[Headlines] Was #GivingTuesday a success?

Below is a summary of the latest articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please forward this to others who might benefit from the information. Thanks again for reading!

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Online Strategies

• This article is geared towards the business market, but I think you’ll find what they have to say about common snafus in social media marketing helpful.
• It’s hard to keep up with all of the changes that Facebook regularly makes, so it’s nice to have a review of how things stand now from Beth Kanter (who first introduced me to the wonders of online strategies when she spoke in Louisville a few years ago).  Another Facebook related post is John Haydon’s ‘Facebook Ladder of Engagement.’
• Raising money via email?  Check out this article about Obama’s email strategy (and if you want a laugh you can read through the comments on the article – something about having a tin foil hat on)
• Do you know what your online donors want?  Gail Perry lists seven things in this blog post.
• Thinking about running a virtual campaign?  Here are some tips from the Alzheimer’s Association based on their experience.

Interesting Programs

• Want to learn more about what a successful reading program looks like? Visit Philanthropy Potluck to find out.
• Partnerships are important to the success of any endeavor. This article from the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy talks about a partnership in Minneapolis to help overcome racial disparities.
• Dallas Museum of Art is doing away with admission fees – and membership fees! (generally accounts for about 2% of a museums budget) Will be interesting to see the results.
• Here’s a new twist on the Salvation Army kettle bell ringer – a miniature horse that brings in about 10x the amount a human would over the same time period.

Fundraising

• How is your direct mail program faring? Visit FundraisingSuccess to see some sample from ASPCA (and search for others).
• What do you do when fundraising stops being fun? Amy Eisenstein shares some ideas here.
• Here’s a fun video: brain waves that show the two parts of a story that motivate giving (empathy and distress).
• Katya Andresen shares about the 6 things you must know about the science of persuasion.
• Donor Appreciation:  In this blog, Steve Thomas with OneiCity talks about five ideas to Wow donors.  Betsy Baker shared here about 6 ways to thank your donors (creatively and inexpensively).  Kivi Leroux Miller shares some examples of a few thank you videos (maybe this will give you a few ideas you can copy).

Leadership

• All nonprofits have a role to play in advocacy efforts.  Visit this article in The NonProfit Times to learn how to avoid lobbying pitfalls.
• Is your board doing all the right things as it relates to your success in fundraising?  Joanne Fritz shares thoughts on recent research results.
• Are you the new executive director?  Rebekah Basinger reveals the three questions you must ask to ensure you understand what the board really meant when they said they wanted change.
• Expanding your board?  Not sure who to look for?  Gayle Gifford shares her thoughts on the four types of leadership on a board.

Nonprofit News

• Curious about China’s response to the growth of the nonprofit sector?  This article from the Nonprofit Quarterly reflects on this: The Rise of the Nonprofit Sector in Post-Mao China.
• There’s been increased discussion of doing away with the charitable deduction. Visit this US News article and put your vote in for whether or not you think this should happen. In addition, here are some thoughts about how you can be a part of the advocacy effort to protect the charitable deduction.
• Here’s an interesting article about a United Way that requires it’s member agencies to file ‘cooperative proposals’ in that they would apply for funding for joint projects. Do you think this could/should happen in your community?
• #Giving Tuesday: Articles last week about #GivingTuesday ranged from one in The Chronicle of Philanthropy (trying to track the success of the day) to Tom on The Agitator getting a bit, shall we say, agitated over another arbitrary celebration day. In addition, here’s a post that ranks the donor experience for some of the participating organizations.