Magnolia Web Strategy

If you’re in LA, and are interested in wading into the world of online fundraising, I’m facilitating a NetSquared Meetup this coming Wednesday:

Getting Started With Online Fundraising

It’s more than just a “donate” button

Host: Eastside Los Angeles Netsquared Group
Date: Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Time: 18:30 – 21:00
Location: Asian Pacific American Legal Center
Street: 1145 Wilshire Blvd
Town/City: Los Angeles, CA

Visit the MeetUp page for more info.

A few days ago I sat in on this Care2 webinar “While They’re Hot!.” If you missed it, the good folks at the Frogloop Blog have posted the take-aways, along with a full audio clip of the webinar.

If you work in non-profit fundraising, do yourself a favor and check it out:

Care2’s latest monthly webinar on October 1st was called “While They’re Hot! Converting Fresh Leads Into Donors” and featured Heidi Hess of Children’s Defense Fund and Greg Zelder of the California State Parks Foundation, with Holly Ross of the Nonprofit Technology Enterprise Network (NTEN) moderating. Heidi and Greg presented case studies and discussed effective online engagement of potential donors at that very critical moment – right after they have signed up for a nonprofit’s email list.

Full blog post right here.

Do you know where your end-of-year campaign is?

As the air gets a little bit cooler and the days get shorter, it’s time to start hunkering down to plan your end-of-year giving campaign. Even in cooler economic times, end-of-year campaigns are still when the bulk of individual donations are received, so it’s always worth it to make sure you’re giving it all you’ve got and engaging your supporters like never before.

Not sure where to start? Here are some great resources:

Downloads:

A great e-book from Network for Good:
25 STEPS TO FALL & HOLIDAY FUNDRAISING SUCCESS

and last year’s great
Online Fundraising Survival Guide: 12 Winning Strategies to Survive & Thrive in a Down Economy

Links

Fundraising in a downturned economy

Fundraising when money is tight (audio transcript of interview with Mal Warwick)

Is integrated fundraising for real?

Ten things to avoid in email campaigns.

Ten best practices to increase online response rates. (you need to get a free membership for this article, but it’s worth it)

Slideshow:

If you’re new to the world of online fundraising, here’s a link to a training I recently did for Right To The City member organizations called Getting Started With Online Fundraising.

Webinars:

While They’re Hot! Converting Leads into Donors. (this one is October 1st and it’s free)

Case Foundation’s ‘Gear Up For Giving’ Social Media Tutorials (a series of several tutorials over a one-month span, also free)

I highly recommend the webinars. If you can’t make (or missed) the Oct. 1st webinar, be sure to check out the Case Foundation’s series. They’re all presented by highly skilled experts and you really can’t go wrong with that price.

All that great reading got your idea mill rolling? Looking to put a little extra ooomph into your end-of-year giving campaign and need a little help making it happen?

Contact us anytime to discuss how together we can make your 2009 holiday giving season your best one yet. That’s what we’re here for.

A few days back I was looking around for some online auction tools, reviews, feedback, etc., and put the question out to the Progressive Exchange listserve. The fantastic folks at Idealware emailed back with this article.

If you’re looking at holding an auction and aren’t sure where to start, this helped me out a lot.

An online charity auction can be a good way to raise money, rally support for your cause, and, hopefully, have some fun. Like any special event, though, an online auction requires solid planning and a fair amount of staff time. What it won’t require, however, is substantial technical expertise. There are several good online platforms that will host and help you manage your online auction.

What should you be thinking about as you consider an online auction? What tools might work well? We asked five nonprofit professionals with experience in auctions for their advice and their software recommendations.

A few weeks ago I presented at an online training for the national Right To The City coalition. Rob Gitin of At The Crossroads, and brains behind the brilliant I Think I Can campaign was my co-presenter. I spoke about the basics (the very fundamentals, i.e. starting from no plan) of online fundraising, and he discussed what’s possible.

If you’re interested, here’s the slidedeck. It’s also pretty basic, so I’ve included my notes.

I would be remiss if I didn’t pass along my sources, since I’ve learned everything I know a combination of other people and my own trial-and-error/trial-and-success experiences. Putting the presentation together, I relied on Network For Good’s Fundraising 123 articles for best practices and ideas. It’s one of the best libraries of reference materials out there. Also, Madeline Stanionis’s articles are a great reference. I encourage you to check them out.

“Nobody cares about your website,” Gerry McGovern tells business folks: “Your customers couldn’t care less about your new look, your new design or whether your dog has just had kittens.”

So never mind the navel-gazing and self-congratulation, the personal stories, the excuses for a lack of recent updates, or the announcement of your new blog design… The primary job of your website is to meet the needs of your “customers,” not to blow your own horn.

Focus on your audience: That’s the single most important piece of advice you’ll ever get about publishing a successful website or blog.

Does this advice apply equally to non-profits?

Yes, and no.

Read the full article at Wild Apricot

So says Trendwatching.  Here’s the logic.  People are disgusted by the forces that led to the recession.  They are seeking authenticity and meaning.  Which is making giving the new taking:

Passionate, empowered individuals (if not entire generations) being more willing and able to give, to share, to collaborate; to be more ‘generous’ in many ways.

Visit Katya’s blog for full story.