There are thousands upon thousands of nonprofit websites on the internet today. They vary widely in design, layout, functionality, and purpose. But despite their differences, there are some elements which effective websites tend to have in common. These elements are instrumental to the website’s success as a great marketing tool, donor and patron engagement tool,…
Today, online giving is an important part of fundraising strategy. Whereas in the old days you could do just fine soliciting donations via snail mail and face-to-face meetings, now donors want modern ways to give. Let’s start with a few eye-opening statistics: In 2017 online giving generated $31 billion in nonprofit donations Online giving increased…
Over the years I have heard many a nonprofit staffer say that they don’t focus much on the organization’s website because it doesn’t get much traffic anyway. Often they decide to focus their efforts on old school mailings or social media instead. And it’s always baffled me a little bit because very few of them…
Everyday I talk with nonprofits and individuals who needed to build their own website and decided to use a website builder like Wix, Weebly, or Squarespace. And although I totally understand their reasons for doing so, every time I have this conversation I have to stifle my frustration because many people don’t understand the disservice…
I recognize the fact that many of today’s grant writers are not just grant writers. Many of you wear multiple hats at your nonprofit. Maybe you’re a one-person development department who is comfortable meeting with donors, but also needs to write grants. Or perhaps you’re an education director who needs to write all the…
Marketing and targeting are 2 terms that go hand in hand. In fact, here’s a common phrase in marketing that you should know: “If you’re talking to everyone, you’re really talking to no one.” What this means is that if you try to attract literally everyone with your marketing materials and strategy, you…
From the outside, it can seem like large nonprofits have it made. It seems they have giant donor bases, nice facilities, polished marketing campaigns, and the funds to really make things happen. Who wouldn’t want that, right? But large nonprofits often fall prey to a unique set of struggles that only become problems when…
Ethics. It’s a subject that makes some people squeamish, but it’s also an incredibly important one. Yes, even for grant writing. See, grant writing has its own guiding set of principles and ethics and those who want to engage in grant writing as a professional (or as part of their job duties) would do…
Hopefully, you’ve already checked out the previous “2 Tips” Video I did in collaboration with Morghan from Anchoring Success. If not, go back and check it out here because it was packed with organizational development tips just for arts organizations. This next one is Part 2 of the Series and focuses on Case Management organizations.…
Program evaluation, to put it simply, is the process of putting in place systems and procedures to measure whether or not your nonprofit’s program has achieved its stated goals and how effective (or not) it’s been in doing so. I figured it was probably time to delve into program evaluation because it’s SO important…