Crafting subjects for year-end fundraising emails
All month, I've been seeing some odd email subjects trying to get me to give. Would you open any of these? An Appeal From [Nonprofit] CEO [Name] It's Not Too Late for Your 2010 Tax Deduction: Support [nonprofit] Today Since we are at year-end, could you re-visit your...
Merry Christmas from the Pitman Family!
A fun video from my family to yours! Without them, I wouldn't be able to do all I do at FundraisingCoach! I posted this to Facebook earlier today. If we're not friends on Facebook let's fix that! I'm at: http://facebook.com/marcapitman
Wreck the resolutions! Join the Free Goal Setting Mastermind Call
Wreck the New Year Resolutions! Statistically, they'll be over by the end of January anyway! Lets set goals for 2011 that will bring us through the year. So I'm offering a free conference call on Thursday, December 30 to help us jumpstart 2011. There have been lots of...
Could you help with a 3 question survey
All year, people have told me that hour long webinars are just too long. We're all pressed for time. So I'm starting a 22 Minute Institute: 22 minute webinars focusing on some aspect of either: Fundraising, Leadership, or Social Media Would you help me shape this...
Don’t coast through this week!
Many people will be taking this week to relax, at least mentally. Especially in countries that celebrate Christmas. But as I just reminded the members of 501 Mission Place, those of us in fundraising can't afford to rest yet. I mentioned in an earlier post on thanking...
Suggested Reading for Goal Setting
In earlier posts, I gave a brief overview a goal setting process I use. And I warned that nothing about it was original. Here are some of the books that have helped me over the years: Stephen Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" [amazon affiliate link],...
Google Chrome for a Cause: Boon or bust?
I just saw a tweet from @legaleagle2010 about the USAToday's story on Google's Chrome for a Cause. Apparently, installing this extension will let you donate money for every tab you open in a day. You're able to choose to support either: The Nature Conservancy,...
![[Guest Post] 7 ways to thank a donor](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/02231255/david_mersky.gif)
[Guest Post] 7 ways to thank a donor
This week I'm thrilled to introduce you to David A. Mersky. David is the Founder and Managing Director of Mersky, Jaffe & Associates, a consulting firm that works with nonprofits to provide financial and human resource development solutions. More importantly, he's...
SMART Goals – a fun look at a goal setting acronym
In the last post on goal setting, we looked at how to identify goals for all areas of your life. I firmly believe that if you did nothing more than write those goals down, you'll be exponentially more effective at accomplishing them. S.M.A.R.T. Goals Explained But you...
Give a goat! A great social media call to action
Check out this very effective call to action. World Vision took a page out of Heifer International's catalog and adapted it to a social media world. The text is just: Help save a child's life with milk, cheese and more! Give a goat Clicking on the image takes...
Goal Setting for Personal and Professional Development
I just love the week of Thanksgiving. Having those few days off to be with family and friends puts me in a reflective mode that I find perfect for formalizing my 2011 goals. I say "formalizing" because I'm constantly working on my goals, scheduling speaking gigs and...
![[Guest Post] Why it’s time for YOU to say good-bye to free WiFi](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/02231221/petershankman.jpg)
[Guest Post] Why it’s time for YOU to say good-bye to free WiFi
I've long been a fan of Peter Shankman and the company he founded called HARO. Last month he posted a warning about free wifi that resonated with me. He gave me permission to repost it here. I hope it helps keep you safe! Why it's time for YOU to say good-bye to free...
There and back again: A fundraising trainer’s journey to New Zealand
I checked out my site today and saw the message on the left from my TripIt widget. It's good to be home. But I had a great time doing fundraising training for the last few weeks in New Zealand. I taught 9 times in about 10 days: 5 times at the TONIC conference in...
Membership Dues vs. Annual Fund
This week I'm honored to introduce Ken Meifert. Ken is the Senior Director of Development at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, NY. He's overseen the growth of their membership program from 7,000 to more than 30,000 members. So I've asked...
QR Codes: The Future of Fundraising?
Earlier this fall, I was at the National Catholic Development Conference in Chicago. Wandering through the exhibit hall, I came across this flyer. If you're like me, you don't really know what that box is in the upper righthand corner. It's called a "QR Code."...
501 Mission Place: helping nonprofits do more with less
If you're on my email list, you know I've been hinting at a cool new project I've been working on. It's finally here! 501 Mission Place launches today! Here's the story as it is on the site: 501 Mission Place - Who & Why We Are Like so many of the organizations that...
Get the most out of Facebook
This week, I'm honored to introduce John Haydon. John knows Facebook and he knows nonprofits. In this post, he shares some apps for using Facebook even more effectively! Check out his blog at www.JohnHaydon.com To help you get the most out of your Facebook Page, there...
How to begin blogging and tweeting
Q: How do I get started blogging and using Twitter? Are there classes I can take? Great questions. Blogging and tweeting can be terrific ways to do the "engage" and "love" steps of the "Get R.E.A.L." fundraising process! Here are some tips to get you started. Blogging...
The three very serious diseases for nonprofit marketers to avoid like the plague
With this guest post, I'm pleased to introduce Katya Andresen. Katya is the COO of Network for Good and the author of Robin Hood Marketing. I love Katya's ability to help nonprofits focus their marketing and I talk about her in most of my trainings! Folks, please...
Fundraising Secret #53: Take Ballroom Dancing Lessons
I can hear you already, “Ballroom dancing?! What does ballroom dancing have to do with fundraising?” First, as a life coach, I help people define success in all areas of their life, not just their jobs. So naturally, while you’re reading tips on this blog, I’m hoping...
What’s the One Secret to Winning Foundation Grants?
This week, I'm introducing you to Pamela Grow. If your board wants you trying for grants, read this post. Then head over to Pamela's blog to sign up for her free 5-part course on successful foundation funding. “It does not happen all at once. There is no instant...
How to use Wordle and LinkedIn to help your job search
How to use Wordle and LinkedIn to help your job searchTonight, Chris Brogan led a webinar on how to enhance your job search with social presence. He shared a ton of great info! You can see the tweets by searching the #hbwjobs. One of the ideas was using Wordle to see...
Fundraising Secret #90: Don’t get distracted by stationery
When we start our nonprofit, we seem obsessed with is buying stationery and business cards. I think we feel these somehow show that we’re a legitimate organization. Good quality stationery is nice and can be a benefit. You definitely should look professional, but...
Year-end fundraising through the mail
I asked Sandy Rees from GetFullyFunded.com to do this guest blog post. She wrote a great book on fundraising letters. If you haven't thought of your year end appeal, read this post of her ideas & then create your strategy! And be sure to let us know in the comments...
Fundraising Secret #59: Get Training for Your Board Members and Volunteers
As a fundraising professional, you should be getting fundraising and leadership training annually. But I've heard that the average development professional stays in their position for 18 months. Since the downturn of 2008 that might be a little longer. In any case,...
![[Guest Post] Getting Started with Social Media](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/02231054/501Videos-3thingsondonatepageFrankBarry.png)
[Guest Post] Getting Started with Social Media
Social media continues to grow in both popularity and reach. It accounts for 22.7% of time spent on the web. Newspapers and television shows are constantly referring to Twitter and Facebook. It’s even been said that Nonprofits are among the leaders in social media adoption. With all the buzz it’s likely you’ve started asking yourself “how can my organization use social media to enhance our online efforts?” I’ve got a few thoughts and ideas for you.
Great reason to NOT fundraise with Facebook
What would you do if your nonprofit's only web presence and online fundraising were in Facebook? I recently loaded Facebook but got this page. Apparently, Facebook was experiencing instability. While it still happens frequently with Twitter, this is rare in my...
Fundraising Secret #105: Stay Curious
As a fundraiser, it's so easy to get jaded. To think we've seen it all. But curiousity is one of the most important tools a fundraiser can have. It helps in every step of the “Get R.E.A.L.” fundraising process: Research: If you’re curious, you will not just enter...
Fundraising Coach Marc Pitman on Fox 25 Boston
I recently had the opportunity to talk about fundraising on many news shows. It's so much fun getting people excited about asking for money! Here's my interview on Fox 25 Boston: You can see all of the interviews on my Fundraising Coach speaker page at:...
Show your face on blogs
"Sheesh. I can't remember their name...but if I saw their face! Then I'd know them!" How often have you heard that said? Or said it yourself? If you're doing nonprofit marketing or fundraising on the web with social media like Facebook and Twitter, you know the...