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Donor identity: How do your donors see themselves?

Understanding donor identity will strengthen your fundraising. My daughter graduated from Oberlin College. At the ceremony, speakers repeatedly encouraged the grads to go change the world. They were greeted with loud cheers. It was obvious that from alumni to faculty, to graduating students and their younger friends, Oberlin has a strong sense of self. It’s […]

Filed Under: Blog, Branding, Donors Tagged With: donor identity, donor retention, donor survey 2 Comments

Why aren’t nonprofits getting the recognition they deserve?

Attention, please! When you work at a nonprofit, long hours and tons of responsibility go with the territory. It’s not about making money or getting accolades; it’s about creating an impact. You’re working hard, you’re making a difference. But your friends, family, and sometimes even colleagues don’t have a clear idea of what you do. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Branding, Marketing Communications Tagged With: Marketing Posts, nonprofit branding Leave a Comment

Trust, more valuable than money

Trust is one of those things that you can’t necessarily put a dollar value on, but you know matters, a lot. But like your database or your donor relationships, it’s critical to a successful fundraising program. Your brand isn’t about colors, type, or taglines. Do you remember the outrage that United Airlines created years ago […]

Filed Under: Branding Tagged With: donor relationships, donor retention Leave a Comment

6 Branding Strategies to Make Your Nonprofit Stand Out

The human brain processes visual information 60,000 times faster than it processes text. Therefore, when your audience navigates to your website, the first thing they’ll absorb is your visual identity and brand. When they encounter your brand on other marketing materials, they should immediately associate it with your mission.  Your brand is more than just […]

Filed Under: Branding, Nonprofits Tagged With: nonprofit branding Leave a Comment

Witness to Brandicide

Witness to brandicide It’s not as if we weren’t warned. Really smart people have written about the killing power of a new “brand”. (See Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now or Tom Ahern’s site: Ahern Communications, Ink). If you’ve seen it up close, you know what I’m talking about. It’s infuriating. The process works something like […]

Filed Under: Blog, Branding, Donor communications Tagged With: Branding, Fundraising, Nonprofit 2 Comments

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Recent Posts

  • This is why you can’t find a great development director
  • The new way to fundraise? Trust your mail.
  • Donor identity: How do your donors see themselves?
  • 12 human quirks you can use to fundraise better
  • Top Recommendations for Preventing Donor Fatigue and Burnout

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