Fundraising Secret #23: Test your own system
On a whim, I decided to go through the process of buying my own Ask Without Fear! fundraising ebook from a new listing I'd posted on Craigslist. Oy. What an experience. First, I found out I couldn't buy my own book from the seller's PayPal or GoogleCheckout account....
Would you help me with Technorati?
I've been "on" Technorati since 2005, but I haven't done anything with it. If you find the information on this blog helpful, would you click here to favorite it in Technorati? Thanks in advance!!
Really Tweet Twitter Tips from Anne Jackson
Anne Jackson just posted some great Anne's list!
Golden Opportunity
I just got back from a talk about the changing labor force in Maine. It's a very complex and challenging picture. The short form is that we're facing an aging population without the evidence of a younger people coming in to fill the jobs. And the older people that are...
Social networking and fundraising
This question came across one of the listservs I'm on Is there anyone using social networking sites such as Facebook for fundraising in any way? If so, can you provide details and is it successful? I think we all need to be asking this kind of question! Here's my...
Just “ok”
Sue Hoye over at the Chronicle of Philanthropy's Prospecting blog offers disturbing statistics about donor experiences with nonprofits. The Great American Donor Survey, conducted by Campbell Rinker, a marketing research company in Valencia, Calif., that specializes in...
Fundraising Secret #22: Use a Z-Fold
I promised to provide very practical advice. Here's a quick tip that will improve virtually all your written communications: fold your letters so the donor names shows up when they open the envelope. This simple technique is powerful. Studies and experience show that...
Ask Without Fear! radio show
Well, my intended guest Stephen Nill, founder and CEO of CharityChannel.com was embroiled in nasty network outages that kept him from being on the show. I guess this was bound to happen with a live radio show! 🙂 So I took the unexpected time to wax eloquent on...
Americans continue generous giving
Estimated giving in 2007 grew about 3.9 percent from the previous year according to a recent press release from Giving USA, a group that has measured these statistics for decades. It appears that Americans gave about $306.39 billion. This in a year that had rising gas...
Another frugal $10 million donor
Here's another story in the growing collection of unassuming people that become noteworthy philanthropists by leaving millions of dollars to charity. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that James Ebbert, the son of a sharecropper, left $10 million to charities in...
Capital campaign feasibility studies on a shoe string
Here's a great question I got today: Hi, Marc! I've got a question for you.... Normally, I think it's best for a third party (read, consultant) to conduct a feasibility study. However, right now we don't have enough of a donor base to consider a wide-spread campaign...
The cure for hospital fundraising woes?
Holly Hall at the Chronicle's Prospecting Blog reported on comments from the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy's CEO, Bill McGinley. The healthcare system is incredibly complex. And hospitals haven't done a great job telling their story and how they contribute...
Direct mail fundraising still has legs
Elizabeth Schwinn over at Philanthropy.com has a great post about direct mail fundraising. Studies are showing that boomers are responding at about the same rate as their parents. Apparently, boomers haven't gotten the news that direct mail isn't working. 🙂 You can...
“Ask Without Fear!” is selling as well as Bill Clinton’s “Giving”
See for yourself. Yes, he has sold millions of copies. But today, he and I are neck and neck on Amazon! 🙂
“Ask Without Fear!” in the news
I just got back from the AMA conference in DC and found this article in the Eastern Maine Healthcare Systems newsletter: Inland Author Strives for Healthy Communities Three years ago, Marc Pitman joined Inland Hospital as director of the Inland Foundation. Since he...
Ask Without Fear! listed as “top read”
Roger Carr just listed Ask Without Fear! as one of the "Top 7 Reads for Nonprofit Marketers and Fundraisers." He's listed it in an auspicious group! Others on the list include Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes and Made to Stick: Why...
3 of the happiest thank you notes
I just signed three thank you notes that have given me more joy than any I've had the privilege to sign: one to each of my kids ages 8, 6, and 3. On Father's Day, they gave my breakfast in bed. They also each gave 25 cents to the Foundation. They knew I raised money...
Don Philabaum, guest on the Ask Without Fear radio show
I had a wonderful conversation with Don Philabaum, President & CEO of Internet Strategies Group. Among the things we discussed were: Why most nonprofit online communities fail when Facebook and YouTube succeed; Why most of your nonprofits alumni, members, or donors...
Fundraising Secret #21: Is this about me or about you?
I just got an email from a person I didn't know telling me about a firm I didn't ask about. It felt like spam. Here's my response: Hi [marketer's name], I'm not sure how we connected. This feels a bit unsolicited to me. For what it's worth: I love that you...
Don Philabaum is my guest tomorrow on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show
I'm pleased to announce that Don Philabaum founder of www.internetstrategiesgroup.com and author of numerous books is my guest Tuesday on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show! Join us as we talk about nonprofits, technology, and relationships. Click on...
Guilt Free Fundraising
I had fun today creating a parody of a sales letter for fundraising consulting. You can see it at www.GuiltFreeFundraising.com. It's loosely based on the calls I've gotten from people over the last 10 years asking me to do their fundraising for them. It's all meant in...
Special Fundraising Book Bundle for your board and volunteers
I originally wrote Ask Without Fear! to be used with boards of directors and groups of volunteers. So I'm offering a special "Board Bundle": order 10 books at a 35% discount. 10 copies of Ask Without Fear! would normally cost $149.50. But purchased with this bundle,...
Fundraising Coach articles at Network for Good
I'm honored to have my Do It Yourself Fundraising featured at Network for Good's Learning Center www.fundraising123.org. Since articles on that site are "snack size," mine is served in three portions: Get R.E.A.L: Four Steps to a Successful Fundraising Plan The 3...
Email fundraising
The Chronicle of Philanthropy posts about Seth Godin's tips for email marketing. Among the key items on Mr. Godin’s list: Could I do this note better with a phone call? Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it? Does...
Highlands in WSJ
I've been a fan of the Highlands Abilities Battery ever since I took it back in 2002. It's still something that helps me in finding the right "place" for myself. And like Victor Kiam, I liked the company so much I became a trained administrator of the Battery. So I...
“Ask Without Fear!” hits #46 on Amazon’s nonprofit list
Ask Without Fear!: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors With What Matters to Them Most hit #46 on Amazon's "Nonprofit & Charities" list, right along side of the long-term mainstays like Jerry Panas' Mega Gifts! Thanks for your support. It's gratifying to see this book...
How To Compete
Katya Andresen has a great post on how to compete like a champ in a tough economy. She expands on this in her interview on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show. I've also written about how to recession proof your fundraising. In a similar vein, Nancy Schwartz has a good...
Fundraising Secret #20: Ask people to do something specific
I'm reading Katya Andresen's Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes. It's pretty amazing...and I'm only 25 pages into the book. I'm simply floored by her first "Robin Hood Principle": Focus on Getting People to Do Something Specific. In her...
Katya Andresen is my guest tomorrow on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show
I wanted to remind you that the Katya Andresen of http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/ and author of Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes is my guest TODAY on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show! Join us as we talk about nonprofit...
Extendable ears
Most of my nonprofit executive coaching clients are surprised that so much of my "Ask Without Fear!" fundraising training is based on listening. I guess most of us fall into the trap of thinking that all we need to do is memorize a great schpeal, give it, and wait for...