Digital Fundraiser: The Nonprofit Weekly Roundup: Mission Statements, Roadblocks, and Working the Room.

Sunday 27 October 2013

The Nonprofit Weekly Roundup: Mission Statements, Roadblocks, and Working the Room.

I hit a personal milestone this week, and I’ll be honest- it feels good. It’s that mix of validation and the sound of my dad saying “We’re the same!” (he tends to take full credit for all of my accomplishments and, of course, none of my mistakes) that make these some of life’s sweetest moments.

but then..

Then I realize the longer I sit in celebration, patting myself on the back and relishing in the moment, the longer I’m putting off the hike to the next milestone. And I’m humbled; I’ve got a longggg way to go.

Our milestones are really just doors opening to the next chapter. We’re never finished, never done learning. growing. climbing. There will be celebrations along the way, but the key is to keep going.

Whatever your goals may be- raising more awareness, building deeper relationships, telling better stories- the posts below will help you stay on track.

Here are this week’s nonprofit highlights:

Your mission statement- Do you know what it is? Can you recite it one sentence? What about your supporters- could they? Marc Koenig’s post, Nonprofit Mission Statements – Good and Bad Examples, provides a necessary break down of the attributes and elements that make a mission statement memorable and inspiring.
Your small donors are basically shouting it- Please, Treat Me Like a Major Donor - and Joanne Fritz tells you how you should respond and why. Be appreciative of the small gift-givers; some of them might just become your major donors one day. Follow up, say thank you, and start building the relationship.
You don’t have to be a people person, but you do have to be prepared. Beth Anne Locke shares tips for how you can maximize your efforts before, during, and after the event in her post- Working the Room .
Mazarine Treyz of Wild Woman Fundraising has adapted Donald Murray’s Writing to Deadline to give nonprofits 9 ways to tell an old story in a new way. It’s not always easy to keep supporters caring about your cause- breathing new life into the story you tell can help.
Erica Waasdorop makes a guest appearance on the Philanthropy for All blog to share a key insight she’s learned about the monthly giving: Every Monthly Giving Program is Tailor Made. Each program is as unique as the organization that’s driving it, so it’s about discovering the media that works for you. So, start testing- the sooner you do, the sooner you can start converting new donors.
Maybe we’re in this whole retention mess because we’ve been thinking about donors all wrong. We see dollar signs and think of them as cash cows rather than part of a movement. This piece from Ahern Donor Communications, Fundraising is about money. And the moon’s a hunk of stinky green cheese, holds nothing back and shares some much needed advice from Alan Clayton that all nonprofits should hear.
Dolores McDonagh of Charity Dynamics write on npEngage about the Top 3 Roadblocks to Event Registration. Oftentimes, registration rates suffer because of the process itself. If you can understand what’s standing in your participants’ way, you can make the corrections needed for improvement.