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3 Proven Techniques to Boost Performance
February 1, 2014

As an industry, let’s get out on the edge for once — start taking advantage of the shifts in donor behavior and leverage the technology that’s available to us. Here are a few ideas to help you along the path of beefing up your online fundraising efforts.

10 Must-Have Elements for Nonprofit Websites
January 30, 2014

You know you cannot undermine the power of a well-built website. It’s your most powerful business card, a communication interface between you and your stakeholders. At some point all your donors, partners, volunteers and every person interested in your nonprofit organization will set foot on your website, so you better be prepared. I bet you’ve seen awesome websites and terrible ones, so here is a list of essential elements that will set any website on the right path.

Text-to-Give Upheaval Threatens to Rewrite Mobile Fundraising
January 23, 2014

While text-to-give was an early, high-profile mobile-marketing success story, recent developments and the availability of other potentially more effective strategies could result in a shrinking role going forward. Last fall, the major wireless carriers stopped supporting premium SMS, but not text-to-give programs for nonprofits and political campaigns. However, the upheaval and uncertainty caused by the news is just one reason nonprofits could begin looking beyond text-to-give.

Why the Facebook Ads Grant Petition for Nonprofits Is a Terrible Idea
January 20, 2014

Following the release of Facebook’s new “donate now” feature for nonprofit brand pages, a few intrepid and well-meaning fundraising and marketing experts rejuvenated an existing petition imploring Facebook to issue grants to nonprofits in order to create ads gratis.

The idea behind this campaign is that, although the “donate now” button is a great addition, its visibility will be greatly reduced due to the fact that Facebook’s algorithm favors users and brands who use its paid products, such as ads and sponsored posts. Nonprofits, in general, lack the ad budget to keep up.

Map Your Nonprofit's Communications Calendar Today
January 9, 2014

If you work in communications, you know what the month of January brings: sure, snow and freezing temperatures, but also … planning time! Many nonprofits do their planning at the end of their fiscal years — which could be in June or March or December. But, no matter when your organization does its planning, January is when you, the communications staff person, must map out your communications plan for the year.

Jahi McMath Case Used as Consumer Watchdog Fundraising Tool
January 9, 2014

The case of Jahi McMath, the 13-year-old girl who was declared brain-dead after a tonsillectomy at Children's Hospital Oakland, is now the centerpiece of a political fundraising effort aimed at lifting California's $250,000 cap for pain and suffering awards in medical malpractice cases.

Consumer Watchdog, a Southern California nonprofit that has teamed up with the state's trial lawyers on a proposed November ballot initiative to lift the limit, just sent out a mailer to supporters saying, "Hospitals like Children's actually have an incentive to let children like Jahi die."