You may already know the deal, but as I was (and still am) pretty new to the direct response marketing industry at the time I was asked to attend, I had to Google what the Bridge to Integrated Marketing and Fundraising Conference was. “Bridge” —...
Read MoreRead More
Recruiting Donors Recruiting new donors is one of the most important and most expensive challenges of any fundraising program. Get it right, and you’re on your way to sustainable growth. Get it wrong, and you’re investing precious resources without getting the return on investment you...
Read MoreRead More
Some of the questions we most often hear from nonprofit clients about digital marketing, even larger nonprofits, concern SEO (search engine optimization): Do we really have to invest in SEO? Isn’t it too complicated for nonprofits to master? Can you really show a return on...
Read MoreRead More
Benchmarks are bullshit. There — I’ve said it. The benchmarks that we all live and die by — the well-annotated, appendiced-to-death, 97-page Annual Findings that determine whether you are successful — are crap. Why? Because they don’t represent anyone’s reality. Instead, they embody the reality of a perfectly curated,...
Read MoreRead More
For the last decade or so, we have argued whether storytelling or data is more effective in fundraising. Data made it on the scene as it solves the “what” and the “how” of our marketing strategy. While these are two VERY important components, there...
Read MoreRead More
Here in America, we all know the regular “spooky” superstitions. For instance, the number 13 is perceived to be very unlucky. We avoid having a 13th floor in our elevators or a 13th row on our planes, just to prevent any superstitious conflict. We...
Read MoreRead More
As peak year-end fundraising season begins for many nonprofits, I encourage you to take just five minutes out of your day to slow down a bit and reflect on how much has changed in our world. Specifically, let’s take a look back at 2004...
Read MoreRead More
One would be hard pressed to find an adult in America who would not recognize the name “Uncle Sam,” and even less likely to find someone who couldn’t recall the famous “I WANT YOU” WWI recruitment image. Not only has it been seen in...
Read MoreRead More
It is hard to mark the moment when the Digital Age truly began. It seemed to pop up overnight, shifting the way we view everything from social interaction with family and friends to the skill sets required for an entry-level position. Its influence on...
Read MoreRead More
We’re just now recovering from the fantastic 12th Annual Bridge Conference and trying to sort out all that we learned from a range of plenary speakers, workshops, exhibitors, clients, and colleagues. Looking over our notes, three themes really jump out at us: First, the tension...
Read MoreRead More