Big Duck

When Branding Means Bupkis
April 28, 2014

A strong brand isn’t about having the right logo, tagline, messages or other things you’ll use to communicate. First and foremost, a strong brand is your reputation, and it emerges from your work, which has to be clear and should be excellent.

Over the past 20 years, it’s become obvious to me that a good organizational development process is critical to making sure the organization is still clear about its vision, mission, values and objectives.

4 Ways to Show Your Donors Some Love
February 7, 2014

Finding ways for your nonprofit to better communicate with your supporters will never go out of style — or be an activity you limit to one time of year. So while you may still be feeling the buzz of the new year, here are four ways to show your donors some love: 1. Revisit your ask. 2. Chart out your moments of communication — and seize them as opportunities to connect. 3. Divide and conquer. 4. Dive in to the future and put some social in your fundraising.

What Nonprofits Should Start Doing in 2014: Advice From the Experts
December 31, 2013

Here are things nonprofits should start doing in 2014, according to fundraising experts: keep an eye on the numbers, think about the second gift, experiment with raising money from the crowd, step up efforts to show impact, think multigenerational and take visuals seriously.

Who's Asking During Your Year-End Appeal?
November 5, 2013

An effective year-end fundraising campaign plan requires a lot of thoughtful planning. One question to throw into the mix is — who’s asking? Take some time to think not just about what you are saying to donors, but who is delivering the message. This includes whose signature is at the end of your direct-mail letter, what name is in the “from” field in your e-mails and who (if anyone) is calling up past donors to remind them to give.

Words to Avoid: 2013 Edition
February 13, 2013

I’m including the usual annual caveats about this list of words, especially this: If any word on the list is truly the most effective choice for reaching your reader, please go ahead and use it. I would simply suggest that you ask yourself if it’s truly the most effective choice. And, with that, here are a few words that Big Duck recommends you avoid (or at least be fully conscious that you’re using).