Grow Your Non-Profit: Marketing and Technology

[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 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 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 & nonprofits, fundraising & 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 It’s not just about mindset that determines the success of your fundraising. We all have things that we want to do. We all want to make an impact wherever we can and we all want to feel good about the work that we do. A successful fundraising campaign isn’t just about mindset. It’s about much more than that. Successful fundraising is about figuring out how to make the pieces of your puzzle work. It’s about synchronicity and timing. It’s about building relationships and giving people the power to influence change. Figuring out who you are and surrounding yourself with people who understand your mission as much as you do is an integral part of successfully championing a cause. You need to learn to love what you do, regardless of the difficulty that the tasks may bring. This dogged determination and utmost willingness to make a sacrifice is paramount to the success of your campaign. But this isn’t all that you need. You may have all the fuel you could ever need, but without knowing how to actually drive a car, you aren’t going anywhere. And all that fuel, all that passion and determination, won’t amount to much without the proper strategies. Somewhere along the road, you’re going to encounter a few bumps. Some will be bigger than the others but you should perceive all of them in the same manner - as a learning experience. And with each learning experience, you need to be able to create a strategy that coincides with the lesson that you’ve learned. Our book, “Brick by Brick”, discusses a few ways on how you can polish your strategies so that you are able to produce more results while also minimizing the wastage of resources. You may have all the things you need for a fundraising campaign, but for you to fully realize your goals, you need to analyze your processes and optimize them to prevent the unnecessary expenditure of resources; because one way to slow your progress is by exerting effort that really isn’t necessary, to achieve results that aren’t truly up to your standards. In this episode, Beth Kanter, author of The Happy, Healthy Nonprofit: Strategies for Impact Without Burnout shares to us the strategies that keep her energized and focused on her mission everyday, as well as a narrative on how she began her nonprofit fundraising journey. In this podcast episode, we’re going to talk about maintaining perspective and being able to work with a clear mind, and how this can help you avoid getting burnt out. We discuss some of the characteristics of a healthy organization, board, and community along with some of the best leadership strategies for young adults to help prepare themselves as future leaders. We’ll also be talking about making connections, measuring your audience’s reactions, and using data (qualitative and quantitative) to help you build your own community. We’re also going to discuss the challenges that you may encounter as you progress with your fundraising campaign and how you can overcome them. Best of all, Beth gives listeners her #1 suggestion for what you should take action on for your organization if you’re looking to find that special balance. About Beth Kanter Beth Kanter is the author of Beth’s Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media, one of the longest running and most popular blogs for nonprofits. Beth has over 30 years working in the nonprofit sector in technology, training, capacity building, evaluation, fundraising, and marketing. She is an internationally recognized trainer who has developed and implemented effective sector capacity building programs that help organizations integrate social media, network building, and relationship marketing best practices. Beth is an expert in facilitating online and offline peer learning, curriculum development based on traditional adult learning theory, and other instructional approaches. She has trained thousands of nonprofits around the world. [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 & 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 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 One way that you can take your fundraising further is by using data. The main premise here is that data is invaluable. The proper collection and analysis of data yields very important pieces of information that will undoubtedly help you make the best possible decisions by allowing you to allocate your resources where they are needed most and where they have the greatest impact. And an added bonus of this is that you are able to save your resources for ventures that give you the best results. A chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick”, delves into the importance of data gathering and the dangers of working with faulty data by using history as a prime example. The book contains some accolades of espionage and deception during World War II and how information (and misinformation) allowed the Allies to mitigate their losses as the free men of the world united to overthrow the tyranny of the Third Reich. When it comes to data, organization is absolutely necessary. The more data that you can analyze, the deeper you can segment, and the closer you can get to reaching each donor’s specific needs. You are then able to create a very personalized experience for your case where you can speak directly to your donor’s interests. The power of segmentation is incredible. It keeps your content relevant. It keeps your emails from being marked as spam because they’re so relevant. Your metrics skyrocket because you’re reaching the specific audience for whom the call to action is intended. And it builds loyalty. Your audience is able to self-identify because they can see that the information is truly meant for them. They can relate to the information because it matches their donor profile and because from their perspective, the information is something that is of relevance to them. When using a donor management system, you’ll be able to collect and centralize your data. This data includes email addresses, seating preferences, interests, split-testing results, and content reactions. This data is invaluable to your organization because you can use it for segmentation. Within your donor management system, you’ll find that you’re able to collect an immense amount of information regarding your community members and their preferences. This data helps you when it comes to making decisions that create better relationships with your community, optimize the work that you do, and save you time and money. Tune in as Zach Shefska speaks about how to dig deep into your data in order to improve your fundraising and decisions. About Zach Shefska Zach Shefska is part of the team at MarketSmart, which develops scalable, profitable and valuable solutions for nonprofit organizations, like the Human Rights Watch, The Smithsonian Institute, and the University of California Los Angeles. In addition to providing services directly to nonprofits he oversees the Fundraising Report Card, a division of MarketSmart. The Fundraising Report Card is a free tool that empowers fundraisers to make data-driven fundraising decisions. [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,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, Marc A. Pitman explains the 4 Quadrants of leadership and speaks about how leaders and fundraisers overcome their personal hurdles to become more confident and impactful in their roles. Then, we talk about how to take it a step further and improve relationships with your donors and community members. Successful leadership stems from your relationship with yourself. As a leader, you need to be credible, confident, and capable of foresight. An honest self-assessment paves the way that helps you fix any flaws. One of the most important aspects of relationships is to be true to yourself. In the case of fundraising, this is represented by your organization’s mission. This not only builds genuine trust, but this awareness and understanding creates alignment throughout your fundraising system and enables you to understand and interact with your prospects much better. If your audience clearly understands and identifies with your organization’s mission and vision, interacts with you, and trusts you, you’ll find that it’s much easier to develop ways to strengthen your relationship with your community members and create more interest in your campaigns by building up your donor relationships. Strong leadership skills develop through self-awareness and honesty. In every problem or situation, the first step toward the solution is “awareness”. An honest assessment of yourself as a leader goes hand-in-hand with successful fundraising. Successful fundraising grows from your relationship with others. As a leader. You represent your organization when you’re dealing with potential donors. You want to be able to present your cause and ask for help in a persistent but pleasant manner. Fundraising is not the same as marketing. There is a different approach to both. Do your donors know who you are? Are you speaking about your organization or are you speaking to an actual person in your content? What’s the difference and why does this matter? Listen in and find out just how important the difference is. About Marc A. Pitman Marc A. Pitman is the author of "Ask Without Fear!" and founder of FundraisingCoach.com and the executive director of TheNonprofitAcademy.com. Marc's expertise and enthusiasm engages audiences around the world and has caught the attention of media organizations as diverse as Al Jazeera, SUCCESS Magazine, and Fox News. Marc’s experience also includes pastoring a Vineyard church, managing a gubernatorial campaign, and teaching internet marketing and fundraising at colleges and universities.  He is the husband to his best friend and the father of three amazing kids. And if you drive by him on the road, he’ll be singing 80’s tunes loud enough to embarrass his family! [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,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 Let’s get real in this episode on data and understanding what works for you. Geoff Livingston provides knowledge based on his many experiences working with nonprofits that took years to learn. Data is full of surprises and if you watch carefully, you can find trends that help you better connect with your audience and actually get your message in front of your donors in way that catches and holds their attention. Knowing your audience not only allows you to tailor your communication to your target market’s preferences, but it also allows your organization to come across as one that is familiar with its supporters. “Repetition builds familiarity” after all. Best practices and benchmarks are a great way to see what’s happening on a larger scale and they can certainly help guide you in your marketing, but there is a lot to be said for studying your own data and finding what works for you; because, what works for someone else may not necessarily be what works for you and what works for you may not be accurately represented by these industry trends. Know your people. Know yourself. And to thine own self, be true. (William Shakespeare) How? Data. Lots of it. Listen in to learn how to use your data to help you create effective communication tactics and to ultimately help you strengthen your relationships with your members. About Geoff Livingston Geoff Livingston is the CMO of Legends of Learning, an edtech start up in Washington, DC. Before joining Legends of Learning, he start and sold Livingston Communications, a social media boutique, as well as communications firms Zoetica, and Tenacity5 Media. Professionally, Geoff has advised more than 10 members of the Fortune 500, including AT&T, Cox, eBay, Ford, General Dynamics, Google, PayPal, Pepsi Co., Procter and Gamble, SAIC, Verizon and Yum! Brands. He has also advised numerous start-ups, mid-cap companies, and nonprofits, including United Way of America, Live Earth, The Case Foundation, Razoo, Environmental Defense Fund, the Philanthropy 2.0 Project, Tekelec, Network Solutions, Vocus, the Washington Nationals, and Sully Erna (Godsmack lead singer). [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 When it comes to gaining visibility for your organization or cause, you can take advice from David Meerman Scott, a fellow DeadHead and founder of the newsjacking movement.We’ll also discuss how to piggyback off of news stories and leverage trending topics. In this podcast, David explains how you can use the news cycle to your advantage and boost the reach and impact of your message. Through hashtag searches, news alerts, and some self-awareness, you and your organization can build a formidable system for drawing attention to your message and creating conversations around it. The key is to focus on speed, accuracy, and credibility to add value to the stories. Controversial topics are fair game, but be sure to think how your comments can be construed by people with different points of view in order to avoid offending others. Basically, creating content that’s related to breaking stories is a great way to put your organization and your cause under the spotlight. But one important thing to take note of is to make sure that everyone on your team is on the same page. The ability to create a dedicated website related to the event is key to a successful fundraising campaign. This goes in line with some of the topics discussed in “Brick by Brick” where we explore the importance of having a streamlined, up-to-date website that funnels visitors through various calls to action helps increase the number of donors to our cause. Another chapter also touches on the importance of effective storytelling by sharing a brief concept that suggests that storytelling helps people nurture relationships with one another and how, like all stories, they can be shared with one another in many ways through blogs, down to word of mouth. Listen in as we discuss community engagement, social identity theory, the best ways to get started and how to avoid stepping over the line when it comes to your brand, along with a bit of Grateful Dead and current events like the Olympics and the #MeToo movement. About David Meerman Scott David Meerman Scott is an internationally acclaimed strategist, whose books and blog are must-reads for professionals seeking to generate attention in ways that grow their business. Scott’s advice and insights help people, products and organizations stand out, get noticed and capture hearts and minds. He is author or co-author of ten books – three are international bestsellers. The New Rules of Marketing & PR, now in its 6th edition, has been translated into 29 languages and is used as a text in hundreds of universities and business schools worldwide. Scott also authored Real-Time Marketing & PR, a Wall Street Journal bestseller, Newsjacking,World Wide Rave, and the new hit book The New Rules of Sales & Service. He co-authored Marketing the Moon (now in production as a feature-length film) and Marketing Lessons from The Grateful Dead. He serves as an advisor to select emerging companies who are working to transform their industries by delivering disruptive products and services. His advisory clients include HubSpot (NYSE: HUBS), where he also serves as Marketer in Residence. In past advisory work, he contributed to successful companies as a member of the board of directors of NewsWatch KK (sale to Yahoo Japan) and Kadient (merged with Sant) and served on the board of advisors of Eloqua (IPO in mid-2012 and sale to Oracle in early 2013) and GrabCAD (sale to Stratasys in 2014). [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 When it comes to the world of modern fundraising, the rise of search engine optimization and digital marketing cannot be understated. The importance of SEO is that it helps match users with relevant content. When your website is properly-optimized, you are increasing the chances of coming up in the top search results for people who are specifically looking for an organization such as yours. This means that because you are relevant to what they’re looking for, you are bound to get increased traffic from people who are also more likely to respond to calls to action. SEO professionals are experts in increasing the online exposure of your nonprofit. They increase the visibility that your website has amongst the internet. The way they do this is by ensuring that it is accessible by search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Pinterest (to name a few). They do a thorough keyword search in order to increase the chances of your site appearing at the top page of search engines. They also optimize the internal linking strategy so that links that are related to a possible blog post or other phrases within your website can be related to other information available to people on the site. SEO professionals suggest things like taking advantage of your location and making sure that your organization is present on review sites such as Yelp. Being listed in directories allows the search engine to see your website and associate it with the organization’s address and contact information. One important thing to constantly keep in mind is that Google is focused on providing its end-users with the best possible experience. - This includes ensuring that your website is also optimized for mobile devices. Posting content consistently gets search engines excited. Making sure each site has its own metadata and each page has internal pages that link to each other creates a high rating when the search engine is performing its search. Link outreach is a positive way to bring attention back to your site. This can be done by writing guest posts within another blog as a guest blogger (just remember to include a backlink to your site). Our book echoes the importance of having a proper website. A proper website is search engine-optimized, mobile friendly, and loads efficiently. This is discussed within the book by using Amazon.com as a prime example. Its relevance to modern fundraisers is that a website that ranks high in search results is almost guaranteed to attract a vast number of visitors. This easily translates to a substantial increase in potential followers and donors. Your organization MUST have a professional website that is designed with its users in mind. In this podcast episode, we are joined by David Deitrich, who is set to discuss the many ways that we can properly perform SEO. Listen in to learn how you can improve your website’s exposure on the internet. About David Deitrich David Dietrich is the founder of Fair Angle, which demonstrates sone of the many best-practice online marketing strategies that non-profits can benefit from. David is committed to providing the very best in optimized strategic development for non-profits, helping them grow their online audience rapidly and organically. From there, he can help them engage and activate these followers to spread the word and donate. [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,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]  

What’s all the buzz about Blockchain? All over, you’re hearing how it will affect every industry. Yes, you heard it right! EVERY INDUSTRY! So, maybe you’re wondering how it will affect nonprofits? Well, we’re here to talk about that. Here’s the thing, for a lot of the Blockchains, we’re seeing a lot of hype because of the buzzword attached to it. There’s a lot of misinformation out there and with so many people trying to find out about so many different projects, there’s overlaps and misunderstandings between different projects. But, fortunately, from what we’re seeing, it’s a lot more simple than it seems. For non-profits, there are two ways to look at it… 1) From a marketing perspective accepting crypto-currency shows that you’re progressive and high tech. 2) From a more practical standpoint, there are people who have currency that they’d like to spend and give to a cause. Your organization can set up a wallet to be able to accept crypto-donations and be ready for the donors when they are ready to give. This is what we encourage you to start thinking about…. Set up an account and open a wallet to accept cryto-donations (i.e. Bitcoin) Get familiar with the process to be able to accept smoothly Choose a trustworthy person to manage the crypto-accounting Consider your donation process and how to handle any paperwork Right now, many companies are already accepting crypto-currency, but there is an accounting nightmare for many. This is because you can’t see who sent the actual transactions! So, what should you do right now? Keep learning and preparing. We recommend if you’re looking to begin accepting crypto-currency, start by including a sentence on your website letting people know you accept it and to call you. That way, you know who is giving the donation and also track it. Listen to this podcast with learnwith lots of advice for nonprofits about Blockchain. Crypto-currency expert Scott Silverstone gives the low-down on how to accept Bitcoin, immediately mitigate your risk and avoid getting burned!  One key takeaway which Scott discusses in depth: “Organizations should be open to accepting Bitcoin, but have policies in place that mitigate risk.”

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!  

[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 What compels someone to want to support your cause? Your story? Your brand? People join movements because they desire a sense of belonging. Everyone wants to be a part of something bigger than themselves. They can create movements that start at a higher level.  Movements demand action; and the way to create action is through developing your messaging and your brand. A prime example of the proper use of an effective message and brand is mentioned in our book, “Brick by Brick” wherein we try to delve into what makes superheroes so popular. Think about it, superheroes are so ingrained into our culture to the point that entire franchises are built upon them. These are some of the most lucrative ventures that one can pursue. Superheroes are brands in themselves. Comic book releases that contain the stories of these superheroes are almost the same as, if not exactly the same, compelling copy. Your community gives support because they value the social and emotional good done by the organization. Depending on the supporter, he or she may donate more from the heart or more from the head. This means people can be compelled by a message that tells a story or by seeing statistical information that shows how large of an impact donating can have. Sometimes you’ll even encounter situations where potential donors, depending on their personality, are influenced by both. Information such as the organization’s track record, credibility, story, and visuals are all important when it comes to connecting to your supporters and empowering to take action through your cause. Engagement in a community, donating to a cause, and joining a larger movement is borne from many reasons. However, the key lies in understanding the motivation of the giver and providing the type of messaging that builds on what they respond to. Ask them what they want to get out of giving. Determining their motivation will help you to better serve your donors. Doing this will ultimately help you raise more money. Listen in as we are joined by Leanna Johnson, of Lost Lass, as she speaks about 360-degree branding, where she encourages organizations to look at their brand from a holistic perspective and to develop content that is fully aligned with the brand. This way, the organization can leverage its messaging through its marketing in a clear and consistent manner; while forming a community that’s based upon a strong foundation. About Leanna Johnson Leanna Johnson is the founder of Lost Lass, a freelance journalism brand. Her mission is to discover and create multimedia stories for businesses and media outlets. She has interviewed Bollywood actresses, famous journalists and human trafficking activists, contributed to a national campaign against police brutality, and written a column on growing up around the world. A passionate advocate and storyteller, she uses photography, video and radio, as well as her first love, writing, to investigative controversial issues. Lost Lass is an international brand based in the Chicago area. [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 order for your organization to improve its online fundraising chances, it must understand how to align its Mission, Marketing, and People. Marketing campaigns are all about the who, what, and where. Who are you reaching, what are their interests, and where are they located? Becoming very well-versed in the answers to these questions as it relates to your campaign will ultimately result in greater key performance indicator results. Knowing this information also helps you to stay true to who you are and to be more productive, as well as “Mission-Driven”. A chapter in our book, “Brick by Brick”, shines the light on the paramount importance of having a definite mission and how it gives your organization an identity and a purpose that resonates with the people who you want to ask support from. This idea is discussed in detail by analyzing how Abraham Lincoln was able to garner such immense support from the people. And let me tell you, it was not through deception, coercion, or even any form of marketing. It was his honesty and his passion for his cause that enabled him to move the number of people that he did. In other words, a clear, honest organizational mission helps you stay your course and work with your particular audience. This will always be more effective than using trickery, gimmicks, and a campaign that isn’t structured, planned, or regulated. A common mistake that many organizations do is to focus on small pieces of one thing, and small pieces of another put-together campaign, with no true direction. And in the end, they wonder why their results aren’t improving. Marketing campaigns are similar to entering the dating scene. You can go on several dates and have different experiences will multiple people. You’re not going to fall in love if you don’t understand the qualities you want your significant other to have. The real question is how do you attract partners that have the qualities you want? Understanding how your campaign fits with the who, what, and where of your targeted audience is imperative. Generally, in every case, you plan before you implement. Therefore, creating the marketing campaign plan is essential. It provides a big picture of the outcome that you are aiming for, as well as the steps that should be taken to achieve your set goals. In this podcast, we are joined by Matisyahu Goren, who is a platform director and podcast host, to delve into the importance of defining what your organizational goals are to create a clear picture of the results that you want to achieve. About Matisyahu Goren Matisyahu Goren is the director of Mission Driven, a platform for Jews to define their unique mission, develop the tools they need for success, and make the world a home for God. Author of "The Long Short Way: How To Succeed After Yeshiva". Host of the hit Podcast "Mission Driven: The Long Short Way", which has interviewed Matisyahu is a professional basketball coach of NBA and international players. He and Coach Steve Campbell co-founded The Scholarship Makeover Foundation, which provided physical training, life coaching, test preparation, and academic consultation to 42 players who obtained college scholarships all while a student at Cal State Northridge. He left it behind to attend Mayanot of Jerusalem for two years.  [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]