The Chronicle of Philanthropy published an article this week about the Generosity Commission, a $3.8 million bipartisan commission from the nation’s biggest foundations. The commission’s purpose is simple: to investigate why giving has declined and to spur more generosity among middle- and low-income individuals. If you’re anything like me, you just blinked a few times… Continue reading Why the Generosity Commission is a waste of time.
It’s no secret that I’m a loud person. I have a boisterous laugh, I yell constantly, and at every performance I have ever attended, I’m always cheering at the top of my lungs, regardless of the format. Sorry, Seattle Symphony. Probably for the good of society, not everyone is like me. There are quiet people… Continue reading No, you can’t be silently anti-racist: how introverts can speak out against racism
Right now, the feeling I hear most about is powerlessness. We feel powerless to end a deadly pandemic. We feel powerless to end police brutality. We feel powerless in comforting or supporting our Black friends and loved ones. The world is big. The problems sometimes seem even bigger. That’s because the issues we’re up against… Continue reading Nonprofits: Stop Using the Passive Voice
We all know that early January is the time to make New Year’s resolutions that we (hopefully) keep. Changing behavior is always hard, but this time of year makes us feel like it’s a little easier, a little closer at hand. This blog will outline some New Year’s resolutions to get more of your e-mails… Continue reading 4 New Year’s Resolutions for Better Nonprofit E-mails
Thanksgiving is just days away and I'm thinking about one thing: gratitude Note: This post is about gratitude in fundraising, but I'm also thinking about how we show that as reverence to the Native Americans whose land was stolen. Before you read this post, check out this map to find out which tribes' land you… Continue reading 5 Inspiring Ideas for Thanking Your Donors
Every organization wants to improve their website’s SEO (search engine optimization). We work hard to create engaging content, and improving the SEO for your nonprofit website is the best way to get more views, more comments, and more engagement. However, it can be hard to know what’s worthwhile to do, and what’s not going to… Continue reading SEO Basics for Nonprofits: Part 1
Celebrating an anniversary can be a daunting opportunity. There are events to plan, themes to develop, and strategies to discuss. One of my favorite articles about anniversaries is by the Rockefeller Foundation’s CEO, Judith Rodin, “Anniversaries are Not to Be Wasted.” In the article, she describes the opportunity of an anniversary, whether it’s 20 or 100… Continue reading Visual Strategies for Celebrating a Nonprofit Anniversary
The nonprofit e-newsletter is an essential piece of how your nonprofit communicates with its supporters. It can be a perfect way for you to provide useful, directed content to your audience to keep them engaged. Or, it can bore your audience, and get sent directly to the trash. Here are three steps to improve your… Continue reading Three Steps to Improve your Nonprofit Newsletter
How do Google Adwords work? Google Adwords is a way for businesses to pay for advertising above “earned” or organic results. Which means that people can pay money to bid in order to rank above organic results based on visits/search keywords/etc. Google Grants is a program that gives free advertising dollars to nonprofits to use… Continue reading Top 5 Questions (and Answers) about Google Grants and Google Adwords for Nonprofits
Nonprofits are always struggling with getting noticed. One of the best ways to get noticed is through social media, but it’s also one of the hardest. So how do you get through the noise? Our Powerful and Practical series helps you break through to get your message heard! What’s your purpose (on social)? Social media… Continue reading Powerful and Practical: Nonprofit Social Media Success on Twitter
Allison Carney Consulting 