Today's Inspiration

Just watch.

How one foundation took advantage of the recession – and how you can, too

A foundation executive approached me recently with an idea that I found downright inspiring.

She said, “We want to use the current recession as an opportunity to help our grantees emerge stronger than ever before.”

It was the first time I’d heard “recession” and “opportunity” in the same sentence!

Her idea: Create a training program that would help her foundation’s grantees acquire new skills to help support themselves and sustain their missions. She’d done some research, and among the most sought-after needs among her grantees was “marketing and public relations.”

She wanted to know how my PR training firm might help her achieve her goal on behalf of her 300+ grantees – mostly small nonprofits spread across the country. Because her grantees are spread out geographically and because the foundation’s budget was limited, we chose to use technology to deliver the course online. The foundation covered the cost on behalf of the grantees, who participated at no cost to them.

I produced and delivered an online eight-week basic training course for small nonprofits that I call “Do-it-Yourself Nonprofit Marketing.” The course was based on a Needs Assessment of the grantees. Because of the economic climate, I also chose topics that could be done by any nonprofit, no matter how small, with zero budget. That’s right; all of the tools and ideas I presented can be implemented using free technology on the web. A grantee willing to do some work could implement any or all of the course recommendations at no cost whatsoever. More than 150 people signed up.

Here’s what the grantees told me they wanted to learn:

Branding for Nonprofits
E-newsletters/Print Newsletters
Grassroots Community Outreach
Media Relations
Social Media Marketing: Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.
E-mail Communication: Advanced Applications
Online Surveys
Do-It-Yourself Focus Groups
YouTube for Nonprofits
Blogging Applications for Nonprofits
Marketing to Youth Audiences

The 60-day course ended June 1, and now the same “Do-it-Yourself Nonprofit Marketing” package is available to any foundation with a similar goal of helping nonprofits by providing online training. With grant dollars as scarce as they are, many foundations find that providing training and technical assistance is an excellent way to continue supporting their grantees.

The training material was delivered to the foundation’s grantees via an orientation webinar and 4 topic-specific webinars lasting an hour each. In addition, each week, the participating grantees received a weekly E-tip in the form of a 2-minute video and an extensive, written tutorial on a given topic.

All of this was anchored on a website dedicated to the group of participating grantees.

We gathered tons of output data throughout the course, so the foundation received reports regularly from me with data on how the group was participating.

We ended with an evaluation survey of the grantees’ satisfaction. We asked:

Did the trainer produce materials and choose topics specific to the needs of group members? Were topics selected based on specific input of the members?

100 percent of the respondents said yes -- not surprising, since we built the course based on the survey of their needs!

Were there any topics that you hoped would be addressed that were not covered?

89.6 said that all of the topics they wanted were addressed; 10.4 had an appetite for additional topics.

The foundation was VERY pleased with the initiative. And they paid only a fraction of what the program was worth, because we agreed that I would retain ownership of all the training content and concepts.

What’s that mean to you? It means you can offer your grantees a tested, proven, turn-key training program that will give them the fundamentals in PR and Marketing that they need to attract members or clients, attract donors, and promote their programs and services effectively.

What’s it cost? Much less than you think, since we use technology to deliver everything directly to the grantees. No travel time, no consulting time, no hourly costs; just the cost for delivering the material. While I prefer not to post the pricing publicly for obvious reasons, I’d be happy to give you the price over the phone or via e-mail. You can reach me at (260) 416-0222, and, after I ask you a couple questions, I’ll be able to give you the price over the phone; or e-mail me at info@mainstreetnonprofittraining.com with your name, the name of your foundation, and the number of grantee organizations involved.

Sincerely,



Steve Cebalt, Nonprofit Trainer

Fort Wayne, Indiana

(260) 416-0222

info@mainstreetnonprofittraining.com

Off topic: The economy according to Tony Soprano, John Maynard Keynes, Kris Kristofferson -- and me

It bugs me every time I see it: Headlines that say, “Stocks have rebounded 24% since January,” or something similar.

Not really. Not at all. Unless you were never in the market before January.

It’s hard to believe amid the current recession, but the Down Jones Industrial Average reached its all-time high less than 2 years ago, when it closed at 14,164 on October 9, 2007. Earlier this year, it was below 6,600. That’s a loss of 7,564 points, or 53 percent.

Here’s the cruel arithmetic of losing money. From its 2009 low of around 6,600, the Dow would have to gain 7,564 points to get back to where we were less than 2 years ago, right? That would be a 114% increase from our smaller base of 6,600.

So when you lose 53% percent, you need to gain 114% just to get back to where you were, because the base is so much smaller.

So when I see stocks “rebounding such-and-such percent,” I cringe every time. The casual reader would infer that if a stock “rebounded 25%,” that it had recovered 25% of its losses. As you can see, sadly, this is not the case.

During the 20th Century, the Dow averaged 5.3% compounded annually. Better than most bank accounts, but no one invests for a century at a time – even the long-term investor! And weighed against the risk, well….

A message from the sponsor of this article. Interested in nonprofit communications? Webinars? Do-it-yourself Tutorials on e-newsletters, research, facebook, nonprofit branding, etc? Check out MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

Consider the poor sap who had his money in the market in 1929. The crash and the ensuing depression dropped the Dow 90% below its peak by 1932. If you had $1,000 invested in September of 1929, you would not get back to $1,000 again until 25 years later, in 1954, in inflation-adjusted numbers.

Stock brokers have hoodwinked us for years to hold on to our losers, because in the long run, the stock market outperforms other investments. First, that’s only true in the rear-view mirror of history (a short 100-year history) and has no bearing on future performance; and secondly, as economist John Maynard Keynes famously put it, “in the long run, we’re all dead.”

A relative of mine who works for GM bought GM stock not long ago at $9. Still bullish when it was at $3 a few months ago, she said, “It’s got to go back up sometime, right? It’s GM!”

How unfathomable indeed that a stock like GM could sink to zero.

Being a risk-averse fellow myself, I had earlier put my IRA in annuities. I pay extra for “insurance” against stock-market losses. When the market tanked, I thought I was a genius, until AIG and other insurance companies who support these annuities came perilously close to going belly up. Again, a thought that was once unfathomable or at least extremely remote, became a distinct possibility. Not such a genius after all, it turns out. Who’d have guessed THAT!

If the current depression (can we still really call it just a recession?) has done anything good, it’s caused us to realize that we can take nothing for granted.

Now, part of me wants to conclude with one of my favorite quotes from one of my favorite TV characters, Tony Soprano, who summed up his world view with these succinct words:

“Everything turns to sh##.”

But that’s Tony, not me. I am an eternal optimist. I’ve adapted to the new world order, where we won’t retire young – and may never retire, but all end up with jobs greeting each other at Wal-Mart – one of the few retailers still making money. I’m OK with that. If I can get up in the morning and have someplace purposeful to go, I’ll call that a major success. At least I’ll die with my boots on (or orthopaedic footwear of some sort, more likely).

While I appreciate Tony’s view, and can’t say that I disagree entirely, I prefer Kris Kristofferson’s immortal lyrics:

“Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose.” That’s a very liberating idea, actually.

Why Nonprofits Still Rely Heavily on Direct Mail

As we all look forward and adopt new technologies like e-newsletters, facebook, Twitter, etc., it is worthwhile to remember that direct mail is still the king in the nonprofit world for fundraising and other purposes, such as newsletters.

Here is an excerpt of an article shared by one of my colleagues. The author is in the auction business -- direct sales. No sales, no income. And he explains why direct mail is still such a powerful medium, despite the recent increases in postal rates (which affect nonprofits less than commercial enterprises).

As you probably noticed, postage rates just increased again, making direct mail an even more costly component of your advertising campaign. As more and more of our media intake goes digital, I hear entrepreneurs ask if paper mail is worth the cost.
To this, I always respond, "Well, you get what you pay for."

See, studies (such as this one) time and again report that response rates to direct mail trump web, email, sign, and broadcast media. At one of my clients' recent auctions, just under 90% of their on site bidders discovered the auction from the mailed brochure; and 11% of the people on the mailing list attended the sale in person.

Can you imagine if that percentage of the people who read your city's newspaper or listened to your local radio station came to any of your auctions? At that percentage, billboards would bring hoards of people, and internationally-followed web sites would double the size of your town for a day.

So, why does "snail mail" perform so well?

Geography Saturation. If you want to saturate a neighborhood or zip code with advertising, you can try sky writing or door hangers; but no traditional media can be targeted geographically as tightly as direct mail. Even if an entire neighborhood gets the same newspaper, the chances of everyone reading the page including your ad--let alone the ad itself--prove slim. TV, radio, and especially the Internet own even smaller probabilities of interaction.

Trash Resistance. If you mass-delete some emails, you can always rescue valuables from the trash folder or have someone resend. But we take our time with print mail, as bills and official correspondence hide between the Walmart® fliers and the Lowes® tabloids. It takes more energy and time to "delete" a piece of physical mail than an email. The reader just can't hit a button on the TV remote or keep driving past your sign or click to the next web page. Recipients must interact with your advertising, if even for a couple seconds.

Portable Lifespan. Direct mail routinely holds a longer shelf life than ads from other media. Signs get passed. TV and radio ads end before the entertainment resumes. If you get lucky, emails might get printed or left in the inbox. Newspapers head to bird cages, recycling bins, and trash cans after the next issue arrives. But I've got a piece of direct mail in almost every room of my house. You probably have a stack on your desk, too.

Filter Evasion. As much as it would be welcomed, no physical mail box installs with a junk filter. Unsubscribing from a print mail list requires a web site form or phone call. It's just easier to carry the mail into the house or back to the office for the garbage can. In that time, though, direct mail is all but guaranteed to interact with a human before its demise.

Welcome Interruption. Web ads distract from the content we want or interrupt us getting quickly to the link we just clicked (hence, their poor click-through rates). Email blasts grow as the weeds of our inbox, between the funny YouTube forwards and critical client messages. Broadcast commercials keep us from continuous entertainment. Newsprint and magazine ads make us flip pages for the rest of the story. But direct mail brightens the mailbox filled with bills and gives us something colorful amidst the perfunctory white envelopes.

Tactile Attraction.

Most folks have a daily ritual of reviewing their mail and cognitively flipping through things other people paid to send them. Even [paper] junk mail gets a once-over. Instead of reading subject lines, we get a full mailer panel to grab our attention--or a coy, unidentified envelope to snag our curiosity.

Creative Variety. Email, web, and broadcast media all come in one or two dimensions and can, at best, only engage two of the senses. Direct mail can arrive in any number of shapes and include tastes and sounds, smells and textures. This gives the advertiser more ways to capture and hold attention--and make your advertising more memorable than the next item in the batch.
You can't pay more for other media to have these attributes. You can, however, supplement them with the media that owns them all: direct mail.

MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

Why whining is bad for you

If you think life is unfair, you may just be right. That’s according to an Associated Press article on a new study. The research indicates that people who believe they are treated unfairly are up to 55 percent more likely to suffer a heart attack or chest pain. Researchers examined medical data from 6,081 people who were asked how strongly they agreed with this statement: "I often have the feeling that I am being treated unfairly."

MY TAKE:
Do you know people who respond to life by complaining about “fairness”? The new research suggests this is a very unhealthy approach. But Clint Eastwood already new this. In his Oscar-winning movie Unforgiven, “fairness” is a recurring theme. When a young sidekick kills a man for the first time, the Kid says of his victim, “Well, I guess he had it coming.”

Clint’s character replies: “We’ve all got it coming, Kid.”

At the end of the movie, Gene Hackman’s despicable character is about to be blasted into the next life by our man Clint. “I don’t deserve this … to die this way,” cries Hackman’s character.

Replies Clint: “Deserve has got nothing to do with it.”

As college football coach Lou Holtz puts it, “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you respond to it.”

As Clint might say, fair has got nothing to do with it.

Separating the good advice from the bad for nonprofits using social media marketing like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.

Every nonprofit is grappling with the question of whether and how to jump into the world of social media marketing – i.e. Facebook, MySpace, blogging, Twitter, etc. The most common questions I get from nonprofits about the use of social media marketing include:

Which tactics are worth the effort?
Most nonprofit marketers are interested in proven “best practices.” Which social media tool (Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter) has been the most successful for small local nonprofits? How can I use one or more of these tools to connect with other professionals who do the same type of work that I do?

What’s the best place to initiate my efforts? In one workshop I attended, the audience was hungry for a planning template or tutorial that would guide them to the right strategy; but the lecturer had nothing to offer. So how do I know where to begin? Which social media marketing channels sites should I devote my time to? How do I choose the right tool (blogging, MySpace, Twitter) for my goal and for my group audience? What are valid goals that can be obtained using social media?

Many people are concerned about the amount of time it may take to do social media marketing. Many nonprofits are devoting up to 5 hours or more each week (an hour a day) and some spend much, much more than that! In my opinion, it may in fact require 5 hours a week, but more than that is not justified for small, local nonprofits. And here’s the key point: Those 5 hours shouldn’t be YOUR hours!

If you are a nonprofit executive or marketer, in my opinion, you should limit your role to developing the strategy and picking the tool best suited for you – which we’ll help you do in this webinar. Then, find someone on staff, or an intern, volunteer, or college kid home for the summer – to build and implement your program. That person can then train you on how to maintain it going forward.

For example, unless you are already an avid Facebook user, don’t spend the time learning the details of Facebook – they’ll probably change in a few months anyway – everything changes in social media constantly. If you determine that Facebook is the right tool, be resourceful (as all nonprofit workers are) and find a Facebook user to get you up and running without taking you away from your other important tasks.

A webinar will answer these questions and more. Participants can download a Social Media Marketing Planning Template for Nonprofits in PDF form to help you formulate your strategy. All for $19.95. And the webinar is available now, on demand. You can download it the broadcast recording right now by clicking here.

For more information, click here.

"You feel small in the presence of dead men, and ashamed at being alive, and you don't ask silly questions"

"I was at the foot of the mule trail the night they brought Capt. Waskow's body down. The moon was nearly full at the time, and you could see far up the trail, and even part way across the valley below. Soldiers made shadows in the moonlight as they walked. ... " Ernie Pyle, "The Death of Captain Waskow."



Because this is a forum about communication, I assume visitors have a keen interest in the art and craft of writing. Today's article is a tribute to one of the most talented and influential Hoosier writers ever: Ernie Pyle.


Pyle, born in Dana, Indiana, was a newspaperman famous for his dispatches from the front lines during World War II. He mastered the art of being "embedded" with the troops, although that word wasn't coined until 60 years later. In that era, before network TV, Pyle's folksy columns brought the war home. He wrote simple stories about the daily lives of the GIs with whom he traveled.

What influence can a writer have? Pyle shaped American attitudes toward the war. Tangible influence came in the form of "the Ernie Pyle bill" giving solders combat pay -- a bill that passed after Pyle wrote a column calling for such pay for the troops. Thanks in part to Pyle, our troops received a 50% pay raise for combat duty.

Pyle reported from Europe, Africa and the Pacific. On April 18, 1945, Pyle was killed on an island off Okinawa Honto as the result of heavy fire from an enemy machine gun nest.

Interestingly, another local PR colleague, David Nichols, has compiled some outstanding collections of Pyle's works: Ernie's War, and Ernie's America. They are listed on Amazon and available at the Allen County Public Library.

Here's an excerpt from one of Pyle's WWII columns about the solders' reaction to the death of a revered and beloved officer, Captain Waskow. You can read the full text here.

Dead men had been coming down the mountain all evening, lashed onto the backs of mules. They came lying belly-down across the wooden pack-saddles, their heads hanging down on the left side of the mule, their stiffened legs sticking out awkwardly from the other side, bobbing up and down as the mule walked.

The Italian mule-skinners were afraid to walk beside dead men, so Americans had to lead the mules down that night. Even the Americans were reluctant to unlash and lift off the bodies at the bottom, so an officer had to do it himself, and ask others to help.

The first one came early in the morning. They slid him down from the mule and stood him on his feet for a moment, while they got a new grip. In the half light he might have been merely a sick man standing there, leaning on the others. Then they laid him on the ground in the shadow of the low stone wall alongside the road.

I don't know who that first one was. You feel small in the presence of dead men, and ashamed at being alive, and you don't ask silly questions.

We left him there beside the road, that first one, and we all went back into the cowshed and sat on water cans or lay on the straw, waiting for the next batch of mules.

Why Mary is irritated and what it means to your nonprofit communications

This is a message I got on Facebook from my 16-year-old daughter, Mary. She says "You have many friends for an old man; the Facebook community is for adolescents." I love this comment for a couple reasons. One, I love it because it irritates Mary that I have invaded what was until now her private turf, meaning the online world of Facebook. But the other, and more relevant reason, that I love Mary’s comment, is that she has articulated a major shift in the demographics of Facebook. I’ll show you a chart in a moment showing how Facebook has grown in just the last few months, and almost all of that growth is from people in the 35 to 55 year-old age bracket. So much to Mary’s dismay, Facebook is definitely NOT for adolescents or young people anymore. It’s mainstream. I'll have more on how Facebook compares to other social media marketing alternatives (MySpace, Twitter, Blogging, etc.) in my next article.

If this topic interests you, you might like my webinar on Social Media Marketing. Click here for details. The webinar is available now, "on demand." You can download the broadcast recording and the accompanying Social Media Marketing Planning template right now.

New survey sheds light on how community nonprofits are adopting Facebook, MySpace, and other Social Media Marketing Tools

I just completed a survey on Social Media Marketing (Facebook, MySpace, Blogging, etc) of 150 of the nation’s nonprofits that fall into what I call “Main Street Nonprofits.” By this I mean local, community-based nonprofits serving a local community – rather than the big national nonprofits.

The survey was done because so many community nonprofits are grappling with the opportunities that may present themselves using social media marketing tools to attract members, communicate with groups, network with peers, and enhance search engine rankings.

The profile of the group that I surveyed is typically an organization with a staff of 10 or less, with no full-time PR person.

About three-fourths of respondents said their organization has been discussing how to implement social media marketing tools, and some are already using social media tools.

Of those respondents who are using social media marketing tools, Facebook is the dominant tool, with nearly twice as many organizations using Facebook as MySpace, which was No. 2 on the list.

A separate question showed that nearly 40 percent of respondents use some form of free online survey program in their work, such as SurveyMonkey.

When asked to rank these tools on a “usefulness” scale, SurveyMonkey shines brightly, with 100 percent of users saying it is “very useful” (77%) or “somewhat useful (23%). Blogging ranked favorably on the usefulness scale as well.

Most of the other tools were ranked “somewhat useful.” About 20 percent said Myspace is not useful, and the rest found it “somewhat useful”; 5% said Facebook is not useful, and the rest “somewhat useful”; and LinkedIn was split; half said “not useful” and half said “somewhat useful.”

As for Twitter, the data prove “too soon to call.” Most people who are using it – not that many – just started and couldn’t report much in the way of results as it pertains to helping promote their nonprofit. Because of Twitter’s explosive growth in recent weeks and months, this one’s worth watching, but the survey data don’t support any particular utility for it yet among the early adopters surveyed.

One thing to keep in mind about social media is that different users are more intense users, while others access their pages quite infrequently. Keep this in mind when you consider the immediacy of what you post on your organization’s Facebook or Myspace site. For example, 47% of Facebook users responding to our survey look at their Facebook page “weekly or monthly.” About one-third visit it daily. MySpace is becoming dormant among many users; 69% visit it only “weekly or monthly,” and about 1 in 4 check it daily.

To make sense of social media marketing for community nonprofits, I’ve produced an On Demand Webinar. Click here for details. The webinar is available now, "on demand." You can download the broadcast recording and the accompanying Social Media Marketing Planning template right now.

Multitasking wastes your time and reduces the quality of your work, research says

I have some news you’re not going to like, but don’t dismiss it just because you’d prefer not to believe it. It’s true.

-- Do you talk on the phone while typing or reading emails?

-- Do you talk on the phone while driving?

-- Do you have numerous windows open on your computer at once, switching rapidly from one task to the next?

-- Do you stop what you are doing to jump on emails as they arrive in your inbasket?

These habits are reducing your productivity by up to 40 percent. But here is the good news; that means that if you are a heavy multitasker, you can increase your productivity up to 40 percent if you can wean yourself from some counterproductive multitasking behaviors.

Most of us engage in some of these forms of multitasking. It seems more stimulating to juggle several topics than to focus on one thing at a time. But guess what; it’s dragging our productivity down – way down – according to a growing body of scientific research.

While it is tantalizing to think we can do more than one thing at a time in order to get more done, more quickly, the fact is that such multitasking or task-switching can rob your work of its quality, reduce your overall output, increase stress, and inhibit your relationships with others. In fact, researchers say, the results can be catastrophic.

Technically, multitasking refers to performing two tasks simultaneously, but trouble can also arise when you rapidly switch from performing one task to performing another.

Please, don’t take my word for it. Researchers have shown that people lose time when they switch from one task to another. (One such study is "Executive Control of Cognitive Processes in Task Switching" published in the American Psychological Association's Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.)

"People in a work setting," says one of the study’s authors, "who are banging away on word processors at the same time they have to answer phones and talk to their co-workers or bosses -- they're doing switches all the time. Not being able to concentrate for, say, tens of minutes at a time, may mean it's costing a company as much as 20 to 40 percent" in terms of potential efficiency lost.

The more productive approach, researchers say, is to focus on one thing at a time. For example, experts suggest that we set aside specific blocks of time to deal with emails rather than responding to them throughout the day. Do what you can to reduce interruptions in your office. Let co-workers know when you need uninterrupted time. Don’t badger each other with questions all day; take notes and follow-up with co-workers on several items at once rather than impulsively interrupting each other as every question arises. Stay off your cell phone while driving. Studies show that this is as risky as drunk driving and makes you four times as likely to cause an accident. Work your most important tasks in priority order one at a time rather than hopping from task to task. Productivity researchers also suggest that we shouldn't read or type emails while talking on the phone; the emails will show your lack of concentration, reflecting poorly on you, and the person you are talking with may resent your background typing and sense your inattention to them.

Multitasking is fool’s gold – it seems like a good way to keep abreast and get more done, while in fact the opposite is true. Would you trust a heart surgeon who checks his Blackberry during your operation, or who wears a telephone headset so he can talk with his stock broker while you’re under the knife? Can you imagine Beethoven, in the middle of composing a masterpiece, stopping to respond to the “ding” of an incoming instant message? Great work requires great focus. Maximum productivity requires maximum concentration.

I think the reason most of us multitask is because it is more stimulating. It seems more interesting to toggle between three or four tasks than to focus on one thing. But evidently it's a very counterproductive indulgence.

If you don’t believe me about the multitasking data, hop on your favorite search engine and key in “multitasking and productivity.”

Or click here for links to 20 articles on the topic.

Webinar for Nonprofits: "Bad Advice on Online Marketing: From Facebook to Twitter."

What: Webinar, "Bad Advice on Online Marketing: From Facebook to Twitter."

When: Right now! The webinar is available now, "on demand." You can download the broadcast recording and the accompanying Social Media Marketing Planning template right now.

Where: The cozy comfort of your own desk.

Cost: $19.95. (Bad advice is free; mine is $19.95)

Link: http://mainstreetnonprofittraining.com/products_publicWebinar.php

**********************************************************************************

Good afternoon! Steve Cebalt here. When the recession started hitting nonprofits hard last year, I responded by creating a series of affordable ($19.95) webinars and PR courses to help nonprofits do more of their PR and marketing themselves, at little or no cost.

The public webinar I've scheduled for Monday, June 15, is the most popular one I've ever done, because every nonprofit is grappling with the Wild Wild West of the Web -- Social Media Marketing, i.e. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, etc. This is a public webinar, so please feel free to share this information with others who may be interested!
I've heard more bad advice on this topic than anything in my career: Social Media Marketing.

The term refers to online marketing tools like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, etc.The bad advice that I hear so often is that nonprofits should "experiment and play around with these tools ... see what works." Folks, we can do better than that! In this economy, none of us has the time to experiment and play around with Social Media, when our to-do lists are overflowing with significant responsibilities. Do we?

So I've worked hard to isolate the Social Media tools that have already reached mainstream status and proven to be worth the time and effort for a small nonprofit or foundation. I'll focus on "what works." We’ll discuss online tools such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, GuideStar and Wikipedia, and separate the worthy ones from the time-wasters. Unlike many of the experts, I'll take a stand and tell you where I think you should begin and how to prioritize your efforts.

What: Webinar, "Bad Advice on Online Marketing: From Facebook to Twitter."

When: Right now, on demand. Download it right now!

Where: The cozy comfort of your own desk.

Cost: $19.95. (Bad advice is free; mine is $19.95)

But wait! There's more!

Included in this webinar course is a download, the Social Media Planning Template, to help you pick the right Social Media tool(s) for your particular goal.

For more details and to register, click this link or paste it into your browser:

http://mainstreetnonprofittraining.com/products_publicWebinar.php

This is a public webinar, so please feel free to share this information with others who may be interested!

Best regards,

Steve CebaltFort Wayne, IN (260) 416-0222

How to implement social media marketing without having to learn any icky new techy stuff

Good afternoon! I've got some good news. You still have time to sign up my webinar on Monday, June 15, on Social Media Marketing.

You can click here to sign up right now!

Social media marketing -- Facebook, MySpace, Blogging, YouTube, etc. -- is how PR and outreach gets done these days. If you haven't yet registered for this affordable webinar on a topic of universal interest to anyone who works in the nonprofit world, I wonder why?

Perhaps you're going to be on safari in Africa. OK, but you can probably find a Starbucks somewhere in the Serengeti with an Internet connection to listen in.

Perhaps you're planning on calling in sick that day to take a mental health day. So listen in from home -- we won't tell your boss.

Maybe you don't care about social media marketing. I can understand that. But that's really the whole point of the webinar - to show you what you need to know in order to analyze and talk about social media as it affects your nonprofit. Social media marketing is now mainstream marketing -- it's how things are getting done today. A basic introduction on the topic is a core competency for any nonprofit worker who deals with communication.

Still not convinced that this affordable webinar is worth an hour of your time? Consider these 5 reasons to register:

Some methods of social media marketing are a total waste of time. We'll tell you which ones.

We'll show you how to implement social media marketing without having to learn any icky new techy stuff.

You'll learn how to answer questions from your peers, your boss or your board when they ask, "Why don't we have a Facebook page like that other nonprofit?"

You'll learn that social media marketing is now mainstream, with users of all ages, from 9 to 90. So whatever age group you deal with, there is a use for social media marketing.

You'll learn the single most important tool for making social media marketing work for you.

You'll be able to download a Social Media Planner that takes you step-by-step through the process of deciding whether social media marketing is right for you, and, if it is, which outlets to use to meet your particular goal.

I promised 5 good reasons and I actually gave you 6. So if you're still not convinced, well, I gave it my best shot. But here's one more ting. You can sign up and download the webinar right now! The webinar is available now, "on demand." You can download the broadcast recording and the accompanying Social Media Marketing Planning template right nowIt's an hour that could have a tremendous impact on your organization's efforts to raise awareness, attract members or clients, and promote your programs, with tools that are at your disposal right now, for free, on the Internet.

Bad Advice for Nonprofit Communicators about Facebook, Twitter and Social Media Marketing

Are you the first one to pounce on a new technology? The first one to buy the latest, greatest gadget, computer program, etc.?

Or are you more conservative, waiting to see what works before you adopt a new technology?

It’s an important question for nonprofit communicators, many of whom are struggling to make sense of technologies like Facebook, MySpace, Blogs Twitter, and other tools. Do these social networking tools have a role to play in your outreach efforts? If so, which ones?

I bring this up because I keep hearing the same bad advice at every seminar or workshop that I attend. Nonprofits should “get on board and play around and experiment.”

Although I hear this often, it’s awful advice, unless you are so idle in your job that you have time for such “playing around.” If so, you are definitely not typical in the nonprofit sector; most nonprofit marketers have plenty on their plate! Grants to write, events to plan, newsletters to publish, fundraisers to plan, and the list goes on.

While there are examples of how national nonprofits – Red Cross, Salvation Army -- use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc., those national examples don’t help a small, local nonprofit – for whom I write this blog.

So I am preparing a course to fill the void. I have done extensive research to identify the social networking applications that have reached mainstream status to the point that local nonprofits can take advantage of them. I’m writing the course based on what’s known as the “Rogers Curve.”

When a technological innovation is introduced, not everyone adopts it at the same moment. Rather, there will be innovators and there will also be laggards. Based upon the examination of a large number of studies in innovation adoption, Everett M. Rogers proposed a method of adopter categorization. First, it was observed that the time to adoption follows a curve over time, as shown in this chart:

The course will identify those specific online marketing tools that have reached the “Early Majority’ status on the Rogers Curve, which means there are enough people using the technology to make it productive for a small, local nonprofit.

When consultants and so-called experts advise nonprofits to “play around and experiment,” what they are really saying is, “These new online tools are shiny and cool and fun, but I haven’t done the research to tell you anything specific. Just give it a whirl.” Good luck with that!

To adopt a communications platform before it has reached a critical mass is just a waste of time. Having a full to-do list myself, I prefer to let the “innovators” and “early adopters” on the Rogers Curve do all the expensive experimentation; I get on board when there is an actual market and some proven practices on how to use the technology productively.

So, exasperated that no one has formulated a clear strategy for small, local nonprofits who want to take advantage of social networking without wasting time and energy, I’ve done the research and identified the ones that are being used successfully by small, local nonprofits right now to solve problems and enhance their branding and communication.

Inspired by my frustration with the impotent advice I've heard from the experts in seminars I've taken, the course is called,

"Bad Advice on Online Marketing: From Facebook to Twitter."

The course includes a nonprofit social networking planning template that will take you step-by-step through the process of finding the right social networking channel(s) to solve the specific communication and marketing problems that you are trying to solve at your organization.

The webinar is available now, "on demand." You can download the broadcast recording and the accompanying Social Media Marketing Planning template right now by clicking here.

Why I Hate Keith Richards

When I was a kid watching the Jetsons, a futuristic cartoon, I was enthralled by the way technology was used to make life easier. George Jetson commuted to work in a flying saucer with a transparent top. George's workday consists of pressing a single computer button. Despite this, characters would often complain of difficulties of living with the remaining inconveniences.

Fast-forward 40 years, and I drive to work in a Chevy Silverado, not a flying saucer, and I am still waiting for my personal robot servant. Like many childhood dreams, the fantasy of a life of leisure afforded by advances in technology just hasn't panned out. (I'm also beginning to lose hope in my dream of playing guitar for The Rolling Stones; all these years later, Keith Richards is still hogging down that role, and I still can't play the guitar, so now that dream has got to be considered a long-shot.)

An article sent to me by one of my clients shows that I am not alone in lamenting the failure of technology to provide us with a life of leisure. In fact, the article says, our generation today works just as much as folks did a generation ago, while some other countries have reduced their work hours by 20 percent. And the number of two-worker households has increased during that same span, because our desires and expectations have risen even as wages have stagnated. So much for progress.

Worst of all, this lack of progress is our own fault. We have chosen multitasking over leisure. Instead of using technology to free up our time, we use it to try to squeeze more out of every moment of life, doing two, three or four things at the same time, and none of them well or deeply. I don't get it. We all get one lifetime, and no matter how we run the race -- at a meaningful pace or in a harried sprint -- it ends the same way.

Check out the article here.

A great loss, and a great legacy: Mr. Ralph Taylor, 1947-2009

The community, has lost a leader who helped make northeast Indiana a better place: Mr. Ralph Taylor.

As a deputy coroner, Mr. Taylor was alarmed by the rising number of teen deaths on local roads. He decided to do something about it. From his boundless energy and leadership, the Drive Alive campaign was born.

Mr. Taylor loved his wife and family, his co-workers and friends, and his community. He loved the Drive Alive campaign and its impact on the safety of our youngest, most vulnerable drivers.

The Drive Alive campaign is one testament to his selfless devotion to our community. We’ve lost an irreplaceable force for good. But his legacy will be at work every time a young driver gets behind the wheel of a car and arrives home safely.

"Ours is a face-to-face business." -- Tony Soprano

This article is part of an occasional series on the topic of nonprofit grassroots marketing for public relations professionals.

One of my favorite all-time shows is The Sopranos. And as I’ve said before, ideas for nonprofit grassroots marketing are everywhere – you just need to look. Interestingly enough, The Sopranos has some advice to offer us as nonprofit communicators. In one particular episode, Tony Soprano scolded one of his gangsters for trying to collect his mafia "protection money" by making phone calls to his customers (victims). Tony said, "Ours is a face-to-face business. Go see them in person and get your money." The best nonprofit communication occurs face-to-face as well.

Recently, we conducted a marketing survey – asking a large group of nonprofit PR communicators how to best reach youth audiences. Our group gave high marks to personal visits to schools and other target-audience groups. There is simply no better way to create dialogue, test your messages to see what bores and what excites your audience, and to get feedback in the form of questions. This information can then help shape all your other forms of communication.

So take a tip from Tony, and if you really want to get results, do more of your business face-to-face.

Community Foundation Giving Increase 6.7% in 2008 despite the economy

New York, NY — May 28, 2009. Even in the face of a worsening economy, the nation's 717 community foundations raised their giving by an estimated 6.7 percent in 2008 to a record $4.6 billion, according to Key Facts on Community Foundations, a new report from the Foundation Center. The amount given by community foundations also surpassed corporate foundation funding for the first time on record.

While community foundations have benefited in recent years from strong increases in the value of their existing assets and from new gifts and donor bequests, undoubtedly they will be forced to reduce giving in 2009, along with independent and corporate foundations. Close to three-fourths of the community foundations responding to the Center's annual forecasting survey said that they expect to decrease their giving this year.

"Community foundations may fare better than other types of grantmakers, given their large pool of donors and leading role in responding to those affected by the economic crisis," said Steven Lawrence, senior director of research at the Foundation Center. "But most will have no choice but to pull back on giving in the near term."

Other key findings include:
After inflation, community foundations reported faster cumulative growth in giving than other types of foundations since 1990.

Community foundations have increased their share of overall foundation giving to 10 percent.
Education and human services were the top giving priorities of the larger community foundations included in the Center's grants sample. Giving projections for 2008 are based on responses to the Foundation Center's 2009 "Foundation Giving Forecast Survey" from 173 of the nation's largest community foundations, combined with year-end economic indicators. The outlook for 2009 giving is based on the responses of 159 larger community foundations.

The report can be downloaded at no charge from the Gain Knowledge area of the Foundation Center's web site.

If you're not in the race, you can't even LOSE!

Today I'm going off topic a bit just for an inspirational story. Who among us can't use a bit of extra inspiration?

This is a horse named Mine That Bird. Until he one the Kentucky Derby last Saturday, few people … even in the inner circles of horseracing … had ever heard of him. But what this horse did at the Kentucky Derby is truly inspirational. Before the race, my son Charlie and I studied the track record of the 19 horses in the race. This horse, Mine That Bird, was the first one we scratched off the list. He was slow and small, and he hadn’t performed well in recent races. He didn’t seem to belong in the same class as the rest of the horses. On paper, this horse had no chance at all.

And all the world seemed to agree. To say that this horse was an underdog doesn’t begin to tell the story. His odds were 51-1, making him the longest of longshots. Mine That Bird rounded the first turn DEAD LAST among the 19 horses in the race. Just where we expected him to be.

And through much of the race, he went unnoticed, although he was slowly gaining some ground. His jockey chose a smart but dangerous path right along the rail, which saves the horse a lot of ground over the mile-and-a-quarter race. At a couple key moments, Mine That Bird and his jockey made some brilliant dashes to squeeze through tiny holes in the traffic. It may well be that the horse’s small size helped him get through traffic in a way that a larger horse could not have done.

He finished the race WAY ahead of the rest of the horses – 6 lengths --- … which is like winning a baseball game by 15-0. It wasn’t even close. He dominated the other horses.

And in doing so, he made history: Not since 1913 had a horse won the Kentucky Derby at such long odds.

Much of the credit goes to his jockey, Calvin Borell. Borell, like the horse he rode, is also a rags to riches story. He has a way of finding holes in traffic that other riders either don’t see or wouldn’t dare to try for. But it’s his attitude that I find inspiring.


Borell rode his small, slow horse as if it were the best horse in the race. … And the horse responded. Even though the facts and the odds seemed insurmountable, he rode to win. … And he won.

Even though he was riding a slow, small horse that looked like a sure loser, here’s what Borell said" You got a hole, you got a shot." Borel rode his small, slow horse as if it were the best horse in the race. … And the horse responded.

Even though the facts and the odds seemed insurmountable, he rode to win. … And he won.

Talk about the power of positive thinking. Borel understands that the fastest horse doesn’t always win the race. It takes other factors besides speed, like finding the RIGHT PATH through tight traffic.

And it takes a horse with heart and a jockey with hope. So next time you are running dead last, and the odds are stacked against you, remember this horse, Mine that Bird, and his Jockey, Calvin Borel, and the way they made history in the Kentucky Derby … by finding their own path.

A great thing about inspiration is that you can find it in every situation, if you know where to look. It’s easy to be inspired by a winning story, but I was even more inspired a couple years ago by a story about a man who found himself in a losing situation. This is Nick Zito, a famous trainer of Kentucky Derby horses. At the time he was considered one of the best trainers, so he was hired for the best horses. One year he had 5 of his horses in the Kentucky Derby. And all were strong contenders. It was a near certainty that one of his horses would finish at or near the top. But it was not to be. All 5 of his horses finished near the back of the pack. This was a loss on an epic scale, an embarrassment, a crushing defeat for the famous trainer. And here’s where the inspirational part comes. They asked Nick Zito if he planned to run those horses in the next race, called the Preakness. Here’s what he said.

“With great expectations comes great disappointment.” This is a guy accustomed to winning. He had 5 of the best horses in the same race, and they all failed miserably, 5 out of 5. So he was certainly stung by the disappointment.

But then he said, “Of course we’ll be in the next race.” And his next comment is one that I’ll never forget – I say it myself often nowadays. “If you don’t run, you can’t even lose.” His comment conveys a winning attitude about defeat. Defeat is temporary. And it’s not the worst thing in the world. To get in the game and have a chance is the real prize. You won’t win every time. Sometimes you’ll lose big. So you shake it off with dignity …. and you focus on the next opportunity. So I find as much inspiration in this story of a stunning defeat as I do in the miraculous victory of Mine that Bird and Calvin Borel.

This article is sponsored by the Breakthrough Branding course at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

5 nonprofit PR lessons I learned from reality TV...

Recently, I stumbled upon a new TV show on the Discovery Channel. The show is called Pitchmen, and it’s all about this guy: Billy Mays.
If you watch TV at all, you’ve seen him and heard him shouting at you in a sort of high pitch voice to buy everything from household cleansers to steam irons. I was curious about him, because he always starts his ads by shouting “Hi, Billy Mays here,” as though I should know who that is. And he seems to be on TV all the time. If you have never seen Billy Mays before, you’re just not watching enough TV.

Here's how the show works. Each week, Billy Mays and his infomercial producer choose 2 amateur inventors. If they think the inventor’s product will sell, they make a 2-minute TV ad and test it. If the product sells well, then the inventor’s dreams come true. Sometimes the products fail, and therein lays the drama of the show.

So, let’s look at 5 nonprofit PR communication lessons we can learn from this show:

Lesson 1: Does it solve a common problem?
Before deciding whether to take on a product, Billy asks this question: Does it solve a common problem? As I’ve discussed with many nonprofits, the first key question any nonprofit communicator should ask is “What problem are we trying to solve?” This should always be the starting point in nonprofit PR and marketing.

Lesson 2: Show, don’t tell; the “wow” factor

Next, the Billy Mays advertising formula is to find a way to demonstrate the product. He never TELLS about the product; he SHOWS you in creative ways how good the product is. For noprofit marketing, this means showing the impact of our work through stories about real people. Show people how your program will improve their lives. This may mean more photos, testimonials, and other devices. When you produce any communication, whether it’s a newsletter, a poster, a flier, or a progress report to a foundation, ask yourself the question that Billy Mays asks when evaluating a new product: “Where’s the WOW Factor?” On the show, Billy turns down good products that lack what he calls the “Wow” factor. If he can’t demonstrate it, he can’t sell it.

Lesson 3: Do simple research, quickly and cheaply
On the show, research is very informal, very fast, very cheap or free. Any nonprofit can do the same type of research.

Lesson 4: Make a specific, high-value offer
With infomercials, they have to pile on the bonuses and discounts in order to get people to pick up the phone right now, because people either buy on impulse right then and there, or they never buy at all. So when we want people to take action – bring their kids to story time, or attend a fundraising event, we need to give them a strong call to action and many “bonus” reasons to respond.

Lesson 5: Test the market’s response
Billy Mays says about 4 out of 10 of his efforts fail, so he doesn’t see failure as a defeat, just a part of the process. You can test your own efforts. Let’s say you want to launch a new event. Why not make it a small-scale event this year, and see what happens? If you get a good response, you’ll have momentum to build on for next year. If it’s a total bust, then there’s little harm done in trying and testing, because you limited the scale of the event and kept it small for the first trial year.

So to wrap things up, Billy Mays is an interesting guy to watch and now he has a fun reality show – but you really can learn a lot about nonprofit communications and marketing too. Check out PitchMen sometime and take note of how the products are selected and how the ads are created. You just might learn something from reality TV.

This article is sponsored by the webinar course, "Bad Advice on Online Marketing: From Facebook to Twitter." you'll find it on MainstreetNonprofittraining.com.

Do teenagers ever listen?!

This article is part of an occasional series on the topic of nonprofit grassroots marketing for public relations professionals.

In a recent survey of nonprofit communicators, we provided a list of about 20 communication techniques for reaching younger audiences, ranging from direct mail to TV to social media like MySpace. The overwhelming No. 1 technique was "Promoting through 'influencers' such as teachers, parents, guidance counselors, physicians, etc." Our top 5 results from this survey all fell into the category of grassroots marketing.

The take-away point: when targeting a younger audience, go grassroots and consider the "influencers."

For example, it is very difficult to influence high school students. You may be better off targeting parents of students; guidance counselors; coaches and teachers; youth-group leaders; school administrators; and others who have influence over teens. Usually the influencers are a smaller, more targeted group, meaning you can reach them inexpensively using a variety of standard outreach efforts — personal visits, phone calls, letters, etc. Arm them with the tools to convey your message to their population of students.

The U.S. military began using this strategy a few years ago, running ads aimed at parents, promoting the character-building experience of serving our nation. Smart, because if a young person wants to join the military and gets a lot of resistance from parents instead of encouragement, he or she is far less likely to sign up.

So don’t take it personally if your teen doesn’t listen to you... just think “grassroots marketing” and get connected with the people they are listening to!

Local politics: The world's greatest nonprofit PR laboratory

Most nonprofits spend most of their time and get most of their results from grassroots marketing. posters, fliers, yard signs, events -- that type of thing. That's why I am excerpting some briefings from a new course we are creating for our nonprofit PR training website, MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

The Situation:

American society across the board is media saturated. With so many media outlets available, the general audience has its attention fragmented in multiple directions. There are over 500 cable channels, personalized newsfeeds online and satellite radio with no commercials that play only what you like. There's MySpace, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. With that much personalization and fragmentation of the general population, how could you reach and penetrate YOUR local audience?

The Solution:

The solution is to step back from all of the shiny, new indirect media outlets that have people pulled in a million different directions and start reaching people directly where they live, work, play, shop, study and worship. The tried-and-true methods of grassroots PR are more effective now than ever before. As a nonprofit you're already good at connecting with people because that is the nature of your organization. Turn those connections outward into the community and you might be surprised at the effect you can have.

Here's today's thought:

To get into the "grassroots marketing mindset," pay close attention to what local politicians do when running for the school board, town council or similar posts. Local politics is the world's greatest PR laboratory. The candidates usually start with no money whatsoever, and they may be lucky to raise a few thousand dollars for their campaign. Yet winning is everything — politics is a zero-sum game, winner takes all, loser loses everything. So by observing local politicians, you can find out how people spend limited dollars when everything is on the line. In this arena of local politics for roles like treasurer, auditor, or council seats, there's usually no money for costly TV ads, billboards, etc. So what do you see? Door hangers. Postcards mailed very strategically to likely voters. Yard signs. Speaking at public events to anyone who will listen.

Observing local politics is the best real-world education for nonprofits. (Note that I am not referring to major races for mayor in big cities, or senate seats, etc., where big money is involved. I am referring to school board candidates and similar races.)

More on this in our next installment in the nonprofit grassroots marketing series of articles, excerpted from a course currently in development for our nonprofit training site, MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

"In the morning, I shall be sober."

I was delighted when my daughter, Mary, a junior in high school, told me she had choses Winston Churchill as the topic for a report in her literature class.

Churchill may be the greatest communicator of all time. He saved Britain and helped rid the world of Nazi tyranny through the shear persuasive power of the written and spoken word. He's No. 1 on my "most admired historical figures" list.

And as a writer, I dip into the Churchill well often, either for inspiration or direct quotes. No one is more quotable on such a broad range of topics:

We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.

From now on, ending a sentence with a preposition is something up with which I shall not put.

Nancy Astor: “Sir, if you were my husband, I would give you poison.”Churchill: “If I were your husband I would take it.”

History will be kind to me for I intend to write it. (Which he did, both literally and figuratively).

The truth is incontrovertible, malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end; there it is.

The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter.

If you have an important point to make, don't try to be subtle or clever. Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time-a tremendous whack.

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.

I though I'd read all of Churchill's famous quotes, but Mary had one in her paper I hadn't seen before:

Bessie Braddock: “Sir, you are drunk.” Churchill: “Madam, you are ugly. In the morning, I shall be sober.”

If he really said that, you have to give the man credit for wit even when intoxicated. (Sometimes I doubt that Churchill actually said all the things attributed to him. As Yogi Berra said in in his inimitable way, "I really didn't say everything I said.")

Is your Facebook 'charity work' doing any good?

I ran across a very interesting Associated Press article on the use of Facebook, etc. by nonprofits. The article "illustrates both the potential upside and downside for charitable causes hoping to cash in on the popularity of social-networking sites such as Facebook and News Corp.'s MySpace. With millions of users worldwide, the sites would seem fertile ground for fundraising experiments — especially ones where users aren't asked to make direct contributions.
But it's far from certain that social networking will prove as effective as more traditional fundraising methods such as direct mail, telephone solicitation and even e-mails to past donors."

The article doesn't address small, local nonprofits per se, but it's very balanced and informative.

You can check it out here.

For more on the topic, check out the course description for our course, "Blogs? Facebook? MySpace? Is social networking right for your small nonprofit?"

MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

One blade of grass or the whole yard?

This article is part of an occasional series on the topic of nonprofit grassroots marketing for public relations professionals.

Let's consider the term "grassroots." Note that it is plural. One blade of grass standing alone is virtually invisible; but a small patch of grass is the start of something that can grow. The point: As a nonprofit communicator, you can't rely on any one grassroots marketing strategy; your outreach efforts have to be used together to create a multiplier effect, to reach people with the same message in multiple places and formats. But more than just using mass media to communicate your message, with grassroots tactics, you’re reaching people directly where they live, work, play, shop, study and worship.

A key strategic concept for nonprofit grassroots marketing is "Inside-Out Marketing." This means, quite simply, that the audience closest to your problem is the one to focus on. For example, a group of college students organizing an event came to me to send a press release. I asked, "What have you done on campus? The people most likely to attend your event are your own friends, students, faculty, alumni, etc. You should exhaust all of those 'internal' communication efforts before focusing on a press release aimed at the general public — most of whom have no connection or affinity with your school."

So, determine your problem, determine your audience, and then use a mix of grassroots communication tactics -- not just one “blade of grass” -- to reach your audience and motivate them into action.

A media relations tool for nonprofit communicators

Here's a nifty idea for time-strapped nonprofit PR pros. It's called the News Digest.

It's so simple -- that's why it works.

The News Digest is a one-page document that is formatted like a press release, but instead of the full text of a press release, you only need to write a headline and a few sentences to entice reporters' interest. You can get three or four of these briefings on one sheet of paper. The briefings do have to be very well written, but it is certainly less time-consuming than doing a full press release. If they want to do a story, reporters can contact you for an interview or for a full press release. Do this monthly or as often as your news conditions warrant.

It allows you to blend hard news (events, etc.) with "soft" ideas, like offering an interview with that 95-year-old volunteer who has been supporting your organization since 1950.

And it lets each media outlet decide which story meets its needs!

It works like magic. Much less work for you, much more media attention for your organization.

Some perspective on nonprofit media relations

This article is an excerpt from a coure for nonprofit marketers on media relations available at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

It's important to appreciate that media relations is an important asset for a small nonprofit organization, but some perspective is in order.

The news media can only cover your organization periodically and you don't control when the news gets published, or how it's edited. A story may run for a day and provide a boost, but the effect is short-lived. What do you do the next day, and the day after that?

Today, more than ever, we have options such as targeted direct mail, newsletters, e-mail, event marketing, etc. People are often surprised to hear a PR person urging a reduced emphasis on the mainstream media. And that may seem a little strange. But in our experience at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com, you can have more impact by taking control of the timing and content of your message, and targeting your audience yourself.

Become your own "media." Build your own media outlet.

The point: Don't be too dependent on media relations in your outreach strategy. Most organizations have a full toolkit of communications tools that can reach target audiences directly, on your terms, and on your timetable, with no media intermediary. So, as they say, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Media relations is much more than sending a press release.

The term "Media Relations" emphasizes relationships, and your relationships with media members are some of your most important assets. Meetings and phone calls with the specific reporters, bloggers and others who cover your field are crucial to building strong relationships.

If you don't know the area members of the media, reach out to them, introduce yourself, and send them some background on your small nonprofit organization. Offer to make a personal visit to the newsroom or hold a "brown-bag lunch" for all the media members in your market once a year to talk about news the organization is planning to announce. Ideally, someone in your organization should have a one-on-one relationship with all of the reporters that cover your field.
If you lack this asset, these are your first steps – identify the reporters and work on a relationship. Letters, e-mails and phone calls are all that's needed to help put a "face" on your organization. Getting on a first name basis with reporters and sending press releases to John Smith in the Community Section instead of Community Section Editor, really helps separate you from the dozens of press releases that reporters get in a day. Your press release will be viewed as correspondence from a human, not just a random bit of data landing in a reporter's inbox.

Starting a relationship is the first step, but with the turnover rates in the media being so high, it can be difficult to maintain strong relationships. Keep in regular contact with editors and producers so you know which reporters to contact and keep abreast of changeover in key positions.

Periodically send copies of your latest publications to reporters to let them know what your organization is up to. Attach a business card and mail it separately from the bulk mailing list to let them know they're recognized as a special recipient.

In our course, you'll find much more information on nonprofit media relations. The course is called Getting What You Want From The Media: Essential Skills.

This online training course provides some basics as well as advanced tips for managing a local media relations program. From press releases, press conferences and PSAs to pitch calls and follow-ups, we'll show you some of the Best Practices in nonprofit press and media relations.

Product Description: A PDF course of 17 pages with 3 inter-related lesson modules:

Module 1: How to build a relationship with the media and your nonprofit. This lesson module will help you if:

You want to gain perspective on media relations for small nonprofits
You want to enhance a relationship with the members of your local media
You want to learn how to sell your message to the media
You want to distribute your organization's message effectively Key Points:
Enhancing your perspective on media relations
Emphasizing your relationship with the media
Setting message priorities
Using Push and Pull tactics to distribute your message
Distributing your organization's message in an easy and effective manner

Module 2: How to deliver your message to the media. This lesson module will help you if:

You want to learn the key steps to phone follow-up calls
You want to utilize op-ed articles as a PR tool
You want to use your organization's website as an online newsroom
You want to use a nonprofit TV Public Service Announcement Key Points:
Making effective follow-up phone calls
Delivering your organization's message in an op-ed article
Utilizing your website as an online newsroom
Recycling your news release to get the media to pick up your story
Using grassroots media tactics to convey your message
Using the News Digest format to increase he frequency of your press contacts without increasing the number of press releases you have to write
Using the Media Memo format to help the media frame your issue the way you want them to.

Module 3: How to get better results from the media

Module 3 offers some more advanced tips on packaging your news with photos and effective headlines; attaching your news to state or national trends in the media; responding effectively to incoming calls from reporters; you'll also get a checklist that can help you decide which PR strategy to use every time, and then check off the steps needed for ultimate success so you don't overlook any of the small-but-important details.

A free PR production tool: the Branding Quality Rubric

In our course on Breakthrough Branding at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com, you can download a 28-page guide on nonprofit branding and marketing. There was one piece of the packet in particular that I want to highlight, called the Branding Quality Rubric. This simple, one-page form can prove very helpful in your organization when writing and editing. It’s more than a checklist; think of it like bullet points that guide you to analyze your work more closely.

You can download it here for free. It looks like the image above.

Now these are not hard and fast rules by any means. They’re guidelines that provide insights into new ways to look at your writing beyond spelling errors and organizational flow.

One part of the rubric that I find particularly helpful is the interest scale. Your writing may not have any specific problems like spelling or grammar, but it could just be plain boring. Around here, we call that sort of writing “lifeless.” When we revise we say “breathe some life into it” by adding personal interest stories and finding a new way to state an old idea or removing business jargon or clichés.

You don’t want your audience to fall asleep or lose interest while reading your material, you want them to get excited about your organization and motivate them to take action. They might not jump for joy, but some degree of excitement would be great.

And make sure that you give this rubric to a couple different people and have them use it to look over your work. You might think something is perfect and extremely interesting, but a fresh set of eyes might catch something you overlooked. And the rubric gives them a means of providing specific, useful feedback.

So take a few minutes to review the Branding Quality Rubric and see how it might fit into your workflow. If nothing else, it helps you gain concrete critiques on your work, based on solid nonprofit branding principles.

The PR Lessons I've Learned at Home

The PR lessons I've learned at home

By Steve Cebalt

Much of my experience comes from working in communications over two decades, both in journalism and as a PR consultant to foundations and nonprofits.But as a father of four teenagers, I have learned just as many practical PR lessons from my family:

My daughter Emily taught me that the PR concept of "spin" is dead. She said once, "People are too smart for B.S. nowadays, and besides, they can hop online and find out in 20 seconds whether what you say is right or wrong." I apply this lesson every time a client suggests that we find a better way to "massage" the message. Straightforward honesty is the only message that works.

My daughter Mary taught me to anticipate my audience's questions. She was the child who would start with "Why is the sky blue..." and continue with endless questions. So now I try to consider what my audience will ask, and answer those questions in the first place.

My daughter Grace reminds me of the power of being systematic. She is like those girls (yes, they were always girls) whom I envied in school; the ones who had their assignments in color-coordinated notebooks with page protectors and to-do lists for each class, in perfect penmanship. I had my assignments stuffed in the pages of my math book, or crumpled in my pocket. I had to learn the value of systems and organization along the way. Grace's gift for organization inspires me to continue building systematic ways to harness PR creativity, because I see how much more she is able to accomplish, with far less effort.

My son Charlie, who likes to play video games while watching TV while texting his friends and hypothetically doing his homework, taught me that you have to grab people's attention and get your message across before they veer off in today's attention-deficit world. You get one chance to make your point: Make it count.

My wife Martha taught me that being friendly and approachable is as vital as technical skill. She switched doctors even though the original physician was highly recommended for his clinical skills. "I don't care. He doesn't listen – he just seems to want to get on to his next appointment. I want doctors who listen to me and show that they care." I apply this lesson every day. My clients don't hire me because I am the greatest PR practitioner in the world – how would they know that? They count on me because I apply my skills to THEIR situation, and I listen and patiently explain the principles of my recommendations as we go. And sometimes we share a laugh along the way, which never hurts!

Sure, my training in the U.S. Air Force, college, and in more than 20 years in the profession have provided me with the "hard skills" needed in PR. But I have to credit my family for teaching me some of the most valuable PR principles of all. And the learning never stops. Every time I come home at night I'm in for another lesson.

– Steve Cebalt

P.S. For you parents out there, it took me a long time, but I learned the correct answer when your kids ask questions such as "Why is the sky blue?"Answer: "Have you cleaned your room yet? Get that done and then we'll talk."

Originally posted at www.MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

The Twouble with Twitters

Recenlty I wrote about the free-floating anxiety some nonprofits feel about the Social Networking phenomenon. Are you behind the curve if you are not using Twitter, Facebook, etc.?

Scroll down a bit and you'll see my earlier article.

Here's a great video on the topic.




It's funny. I think you'll enjoy it.

I get a lot of disagreement for my conservative view on the use of social networking for nonprofits. I'll just say again that compared to other things already on your to-do list, the social marketing tools are not your top priority.

I think many people are experimenting with social marketing because it is interesting and fun, and we all wish we could achieve our PR goals by fiddling around on the computer. It reminds me of the famous final line from Hemmingways' "The Sun Also Rises."

"Isn't it pretty to think so?"

But among the people who disagree with me, no one has answered the key questions:

"Can you provide some specific practices that small, local nonprofits are using to their advantage right now? Are these advantages better than alternatives, and worth the time and effort?"

I am not opposed to social marketing for small nonprofits. I just believe in letting the marketplace do the costly work of finding out what works and what's worth it; then I adopt those practices. You don't have to be the one to invent the wheel; you have an organization to run and lots of other priorities that can pay immediate dividends -- grants to write, interns to hire and train, funds to raise, events to plan, financial statements to study, costs to cut. Anythig that takes you away from those important tasks had better be worth it; that's all I'm saying.

When some effective, reproducible practices emerge that are suitable for the small, local nonprofits for whom I write this blog, then adopt them.

If you're looking for practical solutions for nonprofits in terms of social marketing, check out my course on our training website for nonprofits at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com. The Social Networking course you want is at this link.

Is good writing still worth the extra effort?

I randomly opened an issue of National Geographic and ran across a few paragraphs of writing that reminded me of why I chose to get into the communications business in the first place. Below I have quoted the first few paragraphs from a lengthy article on a topic that didn't particularly interest me -- malaria. But the sheer craft of the writer drew me in, from one sentence to the next, and changed me -- converted me from someone with no interest in the topic to someone with an avid interest -- all through the the power of excellent writing. Just ink on paper made me a different person; a person who now is not COMPLETELY ignorant of a global menace, and a person who has a new interest. Pretty powerful for a random magazine article, eh?

My point: Words have power; good writing can influence people. Sadly, I'd almost forgotten the power of good writing, because so much communication today is in the form of text messages, Facebook updates ("John is glad to see the sun for a change!!"), and the sheer pace and volume of daily communication. Experts tell us that we must be briefer; short articles, short newsletters, fast, fast, fast. And of course we must! Pretty soon we'll just be grunting, too busy for full syllables and entire words.

But this article, which I picked up entirely at random, reminded me that great writing can capture the reader's interest and keep it. So I've reminded myself to devote a little more time to the craft when I write. That's a good reminder for any of us who produce lots of material, usually under some type of time pressure, while juggling 50 other responsibilities, like updating our Facebook page to let the world know that Zac Efron's appearance on American Idol last night was awesome and that Simon's decision was shocking.

Anyhow, here's the beginning of the article that prompted all this:

By Michael Finkel

It begins with a bite, a painless bite. The mosquito comes in the night, alights on an exposed patch of flesh, and assumes the hunched, head-lowered posture of a sprinter in the starting blocks. Then she plunges her stiletto mouthparts into the skin.

The mosquito has long, filament-thin legs and dappled wings; she's of the genus Anopheles, the only insect capable of harboring the human malaria parasite. And she's definitely a she: Male mosquitoes have no interest in blood, while females depend on protein-rich hemoglobin to nourish their eggs. A mosquito's proboscis appears spike-solid, but it's actually a sheath of separate tools—cutting blades and a feeding tube powered by two tiny pumps. She drills through the epidermis, then through a thin layer of fat, then into the network of blood-filled micro-capillaries. She starts to drink.

To inhibit the blood from coagulating, the mosquito oils the bite area with a spray of saliva. This is when it happens. Carried in the mosquito's salivary glands—and entering the body with the lubricating squirt—are minute, wormlike creatures. These are the one-celled malaria parasites, known as plasmodia. Fifty thousand of them could swim in a pool the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Typically, a couple of dozen slip into the bloodstream. But it takes just one. A single plasmodium is enough to kill a person.

The parasites remain in the bloodstream for only a few minutes. They ride the flume of the circulatory system to the liver. There they stop. Each plasmodium burrows into a different liver cell. Almost certainly, the person who has been bitten hardly stirs from sleep. And for the next week or two, there's no overt sign that something in the body has just gone horribly wrong.

We live on a malarious planet. It may not seem that way from the vantage point of a wealthy country, where malaria is sometimes thought of, if it is thought of at all, as a problem that has mostly been solved, like smallpox or polio. In truth, malaria now affects more people than ever before. It's endemic to 106 nations, threatening half the world's population. In recent years, the parasite has grown so entrenched and has developed resistance to so many drugs that the most potent strains can scarcely be controlled. This year malaria will strike up to a half billion people. At least a million will die, most of them under age five, the vast majority living in Africa. That's more than twice the annual toll a generation ago. ...

You can find the full article, along with some amazing pictures, at this link.

An Honor Roll of Difference-Makers

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant

-- Robert Louis Stevenson


All of us, if we are lucky and willing to listen, have a few people who have given us a boost along the career path.

Today's post is to say "Thanks" to a few of the people who went out of their way to show me the way.

1. Staff Sgt. Thorpe. He was my drill sergeant in Air Force Basic Training, and he hated my guts, for no reason.

Since the age of 12, I had wanted to join the Air Force. I entered boot camp the day after high school graduation, at age 17.

I was scared to death of failing, and had the best attitude in the world. But Sgt. Thorpe mis-read me completely. He just took a strong hating to me from Day One.

He made my life miserable for the duration of boot camp and singled me out for all types of unfair abuse (above and beyond the standard unfair boot-camp abuse).

The lesson he taught me: Life is unfair, kid, and sometimes you have to find a way to succeed anyway. Fair has got nothing to do with it.

2. Sylvia Smith. Today, Sylvia is head of The Journal Gazette's Washington Bureau and in 2007 was elected president of the National Press Club – a big deal, indeed.

But "back in the day," in the early 1980s, she as manager of the copy-editing desk of The Journal Gazette. I wanted a job in journalism in the worst way, but lacked experience. I had none whatsoever. Sylvia allowed me to come in and "tutor" with her on Sunday nights when things were quiet on the news desk. She showed me the ropes and was generally very patient with my inexperience. Sometimes her lessons were given in a bit of a "tough-love" style, but after Sgt. Thorpe, I had pretty thick skin. Thanks again, Sgt. Thorpe. And a million thanks to you, Sylvia, for creating a break for someone who really didn't deserve it. But, like fairness, "deserve" has got nothing to do with it. Without Sylvia, I am not sure where my path would have led. Thanks to her, I spent years enjoying work on the copy desk.

3, Craig Klugman. As editor of The Journal Gazette, Craig was (and still is) more like a big brother role model. He has always showed an interest in both my work and my life and family, and he taught me the value of a sense of humor -- take your work seriously, but never take yourself too seriously. Editor of The Journal Gazette since 1982, Craig was recently elected into the Indiana Journalism Hall of Fame. Thanks, Craig!

4. After shifting my career to PR, each of my bosses has helped me develop and grow. Sheryl Swingley, now Instructor of Journalism at Ball State University, taught me to navigate the bureaucracy of a large organization when she was my boss at Parkview Hospital. She taught me the politics of the business, which is something that I hadn't needed to learn much about while working at The Journal Gazette.

5. Jim Tobalski taught me the power of goal setting. He would say "What is the goal of that brochure you are writing?" Seems like an obvious question now, but only because Jim was relentlessly goal-oriented, and he passed that along to me. Thanks, Jim!

6. Andy Candor, now CEO of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Hope, taught me so many things I don't know where to begin. Most of all, he taught me to focus on results. "What result will this achieve? Is it worth it? How will you know? How will you measure it?" He had a knack for asking those ultra-clarifying questions, which helped me learn to focus on things that matter. He taught me the difference between "activity" and "results."

7. Carolyn Hughes was vice president of Fort Wayne Newspapers when I worked for her. With her background as an accountant, she could pinpoint the weakness in any argument or report faster than anyone I've ever seen. She taught me to think strategically -- to elevate my role from a PR practitioner to a PR strategist -- a big leap. Thanks, Carolyn!

In 1998, I launched my own business, and I have learned so much from my clients that I can't begin to name names. Plus, I don't want to leave anyone out! In addition, there have been a few frustrating clients that taught me nothing but patience and forbearance, and they needn't be mentioned here. So, among my current clients who serve as conduits of ideas, mentors to me in their fields of expertise, and providers of professional wisdom -- you know who you are. I thank you!

You can't pay people back for the help they've given you along the way – and they don’t expect it. Instead, you repay the debt by serving as a supporter for the next generation of people trying to build THEIR careers. Because of the individuals listed above, I always take calls from college grads and others seeking a job, etc. Even if I can't offer them anything in my shop, I always try to give them a little attention and encouragement, and maybe some leads on where they might find work or things they might do to build their resume in the meantime.

And I never feel like I'm wasting time. When you think about it, propping up others along the way may be the greatest achievement most of us will ever attain.

Are you tweeting up the wrong tree? I'm just sayin' ...

"Let us spend the day deliberately and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails."

-- Henry David Thoreau


Many of my clients are feeling free-floating anxiety about Social Media and online network sites like Facebook, Twitter, etc.

They feel like they may be behind the curve of the Next Big Thing, and they want to know how to score with these emerging communication tools.

If you are a small, local nonprofit -- the audience for whom this blog is written -- relax. These shiny new toys can be very distracting. Social marketing can be equally distracting when you should be focusing on sending thank-you notes to your donors, writing grants worth thousands of dollars, critically examining your operations for ways to trim costs, training frontline staff to be effective PR advocates of your organization, etc.

At this stage, there are a lot of people hyperventilating about the endless possibilities for using these Web 2.0 technologies to achieve vast breakthroughs in nonprofit communications and fundraising. The ones who are tweeting the loudest tend to be the consultants paid to enlighten nonprofits on the mysteries of social marketing. For them, social marketing works great -- just like the Y2K scare (remember that?) was a bonanza for technology consultants -- because the average Joe was fearful of the unknown.

Mostly, though, the reality is that a lot of people are tweeting up the wrong tree.

While you'll hear the occasional anecdotal success story of how a national politician or advocacy group has used a Facebook or Twitter campaign, the vast majority of nonprofits are just dabbling and experimenting.

In this economy, do you want to be dabbling and experimenting? In this economy, do you want to be distracted from your all-to-real priorities?

Problem is, these social marketing tools can indeed by very distracting.



The trade-off with experimenting is that, while the social marketing tools are free, they do take time. Your time. You don't have much, and what little you do have is precious. You can't do everything, and you can't afford to waste time doing something just because it's trendy or because you feel pressured to keep up with the nonprofit next door. You can't be distracted by every opportunity that flashes by! You need to know what's worth your time and what's not in the ever-evolving online world. And on that note, my friends, the verdict is still out.


It's hard not to get excited about every new idea that comes past you. Some of them are very, very cool. But you to make the "right" choice for your nonprofit, you must pose these questions to yourself:

• Is social networking right for my nonprofit?


• Do my stakeholders and clients want this and are they willing to use it?

• Do I have the time, resources and energy to invest to make it successful?

• Do I have too many open projects sitting on my desk that need to be finished before I begin something new?


• Do I have the ability to finish setting up the social media site, plus implement and maintain it?


• What has to drop off my radar in order for me to start something new? There's nothing wrong with loving innovation. Just make sure you don't lose focus on what's most important for you, your nonprofit and your clients.


Sites like MySpace, Facebook and others represent vast communities where people can communicate with each other. Here's the problem. Among adults, only about one-third are members of any social networking site (Pew Internet study, 2008). That means two out of three of your potential audience members are not even in the game. Plus, for the one-third that do use social networking sites, there are many different communities, which means your patrons, clients or stakeholders are likely to be divided among MySpace users, Facebook users, LinkedIn users, and others. I recognize that these numbers are changing as fast as I can type this article, but the fact will remain that the market is very fragmented.


Another key point to understand is that overall, most adults use social networks for personal use rather than professional communications. Their intent primarily is to connect with people they already know. Of adults using social networking sites, 89% use their online profiles to keep up with friends, 57% use their profiles to make plans with friends, and 49% use them to make new friends, and less than 1/3 use their profiles for professional purposes.


The best doctor I ever had is the most conservative. He doesn't put much weight in the latest, greatest drug therapy. "I'll wait until there's enough data to support good decisions. Why risk my patients' well-being on something still emerging when I can offer them proven therapies backed up by years of clinical evidence? I don't have to be among the first doctors to use the new therapies; I am happy to wait until others do the risky and costly pioneering, and wait until a therapy is validated." He's the only doctor who's every helped me with my arthritis. I am pain-free, thanks to his tried-and-true therapies. Simply put, the guy knows what he's doing and doesn't feel pressure to experiment with every new drug that the pharmaceutical sales reps try to pressure him to use.


That pretty well sums up my approach to social media and social network for the small, local nonprofit. You'll find more in a course on our Website at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com.

Watch, wait, monitor, and when there are enough mainstream success stories and specific "best practices" to warrant your devotion of time and attention, then get on board.

Meantime, you probably have bigger problems to tackle if you take a hard look at your to-do list.

Am I right?

Today's rant: Why I hate the word "branding" in nonprofit PR and marketing

Having spent months creating a course for nonprofit communcators on branding, let me admit this:

I hate the word "branding" in the context of nonprofit communications.

It’s a useless, meaningless word.

It’s a buzzword that I thought would pass 20 years ago, but it’s here to stay, so I have to deal with it, but I hate it.

The term is thrown around with such abandon by so many people to mean so many different things that it is almost useless.

"Brand essence, brand strategy, brand touchpoints, branding standards and guidelines, bla bla bla."

Clients often get pressure from board members or peers to "re-examine our branding."

When a client brings up the term “branding,” my strategy is to quickly change the subject and ask simply, “What problem are you having?”

A discussion of branding often leads nowhere. But if I ask “What problem are you having,” then we can have a meaningful discussion.

So next time you find yourself in a discussion on branding, ask this ultra-simple, clarifying question: "Exactly what problem are you having?"

Since the word is here to stay, though, and I have to live with it, I have crafted my own definition of branding as it applies to nonprofits. I call it “Behavioral Branding.”

What is Behavioral Branding?

Consider this quote:

“The most effective sermon is expressed in deeds instead of words” -- Waite Phillips, philanthropist, Boy Scouts of America

• The most effect branding is expressed in the behavior of your people – how they treat your clients and stakeholders.

• Think about how people judge your organization; on what factors would they choose to do business with you, or avoid you? Your performance relative to those factors is your brand. And I'll bet the font or color scheme in your logo has nothing to do with it.

You’ll find much more about nonprofit branding in our course “Breakthrough Branding” on our website, http://www.mainstreetnonprofittraining.com/.

For nonprofits, branding is defined by behavior and uncommon courtesy

This article is an excerpt from our course on Behavioral Branding, available for download at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com.

If you think nonprofit branding is about visuals, such as your logo and tagline, think again.

Nonprofit branding is about behavior.

Let’s say you run a small nonprofit social service agency or a preschool. You can have the greatest logo in the world and the snappiest tagline, and it won’t make a bit of difference.

Your brand is defined by how your people treat others. That’s how people will form their perception of your organization. For most small, local nonprofits in human services, social services, education, etc. this is true. Let's say one agency has a great logo and visual identity, but grouchy, poorly trained frontline staff. The other agency has a amateur logo designed by an intern, and a lousy slogan; but the staff are friendly, knowledgeable, courteous, responsive, and considerate. They have a much stronger brand, because these are the traits by which nonprofits are judged.

So the secret is out; nobody cares much about your logo besides you and your designer.

Now, if you are in the arts or entertainment areas, your visual branding takes on much more importance. But for any nonprofit, the way you behave supersedes any aesthetic aspects of your branding.

Here’s a short list of behaviors that will leave a make-or-break impression on the people you are trying to serve. Most boil down to common courtesy – or, more like it in this day and age, uncommonly good courtesy.

1. Make a good e-connection. No matter how casual or routine your e-mail is, each one should start with a greeting of some sort, such as "Good Morning Mary" or just simply "Hey Charlie." Starting a message with the body of the e-mail or just saying "Grace:" on the first line is received as a command rather than a request. A polite opening including a greeting (Hi, Good Morning, etc.) and the recipient's name helps soften the entire tone of the e-mail and is more well-received.

2. Interruption vs. interaction: When you're busy in a task, someone calling or coming to speak with you may seem like an interruption, when really it's an opportunity for interaction. That conversation can help further a project along, maybe even to its completion, and lets you look upon the project you were working on previously with fresh eyes. Making someone feel like a nuisance for interrupting is a common mistake, but one that is easily remedied.

Making time for everyone creates the brand image that your nonprofit values everyone it speaks with and is willing to make time for unexpected visitors. Just as you make time for someone in person, give the same courtesy over the phone.

When you're on the phone, just be on the phone. If you're working on something else (an e-mail, writing a note), the person on the other line will know you're not giving your full attention. The person you're speaking with on the phone is priority number one.


3. Phone first… then e-mail: As much as e-mail has helped facilitate communications, it certainly has its limitations. Certain messages are just more effective if communicated over the phone; especially those that you anticipate may have follow-up questions. If you want to be sure you get your message across clearly the first time and save yourself from rebound e-mail questions, the phone is your best option, plus it comes across as much more personal and thoughtful. Your donors will appreciate hearing from you personally instead of receiving a form e-mail where their name was dropped in. Also, they really appreciate having their questions answered personally; it yet again reinforces that your organization cares for its audience and values building relationships. From a branding perspective, a phone contact has five times the impact of an e-mail. So remember, phone first, e-mail second. E-mail may seem easy and efficient, but don’t confuse that with being effective.

4. The wonder of spellchecking: E-mails are extremely routine and often a cursory glance is given before hitting send, but grammatical and spelling errors can seriously tarnish the professionalism of your message. Simply turning on the spell-check feature in your email can help save embarrassment later and a quick double-check proofread on your own part doesn't hurt either. This might seem simple or obvious, but spelling errors tell your audience that you didn't care enough about the message to take a minute to read it over. Make sure every message sent from your organization is professional and presents a unified voice. That behavior brands your organization as organized, detail-oriented and respectful of your audience's time.

5. More e-mail tips: While signature blocks may seem redundant after your sign-off in each e-mail, they are extremely helpful to any e-mail recipient. Your signature block puts your fax and phone number at easy access, provides a direct link to your website, and is a great place to include your "added benefit" e-mail tag.


To find out more about how e-mail tags can positively impact your communications, check out our course called Double Duty E-mails, availabe at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com. The subject line of your e-mail is also very crucial, but with the volumes of e-mails sent daily, this part is often overlooked. Your e-mail subject line helps document the stream of e-mails in a discussion and makes it easy to track each "conversation." Subject lines should be descriptive and timely, so that with a quick glance, anyone could tell what your e-mail is about. It will be helpful to everyone involved if you continually update the subject line as your e-mail conversation evolves.

6. Your tone: This may seem obvious when you're talking one-on-one with someone. You want to be polite and considerate and come across in a positive manner. But tone must also be considered when using e-mail to communicate. You must be cautious to ensure that your message will not be read with the wrong tone and your message misconstrued. In many ways, this makes e-mails more challenging than simply talking face-to-face or over the phone. But if you take the proper time in constructing your e-mail message, you can achieve your desired tone. Be straightforward with your responses, but word them considerately as well, giving constructive feedback that is honest, but delivered in a positive and helpful way to the recipient.

7. Thank you: As antiquated as it may seem, thank you notes are a common courtesy that should be practiced. It's best if the note can be handwritten, but it's certainly not required. A kindly worded e-mail expressing your gratitude shows initiative and good business etiquette. If you send a typed letter via mail, have someone sign it personally. Especially if you're a nonprofit and you rely on donors to operate, sending a personal note within 24 hours can reemphasize the relationship-building brand of your organization.

8. Your voicemail message: This is more than a routine communication tool; it’s an opportunity to present an image of yourself to anyone who might be calling. Your voicemail message may be the first impression someone has of you, and you want to ensure that your message portrays you positively. Keep a pleasant tone and be sure to include that you will return each call as soon as possible (not when it's convenient for you!) to ensure that the caller knows how important the call is to you.

9. Speakerphone: It can be very useful and convenient for group conversations, but speakerphone should rarely be used for a one-on-one conversation. First off, never put someone on speakerphone without asking. And if you are in a group setting, after receiving consent, let the person on the other end know who is participating in the conversation from your side. This will put everyone more at ease and confident in the situation. In a typical one-on-one conversation, people automatically become guarded knowing speakerphone is on because there is no way of knowing who else might be listening. Also, it can come across as rude or lazy if you are unwilling to simply pick up the phone and talk with someone instead of using speakerphone so you can be hands-free to multitask. Best practice: unless the situation absolutely necessitates speakerphone, it's best not to use it.

10. Another photo op: Putting your picture on business cards is not just for aesthetics. Think of how many business cards people have and how little interaction is done face-to-face anymore. Inserting your picture on a business card is a reminder of who you are and might save you from embarrassing situations when someone knows your name but not your face. It adds a personal touch to your organization and literally puts a face with a name among the many names your audience may deal with in a
given day.

Try also inserting your picture within emails to certain people, especially if you plan on meeting them in person for a meeting. Little changes like this will make your brand even more unique to your organization.

11. Look in the mirror: Take the idea of mystery shopping from the retail market and apply it to your organization. For a week, designate someone to watch closely how your staff answers the phone, sends emails, works with clients, etc. Mark how well they are abiding by the procedures that your nonprofit has established. When you've finished monitoring, meet with each person individually and discuss with them everything you noticed. If they did something that was different from procedure, explain to them the right way to do it; oftentimes they were unaware of the proper procedure all along. Conduct these audits randomly throughout the year; it really helps your nonprofit assess how well it's executing its behavioral brand.

While you can be as structured or unstructured as you like with your communications assessment, you may find this idea quite useful as you conduct these behavioral branding evaluations for your nonprofit.

The list above is just to give you some ideas of the behaviors that can affect how people perceive you – your brand. We hope it will prompt you to look at many other aspects of your organization with a fresh perspective, and appreciate that what you do – how you behave – is much more important to your brand than the color or font used in your logo.

The 7 most common nonprofit branding problems

This article is an excerpt form a PDf course on nonprofit branding from www.MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

First, identify the problem.

In a previous blog post I put forth a skeptical tone toward branding if by branding you mean obsessing over your logo, tagline, etc. For small, local nonprofits, that’s not really a good use of time and energy. I introduced the term “Behavioral Branding” to make the point that how your organization actually treats people is the real essence of nonprofit branding. Scroll down a bit for that article if you are interested.

So instead of focusing on aesthetics, I prefer to focus on solving real communications problems. And the first step in branding is to identify the problem. This may seem obvious, but actually it is a step that is often overlooked. In nonprofits, where time and resources are precious, you want to immediately start tackling a project and not waste any time. However, a great deal of time can be wasted by trying to work on a project when you have not precisely identified what is at the heart of the project. Taking time out at the onset of a project to clearly state what the problem is will save hours of frustration later by avoiding misguided concepts and ideas that are not in alignment with the scope of the project.

Lou Holtz, former coach of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team, is famous for his great problem-solving skills, because he takes the time to examine the problem first before trying to tackle it. Coach Holtz clearly stated this simple first step when he said, "You can't solve a problem until you identify it."

From football to nonprofits, the same is true. Before taking any action on a project, you must first identify the problem. After that, the next steps will become much clearer and each step will fall in alignment with the overall aim of the project. When you begin by isolating the problem, the solution becomes self-evident.

As indicated in the chart at the top of this article, there are seven basic problems that have proven to be the most common barriers to effective nonprofit branding and can cause your nonprofit to fall short of its branding goals. As you work to identify the main branding problem within your nonprofit, you may encounter one, two, or all of the seven specific problems, which we'll explain further in the next article, on Branding Alignment Gaps. These seven common branding problems are the result of being out of alignment with your audience. The solution, of course, is to identify the problems where you are out of alignment; and then the remedy becomes obvious. So that's the hard part – identifying. The good news is that there is only one more step:

Fix the problem.

That's not nearly as hard as it sounds, once you know you are working on the right problem. You have the tools and wherewithal to address the problems you face. The key really is making sure you're working on the right problem.

This problem-solving approach to branding confronts your branding problems, not just on a strategic level, but every day, with every e-mail you send and every brochure or newsletter you publish. In the next article we’ll discuss the day-to-day tactical ways to use this problem-solving approach to branding.

This article is an excerpt form a PDf course on nonprofit branding from www.MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com

Report describes the major impact of small nonprofits

The following news release explains exactly why we created this blog and its companion online training website, MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com. Small nonprofits make a big impact which is too often overlooked. While this report focuses on Indiana's nonprofits, the training materials at MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com are designed for any nonprofit in the U.S.




News Release
New report finds many Indiana nonprofits challenged by small staffs, low revenues

Report is most comprehensive of its kind ever compiled

Readers: The full report, including specific data on the seven metropolitan regions and five non-metropolitan counties, can be accessed on the Web at http://www.indiana.edu/~nonprof/results/npsurvey/insprofile.html.

INDIANAPOLIS -- A new report profiling the Indiana nonprofit sector shows that many organizations are constrained by their relatively small sizes and low revenues, among other revealing results.

The report, prepared by researchers at the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, found a sector made up of a significant number of small organizations with small budgets carrying out a diverse set of activities. The report is believed to be the most comprehensive of its kind ever compiled because it includes all types of nonprofits, including several types of organizations rarely captured in previous studies.
The report found that only 52 percent of nonprofits have any paid staff, 41 percent of which have two or fewer full-time equivalent staff. Many Indiana nonprofits also have low revenues, with one half of organizations reporting revenues of $40,000 or less and expenses of $39,000 or less.

Overall, Indiana nonprofits vary greatly in size with revenues ranging from zero to $412 million and expenses ranging from none to $233 million. Notwithstanding the small size of many organizations, however, previous reports by IU researchers have documented the significant economic role of the nonprofit paid workforce in Indiana.

"With limited staff and financial resources, many nonprofits in Indiana are likely to be constrained in the scope of community needs they can address," said Kirsten Gronbjerg, the project's director who holds the Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at the Center on Philanthropy, and a professor of public and environmental affairs in nonprofit management at IU Bloomington. "But they address a wide variety of issues, and our data show that Indiana nonprofits provide numerous opportunities for people to get involved in their communities through volunteering and other forms of civic engagement. These are also major contributions by the nonprofit sector."

Indeed, a majority of nonprofits (74 percent) said volunteers are very important or essential to meeting their missions. Volunteers are particularly important to religious and health nonprofits, the report found.

The Indiana Nonprofit Sector: A Profile is based on a survey of more than 2,200 nonprofits conducted in 2002. Unlike previous studies, it incorporates not only charities but also churches, advocacy organizations, voluntary associations and mutual benefit organizations. Mutual benefit organizations include unions, veterans' groups, homeowner associations, hobby clubs and fraternal organizations. Most publicly available listings and previous studies of nonprofits have focused only on charitable nonprofits registered with the Internal Revenue Service and usually just the subset that file financial information with the IRS.

The Profile report is part of a series of reports produced by the Indiana Nonprofits: Scope and Community Dimensions project. This multi-year, multi-phase project is examining the size and composition of the Indiana nonprofit sector, the critical role the more than 60,000 Indiana nonprofits play in communities, and the challenges they face. The report also provides information on nonprofit activity by geographic region, including some of the state's major metropolitan areas and rural communities.

"We know that so much of what nonprofits do is below the radar for many people, including policymakers, and when people do pay attention, they look mainly at the larger, traditional charities," Gronbjerg said. "But there is an incredibly rich nonprofit world beyond this more visible group that plays essential roles in engaging citizens in their communities and addressing issues of common concern. Our focus on all types of nonprofits and the large number of respondents allows us to capture this diversity and highlight the distinctiveness of the different nonprofit fields."

The report includes an examination of seven metropolitan regions throughout the state. Key findings include:

-- More than half of Indiana nonprofits are focused in two major fields of activity: human services (29 percent) and religion and spiritual development (24 percent).
-- Nearly half of Indiana nonprofits are quite young; 48 percent were established since 1970. However, 25 percent were established before 1930.
-- Forty-five percent of nonprofits reported either a moderate or significant increase in demand for services, but only 8 percent reported a decrease in the year prior to the survey.
-- Twenty-five percent of nonprofits experienced some decrease in revenues in the three years prior to the survey. That is three times the percentage that reported a decrease in expenses (8 percent). Forty-nine percent of Indiana nonprofits either ran a deficit or broke even during the most recent fiscal year addressed in the survey.
-- Government funding accounted for 34 percent of the sector's combined revenues, but the typical Indiana nonprofit received on average only 9 percent of revenues from government. Other major sources of funding included fees, dues and private sales (37 percent of the combined revenues), donations and gifts (17 percent), special events (3 percent) and other (7 percent).
-- Nearly 75 percent of nonprofits received donations from individuals. Other sources of donations included corporate donors (41 percent of nonprofits), bequests and trusts (24 percent), community foundations (20 percent), other foundations (18 percent), United Way chapters (8 percent), religious federations (6 percent) and other federated funders (5 percent).
-- 55 percent of nonprofits provide all of their services for free and another 36 percent provide at least some services for free.

Gronbjerg also has led a similar project in conjunction with the Donors Forum of Chicago that profiles charities and advocacy organizations in the Illinois nonprofit sector. It is described online at http://www.donorsforum.org/pubs/pubs.html#ilnonprofits.

The IU School of Public and Environmental Affairs, located on six IU campuses, is committed to teaching, research and service in areas such as criminal justice, environmental science, health administration and public policy. The school maintains continuing relations with a large number of public agencies at all levels of government; public and private hospitals and health organizations; and nonprofit organizations and corporations in the private sector. SPEA has earned national distinction for innovative educational programs that combine administrative, social, economic, financial and environmental disciplines.

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, headquartered at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, is a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy and improving its practice through research, teaching, public service and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising and management of nonprofit organizations.

Copyright 2009 The Trustees of Indiana University

Announcing: Nonprofit Marketing Zone

I am excited to be participating in and announcing the launch of the
Nonprofit Marketing Zone

This site comes from Kivi Leroux Miller, Katya Andresen, Nancy Schwartz and Tony Karrer bringing together top people in the nonprofit marketing and fundraising space. My blog -- nonprofitprforum.blogspot.com -- is a part of the site. The site will help you find and organize the best content from blogs, news sources and other web sites all around this topic. The goal is to create a place where it's easy to find current and highly relevant content. And perhaps to stimulate new connections.

You can get a sense of the power of the site by visiting the site and clicking a keyword on the left. For example, if you click on Social Media, you find:
=> The most recent posts, announcements and web pages on the top of the page that relate to Startups.
=> The best (according to social signals across the network) content below that such as:
What should be in your association's social media plan?
Tips for Giving Social Media Projects to Interns
First Steps in Working Social Media for Your Org: Report from Norfolk
What Are Social Media Metrics for the Arts?
Hurricane Force Social Media

=> The keywords on the left are ordered according to their relationship to the current term. So you can see that
Web 2.0 (27)
Social Network (20)
Communities (24)
Podcast (11)
Government (20)
ROI (10)
are all considered highly relevant to "social media". It's interesting to drill down on a page like Social Media ROI or Social Media Government to launch off into the latest and best on those topics.
You can find Featured participants listed on the right hand side of each page. When you choose one of them such as Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog, you will see the keywords are now based on what Kivi discusses more than most. You can see that she talks about:
Webinar, Online Marketing and Nonprofit Communications. Whereas Katya's Nonprofit Marketing Blog has more on: Email Campaign,
Outreach, Audience. It's interesting to look at some of the other Featured bloggers and see what concepts, tools, etc. they talk about the most.

It's also interesting to look at what the social signals say are their best posts. Nancy's Getting Attention, you can scroll down to see that the system thinks that among her top posts:

Hear Me Out: 3 Quick Steps to Potent Podcasting
Your Volunteers Make, Or Break, Web 2.0 Outreach -- But You Have To Help Them Do It Right
Social Networking Sucking in Adults Big Time: May be Right Channel for Your Nonprofit


This site has brought together of an impressive network of people who focus on this topic:
A Small Change
Association Marketing Springboard
Cause Related Marketing
Donor Power Blog
Fundraising 123
Getting Attention
Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog
Nonprofit Marketing Blog
Nonprofit PR - Communications with a Purpose
smArts and Culture
Social Media Bird Brain
SocialButterfly
Studio 501c

When I mentioned at the start that this was brought to you by Nancy, Kivi, Katya and Tony Karrer - you may have wondered who this guy Tony is. Well he is the one behind the technology that makes this happen and worked closely to help get this launched. He also happens to believe that this technology will be valuable for nonprofits. If you have ideas on how to improve the site or want to do something similar, I know that Tony would like to hear about it.

Worried about your branding? What exactly are you worried about?

This short article is part of a series on "Nonprofit Branding."

An excerpt from a course called “Behavioral Branding for Nonprofits” available at http://www.mainstreetnonprofittraining.com/

Have you ever found a truly concise definition that articulates clearly what branding means to a nonprofit organization? It's a complicated term that has become more of a buzzword than anything else. Branding originated with cattle, when farmhands would use a hot iron to brand their ranch's symbol into the livestock's hide so they could identify their steer if they were stolen. As time went on, the term was picked up by marketers and used in the consumer sector for retail products. Then about 20 years ago, the term hit the rest of the business and nonprofit worlds and took on its complex buzzword status. Because of that, many nonprofit leaders feel that they have to work on branding, but no one really knows what that exactly means.

Are you worried now that you're not executing the branding process properly? Breathe easy. You're probably doing just fine, but we offer a course that will help you refine your branding skills and be truly confident in the process.

So let's start with the basics. What is branding as it applies to a small, local nonprofit or foundation? Here is the definition we use here at www.MainStreetNonprofitTraining.com: Branding is how your organization behaves. Many people think that branding means logos, taglines and the like, and to some small extent it does, but some organizations with terrible logos and no taglines have mastered the art of branding. Branding exists in the everyday actions of your nonprofit that represent the image you present to the community; this is what we refer to as behavioral branding.

So what does behavioral branding look like? Consider this example: You have a board or committee meeting where everyone needs to decide the color of your logo, whether it's teal or aqua, and then select between Helvetica and Garamond for the font. Those meetings are fun; you're addressing a small element of branding where people really get to feel creative. Now imagine you're at the same meeting and you're deciding whether or not to fire the receptionist because she repeatedly exhibits a grumpy attitude on the phone and refuses to take any constructive criticism on how to improve. Not at all fun, but this decision will affect your overall branding much more than your logo. The receptionist is often the first line of contact that the public will have with your nonprofit. If callers are greeted with poor customer service, then that reflects poorly on your entire organization, much more than the teal Helvetica logo.

I have had a pet peeve over the misuse of the word branding for decades. I thought it was a buzzword that would quickly pass. But it hasn't, and yet I've encountered more meaningless, meandering discussions on "the brand" than on any other topic. The brand essence, the brand promise, the branding standards template, bla bla.

Just remember that I am speaking to my blog audience of small foundations and small nonprofits serving local communities. If you are the national Salvation Army or the Red Cross, you definitely have important branding issues. But for the small, local, independent nonprofit, it is usually not the most pressing communications issue.

Saying you have to enhance your brand is simply a meaningless statement. It's like a computer technician saying, "Well you have a technology problem here." Or like going to the doctor and saying, "I don't feel right." You can't have a meaningful conversation until you start to identify specific problems that can be solved.

The good news? Branding problems fall into 7 categories. Identify specifically which category is causing your problem, and you are halfway to a solution. More about these seven "branding gaps" in another article. ...

Meantime, when people start throwing around the term "branding," just remember:

* The term has no inherent meaning for small nonprofits, so ask the person to explain what he or she is talking about. Don't be embarrassed to ask. It's the right question to ask. "Just what do you mean by branding as it pertains to our situation???"

* Anyone can claim to be a branding expert -- but what are the credentials? Don't take anyone's word on branding -- including mine -- as "the gold standard."

* The way your organization behaves is the best way to examine your branding.

I'll have much more on behavioral branding and the seven branding gaps that help you isolate real problems with real solutions as this series of articles continues.

This is the philosophy behind Behavioral Branding. For more information, visit http://www.mainstreetnonprofittraining.com/ and scroll down the home page looking for the Branding PDF course.

On April 26, I will save a life. What will you be doing?

Come on, let's get together April 26 and make a difference by supporting the University of Saint Francis "Formula for Life" campaign.



Crank up your volume and hit "Play" to watch our 30-second video.

Here is a link to the registration form. Click here.

For more information, visit: http://usfformulaforlife.blogspot.com/

About This Event
When and Where: North Campus Auditorium
Sunday, April 26
Race starts at noon
Silent Auction starts at 12:30 with live bands rocking the house

Want to make a difference and achieve something to feel great about? You can help save vulnerable babies in Haiti, where a crisis has resulted in infants starving because of a lack of basic nutrition. Infant formula is urgently needed and will save lives. The USF community has created the Formula for Life drive to collect money to help feed babies that may perish without your help.

3 Fun, Easy Ways to Help:

Run. You can join in a 5K run (or walk if you prefer!!) to generate money to purchase infant formula. Your donation is $12 per person ($10-per-person family rate) if you sign up before the race, or $15 ($12-per-person family rate) the day of the race. Every step you take on the run will bring us a step closer to our goal of saving vulnerable babies!

Shop. If you like to shop, you'll love the excitement of our Auction for Haiti, where you can pick up great deals. It's like going to a party (live bands will be rocking the joint) and shopping for fun at the same time. Every purchase contributes to the goal of feeding hungry babies in Haiti!

Give. Don't like to run? Don't love auctions? Then take the easiest step of all, and just make a direct donation to the Formula for Life campaign. A few dollars can mean all the difference when we're talking about life itself!

ABOUT THE CAUSE

Haiti is the poorest county in the western hemisphere and most of its 9 million people suffer from the staggering economy, tattered infrastructure, poor sanitation and a crippled healthcare system. People typically can afford neither a doctor nor medications. The country is still reeling from a series of tremendous blows dealt by four violent hurricanes and other storms over the summer.

So many young children in this country are in need of vital nutrition because their mothers have died or are unable to nurse them. So without infant formula, they die.

It's really desperate there and it's getting worse.

Mothers, many of them young, typically realize they can't afford to care for their newborns and will abandon them. Other mothers die in childbirth or shortly thereafter due to any number of diseases. A lot of mothers are sick or are so malnourished they can't produce breast milk—their bodies are working overtime just to sustain themselves, doctors say. Therefore, infant formula, which is extremely expensive in Haiti, is critical.

And the good news is, we can do something about it – with your help. Come on, let’s get together April 26.

Join us for the 5K run; shop in the Silent Auction; or just donate a few bucks. The cost of a Starbuck coffee could help keep a vulnerable baby alive.

On April 26 at USF, we’re all going to come together to save lives. What will you be doing that day?

You can sign up or pledge right here, RIGHT NOW

To sign up for the 5K, just send an email to shepardcs@studentmail.sf.edu. Provide your name, address, phone number and e-mail. If you are signing up for your family or a group of friends, please tells us their names so we can plan effectively.

Not a runner? No sweat! You can make a pledge right here, right now. The runners are paying about $12 each, so we're asking others who choose not to run to pledge the same amount, and just lounge on the couch or whatever -- we don't care! It's the donation that makes the difference.

To pledge $12 or whatever YOU can afford, just send an email to shepardcs@studentmail.sf.edu with your name, address, phone number and e-mail. The fundraising campaign will send you an invoice. It's that simple!

So, we've made it so easy, there's no reason not to do it now. So do it now! Thank you!!!

Here is a link to the registration form. Click here.

NYT: Senate bill would alter taxation for foundations that give more

Three senators introduced legislation Tuesday intended to encourage foundations to give away more of their money.

You can find the New York Times article here

The measure would change the way foundations are taxed on their investment income, replacing the current two-tiered system with a single tax rate. Foundations complain that the current system effectively penalizes them when they give away more money than usual.

“The need for philanthropy is greater than ever in this weakened economy, and we should be encouraging foundations to increase their charitable giving,” said Senator Charles E. Schumer, the New York Democrat who is sponsoring the bill along with Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin, Democrats of Michigan.

The effort was applauded by Robert S. Collier, chief executive of the Council of Michigan Foundations, which has commissioned research showing that a less cumbersome tax system would promote institutional giving.

“We are confident this will stimulate more giving by foundations,” Mr. Collier said, “simply by making the administration of tens of thousands of smaller and midsize foundations much easier because they won’t have to spend a lot of time with their accountants trying to figure out if they have to pay 1 percent or 2 percent.”

Foundations and others contend that the current system, established in 1986, discourages higher payouts in times of need.

Whether foundations should make greater payouts during times of crisis is a highly variable issue, and there are as many views on the issue as there are foundations, because foundations have different mandates, philospohies and charters.

Foundation Center's Philanthropy Annual: 2008 Review

Foundation Center's Philanthropy Annual: 2008 Review –Highlights of News and Issues That Shaped the Year

New York, NY — March 25, 2009. The Foundation Center has just released Philanthropy Annual: 2008 Review, the second edition of its yearly compendium highlighting the news, issues, people, organizations, and giving trends shaping the field of philanthropy.

The new edition "serves as a permanent record of the ups and downs we've faced together in 2008 and the efforts of so many people to strive for something better," says Bradford K. Smith, the Center's president, in the Annual's introduction. "Further, it's a manifestation of the Foundation Center's ongoing commitment to our founding principles of accountability and transparency in philanthropy, which are as important now as they ever were."

The Annual provides a full overview of organized philanthropy, illustrating its important role in society and its national and global impact. Contents are drawn in part from Philanthropy News Digest, the Center's daily online news service, as well as selected research findings in the annual Foundations Today Series and other Center sources.

Highlights include:

* topical issues covered in the mainstream and philanthropic press during 2008, including the impact of the economic downturn on the philanthropic sector
* in-depth interviews and commentary from widely respected leaders and thinkers
lists of the top foundations and public charities, as well as updated statistical information about U.S. grantmaking
* a sampling of books, periodicals, and blogs in the field
* updated key contacts at philanthropy support organizations

Philanthropy Annual: 2008 Review is available for free download

A nonprofit communication strategy that sidesteps the need for persuasion

I got a very interesting posting from Bruce Trachtenberg from the Communications Network.
Bruce writes:

Why Let The Facts Spoil Your Beliefs

In his New York Times column today, Nicholas D. Kristof offers some thoughts that should chill the hearts of any of us whose work involves trying to make convincing, cogent, and well-fashioned arguments that are meant to persuade people to think or behave differently. As he writes, “…there’s pretty good evidence that we generally don’t truly want good information — but rather information that confirms our prejudices. We may believe intellectually in the clash of opinions, but in practice we like to embed ourselves in the reassuring womb of an echo chamber."

Kristof says this problem is being exacerbated by the decline of the traditional news media, where, like it or not, we’re exposed to more than just the things we want to read or know about. Instead, more of us rely on self-selected online sources that provide “news and opinions that we care most about.”

Kristof adds that "this self-selected 'news' acts as a narcotic, lulling us into a self-confident stupor through which we will perceive in blacks and whites a world that typically unfolds in grays."
If all that isn’t disturbing enough, also upsetting are findings from a study he cites. The study found that when Republicans and Democrats were offered “neutral” political research, respondents said what they most wanted were “intelligent arguments that strongly corroborated their pre-existing views.” At the same time, “there was little interest in encountering solid arguments that might undermine one’s own position.”

Kristof’s “solution,” if you can call it that, is less than perfect. But it does make sense: “The only way forward,” he says “is for each of us to struggle on our own to work out intellectually with sparring partners whose views we deplore. Think of it as a daily mental workout analogous to a trip to the gym; if you don’t work up a sweat, it doesn’t count.”

Hey, I don’t know about you, but I agree with him.
--Bruce Trachtenberg

Now, here's my take on Bruce's insightful topic.

I've recognized this phenomenon for a LONG time! At work and at home. Logical people are persuaded by logic and reason, and I enjoy studying persuasion, reasoning, argument, etc. Problem is, most of that knowledge is useless because most people are not logical, as indicated in the article Bruce shared. You can give them 10 reasons, and they'll dismissively say, "Yeah, well, still, I think such-and-such. ..."

Being RIGHT is of very little value in much of our communications -- personal and professional. I employ a communications strategy that deals with this phenomenon in certain situations. In many communication campaigns that I do for clients, I don't focus on the people who need persuading. Instead, I segment the audience to people who have SOME motivation already, and support that motivation with information resources that can help them (live healthier, drive safely, raise kids who can read, quit smoking or drinking, etc.) So the key may be in audience segmentation. Don't try to persuade someone not to smoke; focus on smokers who would like to quit, and give them the tools to do so.

Persuasion, as a strategy, is a high hurdle. Segmenting the audience to support the audience that is already motivated works. It's not always the answer, but when it fits, it's an effective strategy.

Off topic: How I was shamed in a race by an 80-year-old man

I got behind a man in a red baseball cap at the grocery checkout. He had only a few items. But looking at the loaded carts of the two people in front of us, he turned his cart around and left the lane. “I made a bad decision,” he said.

He got in line at the adjacent lane, but still was sizing up his choice. “You can come back over here if you want,” I said. “No, I’ll stay here. Want to wager who gets out first?”

Never one to back down from such a challenge, I said, “Sure, let’s race. I’m committed to this lane. I have faith in this cashier. She scans fast.”

So the race was on. We were neck and neck. It was odd how badly I wanted to win once the race started. I gained a few inches when the cagey gentleman surprised me by abandoning his lane and looking for a clearer path elsewhere. But I didn’t see any other lanes open. “Big mistake,” I thought. “He’s going to have to come back to his lane, tail between his legs, and probably lose his position to someone with two giant carts of groceries.”

I lost sight of the man until, much to my surprise, he walked past me exiting the store with his purchases. He looked for me as I still stood in line and, with a grand self-satisfied smile, he tipped his hat and said, “You have a nice day, young man – if you want to.”

It was one of those encounters with a random-but-friendly stranger that makes an ordinary day a bit brighter.

A few comments:

* I don’t know how he beat me, and I do hate to lose. But I really think that the old fellow wanted to win, too – maybe more-so than me. And so he found a way.

* It’s nice to be called “young man” when you are 48 years old, so it was worth losing.

* I enjoyed his parting shot: “You have a nice day – if you want to.” I’ve not heard that before, but I take the message as a reminder that whether I have a nice day or not is entirely up to me – “if I want to.”

* I hope he has a great day.

One of the most effective nonprofit TV PSAs I've ever seen

Here is perhaps the best example of a nonprofit TV ad/PSA designed to support giving that I have ever seen. I won't analyze it here -- I think it speaks for itself. I will just say that at the end, the payoff is that it reminds you of the impact you make when you donate your goods to Salvation Army. The essence of fundraising communications is just that -- to show people how they are part of the solution to a problem that matters to them.

Trust me when I say this: Here's some good news for Indiana nonprofits

When you think about it, nonprofits have only one thing to offer when they ask for donations. Trust. So I take this new study as very good news for Indiana nonprofits.

News Release

Hoosiers trust nonprofits to do what is right, Indiana University survey finds

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A large majority of Indiana residents trust nonprofit organizations and charities in their communities to do what is right most or just about all the time, according to a new Indiana University survey.

Hoosiers expressed modest levels of trust in community businesses and corporations, and in state and local government, the survey found. They had the least faith in the federal government.

Findings of the survey are published in a new report, "Are Nonprofits Trustworthy?"by the Center on Philanthropy and the School of Public and Environmental Affairs, both at Indiana University. The report is part of the ongoing project "Indiana Nonprofit Sector: Scope and Community Dimensions."

Kirsten Grønbjerg, director of the project and author of the recent report, said it's significant that Indiana residents trust their local nonprofits at a time when the organizations are facing difficulties related to the economic crisis.

"They are strained. They're facing enormous demands, particularly in the human services and health care sectors," she said. "It's clear that people do have high levels of trust that nonprofits will do the right thing, but given the economic crisis, it is likely that nonprofits may not be able to do all the things that are needed."

Grønbjerg is Efroymson Chair in Philanthropy at the Center on Philanthropy and Chair of the Governance and Management Faculty at the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.
The survey, managed by the Center for Survey Research at Indiana University, was given to 536 Indiana residents in October 2008. They were asked if they trusted nonprofits and charities in their community to do what is right just about all the time, most of the time, some of the time or hardly ever.

Findings included:
75 percent trusted nonprofits and charities to do what is right most or just about all the time.
56 percent similarly trusted businesses and corporations in their communities.
46 percent trusted local government and 44 percent trusted state government.
21 percent trusted the federal government to do what is right most or just about all the time.

The study found an "underlying general tendency to trust," in which people who trusted one type of institution were more likely than others to trust others. For example, among those who trusted the federal government, more than 80 percent also trusted nonprofits and state government, and more than 70 percent trusted businesses and local government.

The survey found that people with more resources, education and connections were more likely than others to trust the five types of institutions. Those with low levels of trust in nonprofits were more likely to be over 65, be a member of a minority group, have a household income of less than $35,000, and have no more than a high school education. Trust in business and government institutions also were significantly lower among minority groups and those with low education and lower household income. Religion and political orientations were not associated with trust of nonprofits but are related to trust in business and government institutions.
For more information on "Indiana Nonprofit Sector: Scope and Community Dimensions,"see http://www.indiana.edu/~nonprof/index.php.

To see the complete report "Are Nonprofits Trustworthy?" go to http://www.indiana.edu/~nonprof/results/trustsurvey/trustsurvey2008.pdf.
About the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University

The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University is a leading academic center dedicated to increasing the understanding of philanthropy and improving its practice worldwide through research, teaching, training and public affairs programs in philanthropy, fundraising and management of nonprofit organizations. A part of the Indiana University School of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, the center operates programs on the IUPUI and IU Bloomington campuses.

Value per volunteer hour: $19.51

I got this information from the excellent e-newsletter distributed by the Steuben County Community Foundation:

Value of a Volunteer:

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national value per volunteer hour is $19.51- up from $17.55 in 2005. In Indiana, that value per hour is $16.83.

Volunteerism is about dedicating time and talents by helping in schools, churches, community groups, and civic organizations. Over 31,000 Hoosiers volunteer in capacities such as after school programs, building homes, neighborhood patrols, restoring the environment, responding to disasters, and building nonprofit capacity through board leadership.

Another 9,000 Senior Corps volunteers help in areas such as foster grandparents, tutors, and one-on-one mentors.

Zen and the art of nonprofit communication: "If a tree falls in the forest, is anyone reading your e-newsletter?"

Not to get too zen on you, but consider this: "If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" According to wikipedia, this age-old questions is a philosophical riddle that raises questions regarding observation and knowledge of reality.

Now, let's update the question: "If you take all the time to create and distribute an e-newsletter but no one looks at it, does it make an impact?"

Discuss among yourselves, them come back.

Back? OK. Let's get to our point.

One of the main benefits of e-newsletters is that you can get immediate feedback on how many people open your e-newsletter and how many people click on links within it. So we examined a number of studies to see how many people, on average, open an e-newsletter from a nonprofit. Studies reported average rates between 15% and 27%.

One of the most important studies, specific to the nonprofit sector, is the eNonprofit Benchmarks Study 2008. This highly credible study notes that there have been important changes in the online world that affect e-mails, including the huge growth in social networks like MySpace and Facebook, leading to an overall decline in the performance of email newsletters. More people use these alternatives (Facebook, etc.) to get their information than relying primarily on e-mail alone. This nonprofit-specific study showed that e-mail open rates, click-through rates and response rates have fallen. Open rates have fallen from 21.3% to 17.6% since 2006, and click-through rates – the percentage of people on your list who take the next step of clicking on any link within your newsletter -- have dropped from 4.9% to 3.8%. (This excellent study was written by Sarah DiJulio, Karen Matheson, Jessica Bosanko, Marie Ewald,and Benjamin Simon, of M+R Strategic Services (M+R), and Holly Ross, Executive Director of the Nonprofit Technology Network.)

While there are technical arguments surrounding these “open rates,” this figure is a good reality check. On average, for nonprofits, the data show convincingly that about 4 out of every 5 people on your list will not open your newsletter, even if you do everything right.

Understand that these figures are averages. If you are sending to a small list of highly connected people (board members and volunteers), your rate may be higher. Also, if you use procedures that require people to actively subscribe or “opt in” to your e-newsletter, you’ll end up with a smaller list, but one that is likely to be much more responsive than average.

But if, like many nonprofits, you are using your e-newsletter to try to increase your visibility in the community by reaching out to more and more people, your “open rate” number – the figure representing the number of people who open your newsletter -- may actually be lower than the average.

Furthermore, the percentage of people who click on any article in your newsletter will likely be around 5% of your total list, according to e-mail and nonprofit-specific studies we examined.

The good news is that while all of us would like these figures to be higher, at least with e-newsletters you can actually get this data. With a printed newsletter, you have to make assumptions, and you don’t really know how many of your recipients open your printed newsletter when they receive it in the mail.

One more point. A different, and perhaps superior, way to assess the results of your e-newsletter is to focus on the actual response rate.

The response rate is the number of people who took the main action requested from your email
newsletter, divided by the number of people who received the email message. For example, if your main goal for a given issue of your newsletter is to promote an upcoming fundraising event, then you could use the number of people who look at that particular link, or even the number of people who RSVP, as your goal, and base your response rate accordingly. To use the lingo of the nonprofit sector, “open rates” and “click-through rates” are indicators of e-newsletter readership, while response rates, depending on how you define them, come closer to representing actual outcomes.

The moral of the story …

The point of all this is that many nonprofits might do best with a mix of both e-newsletters AND a printed support piece. For example, when you send an e-newsletter, you could send an inexpensive 4x6 postcard (or just a letter on your letterhead) letting people know that they’ll be receiving the e-newsletter, and highlighting the contents.

Keep in mind, too, that many donors to nonprofits are retirees who may be highly computer literate, but don’t spend their day in front of a computer like I do. So if your audience is not made up of heavy computer users, you may want to continue your printed newsletter in addition to the e-newsletter.

Another moral of the story is to keep your e-newsletter format simple, since this is really your main cost – whatever time it takes you to write it and lay it out. Considering that only one out of four people will open it and fewer than 10% will click on links within it, you’ll want to budget your e-newsletter production time accordingly.

In Times Like These ... Motivation Matters

In times like these, motivation matters. For nonprofits, foundations, and fellow Communications Network members, we’ve developed an electronic newsletter called “Motivation Matters.” Below are some quotes to motivate you as proceed toward your goals in the New Year! If you’d like to receive a copy of the newsletter, please send us an email at experience@bottomlinepr.com.

I hope these quotations serve you well in your business communications, PowerPoint presentations, Web pages, executive speeches and other communications. By the way, you'll see some quotes listed with no attribution. I wrote those. If you use them, just cite "Anonymous."

-- Steve Cebalt

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Twenty years from now, you’re more likely to regret the things you didn’t do than the things you did do. So throw off the bowline. Sail away from safe harbor. Catch the tradewinds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
—Mark Twain

The gap between your expectations and the reality defines your happiness.

I will walk this road awhile,
I will walk it with a smile.
­—Johnny Cash

Some gems from Lou Holtz, College Football Coach:
• Motivation is simple. You eliminate those who are not motivated.
• Don’t tell your problems to people. Eighty percent don’t care; and the other 20 percent are glad you have them.
• Life is 10 percent what happens to me and 90 percent how I react to it.

A good plan executed now is better than a perfect plan later.
—General George Patton

Don't fight a battle if you don't gain anything by winning.
—General George Patton

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.
—Robert Frost

Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person.
—Mother Teresa

The best way to predict the future is to invent it.
— Alan Kay


There is a time in the life of every problem when it is big enough to see, yet small enough to solve.
— Mike Leavitt

Let us spend the day deliberately and not be thrown off the track by every nutshell and mosquito's wing that falls on the rails.
—Henry David Thoreau

Fall seven times, stand up eight.
—Japanese proverb

The fates guide those who go willingly. Those who do not, they drag.
— Seneca

The Three Rules of Work:
1. Out of clutter, find simplicity.
2. From discord, find harmony.
3. In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity.
—Albert Einstein (attributed)

All big things in this world are done by people who are naive and have an idea that is obviously impossible.
—Dr. Frank Richards

You make the right decision, or you make the decision right.

You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.
—Wayne Gretzky

Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.
—Booker T. Washington

Can you win every race? No. Do great expectations bring great disappointment? Yes. Is disappointment inevitable? Yes. But we’re still running. So we still have a chance. If you don’t run, you can’t even lose.
—Nick Zito, race-horse trainer

Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.
—Sir Winston Churchill

Every day you may make progress. Every step may be fruitful. Yet there will stretch out before you an ever-lengthening, ever-ascending, ever-improving path. You know you will never get to the end of the journey. But this, so far from discouraging, only adds to the joy and glory of the climb.
—Sir Winston Churchill

An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; A pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.
—Sir Winston Churchill

It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time.
—Sir Winston Churchill

The person who says it cannot be done should not interrupt the person doing it.
—Chinese proverb

Do not be too timid and squeamish about your actions. All life is an experiment.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

Alice came to a fork in the road. "Which road do I take?" she asked. "Where do you want to go?" responded the Cheshire cat. "I don't know," Alice answered. "Then," said the cat, "it doesn't matter.”
—Lewis Carroll, "Alice in Wonderland"

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.
—Aristotle

Never put off until tomorrow what you should remove from your project list completely.

It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who knows great enthusiasm, great devotion and the triumph of achievement and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while doing greatly – so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.
—Theodore Roosevelt

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find them, make them.
—George Bernard Shaw

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them- and you have their shoes.—Frieda Norris

At 211° water is hot. At 212°, it boils. And with boiling water, comes steam. And steam can power a locomotive. The one extra degree makes the difference.

-- Anonymous

If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough.

—Mario Andretti

This is the beginning of a new day. I have been given this day to use as I will. I can waste it or use it for good. What I do today is very important because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it. I want it to be a gain, not loss. Good, not evil. Success, not failure, in order that I shall not forget the price I paid for it.

—As told by Football Coach, Lou Holtz

It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him.

—John Steinbeck

Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be overcome.

—Samuel Johnson

Whether you believe you can or can't, you're right.

—Henry Ford

Do what you can, where you are, with what you've got.

—Theodore Roosevelt

I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. Twenty-six times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

—Michael Jordan

Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing.

—John D. Rockefeller

Always ask experts. They'll tell you what can't be done, and why. Then do it.

—Robert A. Heinlein

We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.

—Sir Winston Churchill

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

—Abraham Lincoln

There are three types of people in this world -- those who make things happen, those who watch things happen, and those who wonder what the heck happened.

-- Anonymous

Free PR -- and donations -- at We-Care.com

I Can Support Any Nonprofit, School, or Association While Shopping.

Online Shopping Mall

Looking for another way that nonprofits can get some free PR -- and donations? Check out a website called We-Care.com.

The mission at We-Care.com is simple: to help nonprofits raise money.

"We know that they are facing daunting challenges in this down economy and they need our support. We’re not offering a miracle, just an opportunity to earn a little extra cash, and online visibility, without costing them any money, and as little time and energy as possible," Spokesman Joe O'Connor told me.

Joe added, "In short, We-Care.com is like a charity mall on steroids. Unlike existing charity malls, we offer each NP its own co-branded mall with their own colors, logos, messaging, and URL, making it much easier to leverage their brand loyalty and drive traffic to the site. Whenever a supporter clicks through the mall on their way to one of our 800+ merchants, the nonprofit receives a percentage of what they spend.

"We understand that nonprofit organizations are often busy and understaffed, so we work closely with them to market their malls to supporters. Our staff takes pride in helping NPs get the most out of We-Care.com, while sacrificing as little of their time and energy as possible (and, can I mention again, that it’s free). "

In my opinion, it's a pretty sweet concept. Check out thier excellent website at http://www.we-care.com/

America's Foundations Respond to "The New Economy"

America's Foundations Respond to the Economic Crisis

Foundations Commit Over $100 Million to Address the Economic Crisis, According to New Foundation Center Research Advisory

A growing number of grantmakers have made exceptional commitments to address the causes and impact of the current economic downturn, a new Foundation Center research advisory shows. "A First Look at the Foundation and Corporate Response to the Economic Crisis" examines giving by close to 50 institutional donors that have already announced over $100 million in grants and program-related investments (PRIs) for efforts ranging from reducing the number of foreclosures to shoring up food banks and services for the homeless to providing financial counseling.

The Center has been collecting the most recent data available on U.S. foundation support for the crisis and updating this information regularly on an interactive map and a daily RSS grant feed available at its web site.

"The new administration will have to take the lead in restoring America's badly tattered social safety net," said Bradford Smith, president of the Foundation Center. "In the meantime, foundations are doing what they do best: acting swiftly, reaching those too often forgotten, and piloting new approaches to deepening challenges."

The support provided by these initial responders demonstrates a strong but by no means exclusive focus on local needs, with community foundations playing a critical role in directing resources to their home communities. "We have been told by multiple providers in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties that they are seeing double-digit increases in demand for their services," said Emmett Carson, president and CEO of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, which has committed close to $3 million in response to the crisis. "In many cases, the need is greater than anything these organizations have seen in their histories. Increasingly, it is residents on Main Street — not the side streets and back alleys of our communities — that are being affected."

Among those funding the crisis at the national level, corporate foundations are an important source of support. The GE Foundation, the philanthropic organization of the GE Company, recently announced that it will direct more than $20 million in funding in 2009 to organizations responding to the impact of the economic downturn. "Families are facing one of the worst economic recessions of our lifetime, forcing many to seek food and shelter services," said Bob Corcoran, president of GE Foundation, whose $10.5 million grant to the United Way of America is the single largest commitment for shelter assistance and homeless services so far.

"This support is just the beginning of the foundation and corporate response," said Steven Lawrence, the Center's senior director of research and author of the advisory. "Institutional donors will undoubtedly make more of these commitments as the continuing economic crisis touches ever-greater numbers of organizations and individuals."

The advisory also notes that many foundations and corporations will respond to the economic crisis in a less prominent but equally critical way by maintaining stable levels of giving or minimizing funding cuts despite pronounced losses in income and the value of their assets.
This Foundation Center research advisory is the latest in a series that explores the impact of the current economic downturn on the nonprofit sector. The first, "Past Economic Downturns and the Outlook for Foundation Giving," was issued in October 2008; and the second, "Do Foundation Giving Priorities Change in Times of Economic Distress?", was issued in November 2008.

The advisories are available at the Center's regularly updated online feature, "Focus on the Economic Crisis," which offers a variety of resources to help nonprofits and foundations deal with the challenges of an unstable economy, including maps of grants for the crisis, grantmakers with giving interests for crisis-related causes, community foundations, and the Center's nationwide network of funding information centers; news, articles, and commentary from our Philanthropy News Digest and other sources; podcasts of interviews with philanthropic leaders; and information about fundraising training.

Coaching and support for nonprofits that can't afford consultants

For small nonprofits that can't afford consultants to help them build their PR skills, we offer an affordable coursework of Do-It-Yourself materials that can help solo nonprofit marketers make a difference.

These “how-to” oriented materials, purchased online and delivered immediately as PDFs, newsletters, Webinars, or Video Tutorials, can be purchased as packaged courses combining related how-to tutorials, or as individual tutorials, with prices ranging from $9 to $49.

Even better, nonprofits that use these affordable course materials will have access to our Nonprofit PR HelpDesk. The HelpDesk gives you access to PR consulting via email, whenever you need coaching or consulting help, as often as you need it, without worrying about costs or fees! We can only support a limited number of nonprofits with this level of PR HelpDesk coaching, and our next open enrollment period will be this spring.

Interested? If so, send me an e-mail at experience@bottomlinepr.com and I’ll reply with details.

Sincerely,

Steve Cebalt

Celebrating life's small successes in communications

Mary

By Steve Cebalt

As published in The News-Sentinel newspaper, Fort Wayne, Indiana


As a public relations consultant, when I do seminars on communications, the bio that I provide ends with this line:

"Steve Cebalt lives in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his wife and four teenage children, who do not respond as effectively to his communications techniques."

That, my friends, is what we in the business call "understatement." But the other night I celebrated a tiny step of progress.

Recently, I've been trying to impress upon my kids that we are living in the midst of an economic depression. (I know technically it's "just" a recession, but it took the economists a year to determine that we've already been in a recession for 12 months. I guess the economists will deem it a depression when THEY get laid off. But I know one when I see one.)

My kids are typical teenagers, wrapped up in their day-to-day dramas. But in our house we do talk about what's happening in the news. As the economy has slid further into the dumps, I’ve been trying to help them understand the gravity of the situation, and that it may change our lives in ways they haven't thought about. And even if our family limps along OK, others will be hurting and need help. I've been surprised at their negative reaction, which goes like this:

"Please stop saying we're in a depression. You're depressing!"

The depression is my fault, I guess.

But I've continued trying to make the point -- frequency and repetition are keys to communication -- that's what I say in my communication workshops.

I may tell them, "Hey, instead of going to Subway, why don't you make yourself a sandwich? That's what you do when you're living in an economic depression."

Or, "Hey, instead of buying a new belt for your massive collection of belts, why don't you not buy a new belt? That's what you do when you're living in an economic depression."

Not only have I bee frustrated at my inability to change their behavior, but I've been disappointed at their negativity. How dare the world might impose a depression on them! They take it personally.

The other night, though, for the first time, I saw a glimmer of progress. My 16-year-old daughter, Mary, asked what I was doing. "I'm downloading that song that you played for me yesterday. I really like it."

Mary: "In the middle of an economic depression you are paying a dollar each to download songs onto your iPod that has 3,000 songs?"

Ouch. That hurt. I thought of countering that instead of buying an entire CD at $14 for a few good songs, I buy the few that I like for $1 each. Instead, though, I recognized that this was a breakthrough moment. After weeks of preaching, I'd finally penetrated that hard, crusty, calcified outer shell of the teenage skull. When your kids use your own principles against you, you know at least that the principle is floating around in their brain and competing with whatever else may be in there.

So I said instead, "Mary, when you're right, you're right. I can't argue with you."

She turned and left with a smile that said, "I guess I told him.”

I smiled, too, and downloaded my song.

Season's Greetings

Please turn on your volume and hit "play" above
for a Seasons Greetings message from Bottom Line Public Relations.
Enjoy the music!

Easier ways for nonprofits to do direct mail communictions

Idea of the Month:

Studies show that in tough economic times, nonprofit communicators rely heavily on direct mail for fundraising and other communications. Jumbo postcards are the perfect direct-mail communications medium for nonprofits and foundations. No expensive envelopes. Cost-effective to design and print. Cheaper postage. And people don’t have to decide when/whether to open it; your message is right there in front of the recipient.

The fact that you can mail postcards with absolutely no labor or mail handling and at fractional postage rates is good news for nonprofits and foundations seeking to raise money and raise awareness. For more details and costs, click here.

In the new economy, investing in productivity makes cents -- and dollars

The Wall Street Journal had an article describing the productivity benefits of a simple, cost-effective technology upgrade: adding a second monitor. For nonprofits that are looking for effective uses of scarce dollars, I’d highly recommend this option. Recognizing that during lean times there is resistance to investing in equipment, I still would recommend this particular investment because of its predictable and fast payback.

It’s like doubling the size of your desk, and it frees up your mind to do better thinking.

After resisting suggestions from my accountant to do this for a couple years (accountants love these setups), I recently upgraded our workstations with dual monitors, shown in the photo above. As someone who strongly resists multitasking because of the way it drains productivity (see many related articles lower on this blog), I feared that two monitors would lead to MORE multitasking.

Turns out the opposite is true. Since installing the second monitor at our workstations, I’ve observed that I can focus more clearly, because I simply have a larger electronic desktop. It helps me concentrate more fully on what I’m doing and by reducing the need to toggle through open windows on my machine.

Here’s how The Wall Street Journal puts it:

Whether you're an analyst running a spreadsheet, a call-center worker pulling together information from multiple sources, or an office worker juggling multiple tasks, more screen real estate can make the job easier and faster.

The advantages are simple: The more of your work that's visible, the less time needed to scroll through documents or to hunt among all open applications. With multiple screens, you can separate different kinds of tasks, with one dedicated to work that requires more concentrated attention while another holds email, instant messaging and other interruptions. If email is open on a second monitor, messages can be checked at a glance with barely a break in work flow. A third can be used for research, checking databases or browsing the Web.

With more screen real estate, "You spend less time mucking around with windows management, and you spend more time making better decisions," says Mary Czerwinski, a research manager at Microsoft Research, the software giant's research and development arm.

So, in this lean economy, if your nonprofit is looking for an affordable way to enhance productivity, consider a dual monitor setup.

And, if you’re like me, you occasionally use the computer for diversions like listening to music, checking out your Fantasy Football League, or watching your retirement account collapse. Well, with two monitors, you’ll still waste time like this -- but twice as effectively!

Reach any goal with Harvey's two simple steps: Step 1: Left foot. Step 2: Right foot

It's funny where you get your inspiration and energy. I read an article in The Wall Street Journal about a man who has been running each and every day for over 30 years. "He has run every day for 10,987 consecutive days. The last time he took a pass -- he was feeling a bit sore after a marathon -- was Oct. 30, 1978."

Through rain, snow, travels, illnesses, Harvey Simon, 66, has run at least two miles a day every day for all those decades. The runner, a physician, recognizes that it's an obsession.

As for me -- a person who's body is perfectly developed for writing but poorly developed for running -- I've always been amazed by the lean lanky types who can run seemingly without effort for as long as they want.

Harvey started his 30-year streak, he says, because he got tired of spending every cold, dark morning debating with himself about whether to go out. "I figured, why waste time debating? I'd just go out every day," he says. "So I did."

The inspiration came, though, from this line of the article. When asked how he's kept it up all these years, Harvey said simply:

"Left, right, left, right."

I love that. It keeps popping into my head now. Yesterday I was getting bored with a repetitive-but-important task. My first impulse was to take a break, i.e. procrastinate, leaving the job unfinished. But Harvey's words rang in my head: left, right, left, right. Do one more, then do the next, and see how it goes from there.

It's become my mantra. In my own exercises, when I feel I have reached the point where I can go no further, I keep repeating, left foot, right foot. If all I focus on is taking one step or doing one more repetition-- not the overwhelming road ahead -- I can continue until finally my body overrides my brain. That point, it turns out, is often much further down the road than I expected.

On the job, "left foot, right foot" can help you keep slicing away at your tasks. No matter how much work is on your to do list, or how complex your problem, there is only one way to make progress:

Left foot, right foot.

Here's a link to the article, for as long as the WSJ keeps it posted on its Website.

In the new economy, look at niche publications to reach targeted audiences cost-effectively

The new economy requires new approaches to communications. One strategy is to focus more on niche media that reach smaller, more targeted market segments. In Fort Wayne, we have many such publications. One example is Today's Catholic, which, beginning in February, will be distributed to all Catholic households in the Fort Wayne South Bend Diocese. That's 55,000 households. A great "environment" for many nonprofit advertising messages. Very affordable. You know something about the audience, which can help you tailor your message. Our nonprofit clients have had excellent results with Today's Catholic. Other denominations have equally good publications.

So when you think about the media market, think beyond TV, daily newspapers, radio, etc., and consider the focused publications that have a special affinity with their audiences.

Happy Thanksgiving

This time, like all times, is a very good one, if we but know what to do with it.

-- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Do you ever run across great material that you're not sure what to do with? On this Thanksgiving Day, let me share one such gem that I saved, not knowing when or how I might use it. I heard the passage below last week from college football coach/analyst Lou Holtz, although I am not sure where it came from originally. It's fitting for Thanksgiving Day -- and every day:


This is the beginning of a new day. I have been given this day to use as I will.

I can waste it or use it for good.

What I do today is very important, because I am exchanging a day of my life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever, leaving something in its place I have traded for it.

I want it to be gain, not loss. Good, not evil. Success, not failure -- in order that I shall not regret the price I paid for it."

-- Happy Thanksgiving!

Holiday Diversion: Album Covers -- Pictures Worth 1,000 words

Today's holiday post is just for fun -- nothing about the wonderful world of nonprofit communications.

A holiday gives me a little extra time to indulge my crack-like addiction to listening to music on my iPod Touch. I got it about a year ago, and it's become my second-favorite pastime. I've been rebuilding my music collection and replacing all those songs that got lost in the transition from LPs to cassettes to CDs to digital downloads. My tastes fall within a broad range -- classic rock, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, The Band, Johnnny Cash, The Rolling Stones. I'm selective about rap and hip hop but I like some of it and I can understand its appeal. Unlike Celine Dion. She's one person I can't listen to, and people who do, puzzle me.

Recently I've acquired a strong liking for hardcore, old-school hillbilly music -- Hank Williams and the like. I also like gospel songs and hymns sung by singers who teeter between sin and salvation -- Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson. For example, I love the jarring contrast when Johnny Cash sings:

"I shot a man in Reno, just to watch him die."

and in the next song, an age-old hymn:

"Then sings my soul, my Savior God to thee, how great thou art, how great thou art."

Click on the video below to hear Johnny Cash singing my favorite gospel song, and maybe you'll see why I find this genre of bad-guys-singing-hymns so compelling:



OUT WITH THE OLD ...

I recently threw away all my old record albums and cassettes, as I have no equipment for playing them anymore and no reason to do so, the iPod being such a superior means of listening to music.

That made me think of the one thing we may have lost in the digital conversion -- the importance of album art. Artists still create "covers" for their "albums," but in the digital world these are fleeting images, rather than an integral part of the experience.

The photo at the top of this post is my all-time favorite album cover from "The Cold Hard Facts of Life," an album by Porter Wagoner. Just stare at it a minute, and it tells you the whole story, and you know just what to expect on the album. Porter, described as "hillbilly deluxe," died last year. Here's how The New York Times described him in his obituary:

"Porter Wagoner, a country singer who mixed rhinestone suits, a towering cotton-candy pompadour and cornball jokes with direct, simple songs. ..."

His 1968 album "The Cold Hard Facts of Life" may be best known for the cover -- truly a picture worth 1,000 words. The title song has been called the best cheating record in all of country music.

I flipped through my iPod on-screen gallery and picked some of the most compelling album covers. For the most part, I prefer not the artsy ones, but the covers that tell you something about the artists or the music in plain imagery:

The Beatles' so-called "White Album" is a masterpiece in minimalist design. Think of the discipline that it took to put out such a cover in the era of psychedelic album art. It's brilliant, and it works -- but perhaps only if you're the most popular band on the planet at the time.

This cover (above) is a classic. Not simply because of its raciness, but also because a very "safe" and "wholesome" act like Herb Alpert, with his jazz/pop/standards, would use this arresting image in 1965.

Dean Martin made generations of nerds feel cool. Deserves more recognition; got overshadowed by Frank Sinatra. Cool then; still cool. No one cooler. (Maybe Elvis.)






The one above stands out. Some of the best pictures are from behind the subject.


AND NOW FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT:

Never heard of R.L. Burnside? Me neither, until recently. I heard one of his songs in an episode of The Sopranos, and I was intrigued. He was a Delta blues singer who worked most of his life in obscurity in Mississippi roadhouses. Late in life his career got a boost when he teamed up with some hot musicians and producers who mixed his very-old-school blues sound with a jambalaya of contemporary techno and hip-hop styles. The result is hard to describe, but I love it. His music is like coffee -- it's an acquired taste and not everybody likes it, but once you're hooked, you're hooked, because, like coffee, it gives you a nice jolt of energy.

Click the video below for a taste. And Happy Thanksgiving!

History repeats itself -- except when it doesn't

A few weeks ago, I ran a chart showing that charitable giving falls off less during recessions than one might expect. The chart appears on this page if you scroll down a bit.

Today's Wall Street Journal ran a Front Page story with a similar chart. "In the past, giving has tended to withstand economic turmoil, usually falling just 1%, adjusted for inflation, during recessionary months, said Patrick Rooney, interim director at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University. But this time, big market drops are happening at the same time that people typically start planning their end-of-year gifts, Mr. Rooney says."

The article describes how major corporate donors who once were big contributors have cut back or even disappeared, like Lehman Brothers. Many of the anecdotes focus on New York City, but the overall point of the article (in my view) is that history may not be much of an indicator for the current economic drama we find ourselves in.

Here's a link to the article.

Nonprofit sector is at its best in tought times

The Fort Wayne Journal Gazette ran an op-ed piece on the power of non-profits as a major force in our economy. "While Washington argues about which corporate giants should share the $700 billion bailout, our neighbors here in northeast Indiana are getting food for their families – today. ... For months, all I’ve read is how Freddie Mae and Wall Street and banks and giant automakers have screwed things up and need to be bailed out. Meanwhile, the non-profit sector quietly continues solving problems. The reason that the non-profit sector works is leadership. ..."

Here's a link to the article on The Journal Gazette's web site.

Here's a cost-effective way to reach an influential audience during the key holiday fundraising season!

I am on the board of Northeast Indiana Public Radio. If you are looking for a cost-effective way to reach an affluent, influential audience during the key holiday fundraising season, here is an opportunity.

NIPR is pleased to present Special Holiday Programming Sponsorship Packages. Featuring over 70 seasonal celebrations on our airwaves, Classical WBNI 94.1 FM and NPR News and Jazz WBOI 89.1 FM. Showcase your business and reach our loyal listeners by sponsoring these special holiday shows. A great way to show your appreciation to your employees and customers and to spread holiday cheer. Your holiday gift to the public radio community.

These holiday programs feature classical, jazz, folk, Celtic, Christmas and Chanukah music as well as narrations. Our packages offer a blend of all types of holiday programs including holiday All That Jazz, Matinee and Con Brio. Holiday programming begins Thanksgiving Day and runs through New Year’s Day.

Holiday Favorites such as:
A Celebration of Winter Solstice 2008
A Christmas Carol w/Jonathan Winters
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Happy Joyous Hannukah
Christmas Around the Country
New Year’s Day from Vienna 2009
Christmas w/the Morehouse and Spellman Glee Club
Jethro Tull Christmas
St.Olaf College Christmas Festival
And Many More!!!!!!

12 holiday mentions for $250
20 for $390
25 for $475
30 for $525
Presence on EVERY regular holiday program on WBNI AND WBOI for $1200

Full day underwriting on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day on either
WBNI or WBOI for $375 per station. Limit 1 sponsor per station.

For additional information or to create a custom package that fits your needs
please call Luke Grossman at 918-1094.

Rare opportunity for nonprofit PR: Economic slump leaves more airtime for your PSA

Here is some nice-to-know information, courtesy of Bruce Trachtenberg, executive director of the Communications Network, dedicated to suporting the work of communicators at foundations nationwide:

"Who would have thought the bad economy would bring good news to people who work in public interest communications?," Trachtenberg notes. In the wake of advertiser cutbacks, television and radio stations have more unsold air time to fill with public service advertisements. PSA usage has been on the increase since August, with November airings running about 18 percent higher. Trachtenberg includes this comment from Annette I. Minkalis, WestGlenn's Senior Vice President of PSA Services: “The economic hardship for one industry sector has at least opened a tremendous opportunity for another as PSAs fill the gaps normally held by paid spots.”

Trachtenberg notes how much better it is to "watch or hear appeals from worthy organizations versus the usual assault on our eyes and ears from companies selling us underarm deodorants, laundry soap and unused cellphone minutes."

This supports the point I've been making lately on this blog; while the economy as a whole is horrible, it doesn't have to be bad FOR YOU. (See related articles below on U-Turn Communications).

Thaks for the insight, Bruce! By the way, I joined the Communications Network and spoke at their annual conference. It is a fantastic member organization, and if you work with philanthropic foundations, it is a tremendous resource. Check out the benefits at this link.

Facebook? MySpace? Blogs? Is social networking right for your small nonprofit?

First in a series of articles


The Internet is a great equalizer. Newer ways of communicating such as Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, and blogs are almost as easy and accessible to small nonprofit organizations as they are to the giants. Many are totally free, except for the time you invest in developing them.

But here’s the trade-off. Time. You don’t have much, and what little you do have is precious. You can’t do everything, and you can’t afford to waste time doing something just because it’s trendy or because you feel pressured to keep up with the nonprofit next door. You can’t be distracted by every opportunity that flashes by! You need to know what’s worth your time and what’s not in the ever-evolving online world.

Because this blog is for smaller nonprofits who do their own communications work, usually with no dedicated PR budget, I am approaching this situation by posing this question: What makes sense for the small nonprofit staffer who has no tech support and little technical expertise beyond standard computer skills like e-mailing and Googling?

Here's the problem: Sites like MySpace, Facebook, Twitter and others represent vast communities where people can communicate with each other. Among all adults, only about one-third are members of any social networking site (Pew Internet study, 2008). That means two out of three of your potential audience members are not even in the game. Plus, for the one-third that do use social networking sites, there are many different communities, which means your patrons, clients or stakeholders are likely to be divided among MySpace users, Facebook users, LinkedIn users, and others.

Let’s begin by reviewing some key terms. People throw this lingo around with abandon, and the terms mean different things to different people. So these are not-yet-dictionary definitions, but below is the working terminology we use in our PR firm:

Social Networking. Reaching out to online communities of people who share your interests or exploring the interests of others online. Well known social networking sites include Facebook and MySpace, and provide users with a variety of ways to further interact, such as e-mail and instant messaging services. You may also encounter the term Social Media, which is a broader category of social networking communications. However, the key point we’ll discuss in this module is social networking. We also include blogging as a social networking tool because it enables dialogue among individuals and groups with common interests.

Web 2.0. Describes the changing trends in website technology and web design that aim to enhance creativity, communications, secure information sharing, collaboration, and functionality of the Web.

Blog. A website, usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. A contraction of the term “web log.” The best way for a small nonprofit to use a blog is not as a personal commentary, but as an extension of your website, as a news page devoted to press releases, event promotion, and other updates from your nonprofit. Why? Because it's free, and you can update it yourself, easily, whenever you want, with no need for Web support from a webmaster.

A key point to remember is that these terms are still evolving, and people don’t always use them accurately or in the same way. So if a board member asks you “What are we doing to take advantage of social networking on the Web,” take a moment to define your terms together to be sure you are both talking about the same thing!

In a series of upcoming articles, we’ll take a step-by-step approach to understanding how a small nonprofit do-it-yourself communicator can make sense of the Wild Wild West of the Internet in 2009.

SURVEY: How's Your Nonprofit Responding to the Economic Crisis?

Want to contribute to the remedies for nonprofit communicators and gain some valuable insights for your own organization while doing so? Please take this survey now to tell us how your organization is adapting its communications during the current economic downturn. Here is the link:

Nonprofit Communications: Responses to Economic Downturn

Your input is needed for a report designed to help nonprofits make effective decisions about their communications in the current economic downturn. Steve Cebalt, host and author of the Nonprofit PR Forum and a member of the Communications Network, is gathering data for the report. Your input will be very valuable, and a copy of the survey results will be made available to all respondents. Thank you for your time!

Here again is the link.

The survey is very brief, just 6 questions. Thank you!

Amid economic crisis, public radio pledge drive does a U-Turn with adaptive strategies and $5 from a boy named Max

Strong nonprofits find ways to thrive despite economic conditions. Northeast Indiana Public Radio is now wrapping up one of its most successful one-air pledge drives. Despite a local economy that mirrors the nation's woes, NIPR found ways to give people more good reasons to support public radio. Matching pledges were very effective, as people with fewer dollars to give were excited about the potential to double their contribution with a match. Another difference-maker was that the station repositioned its message. The new emphasis was on "participation" at any level of giving, encouraging small pledges.

During the on-air pledge banter, one of the studio guests noted that one of the clocks had stopped. An off-hand remark about how a small pledge could buy batteries to keep the clock ticking resulted in something remarkable. A local boy named Max, age 8, called in a $5 pledge. Max is now an investor in public radio -- a stakeholder, a participant, a member.

Max's story was repeated during the pledge drive and helped inspire others to give whatever they could: $25, $50, whatever they could afford. Max became the symbol of the pledge drive. It turns out all those heartfelt pledges added up to a big succes for the station's pledge drive, amid the most volatile economy since the Great Depression.

Another public radio station positioned itself this way, with great success: "We’re different than the others in bringing you accurate, timely info on the financial crisis so you know what it means and what you have to do. The in-depth information you get here on public radio is more useful than the 24/7 news hype, but you need to support it. "

Nonprofits interested in discovering the winning communications tactics for toucgh times may be interested in our U-Turn Communications Workshop. For details, click here.

U-Turn Communications Workshop Can Help Your Organization Redefine Itself to Attract Funding in a Bad Economy

U-Turn Communications for Nonprofits

Turning Things Around in a Down Economy

One of my clients, the longtime CEO of a very successful nonprofit organization, once said, “I don’t worry about a bad economy. The economy’s always good FOR US. We adapt and actually take advantage of whatever circumstances we find ourselves in. We've had some of our best growth when the economy was at it's worst -- because then people were paying attention.”

The economy is bad, but it doesn’t have to be bad FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION. By taking control of your messages and communication tactics, you can position your nonprofit to actually take advantage of an economy where stocks are tumbling, credit is crumbling, and anxiety prevails.

This workshop will show you how to position your organization as a solution -- not a victim -- of the economic crisis that is today’s reality. It is based on research we’ve acquired that shows which messages will enlist tangible support and which will simply draw sympathy but nothing more. The research shows that funders and donors want to invest in the solution, not provide handouts. The messages that have worked for you in less turbulent times are not the same as the winning messages in an economic crunch. The sure way to lose in today’s economy is by continuing down the same road when circumstances around you have fundamentally changed. It’s time for a U-Turn.

U-Turn Communications Workshop

We created a workshop called U-Turn Communiactions, because it's up to you to adjust your course for the new economic road we're on. Through a mix of strategic message framing and shifts in communication tactics, you can take control of the situation and actually derive some benefits for your organization in the current climate of fear, anxiety and uncertainty.

The economy is bad, and the good news from a communications standpoint is that this climate creates a more receptive audience for the right solution-oriented message. With U-turn Communications, it will be YOU who turns things around, takes control, and emerges stronger than ever before. Just because the economy is down, doesn’t mean YOUR organization has to be! With the right communication strategies, YOUR economic condition can be just fine, even in these turbulent times.

The workshop is delivered in a half-day session, with a one-hour Needs Assessment administred by phone about a week ahead of time. During the first 90-minutes of the workshop, we will train attendees on the strategies that will help you re-define your organization. The rest of the workshop will be an exercise in actual message development specific to your organization, so that by the end of the half-day session, you will have a Message Manual started that can help you say the right things to garner support in your fundraising, grantwriting and branding. And you'll have the training and background to continue developing new messages consistent with the winning U-Turn Communications strategy.

Of course, with the economy being what it is, we've priced this workshop as an affordable solution for any nonprofit wanting to thrive in the current economy, not just survive.

Individual organizations can conduct a workshop, sending any number of participants. Foundations can also underwrite the workshop for their grantees, with a significant discount for engagements with more than one grantee organization. For details, call Steve Cebalt, (260) 416-0222, or email him at experience@bottomlinepr.com.

The market meltdown is good for you

In nonprofit communications, the trend is your friend, in good times and bad.

Savvy investors have numerous strategies for making money even when the economy is in the dumps – like now. Annuities, short-selling, options and many other adaptive tactics help some people win while others watch their portfolio tumble.

Savvy nonprofit executives, likewise, adopt strategies to actually take advantage of economic woes in order to increase awareness and boost fundraising at a time when people are actually paying attention. As I’ve noted before, the bad economy doesn’t have to be bad for YOUR organization. In fact, now is your time to shine.

The ideas I am talking about have implications for your branding, your fundraising and your grantwriting.

The strategy lies in adapting your message to the times.

Mental file folders

People like to put things in their brain in neat little folders. If your message lands in the wrong folder, such as “Struggling Charities with Good Intentions But Having Trouble Making Ends Meet,” you lose. In good times or bad, one thing never changes – people with money to donate, large or small, want to back winners. That’s true in politics, horseracing, and philanthropy. No one wants to provide a handout or a bailout. They want to invest in something that makes a positive difference.

If you create a new message that re-files the message into a new folder in the audience's mind – the “action” folder – you win. This folder might be labeled, “Nonprofits With Effective Solutions For This Mess We’re In.”

OK, let’s look at some examples of what I’m talking about. (Incidentally, the PR term for this work is called “Framing,” or “Message Framing.” I don’t want to get bogged down in jargon, but that’s the term commonly uses for this strategy.)

Example 1: “The ACME Food Bank needs immediate help from the community. We have lines around the block at out food bank and not enough food to meet the need. If the community doesn’t step up, we’re in trouble.” This desperate appeal might result in a few Girl Scout food drives and some short-term support to get you through the week, but it will do little to position the food bank for sustained growth over the long term.

Example 2: “The ACME Food Bank is proud to be one of the bright spots in our economic system. The worse the economy gets, the more relevant we become to this community. If we were a business, we’d say demand is great right now – demand for our food distribution has never been higher, thanks to the obvious problems with our economy. If you are looking for a way to make a difference for your less fortunate friends and neighbors during this economic slump, consider volunteering or investing whatever you can in our Community Food Fund. Thanks to in-kind donations and volunteer support, The Community Food Fun provides $9 of food to the hungry for every dollar you donate. Where else can you get that kind of return on your investment these days?”

Example 1 sounds desperate and short-term, and negative, i.e. “bail us out of this mess.” It makes the Food Bank sound like a victim of the bad economy.

Example 2 makes the Food Bank sound like one of the solutions to the bad economy. It sounds appropriately positive, positioning the ACME Food Bank as an example of something that’s actually WORKING! A solution for your community. It flips the first message around. Instead of, “PLEASE help us out of this mess,” the message is, “We’re helping the most vulnerable people in our community – your friends and neighbors -- make it through this mess, and you can be a part of that success with just a small investment in the Community Food Fund, with a tax-deductible return of 9-to-1 on your dollar.”

Example 2 re-files the message into a mental folder much more likely to prompt big-time action – donations, grants and volunteer support based on a real commitment to making a difference and backing a winner.


Time to make a U-Turn in your communications strategy

You’ll see this framing strategy at work now among nonprofits who’ve embraced the new reality of today’s economy and who realize that now is the time to distinguish yourself for sustainable growth. When the economy turns around, you’ll be leading the way from a position of strength.

You might argue that there are far fewer dollars being donated today. That’s probably true. But on Wall Street, you can make a fortune on a day when trading volume is very low, if you’ve adopted the right strategy. The same thing is true for your nonprofit. In an environment where the overall donation pie is shrinking, you’ve just got to re-define yourself to get a larger slice.

I’ve developed a workshop based on this model. It’s ideal for nonprofits wondering what they can do to adapt their fundraising, grantwriting and branding messages to win in today’s economy. It’s called U-Turn Communications, and you can find more information about it by clicking here.

Recessions don’t hurt nonprofit fundraising much, study shows

SOURCE: Giving USA Foundation/Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University


What happens to charitable giving during economic slowdowns?

New report debunks “conventional wisdom”

Glenview, IL (Sept.19, 2008) – What really happens to charitable giving when the economy is roiling? A new report from Giving USA Foundation examines the topic from the aspect of past recessions and economic slowdowns, and discovers that while there is an impact on giving, it’s not nearly as dire as conventional wisdom would assume.

“When the economy is uncertain, as it is in 2008, non-profits and others naturally assume the one sector that will be heavily impacted is philanthropy,” said George C. Ruotolo Jr., CFRE, chair of Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits and past chair of Giving USA Foundation. “With history as our guide, we know that’s not true. In fact, while charitable giving is impacted by recessions and/or economic slowdowns, it’s not by nearly as much as one might expect.”

The report, aptly entitled “Giving During Recessions and Economic Slowdowns,” looks at the subject in terms of historical times of economic distress in the nation’s economy, going back to 1969. It finds that total giving in the United States has risen every year in current dollars but one since recording began.

The exception was 1987, when a tax change law the previous year prompted some people to “give early,” so they could maximize the value of tax deductions they could claim, Ruotolo said.
Economic changes, such as slowed growth or a decline in gross domestic product, occur without economic recession. When the economy shows stress, whether it is a recession or not, giving may grow more slowly, but it still grows, according to the report, which was researched and written on behalf of the Foundation by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

The report, part of the Foundation’s “Spotlight” series of newsletters that examines various aspects of philanthropy, looks at how different sectors within philanthropy have fared during recessions going back to 1969. (A recession is defined as two quarters of negative domestic growth. One has not been declared for 2008 by the body that is charged with identifying recessions, the National Bureau of Economic Research.)

“It is important at this juncture for cooler heads to prevail and for non-profits to not listen to those who would claim the sky is falling,” Ruotolo said. “Those charities with a clear and compelling case and an established loyal donor constituency will continue to succeed, even in difficult times.

“Let me be clear that if history is our guide, overall giving may once again grow in 2008,” he added.


About Giving USA Foundation
Giving USA Foundation, headquartered in Glenview, Ill., has as its mission to advance philanthropy through education and research. It was formed in 1985 as the American Association of Fundraising Counsel Trust for Philanthropy by what is now known as the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits. Its seminal publication, Giving USA, has been published continuously since 1956.

Discover 7 barriers to effective communications for nonprofit foundations

Perfect Alignment

Just as foundations count on grantees to do good work in the communities they serve, the grantees in turn depend on foundations for financial support -- creating an interdependent but well-aligned relationship. The power of a well-aligned relationship is paralleled in nature by the sea anemone and the clownfish; they depend on each other for protection and food. Their effective, mutually-beneficial alignment enables them to thrive in ways that would be impossible otherwise.

Bottom Line Public Relations in Fort Wayne, Indiana offers a simple-but-effective approach to solving communications problems for foundations and their grantees by identifying gaps in alignment as the first step toward improvement. To discover how to identify the 7 most common alignment gaps that cause most problems in foundation communications, click here.

Alignment Communications presentation at Communications Network conference

Bottom Line Communications Consultant Steve Cebalt will be presenting "Alignment Communications: A PR Program connecting foundations and grantees" at the upcoming Communications Network Conference in Chicago, September 24-26, 2008. The mission of the Communications Network is to improve the effectiveness and accountability of foundations by promoting and strengthening the strategic practice of communications in philanthropy.

For more information on the Alignment Communications approach for philanthropic foundations, please visit Alignment Communications for Nonprofit Foundations.

"Communications Fundamentals" Workshop

"Communications Fundamentals" is a workshop (or series of workshops) that will give you the strategic and practical real-world tools to communicate with the people who are important to your organization's success.

The workshop is an ideal way for philanthropic foundations to provide PR assistance to groups of grantees, to help grantees publicize their foundation-funded activities. For foundation-funded workshops, 20 participants from different organizations can participate at $250 per participant for the half-day version of the workshop.

These workshop sessions are aimed at decision-makers and implementers who have limited day-to-day experience in outreach, PR or marketing.

In the “Communications Fundamentals” workshop(s), you’ll learn how to use outreach tactics to promote events, increase the use of your services, change people’s behavior, boost your profile in the community, solve identity problems, recruit board members or volunteers, or make sure people know about all your programs and services. The first session will be strategic, focusing on your organization’s readiness to conduct outreach efforts and identifying three or four action steps you can take immediately to assure that you have the solid organizational capacity to conduct outreach efforts. (Too often this crucial step is overlooked, leading to frustration and failure).

Subsequent sessions will focus on practical tactics to be used in the real world — proven outreach techniques used by small organizations with very limited resources. Whether your audience includes the entire community or just a few key individuals, you’ll go back to your office with new ideas, energy and tools.

“Communications Fundamentals” includes: a half-day session, or, a series of 3 workshop sessions, each 2 hours long.

The sessions will be constructed as “Communications Fundamentals 101”; “Communications Fundamentals 102”; and “Communications Fundamentals 103.” Each session will include a presentation of specific information designed to meet our specific learning goals, PLUS a full hour for a freewheeling roundtable discussion and Q&A session addressing the problems and opportunities that are on your plate right now! This assures that specific needs of participants are met, as long as you are willing to speak up and discuss your needs! Useful handouts, including forms and tools used to administer and measure an effective community outreach program or campaign, are given to participants.

After the session(s), participants will be able to:
· Use research to determine — and measure — which attributes/factors will actually achieve a change in behavior through outreach/communications.
· Identify components of a streamlined outreach-communications plan that is designed to solve specific problems or produce specific behaviors or actions.
· Identify a list of common objectives, outcomes and measurements that are used in nonprofit communications.
· Analyze these objectives and measurements to determine which ones apply to a given situation.
· Understand specific communications tactics available to nonprofit and government communicators.
· Apply small-market test concepts to bring new ideas to fruition more effectively.
· Identify and prioritize action steps that can immediately add to an organization’s capacity to communicate effectively with the public and key audiences.

For more information on Communications Fundamentals Workshops, please call Steve Cebalt at (260) 416-0222.

Pack a punch, without all the words

The long way to say, "Paid members only."

The radiant sun cracks into the amber sky and sheds a fresh glow over the dewy grass. The rays dance through your window and glide onto your bed, waking you for a new day of adventure ahead. You breathe deep the crisp morning air and begin your day refreshed and renewed.

How many of you actually read that whole paragraph? How many of you scrolled on down to here? Don’t be shy, you’re not alone. First off, no one’s morning begins like that. Morning always comes too early and we’re more likely to shove a pillow over our heads to block the sun than to feel refreshed by the rays. Second off, none of us has the time to read fluff, no matter how well-written it is.

So what does this have to do with you and your nonprofit? That wasn’t just the ramblings of a frustrated cubicle dweller; it was an attempt to show you just how short your audience’s attention span is. You’re not in the Victorian era with Charles Dickens where you get paid per word; verbosity is gone and she ain’t coming back. Today’s audience needs news short and sweet, something they can skim on their Blackberries on the elevator.

When you’re working on your next project, keep all that in mind. How can you get your message across completely and yet keep it brief? Here are some great ideas that I have seen work quite well.

Never Doubt the Power of a Picture
It’s an old adage that a picture is worth a thousand words, but it’s still true today. Imagine being stuck in morning traffic and you see a billboard above you advertising a Tahitian vacation. It shows nothing more than a picture of white sand, clear blue water, and a laptop left behind in the sand with the word “Escape” in bright colors in the sky. You can feel yourself on that beach just as well with one picture and one word as you could with a full page text heavy ad in the newspaper.

Just Ride the Wave
This wave of new technology can be frustrating to deal with. Not many people actually sit down with a fresh newspaper in the morning to cap off their cup of jo anymore. Most would rather scroll the Internet before work or hop on their Blackberries. Embrace this new technology and investigate MP3 ads or audio newsletters; don’t see that as an obstacle though, but rather an opportunity. In the nonprofit sector, ample funds aren’t exactly knocking at your door, so you have to find low cost alternatives and this new technology might be just what you need. It saves on the printing cost, it could reach a wider audience, and they’re getting cheaper and cheaper to produce. Ride the wave, don’t swim against the current.

There are countless more ways to pack a punch without all the words, but I’ll leave that up to you to figure out. Plus, you’re probably too busy to read any more of this anyway.

“If it takes a lot of words to say what you have in mind, give it more thought.” ~Dennis Roth

How online chatting and texting influence young writers

If your nonprofit employs interns or young adults in any capacity where writing is involved, a new PEW report (below) may interest you.

The study's authors seem suprised that teens differentiate between the writing that they do via text messaging and instant messaging from writing they do in school. That's no suprise. Just as people talk differently among close friends than they do in a school or work setting, different writing situations call for different styles and voices.

Having worked with high school students, interns and new grads in a capacity where I see their writing ability close-up, I have found that the most significant influence is the person's high school English teacher (and curriculum). I have seen students who had great teachers come out of high school with better fundamental skills than college-educated communications professionals with significant experience.

I also believe that the informal text messaging and MySpace cultures actually are a big help, by helping peolple realize that they can generate lots of content at the keyboard very quickly if they are motivated to do so and have something to say. It's just important for such writers to realize that writing for work or school is different from chatting online -- and the new PEW study suggests that teens fully realize that, although they sometimes lapse into the informal voice when they shouldn't.

Here is the PEW press release on their interesting study:

The state of writing among teens today is marked by an interesting paradox: While teens are heavily embedded in a tech-rich world and craft a significant amount of electronic text, they see a fundamental distinction between their electronic social communications and the more formal writing they do for school or for personal reasons.

* 87% of youth ages 12-17 engage at least occasionally in some form of electronic personal communication, which includes text messaging, sending email or instant messages, or posting comments on social networking sites.
* 60% of teens do not think of these electronic texts as"writing." Teens are utilitarian in their approach to technology and writing, using both computers and longhand depending on circumstances. Their use of computers for school and personal writing is often tied to the convenience of being able to edit easily. And while they do not think their use of computers or their text-based communications with friends influences their formal writing, many do admit that the informal styles that characterize their e-communications do occasionally bleed into their schoolwork.
* 57% of teens say they revise and edit more when they write using a computer.
* 63% of teens say using computers to write makes no difference in the quality of the writing they produce.
* 73% of teens say their personal electronic communications(email, IM, text messaging) have no impact on the writing they do for school, and 77% said they have no impact on the writing they do for themselves.
* 64% of teens admit that they incorporate, often accidentally, at least some informal writing styles used in personal electronic communication into their writing for school. (Some 25% have used emoticons in their school writing; 50% have used informal punctuation and grammar; 38% have used text shortcuts such as "LOL" meaning "laugh out loud.")

All of this matters more than ever because teenagers and their parents uniformly believe that good writing is a bedrock for future success.Eight in ten parents believe that good writing skills are more important now than they were 20 years ago, and 86% of teens believe that good
writing ability is an important component of guaranteeing success later in life. These are among the key findings in a national phone survey of 700 youth ages 12-17 and their parents conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project and the National Commission on Writing. The survey was completed in mid-November and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5percentage points. The report also contains findings from eight focus groups in four U.S. cities conducted in the summer of 2007. For the full report please visit:http://www.pewinternet.org/PPF/r/247/report_display.asp

About the Pew Internet & American Life Project: The Pew Internet Project is an initiative of the Pew Research Center, a nonprofit "fact tank"that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world. Pew Internet explores the impact of the internet on children, families, communities, the work place, schools, health careand civic/political life. Support for the project is provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts. The project's Web site:http://www.pewinternet.org/

10 ways nonprofits can benefit from using a blog

Should your nonprofit organization maintain a blog? I don't know. Maybe.

Here is a good article listing 10 innovative ways that nonprofits can benefit by using a blog.

I think many nonprofits could benefit by using a blog as an adjunct to their websites. This is especially true if you have to rely on someone else (a vendor, a tech services department, a volunteer) to maintain and update your website.

A blog is so easy to update that you could link from your website to a blog, and use the blog as a news page, devoted to press releases, event promotion, and other updates. You won't need an intermediary to update your website; updating a blog is as easy as formatting an email.

So if used as a utilitarian addition to your web site, I think almost any organization could benefit from a blog. Here again is that link to an article with 10 ideas for nonprofits to use blogs.

Americans behind bars

A new study shows that 1 in 99 American adults is in jail. Among young African American men, 1 in 9 is in jail. You can get more context on this astonishing new study from the Pew Center on the States. Click here.

The Health Insurance Mafia

What does your health care plan have to do with the mafia? More than you think, according to an excellent opinion article in The Wall Street Journal by Jonathan Kellerman.

Read his insightful mob analogy here.

When I offer to pay doctors cash because of my high insurance deductible, often they reduce their fee, illustrating that what physicians charge varies not according to their level of service, but according to who is paying and how they are paying. The fault lies not with any health insurance company, but with a system that makes cost irrelevant to the consumer. If insurance is paying, sure, give me that $2,000 MRI. Give me two! And fries. After all, I paid my premium, what do I care?

It's been nice to see healthcare getting attention from the presidential candidates, because this is one of those rare problems that can only be addressed at the system level. It would be unwise for any patient, doctor, company, or insurance company to try to change the system unilaterlally. As Tony Soprano might say, "Whatta ya gonna do, huh?"

Do check out Dr. Kellerman's article! It will probably only be posted on The Wall Street Journal's free site only for a few days.

Nonprofits should treat their story like a business story, demonstrating the social return on investment

PR Lessons Learned From Aboite New Trails

Congratulations to Executive Director Lori Keys and the board and staff of Aboite New Trails. They provided Journal Gazette readers with some positive news on the cover of the Sunday paper, at a time when positive news is in very short supply around here. Here is a link to the article.

For nonprofit communicators, the article is a good case study, because it's rare to see such a substantive article on Page 1 with so much coverage that is beneficial to a nonprofit. It pays to assess such success stories to try to identify "what works."

If you don't live in Aboite, you may not know that the trails are nice asphalt (I guess?) surfaces that enable walkers, bikers, parents pushing strollers, and roller-bladers, to safely amble considerable distances through Aboite, in and around the schools, the YMCA, etc., without worrying much about traffic. Check out the excellent before-and-after pictures at the top of the organization's Web site.

So how does a 5-year-old organization that offers what could be considered a discretionary recreational trail compete for the public's attention and dollars when other nonprofits are feeding the hungry, clothing the poor, transporting seniors to medical appointments, and providing health care to the needy -- to name just a few? When you put it in that context, Aboite New Trails' communications success is even more remarkable.

From what I read in The Journal Gazette, my sense is that Aboite New Trails garnered the positive coverage because of its storyline that ties the system of recreational trails to economic development. They treat the trails like a business, not a charity. Although they raise nonprofit dollars, they offer donors a social and economic return on their investment. They have a compelling story to tell, and they tell it well. That's no accident; that took effort and vision. In the current economic climate, think of how easy it might be to dismiss the trails as a luxury, in favor of funding direct services to Allen County's poorest residents. That is, until you consider their story:

"I am thoroughly convinced that there is no other single improvement that the city of Fort Wayne and Allen County could make that would resolve or remedy so many of our community’s problems," Aboite New Trails President Lynn Reecer wrote on the group’s Web site, as quoted in The Journal Gazette.

The article says, "Reecer ... says the group’s success isn’t due to its location in a more affluent part of the community, but rather its vision: a regional trail system that benefits all of the Fort Wayne area by promoting economic development, facilitating health, improving pedestrian and cyclist safety and expanding recreational options."

Tad Frank, director of marketing and promotion for Indiana’s NewsCenter, which provided $10,000 to Aboite New Trails, said in the article that the trails provide free, safe bike travel for those who don’t want to spend money on gas, give families another way to spend time together and encourage residents to fight obesity and become more active.

I can't testify to all those benefits, but they seem like valid points to me. Most significantly, it seems very clear that the trails would prop up the home values of all the houses within walking distance of the system. I don't live in Aboite, but I use the trails when my son practices PAL football near Homestead High School and I have two hours to kill, three days a week. I really enjoy being able to get some exercise and enjoy the sunshine and fresh air. I wish there was such a trail system near my house. A home near such a trail would be very attractive to buyers and thus worth more money. All of those Aboite homeowners reap the financial rewards, whether they use the trails or not.

I can think of two take-away lessons for nonprofit communicators.

1. One, craft a compelling story that shows how your organization affects the larger community, not just in terms of your mission -- that's not enough -- but in financial terms or social enhancement. Just as Aboite New Trails does, treat your story like a business story, not like a story about a charity expecting handouts. You offer the community a great value in return for the donations you receive -- quantify that message, and that's your story.
2. The other lesson is this: A story like the one on the front page of The Journal Gazette comes along rarely in the life of a nonprofit. No matter how positive the coverage, the story is here today and gone tomorrow. Depending on media coverage to get your message out is not a viable strategy. In fact it's not a strategy at all. It's like buying a lottery ticket. But many nonprofits (not yours) are still living in the 1970s when it comes to press relations. Instead of relying on the media, in today's environment you have to control your communications yourself, to assure that people who need to know about you get the word directly from you, with proper frequency, throughout the year.
   

Stop me if you've heard this one: Plato and a platypus walk into a bar ...

Two cows are talking in the field.

“What do you think of all this talk about Mad Cow Disease,” says one.

The other answers: “What do I care – I’m a helicopter.”
_______________________________________________
A woman learns from her doctor that she only has 8 hours to live. “There’s nothing more we can do for you. Go home and make the best of it,” the doctor says.

The woman goes home and tells her husband the news, and says, “Darling, let’s just make love all night.”

The husband replies, “Well, that’s easy for you to say. You don’t have to get up in the morning.”
________________________________________________
If you’ve read any of my previous articles on getting attention for your nonprofit in today’s Attention Economy, where every message competes for attention with every other message, maybe you’ve thought, “That’s great unless you have a message that doesn’t lend itself to clamoring for attention.”

If your message is more on the mundane side, you may have to try harder. But do try!

Consider the two jokes above. I got them from a pair of books by Tom Cathcart and Daniel Klein that combine philosophy with jokes. One is called Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar: Understanding Philosophy Through Jokes. The other is called Aristotle and an Aardvark Go to Washington: Understanding Political Doublespeak Through Philosophy and Jokes.

The books discuss key concepts in philosophy, with a twist: To illustrate the ideas of the great thinkers, the authors employ jokes and manage to relate the jokes to philosophical principles. Some of the Big Ideas are Existentialism (what do Hegel and Bette Midler have in common?), Philosophy of Language (how to express what it’s like being stranded on a desert island with Halle Berry), Feminist Philosophy (why, in the end, a man is always a man), and much more, as the Amazon editorial review says.

Without the creative twist, I would not have noticed or bought books on philosophy with Plato or Aristotle in the title. But these authors, who both majored in philosophy at Harvard, found a way to make a very old and time-worn topic relevant and accessible.

That’s one more way to get attention in the Attention Economy; communicate with a fresh twist. A local organization won an Addy award for a brochure based on Aesop's Fables. It wasn't a humorous piece, but the writers tied their message to different morals in Aesop's ancient stories. That's another great example of finding a new way to get your point across to today's audiences with fragmented attention spans.

Distorted teen STD story spreads like a virus and provides a case study in communications

Nonprofit communicators have more than a passing interest in how social health stories are portrayed in the media. I was disappointed at the way the Associated Press story whipped up hysteria over STDs in girls. The article says 1 in 4 teen girls has a sexually transmitted disease.

Actually, variations on a "1 in 4" statistic have been around for many years, heavily promoted by organizations like Campaign for our Children (cfoc.org).

The new study is a first-of-its-kind from the Centers for Disease Control, and the articles about it neglected to provide much in the way of context. Are the numbers up from prior years? Doesn't say.

The biggest issue is the definition of "disease." The vast majority of the STDs making up the 1-in-4 statistic are HPV infections. Forty percent of the teenage girls reported having sex. Twenty six percent had sexually transmitted infections; 18% had HPV. Chlamydia, the second most common infection, was present in 4%. So this first-of-its-kind study tells us more about HPV infections than what we usually think of as STDs.

HPV is linked with some risk for cancer later in life. But most people who get infected with HPV never know it, because the virus goes away without causing any health problems. It is a very pervasive virus but usually causes no symptoms. “It is important to realize that most HPV infections clear on their own,” according to a summary of the study that the CDC provided to The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal article was the only article that provided any context on this issue.

I was also disappointed that the Associated Press article quoted people speculating that the STD rate is a sure sign that abstinence education has failed. First, the article doesn't say the rate has increased among teen girls; this is the first time HPV and other STDs have been lumped together this way, and the data are not compared with past years. Second, the people who link the STD rate to failure of abstinence education have no basis for that speculative theory, yet the AP reports it. And The Journal Gazette reiterated this baseless theory on its editorial page. Maybe abstinence education works, maybe it doesn't -- that's not my point; the point is that this article based on the CDC data does not support that theory at all, and yet it was used as a one-sided platform for activists to promote their agenda.

For example, the CDC also reports that the number of teens who have ever had sex has decreased, along with the number of teens who have had multiple partners and the number of teens currently sexually active -- all those categories of teens having sex are down from prior years. These figures -- also from the CDC, mind you -- the same source as the STD story -- would support the theory that abstinence education is working and that the new STD data reflect the new way various sexually transmitted infections were lumped together more than any other trend.

The lesson for nonprofit communicators is that activists with an agenda to discourage abstinence education were more effective in latching on to this news story than abstinence advocates. It's rare that you see a media story this distorted, and so this makes for a good case study in communications.

Why words matter in the Attention Economy

As a demonstration of the power of effective language compared with the language most of us encounter in our daily lives today, consider this parody of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, demonstrating what it would look like as a PowerPoint presentation. It was created by essayist Peter Norvig.

In today’s Attention Economy, where every nonprofit message must compete for attention with every other message that your audience sees or hears, does it matter much how effectively you communicate? Does it matter whether you make yourself clear with donors, funders, board members, and the people who use your services? I’m sure universally the answer would be “Yes.”

In the Attention Economy, people want a return on their investment when they invest attention in something you have written. They want something interesting, or useful, or stimulating, or inspirational.

Anyone who doubts the power of effective words vs. pedestrian use of language should look at the success that Barack Obama has had, largely built upon the power of his rhetoric and use of language. He’s not the first to build his reputation largely on the power of his language: Reagan did it, and Kennedy, Churchill, Lincoln and many others. Whether he goes on to achieve further greatness remains to be seen; but I’d dare to say that what separates many of the great leaders from the good ones is their ability to communicate, because with that ability they are able to write their way into the history books.

Closer to home, given that effective communication is essential to any nonprofit’s mission, you have to wonder why we see so much counterproductive communication.

I just finished listening to a webinar featuring Tony Proscio, a writer dedicated to nonprofit and especially foundation communications. He is well known for his crusade against jargon in nonprofit communications. Jargon is not just trite or annoying; it harms the people we serve. If a nonprofit fails to secure funding simply because it writes an incomprehensible grant request, the people who suffer are the clients of that nonprofit.

Yet people are often afraid to write clearly. They fear that people will think less of their ideas if those ideas are not dressed in tuxedos. Ultimately, I believe, many writers want their ideas to sound like everyone else’s ideas, so that they’ll gain acceptance. This is the root cause of jargon in nonprofit communications.

A sidenote on a related matter: Many nonprofits rely way too much on statistics and laundry lists. "We served 900 people, fed 3,000 families, transported 2,289 seniors, etc. etc." Readers are given no context to interpret such numbers. Is 900 good or bad? Is 3,000o more or less than last year? Is 2,289 more than nonprofits your size in comparable communities? Such numbers are numbing, not persuasive. Nonprofits have the most compelling stories in the world to share, and when they default to such laundry lists and abstractions, they forfeit their most precious communications asset: human stories of lives changed by the nonprofit's services.

OK, back to the main point about jargon: If you want to persuade people, you have to connect with them. Jargon doesn’t connect. It divides. It doesn’t penetrate. It doesn’t impress. So it doesn’t persuade. It doesn’t work, period.

The solution? Be yourself. Write the way you talk. Keep it simple. Have something important to say. Most of all, let a little personality show. Be human. You won't sound like everyone else; you'll stand out. You'll inspire confidence as someone whose ideas are so bold that they can be expressed without window dressing. You'll gain positive attention for your cause. You'll persuade people to take the action that you want them to take.

I highly recommend Proscio’s three short booklets on the topic of nonprofit communications and jargon, which you can download right now for free, courtesy of the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation. The books are written from a foundation perspective but you’ll find that they apply to all nonprofits. They are funny, insightful and helpful.

These free books are a great tool for helping your nonprofit get more attention in the Attention Economy. Jargon makes readers seek another place to invest their attention. Good writing, on the other hand, rewards the readers' interest with each passing word, endearing them to the writer and his or her mission.

Humor in advertising

Humor in advertising is a great way to get attention and make people smile while they think about your message. What could be better? Here's a great example:

Multitasking is slowing you down: New York Times

"A man's gotta know his limitations"

Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry Callahan


I've been writing lately about the Attention Economy and its implications on communications strategies for nonprofits. The other aspect of the Attention Economy that affects all of us is personal productivity. Our productivity is the result of how effectively we apply our attention to our goals. Anything that intereferes with the ability to focus your attention on your chosen goals will drain productivity.

Multitasking is especially harmful. Here is a good New York Times article summarizing some of the latest research on the ways that multistaksing robs your producitivy.

A quote from the article: “Multitasking is going to slow you down, increasing the chances of mistakes,” said David E. Meyer, a cognitive scientist and director of the Brain, Cognition and Action Laboratory at the University of Michigan. “Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information.”

Many people embrace multitasking either to avoid boredom, or to avoid focusing on their real problems and priorities, or because they feel they are somehow capable of more than is humanly possible. The result is a loss of productivity -- up to 4o percent!

Dirty Harry was right: A man's gotta know his limitations. Multitasking is simply wishful thinking. I wish I could do 5 things at once. I can't; nobody can. According to scientists, humans get more done when they do tasks one at a time, consecutively, rather than at the same time.

Against Happiness... In Praise of Melancholy

A bit off topic today, but a good topic for these gloomy days of late winter, as you'll see.

In The Sopranos, a recurring character is Uncle Junior's Russian in-home nurse, Svetlana. Tony Soprano is fascinated with Svetlana because, despite a life of struggle and turmoil and the fact that she hobbles around on one leg, she always seems to be in control, assured and confident. Though she plays a small role, she is perhaps the most psychologically balanced character in the series.

In one episode, she says: "That's the trouble with you Americans. You expect nothing bad ever to happen, when the rest of the world expects only bad to happen. And they are not disappointed. You have everything, and still you complain. ... You've got too much time to think about yourselves."

I miss that show!

Meantime, I ran across a book with a similar thesis called "Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy," by Eric G. Wilson.

Don't let the title scare you. The book is exactly what the title suggests -- a defense of sadness -- but it's very inspirational. The author's thesis is that without the ability to embrace dark moods when the situation calls for it, life lacks its inherent drama and becomes one long, mediocre sitcom.

Here's a taste:

I for one am afraid that our American culture’s overemphasis on happiness at the expense of sadness might be dangerous, a wanton forgetting of an essential part of a full life. To desire only happiness in a world undoubtedly tragic is to become inauthentic, to settle for unrealistic abstractions that ignore concrete situations.

Right now, if the statistics are correct, about 15 percent of Americans are not happy. Soon, perhaps, with the help of psychopharmaceuticals, melancholics will become unknown. That would be an unparalleled tragedy. We would live in a world in which everyone simply accepted the status quo, in which everyone would simply be content with the given.

We must further accept this fact that the world hates: We are forever incomplete, fragments of some ungraspable whole. Our unfinished natures make life a constant struggle, a bout with the persistent unknown. But this extension into the abyss is also our salvation. To be only a fragment is always to strive for something beyond ourselves, something transcendent. That striving is always an act of freedom, of choosing one road instead of another. Incompleteness is a call to life. Fragmentation is freedom.

I think the author makes a lot of very interesting points while sometimes going a bit over the top in his rhetorical flourishes. Hey, he's trying to sell a book; nothing wrong with that! Also, I don't think you have to be "against happiness" to argue that we should also embrace life's other emotions and situational depression when bad things happen, such as one feels when one is busted by the Feds under the RICO act, or at the end of football season. The title “Against Happiness” is really not consistent with the book; it’s not an either-or proposition.

So it turns out Tony's one-legged Russian girlfriend was right. Partly. After all, despite her keen observation, she moved from Russia to America, where the Pursuit of Happiness is literally written into our national DNA.

Here's a link to a longer excerpt of Against Happiness: In Praise of Melancholy.

Meatball Sundaes; also, Will It Blend / Chuck Norris Edition. Getting attention in the Attention Economy

Seth Godin, one of today’s most popular marketing strategists, says that people don’t learn everything all at once; today's attention spans are too limited. Your message has to leave the reader or viewer seeking more information, he says. The message must be conveyed bit by bit. Godin says that many communicators make the mistake of telling the entire story at once, take it or leave it. That’s certainly true of many nonprofit communicators, who try to tell their whole story in an annual report and one or two annual fundraising letters.

So next time you have information to convey, do what Charles Darwin and other 19-century authors did with their long novels; release it in serial bits, over time. Set the premise early on, and then follow up with small layers of information that people can really digest and absorb. Emails and postcards are great formats for this type of “serial communication.”

By the way, Seth Godin has released a new book. I ordered it on Amazon and will do a review of the book as it relates specifically to nonprofit communicators later; meantime, here’s an excerpt from the Amazon editorial review. It certainly sounds interesting:

“Gotta get me some of that New Marketing. Bring me blogs, e-mail, YouTube videos, MySpace pages, Google AdWords . . . I don’t care, as long as it’s shiny and new.”

Wait. According to bestselling author Seth Godin, all these tactics are like the toppings at an ice cream parlor. If you start with ice cream, adding cherries and hot fudge and whipped cream will make it taste great. But if you start with a bowl of meatballs . . . yuck! As traditional marketing fades away, the new tools seem irresistible. But they don’t work as well for boring brands (“meatballs”) that might still be profitable but don’t attract word of mouth, such as Cheerios, Ford trucks, Barbie dolls, or Budweiser. When Anheuser-Busch spends $40 million on an online network called BudTV, that’s a meatball sundae. It leads to no new Bud drinkers, just a bad case of indigestion. Meatball Sundae is the definitive guide to the fourteen trends no marketer can afford to ignore. It explains what to do about the increasing power of stories, not facts; about shorter and shorter attention spans; and about the new math that says five thousand people who want to hear your message are more valuable than five million who don’t. The winners aren’t just annoying start-ups run by three teenagers who never had a real job. You’ll also meet older companies that have adapted brilliantly, such as Blendtec, a thirty-year-old blender maker. It now produces “Will it blend?” videos that demolish golf balls, Coke cans, iPhones, Chuck Norris Action Figures, and much more. For a few hundred dollars, Blendtec reached more than ten million eager viewers on YouTube.

Will it Blend? Click the Video and Find Out.

Did you watch the video? If so you can see the power of cheap, grassroots tactics to gain attention in the Attention Economy. It drew your attention, and that of tens of millions of other viewers. And like many successful Attention Economy tactics, this creative effort has been reviewed frequently in the traditional mainstream media, too.

Puppy Love: An Update on the Attention Economy

This is another update on PR for nonprofits on the Attention Economy and the need for nonprofits to compete for attention.

In the article below this one, I talk about creative ways to attract attention by taking advantage of timely opportunities in the media or on the calendar. The idea is to capture attention for your nonprofit by tapping into the things people already are focused on.

Here's a great example from Allen County SPCA and a local school.

Harris Elementary 5th Graders were invited to a "Puppy Love" dance on Valentine's Day. Admission to the dance required good behavior for the week and a can/bag of dog or cat food. The pet food will be donated to the local animal shelter.

What a great way to tap into a holiday with a fun promotion that helps kids think about our responsibility to care for other creatures. This is a great example of a winning PR project for the Attention Economy. Notice that there is no need for media involvement. Often nonprofits focus too much on trying to get media coverage. A promotion like this one engages families much more than anything they might read in a newspaper or see in a short TV spot. We all need to become less dependent on the media as the media has become so much more fragmented. If such an event does garner media coverage, though, so much the better!

Kudos to the kids, the school and to the SPCA.

In the Attention Economy, your nonprofit's message competes for attention with everything else that your audience sees or hears. How can a local nonprofit get attention for its quilt auction or walk-a-thon when the rest of the world is focused on the elections, or Valentine's Day, or the latest celebrity-in-rehab drama?

Well, consider this: The trend is your friend. Rather than fighting the current headlines and events of the day, latch on to them! Consider the headline from TIME magazine, "Is God dead?" A religious organization could certainly use such a provocative headline as a jumping-off point for an engaging fundraising or advocacy letter. All you have to do is pay attention and the opportunities will fall in your lap.

Schools do this all the time -- and so can you. Local schools allow students to buy carnations, or lolipops, or bags of popcorn, on Valentines Day. Students can buy the trinkets for teachers, friends, or to take home to Mom or Dad. (Usually Mom, I've noticed. Maybe that's just my house.) Resulting funds raised support the student council or whatever.

Some nonprofits host events like the Souperbowl to feed the hungry by tapping into the excitement of the biggest game of the year. This year some churches broadcast the big game and made it a fellowship event. Why fight it, when you can use it for your promotional purposes, to draw people into your organization?

Or consider this example, from Amnesty International. They sent a fundraising email with this headline: "Go see ‘Blood Diamond’ this weekend." The movie draws attention to the devastating effects of the illegal diamond trade. People would be far more inclined to open such an e-mail that one with a more traditional mission-focused headline.

DePuy Orthopaedics in Warsaw has created a series of electronic greeting cards for Mother's Day and other holidays, so people can send greetings to loved ones who suffer from severe arthritis.

During this election season, why not host a "straw poll" vote within your organization, with each vote costing a $1 contribution to your fundraiser?

Or, later this year when American Idol reaches its peak of interest, why not host your own local talent show as a way of attractiing attention to your cause? Include a few local "celebrities" such as radio hosts or TV newscasters, plus people with talent in music, poetry, juggling or whatever!

In the Attention Economy, the bad news is that it's harder to reach a fragmented audience. The good news is that "the trend is your friend," if you can find creative ways to use current events in your fundraising letters and events.

Challenges and opportunities with e-mail in the Attention Economy

In today's Attention Economy, what role does e-mail play for nonprofit communicators?

A major one, of course.

Here are a few tips for using e-mail, and for when not to!

The subject line of your e-mail is absolutely the most important aspect of an e-mail. If readers don't respond to your subject line, or if they dismiss it as spam, it won't matter what it says in the body of your e-mail.

1. Make your subject line work for you! If you are sending an e-mail person-to-person, it can help you put both your name and your recipient's name in the subject line to differentiate your message from any other and assure the recipient that it isn't spam. If the message is to a group of your board members, volunteers, or close-knit donors or supporters, make sure your subject line conveys that affinity: "For board members and volunteers of ACME Nonprofit: Immediate Action Requested."

2. Make the subject line specific, and think of how it would be archived. Many of us file copies of e-mails in appropriate project folders. It's great when an e-mail has a subject line that would help a person find it later. "ACME Nonprofit Newsletter Fall Edition Revisions from Susie" would be a good example of a great subject line that will be easy to find later if needed for reference.

3. Similarly, when replying to e-mails, make sure the subject line continues to convey the topic. An e-mail conversation may start by confirming a meeting; you reply with a related question; update the subject line so it doesn't say "Re: Meeting" when actually you are asking about something else in your reply.



OK, on to the body of your e-mail.

1. Many experts say to keep it very brief, which is probably good advice in most cases, especially if it is a group e-mail! If you have a longer message, you can link to a page on your Web site.

2. Use a salutation of some sort. If the e-mail is to a group such as board members or volunteers, include "Dear Board Members" or "Dear Friends." Something. Anything. If writing to people you don't know, it's best still to use courtesy or professional titles: Dear Mr. Jones; Good morning Dr. Johnson. If it is a peer or friend, a simple "Hi Sue" is great. Don't forget the "Hi" part though! Some sort of greeting separates a communication from a command. Note the difference:

"Jim: Can you send me the documents by 10 a.m.?

"Hi Jim! Can you send me the documents by 10 a.m.?

The first, lacking the simple greeting "Hi", is received as more of a command than the friendlier second version. One simple little word makes a difference.

Now, the closing of your e-mail.

1. Be sure to include a full signature block with your name and phone number on every e-mail! Often you can look people up via e-mail faster than any other means. I am always delighted when I see a signature block filled with all the info I might need to follow up; phone number, address, fax number, web site URL. I don't know why everyone doesn' t always include this info in each and every e-mail. What's the downside?

A few final comments:

1. Consider the working culture of your recipient. Some people sit at a desk and look at their e-mails all day. Others -- sales people, physicians, executives who spend lots of time in long meetings, and many others -- are not so tethered to a computer. So consider the differing work habits of recipients when you think about response times. I've received e-mails at 8 a.m. asking for me to send a document that the person needed for a 10 a.m. meeting. The problem: I had a meeting that morning myself and wasn't available to look at e-mails until later in the day. Some people only look at e-mails a few times a week. (This will shock many Blackberry junkies and others who live and die by e-mail, but it's true.) And the higher a person is on the organizational food chain, the less time they spend fiddling with e-mails, so when dealing with corporate heavyweights and other key decision-makers -- such as some of your board members -- keep that in mind!

1A. Consider, too, that young people are far less likely to look at e-mail as often as older folks. People under 30 are much more inclined toward their Facebook and Myspace contacts, or instant messaging, according to the Pew Internet & American Life studies. Or they are out having a life and doing things that younger folks do -- things that have nothing to do with e-mails or computers. Remember those days?

2. Never make jokes by e-mail; no exceptions. Even people who know you well will misinterpret your quips. Trust me on this one.

3. Consider a super-easy e-mail newsletter. There are many good software programs that enable you to publish a nice newsletter; check them out if you are so inclined. But without any software at all, ANY nonprofit communicator, now matter how pressed for time, can develop a list of key contacts and send periodic text-based e-mails with short summaries of relevant news. If you can include links to more expanded topics on your Web site, so much the better. You can have 80% of the benefit of a more sophisticated, graphical e-newsletter, for about 20% of the work.

4. Before sending an e-mail, consider whether a phone call might be faster and more effective. Half the time, you'll find the answer is yes. If e-mail had been invented first and the phone were the more recent technology, we'd respect the advantages that the phone has over e-mail. If you are ever frustrated by the volume of e-mails you have to deal with daily, start using the phone more and you'll begin to control the volume of e-mails going in and out.

In the Attention Economy, every piece of communication competes with every other. When you create an e-mail, make it worthy of the recipient's attention and follow the tips above, and e-mail can continue to be an effective means of getting attention and influencing people.

2 steps for getting attention for your nonprofit in the "attention economy"

Consider the annual American ritual of the Super Bowl. If nonprofits frame their messages in a relevant way and aim them at a carefully chosen local target audience, they can make nonprofit causes as relevant as mega-media cultural events like the Super Bowl.

Today's nonprofit communicator in the attention economy (click here for my recent article on "the attention economy") must compete with mega-advertisers and mega-media events like the Super Bowl. How can a small local nonprofit with little or no advertising budget compete for attention?

Well, you have one overwhelming advantage, if you use it: relevance. You have a message that is extremely relevant, and thus worthy of great attention, to some audience, even if it is just a small, local audience.

If you do not have a message that is extremently relevant to some audience, then close your doors -- you have no mission!

Nonprofits solve big, serious problems and/or vastly improve people's lives, and thus your message is far more relevant to someone than which light beer they choose (to pick an example from the Super Bowl advertising giants). The combination of your relevance and the more focused nature of your audience is your advantage.

Nonprofit commuication in the attention economy is about seeking attention by doing two things:
1. Defining your audience very selectively using this question: Who would care about your message? Your audience members are the folks for whom your message is relevant. For some specialized nonprofit agencies, this may be just a few dozen or a few hundred people. Bingo! That's how you compete against the mega-advertisers. Their audience has millions of prospects; your universe is much more focused, and thus more readily reached.

2. Being relevant. What do these folks want from your nonprofit? What do you have to say that is relevant to them? Where do the interests of your audience and the mission of your nonprofit organization intersect?

Very often, nonprofits skip one or both of these steps and jump right into producing PSAs and such. Many times nonprofits have come to me and said, "We need to get our message out there."
To which I always ask, "Out where?"

Use the concept of the attention economy to frame your nonprofit marketing. Why should people pay attention to you? There may be many reasons. Here are three of the most common:

1. Because your social service addresses a problem that they are passionate about, and you can help them become an agent of change with their donation.

2. Because your nonprofit offers a service that could help them or their family, if only they knew about it!

3. Because your nonprofit has a rewarding volunteer opportunity that suits this person's altruistic impulses perfectly.

There are many other good reasons why people might want to pay attention to a particular nonprofit's message. Your task is to identify those reasons, and match them up with the right audience. Once those two things are in alignment, you have a powerful relationship for communications in today's attention economy.

More on the Attention Economy

In my last post (click here if you missed it) I talked about the Attention Economy. I noted that the Attention Economy has two implications for nonprofit communicators: personal productivity and outreach efforts. Let's focus on outreach efforts. What can communicators do to capture attention in a world where people have the attention span of a ferret on crack? There are no easy answers, but many creative ones. Here are a couple examples of placing your message in unexpected places to grab the attention of target audiences. Creative promotions like these tend to get covered in the media and get spread "virally," as evidenced by the fact that I am sharing these with you now on this blog:

A yoga instructor placed these imprinted flexi-straws (above) at fruit-juice bars frequented by her target audience.

"Life's too short for the wrong job." So says the vending machine wrappers promoting JobsInTown.de, a German job-hunting site. Another way of capturing attention where people least expect to see it, and in an unexpected way. Again, the value of creative ideas like this is not limited to the people who actually see them, but to thousands more who see them via press coverage and virtual distribution like this blog.

Source: The excellent, highly recommended Urbach Letter.

Want to see more like these? Check out this earlier post.

Nonprofits and the "Attention Economy": The Britney Spears Factor

Nonprofit communicators are all competing with Britney Spears, and we need to do something about it if we want to affect social change, raise funds, recruit board members and volunteers, and generate awareness for the causes we care about. First, some background on a topic that, as you'll see, has implications on two levels: 1) your personal productivity, and 2) your outreach strategies.

In 2007 I began looking into the harmful effects of multitasking as it affects nonprofit communicators. Some of my thoughts are still posted on this blog.

Essentially, multitasking or switching rapidly from one task to the next (called "task-switching") robs you of your creativity and energy, and reduces your productivity by up to 40 percent.
Let's say you have two important things you want to get done this morning -- task A and task B. Naturally you want to complete A+B in the optimum amount of time. Studies have shown that switching back and forth between tasks A and B will take much longer to complete than completing all of task A and then completing all of task B.

More recently I've been looking into the implications of this. In some sense the implications of multitasking and task-switching are addressed in a relatively recent term called the "attention economy." Different business gurus differ on the definition (google the term to see what I mean). But they agree that the attention economy is the real battleground in business today, as a direct result of the "information economy" that exploded at the end of the last century.

Multitasking and task-switching rob you of your ability to devote your full attention to any one thing. Multitasking and task-switching diminish your most precious and limited asset -- your attention.

So here's my own personal take on the attention economy. Your attention is your most prized possession in life. You want to devote it where it creates the most pleasure and productivity for you and the people/society you care about.

The "economy" part of the equation is that everyone else also wants your attention -- just like they want your money. Your friends want some of it. Your family wants some of it. Your employer expects a major chunk of it. And you have personal goals you'd like to devote attention to, as well. Anything that engages your attention comes at the expense of some other goal that you have. The art of life and business is focusing your attention on the things that matter.

Everything in your life is a function of where you choose to devote your attention. If you chose to devote your time in high school and college to your studies, then perhaps you are a succes