Brandraising Jewishly
November 7-9, 2010
How can you use communications to take your Jewish organization to the next level? See how different Jewish nonprofits, including Masa Israel Journey, American Jewish World Service and the Foundation for Jewish Camp have been able to maintain their Jewish identity in a fresh modern way to engage audiences of all affiliations.
Based on
Sarah Durham's book "Brandraising: How to Raise Money and Increase Visibility through Smart Communications", (Jossey-Bass, 2010) this session, facilitated by Sarah Durham, will link vision, mission, to branding and beyond. It will help you expand the tools you use to communicate online and off, work with partners in the field, and ensure you're all speaking with one voice.
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brandraising, capacity-building, fundraising, Sarah Durham
Brandraising
September 23, 2010
Fundraisers are front-line communicators in most organizations. They help set and steer the organization's communications materials, speak on its behalf, and manage all sorts of perceptions and misperceptions that donors and prospects have. But most fundraisers don't fully embrace this aspect of their role. In the quest for support, key communications elements like the organization's branding, the tools and technologies it uses to build relationships, even the mission can be overlooked, or worse, thrown under the bus. In her keynote presentation,
Sarah Durham, author of "Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money through Smart Communications" (Jossey-Bass, 2010), will inspire you to embrace your inner (and outer) communicator- and use it as a powerful tool to reinvigorate your fundraising.
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brandraising, capacity-building, fundraising, Sarah Durham
Your path to storybook year-end fundraising starts here
August 2010
where do you actually start your year-end fundraising? More than almost anything, the strength of your campaign will depend on finding the right year-end story to tell your donors—and then telling it through every channel you’ve got. But how do you home in on a year-end story that’s both rooted in emotion and makes an urgent case for giving? Here are a few questions to get you started:
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capacity-building, fundraising, marketing
Cultivating strong relationships = big dollar
May 2010
Going into the 2009 year-end fundraising season, no one knew quite what to expect. Would donors cut back in the face of a still-floundering economy? Would they give less, or just not give at all?
As it turns out, most nonprofits did encounter a decline in overall revenue, according to the
Chronicle of Philanthropy’s annual survey. But many saw a distant light at the end of the economic tunnel in the form of online fundraising, with overall online revenue up 14% from 2008 according to
Convio’s 2010 Online Nonprofit Benchmark Study.
Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy (PPMD) , a long-time client of Big Duck’s, saw the story of the sector overall reflected in the returns from their integrated annual campaign—slight overall decline; big jump in online revenue. But their results tell another story, too, about the importance building strong relationships with your donors year-round, not just at year end.
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campaigns, capacity-building, fundraising
Build Your Brand Without Breaking the Bank
April 05, 2010
Sarah Durham speaks with GettingAttention.org about the concept of Brandraising and the value it has for increasing the impact of communications and fundraising for nonprofits of every size and budget level.
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brandraising, capacity-building, fundraising
Brandraising: Blogging for Dollars
March 22, 2010
Sure, blogs are great for communicating, but why not build in some giving opportunities while you’re at it? In this article,
Sarah Durham looks into nonprofit blogs and how they are leveraging their content to raise money for their organizations.
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capacity-building, fundraising, online
Fundraising 2009 – was it good for you?
February 2010
2009 ended on a high note for many nonprofits whose year-end appeals raised more money online than in 2008.
- According to Network for Good, online giving in December 2009 grew 25% compared to 2008.
- According to Blackbaud, it grew 32%.
- The average online gift in December 2009 remained relatively the same as it was in December 2008. The average gift processed via Network for Good was $153 (a 4% drop), and the average gift processed via Blackbaud was $244.17 (a 2% drop).
Because most nonprofits raise nearly 50% of their online donations during the October-December time period, we follow year-end campaigns closely. (We even created a few year-end campaigns for our clients, but more about that in a future Duck Pond issue.)
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campaigns, capacity-building, fundraising, messaging
“Sector Report: Fundraising 2009-2010”
January 01, 2010
Late last year,
Fundraising Success Magazine asked folks from all across the fundraising spectrum a series of questions focused on fundraising in 2009 and what lies ahead for the sector in 2010. In this article,
Sarah Durham and
Farra Trompeter share their analysis of 2009 and visions for 2010.
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fundraising, positioning
Go Mobile — An Interview with Katrin Verclas
September 25, 2008
With over 3.3 billion active mobile phone accounts worldwide, there's no more direct way to reach people. Activist and consultant Katrin Verclas shares insights into how organizations are using SMS technology to create social change, and what your organization may want to consider as you dive in.
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fundraising
Reaching them where they act
July 2008
Telling a good story means knowing your audience. It's important to know what you want them to do and how to reach them effectively.
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fundraising
The Warm Fuzzy of Giving
June 2008
In this edition of the Duck Pond, we explore the reasons people donate. Keep the following motivators in mind when writing your year-end appeal, email campaign, or online donation pages.
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fundraising
“This small nonprofit’s site needs to convey more warmth, cohesiveness and professionalism.”
May 01, 2008
Spread the warmth.
Sarah Durham and
Farra Trompeter suggest that Lancaster Yeshiva Center transfer some of the warmth from their website's photographs to other areas of their site.
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copywriting, fundraising
Advancing Philanthropy
March 27, 2008
Useful fundraising tools and strategies published by the Association of Fundraising Professionals.
(Visit link)
fundraising
The Agitator
March 27, 2008
Nonprofit direct marketing fundraising and advocacy tips from Roger Craver and Tom Belford.
(Visit link)
advocacy, fundraising
Contributions Magazine
March 27, 2008
Quarterly magazine with articles on board development, major gifts fundraising, donor research, direct mail fundraising, nonprofit marketing, online fundraising, and more.
(Visit link)
fundraising, marketing, nonprofit management
Donor Power Blog
March 27, 2008
Merkle’s Jeff Brooks offers advice about raising money from—and sharing power with—donors.
(Visit link)
fundraising
FundRaising Success Magazine
March 27, 2008
A practical guide to help nonprofit organizations raise money.
(Visit link)
fundraising
Diversifying your fundraising
March 26, 2008
Adding email and online banners to your year-end annual appeal can reap great rewards. In this episode of the Nonprofit Jungle, we’ll outline how Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy reached a broader base of donors with a few simple tools.
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direct mail, fundraising
“Medical facility’s site plays well to patients but could be more donor-friendly.”
March 01, 2008
Don’t forget your donors!
Sarah Durham and
Farra Trompeter applaud the Nevada Cancer Institute’s website for its clear, intuitive navigation and suggest ways in which the site could reach out to donors as effectively as it does to other audiences.
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fundraising
Case Study: Doubling Donations to a Year-End Appeal
March 2008
Finding a fresh approach to the year-end appeal is an annual challenge for nonprofits. This case study shows how Big Duck nearly doubled the money raised from the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy appeals of years' past.
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fundraising
“AIDS Organization’s Site Lacks Passion, Power”
January 01, 2008
Organizations generate and sustain support by inspiring an emotional connection with their donors.
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fundraising
Branding for Bigger Gifts
November 2006
Understanding the core elements of branding and why your organization should understand how its visuals and messaging can strengthen relationships with donors.
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branding, fundraising
“Don’t Rob Peter to Pay Paul”
October 01, 2006
Nonprofits can build relationships with their supporters by creating a strong brand and ensuring that special campaign communications reflect and support it.
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branding, fundraising
Increase your appeal this holiday season
July 2006
Improve your direct mail strategies by with unique creative and an integrated, multi-channel approach.
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design, direct mail, fundraising
Pack Your Writing and Design With A Valuable Punch
May 2006
Appeal to your donors' values to inspire a more personal, emotional commitment to your organization and its mission.
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copywriting, design, fundraising
“Feel The Burn: How your site can go from not to hot”
April 15, 2006
Careful organization and thoughtful design make for a successful website.
Sarah Durham, Big Duck’s principal, and Ksenia Lobanova, senior designer, talk about ways in which a nonprofit can make their website stand above the rest and serve as an effective fundraising, awareness-raising, and advocacy tool.
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fundraising
Big Duck Sarah Durham Awarded “Top Fundraiser Under 40”
March 2006
FundRaising Success magazine recognizes Big Duck’s founder and principal for her work changing the way nonprofits perceive themselves and communicate.
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fundraising
“Don’t Box Me In”
February 01, 2006
Nonprofits can ditch direct-mail duds and create unique direct-mail pieces and appeals that do more than just fundraise — they generate advocacy and goodwill, too. Big Duck highlights examples from Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, New York City Mission Society, and City Harvest, and offers tips for jump-starting your direct mail campaign.
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direct mail, fundraising
“Making Charity Milestones”
January 12, 2006
Anniversary celebrations can draw attention and dollars.
Sarah Durham speaks to the challenges and opportunities inherent to fundraising around nonprofit anniversaries.
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fundraising
“Avoid Website Stagnation”
January 01, 2006
Websites are critical tools for communication between nonprofits and their audiences, so keeping your organization’s website up-to-date should be a top priority. Big Duck's
Sarah Durham discusses how to know when your website is ready for an upgrade and what changes you can make such that it influences your audience in the right way.
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fundraising
New Year’s Resolutions for Nonprofits: Communicating More with Less in 2006
January 2006
Suggestions for ways nonprofits can get supporters’ attention through planning, staffing, partnering, and budgeting.
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fundraising, nonprofit management
Climb to the top of the corporate giving ladder with a compelling annual report
November 2005
Motivate donor support with an annual report that stands out from the crowd.
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annual report, fundraising
