Last night I attended a pretty standard nonprofit fundraising event – a fashion show at a local restaurant, complete with silent auction. The event was very well put together, but what stood out to me most were the two videos played during the introductions. The first was from Bottom Line. While longer than I normally recommenced (clocking in a 6 …
7 Ways Social Media Makes Nonprofits Better
A version of this post originally appeared on the GiftWorks Guest Blog. NOTE: This week I cautioned nonprofits not to put all their eggs in the social media basket. While I worry that some nonprofits are using “social media” as their only marketing strategy (and it’s not a strategy at all), I do think that the ideas behind using social …
Social media won’t solve your nonprofit’s problems
Many nonprofit organizations subscribe to the “if you build it, they will come” fallacy. If you host an event, people will register. If you add a Donate Now button to your homepage, people will donate. If you create a Facebook page, people will Like the page and share your content. The problem is that none of these fundraising and marketing …
Nonprofit Storytelling in A Digital World
I’m happy to announce that I will be teaching a free two hour seminar with HandsOn Tech Boston! Description: Digital technologies have fundamentally changed the way people read and consume information. If your nonprofit is not embracing digital tools to compose a compelling narrative around your cause, your information could be getting lost in the noise. In this increasingly competitive …
How Much Time Does Social Media Marketing Really Take?
I’ve noticed a disturbing trend in the nonprofit sector. It seems that all too often, uninformed nonprofit Boards and well-meaning but not-tech-savvy Executive Directors simply tack on the words “social media” to the development or marketing person’s job description. This usually happens after a heated Board meeting where it is decided that their nonprofit should be “doing social media.” Then, …
Who are the best nonprofits on Pinterest?
Today, TIME.com released their list of the 30 Best Pinners to Follow on Pinterest. Categories include Food, Design/Art, Fashion, Lifestyle, Technology and Wedding. According to TIME: “Pinterest, the three-year-old photo-sharing site, can be an overwhelming place for the uninitiated. The website acts as a virtual pinboard, encouraging users to create themed collages by “pinning” their favorite items. A favorite of fashionistas and …
How One Nonprofit Is Raising Thousands Using Facebook – Part 2
Case Study: How One Nonprofit Raised Thousands Using Facebook – Part 2 This is the second part in my two part case study of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation, a volunteer-driven charity that effectively uses social media tools to raise money and engage supporters. Read part one here. In Tuesday’s post, I covered 8 ways that the St. Baldrick’s Foundation uses …
How One Nonprofit Is Raising Thousands Using Facebook
Case Study: How One Nonprofit Raised Thousands Using Facebook – Part 1 I first became aware of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation at the Inspire/BIO Conference in July. I was asked to speak about the latest social media tools for nonprofits, but I found myself learning even more from the other presenters – nonprofit professionals in the trenches who use social …
17 Tips for Getting More Pinterest Followers for Your Nonprofit
Alexa recently reported that Pinterest is the 13th most visited website in the United States and 38th globally. As I’ve written about in previous posts, there are many ways that nonprofits can use Pinterest to raise awareness, spread information and solicit funds. But in order to be effective on Pinterest and use it to accomplish your nonprofit’s goals, you first …








