Creative

Kid Rock is diving deeper into politics and creating a nonprofit organization to promote voter registration among Americans, the musician announced in a statement on his website late Wednesday. "The one thing I've seen over and over is that although people are unhappy with the government, too few are even registered to vote or do…

Storytelling has been "hot" for some time now and for good reason. Our human brains are wired for storytelling. We’re automatically open and receptive. So, you’d be foolish not to use this to your advantage when it comes to your nonprofit marketing and fundraising—especially if your goal is to raise money. Storytelling is not difficult once you get the knack of it...

Not surprisingly, most development professionals have a long "To-Do" list. It can feel overwhelming to keep up with data-entry, make donor phone calls, draft mailings and reports and more. Being able to cross things off our list can feel great...

A mission to correctly present history powers this museum’s direct mail membership effort.

A mission to correctly present history powers this museum’s direct mail membership effort. Mailer Name: National Museum of African American History & Culture Date Mailed: March 2016 to March 2017 The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum. This appeal calls its recent opening a “momentous step forward in […]

Jeff and I have talked quite a bit about “taking the donor to the scene,” the phrase that describes using words and pictures to help the donor understand, feel and “see” the need. The same thing is true on the backside of giving—the stewardship side. If you can show the donor what his or her giving has done, through a picture and a story, it can have a tremendous impact...

“If you are moved to such a degree that you feel the pain, and that you can feel the tears running down your face, then you’re looking at an opportunity to make a change, to make a difference in the world.” — John Francis I love this quote by John Francis, because it captures what […]

The carrier envelope is the key to the success of this bird conservation group’s direct mail membership campaign.

Business writing skills are more important than ever before. In a world full of emails and messages, you need to be able to get your point across in writing. If you feel you need some help with your business writing skills, here are nine tips that will help you improve...

I have spoken at and attended many of my clients’ national leadership meetings, supporting their peer-to-peer income streams. I have been in a lot of bars (for the sake of science), have been in a lot of conference hotels and have spoken with a lot of volunteer leaders about how they came to be there...