There are countless articles, just like this one, that provide ideas and courses of action for organizations to act upon in order to improve their management, operations, fundraising, etc.Businesses and NGOs alike sit around boardrooms brainstorming different ways to better their operations or communications. And while this discussion is an important and necessary step for effective changes to be implemented, steps must actually be taken to implement changes in order to bring about these desirable results.NGO directors who operate, manage, or otherwise lead an organization, are constantly...

As more and more non-profit organizations adopt various mobile marketing and mobile fundraising operations, we love seeing the way they are making it easy for donors to donate. Here are a few successful fundraising apps to inspire you and your organization! 1. I Can Go Without “We have the power to make real change.” This app, created in Montreal, encourages you to pledge to make a lifestyle change. This can be anything from giving up a cup a coffee each week to curtailing your monthly manicures. Once you’ve pledged to reduce your daily consumption, the pledges are later converted into...

As our world becomes increasingly more reliant on technology, consumers are consulting one screen or another consistently throughout the day. The customer mobile demands, having everything at the tip of their fingers, are escalating. Just like businesses, non-profits need to respond accordingly to this request.Every non-profit organization should be responding to this consumer desire, but what is the best way to respond? Which mobile marketing approach is the best fit for your organization?Here are some things to consider when adopting a mobile process for your charity: Native Apps A ‘native...

Twitter can be such a useful tool at times to bring people together, especially when the tweets are all coming from one great event like the Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference. Here's a snapshot of my top 10 favourite tweets from the past 24 hours at Bridge. What great reminders! Rachel Muir ‏@rachelmuirHow nonprofits are like broccoli: we're doing good work and we assume people will want it. Cook it differently for bigger impact! #bridge15 Moira KavanaghCrosby ‏@mkdmThe power of storytelling: So true via @j1berger "No one tells bedtime facts; they tell bedtime...

1. The Opening  When you address your reader, do so in a personal manner. Instead of using an opening line reading, “Dear Supporter” use the donor’s name. When a letter is not personalized a donor can feel like a number in a machine and automatically reject the letter before it even gets read! The more personal information you use - the individual’s name, address, donation history - the more valued the donors feel and more likely they are to read and be receptive to the letter. This personal, donor-centric, approach should remain a theme throughout your entire letter. If you do not...

Once upon a time companies advertised through newspaper and radio ads, and communicated with clients face-to-face. Thirty years ago, companies primarily used television ads, while connecting with customers primarily via phone. In the last ten years, companies have shifted much of their advertising to the Internet and now routinely communicate with customers through email and on-demand chat windows. Today when companies discuss ‘mobile strategies’ they look into not just phone calls on a landline, but text messaging and Internet pathways via mobile phones.As we all know, times change and...

It's coming up quickly - eight more sleeps and we will be arriving in Washington for the 10th annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference. We're very excited for this year's packed agenda. Here's the breakdown of the sessions that I am most excited to see: Sonal Shah - talk about my own personal rockstar! Sonal is Professor of Practice and the founding Executive Director of the Beeck Center for Social Impact & Innovation at Georgetown University. She has had an extensive career within the government, business, and the non-profit sectors, including her role...

1) Keep it simple From a navigation bar to search tools to event promotions, you have countless tabs and buttons on which donors can click. While there is certainly a time and place for all of these aspects of your organization, please keep them far away from the donation form. These aspects are all important to your organization, but when you present them all on one webpage, you can overwhelm and frustrate donors. Ultimately, you want the donation button to be the first thing they see.  Next, when a donor goes to your online donation form, ensure the page is simple so they can...

We live in an incredible time.Recently, the Swedish blood donation service announced an initiative where donors are sent automatic text messages telling them when their blood has actually been used.This service has actually been running in Stockholm for three years, but it is now being rolled out by other local areas all across the country.Let's stop here for a moment and talk about this type of IDE - Incredible Donor Experience. Meet Sandra.Sandra works for a large investment firm and is often found eating lunch at her desk due to the busy nature of her schedule. Due to a new campaign...