FREE: How to Report Back to Donors

Good  morning SMARTies,

We know from donor research and practical experience that donors want to hear what you did with their first gift before they are likely to give you a second one. That means you need to figure our ways to share your results and success stories with donors throughout the year, so you can ask for that additional support.

An annual report is important, but its just one piece of your donor communication plan. During this free webinar, you'll get a menu of more than a dozen different ways that you can report back to your donors, so they'll be ready to do even more to help next time you ask.

http://www.charityhowto.com/webinar_info.php?vid=440 
Note: the webinar is free but you'll have to add it to the cart as if you were purchasing it at a cost of $0.00 by entering your information.

Webinar Take-Aways:

• What donors say they want to get back from the charities they support
• East ways to integrate results and success stories into your existing donor communications
• Sample wording that gives donors credit for your results, so they feel like part of the team

Presented by: Kivi Leroux Miller, president of NonprofitMarketingGuide.com and author of "The Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause."

Article: How to Raise Money with a Newsletter

Chronicle of Philanthropy

Ask an Expert: How to Raise Money with a Newsletter

We received the following question from a director of development who requested anonymity for both her organization and herself.

"[...] Do you ever recommend sending both the print and e-mail versions of the same newsletter to your donors and prospective donors? Or should they just receive one of the other? In the past, we have mailed the print newsletter to our higher-value donors and prospects and sent the e-mail version to the rest of our supporters, but I am wondering if that is the best approach."

To answer the question Tom Ahern, a direct-marketing expert and author of four books on communications with donors. He writes:

"E-mail newsletters and print newsletters are not equivalents, as you suspected. They are very different reading experiences, for one thing. E-mail newsletters are a clicker's medium, quickly dismissed. Printed newsletters are physical, and readers tend to sit down to read them (assuming that what you've written is worth reading).

Then there is the money. Few charities I know make much money from their e-mail newsletters. On the other hand, lots of charities I know make serious money from print newsletters. In fact, some charities make more money from their printed newsletters than they do from their direct-mail appeals, improbable as that might seem. (Those newsletters usually contain a return envelope and instructions for how to give online, making it easy for donors to give.)

The best practice is to send printed newsletter to every donor, not just the higher-value ones. The primary purpose of a printed newsletter is to report results so you can improve donor retention. Obviously, you want to retain all donors, not just the wealthier ones."

Workshop: Build the Board You Really Need

Thursday, July 11, 2013

USG Corporation, 14th Floor East, Gypsum Grill

550 W. Adams St., Chicago, IL

Price: $45 (NPO Budget < $250k); $65 (NPO Budget > $250k/for-profit/individuals)

Click to register**

A well-rounded, highly-engaged, resource-connected board is critical to the organization's long-term success. Make sure that you have the right people around your board table and that everyone is contributing to their maximum potential. This workshop will demonstrate that board recruitment is a team effort driven by knowledge, enthusiasm, and strategy. 

You'll learn...

* How to build your board around your organization's strategic priorities. 

* How to determine your ideal board makeup: Who is on your board? Who is missing?

* What kind of cultivation and communication will attract the right board members? How can you retain and engage current board members?

* How to engage inactive board members and the delicate conversation surrounding board member departure?

Lead presenter: Rena Henderson Mason, President and Board Development Consultant, Bold Agenda

Read Speaker Bio

**We will not accept walk-up registrations at this workshop. Due to building security, attendees must be on our security list prior to the event. Please make sure you register online to secure your spot. 

Greetings from Philadelphia!

Excited to be representing Chicago at Dance/USA's board meeting and annual conference in Philadelphia this week! Lots of learning, networking, and growing...

Webinar: Using Census Data to Get Grants

Wednesday, June 26, 2013
2:00 - 3:00 p.m.
FREE
Register

The basis for any successful grant proposal is objective evidence that a vital community need exists. This is why the best American fundraisers are intimately familiar with the US Census Bureau website, including AmericanFactFinder and mapping tools.

This workshop is intended for those who either are new to the US Census site, are confused by its new format or haven't had time to learn about the wide array of data and services offered at the site.

Takeaways:

• How to efficiently conduct simple and advanced searches to quickly find the Census information that you need.
• A fundamental understanding of the array of data available on the US Census website.
• Free resources that you and your colleagues can utilize to become even more of a data expert.
• Tips on processing the data you obtain from the Census site.

Speaker: Mark Goldstein, CFRE is President and CEO of Communication Mark consulting in Arden, NC. Mr. Goldstein is most sought after as an expert proposal writer and project strategist. He is the creator of Open Communication Fundraising Model, a system that enables all nonprofit agency stakeholders to effectively work together toward organizational and fundraising goals. 

Free Webinar: 10 Super Solid Ways to Grow Your Nonprofit Email List

Tuesday, June 11, 2013
2:00 p.m. - 2:45 p.m.
Register

Despite the phenomenal growth of social media, email is still the most effective nonprofit communication channel. Email is your direct connection to supporters (plus you own that relationship, not Facebook!). The core, immutable law of nonprofit email marketing is - Always Be Growing Your List. Why? People leave your list. Email addresses become unreachable. Subscribers stop responding. Your list performance withers.

You need fresh interest and that's best given by new subscribers. Whether you are starting from scratch, looking to go beyond a monthly trickle of new subscribers, or wanting to go big, you can learn how to grow your email list with these 10 proven tactics.

Learn to 1) practice your ABC's (Always Be Collecting) every time, everywhere; 2) execute specific, fun, creative campaigns that attract qualified subscribers; 3) turn your direct-mail subscribers into online subscribers; 4) acquire supporters through sponsored actions such as petitions and pledges.

Presented by Kerri Karvetski, owner of Company K Media. Kerri helps nonprofits and social benefit companies communicate online.

Presentation: First Look: Giving USA 2013 - The Latest Trends in Giving

Campbell & Company is excited to present First Look: Giving USA 2013. There is no fee to attend. Reservation is required. Click here to register. We are excited to change the format this year to a breakfast / roundtable discussion with a number of nonprofit leaders 

When:
Tuesday, June 18th, 2013
7:30 a.m. Registration and networking breakfast
8:00 - 9:30 a.m. Presentation and roundtable discussion

Where:
Northwestern  Memorial Hospital
Prentice Women's Hospital
Conference Room L, Third Floor
250 East Superior
Chicago, IL 60611

Giving USA Findings Presenter: Peter Fissinger, President and Chief Executive Officer, Campbell & Company. Click here to see the full listing of roundtable leaders.