How about focusing on the “bottom 1 percent” !

If you read my earlier posts, I started with a supportive attitude toward Occupy Wall Street. Then I criticized their PR tactics. Now I am disgusted. And I see the evolution of this so-called movement turning very ugly very soon – violence, rioting. It seems inevitable.

I gave up on this movement when I saw a guy with a sign that said, “$25,000 school loans for $15/hour slave labor.”

Really? Slavery? That’s a slap to any American whose ancestors who suffered through actual slavery.

$15 per hour is more than $30,000 a year. Many household breadwinners who have lost their jobs would love to work for $15 to feed their family and provide them with a place to live. They might take two such jobs if needed to make ends meet, and be glad to have it.

That’s when I became disgusted.

The Occupy “movement” does not deserve to be called a movement. The Civil Rights movement had a purpose and achieved great things. The “women’s movement” similarly changed our culture. What “movement” have these grungy campers achieved?

Answer:
None. No movement at all. I have seen more productive bowel movements.

Yeah, I said it.

I have not seen anyone point out the ironies. Only about 15% of protesters are unemployed. They are not likely to find a job camping in a park marching with a cardboard sign. How about shaving, taking a shower, and knocking on some doors for interviews!

As for the rest, they must be affluent enough to afford spending all their time campaign and marching for….some cause I have still not been able to identify. That affluence comes from the “enemy” – companies. They are protesting companies and corporations, not realizing that ALL money is generated by companies and corporations. Even government money; it all stems from companies producing product, employing people, making profits, paying taxes.

Now that police have busted up the camps, the protesters will grow increasingly restless. Their aimless sense of frustration will percolate. They will increasingly inconvenience innocent citizens, as they did today in marches across the country.

Violence is the next phase of this movement. Confrontation, run-ins with police, rioting. It’s bound to happen. And it’s such a shame, such a wasted opportunity.

What if all these protesters, rather than poking harmless jabs at the top 1 percent, spent their time either working or volunteering to serve the “bottom 1 percent,” to lift them up out of abject poverty. People who don’t sleep in tents for the novelty of it, but who sleep in cardboard boxes because they have no other choice.

How about that? Seems like that could work!

Steve Cebalt

PR lessons from the “Occupy” movement

I wrote some weeks ago about my interest in the Occupy Wall Street movement. I was interested in it from a communications perspective. I said then that I admired the protesters for their zeal and energy, and I was eager to hear their message.

Chirp. Chirp. Cue the sound of silence interrupted only by the chirping of crickets. Which is pretty much all the Occupiers have done – a bit of harmless chirping.

I am disappointed because they had their 15 minutes of fame; they had the megaphone; the world was listening; but they had nothing to say. Thousands of people taking to the streets with signs of all kinds, achieving: nothing. What a wasted opportunity. Chirp Chirp.

Which brings to mind this quote:

“Never confuse motion with action” – Ben Franklin

And this quote:

“Never confuse camping with communicating.” -- Steve Cebalt

So the PR lessons:

Camping in cities gets you some TV cameras to look at your cardboard signs. But you have to have the fundamentals of any communication:

1. A purpose. What problem are we trying to solve?

2. A target audience: Who can solve this problem for us?

3. A message: What would persuade this audience do solve our problem?

4. A medium: Cardboard signs are fine, if they are supported by intelligent spokespersons with a coherent message (see #3).

5A. A goal: What would success look like? How will we know when we’ve achieved it?

5B. And the goal can’t’ be this: “Can I go home now, this tent is getting cold and stinky and this isn’t as much fun as I thought it would be….”

So we can learn a lot from the Occupiers. Getting attention achieves NOTHING without a clear problem statement; a clear message delivered through the right channels, aimed at people who can address that problem; and a goal that defines success.

I was very supportive of the Occupiers when they started! I wanted to see them succeed at – something! But I’ve never seen such a colossal failure of a “movement.” They can shiver in their tents chirp-chirp-chirping until spring, and unless they address the 5 PR principles listed above, no one will care. Why should we?

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Steve Cebalt

The victory in Iraq

A rebel fighter chillaxing in the bed of their country's ousted leader
Muammar Gadhafi in a palace in Sirte, Libya.
________________________________________________________

This is a communications blog, so it is not splitting hairs to observe that President Obama used the word "success" in announcing that all U.S. troops would leave Iraq by the end of this year.

Not to quibble, but "victory" would be the right word.

We went to Iraq because Saddam Hussein was indicating that he held weapons of mass destruction, which he'd used many times before, and he defied U.N. security resolutions that called for inspections to assure that he did not have WMDs. Because he refused, The U.S.-led coalition had to conduct the inspection by force and assure the world that Iraq posed no threat with regard to WMDs. We achieved that. Victory.

Not to be overlooked is the link between the fall of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, and the dominoes of dictators who are falling now throughout the Middle East. Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and likely Yemin and perhaps Syria next.

The fact that a dictator like Saddam Hussein could be toppled provided an important and potent symbol to oppressed people living under dictators. The bravery, blood and treasure invested in the Iraq War has led to a new culture; a new mindset throughout the region. That's what we achieved in Iraq. People inthe Middle East can see hope. They have a future.

They can believe.

U.S. military men and women helped make that possible.

Victory.

Occupy Movement: Don't just do something, STAND THERE!

I have watched the growth of the "Occupy" movement with great interest. So much energy! It's great to see people engaged.....

I just wish now that they have garnered so much attention, they could say something meaningful!

So far they appear to me a lot of people who enjoy marching and "protesting" and holding up signs. Sounds like good fun, and I'd join them if I didn't have to work so hard to keep a roof over my family's head! "Responsibility stinks! Where's the Fun!" That's what I'd put on my sign.....

Certainly the movement has tapped into a source of great political and societal dissatisfaction. But railing against the rich is not a winning message. It is not news to anyone that some people have lots more money than you, or me.

As Mel Brooks said in The History of the World, Part 1:

"It's good to be the king."

And a math lesson is in order; no matter how society is structured, there will always be a top 1%. And a bottom 1%.

I know this, because I personally helped almost every other kid in my high school class graduate in the top 99% of the class!

I take the Occupy movement very seriously; they have enthusiasm, commitment, energy. The have a chance to make a difference! So I am listening very carefully.

For now.

But I will lose interest quickly. I have not yet heard a coherent message.

It's like they've called me up on the phone. "Hello," I say!! Now it's your turn to speak: Who are you and why are you calling me!

Steve Cebalt

Slow down and get 40% more done!

"A man's gotta know his limitations"

Clint Eastwood as Dirty Harry Callahan



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.

I've written extensively on this blog about multitasking and its implications for nonprofit communications professionals. It's a topic that interests me because I know multitasking is very counterproductive, but like you, I have to do it sometimes out of necessity. But many times I can control it and avoid it. It's a matter of disciplining myself to do so, and that is not easy.

Our productivity is the result of how effectively we apply our attention to our goals. Anything that interferes 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 research on the ways that multitasking robs your productivity. A more recent but shorter article appeared in The USA Today Weekend by Laura Hoxworth, citing statistics that multitasking slows you down by up to 40 percent.

And while things like talking on a cellphone while driving may seem efficient, in fact, commuters who talk on their cellphones lose an average of 25 hours a year because they tend to drive more slowly. Twenty-five hours! That's more than half a week of vacation down the drain! Not to mention that cell-phone driving is as dangerous as driving drunk, according to the CDC.

Here's a quote from the New York Times 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.”

Sometimes multitasking is unavoidable. But more often, many people (me) 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. I am guilty of all of those! That's why this topic interests me -- because I find it difficult to practice what I preach. 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. Not even you. According to scientists, humans get more done when they do tasks one at a time, consecutively, rather than at the same time.

Don't take my word for it: Here are about 20 research articles that validate what I'm saying.

Click here for links to about 20 research articles on the topic.




Have a productive day!


Steve Cebalt, Author,
The Communications Handbook for nonprofits and Foundations



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Steve Jobs: Perspectives

Where will Steve Jobs fall in the pages of the history books in coming decades?
Where will he rank among other American innovators, like Thomas Edison?

The sad death of Steve jobs Is drawing the world’s attention today, as well it should. He was the foremost innovator of our day. An innovator, primarily, in the art of creating buzz and promoting new-product rollouts.

Some perspective is in order, however, as to where he’ll fall in the pantheon of those who built America.

Thomas Edison gave us electric light bulbs. More importantly, he gave us the infrastructure of the electric grid that powers everything electronic. He also gave us recorded music and motion pictures, to name just a few of his inventions. More important, he created a process of mass-producing intellectual research and innovation at his famous laboratory.

Henry Fort gave us affordable transportation and, just as significantly, the $5 workday, which effectively created the American middle class. Cars led to roads which led to highways which led to suburbs and the American Dream of owning a nice home and a nice car. Also, his innovations in manufacturing provided the muscle for what FDR called the “arsenal of democracy,” converting auto plants into aircraft plants in a matter of months, creating the planes, missiles and other weapons that helping the Allies defeat the Axis powers in WWII.

Let’s not forget the ancient Romans, who have us toilets, plumbing and sewer systems. Which would you give up first, your shower and toilet, or your i-Phone?

Speaking of the i-Phone, for all its hype, more people use phones powered by some other innovators of our era, the folks at Google. Google’s Android platform is used by more people than i-Phone or any other platform. The problem with many of Jobs' innovations is that they were so easily copied.

As for personal computing, the Mac is a superior product to the PC, but still is a minor player in terms of market share. It’s nice to have, but a PC will get you by and it is chosen by most people over the Mac.

I love my i-Pod!!!! But I also loved my MP3 player, a cheap-and-cheerful $19 gadget from Walmart that played the same songs my i-Pod plays! Yes the i-Pod is an improvement.
Perhaps the real breakthrough for Jobs is the way he revolutionized the way music is sold, through i-Tunes. But if he hadn’t done it, Amazon would have. In fact, they already have, just as they’d done many years before with books, which gave Jobs the model for i-Tunes.

The point: If there hadn’t been a Steve Jobs, there’d have been someone like him; there are others like him, in fact; and most of his innovations were too easily imitated by others.

But when I listen to Bob Dylan on my i-Pod, I can’t say the same thing. If there hadn’t been a Bob Dylan, there would not have been anyone else like him.

Steve Jobs helped change the way we get information. Artists like Bob Dylan change the way we think.

Big difference.

George Orwell Saw This Coming!

George Orwell had it right in his landmark book, "1984."

I think even he would be shocked by the reach of Big Brother today!

I never worried much about privacy, but I am starting to become uneasy.

I never worried about privacy because I live by a creed: 1) mind your own business (like I don’t have enough things to worry about besides other people’s business?) and 2) if someone shares confidential information, put it in a vault and tell no one. And I long ago accepted identity theft and credit card fraud as facts of life that will happen to all of us from time to time, like getting a flat tire.

As a communications professional, clients need to know that if they are planning an announcement on a certain date and need my help planning it, that every word they share goes in the vault. I discuss it with no one – coworkers, my spouse – I just keep my mouth shut! Simple! And if I have confidential business information to discuss, I use the phone, not email. So life was simple.

But things have changed. I can remember when, if you wanted to look at a nonprofit’s 990 tax form, you had to request it from them, and they could make it easy or hard. They could require that you pick it up in person and pay 10 cents per page to copy it. Most of us would not bother with that unless we had a very good need to know the information.

Now, anyone can hop on GuideStar and find the salary of the CEO of any nonprofit in about one minute. It’s all there on the 990 tax form. I know that many people check out the salaries of their nonprofit colleagues this way. Do they need to know? No. They are just nosy, and the info is there at their fingertips. It’s the equivalent of gossip.

Likewise, anyone who wants to could find my house on Google Earth and zoom in to see whether I maintain my yard and pull my weeds. That’s not a good thing!

I had a conversation with clients the other day about privacy, prompted by the much publicized privacy breach uncovered at Facebook and other social networking sites.

Then just today, one of my favorite writers, Peggy Noonan, wrote a very timely opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal:

Here's the first paragraph:

"This column is about privacy, a common enough topic but one to which I don't think we're paying enough attention. As a culture we may be losing it at a greater clip than we're noticing, and that loss will have implications both political and, I think, spiritual. People don't like it when they can't keep their own information, or their sense of dignified apartness. They feel violated when it's taken from them. This adds to the general fraying of things."

The right to privacy is so important that it is reflected in certain aspects of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights reflects the concern among our founding framers for protecting specific aspects of privacy, including privacy of the person and possessions as against unreasonable searches (Google Earth), and the 5th Amendment's privilege against self-incrimination, which provides protection for the privacy of personal information (Facebook breach).

I think this poses a cautionary message for nonprofit communicators. Think twice -- no, think 10 times -- before you commit anything to electrons. Email. Facebook. Blogs.

It’s all enough to make one paranoid. I am not paranoid. But as I saw on a T-shirt once, “Just because you’re not paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you!"


Have a great day. I won't tell anyone.

Steve Cebalt, Author
Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations






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A brilliant look at communications today

A client from a local foundation was kind enough to share this video with me. It is a fascinating perspective on the media landscape -- old media, and new. Well worth 4 minutes of your time if you have any role in nonprofit or foundation communications!

Steve Cebalt, Author

The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations

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Do Questions Make Good Headlines for Brochures, Web Pages, Newsletters, and Direct Mail Fundraising?

Do question headlines work?

If you are reading this article, then the answer is a definite “yes.”

I spent several happy years as a copy editor and headline writer at The Journal Gazette. Some people argue vigorously against the use of questions in headlines. But I disagree. I believe that asking a question is one of the most potent attention-getting openers for public relations writers who produce Web sites, fundraising appeals, direct mail, brochures and newsletters. To be effective, the question headline must ask a question that the reader can empathize with or would like to see answered.

Some examples:
-- "Do you make these mistakes in English?"
-- "What do Japanese managers know that American managers sometimes lack?"
-- "Is THIS what your teen will be doing tonight?"
-- "Do you have you any of these decorating problems?"
-- "Do you close the bathroom door even when you're the only one home?" (Psychology Today)

Don't let anyone tell you that questions in headlines are a bad idea.

Shifting gears but still speaking of headlines....

Just for fun, here are some real-world headlines that may have missed the mark.

-- Juvenile court to try shooting defendant
-- Plane too close to ground, crash probe told
-- Miners refuse to work after death
-- Stolen painting found by tree
-- If strike isn't settled quickly, it may last a while
-- Cold wave linked to temperatures
-- Red tape holds up new bridge
-- Typhoon rips through cemetery; hundreds dead
-- New study of obesity looks for larger test group
-- Astronaut takes blame for gas in spacecraft
-- Kids make nutritious snacks.

Enjoy your day!

Steve Cebalt, Author,

The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations

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Research and Henry Ford's Faster Horse

Have you done any research lately? I don't mean a fancy poll, but just a survey, or even some brief interviews with the people you serve.

Most nonprofits could benefit from doing more survey research -- free, of course. I got to thinking about this because I was working on a marketing plan for a very small church daycare center. Some simple analysis of zip code data an a survey completed by parents helped tremendously in shaping the plan.

Here's a link to my free tutorial on Communications Research:

http://highviewhelp.com/Communications_Research.pdf.pdf

Sections 3 and 4 on online survey tools and focus groups may be especially helpful.

If you want to know how to communicate better, just ask! And research is how you do the asking.

Research has its limitations though. One of my historical heroes, Henry Ford, once said that "If I'd asked my customers what they wanted, they'd have said a faster horse." Customers don't envision the future, they inform the present. To understand customer's needs for new innovation, you can simply repeatedly ask one question: Why.

"Why do you want a faster horse?"

"So I can get to town faster to pick up supplies and mail."

"Why do you want to get to town faster?"

"So I can get back and get more done on the farm."

By digging deeper with a series of "Why" questions, you can get at the customer's underlying desire. In this case, the horse was not the real desire -- the desire was being empowered to "get more done."

Anyhow, check out sections 3 and 4 of the tutorial for a refresher on ways you can discover more information to enhance your communications.

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 car, 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.

One social media tool that really matters

Want to know the single most important step you can take today in terms of Social Media on behalf of your nonprofit organization? It has nothing to do with Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. Those are all fine, but to have a real impact with people who matter, do this:

Develop your profile on Guidestar. The goal is an important one: to make sure that donors seeking information about your non profit organization find the best information possible when they search for you online. A key – and usually overlooked – component of Social Media is your profile on Guidestar. As you know, Guidestar is a website with the primary purpose of posting the tax forms of nonprofits. Although you may not pay much attention to it, donors and funders do. Guidestar is the leading source of information about U.S. nonprofits, with 8.2 million people a year visiting the site to research nonprofits before making a donation. Unlike other forms of Social Media, people visiting Guidestar do so for one purpose: to research information about nonprofits, and to help them make donation decisions. So this is a crucial audience indeed! Guidestar is an untapped opportunity for the direct comparison of organizations. Your profile is free, and any nonprofit can develop it, but most don't, which makes it all the more important to make yours stand out. A good Guidestar profile will catch the attention of prospective donors.

I’ll bet if you look at your nonprofits profile on Guidestar right now, it’s a blank slate with no information, representing a real opportunity. Guidestar lets your nonprofit provide other information beyond just your IRS forms, including things like your logo, photo(s), mission statement, general description, programs, personnel, specific funding needs, volunteer needs, and photos or videos of your organization. You can also link your Guidestar profile to your website, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media sites. Developing your profile is an easy DIY project. It takes no technical skills person to beef up your Guidestar profile in an hour or two. The process of creating your Guidestar profile is easily found on the homepage at http://www.guidestar.org/.

Have a great day!

Steve Cebalt, Author

The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations

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Every picture tells a story

Seeking a Better Life for her Baby

A migrant woman feeds her baby in a concrete tunnel near a railroad during their journey toward the U.S.-Mexican border in this AP photo taken Thursday.

Today's post is off topic, but not really. Many of my readers from nonprofit organizations work in the human services sector, and presumably we all share an interest in "the human condition."

This photo stopped me in my tracks. Every political year, illegal immigration becomes a pitched battle, even though, frankly, we have far more pressing concerns in our country. Maybe that's why politicians like this issue; it sounds important but it means they don't have to grapple with the real issues that affect most of us more deeply every day.

The photo is a reminder that when we discuss illegal immigration, we are not talking about statistics or "aliens." We are talking about people -- mothers and babies -- people who are just like you and me. Unlike most of us, however, they were not lucky enough to be born in a relatively prosperous country. The lottery of life cast them in dire circumstances, in a country with a wretched economy and fraught with increasingly violent and widespread wars over control of the illegal drug market.

Can you blame this mother for wanting something better than that for her baby? Wouldn't you?

People travel incredible, risky journeys to get to the U.S. from Mexico and Latin American countries, often riding on the tops of trains, holding on to racks on top of the train for dear life, crossing treacherous rivers, and more. All for the hopes of having a small slice of what you and I take for granted every day. Today, 29,000 immigrants who are not U.S. citizens are serving in our military, doing our fighting for us. Taking the military oath to protect and defend our nation does not bestow citizenship on an immigrant. It should.

Immigrants are vital to our economy as well. Here in Indiana, migrants work the farms this time of year, putting food on your table. Across the country, factories, farms and some entire industries depend on immigrant labor.

Most of us are descendants of immigrants. Our ancestors came from all over the world. Some were shackled and shipped here as slaves; others came freely but penniless to build a new life, digging ditches, building subways and city infrastructures, and doing work that no one else wanted to do. My ancestors came from Germany (probably to escape the gallows, given my family's spotty history). No, they came here to fulfill their dreams, so they, and their children, and their grandchildren, and eventually Steve Cebalt, could live in a land of freedom and opportunity.

Now that we are here, essentially immigrants ourselves if you take the long view, many want to close the doors and make The Land of the Free a private club, for current members only.

Politics aside, this photo reminds us that the "immigration issue" is about people just like us, including a young mom seeking a better life for her baby.

Steve Cebalt, Author
The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations

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Could the Declaration be created today?

The Declaration of Independence is perhaps our nation's best-known piece of literature. Written by Thomas Jefferson, it actually (like most of the documents you and I write) went through many revisions, with input from the other Founding Fathers, often to the dismay of Jefferson, who took great pride in his wordsmithing.

The document laid the course for the birth of a new nation. It reflects the collective brilliance of all of our Founders, who thought long and deeply about what they were writing and its implications.

Try to imagine them working on the Declaration in today's environment. First, Jefferson would be expected to come to the meeting with his work in the form of a PowerPoint slide deck:

Slide 1: Purpose: Enumerate reasons for declaring our separation from England

Slide 2: Intro: A. dissolve the political bands. B. respect to the opinions of mankind. C. All men created equal.

Slide 3. Delineate tyranny of the Crown.

Final slide: Conclusion: Pledge = lives, fortunes, sacred honor.


Somehow it loses some of the flavor, but this is how things are done in 2010!

And while Jefferson is trying to discuss the future of our new nation, the other Founders are paying little attention; rather, they are distracted by their beeping and vibrating iPhones and Blackberries, checking their Facebook pages ("I forgot how much I love apple cider," gushes Ben Franklin on his wall); or fielding texts from their kids (Father, could I borrow the horse and carriage tonight? I am trying to woo the neighbor girl, and she is only impressed with a fellow with wheels!! Pleeeeeeeeease!!!!!). John Hancock is downloading Lady Gaga from I-tunes.

Jefferson, defeated, turns off the screen and leaves, and the Declaration dies in committee, and we remain under the thumb of the tyrant King George. But no one notices, as they are all Tweeting each other about LeBron James and where he may end up as the world's wealthiest free agent.

So on this Independence Day, lets' all be glad that the deep thinkers and philosophers who charted the course that put you and me here today did so in an environment where deep thinking was possible.


Steve Cebalt


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Why your work matters on Independence Day

This of course is the weekend we celebrate what is perhaps the most cherished ideal in our nation: independence.

Independence is in our DNA.

And it occurs to me as I think about my nonprofit clients, that you are in the “independence business.”

Most nonprofits exist to help people move from some sort of dependence to a greater degree of independence. And your role in that is significant; to help people enjoy a greater degree of independence is perhaps the greatest gift.

Just going through a mental list of some of the nonprofits I work with, here are some of the ways they foster independence:

 By helping so-called “disabled’ people move about more freely, to engage in life to their utmost potential. Can there be more worthy work than that?

 By helping families care for a dying loved one, on their own terms, through loving hospice care, so that they can make the most of every moment together, on their own terms. Death is a part of life, and helping people share their final days with greater control is a tremendous gift of independence – independence from tubes and ventilators and, most importantly, pain.

 By providing high quality, affordable child care so that working families can earn a sustainable living, knowing that their child is in good hands and is in fact getting a good jumpstart on life and education.

 By giving parents of teen drivers the information they need to help their kids Drive Alive on the road, so that teens can enjoy the freedom of independence more safely.

 By helping children learn to read, which is a key to lifelong independence and self-discovery.

 By providing transportation so that older adults can make it to their doctor’s appointment, or attend their grandchild’s graduation ceremony; in other words, so that they can live their lives despite physical limitations they may face in their advancing years.

 By helping people shake off the shackles of drug and alcohol addiction.

These are just the first examples that came to mind. I looked over my list clients, and I could not find one that does not somehow contribute to the increased independence of the people in our community.

Of course, this is not a new idea; I comment on it today only because it is timely as we celebrate our nation’s independence. One of my foundation clients has “independence” as the core of its mission statement: “the Foundation hopes to help children and their families move from dependence to independence. …”

Of course none of us is independent. We all depend on each other. That is the driving force, the mission statement, for the nonprofit world.

So as a nonprofit communicator, pause this weekend to be grateful that you enjoy the rewards that come from doing work that matters, that you are making a difference.

Happy Independence Day!


Steve Cebalt


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Restoring the magic of summer

By Steve Cebalt

For The (Fort Wayne) Journal Gazette


It took me 45 years to come to terms with summer.

In this part of the country, summer is meant to be the season of sun, sand and simple pleasures. Summer is the mythical season of magic and romance, filled with images of watermelon and hammocks and sandals, and the smells of chlorine and sunscreen and freshly-mowed grass. Somewhere along the line, though, I lost the magic.

I started thinking about this after looking at a photo from many summers ago of my daughter Grace. It’s just an ordinary backyard snapshot, blurred by her boundless energy, running barefoot through the grass for the shear thrill of feeling the wind brush her face. When’s the last time you had that feeling?

I recall the thrill as a child of waking up on summer mornings and realizing that I had a full day to spend however I pleased. I might spend four hours collecting tadpoles for no reason, or discovering the tart taste of raw backyard rhubarb, or playing driveway hockey with our dog as the goalie.

Easily influenced by TV, I’d mimic whatever I’d watched – playing cowboys and Indians, or clipping a towel around my neck with a clothespin as a Superman cape.

The notion of summer seemed not seasonal, but permanent; the coming school year was beyond the horizon. Summer was forever.

But that was then.

You see, the magic of summer depends on the illusion that it will last. It’s been said that as you get older, time passes more quickly. A few years ago this phenomenon was explained to me mathematically. For a child of 5, a year represents 20 percent of his or her lifetime. For a man of 50, that same year represents just 2 percent. A child of 5 is experiencing the seasonal changes as if the concept were just invented; a man of 50 has seen this all before, and it becomes routine: Remove the storm windows, spray the dandelions, and go on about your business.

Until very recently, I harbored an uneasy tension each summer. Looking out the window from my office under fluorescent lights, I felt trapped, like I should be doing something more fun outside. And I couldn’t help counting away the days of summer. “June is flying by; it’s almost the Fourth of July, and then the back-to-school sales start and then the cicadas sound the alarm that means that the best of summer has come and gone -- it might as well be over.” The festivals and fireworks that mark the passing of summer in our region didn’t thrill me much. And yet I couldn’t shake the restless feeling that I was missing something, and the “best time of the year” was slipping by.

It wasn’t until a few years ago that I finally realized: Summer is just not my thing. I love the autumn, and I enjoy the winter and spring. But I’d been conditioned to think, as so many people do, that summer is the superior season. It simply had never occurred to me that summer isn’t for everybody, and that I prefer the other seasons. And, oddly enough, I now enjoy the summers more, without the pressure I’d been placing on myself to capture the passing season like catching a firefly in a jar.

The landscape of summer is painted in green. I think that’s one reason it is a favorite time for so many people. It reminds us of the days when we, too, were green -- green and innocent, running barefoot just for joy, oblivious to the coming frost.



Steve Cebalt is a Fort Wayne writer who spends his summers happily enough under the fluorescent lights at Highview LLC. He wrote this for The Journal Gazette.



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A treat for kids at the Allen County Public Library

Wow! It sure seems like summer is going fast! Everyone has so many things going on – outdoor activities, vacations, maybe even summer school – but one thing I always enjoy all year round, but especially in the summer, is reading. Our friends at the Allen County Public Library have a great way to keep kids reading even when school is out – the Childrens and Young Adult Summer Reading Programs funded by the Foellinger Foundation. Children – babies through high school – can participate in this reading program and there are prizes for participating. The program is running now through Friday, July 29. It’s not too late to get started; just visit any branch of the Allen County Public Library or http://acpl.lib.in.us/ to get started!

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 joe 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

I hit a raw nerve with my views on brainstorming. What do you think?

Want to make some people mad? Tell them that brainstorming is a lousy way to generate ideas. That's what I did, and boy, did I hit a nerve!

I conducted a workshop for nonprofit communicators on how to generate and harness the power of their ideas. The 15 main points of my workshop appear below. There was a surprising amount of vocal dissent and resistance to two of my points, numbered 8 and 9 below. These two pertain to my notion that brainstorming is ineffective, and that most good ideas come from one or two people instead of a large group.

Evidently my lone-wolf approach to idea-generation is not universal, and my criticism of the brainstorming process really touched a raw nerve with some attendees, who were not shy about telling me how wrong I was. The ensuing discussion was insightful, though. The consensus view of the discussion is that brainstorming is not a bad thing in and of itself, but that most teams don't implement it well.

One nonprofit CEO in the session said he does use groups and teams for idea generation, but with a twist that I liked very much. Instead of brainstorming, where the premise is that "we won't judge the ideas, there are no bad ideas, etc.," he creates an agenda and tells people to come to the meeting with one or two specific ideas that will solve the problem or address the issue at hand. That seems like an excellent way to use team resources. People actually have to think deliberately about the situation, and come to the meeting to present a legitimate idea. Because they "own" the idea (unlike in a traditional brainstorming process), they are more likely to come up with good ones.

Another participant shared a good approach as well. Like me, he tends to generate ideas solo, but then he shares it with someone who does not think like he does -- someone likely to have an opposing viewpoint or a "Devil's Advocate" response. I like that. I tend to test my ideas on my colleagues, who are willing to disagree, but who view the world largely the same way I do. In the future, I will seek out people whose opinions I respect, but who do not think the same way I do.

What do you think about brainstorming? Send me an e-mail and I'll share your ideas with others: info@highviewhelp.com.

The 15 points from my workshop appear below my signature block.

Regards,

Steve Cebalt, Author

The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations




Here are the 15 idea-generating points that I included in the workshop:

1. Idea generation is a process – more like science or engineering than many people might think. It is not an innate skill or an inherent “creativity gene.” Idea generation is a skill like any other; it can be taught, and learned. But many people dismiss their own creative powers. “I’m just not creative.” Bull. Everyone can learn to be more creative. But it takes work. Not much, but some. But once you label yourself as “not creative,” guess what – you’ll never be creative. You’ll have to stoop to calling your intellectually inferior Dad for ideas, and none of us wants that. …

2. The most important part of the process is to capture and save every idea you have. That’s where my daughter and others like her go awry. We all get dozens of ideas every day. But some people don’t recognize them as valuable assets and capture them. I maintain an extensive archive of ideas in a simple word document. If I see something in the paper that might make a good science project for one of my kids, I log it on my idea bank in my computer, even if the science fair is a year away. When one of the kids starts scrambling for an idea, I’ve got one (usually several) captured in my idea bank that I snagged just from reading the paper, watching TV, etc. If I get a great direct-mail piece in the mail with a clever headline, I save in an “inspiration” folder.

3. Keep a notepad and pen with you always. If you have an idea, you have to capture it, because you may not get it back! So whether you are out mowing the lawn, watching a kid’s soccer game, or shopping at the grocery, be sure you have a notepad and pen handy. Keep notepads by your bed, in your car, in your pockets/purse, and all over the house. Collect those ideas on some sort of list, and throw the papers away.

4. Let it go. Don’t struggle for ideas. Ideas that you struggle for are usually bad. I read that Paul McCartney wrote “Yesterday” without any effort; he had the tune in his head, and in fact he thought he’d heard it on the radio. He played it on the piano and John Lennon said “What was THAT!” The best ideas just come naturally. That’s why we often get great ideas in the shower – because we are not TRYING – our mind is free to roam, and that opens up space for ideas to pop in. So don’t force it; if you can’t come up with the idea right now, let it simmer until inspiration strikes. It will! That’s why the notepad habit is so crucial. Now, if you can figure out how to keep a notepad in the shower, please e-mail me! That would be a breakthrough.

5. I keep a hand-held recorder in my car. When I hit the road for an out of-town meeting, my mind tends to really run with ideas – again, because I am not trying to force it; they just come. So I record them and capture them that way, safely, while driving. This is especially effective on your way home from a meeting, when you want to capture all the things you discussed that may need follow-ups.

6. Use quotes. Read quote books. This may seem like a lazy approach or “cheating” to rely on a famous quotation, but it almost never fails. For example:

"Ideas are like rabbits. You get a couple, learn how to handle them, and pretty soon you have a dozen. " -- John Steinbeck.

7. You don’t have to have a great idea. A mediocre one will do, to get you started. As you progress with your project, more ideas will emerge. Don’t wait for the perfect idea – start with ANY decent idea and get going.

8. Brainstorming is a ridiculous practice. I’ve never seen a good idea emerge from a brainstorming session, because the process is not intentional; the basic premise is that “there are no bad ideas.” The fact is that MOST ideas are bad, and that’s what you get from freewheeling brainstorming sessions. Bad ideas. Can you imagine Picasso or Mozart in a brainstorming session? Me neither.

9. Most great ideas will come from just one person working alone. At some point, it can be helpful to air your thoughts with a colleague, to formulate abstract concepts into concrete ideas.

10. Recycle your ideas. A great idea that worked once will work again. No need to reinvent the wheel!

11. Copy ideas from others and add your own twist.

12. Write an ad. Often, when I am working on a new project, the first thing I do is create an ad for the program, service or project. This forces me to think logically, i.e. “Who is that target audience? What do I want them to do? What do they need to know in order to do that? How can I express that most effectively?” These ads are just exercises, not for publication; but they allow me to organize my thinking and produce good ideas.

13. This one’s important. After you have a killer idea, set it aside. Force yourself to come up with two more – two completely different approaches. While our impulse is to believe that our first idea is the best, in fact your second or third effort is often superior.

14. If you can’t come up with an idea right now, write down on your to-do-list, “Revisit the XYZ problem and generate ideas.” This establishes the task so you don’t forget that you need to generate the idea. Often, as you go about your business in the coming days, you’ll stumble across something in a magazine article or on TV that will inspire you, but the seed has to be planted!

15. Never conclude a professional discussion without asking, “What have we produced a result of this discussion?” Many times we have informal or formal meetings that are inconclusive. The point is to identify what WAS accomplished and the next step, every time. If you have not accomplished ANYTHING, then you just wasted valuable time and energy. Usually, the discussion has accomplished SOMETHING, though -- so take a moment to determine what the product of your conversation was. This is the difference between idle chit-chat and capturing great ideas. Example: “Discussed website overhaul; considered offering credit card payment option and redesigning the home page. Revisit next week and decide action steps.”

I’ll wrap up with another quote, from Andy Rooney of “60 Minutes”:

“If I have an idea, I sit down and start typing. If I don’t have an idea, I sit down and decide to have one.”

That’s more profound that it sounds. ….Deciding to have an idea is the essence of the entire process. Deciding to have an idea means committing to coming up with something. It means recognizing your own innate creative potential, with confidence. Columnists on deadlines know all about this. "I have decided to have and idea" is an affirmative statement that removes all excuses and it eliminates writer’s block. Once you make that commitment to yourself, the 15 steps above should help you achieve your goal, without calling your Dad for help.

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A trend to watch: The use of Professional Benefit Auctioneers for Nonprofit Fundraising

As nonprofit organizations adapt to fundraising in the new economy, fundraising auctions have become a very effective way to raise money. Benefit auctions have the potential to generate higher revenues than other special events. Even better, they pose little risk for the nonprofit.

To meet this need, auction companies are developing specialized benefit Auction divisions that can take you through the whole process.

Nonprofits hire hire professional benefit Auction specialists for their benefit auction galas to raise more money; raise awareness; and create charity a fun and exciting event for your guests and prospective donors.

If you are not familiar with benefit auctions, do a little Googling and you'll find loads of information.

For my Indiana readers, here are links to two companies with specialized Benefit Auction divisions:

National benefit Auctions, DeKalb County

CM Benefit Auctions, Evansville

As I said, do some Googling to find a specialist near you.

OK, that sums up today's business. Blog readers know that I like to share topical or timely songs, just for fun. The change of seasons (at least in this part of the country!) is as good a time as any to reflect on the meaning of life, and below is a song by one of my favorite singers, Iris Dement, called "Let the Mystery Be." You have to listen to the lyrics to appreciate it! By the way, Iris Dement has a quirky, unusual voice, but you'll find that she's an excellent singer and songwriter.





Have a great day!
Steve Cebalt, Author
The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations


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Charlie's wisdom for communicators

Charlie can tell you anything

you want to know about Ohio State Football,

and he can tell you one thing you need to know

about nonprofit communications.

I watch politics closely as a laboratory for communications. It is the most perfect laboratory, because a political campaign is nothing more than a communications campaign. There is no better place to study "what works," because there is also a zero-sum scorecard: one wins, one loses.

So I was watching football with my son Charlie when a political ad came on. Charlie, 13, does not take a broad interest in civic or world affairs, unless they involve The Ohio State football team or certain video games. So I was stunned when he said of the ad, "All that guy did was talk about the other guy. Why would he pay for a TV ad just to talk about the other guy?"

I was stunned, for several reasons. One, Charlie had never made a political comment in his life until then. Two, because he said exactly what I was thinking!! We had a brief discussion about it until Ohio State made a big pass play and Charlie went wild, and well, that was that.

The ad was one in exchange between two candidates who have done nothing both label each other -- liberal, right wing, etc. It's gotten very negative, and each side feels compelled to respond to the others' barbs. The cost? Many, many millions of dollars in a statewide race.

Negative advertising has its place, and it can work in certain circumstances. If you discover that your opponent considers himself a Nazi and wears a Nazi uniform on the weekends and belongs to a Facebook group called "Blame the Jews," you should point that out. Even then, though, you'd be best to have an underling or surrogate handle the dirty work!!

But negative advertising, generally, is very old-school, for very out-of-touch candidates who have just not been paying attention. Hey, have you heard that we have a horrible recession? Hey, got anything to say about jobs for Indiana residents? Or improving education? Hey, do you realize I don't care what you think about the other guy -- I want to know what you think about ME!!!! What are you going to do for me and people like me!

They aren't saying. ...

They are violating the first principle of communications: Respect your audience. They can't even respect their opponent! Disrespect; people will forgive a lot of things, but not that. Respect for your audience means, "What is it that this audience needs to hear from me -- what message is most relevant to their lives?"

That principle is as true in nonprofit communications as it is in politics. As a case in point, see the article below about a nonprofit fundraising solicitation that had not one relevant reason for me to donate -- just a generalized generic request for funds. Fundraising is no different from politics, except that votes are cast with dollars. People need a reason to vote -- or donate. A reason vested in their own interests.

Communications 101 begins with answering the audience's one and only question: What's in it for me!

Case in point: We had a candidate in Indiana who lost his first race by the narrowest of margins -- in fact it was too close to call, it went to a recount. Both candidates had run very positive campaigns, engaging each other in important issues in a meaningful dialogue that really helped educate the community. Both candidates had gotten praised for their positivity (because it was so unusual). The same candidate ran again four years later, with different advisers. Very negative. He got stomped; it wasn't even close, he simply got trounced.

This is why I love politics as a laboratory for those of us who engage in nonprofit communications in the public interest -- because you can see what works; it is measurable by vote counts.

So back to Charlie's observation. Why WOULD a candidate pay for TV time just to talk about his opponent!??

Even if you are under attack, let it go!! People want a voice of opportunity, a voice of hope. That's what we need to hear. That's what would get people out to vote.

These two particular candidates are representative of the great majority of races across the country, and it causes me a real problem. I have always voted faithfully, considering it a privilege and duty to do so. But I want to vote FOR SOMETHING. These candidates give me nothing to vote for! The sum of their campaign is that candidate A opposes Candidate B, who hates Candidate A. So what? How does that help be make a decision?

I would love to hear a candidate say, "I'm Jane Doe, and here are 3 things I stand for that would make life better for Indiana residents" and then list 3 specific things. They wouldn't even have to be BIG things. In fact it almost wouldn't matter WHAT they were, or even whether I agreed with all of them; I would just be impressed that a candidate was talking about himself or herself, and what he or she stands for, with a view toward improving life for me and my fellow residents of Indiana. Even if I disagreed with certain policies, I'd vote for such a person based on the message of hope, of opportunity, and of leadership.

Thanks for the lesson in communications, Charlie. I only wish the candidates could hear you.

Have a great day!

Steve Cebalt, Author
The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations




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Please tell me why I should open this?

I got this envelope in the mail today from a very worthy nonprofit agency, along with an Office Depot sales flier, an expensive booklet from Verizon trying to persuade me to switch to Verizon (I already use Verizon, now called Frontier), a check from a client, and two utility bills.

Surveys of my nonprofit clients consistently show that direct mail is ranked very highly in their communications toolkit, for donor development, solicitation, donor acknowledgement, annual appeals, and promotion of programs and services.

It is a very flexible medium that can be targeted with pinpoint accuracy to reach just the people you want to reach -- no waste. (Unless, like Verizon, you send a "Switch to Us" booklet to your existing customer; the list has to be accurate!)

This is the time of year when my mailbox will fill up with what used to be called "annual appeals." (Most savvy nonprofits are now making their appeals much more frequently than "annually.")

So here's my point. Would you open the envelope above? Why?

It came in a #10 business envelope with the nonprofit's logo and return address and that sterile, very impersonal bar-code address that screams, "junk -- throw me away." That was all there was!

At least the Verizon booklet was visually appealing with a special offer on the front cover, and if they mail it to the right people they might get some new customers! Same with the Office Depot sales flier -- the cover had lots of the most commonly needed office supplies advertised at sale prices.

The only reason I opened the piece you see above was to use it as an illustration for this blog.

And it got worse once I got inside. A letter telling all about their mission and a sort of ramble, with a generalized request for a donation. I already know their mission, it is self-evident from the name of the organization! What's in it for me? In other words, why is a gift to you at this moment in time relevant to my life and my interests, and what would make me put your reply in my "bills to pay" folder along with the two utility bills so that I'll write you a check? How will my donation make a difference? And why now, rather than later?

But it doesn't matter what's IN the envelope if there is nothing to make me OPEN it. So, back to the envelope.

The plain envelope could be improved very easily in a couple ways.

THE BEST WAY: If they had merely called on their large cadre of dedicated volunteers, they could have addressed the envelopes by hand, in pen. I always open those, because I know it came from a human and was meant for me personally. I assume it is personal correspondence -- which it is! They are asking for my money; I take that personally! I would hope the nonprofit would, too! Even if it is a very large mailing list, many nonprofits (not all) can garner volunteers or a local high school Key Club for this type of work. Giving money is an important decision; make the effort to show that you are directing your communication directly to me! With the bar code, I figure, "10,000 other people with more money me will get this, let them donate, I've got two utility bills bills to pay." Remember when you send your direct mail that you are competing with my utility bills!!

BONUS, but not essential: A real postage stamp would make me likelier to open it. This is only for smaller mailings to larger donors, as at a certain point the cost differential vs. bulk mail is hard to justify.

So it doesn't have to be fancy. A plain envelope addressed to me in a personal way would make a huge difference.

Other ideas:

Some sort of text on the outside of the envelope. Now, if they had done step number 1, there would be no need for this. But if I get a bar-code addressed, bulk mail envelope from a nonprofit, I know it is a fundraiser. What else could it be? So give me a reason to open it and see what you're after! I might be interested! Otherwise, you are asking an awful lot of me to open an obvious fundraising appeal with no reason to do so, when I have two utility bills to pay!

The text could be a million different things, and it need not be creative. "A note from Linda Jones. ..." That would tell me it's a personal message from Linda (fictional name), who presumably is well known and respected around here.

One that never fails is, "You're Invited." Because I want to see what I'm invited to! Inside, it might explain, "You are invited to help stamp out child abuse!" OK, count me in! That's better than most of the chicken-lunch functions I get invited to this time of year!

If you use anything in the nature of a "teaser" line, think twice. Instead of this:

Your gift today will help us stop gun violence.

Try this:

How do you keep a pistol out of the hands of a 12-year-old?

Here's one I saw years ago from a library:

"Why don't woodpeckers get headaches?"

And a classic:

"Do you close the bathroom door even when you're the only one home?"

OK that last one wasn't a nonprofit solicitation, it was a magazine solicitation, from Psychology Today. But the principle is the same!

One more idea: Don't put your organization name or logo on the piece at all; just a P.O. box or street address, in plain text. Then I have no idea WHAT it is, and I am forced to open it!

So a plain #10 envelope is fine, you don't need a fancy-pants direct mail package, but you do need to get me to open it!

So as you think about your next fundraising letter, think about what you are doing; you are asking someone to give you their money for nothing tangible in return. Office Depot will give me manila folders; Verizon will give me faster DSL. You want me to give you money and get nothing. So your sales job is much harder!!!

Make it personal; giving money is a personal thing to do. And make it compelling enough that I will send you a check, despite the fact that the client payment I got in today's mail is less than the two utility bills!!

Have a great day,


Steve Cebalt, Author
The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations




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"Thank God for Breast Cancer"

That headline is offensive and sick, I know. It provokes and it shocks and it angers you. But of course those are not my words; they are part of a free-speech case that the Supreme Court is wrestling with -- a case that could have profound implications.

As communicators, we all have an interest in the free exchange of ideas.

But sometimes free speech leads to real problems, such as the minister who planned on burning the Quran, which had dire potential consequences for national security at a time when we are trying to build bridges in Afghanistan and our troops have enemy guns pointed their way.

Some speech is likely to provoke violence, yet such "hate speech" is protected by the First Amendment. Such is the case before the Supreme Court now.

At issue is whether the father of Matthew Snyder, a Marine who was killed fighting for our freedom, can sue a tiny "religious" group (basically one "minister's" family members) that rejoiced in the dead soldier's death with horrendous picket signs at the young man's funeral at St. John's Catholic Church in Maryland.

You've seen these folks before, with their signs that say "Thank God for Breast Cancer," "God Hates Fags," "God Hates You," etc., choosing military funerals as their venue for their "protests." The Westboro church, whose membership largely consists of the founder's family, believes any misfortune America suffers is divine punishment for the nation's failure to follow the sect's doctrine, which condemns gays, Catholics, Jews and others. It is amazing the things that people will do in the name of God.

In this particular case, the Marine's father, Albert Snyder, sued the "church" for invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress, winning a $5 million award. A federal appeals court threw out the award, ruling that the First Amendment protected the protesters' speech. The case is now before the Supreme Court.

It's a complex issue, no doubt.

It would seem to me that in this case, the remedy could be made without touching the free speech provision. The issue is the venue. The hateful protesters are allowed on public property within 100 feet of a funeral, according to Maryland statute. News reports indicate the protesters were 1,000 feet away and complied with all local laws. One thousand feet is a fraction more than the length of a football field -- not enough! These protesters, acting in the name of God, are infringing on a religious burial rite -- interfering with a family's Constitutionally protected right to freely practice its religion while burying their son.

If these hatemongers want to protest on courthouse steps, fine. Or on the grounds of their own church.

In arguments before the court, Justice Ginsburg said, "Why should the First Amendment tolerate exploiting this Marine's family when you have so many other forums for getting across your message?"

Exactly. There are so many forums available to protesters, that this form of protest is not speech, but harassment. Their physical proximity to people engaged in a religious burial ceremony makes this not so much an issue of speech, but of physical intimidation, persecution and harassment.

My guess is that that is how the Court may decide this case -- not on the issue of whether the "church" has a right to express its stupidity and hatred; but by deciding the case much more narrowly, placing some restriction on the time, manner and place allowed for such "speech," so that it does not cross the line from speech to harassment. Defenders of the protesters -- and there are many, including most major media outlets -- pull out the "slippery slope" argument -- that if we allow this exception or restriction, our entire Constitution will fall like a house of cards. The slippery slope argument has no basis in logic, but people use it illogically to defend the indefensible.

Meantime, young Matthew Snyder, a Marine who took an oath to defend and protect the Constitution, lies in a Maryland cemetery, having given his life to protect the Constitutional rights of these emotional terrorists who dance on his grave.

Steve Cebalt

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Spam: The cure is worse than the disease!

For anyone who wants to improve effectiveness and productivity, I have a suggestion that is stunningly simple. But first a question:

What does it cost you if you miss an important email from a donor? Or a board member? Or a potential volunteer? Or a local foundation with a question about your grant proposal?

Answer: Could be a lot!!! A WHOLE lot!

E-mail is how stuff gets done. But many organizations and individuals are still using spam filters.

Please, STOP THE MADNESS!!

At least once a day somebody says they didn't get an e-mail from me. Then they check their spam filter. There it is! Meantime, we have lost valuable cycle time in the workflow.

And I don't know what I don't know! What I mean is, how many of my e-mails get trapped and never read?

I put nothing in my subjects that should trigger a spam filter. My usual format for the subject line is:

"For John Doe from Steve Cebalt regarding ACME nonprofit."

Your spam filter sometimes costs me money! Delays in production are an expense borne by your vendors. And if my invoice gets filtered, I don't get paid, and then I have to deal with an irate Mrs. Cebalt who doesn't have the money to pay our kids' tuition or our mortgage !!!!! She doesn't want to hear that the invoice got trapped in a spam filter and thus the invoice is two weeks overdue, and I don't blame her! Because the bank or the school won't care!!!

Yesterday I took 5 or 10 minutes to send a man a very nice note about an ad that he submitted for a newspaper that I publish. I really thought his team did a fantastic job, producing a creative ad. So I wanted to share this with him, and have him pass it along to the people who did the work. Please note, there was nothing in it for me, it was just me being a nice guy.

I got a bounceback, saying it was suspended in their spam filter. So he'll never see it, and his staff will never get the "kudos," because I am not messing with it anymore, it annoys me!

The solution: Stop using a spam filter!!!! Now, I know some of you have IT departments that would spit up on themselves at this suggestion. Nonetheless, it pays to take a look once in a while at "what works" and "what gets in the way."

I have no spam filter. I get very little spam, maybe 1 or 2 a day, MAX. Viagra ads, Nigerians wanting me to send them a million dollars, etc.

Solution: delete, delete. Two seconds. Done. How hard is that!!!!

I have a good virus program, so I have never gotten a virus from an e-mail.

I would rather spend 2 seconds a day deleting a couple spams, then miss an important work assignment from a client, or an inquiry from a prospective client!

It takes less time to delete spam than it does to retrieve legitimate emails from a spam filter -- after you have discovered that it's buried in there and lost valuable cycle time.

So, consider eliminating your spam filter, and you can thank me later!

BONUS TIP:

This tip only works for very small workgroups, but as my audience for this blog is small nonprofits and foundations, that may mean a lot of you!

Rather than having a separate e-mail for each person on a 5-person staff, just use one; all of you use the same one. Something like info@acmenonprofit.org.

Why? Because if Susie is sick and someone sends her an important email, you'll all see it and someone can respond and help the person in Susie's absence. Or during her vacation or business trip. This helps the person on the other end, and it helps Susie when she returns from her illness.

And everyone in the office will know what's going on throughout the office, just by being privy to all the email traffic. My staff will know that I am super-busy today by seeing that I've received a load of work requests today; that is valuable for them to know! Today may not be the time for a lot of chit-chat, as much as we love to yak when we do have time!!!!!

If you use part-time staff, job-sharers, etc., this tip is even more useful.

Of course no one sends anything personal through the business account. So e-mails to your accountant or criminal defense attorney are sent privately through your g-mail, hotmail, or AOL account.

This tip works like a charm, in the right circumstances. I do realize there are some instances where confidentiality of information could preclude this suggestion, but as long as your work team has no secrets to hide from each other, this is a MAJOR productivity booster.

For example, I don't need to tell my staff that we got a new job request from ACME nonprofit --they see the e-mail, and they mentally prepare for their role in the task, without me having to say a word!

In our shop we manage without ever having staff meetings to coordinate tasks, mostly because of the charms of this e-mail tactic.

If it suits your circumstances, give it a try!

Have a great and productive day,

Steve Cebalt, Author,
The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations





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See why Angie is so excited about this newsletter strategy

Your nonprofit or foundation needs to do more with less and cut costs, but you still need to communicate in order to raise awareness, promote programs, raise funds, and attract members, right?

Here's how. You can replace your electronic newsletter and/or your printed newsletter and reduce your costs dramatically, and get better results from your nonprofit communications! This short article will tell you how, by using the "blogletter" concept. ("Blogletter" is not an official term -- just one that suits my purpose.)

Nonprofit newsletters have been a standard tool in our toolkits for decades. Most nonprofits still publish a newsletter in order to communicate with members, donors, volunteers, and prospective donors. Many nonprofits still choose to print and mail their newsletters, and others choose to use electronic newsletters. Some do both.

(FYI, did you know that only 1 out of 5 people open a typical e-newsletter? That's a useful and sobering fact; if you do only an e-newsletter, realize that 4 out of 5 of the people who receive it will never open it).

Here's a nifty strategy that allows you to retain all the benefits of publishing a newsletter, but costs far less in both time and money.

Use a blog as your newsletter! A blog is free. The one that you are reading now is published in Blogger, but there are other good blogging programs, too. I find that laying out articles in a blog is much, much easier than doing an e-newsletter layout. It is as easy as, let's say, sending an e-mail with an attachment. If you can do that, you can publish a blog without any assistance. I can post articles to my blog whenever I want, not according to a newsletter schedule. When things that are timely (event promotions, etc.) have come and gone, I can delete the outdated information with a click. But unlike an e-newsletter, all my "old-but-still-relevant" information remains on the blog indefinitely if I want it to. That's a real benefit.

So it's easier to lay out, it's free, it's EASY, you can do it on your own timetable rather than a fixed schedule, and the information remains available to your readers for as long as you want. All of those are advantages over print and electronic newsletters.

So here are my step-by-step tips for replacing your print and/or electronic newsletter with a blog (or shall we say "blogletter"):

* Create your blog (you can start at blogger.com) and publish whatever would normally go in the next issue of your newsletter.

* Promote your blog periodically with a plain old e-mail. If you have been publishing an e-newsletter, you already have an e-mail list. Or use your e-mail address book as the starting point to build a list. Make the subject line something relevant that people will find on your blog, i.e. "Get Discounts at Target Stores and Support ACME Nonprofit When You Shop!"

* Explain that the e-mail is to "update you on some information you may find useful on our blog." In the body of the e-mail, provide short teasers -- maybe just the headlines -- to the most relevant articles recently added to your blog.

* Place the link to your blog in the body of the e-mail and send it.

By the way, you'll find specific, step-by-step tutorials on all of these steps in my Communications Handbook for Nonprofits and Foundations. (Yes, that is a shameless plug for my handbook, because I'd like you to consider buying it!)

As I said, it's easy-peasy. (That's a cornpone expression I learned from our most recent intern. She lives in Yoder, Indiana, and evidently that's how they talk in Yoder. Geez Louise, she has enough of these down-home expressions to fill a turnip truck!)

Now, if you don't have a great e-mail list, and you currently publish your newsletter in print, you can use the same strategy. Just send out a letter on letterhead, or even a postcard, with the same type of info that I indicated for the e-mail above, and include your blog link. Mail and enjoy. Much cheaper than writing, designing, proofing, printing and mailing a newsletter.

The best strategy is to combine e-mail notifications with print notifications: Send e-mails if you have a list; and also mail a letter or postcard. This gives you the greatest likelihood of actually achieving RESULTS.

BONUS TIP: If you use a program called Google Analytics with your blog, you'll be able to track the response much like you would be able to do with an e-newsletter! You'll know how many people visited and read your blog day by day.

Angie says, "O, Mylanta! This is

the best thing I've seen since

they paved the east end of Yoder Road!"

The beautiful thing about this strategy is that you simply post new items to your blog when your time and energy permit. Publishing articles and photos requires no special skills. You won't need a designer or techie to help you. When you have accumulated enough new items to warrant an email/mail notification, then send one out to draw people to your blog.

Good luck with your "blogletter."


Steve Cebalt, Author
The Communications Handbook for Nonprofits And Foundations

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