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It might seem obvious that charitable work or donations to a cause are good things for small companies to do - they need to show their communities they care about their neighbors. So, what about the ones who purposefully pair their altruism with hopes of
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The Intelligence Group’s trend analyst highlights four campaigns and companies that are pushing the envelope of promotional strategy by going with the flow of recent online trends.
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A recent eye-tracking study conducted by the Nielsen Norman Group found Internet users avoid viewing banners. They do, however, pay attention to text ads, such as those used in paid search.
You are currently browsing the monthly archive for November 2006.
When I first ventured into the world of nonprofit blogging, I did so with much anticipation and fear. Anticipation to learn new things, to explore new areas within fundraising, and to share a little of what I’ve learned with a few others. To shine the light so to speak. The fear part comes in because, as with most new things, the unknown can be a bit dark, unforgiving, and can close in on you very quickly. Uh, very similar to a recent caving expedition in the hills of West Virginia. The picture below pretty much says it all. (Yes, that’s me on the left. And you can stop laughing now.)
Oh geez, there are a ton of similarities between fundraising and caving. I’ll spare you. Ok, I can’t resist just a few: wear coveralls because you never know what crap you’ll be asked to crawl through; and…watch out for ‘ol bats - you’ll usually find them CLINGING to the walls. One more: gives data mining a whole new meaning.
I’m done.
Back to my point. Over the past few months, I’ve managed to meet some extremely intelligent, fascinating, and interesting nonprofit bloggers and fundraising professionals. A few have helped me out in so many ways - encouraging email, wonderful posts, the ever-so-amazing links to Donor Insite, and just plain reading what I write.
One such person is the writer (known only to us as “a fundraiser”) of the blog, Don’t Tell the Donor.
I emailed ”a fundraiser” and asked him about the “why” behind the title of the blog. I also wanted a bit more info as to why he began “Don’t Tell the Donor” in the first place. His response:
I was actually being sarcastic with the title at first. By publishing the kinds of things fundraisers try to hide from donors… hopefully I am doing exactly that and brining more openness to nonprofit fundraising.
Writing “Don’t Tell the Donor” allows me to do what I love most - raise funds for great groups…but I’m also a donor. I support (many) charities on an annual or monthly basis. And after working in nonprofits for several years - I was surprised by the tension between the daily secrets fundraisers try to keep from donors and the need to be open and build trust.
I’m still feeling my way through it. But I think it’s important to say that I see my mission as being the same as Jeff Brooks - trying to teach organizations to respect their donors… or else
I hope my site provides some relief from their frustrations at dealing with the tension of openness with their own donors.
In my book, he accomplishes his mission very well. There you have it, why such a great blog has such an interesting title.
I’m done digging around now.
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These days, consumers are in charge of your brand. Since the Internet began, the power in the brand game has shifted. In the old days, marketers were in full control of the brand. Now the majority of brand impressions are initiated and promulgated by cons
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WHEN it comes to promises to leave money to charity, putting money where your mouth is does not come so easily to residents of Sydney’s wealthiest suburbs.
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The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the latest non-profit organization to have its motives and activities come under intense public scrutiny.
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There might not be too many ways to get New Yorkers jump - and free cash seems to be one of them - but with about USD 4,000 you won’t get too far or even close to a “stampede”. So if you want to see for yourself below are the links to the videos
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This paper provides communications professionals and marketeers with a variety of best practice approaches for communicating on the web today, as well as some simple suggestions that companies can implement to make the most of the changing world of commun
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The United States gave out $20 billion in foreign aid last year, but as a percentage of our wealth, we rank 21st out of the 22 major donor countries.
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The urge to make a difference, and to take satisfaction in it, outweighs monetary considerations. For example, a survey of 945 ultrarich individuals released last month by Bank of America and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University found that sli
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“People only scan your e-mail for a split second. I always want to make sure the message is clear and that the action items are upfront. Nobody has time to read four paragraphs justifying the premise behind the product. “
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More charities are introducing holiday cards as part of the movement toward personalization in philanthropy. Like walk-a-thons, bracelets and ribbon magnets, holiday cards are a way for people to get closer to their charity of choice.
Cartoon from today’s link: Charity does not begin in poshest suburbs.
I’ve added a widget to the sidebar of this blog as sort of an experiment. Some of my friends at nonprofit organizations believe that it’s just too darned hard, too complicated and not worth the effort to ask current supporters to fundraise on their behalf via the online medium. That is, the technology just isn’t quite “there” yet; that it’s not a priority given all of the other opportunities on the plate; that, although it’s a good idea, it’s not a GREAT idea. There’s just bigger fish to fry.
I totally understand. And yet, I have a few minutes of spare time on my hands (yeah, right) and with some help from friends, ah heck, why not just try. I figure there is so much great, valuable information out there. For example, Beth’s Blog has been educating us on widgets all this month. Her post, “Let’s Go Widget Shopping!” along with her interview with Michael Stein (An Interview with Michael Stein) are must-reads on the subjet of giving this business of fundraising into the hands of donors passionate about their causes. I have always believed that donors are more generous and more passionate than we know.
And then, just when I thought I could hide, doesn’t Mr. Don’t Tell the Donor himself publish a post asking for donations so that he could have the funds to add more value to this world of ours. I love it.
Both great bloggers mentioned (and are using) ChipIn. From the website: “ChipIn is a Web-based service that simplifies the process of collecting money from groups of people. We make this process quick, easy, and secure, and we provide organizers with numerous ways to get the word out about their ChipIn event.” Is it quick? Is it easy? Is it secure? I thought I’d give it a try.
Literally, within a few minutes my “ChipIn Event” was up and running. I decided I would try to raise $400 so that I could purchase 10 pigs for 10 African children. And I’d try to to it by Christmas Day. Creating the ChipIn widget was fairly easy and it certainly was quick.
Of course, I have a plan to use my sphere of influence to help. As part of that plan, I’m asking you. I realize you may not know me but you do know about children in need and you do know World Vision. Please give to my “10 Pigs For 10 Kids” Christmas Campaign for World Vision. Not only do I want to help children, I also want to prove to my friends that maybe, just maybe this idea of the Participant Fundraising is something to seriously consider.
I know a story of a woman in Calgary, Alberta Canada. Her two sons were killed in a car accident a number of years ago. One of those events in life in which there are no answers, no reason, nor rhyme. The death of her sons left with a gaping hole in her heart as large and lonely as a vacant lot. So she picked herself up from the ruins and did something about it. She set up a memorial fund and started cooking Christmas dinner for friends and family. When dinner was over, she asked them to donate to the fund. That was 22 years ago. Well, this past year, she served 1,500 turkey dinners under a big-top tent and raised thousands of dollars for the local homeless shelter. She covered that ugly vacant lot with a huge beautiful tent.
I think that’s what ROI really means, Return on Influence.
Headline
It is estimated that one in three children born in the year 2000 will develop diabetes. While its causes are related to genetics, obesity and inactivity, its effects are most disturbing. Disbetes can lead to stroke, amputataions and even(blurry text)
Copy
Once you understand the effects of diabetes, you may want to learn the causes. www.diabetes.org
Agency: Serve Marketing.
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Americans give generously, but that charitable spirit recently has been under assault.
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Americans have proved time and time again that we are a generous, charitable people. Our nation rarely sees a tragedy, local or overseas, that isn’t worthy of our compassion.
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Generations from now, when Windows — and perhaps even Microsoft — are no longer part of the lexicon of pop culture, the philanthropy of Bill Gates will be remembered.
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this column will focus on some of the standard mistakes I see when companies in emerging advertising categories try to build their businesses.
I read with earnest the article below that appeared in today’s Toronto Star (a sort of prelude to an upcomimg book about today’s nonprofit world.) The author muses about the legacy we need to leave - as normal every-day individuals - in light of the recent “epic”-donations from huge, famous, mega-business gods and celebrities. An imprint with both our finances and the involvement of our time. His desperation is felt throughout the article especially as he walks through a number of interviews with charity fundraisers. A desperation haunted by the striking need of humankind. His thinking is that our generation (40-somethings) are giving more, volunteering less and that the coming generation will do less of both.
What do you think? And what do your donors think? I spoke to a donor the other day that remarked how “sorry” she felt because she could only give $75. “I’m no Gates”, she said.
The article is thoughtful, powerful, extremely well researched and factual, and worth the long read. It’ll stir debate and yet his words are an honest look…an outsiders look…into our business.
Here is the Toronto Star article in it’s entirely:
Shaking charity’s foundations — Nov. 19, 2006.
Several years ago I began to notice the word “philanthropist” in obituaries, which, at age 57 (and a half), I now read. I observed that many of the deceased - no matter their means, age or sex - had been rigorously engaged in benevolent acts.
I saw, too, in the news pages, that the rich and famous, from Bill Gates to Brad Pitt to Oprah Winfrey, were toiling cheerfully on the world stage for their chosen causes: treating AIDS in Africa, fighting child poverty, helping victims of tidal waves and hurricanes…
I began clipping articles, making inquiries, and searching the literature. The file grew. My initial interest was personal, fuelled by the death of my mother and our large family’s debates about ways to honour her memory. But as I learned more, I began to think about legacy, what we leave behind, the mark we make.
What I kept seeing was individual generosity on a grand, even epic, scale. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is surely the most powerful charitable foundation the world has ever seen. They had a $29 billion (U.S.) war chest (and that was before Warren Buffett tossed in $37.4 billion) and decided, for one thing, to battle malaria in the developing world. The annual budget of the World Health Organization, at $1.65 billion, looks puny by comparison.
It seemed there was a charity Olympics under way, and the numbers were dizzying. Almost every week came news of another windfall. This wasn’t about one person writing a fat cheque and being done with it. The donors’ hands-on involvement, their knowledge and focus, their travels to far-flung places to observe firsthand how their largesse was making a difference - this zealousness seemed new and unprecedented.
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There are thousands of podcasts available on the Internet. Today, we’re going to focus on charity-related podcasts.
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Earlier this year, a JupiterResearch survey found the average online user spends an equivalent amount of time surfing the Web as she does watching TV — some 14 hours per week (many do them simultaneously). Those same users spend about an hour reading mag
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For 26 years, a man known only as Secret Santa has roamed the streets every December quietly giving people money. So far, he’s anonymously given out about $1.3 million. It’s been a long-held holiday mystery: Who is Secret Santa?
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There is a difference, of course, between knowing what something is and knowing why you should consider using it within your organizations. RSS, and other web feeds, are used in two primary ways: to consume content and to disseminate it.
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In one of the largest financial gifts in the history of U.S. higher education, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation is giving $261.5 million to Atlanta’s Emory University.
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Book a Stay Online at Doubletree.com from November 15-December 15 for Any Date in the Future and Doubletree Will Donate to World Wildlife Fund for Every Reservation Made
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Back then…We learned that after every transaction, you look right into the customer’s eyes and say, “Mr. Customer, thank you so much for your business.” And maybe if we felt it appropriate, with all sincerity we would say, “Hope to see you again.”
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Though there’s much excitement around mobile marketing’s advanced features, some of the most asked questions I receive regard the basics: What is mobile marketing? How do I get involved?
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Zotspot is a new Internet search destination that shares its riches with charities and consumers. It allows people to make money and make a difference while searching.
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The time has never been better for nonprofits to reach out to constituents online and empower them to raise funds or drive activism on the organization’s behalf.
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A MUST read!
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An annual American Advertising Federation survey of leading ad execs found that advertisers are beginning to shift amounts that were originally allocated to TV advertising to online video instead,
Like a character out of the “Lost” TV series, I somehow stumbled upon this post from The Positivity Blog. As I read the post, “Do you make these 10 mistakes in a conversation”, I couldn’t help but make the transition to fundraising - especially when speaking to our donors - especially our BIG donors. Here is the article in it’s entirely:
Can you improve your conversation skills? Certainly.
It might take a while to change the conversation habits that’s been ingrained throughout your life, but it is very possible.
To not make this article longer than necessary let’s just skip right to some common mistakes many of us have made in conversations. And a couple of solutions.
Not listening
Ernest Hemingway once said:
“I like to listen. I have learned a great deal from listening carefully. Most people never listen.”
Don’t be like most people. Don’t just wait eagerly for your turn to talk. Put your own ego on hold. Learn to really listen to what people actually are saying.
When you start to really listen, you’ll pick up on loads of potential paths in the conversation. But avoid yes or no type of questions as they will not give you much information. If someone mentions that they went fishing with a couple of friends last weekend you can for instance ask:
- Where did you go fishing?
- What do you like most about fishing?
- What did you do there besides fishing?
The person will delve deeper into the subject giving you more information to work with and more paths for you choose from.
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Consider the following insight from two nonprofits long known for their progressive use of online marketing. Both organizations have begun exploring new ways to leverage online social networks.
Credits:
Title: Invisible
Agency: ACLC Inc., Toronto
Here is my pick of the week from the Salvation Army Canada (sans audio)
Credits:
Title: Invisible
Agency: ACLC Inc., Toronto
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The sports world — even if you’re not a hardcore fan — is a terrific place to learn about business. So often the outcome of any game is determined long before teams take the field. Success, just as in marketing, is in part the result of players and coac
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It’s harder and harder to make the distinction between direct marketing and other forms of advertising. The lines are blurring. Marketing investments that were outside of the field that we thought of as direct marketing prior to now are taking on direct m
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Trends indicate a growing cadre of charitable giving circles that gather people interested in philanthropy and enable them to pool their money and time so they can have a bigger impact than they would by donating individually.
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Like “new economy” and “old economy” businesses, venture philanthropy and traditional philanthropy have now become incorporated into a more diverse continuum.
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This year, as never before, the line between philanthropy and business is blurring. A new generation of philanthropists has stepped forward
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The idea befuddled donors and Internal Revenue Service lawyers alike when Jacqueline Novogratz approached them six years ago. A philanthropic venture capital fund?
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By working together, foundations are avoiding duplication. This article is about a partnership started when employees of different foundations began to realize the need to ensure that they were reaching as many organizations needing money as possible.
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While you can’t ignore branding basics, you can no longer rely on traditional outlets such as TV, radio and print to get the job done; they must take into consideration all the new media at their disposal, including blogs, podcasts, mobile phone-based pro
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In a world where Bill Gates and Warren Buffett are changing philanthropy with megagifts and superambitious goals, it is only natural that Hollywood power players are starting to squirm in their swagged chairs, prisoners of the charity ball-and-chain.
Let me introduce you to Lisa Ray and her blog, Two Knives. Lisa is a recent stay-at-home mom living in Minneapolis. I think her blog is extremely well written. Todays post, about her experience this past weekend at a local fundraiser, is very funny, short, and long on insight for those of us in the fundraising community. Here it is:
I spent much of Saturday morning trying to alleviate my guilt over spending about $600 at a fundraiser the night before. Donating, I mean. I donated $600.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s all for a good cause. People Serving People is a family homeless shelter in downtown Minneapolis. It was their annual fundraiser - food, drinks, music, and a live auction.
I decided it was a convergence of three factors that led to the ill-fated bid, or as my friend Joni said, I created the perfect storm:
- an auction, which ignited my gambling-addiction tendencies, combined with
- homeless seven-year-olds, combined with
- two (or several) glasses of vodka.
I flashed my bidding number faster than you can say Indian gaming. The prize, which was much more appealing at the time, is an afternoon in local radio studio watching how a live show works. At least my 9-year-old seems excited about going.
I think I’ll have to stay away from fundraisers. At least until I’m employed again.
My takeaway: Sometimes, we’re so sophisticated in our approach to securing the gift - our segmentation, our careful campaign development, our dazzling creative, our whiz-bang back end analysis. Then again, maybe it’s because a couple of unknown factors (I call them “Donation-X Factors”) came together in perfect alignment, like whirling planets in some cosmic convergence, that actually produced the sale, er, donation. I mean donation.
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Four months after Peter Buffett received $1 billion to give away, he said he’s still not certain how to do the most good with the money.
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The best blogs all have a quite few things in common - regular, well written content and a large number of subscribers are base requisites for a Technorati Top 100 Blog. But what other traits do these select few blogs share?
Max Kalehoff has written an excellent article for OnlineSpin, a Media Post Publication and as a post in his blog. “Ten Trends in Transforming Marketing Measurements” explores what marketing via the new media will mean for data-driven, response oriented advertising (and fundraising, of course) campaigns. Here are excerpts from the article:
1. Digital network adoption. Mass adoption of the Internet and digital networks is fundamental, if obvious. Their impact on how we share and manage information is now perhaps the most significant influence on the evolution of metrics, among all that follow.
2. Attention erosion. Our networked society has resulted in massive increases in consumer choice and, from a marketer perspective, an erosion of attention. Many economists postulate that we’re undergoing a transition away from an economy based on shelf space to one based on attention scarcity.
3. Speed of measurement. The near-real-time intelligence delivery that characterized the Bloomberg terminal is permeating nearly all facets of marketing measurements. Even if measurements are not delivered instantaneously in a slick, colorful dashboard, the expectation of faster data and actionable insights is growing. Speed is a competitive advantage.
4. Democratization of data and analytics. There was once a time when access to vast piles of market-research data and processing power was contingent upon huge budgets. While that’s still true in many cases, digital networks have made more data more accessible–even sometimes to the point of open-source or free.
5. Observational measurements. In digital networks, people often passively emit both anonymous and identifiable gestures, whether it’s visiting a Web site, programming a TiVo, commenting in a public discussion forum or a host of other activities.
6. Unstructured data. Included with the arrival of observational measurement is analysis of unstructured data. From news stories to discussion forums to blogs to multimedia-sharing sites, people increasingly publish data abundant with insights and trends.
7. Beyond demographics. Traditional demographics–like gender and age–will always be important, but observational techniques are helping marketers to understand and segment their customers in new ways.
8. Customer-centric measurements and planning. The trends above have one thing in common: customers increasingly are at the center of the universe, versus companies, brands, products or media.
9. Data integration comes of age. With more customer and data touch points come the need for more data integration and better market modeling.
10. Reevaluating relationships with whom and what we measure. Finally, as consumers become more empowered, the disciplines of measurement and research will increasingly cater to them (just as marketers are doing in general).
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For the third consecutive year, the GuideStar nonprofit economic survey indicates that both support for charitable organizations and demand for their services is increasing.
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Is it really just a world dominated by MySpace teens, obsessive gamers and technophiles? Netpop | PortraitsTM, a new research report on the U.S. broadband population, dispels these myths and uncovers much more about who is going online and why.
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Knowbility has organized what it believes to be a first – a Gala Event, complete with a silent auction, guest speakers, volunteer recognition, and opportunities to learn more about its programs. What makes Knowbility’s Validation ‘06 event unique is that it’s all done online.
I recently discovered an excellent blog by Steve Borsch, “Connecting The Dots.” Steve’s thoughtful and informative blog is dedicated to “Guidance, Insight and Ideas in a Time of Accelerating Change.” My take is that Steve’s blog accomplishes his mission statement to perfection.
Here’s why I’ve dedicated a post to Connecting the Dots. Steve has written a FREE REPORT, “Rise of the Participation Culture.” This report is “a high-level trend overview for strategists, leaders and marketers on why the Internet and a new wave of Web applications have been embraced by a tech-savvy generation and spawned a culture of participation.”
Simply put, this report is the BEST primer I have ever read on the history of Web 2.0, Social Media and the related applications for any organization seeking to use this new media to further profit and NONPROFIT objectives.
From the site itself, here’s a more detailed introduction to the report:
In the following pages, the three pillars which have already enabled the Rise of the Participation Culture will be examined: 1) Internet as a Platform: We will observe how core industry standards, hosted application developers and other technologies have already coming together to form ‘the perfect storm’ of enablers that Tim O’Reilly has called “the emergent Internet operating system.” This convergence has also been dubbed Web 2.0. 2) Participation Applications: We will discuss a few of the most powerful emerging applications — and trends - occurring, which have already created a myriad of compelling reasons for people to invest energy, effort, time and money into them. 3) We will present an overview of the People who use and rely on Web 2.0 in order to understand the demographic and psychographic makeup of those driving this culture of participation 4) Lastly this report will consider What’s Next as we acknowledge today’s Participation Culture trends and forecast what we might expect going forward.
Why do I think this is important? The face of fundraising is a-changin’ and we will need to incorporate new concepts, new ideas, new strategies and new media if we are to do our best. My career has been built on the back of a “nonprofit to donor” communications strategy. That is, my client needs to raise funds, a strategy is then developed and the appropriate advertising/fundraising tactics (mostly traditional) are executed and measured against objectives. The idea is generated FROM the charity TO the donor or prospective donor. Do I think this will all go away? Absolutely, absolutely not. These principles are timeless, basic, foundational, measurable.
And yet we are beginning to see, with even greater clarity, how critical, important, powerful and increasingly more simple it is to have donors raise support our behalf. Isn’t this just good ‘ol event or corporate or “friend-get-a-friend” fundraising? Yes, it’s that and yet much more. After all, isn’t a Porsche just another car? ‘Nuff said.
Participation Fundraising happens 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Participation Fundraising uses the tools of New Media (and old) to spin the flywheel of charitable support faster, with more inertia and will less effort. Participant Fundraising doesn’t need gobs of expense budget. Tell me again, how much did Dove’s spend on the Evolution viral video? Participant Fundraising won’t require 6-month leadtimes. All of this, and more, will allow Participant Fundraising to play a larger, more significant role in the diversified fundraising mix.
And yet there are cautions and things we gotta figure out. Blogger’s Blog writes:
The problem for companies hoping to make a viral video is that most of them won’t work and it is getting more and more difficult every day to find success with viral videos. Simple ideas like the Subservient Chicken won’t work as well because everyone has already seen this idea used several times by now. The These Days blog explains viral marketing can be complex.
Nobody understands how online viral marketing really works. Worse: ever since big brands discovered its power, it’s becoming harder every day to succesfully create some buzz online. It’s true that a succesful “word of mouse” campaign is always cheaper to produce than, say, a street ad campaign. And yes, it’s a perfect way to support a bigger ad campaign, or reach a different, more “webby” target group. But if a viral campaign is not handled right, it might hit you in the face, and sometimes even harm your brand. Or worse: be ignored completely, like the majority of them. All you can do is: avoid common mistakes, unleash the virus, wait and pray.
And yet we can’t give up hope and can’t stop trying to make it work because intuitively we know that word-of-mouth has always been the best and most inexpensive form of advertising. Read the Report and then think it through a bit.
Participation Fundraising, when fully mature, just may be our answer to raising more, with less.
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Though most marketers send e-mail based on their promotional schedule and needs, few enhance automatically triggered e-mail messages, the ones to which consumers pay the most attention:
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This is a must read article - the first of two articles taking a closer look at the complexity of the ever-changing meaning of philanthropy.
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Very cool (er, hot) idea. “Don’t be surprised if sometime between now and Christmas a stranger gives you lift tickets in Denver, skating passes in Toronto or even free parking at a Michigan hospital. The catch is Starbucks wants consumers to pass on their
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If you’ve focused on offline marketing for many years, the discomfort you feel could be from grabbing that interactive comet. You’re not alone. Most marketing professionals getting into interactive for the first time or returning after a long hiatus, feel
I thought I’d try my luck at posting some of my favorite television spots and PSA short features. Maybe along the way, we can both learn how and why television and film can move the masses to our cause and into our donor database.
This Greenpeace spot, “Breathe”, is as compelling as it is beautiful and I like how the visuals move with the audio. Go ahead and click away.
After watching this spot, I may not understand the details of how Greenpeace helps our environment, and the specifics how my donation will help, I do get the connection between my life and the ocean. Click hear for the YouTube Link.
Takeaway: Use the unique power of each medium to the max. In this case, it’s the perfectly choreographed dance between the audio and the visual.
If you could use only audio and visuals, what television spot would you produce for your organization?
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Everyone these days is looking for the next big thing. Depending on the week the next big thing is social networking, videos online, mobile, branding, RSS or blogging.
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Thousands of local students and community members are making a virtual visit to an AIDS-affected community in Africa through the eyes of a child at an interactive exhibit hosted at UC San Diego this week
Looking back at a botched fundraising campaign, every wonder why things didn’t pan out or test out the way you anticipated? Most likely it wasn’t because you didn’t have enough information, maybe it was due to faulty thinking or poor pre-planning. Maybe it was just a dumb idea in the first place.
The Bad Analysis blog (no joke), has published a list of the ten most compelling reasons why we make bad decisions in an article by that name. You’ll find the full article here. Below are the main points:
10. We’ve come this far… (sunk cost bias) - We all know that the past is past and we can’t get back money or time that we already spent. But many people irrationally take sunk costs, time, money, or other resources which have already been spent and can’t be recovered, into their decision making.
9. Me me me! (egocentric bias) - Putting yourself in another person’s shoes is harder than it sounds for most people.
8. That just proves my point. (confirmation bias) - Isn’t it a coincidence that no matter what happens in the world, politicians can spin it to show why that confirms their opinions? A cynical explanation is that politicians twist the truth to get what they want. But a more subtle explanation is that our brains tend to search for and interpret information in ways that support our pre-existing opinions.
7. That’s easy. (overconfidence) - While overconfidence is definitely a good thing in many situations, it probably means people don’t work on their weaknesses as much as they should.
6. I’m #1! I’m #1! (dysfunctional competition) - Have mixed feelings when you find out your co-workers get a promotion that you weren’t even interested in? You’re not alone. People’s happiness is often a function of what they have relative to others.
5. Mine mine mine! (endowment effect) - Why is it so hard for people to throw, give away or sell things that are past their prime? One theory is that people tend to place a higher value on objects they own relative to objects they do not.
4. Watch out for sharks. (availability bias) - People are suckers for recent and memorable events. So much so, that they think these types of events are more likely to happen than they actually are.
3. If everybody else thinks so… (conformity) - People make decisions based on what they think and not what everyone else thinks, right? Wrong!
2. Lets go hard 8! (illusion of control) - We all know that there’s no difference between my chances in craps if I have the dice or someone else at the table does, right? It should also cause you to question the confidence of your co-workers who know they will hit an aggressive deadline even though there are many factors out of their control.
1. He’s just a moron. (attribution error) - Is the driver that cut you off a jerk? Or is he a good guy who didn’t see you because he’s distracted? So maybe it’s better to withhold judgment about a person until you’ve actually talked to them.
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Remember when the Internet and online marketing were going to spell the end of the direct mail business? Well, it hasn’t exactly worked out that way.
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Facts and Figures from the Nonprofit Almanac 2007. Link to Urban Institute and downloadable highlights .pdf.
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Both cable and network have survived and grown. Now, listening to major cable research executives, they speak in a different tone these days: Not only is cable growing, but TV viewing as a whole is growing.
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It is an oft-quoted belief in philanthropic circles that the US is years ahead of Europe when it comes to charitable giving. But new research is now calling for a rethink, revealing that Europe’s corporate foundations give more than their American counter
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Philanthropic networks are on the rise. Their aim is to put smaller charities in touch with donors, but some argue they are duplicating existing infrastructure
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Media integration requires the interactive and direct marketing groups work closely together; this may mean cultural or managerial changes. What is acceptable and effective varies from medium to medium. The groups must respect each other’s expertise.
If you don’t have photographs of your real donors (now that’s a shame), then go through several magazines to find representative photos. Tear ‘em out and tape them to the walls of your office or cubicle.
As an example, here’s a photo of two women that may be existing donors to your organization. Take a look. A very long and thoughtful look.
One fundraising writer I know begins every first draft with, “Dear Mom.” This type of approach gives “personalization” a whole new meaning.
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Important changes may be on the way to better help marketers quantify online spending.
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Marketers using email do not focus enough on relevance.
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The losses have accelerated as the industry tries to adjust to the steady migration of readers and advertisers to the Internet. Papers in major metropolitan areas, where more homes are wired for broadband, fared worse than those in smaller markets.
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Excellent, very hands-one post on how to prepare Press Releases for media outlets using the new tools of social marketing.
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Is it possible to create intense marketing buzz on the cheap? With not a penny of paid media and in less than a month, “Dove Evolution,” a 75-second viral film has reaped more than 1.7 million views on YouTube. Good “idea starter” article for the nonpro
