Solutions

Reflecting economic conditions in the marketplace, the average salary adjustment for staff positions in nonprofit organizations decreased marginally from 4.0% to 3.8% between 2007 and 2008. However, this may not account for the significant downturn in the U.S. economy from September through December of 2008. According to a new study released by Total Compensation Solutions (TCS), financial conditions in the economy are reflected in the level of charitable contributions received by nonprofit charitable organizations and this, in turn, may impact the salary budgets for those organizations. This suggests that nonprofits may need to take decisive action in either cutting back staff or reducing the salary budgets for the upcoming year.

An organization’s brand touches a person’s head, heart and spirit, says Tony Elischer, managing director of U.K.-based THINK Consulting Solutions. “A brand is a relationship that creates and secures an emotional connection to a cause in a profound way that leads to a funding preference and volunteer loyalty,” Elischer said in his session, “Brandraising: Securing Share of Mind, Heart and Spirit,” at the 2008 Bridge Conference held last month in Washington, D.C. “Do a brand right, and a donor will trust you. They will tolerate us asking for money,” he said. Branding can make or break an organization. Marketers must own and drive an

Over the past year, constituent relationship management software vendors for nonprofits have been parading around the concept of “open” to the marketplace like presidential candidates touting “change.” Like “change,” “open” is something everyone wants, but few people define it the same way. This creates confusion and, inevitably, disappointment for customers who expect their concept of “open,” but get the vendor’s version instead. Even worse, all the marketing buzz around the “open revolution” is obscuring the real question: How does your organization truly get the unique CRM features and functionality its business processes require to execute your mission and change lives? CRM today is the

In talking about international non-governmental organisations, it’s tempting to treat them as a homogenous group. But they differ widely due to their governance structures: headquarters/branch operations, federations, loose networks and various confederations. Therefore, their approaches to global fundraising management can be quite different. So spotting trends among them can be difficult, but let’s see what’s on the INGO agenda.

This month, as we turn our focus to the international face of fundraising, I’m turning over my column and a large part of the editorial planning for the issue to the charismatic, highly regarded Tony Elischer, who very kindly agreed to act as Guest Editor.

Mobilizing board members to fundraise often requires a jump start. In her book, “The Best of the Board Cafe: Hands-on Solutions for Nonprofit Boards,” Jan Masaoka offers actionable tips that provide the spark necessary to enhance board involvement. Masaoka is the former executive director of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, a nonprofit consulting and training firm, and is editor of the Board Cafe, an online newsletter that offers ideas, information, news and other resources to help board members maximize their service. The book is a compilation of some of the most popular articles from the Board Cafe e-newsletter. It includes page after page of useful information

Following is a sampling of lists available to reach men and parents as potential donors.

Retention is Key DRM Component March 7, 2006 By Abny Santicola, associate editor, FundRaising Success One of the key indicators of your donor relationships' quality is your retention rate. Lapsed donors and those failing to send second gifts are the No. 1 signs of failed relationships. And everyone knows that trying to reactivate a lapsed donor is far more costly than nurturing existing ones. This was the topic discussed by Heather Burton, production marketing manager at Sage Software Nonprofit Solutions; Nick Stavarz, president of Synergy Direct Marketing Solutions; and Jon Thorsen, general manager at Kintera, in their session on donor retention at the DMA

The Five Warning Signs of Direct-mail Fundraising Trouble Dec. 6, 2005 By Mark A. Jacobson Veterans of direct-mail fundraising campaigns know the challenges they face in keeping program ROIs on target: renewing donors acquired by premiums, trying to persuade telephone donors to renew by mail or e-mail, and battling increased lapsing rates among even the best donor segments. These issues and others like them decide direct-mail results in the here and now. But wouldn't it be great to deal with the challenges that lie at the base of these bigger issues before the Sword of Damocles appears over our heads? In direct-mail fundraising, it's

Recent do-not-call legislation has turned telefundraising into a battlefield. To speak on the current state of soliciting donations through the telephone lines is Jon Hamilton, CEO of Authtel Permission Solutions and president of JHA Telemanagement. Hamilton, a former president of the American Teleservices Association and chair of the Direct Marketing Association’s Telephone Marketing Council, spoke recently at the DMA Annual Teleservices Conference in Palm Beach, Fla.