Nonprofit Lowdown

Ah, Giving Tuesday for fundraisers: it's like Christmas, Tax Day and Lunar New Year all rolled into one.  Love or hate it, my friend Asha Curran (CEO of Giving Tuesday) shares her perspective on it.  She offers some best practices, advice on what to avoid, surprising stats and how to inspire generosity year-round.  This is a really important and full-hearted interview for any (read: all) fundraisers who are thinking about participating in Giving Tuesday and joining the global generosity movement.  Top quote: "People don't get tired of giving just like they don't get tired of loving."   For more about Asha and Giving Tuesday: https://www.givingtuesday.org/

Y'all: the time has come to consider a crypto strategy for fundraising.  Join me and co-founder of the Giving Block, Pat Duffy, to discuss some of the misconceptions and benefits of accepting crypto for your nonprofit.  We discuss how to deal with volatility, some of the common misunderstandings and misgivings about crypto and some of the mistakes (i.e. don't put all your eggs into a crypto basket).  This is a really insightful and interesting episode for those looking for bigger donations and to engage younger donors.  Get it! For more about the Giving Block, check out: https://thegivingblock.com/

It's  Q4, y'all!  How many times can I say it?  You gotta get in the game!   Today's interview is with Suhailah Waheed who walks us through the top  five tips she has for how to launch a successful digital fundraising  campaign.  This includes warming up your audience, ignoring your vanity  metrics and realistic goals (i.e. you're probably not going to go  viral).  This is a must-listen for all the EDs and fundraisers trying to  make the most of year-end giving. For more about Suhailah, visit: https://www.givinggeeks.com/

Join me and communications expert Adora Drake as we talk about some of the do's and don'ts of nurturing your email list.  We talk about content strategies, how to move your audience from social media to your newsletter and how to do it without overwhelm.  As we head into year-end, Adora talks about how to plan for the new year.  Adora also has a freebie for Nonprofit Lowdown listeners available below. To get your freebie, visit: www.adoradrakemarketing.com/nonprofitlowdown/

Join me and Jess Campbell to talk about how to end your Q4 with a "W".  I always say that Q4 is the Superbowl of Fundraising and Jess walks us through how to make the most of it.  Jess talks about how to avoid the most common mistakes, how to embrace progress over perfection and ways to do year-end without making you crazy.  We also talk about "magic" words and why direct mail trumps all.  This is a must-listen unless you hate money.   To reference Jen Shang's work: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/09/giving/understanding-donor-behavior-to-increase-contributions.html To get in touch with Jess: https://www.outintheboons.me/

Join me and my dear friend Shanthi to talk about social media.  Shanthi is a social media strategist and communications expert who walks us through the nuts and bolts of social media.  More than just a "necessary evil," Shanthi tells us about where social media should fit into our fundraising strategy, how to connect with your audience and realistic ways to do social media without a dedicated team or burning out. To connect with Shanthi, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smblanchardjr/

Join me and filmmakers Tosca Davis and Cedric Smith to talk about their award-winning documentary film, TO BE US: To Work.  In this interview, they share their experiences of interviewing the experience of Black people at work and the harm and trauma experienced in predominantly white settings.  We discuss the relief of knowing you are not alone, of naming white supremacy at work and how to be an ally to our Black colleagues.  This is a critical conversation for all of us working towards equity and justice.  For more information about the film, visit: https://www.tobeusproductions.com/projects

I bemoan the fact that there is so little understanding between nonprofit people and corporate people.  Join me and my friend Lee Crockett as we explore the motivations that corporate folks have for joining nonprofit boards and how to make sure it's a fit on both sides.  Lee talks about ways to attract, recruit and utilize corporate people on your board.  Also, we share tips on how to use LinkedIn and to find the ever-elusive corporate board member of color.   For more about Lee, check out: https://leecrockett.com/

Have you ever considered developing a product to support your revenue goals?  Listen in to this conversation with Brenna Vaughn, founder of Mercantile for Good as we talk about the considerations for productizing.  She shares some successes and lessons learned from nonprofits that have gone to market with their products.  We cover how long to expect an ROI, what you should do (and not do) and how to know when to kill an idea.   For more about Brenna: https://mercantileforgood.com/

The nexus of generosity is where mission and donor purpose meet.  Listen in to my conversation with nXu founder Yutaka Tamura as we talk about his work in unlocking and connecting humans with their purpose.  Why does purpose matter?  Turns out, it drives everything from emotional well-being, community and even fundraising.  Yutaka shares actionable tips for us and asks some really evocative questions about purpose and why we're here. For more about Yutaka and nXu: https://www.nxueducation.org/