Brian Sooy is a designer, volunteer, donor, and nonprofit board member. He is the principal of Aespire, the design and marketing firm that empowers mission-driven organizations to create purpose-driven communications through positioning, design, marketing, and web site development. For this guest post, we asked him to share some of the insights from his recent book …
Creating a “Why I Give” page on your website is a brilliant idea for two reasons. First, when existing donors publicly voice their support and fondness for your organization, their engagement is deepened. The psychological tendency that each of us has to demonstrate consistency will influence them to respond favorably to future requests for support. …
BOOK REVIEW Years of marketing and social media experience inform the advice offered by author Tania Mulry in her book The Cause: The Power of Digital Storytelling for Social Good. Written in a conversational tone, this quick read is infused with inspiration and practical how-to advice. Each chapter identifies a common challenge confronted by …
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Today, we recognize World Storytelling Day. In the spirit of the day, let’s take a look at a cause that gets it just right when it comes to utilizing storytelling to connect with supporters online. There has been a good deal of news coverage surrounding the Lawrey family, and it’s not because little Gavin Lowery …
A good story can simultaneously inform & inspire. It can be triumphant or sad or joyful or revolting. As nonprofit organizations work to build content and engage online audiences, storytelling plays an essential role. But knowing what stories to tell and how to tell them is not always an easy task. The following articles that …
Website. Facebook. LinkedIn. Twitter. Pinterest. Instagram. The buzz urging nonprofit organizations to implement a good strategy online is deafening. By now, I’m sure development professionals have had their fill of articles and blog posts emphasizing the importance of online presence and email and social media. I’m quite sure that they get the general idea. …
I recently came across a great blog post from Dave Brock entitled “Let’s See How Much We Can Confuse Our Customers!” In it, Dave examines the dangers of building a “Go To Market Strategy” from an “inside-out” point of view. In many ways, what he observes is right in line with discussions regarding “donor-centricity” and …
If you’ve ever been to a concert, you know that the opening act is in a tough position. Most of the crowd is impatient to see the main event and doesn’t know a single song. If the band doesn’t find a way to capture the attention of the sea of someone else’s fans standing in …
Last night I received a call from my alma mater. It was from a very engaging freshman student. He said he saw that I was an English Literature major and asked what I was doing now. We talked about my original academic path and how it prepared me for professional opportunities and growth. He talked …
The Challenge Recruiting and retaining students (future funders) is an increasingly competitive endeavor in today’s higher education environment. Endowments are shrinking, funding at the local, state, and federal levels continues to diminish, and the projected decrease in college-age students over the next decade is alarming. At the same time, the economy in recent years …
Creating Sustainable & Self-Perpetuating Fundraising in the age of the Millennial donor: Read More »