Almost exactly two years ago, I wrote my first blog post. Here's an excerpt from that first post: "Are you looking for a blog that focuses on the industry through the rear-view mirror? Are you looking for a blog that provides tactics on how to be a better fundraiser and what items can be tested in your next mailing? Well - the bad news is that this may not be the blog for you ...
"There are some amazing blogs out there for nonprofit marketers and fundraisers to help with programs and campaigns. This blog is going to put an interesting twist on all of this. Whether you are someone who has been around a long time — or someone who is up and coming in the industry — we can all agree the need for fundamental change in how we do our jobs is critical for success in the future. We also can probably agree there are a lot of great ideas, visions and discussions about this — but not a lot of action. Navigating Off the Napkin is about just that — let's stop talking and pontificating about change and let's start doing it. Let's move those conversations off the 'back of the napkin' and start creating real change in the industry ...
"... As an industry, we owe it to all of our critical missions to have the best strategies and tactics in place within our donor programs. But, as organizations, we owe it to our donors to provide better experiences and communicate in a way that builds and prioritizes relationships.
"Let me warn you — if the words 'experience' and 'relationships' make you roll your eyes or make you uncomfortable, consider this a personal, special invitation for you to not just read the blog but participate with me and provide your point of view through comments and even through being a guest author. This blog is not going to be completely comfortable for everyone — but it is going to bring up topics that must be talked about."
Over the last 75 blog posts, we've had disagreements, laughs, discussions and "hell ya's" — and we've decided that over the next three weeks we're going to remind you of some of the hottest topics, questions and debates from the time we've spent together.
Here are the first 20 blogs from Navigating Off The Napkin. Enjoy, and see you next week with 20 more of our "change-based" conversations ...
- "Families and Friends and Peers ... Oh My!!!" — What has nearly 4 million volunteers each year, raises more than $75 million in revenue and is not an event? And, more importantly, is your nonprofit doing it?
- "A Walk Around the Track With an Event Donor" — Granted, I know that a group of eight people does not represent an entire audience segment, but this is not the first time I've interviewed a group of donors and supporters to find that opinions and expectations do not always line up with what we believe within our own walls.
- "One Day I Talked to a Great Finance Executive ..." — The heat index in New York City was 107 degrees. Who would have thought the session I participated in with a finance executive and a bunch of fundraising executives would have been just that hot, right?
- "Of Course We Have a Mobile Strategy (Don't We?)" — I've been talking to organizations about their mobile strategies. Many of them are of the belief that this means the ability for someone to access their websites on a mobile device.
- "The 8 Basics of Donor Retention" — Whatever you do, don't think you are "above the basics." How does your organization measure up on the eight basics of donor retention?
- "Sacred Cows: Battling Ourselves" — As we compete to drive the greatest donor experience, create the best offers for our supporters and communicate to build the best relationships, sometimes our own sacred cows get in the way.
- "Our Channels and the Morgue" — There are reports that can make you feel better and other reports that can keep you up at night. We are a data-based industry, so we know that data can be looked at in a myriad of ways.
- "Are We Ready for These Young Kids?" — Are these literally tomorrow's donors? No. But, they are a consumer group that will enter our priority space in the next five to 10 years.
- "The Intricacies of a Successful Sandbox" — I've been around the block a few times, and I've been on both sides of the block. I've run programs at nonprofits, and I've worked at agencies. What all this means is that I've seen my share of agency relationships.
- "I'm Ticked Off!" — To measure the effectiveness of a brand based on a single channel or a single campaign strategy is a terrible mistake. And, honestly, I'd like to see the media report on what matters — not just something that has a shock factor.
- "What's Your Personal Brand?" — Funny how such a simple, five-letter word (brand) can be so complex and so much more than just a logo.
- "Survey Results Are In! (The Real Skinny on Nonprofit Data)" — This information, if used correctly, paints the picture of how people connect to our organizations — and those connections are critical to helping predict the future connections.
- "Hey You — Please Take This 10-Question Survey"
- "Modeling — Taking It Straight From the Experts (Part 2)" — Modeling: The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know what the experts were thinking — so I decided to just ask! For the most part, what is in this article are direct comments/quotes from the folks that I believe are the brightest and the best in our industry around this topic.
- "Modeling — Taking it Straight from the Experts (Part 1)" — The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to know what the experts were thinking in this area — so I decided to just ask! For the most part, what is in this article are direct comments/quotes from the folks that I believe are the brightest and the best in our industry around this topic.
- "Comfort Does Not = Innovation" — In the end, it's not about creating a new goal; it's about creating a better way to achieve that goal. Marketing innovation helps you keep your current constituents and helps you find new constituents faster and more efficiently. Aren't those your goals already? So, why isn't innovation a formal part of the plan? Ask yourself that ... and then ask your executives.
- "Social Media & Relationship Building May Not Mean Immediate Money — and That's OK!" — The primary advice about social media is to take your time and do it right. You are building relationships, and that is not going to happen overnight. Be consistent, be true to your mission and stay active on these channels. It works.
- "Are We Focused on the Wrong Metrics for the Long Run?" — As with every evolutionary process, it's time to go to the next stage — moving from focusing on all the data to focusing on the right data. That's where the confusion comes in — what exactly is the right data to measure?
- "Change: Managing to the Inevitable" — Nonprofits have experienced a dramatically changed climate in the last decade — yet, unfortunately, most nonprofits have not changed themselves.
- "'Are We Mailing Too Much?' Is the Wrong Question" — An industry study in 2011 found that "too much" was only a problem if the messaging wasn't relevant. Hence, the questions we should be asking ourselves are what our donors expect, how they feel and what we're doing to drive a great communication experience with our brands.
- Categories:
- Fundraiser Education
- Metrics
- NonProfit Pro
Vice President, Strategy & Development
Eleventy Marketing Group
Angie is ridiculously passionate about EVERYTHING she’s involved in — including the future and success of our nonprofit industry.
Angie is a senior exec with 25 years of experience in direct and relationship marketing. She is a C-suite consultant with experience over the years at both nonprofits and agencies. She currently leads strategy and development for marketing intelligence agency Eleventy Marketing Group. Previously she has worked at the innovative startup DonorVoice and as general manager of Merkle’s Nonprofit Group, as well as serving as that firm’s CRM officer charged with driving change within the industry. She also spent more 14 years leading the marketing, fundraising and CRM areas for two nationwide charities, The Arthritis Foundation and the American Cancer Society. Angie is a thought leader in the industry and is frequent speaker at events, and author of articles and whitepapers on the nonprofit industry. She also has received recognition for innovation and influence over the years.