In Fundraising, Silence has Power
“If a candidate is especially new at the fundraising process,” writes Kirsten Borman in Campaigns & Elections, “they’ll often rush through each step of their fundraising calls to get to the critical ‘ask’ portion. They’re in such a hurry that they scarcely give their donor a moment to get a word in edgewise. Whatever the reasoning, don’t allow your candidate’s questions to crowd the donor out of his or her answer.”
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How To Make Your Website A Fundraising Winner
“I’m betting there’s no more than one out of every 10,000 nonprofits in the world with the guts or patience to follow the process I’m about to report,” writes Roger Craver at The Agitator. “It’s donor-centric but also so very, very counter-intuitive to what most fundraisers would do if they were in charge of re-making a website.”
However, Craver assures, “if you implement this process you’ll likely see a “250% increase in revenue from your website; a 90% increase in monthly donors; and a 150% + increase in folks willing to register or signup for more information and engagement.”
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6 Sure-Fire Steps to Raise More With Your Special Events
All campaigns are trying to raise money from what is, relatively speaking, a small pool of people who contribute money to candidates and political campaigns…other than the candidate’s personal list of family and friends who otherwise wouldn’t be involved. That makes it all the more important for your fundraising events to stand out from the rest of the crowd. Here are 6 ways to do just that…
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7 Tricks to Help Write Great Openings for Your Letters & Emails
You need to grab a reader’s attention immediately…and writing a great, attention-grabbing opening paragraph in your fundraising letter or email is always a challenge. Pat Friesen has some tips to help you get your copy off to a good start.
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6 tips for writing bios for Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Google+
“Talking about yourself is hard,” writes Courtney Seiter. “Doing it in 160 characters or less is even harder.” As such, Ms. Seiter provides “Six Rules for a Foolproof Bio” that include…
- Show, don’t tell: “What have I done” is better than “Who I am”
- Keep language fresh and avoid buzzwords
- Answer one question for the reader: “What’s in it for me?”
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5 Easy (and Affordable) Ways to Show Donor Appreciation
“Showing customer (donor) appreciation is more important than ever,” writes Kathy McGovern of Vertical Response. “How do you stand out from the crowd? Show customers (donors) you really appreciate their business! Here are 5 inexpensive tips to show your customers (donors) how much you appreciate them without breaking the bank.”
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Using Cartoons in Mailers: How to Make Them a Success
“A few months ago,” writes Paul Bobnak, director of research at Who's Mailing What, “while researching how humor is used in direct mail, I found some examples of an art form that was deserving of its own consideration: the cartoon.”
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5 Ways to Find the Perfect Pinterest Board Name
“You started your Pinterest page,” writes Melissa Megginson. “You verified your domain. You wrote an amazing description. You linked all your social profiles. Now, what in the world should you name your boards? Although it seems simple, finding the right names for the right boards to fit the right aspects of your brand can actually be a pretty daunting task. But don't worry! Below, we've broken down five things to help you to create the perfect board names.”
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Famous Last Words
“Without a doubt, the single highest point of leverage in any campaign is getting out the vote. If the people who agree with you or believe in you actually show up and vote, you win. This, of course, is true for everything, not just retail politics. Your non-profit, retail store or b2b services firm probably doesn't need as many new prospects as you think you do–you will generate more impact if you reconnect with the people who already know and trust you.” – Seth Godin