Category: Uncategorized
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How to create a successful yard sign campaign: Part 2
In thinking about how to write this blog post, I realized I couldn’t fit all the advice I had into just two parts. The good news is that you’re going to get a lot more information and practical tips from me. The bad news is that I now have to write a total of three…
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How to create a successful yard sign campaign: Part 1
When I moved to my small town of Walla Walla, one of the first things I envisioned was a pro-immigrant yard sign campaign with our local grassroots immigrant rights organization, the Walla Walla Immigrant Rights Coalition. It was never exactly the right time, and we never had enough money to cover it, so it didn’t…
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Why the Generosity Commission is a waste of time.
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…
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No, you can’t be silently anti-racist: how introverts can speak out against racism
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…
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Nonprofits: Stop Using the Passive Voice
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…
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4 New Year’s Resolutions for Better Nonprofit E-mails
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…
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5 Inspiring Ideas for Thanking Your Donors
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…
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SEO Basics for Nonprofits: Part 1
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…
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Visual Strategies for Celebrating a Nonprofit Anniversary
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…
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Three Steps to Improve your Nonprofit Newsletter
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…
Allison Carney Consulting 