We have all made mistakes. That might be the most universally correct statement ever. (Or not!) Admitting to them can be embarrassing. But it can also be educational. Today, I want to use early mistakes of mine to underline why we should avoid the temptation to be clever when we can be sincere instead. At […]
How you can harness the power of a niche brand
According to Brand Marketing Blog, niche brands are better than broad brands. They say: A niche brand is one that is very meaningful to some people, but not applicable to most people. Niche brands seek to create deep relationships with a subset of potential customers, and ignore the rest. Broad brands have high brand recognition […]
Why your fancy newsletter is failing you
Recently, I’ve been holding on to a few newsletters from organizations my husband and I give to. With one shining exception, they’re disappointing. Or worse. What’s frustrating is they could so easily be great. The organizations do good work. I’m sure they have good stories to tell. And yet, they spend the time and money […]
Engagement fundraising – how to fundraise smarter
I had the opportunity to read Greg Warner’s book, Engagement Fundraising, a few weeks ago. The book is pitched toward those cultivating major gift and legacy donors. And its promise is “How to raise more money for less in the 21st century.” So what’s it about? The Pareto principle tells us most of the money […]
Your voice is needed! Donors and community: who’s in the center?
Community centered or donor centered? I attended a conference last week (thank you, Liberty Bank Foundation). The estimable and hysterical Vu Le offered the keynote address. If you know Vu, you know we were holding our stomachs and behaving in otherwise undignified ways because we were laughing so hard. (If you don’t know Vu, get […]