Before we begin, I wanted to let you know that I’ll be opening the doors to my signature training program, Social Media for Social Good Academy , in just a few weeks. I only run this program once each year, so don’t miss out. Get on the waitlist at socialgoodacademy.com and I’ll send you all the details when it’s up and running. Sound good? See you there! In this special three-part series I’ll review the current social media landscape as we enter 2023, important trends to consider, and the steps...
Jan 09, 2023•23 min
This episode is sponsored by RoundTable Technology - the Nonprofit IT Partner . On January 26, they are offering a free webinar on the exact steps required to secure and protect your nonprofit IT in the New Year. RoundTable Technology is a managed IT and cybersecurity services organization focusing on the nonprofit sector, with over 200 nonprofit clients. Head over to NonprofitIT.com/best-ever to save your seat now . Here’s to a wonderful 2023! Did you know that email conversion rates are 4 x hi...
Jan 04, 2023•34 min•Ep. 69
Prosperity consciousness might sound woo-woo to some, but in this conversation with Jarrett Ransom , AKA: Nonprofit Nerd , she shares how identifying your personal money blocks will help you excel as a professional fundraiser . Known as the Nonprofit Nerd, Jarrett has experience working in the trenches of the nonprofit community for nearly 20 years. From start-ups to multi-million dollar charitable organizations, she wears many hats and under her leadership and guidance, her teams across the nat...
Dec 28, 2022•33 min•Ep. 68
Strengths can be considered any personal behaviors, passions, experiences, resources, positive relationships, and values that are energizing and authentic. The good news is that we all have the ability to tap into that part of ourselves - breaking through barriers and using our own natural strengths and skills. If we are given the right tools and support we can take major steps toward reaching our own higher potential, whether that be in our professional or personal lives. To show us how to tap ...
Dec 21, 2022•35 min•Ep. 67
Pretty much every stereotype you have read about Millennials is false. Many are skilled, up-and-coming professionals in their 30's & 40's with deeper pockets and vaster networks than you might think. Plus, they are the inheritors of $42 trillion by 2030. In this episode, get to know the Millennial generation, understand what inspires and motivates them to get involved in mission making, and start to ensure effective inter-generational collaboration at your organization with Alyssa Wright. Ha...
Dec 14, 2022•34 min•Ep. 66
Effective nonprofit communication planning begins with knowing who your audiences are. Seems simple, right? Sure: you can write out a long list of various groups that your organization is communicating with or wants to reach in the future… but where do you go from there? As Big Duck’s Co-Director, Farra Trompeter (she/her) ensures that Big Duck is a healthy, thriving company. Big Duck, a worker-owned cooperative, helps nonprofits use comms to achieve their mission by building strong brands, stro...
Dec 07, 2022•35 min•Ep. 65
How did Giving Tuesday go for you? I have seen nonprofits spend so much time this year working on their campaigns, creating buzz and excitement, thinking of ways to bring in new donors and get supporters excited before year-end. But what happens after the donation comes in? What’s the plan to keep these new donors and bring them into the fold long term, after November 29th? Let’s talk about donor psychology. We know what donors want. The National Donor Commitment Study by Donor Voice tell us tha...
Dec 01, 2022•13 min
Believe it or not, there's a right way to tell a fundraising story. And by fundraising story, I mean a story that you're using to raise money for your non-profit. A fundraising story needs the right story structure to connect with the audience, demonstrate need, and invite the audience to get involved by making a donation. Individual donors can give with shocking levels of generosity when they’re deeply moved by stories. That’s just what your organization needs in order to grow! But chances are,...
Nov 30, 2022•32 min•Ep. 64
Today is #GivingTuesday ! GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a simple idea: a day that encourages people to do good. Over the past ten years, this idea has grown into a global movement that inspires hundreds of millions of people to give, collaborate, and celebrate generosity year-round. In 2021, an estimated $2.7 Billion were donated in twenty-four hours in the U.S. alone, a 9% increase over the prior year and a 37% increase from pre-pandemic levels. 84% of those aware report that GivingTuesd...
Nov 29, 2022•17 min
In the report The Lived Experience of Fundraisers of Color produced by Cause Effective, two-thirds of the respondents mentioned facing obstacles in their development careers due to their race. More than half of those surveyed acknowledged they might be reluctant to recommend that people of color they know enter into the fundraising profession, “because fundraising involves external relationships where bias might be present” and “fundraising reflects and magnifies the racial hierarchies of our cu...
Nov 23, 2022•34 min•Ep. 63
Requesting grant dollars can be quite intimidating, especially when you’re new to the grant seeking process. When it comes to nonprofit grant writing, there’s not a formulaic approach or “one-size-fits-all”. Rather, you need to customize your approach for each funder you pursue. Rachel Waterman is here to help! Rachel is the CEO and Founder of GDS Grants . She is a GPA approved trainer and presenter on various topics related to grant writing, research & management, but her favorite "things" ...
Nov 16, 2022•36 min•Ep. 62
Tickets are still available to next week's live workshop, How To Plan Your 2023 Social Media Marketing Calendar. Sign up here! First, the bad news. 34% of nonprofits lost fundraising staff in 2021. Fundraisers only stay on the job for an average of 16 months. 85% of fundraisers expect to change jobs within the next two years - with more than one-third expecting to leave fundraising altogether . I don't find this surprising, sadly. Many of my clients are fulfilling all the non-program tasks, in...
Nov 09, 2022•30 min•Ep. 61
The Nonprofit Social Media Summit is back November 2-3! Get your free ticket today. If you can't attend live, register your info and we'll send you info on how to access the awesome content after the fact. Sign up here! In the world of nonprofit social media, the landscape is changing so rapidly, and it’s becoming harder and harder to get engagement and to grow your audience. That’s why I curated a fantastic group of thought leaders, speakers, and trainers to show you what’s on trend, what’s com...
Nov 02, 2022•13 min•Ep. 60
The Nonprofit Social Media Summit is back and better than ever! This year the Summit is all virtual and coming directly to your screens on November 2nd and 3rd, speakers include Amy Sample Ward, Afua Bruce, Lisa Mae Brunson. And of course yours truly, and many more. We're covering everything from TikTok to time management, Facebook ads to influencer marketing and more. Get your free ticket at nonprofitssocialmediasummit.com. And I'll see you there. Fundraisers are scared of more than Halloween r...
Oct 28, 2022•31 min•Ep. 59
Dana Snyder will be giving a session at the Nonprofit Social Media Summit next week all about Facebook ads! Sign up here. When you hear the term "lead generation " what comes to your mind? Complicated marketing funnels built by multi-million dollar businesses? Not so! The purpose of lead generation is to stimulate people's interest and build a feeling of community around your cause. And what nonprofit couldn't benefit from a little more buzz? In this episode, we break down all things lead genera...
Oct 26, 2022•35 min•Ep. 58
Amy and Afua will be kicking off the Nonprofit Social Media Summit with their keynote: The Tech That Comes Next! Sign up here! Changing the way we use, develop, and fund technology for social change is possible, and it starts with you. My guests in this special bonus podcast episode are Amy Sample Ward and Afua Bruce, authors of The Tech That Comes Next: How Changemakers, Philanthropists, and Technologists Can Build an Equitable World . This important book outlines a vision of a more equitable a...
Oct 21, 2022•35 min•Ep. 57
The Nonprofit Social Media Summit is back and better than ever! This year the Summit is all virtual and coming directly to your screens on November 2nd and 3rd, speakers include Amy Sample Ward, Afua Bruce, Lisa Mae Brunson. And of course yours truly, and many more. We're covering everything from TikTok to time management, Facebook ads to influencer marketing and more. Get your free ticket at nonprofitssocialmediasummit.com. And I'll see you there. Do you remember that first in-person event or c...
Oct 18, 2022•46 min•Ep. 56
The Nonprofit Social Media Summit is back and better than ever! This year the Summit is all virtual and coming directly to your screens on November 2nd and 3rd, speakers include Amy Sample Ward, Afua Bruce, Lisa Mae Brunson. And of course yours truly, and many more. We're covering everything from TikTok to time management, Facebook ads to influencer marketing and more. Get your free ticket at nonprofitssocialmediasummit.com. And I'll see you there. Almost one-third (31%) of annual donations happ...
Oct 14, 2022•33 min•Ep. 55
Cierra Selby will be presenting a session at The Nonprofit Social Media Summit in November - How Social Media Managers Can Create Effective Internal Comms! It's going to be all about how to communicate with staff, higher-ups, and colleagues on the work of social media - whether they are too involved, or not enough. Sign up here! It is becoming increasingly apparent to employers that internal communications are essential to overall success. Organizations and their missions can be profoundly impac...
Oct 12, 2022•30 min•Season 1Ep. 54
The Nonprofit Social Media Summit is BACK! Sign up here to get notified when registration goes live. There are more than 1.5 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States (National Center for Charitable Statistics), and recent estimates indicate that about 12.3 million people work in the nonprofit sector. It is estimated that three-quarters of American nonprofits have budgets under $1 million but there are many that are even smaller. In this episode, I sit down with Erik Hanberg, author ...
Oct 05, 2022•28 min•Ep. 54
Joan Garry’s Nonprofit Leadership Lab opens it’s doors for one last day this year - October 3! Get your invite here https://jcsocialmarketing.com/lab/ Joan Garry is the go-to resource for hundreds of thousands of nonprofit leaders worldwide. Through her blog, podcast and book, Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership , she has become the ‘Dear Abby’ of the nonprofit sector, advocating for the success of nonprofits, large and small. As a columnist for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, contributor ...
Sep 28, 2022•35 min•Ep. 53
As we emerge from COVID, it is easy to anticipate that giving patterns will change, again. Simultaneously, new generations of potential donors are accumulating wealth, and they expect to be engaged as “individuals,” not “donor segments.” How does a fundraiser navigate these trends? Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) and Behavioral Economics Modeling can successfully address these challenges. Careful observation of donor behavior through A.I. modeling services can provide more accurate insights into ...
Sep 21, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 52
It's no secret that charities of all sizes have had to rethink their gala, auction, and fundraising event strategy in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. How can we continue to set an event strategy - virtual or in-person - in light of COVID-19? What's changed, and how can we adapt? My guest this week is an expert on events, auctions, and galas. Sherry Truhlar is President of Red Apple Auctions , a boutique auction firm focused on nonprofit galas. Since leaving her corporate marketing job, she’s wor...
Sep 14, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 51
Since The Digital Fundraising Formula opened the doors last week, I’m proud to say there have been some really awesome people who have joined! Seriously, I am blown away by who is joining, and who wants to raise more money online using my proven system. And of course, I’ve also had a LOT of questions. (Which you know I love!) I thought I’d take a couple minutes to give you some answers. Here are some As to your Qs: Q: I’ve been burned by online courses so basically I’m skeptical of everything an...
Sep 09, 2022•7 min
Does your nonprofit board participate in fundraising? Are they active in ensuring the financial sustainability of your organization, by donating, opening doors, and sharing the great work that you do with their networks? If you said no, then you aren’t alone. Ensuring that new and existing board members fully understand their core obligations will help them pave the way for your cause in a sound, legal manner. Mickey Desai works with nonprofit boards to simplify board management and amplify thei...
Sep 07, 2022•31 min•Season 1Ep. 50
The words we use matter. The stories we tell have an impact. Yet, our grants are often full of old, recycled language and buzzword descriptors that are more than just boring — they’re harmful. Grant writers play a critical role in branding the organization and crafting the ways in which it is presented to funders, and thus they are critical in integrating social justice into fundraising programs - and the overall culture and work of their organization. This podcast episode explores how grant wri...
Aug 31, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 50
The Digital Fundraising Formula is open for enrollment! Class starts live on September 12. Full Syllabus and course schedule is here. COURSE PROMISE: Students will walk away with a Digital Fundraising Campaign Blueprint to plan, launch, and execute a wildly successful and profitable digital fundraising campaign. This Blueprint can be adapted and used over and over again, to raise money, build their following, and engage their donor base! Win-win! Hello my nonprofit friend! I think I know what yo...
Aug 29, 2022•3 min
Making “the ask” is a pivotal moment in the donor journey, as it is a direct request for philanthropic support. But what comes AFTER you make the ask? How do you manage a donor’s response to a gift request, no matter what they say? In the latest episode of Nonprofit Nation, Julia sat down with Elizabeth Abel to learn the top 5 donor response scenarios and how to respond in each circumstance. Elizabeth is a thought leader in philanthropy and expert in fundraising. She has led capital campaigns an...
Aug 24, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 49
One year and over 40K downloads! 🥳 To celebrate the one-year birthday of Nonprofit Nation, I created a brand new free resource for you: The Nonprofit Social Media Content Planner. Get your copy here. Marketing effectiveness can be hard to measure, but we all face increased pressure to understand it and report on it. Where is your marketing working? What opportunities are you missing? Ultimately, marketing effectiveness equates to marketing maturity. Regardless of your organization’s size, your ...
Aug 17, 2022•34 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Today's podcast is sponsored by Community Boost, a digital marketing agency empowering social ventures changing the world. We invite you to join The Nonprofit Marketing Summit: Fundraise To The Future for free on August 16-18th, the biggest virtual conference for nonprofit professionals! Get your free ticket to the future at https://www.nonprofitmarketingsummit.org/ Do any of these situations sound familiar? You know what a difference your organization can make, but your team struggles to accura...
Aug 10, 2022•29 min•Season 1Ep. 48
