes and brands have more things in common than what you might think. You can read our book to find out what these commonalities are and how they can greatly affect your fundraising campaign. In this episode, Drew Neisser, of Renegade, shares some moments of storytelling in action. Listen in as he explains why it’s important to think for yourself and to reflect on how to market effectively with a genuine story. About Drew Neisser Drew Neisser, founder and CEO of Renegade, is a recognized authority on cutting-edge marketing techniques having won enumerable awards for creativity and campaign effectiveness. Part strategist, part ideator and part therapist, Drew is well known to numerous CMO’s as their secret weapon. Recognized among “50 Thought Leaders over 50” in 2014 &amp; 2015 by Brand Quarterly, Drew is a prolific blogger for a long list of online publications including Forbes, FastCompany, SocialMediaToday, MediaPost, TheCMOclub, CMO.com and SmartBrief. A frequent speaker at a wide range of events, Drew’s been a featured expert on ABC’s Nightline and CNBC as well as The New York Times, Adweek and Digiday, among others. Through a long-time partnership with The CMO Club, Drew has met and interviewed well over 100 CMOs in the last five years for his articles and for his first book, The CMO’s Periodic Table: A Renegade’s Guide to Marketing. Drew is a trusted advisor to many of these CMOs and authors the highly praised CMO of the Week column for Social Media Today and TheCut, his coveted monthly newsletter. He regularly consults on digital and social media trends via the GLG network and currently sits on the boards of the Urban Green Council and Duke NY. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary You can create an authentic fundraising experience that is as interesting as it is strategic. All you need to do is to know your story and find leverage in what distinguishes you from the rest. Marketing trends are great to watch because they give you a sense of what’s out there and what people are responding to. However, just because a trend works for one organization doesn’t mean it will work for yours. Each organization has its own purpose, views, and mission. Your organization’s mission will become the backbone of your story. Staying true to your mission and being creative in the process will help you find your story and share it with passionate people who can intimately relate with your story. Find your tribe and share your story. Package your story into your marketing campaign and see how storytelling can easily help others understand your mission. All brands and organizations (whether they’re nonprofits or not) have stories that ensure that they both gain new supporters and retain loyal supporters. Your story and your brand go hand-in-hand. Although design is very important, establishing your brand goes far beyond creating a logo and a style guide. Branding is the combination of your story, personality, and values. What words, feelings, and visuals come to mind when you think about your organization? What about when others think about your organization? Branding even goes beyond showing your audience who you are and what you’re like. It’s also a matter of creating real estate in your audience’s minds. Your audience may know you, like you, and trust you - but will they remember you? Branding is an exploration in trust. A chapter in our book, “Brick By Brick”, delves deeply into the importance of having a great backstory. A prime example wherein this concept is so properly and commonly executed is in the way that superheroes are so successfully marketed. Superheroes and brands have more things in common than what you might think. You can read our book to find out what these commonalities are and how they can greatly affect your fundraising campaign. In this episode, Drew Neisser, of Renegade, shares some moments of storytelling in action. Listen in as he explains why it’s important to think for yourself and to reflect on how to market effectively with a genuine story. About Drew Neisser Drew Neisser, founder and CEO of Renegade, is a recognized authority on cutting-edge marketing techniques having won enumerable awards for creativity and campaign effectiveness. Part strategist, part ideator and part therapist, Drew is well known to numerous CMO’s as their secret weapon. Recognized among “50 Thought Leaders over 50” in 2014 &amp; 2015 by Brand Quarterly, Drew is a prolific blogger for a long list of online publications including Forbes, FastCompany, SocialMediaToday, MediaPost, TheCMOclub, <a href="http://CMO.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">CMO.com</a> and SmartBrief. A frequent speaker at a wide range of events, Drew’s been a featured expert on ABC’s Nightline and CNBC as well as The New York Times, Adweek and Digiday, among others. Through a long-time partnership with The CMO Club, Drew has met and interviewed well over 100 CMOs in the last five years for his articles and for his first book, The CMO’s Periodic Table: A Renegade’s Guide to Marketing. Drew is a trusted advisor to many of these CMOs and authors the highly praised CMO of the Week column for Social Media Today and TheCut, his coveted monthly newsletter. He regularly consults on digital and social media trends via the GLG network and currently sits on the boards of the Urban Green Council and Duke NY. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Finding and Following Your Story for Fundraising

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary In this episode, we hear from Robyn Blakeman, an Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee. She discusses Guerrilla Marketing and alternative ways to help your organization be noticed, recognized and remembered. Marketing has changed, but the principles remain the same. In this episode, we talk about the fundamentals of marketing and how to create integrated marketing campaigns. Key takeaway: start with a strong idea that resonates with your community and maximize its reach through your media. A chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick” talks about the importance of creating a good marketing strategy by relating it to a Psychological principle known as “Brain Priming”. By using alternative marketing techniques, you are actually presenting your organization as different as well as unique. Every organization, whether for-profit or non-profit, needs a good marketing strategy. It’s almost the same as the courtship process in humans. In a saturated scenario, almost every organization makes use of the same marketing methods. Now, how can you stand out in an ocean of the same thing? - Be different! Robyn shows us how traditional marketing methods are transferable to technology and how trust is still the number one factor when it comes to developing connection, engagement, and relationships. Listen in to find out what these aforementioned marketing methods are and how you can put them to good use. About Robyn Blakeman Robyn Blakeman received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 1980 and her master’s from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in 1996. Upon graduation in 1980, she moved to Texas, where she began her career as a designer for an architectural magazine. She next took a position as mechanical director for one of the top advertising agencies in Dallas before eventually leaving to work as a freelance designer. Professor Blakeman began teaching advertising and graphic design in 1987, first with the Art Institutes and then as an Assistant Professor of Advertising teaching both graphic and computer design at Southern Methodist University. As an Assistant Professor of Advertising at West Virginia University she developed the creative track in layout and design. She was also responsible for designing and developing the first Online Integrated Marketing Communications Graduate Certificate and Online Integrated Marketing Communications Graduate programs in the country.  She has published two texts, The Bare Bones of Advertising Print Design, and Creative Strategy for Integrated Marketing Communications. Professor Blakeman currently teaches design at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary In this episode, we hear from Robyn Blakeman, an Associate Professor at the University of Tennessee. She discusses Guerrilla Marketing and alternative ways to help your organization be noticed, recognized and remembered. Marketing has changed, but the principles remain the same. In this episode, we talk about the fundamentals of marketing and how to create integrated marketing campaigns. Key takeaway: start with a strong idea that resonates with your community and maximize its reach through your media. A chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick” talks about the importance of creating a good marketing strategy by relating it to a Psychological principle known as “Brain Priming”. By using alternative marketing techniques, you are actually presenting your organization as different as well as unique. Every organization, whether for-profit or non-profit, needs a good marketing strategy. It’s almost the same as the courtship process in humans. In a saturated scenario, almost every organization makes use of the same marketing methods. Now, how can you stand out in an ocean of the same thing? - Be different! Robyn shows us how traditional marketing methods are transferable to technology and how trust is still the number one factor when it comes to developing connection, engagement, and relationships. Listen in to find out what these aforementioned marketing methods are and how you can put them to good use. About Robyn Blakeman Robyn Blakeman received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska in 1980 and her master’s from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, in 1996. Upon graduation in 1980, she moved to Texas, where she began her career as a designer for an architectural magazine. She next took a position as mechanical director for one of the top advertising agencies in Dallas before eventually leaving to work as a freelance designer. Professor Blakeman began teaching advertising and graphic design in 1987, first with the Art Institutes and then as an Assistant Professor of Advertising teaching both graphic and computer design at Southern Methodist University. As an Assistant Professor of Advertising at West Virginia University she developed the creative track in layout and design. She was also responsible for designing and developing the first Online Integrated Marketing Communications Graduate Certificate and Online Integrated Marketing Communications Graduate programs in the country.  She has published two texts, The Bare Bones of Advertising Print Design, and Creative Strategy for Integrated Marketing Communications. Professor Blakeman currently teaches design at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Using Alternative Marketing to Stand Out

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary A chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick”, explains the importance of having a proper organizational framework. This framework can include marketing, production, management, and everything in between. We follow the story of Aeneas and the survivors of Troy and how they were able to overcome the worst of odds after having lost everything (which, in a way, is the same as “starting with nothing”). In a way, they were like nonprofits. They didn’t exist to attain wealth. They bonded together because they wanted to ensure the survival of their people. (In the same way that many nonprofits work to ensure the survival of anything they believe in.) A common misconception about nonprofits is that these organizations do not make any money other than the donations that are given by their supporters. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There are many non-profit organizations that have built-in strategies that allow them to generate their own income while fulfilling their organizational mission. By assessing the needs of your community, you can determine ways in which you can serve them. But the means by which you’re earning revenue must always stay in alignment with the mission of your organization. This is called “Related Income”. (*Speak to your Accountant about what income can be classified as Related.) Bringing in Related Income also has a lot of positive effects. Organizations can achieve greater impact through using a wide variety of programs and allocating their earner revenue towards providing necessary resources. Alexandra describes several examples in detail about how organizations are not only creating income streams, but are also creating potential opportunities that you, too, can use. In order for your organization to create sustainable revenue streams, you’ll need to look at some of the different ways you can provide services and resources. In this episode, Alexandra Black Paulick, from Positive Impact Media and NonprofitsfortheFuture.com, explains how you can get your gears spinning smoothly when it comes to money-making strategies and how to create earned revenue for your organization. About Alexandra Black Paulick Alexandra Black-Paulick is a business junkie at heart. After finishing college she went on to service in AmeriCorps as a team leader through Campus Compact in Bozeman, MT. She helped 8 team members grow the capacity of different nonprofits in the region. Moving to San Diego she worked with a nonprofit empowering local businesses. Following her nonprofit work, she transitioned to a career in marketing. Still feeling the pull of the nonprofit mentality, she stumbled into the world of social entrepreneurs. Inspired by individuals creating meaningful change in the world, she started the Positive Impact Podcast. This was the perfect blend of her nonprofit background, love for business and marketing outlets. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary A chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick”, explains the importance of having a proper organizational framework. This framework can include marketing, production, management, and everything in between. We follow the story of Aeneas and the survivors of Troy and how they were able to overcome the worst of odds after having lost everything (which, in a way, is the same as “starting with nothing”). In a way, they were like nonprofits. They didn’t exist to attain wealth. They bonded together because they wanted to ensure the survival of their people. (In the same way that many nonprofits work to ensure the survival of anything they believe in.) A common misconception about nonprofits is that these organizations do not make any money other than the donations that are given by their supporters. This couldn’t be further from the truth. There are many non-profit organizations that have built-in strategies that allow them to generate their own income while fulfilling their organizational mission. By assessing the needs of your community, you can determine ways in which you can serve them. But the means by which you’re earning revenue must always stay in alignment with the mission of your organization. This is called “Related Income”. (*Speak to your Accountant about what income can be classified as Related.) Bringing in Related Income also has a lot of positive effects. Organizations can achieve greater impact through using a wide variety of programs and allocating their earner revenue towards providing necessary resources. Alexandra describes several examples in detail about how organizations are not only creating income streams, but are also creating potential opportunities that you, too, can use. In order for your organization to create sustainable revenue streams, you’ll need to look at some of the different ways you can provide services and resources. In this episode, Alexandra Black Paulick, from Positive Impact Media and <a href="http://www.NonprofitsfortheFuture.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NonprofitsfortheFuture.com</a>, explains how you can get your gears spinning smoothly when it comes to money-making strategies and how to create earned revenue for your organization. About Alexandra Black Paulick Alexandra Black-Paulick is a business junkie at heart. After finishing college she went on to service in AmeriCorps as a team leader through Campus Compact in Bozeman, MT. She helped 8 team members grow the capacity of different nonprofits in the region. Moving to San Diego she worked with a nonprofit empowering local businesses. Following her nonprofit work, she transitioned to a career in marketing. Still feeling the pull of the nonprofit mentality, she stumbled into the world of social entrepreneurs. Inspired by individuals creating meaningful change in the world, she started the <a href="http://positiveimpactpodcast.com/" rel="noopener nofollow" target="_blank">Positive Impact Podcast</a>. This was the perfect blend of her nonprofit background, love for business and marketing outlets. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Money-Making Strategies To Create Earned Revenue for Your Non-Profit

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary Your online fundraising strategy can always improve and become more innovative. Gaining new knowledge and keeping up with an evolving industry places your organization on the path to growth and this ultimately allows you to accomplish bigger and greater goals. You can do these by employing some of these strategies to help you attract new donors, increase engagement, and make better use of technology. Fundraising starts in-house. Your staff is going to be the start of the fundraising movement. They are going to begin the search for lucrative prospects and may even turn them into donors. Why not reward your staff for successfully bringing in these donors? An incentive program not only motivates your staff but it also ensures that they are going to be working with high standards to earn these incentives. This strategy is commonly used among organizations whether they are for-profit or non-profit. Before you begin this process though, you should decide if the organization has the ambition. You need to have have a strong mission that’s enough to motivate your employees to want to make change. You need to determine if yearly incentives for every employee is enough to motivate them to perform their tasks properly and with dedication. You also need to determine if your investment in the employee incentive program would lead to a reasonable return of investment and if this incentive program is enough to attract and retain talent in the future. These are all factors that you should be discussing with your board of directors. You can also think about surveying your employees to get their thoughts and opinions on the matter. Understand WHY donors give Use a donor management system to track activity and preferences for your donors. Not only to track the amount of money each donor contributes, but to also track steps in outreach, participation, and relationship building. You may wish to segment donors who have similar reasons for giving. Then, you can provide means for your donors to further build on and fulfill these reasons. Giving is a personal decision. Consider how you’ll recognize each person. This can be based on the amount of the contribution, how many times a year they contribute, or just an overall thank you to everyone who donates. Afterall, feedback is one form of motivation in itself. Incentives can be developed for moving up through contribution levels. This can be exclusive events, gifting suites, or even a huge raffle.   Go Mobile! In the modern scenario, almost every adult has a smartphone. You have to take this into consideration as people tend to use their mobile devices over their computers. In accordance with this principle, you have to analyze how much of your web traffic is coming from mobile devices. This is going to tell you if going mobile is a great choice for your nonprofit (though having the option is always nice).  From here, you can discover how many people are utilizing the donation form from a mobile device. Watch the trends change in your analytics and see how it worked and how it can be improved. Simplify Giving Capabilities on Your Website When people want to donate, they want it to be simple and easy (same goes for people who don’t yet know they want to donate). Add the donation button to the top of your website. Include video footage sharing what you do and why a person should contribute. Keep your forms manageable and not overwhelming. The flow of your form should be logical and is should sense. Make your call-to-action as clear as can be. This will make receiving donations easy and simple. Use Your Resources Wisely Not utilizing technology for your business is like not putting gas in your vehicle. Without using technology and resources wisely, marketing campaigns and community engagement projects would be quite challenging. Furthermore, collecting data from your community members regarding what they like and don’t like would be a hassle. Customer service depends on your effective use of technology. By making good use of your resources, you’ll be able to answer questions from your community members right away. All of this has led to a new generation where technology matters. Technology is the epicenter of the business world along with the way that we are able to increase the amount of customer satisfaction, reach, and overall happiness through its effective use. Nonprofits are able to improve the ways in which they share a message significantly. The tone, voice, and emotion tied to their message can be conveyed in such an honest and captivating manner. People are able to actually see the reason why a nonprofit is fighting for certain people and doing anything they can to spread the word and show people the magnitude in which others are struggling. In this regard, we can refer to a chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick”, where we state that developing your brand is one of the first important steps to take when fundraising. This principle is further emphasized in the book as we try to analyze how Abraham Lincoln was able to gather as much support as he did when he sought to eliminate slavery. The ability to influence the greatest good for the greatest number has increased through technology. Because of this, nonprofits are now able to take advantage of available resources to affect substantial change in the world. In this podcast, Marjorie Moore of 501Crossroads talks about how she got started with nonprofits and how she has seen fundraising change over time. She tells us about some of her favorite ways to create engagement within a community, the roadblocks she has faced, and her predictions for how nonprofits will adapt to changes in technology over the next 5 years. May the tips in this podcast give you insight on the ways that you can use fundraising to attract new donors and some creative thought for you and your organization. We would love to hear what you are currently doing and if any of this information was helpful to you.   About Marjorie Moore Marjorie Moore co-founded the 501 Crossroads Podcast. She has a background in radio and television broadcasting and loves to grow agencies into first class organizations that can share their vision and build consensus amongst the board, staff, volunteers, donors, clients and other constituents. Marjorie has experience working on international boards and, in the for profit sector, bringing insight to budget building and organizational financial planning. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary Your online fundraising strategy can always improve and become more innovative. Gaining new knowledge and keeping up with an evolving industry places your organization on the path to growth and this ultimately allows you to accomplish bigger and greater goals. You can do these by employing some of these strategies to help you attract new donors, increase engagement, and make better use of technology. Fundraising starts in-house. Your staff is going to be the start of the fundraising movement. They are going to begin the search for lucrative prospects and may even turn them into donors. Why not reward your staff for successfully bringing in these donors? An incentive program not only motivates your staff but it also ensures that they are going to be working with high standards to earn these incentives. This strategy is commonly used among organizations whether they are for-profit or non-profit. Before you begin this process though, you should decide if the organization has the ambition. You need to have have a strong mission that’s enough to motivate your employees to want to make change. You need to determine if yearly incentives for every employee is enough to motivate them to perform their tasks properly and with dedication. You also need to determine if your investment in the employee incentive program would lead to a reasonable return of investment and if this incentive program is enough to attract and retain talent in the future. These are all factors that you should be discussing with your board of directors. You can also think about surveying your employees to get their thoughts and opinions on the matter. Understand WHY donors give Use a donor management system to track activity and preferences for your donors. Not only to track the amount of money each donor contributes, but to also track steps in outreach, participation, and relationship building. You may wish to segment donors who have similar reasons for giving. Then, you can provide means for your donors to further build on and fulfill these reasons. Giving is a personal decision. Consider how you’ll recognize each person. This can be based on the amount of the contribution, how many times a year they contribute, or just an overall thank you to everyone who donates. Afterall, feedback is one form of motivation in itself. Incentives can be developed for moving up through contribution levels. This can be exclusive events, gifting suites, or even a huge raffle.   Go Mobile! In the modern scenario, almost every adult has a smartphone. You have to take this into consideration as people tend to use their mobile devices over their computers. In accordance with this principle, you have to analyze how much of your web traffic is coming from mobile devices. This is going to tell you if going mobile is a great choice for your nonprofit (though having the option is always nice).  From here, you can discover how many people are utilizing the donation form from a mobile device. Watch the trends change in your analytics and see how it worked and how it can be improved. Simplify Giving Capabilities on Your Website When people want to donate, they want it to be simple and easy (same goes for people who don’t yet know they want to donate). Add the donation button to the top of your website. Include video footage sharing what you do and why a person should contribute. Keep your forms manageable and not overwhelming. The flow of your form should be logical and is should sense. Make your call-to-action as clear as can be. This will make receiving donations easy and simple. Use Your Resources Wisely Not utilizing technology for your business is like not putting gas in your vehicle. Without using technology and resources wisely, marketing campaigns and community engagement projects would be quite challenging. Furthermore, collecting data from your community members regarding what they like and don’t like would be a hassle. Customer service depends on your effective use of technology. By making good use of your resources, you’ll be able to answer questions from your community members right away. All of this has led to a new generation where technology matters. Technology is the epicenter of the business world along with the way that we are able to increase the amount of customer satisfaction, reach, and overall happiness through its effective use. Nonprofits are able to improve the ways in which they share a message significantly. The tone, voice, and emotion tied to their message can be conveyed in such an honest and captivating manner. People are able to actually see the reason why a nonprofit is fighting for certain people and doing anything they can to spread the word and show people the magnitude in which others are struggling. In this regard, we can refer to a chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick”, where we state that developing your brand is one of the first important steps to take when fundraising. This principle is further emphasized in the book as we try to analyze how Abraham Lincoln was able to gather as much support as he did when he sought to eliminate slavery. The ability to influence the greatest good for the greatest number has increased through technology. Because of this, nonprofits are now able to take advantage of available resources to affect substantial change in the world. In this podcast, Marjorie Moore of 501Crossroads talks about how she got started with nonprofits and how she has seen fundraising change over time. She tells us about some of her favorite ways to create engagement within a community, the roadblocks she has faced, and her predictions for how nonprofits will adapt to changes in technology over the next 5 years. May the tips in this podcast give you insight on the ways that you can use fundraising to attract new donors and some creative thought for you and your organization. We would love to hear what you are currently doing and if any of this information was helpful to you.   About Marjorie Moore Marjorie Moore co-founded the 501 Crossroads Podcast. She has a background in radio and television broadcasting and loves to grow agencies into first class organizations that can share their vision and build consensus amongst the board, staff, volunteers, donors, clients and other constituents. Marjorie has experience working on international boards and, in the for profit sector, bringing insight to budget building and organizational financial planning. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Non-Profit Fundraising and Engagement

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary One thing that every organization encounters during the course of any campaign is stagnation. You can find success so often that this success becomes a habit in itself. This isn’t a bad thing per se, but the moment that you become complacent in your duties, even if you maintain your success, is the same moment that you stagnate. And stagnation, even if you’re successful, is a sign to your followers that you are no longer putting as much effort as you used to. In the world of non-profit fundraising, this can mean to your followers that you aren’t as interested in your cause as you were when you were just starting out. Sometimes, it really isn’t your fault that your organization’s success has reached its peak and there isn’t much that you can do to surpass the high bar of standards that you’ve established. - That’s often not the case, at least according to Albert Bandura, who believed that people are people are self organizing, proactive, self-regulating, and self-reflecting. This is based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive and Self-Efficacy Theories which propose that people do not merely respond to their environmental stimuli. Rather, people are capable of seeking information themselves and as a result, individuals are not merely a product of their circumstance. They are in fact, contributors to their situation. An individual (or organization, in this case) is more likely to improve the more that this individual (or organization) is aware of his surroundings and himself. Whatever might be holding you back as an individual has a tendency of seeping into how you feel as an organization. We’ve recently had a podcast episode where Beth Kanter, author of The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact Without Burnout, talks about the importance of maintaining the proper mindset and adapting effective strategies to help you meet your goals while avoiding burnout. This isn’t an easy venture. Everybody stagnates eventually. It will always be up to you if you decide whether this is where you peak. However, you need to realize that this limitation is just something that you put on yourself. You can go as far as what you put your mind to. That is the beauty of the human mind and the power of mental toughness and dedication. In this podcast episode, Ellie Burscough takes us on the adventure of her life as she tells us her personal experience in working in a call center, writing scripts, and making calls to donors on behalf of large, well-known charities and nonprofits. Then, Ellie talks about how she uses the sales knowledge that she acquired throughout her career to help businesses break past their own stumbling blocks and limitations so they can take on larger goals and create a greater impact in their chosen ventures.   We also talk about the similarities and differences between businesses &amp; nonprofits, fundraising &amp; sales, and how fundraisers can master their mindset to achieve more for others, by taking care of themselves. Ellie even shares some habits that can improve our ability to be creative and relatable to others. We learn about some of the biggest lessons she’s learned when it comes to mastering her own mindset. Her valuable advice and actionable takeaways will leave you motivated and ready to take on your day, every day. About Ellie Burscough Ellie is a business and mindset coach with experience working with the not-for-profit sector. She has worked at call centers writing scripts and making calls to donors on behalf of large, well known charities and nonprofits. She teaches the psychology behind scaling your goals. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary One thing that every organization encounters during the course of any campaign is stagnation. You can find success so often that this success becomes a habit in itself. This isn’t a bad thing per se, but the moment that you become complacent in your duties, even if you maintain your success, is the same moment that you stagnate. And stagnation, even if you’re successful, is a sign to your followers that you are no longer putting as much effort as you used to. In the world of non-profit fundraising, this can mean to your followers that you aren’t as interested in your cause as you were when you were just starting out. Sometimes, it really isn’t your fault that your organization’s success has reached its peak and there isn’t much that you can do to surpass the high bar of standards that you’ve established. - That’s often not the case, at least according to Albert Bandura, who believed that people are people are self organizing, proactive, self-regulating, and self-reflecting. This is based on Bandura’s Social Cognitive and Self-Efficacy Theories which propose that people do not merely respond to their environmental stimuli. Rather, people are capable of seeking information themselves and as a result, individuals are not merely a product of their circumstance. They are in fact, contributors to their situation. An individual (or organization, in this case) is more likely to improve the more that this individual (or organization) is aware of his surroundings and himself. Whatever might be holding you back as an individual has a tendency of seeping into how you feel as an organization. We’ve recently had a podcast episode where Beth Kanter, author of The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact Without Burnout, talks about the importance of maintaining the proper mindset and adapting effective strategies to help you meet your goals while avoiding burnout. This isn’t an easy venture. Everybody stagnates eventually. It will always be up to you if you decide whether this is where you peak. However, you need to realize that this limitation is just something that you put on yourself. You can go as far as what you put your mind to. That is the beauty of the human mind and the power of mental toughness and dedication. In this podcast episode, Ellie Burscough takes us on the adventure of her life as she tells us her personal experience in working in a call center, writing scripts, and making calls to donors on behalf of large, well-known charities and nonprofits. Then, Ellie talks about how she uses the sales knowledge that she acquired throughout her career to help businesses break past their own stumbling blocks and limitations so they can take on larger goals and create a greater impact in their chosen ventures.   We also talk about the similarities and differences between businesses &amp; nonprofits, fundraising &amp; sales, and how fundraisers can master their mindset to achieve more for others, by taking care of themselves. Ellie even shares some habits that can improve our ability to be creative and relatable to others. We learn about some of the biggest lessons she’s learned when it comes to mastering her own mindset. Her valuable advice and actionable takeaways will leave you motivated and ready to take on your day, every day. About Ellie Burscough Ellie is a business and mindset coach with experience working with the not-for-profit sector. She has worked at call centers writing scripts and making calls to donors on behalf of large, well known charities and nonprofits. She teaches the psychology behind scaling your goals. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Breaking Past Limitations and Crushing Your Goals

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary What’s a new way that you can connect with your community in a manner that’s welcoming and delightful? ChatBots are new to the marketing scene and relatively untouched by non-profits; but, businesses are finding great success with them in order to provide stellar customer service and invite their audience into their brand to find out more. Chatbots can be used to guide your community to find out about programs and services, sign up for and participate in volunteer opportunities, and donate to your cause. They can help you create a unique experience and build the personal level of attention your audience is looking for. When we talk about building a chatbot, we’re referring to creating an ongoing dialogue with visitors (something you can control). And by connecting with your ideal users, you’re able to open up so many new possibilities – like a whole new way to build your mailing list, for instance. Contrary to popular belief, chatbots do not simply send automated messages. They are so much more than that! Chatbots are tailored according to the type of audience they are intended for. These are not simply bots that react to visitors. We have to remember that these bots are built by real people so, they actually have the “human touch” that helps build your relationship with your audience. Our book, “Brick by Brick” makes a mention of the importance of automating aspects of your process. This not only frees up valuable resources but also minimizes the duplication of processes. I mean, we advocate the use of personalized messages per donor, but to manually craft these messages is both resource-consuming and utterly impractical. In this podcast episode, we are joined by Ashley Buffa who has several years of experience in working with businesses, public figures, and bloggers reach their target market, connect with them, and convert them into loyal, return customers. With Ashley, we delve into how to we can use chatbots effectively; whether it’s to keep interest-levels high before your event, to pique interest through broadcasts, to promote featured stories, or even for something as simple as reminding members of important events. Chatbots are easily one of the most untapped resources that nonprofits could benefit from greatly. Chatbots are progressive. They are already being used on Facebook and many other websites. They can create casual conversations where community members are more likely to engage. Plus, you can segment and tie it right in with your email marketing. If you’re interested in learning more and finding out how chatbots can help your organization, listen in as Ashley Buffa gives us the lowdown on chatbots and how to use them well. About Ashley Buffa Ashley has several years of experience helping multiple businesses, public figures, and bloggers target their ideal market, connect with them, and ultimately… convert them into loyal, repeat customers. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary What’s a new way that you can connect with your community in a manner that’s welcoming and delightful? ChatBots are new to the marketing scene and relatively untouched by non-profits; but, businesses are finding great success with them in order to provide stellar customer service and invite their audience into their brand to find out more. Chatbots can be used to guide your community to find out about programs and services, sign up for and participate in volunteer opportunities, and donate to your cause. They can help you create a unique experience and build the personal level of attention your audience is looking for. When we talk about building a chatbot, we’re referring to creating an ongoing dialogue with visitors (something you can control). And by connecting with your ideal users, you’re able to open up so many new possibilities – like a whole new way to build your mailing list, for instance. Contrary to popular belief, chatbots do not simply send automated messages. They are so much more than that! Chatbots are tailored according to the type of audience they are intended for. These are not simply bots that react to visitors. We have to remember that these bots are built by real people so, they actually have the “human touch” that helps build your relationship with your audience. Our book, “Brick by Brick” makes a mention of the importance of automating aspects of your process. This not only frees up valuable resources but also minimizes the duplication of processes. I mean, we advocate the use of personalized messages per donor, but to manually craft these messages is both resource-consuming and utterly impractical. In this podcast episode, we are joined by Ashley Buffa who has several years of experience in working with businesses, public figures, and bloggers reach their target market, connect with them, and convert them into loyal, return customers. With Ashley, we delve into how to we can use chatbots effectively; whether it’s to keep interest-levels high before your event, to pique interest through broadcasts, to promote featured stories, or even for something as simple as reminding members of important events. Chatbots are easily one of the most untapped resources that nonprofits could benefit from greatly. Chatbots are progressive. They are already being used on Facebook and many other websites. They can create casual conversations where community members are more likely to engage. Plus, you can segment and tie it right in with your email marketing. If you’re interested in learning more and finding out how chatbots can help your organization, listen in as Ashley Buffa gives us the lowdown on chatbots and how to use them well. About Ashley Buffa Ashley has several years of experience helping multiple businesses, public figures, and bloggers target their ideal market, connect with them, and ultimately… convert them into loyal, repeat customers. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Using ChatBots to Delight Your Donors and Engage Your Community

Building Your Story to Align with Your Brand

Fun and Refreshing Ways to Create Engagement in Your Community

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary Building relationships is one of the most important skills that you, as a non-profit, should learn. It is the precursor to being able to build communities, and every seasoned fundraiser will always emphasize the importance of having a supportive non-profit community. In this episode, we are joined by Rachel Pedersen who shares some wisdom on community building by using different types of technology, relationship-funnels, and impact-driven storytelling. And this concept is exactly what you’d find in our book, “Brick by Brick” where we let our readers in on a few secrets on how you can create new relationships and strengthen them through storytelling. Our book briefly takes you to a foster care scenario and the challenges that a family encounters when trying to build a relationship with their foster child and how these challenges can be overcome by something so simple as a story. Rachel has been taking the online marketing industry by storm and is one of the most influential and sought-after social media strategists to work with. She is also the founder of Social Media United, where she has grown an amazing community of students, friends, and teammates. This social media queen just spoke at Funnel Hacking Live this past week in Orlando and today, she joins us to tell us the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships, as well as focusing on creating real, tangible, impact and how these things effectively propelled her marketing. Rachel also shares many of the major epiphanies she had when it came to community-building. Non-profit communities rely heavily on relationship-building. So, Rachel gives us the real deal on the ins-and-outs of her relationship-based funnels, and breaks them down to explain what these funnels are and how they can be used by non-profits to build communities. Then, she gives her recommendations on what non-profits can do to improve the way they build relationships online. We also get into the technicalities of email marketing through lead-nurturing emails and why it’s so important in your fundraising campaign. If you’re wondering about technologies and marketing strategies that are on the horizon and are especially intriguing or exciting to try, you’ll definitely be glad you listened in on this podcast as we discuss these with Rachel. Rachel has brought together a very tight-knit community and she speaks from her experience on how non-profits can also create strong communities; the kind that truly comes together to share and show their support for a common cause that they genuinely believe in. Listen in and find out how you too, can grow your communities and create massive engagement. About Rachel Pedersen Rachel Pedersen is a Social Media Strategist recognized by Content Marketing Institute as one of the Most Influential Online Marketers. Rachel has been featured on top publications such as Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Mail and more, as well as on top podcasts such as Entrepreneur On Fire. Rachel is the founder of Social Media United, a leading online university for those aspiring to become successful social media managers and strategists. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/' link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

[av_social_share title='Share this entry' style='' buttons='' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg='']   Episode Summary Building relationships is one of the most important skills that you, as a non-profit, should learn. It is the precursor to being able to build communities, and every seasoned fundraiser will always emphasize the importance of having a supportive non-profit community. In this episode, we are joined by Rachel Pedersen who shares some wisdom on community building by using different types of technology, relationship-funnels, and impact-driven storytelling. And this concept is exactly what you’d find in our book, “Brick by Brick” where we let our readers in on a few secrets on how you can create new relationships and strengthen them through storytelling. Our book briefly takes you to a foster care scenario and the challenges that a family encounters when trying to build a relationship with their foster child and how these challenges can be overcome by something so simple as a story. Rachel has been taking the online marketing industry by storm and is one of the most influential and sought-after social media strategists to work with. She is also the founder of Social Media United, where she has grown an amazing community of students, friends, and teammates. This social media queen just spoke at Funnel Hacking Live this past week in Orlando and today, she joins us to tell us the importance of building and maintaining strong relationships, as well as focusing on creating real, tangible, impact and how these things effectively propelled her marketing. Rachel also shares many of the major epiphanies she had when it came to community-building. Non-profit communities rely heavily on relationship-building. So, Rachel gives us the real deal on the ins-and-outs of her relationship-based funnels, and breaks them down to explain what these funnels are and how they can be used by non-profits to build communities. Then, she gives her recommendations on what non-profits can do to improve the way they build relationships online. We also get into the technicalities of email marketing through lead-nurturing emails and why it’s so important in your fundraising campaign. If you’re wondering about technologies and marketing strategies that are on the horizon and are especially intriguing or exciting to try, you’ll definitely be glad you listened in on this podcast as we discuss these with Rachel. Rachel has brought together a very tight-knit community and she speaks from her experience on how non-profits can also create strong communities; the kind that truly comes together to share and show their support for a common cause that they genuinely believe in. Listen in and find out how you too, can grow your communities and create massive engagement. About Rachel Pedersen Rachel Pedersen is a Social Media Strategist recognized by Content Marketing Institute as one of the Most Influential Online Marketers. Rachel has been featured on top publications such as Huffington Post, Cosmopolitan, The Daily Mail and more, as well as on top podcasts such as Entrepreneur On Fire. Rachel is the founder of Social Media United, a leading online university for those aspiring to become successful social media managers and strategists. [av_button_big label='Join the Grow Your Non-Profit Facebook Group!' description_pos='above' link='manually,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/groups/growyournonprofit/'</a> link_target='' icon_select='yes-left-icon' icon='ue8f5' font='entypo-fontello' custom_font='#ffffff' color='theme-color' custom_bg='#444444' color_hover='theme-color-subtle' custom_bg_hover='#444444' custom_font_hover='#421c52!important' custom_class='' admin_preview_bg=''] Click here to join a community of non-profit professionals leveraging digital marketing and technology to grow their communities and improve their fundraising systems.  [/av_button_big]

Community-Building through Relationship-Building

The Science Behind Scaling Facebook Campaigns

Remote

Helping Organizations with Remote Team Members Become More Productive

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