Monday 16 September 2013

The Nonprofit Weekly Roundup: Culture, Microsites, and The Kiss of Death

There were some pretty huge moments this week..

Fashion Week  came to a close in NYC. I purchased a blue wig. (I’ll explain at a later date. maybe..) President Obama publicly addressed the situation surrounding Syria. The iphone 5c was introduced. And it was the 12th anniversary of 9/11.

12 years? I know that time flies, but it seems like it was just yesterday that I was sitting in my 7th grade creative writing class and saw what felt like the world come tumbling down. I can still feel the weight of my pencil as the TVs were turned off and I was encouraged to keep working.

That gut-wrenching- can’t process what just happened- say it isn’t so- feeling will stick with many of us forever.

But no matter the circumstance, triumph, or disaster, it’s nonprofits like yours that keep this world turning. You work  on a daily basis to protect, preserve, educate, eradicate, advocate, evangelize, and serve (just to name a few).

Thank you.

Here are this week’s nonprofit highlights:

  • It’s not about the clothes you wear. Or free sodas. In Marc Koenig’s most recent  contribution to nonprofit hub, he dives into what culture really means and what your organization must do to foster it.  Why Designing Your Nonprofit Culture is Do or Die is about sharing values, a defined mission and vision, and valuing your people. Every day.
  • On Gail Perry’s Fired Up Fundraising Blog, she reminds all fundraisers that it’s NOT all about you. Being a good communicator involves more than just good articulation; it’s about understanding your audience. In her post, The Fundraiser's Kiss of Death: Talking Too Much, communicators everywhere are confronted with the ugly truth: the talk is boring.
  • John Haydon simplifies the science of giving. Why reason alone doesn’t work in fundraising suggests that appealing to your supporters’ analytical nature isn’t enough to inspire a gift. Tell stories. Evoke emotion. Speak to the part of the brain that controls action-taking.
  • Ready for this? In Marc Pitman’s latest : The secret behind year-end fundraising fall appeals, he urges fundraisers to think differently about how they craft their message. As you write your three letters (as he suggests), focus on connecting and telling stories. Don’t be the expert – Your expertise won’t inspire a donations.
  • Steve Maclaughlin’s 10th episode of npVoices rallies some of the nonprofit sector’s brightest minds. In this show, he’s joined by The Agitators’ Roger Craver, NTEN’s Amy Sample Ward, True Sense Marketing’s Jeff Brooks, and Blackbaud’s Chuck Longfield and goes deeper into the topics that matter. Have a listen.
  • On Stay Classy’s blog, Ross Campbell does a lot of explaining. The Nonprofit Microsite: What, Why & How builds the case for microsites, shares examples, and provides a downloadable template to use at your own organization.

I’ll see you back here next week.

Until then, let’s chat on Twitter @MaddieTplease

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