What’s in my Mailbox | How to be the change: Ontario Nature gets it right, empowers donors to fight the good fight

October 19, 2016

In this installment of What’s In My Mailbox, we’re spotlighting not only Ontario Nature, a conservation group dedicated to protecting Ontario’s wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife, but the outstanding work of Agents of Good, a donor-focused direct response firm. What has this communication packet got going on? A lot. Below, I’ve picked what I think are […]

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What’s in my Inbox | Don’t beg please. It’s not pretty.

October 18, 2016

It will never be pretty. In the process of reaching out, the urge to beg undoubtedly crosses, or has crossed, your mind. Maybe it’s because you’re a fundraiser, and sometimes, you’re swimming against the tide, aching to be heard. But if you’ve got the idea that begging amplifies the sound of your voice and propels […]

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Power of Nonprofit Storytelling | Thank you for being a friend: life-changing relationships that open doors

October 17, 2016

Petula Dvorak, a D.C.-based reporter for The Washington Post, knows how to tell a story with a headline. Buzzfeed and its counterparts do, too, but Dvorak’s realization of a narrative-focused headline comes across as far less click-baity. The janitor felt invisible to Georgetown students – until one changed his life. I am always in search […]

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What’s in my Inbox | When disaster strikes: A beautifully integrated campaign

October 11, 2016

In this installment of What’s In My Inbox, I’m again casting my spotlight on Mercy Corps, because they’ve reached out with yet another stellar communication, through both an email message and its accompanying video, which is chock full of gratitude. So what’s right about this, and what makes it work as an integrated, powerful campaign? […]

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Fundraising Friday | October 7, 2016

October 7, 2016

Are you keeping a clean email list? Miriam’s Kitchen is back with a terrific reactivation email. This week’s What’s in my Inbox. No one does #donorlove quite like the brilliant Agents of Good. We’re thrilled to present you with a special year-end fundraising appeal from the Agents in this week’s What’s in my Mailbox. You’ll […]

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What’s in my Mailbox | Inspire and Delight with Your Year-End Appeal!

October 5, 2016

Last week, the brilliant Jen Love, part of the team at Agents of Good, a Canadian direct response firm, presented Creating a Truly Donor-Centered Appeal Letter That Touches Hearts and Inspires Gifts, to the amazing participants of our Your Best Ever Year-End Campaign. Jen shared seven lessons that you can steal. And, in today’s What’s […]

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What’s in my Inbox | Push it, push it real good: Miriam’s Kitchen does reactivation right

October 4, 2016

Miriam’s Kitchen is a D.C.-based nonprofit with what, at first glance, appears to be a lofty goal at the core of its mission. Through performing their life-changing work, Miriam’s hopes to bring an end to chronic homelessness, and they’ve been at it since their 1983 inception. Their aspirations sound more promising when you see that […]

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What’s in my Inbox | Through the eyes of a donor: Carol, Mercy Corps ambassador, shares her story

September 27, 2016

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve taken the opportunity to spotlight a Mercy Corps communication piece, but that doesn’t stop me from putting this nonprofit front and center yet again. If you’ve kept track of my past installments of Power of Storytelling, What’s In My Inbox, and What’s In My Mailbox, you […]

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Power of Nonprofit Storytelling | Because Britain’s children depend on it: Barnardo’s chooses inspiration over shock value

September 26, 2016

I believe the children are our future Teach them well and let them lead the way Show them all the beauty they possess inside -Linda Creed, The Greatest Love of All Barnardo’s, a U.K.-based charity dedicated to caring for young, vulnerable people, has a history of releasing confrontational content through their ad campaigns, consistently generating […]

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Six Ways to Start Gearing Up for Year-End Fundraising

September 23, 2016

Do you have a plan in place to meet your year-end fundraising goals? Just imagine: the average non-profit raises over 40% of its annual revenue during the last quarter of the calendar year. And a full third (33%) of the donations made in December occur on the 31st of the month! Start getting ready for […]

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What’s in my Mailbox | Now THIS is stewardship!

September 21, 2016

SeniorsFirst, a Power of Thank You alum, is engaged in keeping senior citizens empowered, healthy, and independent. Through supportive services including meal programs, personal care assistance, companionship, and more, SeniorsFirst positively impacts a human experience that so often leaves people feeling lonely and vulnerable: getting old. Power of Thank You, my often-imitated, never-duplicated first-of-its-kind online […]

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Dianne’s Day: Make the “Overhead” Real

September 20, 2016

Last Friday I went to the Vancouver Fringe Festival – a large festival where hundreds of plays are put on at every imaginable venue in town over a few short weeks. As I waited in the lobby I noticed poster’s everywhere announcing that it was “Dianne’s Day”. “Dianne’s Day! Diane would like to thank the […]

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How can you be there for a friend who has just received devastating news?

September 19, 2016

As a friend, as a loved one, how can you be there for someone when they are suffering real emotional distress? What can you say or do to help? I turned to Missy Longman for answers recently and she didn’t disappoint. Missy has graciously agreed to allow me to share her words of wisdom. What […]

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Fundraising Friday | September 16, 2016

September 16, 2016

This week’s Power of Nonprofit Storytelling highlights Stone Soup Films in Washington, DC, and their amazing storytelling through video. How are you sharing the overhead story with your donors? I really liked this email from Basics & More alum, The Fuller Center. And don’t miss the accompanying video on explaining overhead to your donors. The […]

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Are they really and truly lapsed? Or have you been neglecting them…

September 15, 2016

One of my subscribers recently sent in the following question. It’s a good question and one that I get asked often, so I thought I’d respond here. Like most non-profits, we do an annual fund each year and mail 3-4 letters. We are an 19-year-old institution and have about 1900 people in our donor database. […]

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In Praise of Special Events

September 14, 2016

Ah, special events! Don’t you love the sense of accomplishment at the end of the planning process? Aren’t you excited about working with your all-volunteer event committee? Isn’t it wonderful to be creating a meaningful and profitable fundraising experience? It’s hard to believe, but some people don’t really love hosting special events. In fact, lots […]

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What’s in my Inbox | Reporting impact: Transparency in overhead

September 13, 2016

Starting with the subject heading, “Look what you’ve done,” I was immediately drawn to read this email from The Fuller Center for Housing, a faith-based nonprofit promoting “collaborative and innovative partnerships with individuals and organizations in an unrelenting quest to provide adequate shelter for all people in need worldwide.” Administrative overhead can be a tricky […]

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Power of Nonprofit Storytelling | Empowering storytelling nonprofits through video: meet Stone Soup Films

September 12, 2016

Stone Soup Films, a DC-based production studio engaged in empowering nonprofits to generate greater social impact through sharing their stories, has been capturing dynamic narratives by video since 2008. Ever since I was inspired by Knock Studio, I’ve been exploring other companies that offer this crucial service to nonprofits; the task of translating a story […]

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Fundraising Friday | September 9, 2016

September 9, 2016

How are you inspiring and delighting – and sharing impact – on a regular basis? Find out why I loved Mercy Corps’ recent “Best Email You’ll Read All Day.” This week’s What’s in my Inbox. How do you reassure your donors when there’s been a change in leadership? I loved this beautiful thank you note […]

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Data Driven Nonprofits. Interview with Steve MacLaughlin

September 8, 2016

It’s hard to ignore all the talk about Big Data these days. But what does it all really mean for fundraisers? I turned to nonprofit data expert Steve MacLaughlin for some answers. He’s just published a new book called Data Driven Nonprofits that explores this topic in vivid detail. Why did you decide to write […]

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