Goalbusters Tips and Tidbits

Chinese New Year Traditions for Nonprofits

2012-01-23T20:32:00.001-07:00

Welcome the Year of the Dragon, the most auspicious year of the Chinese zodiac! On January 23, 2012, Chinese communities throughout the world begin two weeks of celebrations to mark the lunar new year, the culmination of many preparations and traditions that have been in place for generations.

As we begin this new year, here are some of the traditions that can be productive to apply to your nonprofit life:

Conduct a thorough cleaning. Of your database, that is. Are you collecting useful information? Is it organized the way that is productive? Are there pledges that should be written off or past donors that can be archived?

Reconcile old debts and grudges. It's not just about money. Are there people to whom you owe follow up, or prospective donors that you should "bless and release?" In some cases, you're better to let a donor go than continue to pursue a gift that doesn't work for the contributor. Reassess the donors that are in cultivation and decide what you need to do to move them forward or to move them on to another cause.

Give "lucky money." The iconic red envelopes are given to children to insure that they have good luck for the coming year. In the same vein, think about your own philanthropy and consider a gift to a charitable cause that is not the one you work for. Was there an organization you missed in December? Is there a new cause you would like to support? Being a donor makes you a better, more aware fundraiser.

Look forward, not back. Earlier this month, you may have assessed how things went last calendar year. Now is the time to finalize the calendar year plan if you haven't already. If you've already set goals for the year, plan out milestones and action steps now.

Wear red. This has no translation to the nonprofit field. It's just good luck.

Celebrate abundance. The New Year's Eve dinner is traditionally a large celebration for the family to celebrate how much wealth they have, regardless of what actual physical wealth they hold, and carry over that optimism to the new year. Too often, with the bustle of the holidays and year end giving campaigns, and the stress of having to raise every dollar, development program staff do not have the time to celebrate the generosity of their donors and the successes of their efforts. Now that the year end gifts have been processed and thank you letters sent, take a moment to be thankful for the support you receive. Gather those close to your cause and say, "We have so much!"

Wishing you, and your nonprofit, prosperity in the new year! Gong Xi Fai Cai!

30 Days to a Better Fundraising Professional

2012-01-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

This time of year there are all sorts of posts on fitness, health and diet sites touting 30-day plans to weigh less, be more fit, eat healthier, et cetera. So that got me thinking, why not 30-days for improving your fundraising program? So here's the plan for a "healthier" development professional.

Take an inventory
Stop for a moment, even if it's only ten minutes, and evaluate what went well with your fundraising strategies last year. Of the things that went well, can they be duplicated, or were they one-time successes? Then assess what didn't go as planned. What was under your control that you can correct, or should you just not try that again? Write down your observations and plans for replication or correction for this year.

Cultivate "Not-Yet-Donors" every day
Spend at least 10 minutes each day this month working on prospective donor relationships: sharing information with a prospective donor or learning more about them. This can be a personal note, a phone call, an email, a social media touch, or a real in-person, face to face meeting.

Thank a donor, volunteer or staff person every day
Remind people why they are involved with your organization by saying thank you. Take 5-10 minutes every day and reach out to someone who is important to your cause, whether it's a donor, volunteer or fellow staff person.

Research links with one new network
We all have those groups where we scratch our heads and say, "Why doesn't anyone from [fill-in-the-blank] donate to us?" Now's your chance to make the connection! Use tools like LinkedIn or local business directories to research who might be your "degree of separation" to a new donor. Bonus points if you actually make the connection this month!

Schedule Training
Just like you would sign up for an exercise class, sign up for at least one professional development activity to sharpen your fundraising skills. With the availability of webinars and other workshops, you can probably find several training opportunities. And/or, buy a new book on fundraising and commit to reading a little bit every day.

Set your milestones

Get a big calendar--I recommend a large wet-erase wall calendar with the full year visible--and mark major milestones for the year. When are your special events? When does that direct mail need to drop? What are your recurring grant deadlines? What are funding milestones, i.e., how much should you have raised by when? Giving yourself a visual of the year helps you plan where you are going to need to be protective of your time or need more help. Or it prepares you for when you'll be totally stressed out.

Schedule at least one ask
Akin to scheduling a race at the end of a training period, you need to give yourself a deadline! Take a look at your prospective donor list and pick at least one donor that you feel you can realistically ask for a gift by the end of the month. Then pick up the phone and schedule a time to meet. Really. Or, if you're more of a grant writer, select at least one foundation to which you will submit a proposal and block out the time to write it. (Notice, these are both written as "at least one." You are allowed and encouraged to do more than one.)

Results?
After 30 days, you should have established stronger relationships with some of your donors, cultivated a few prospective donors, know where you're going for the rest of the year, have at least one skill improved or new tool revealed, and have completed one ask. And, you may have established new habits for the coming months. But like all 30 day programs, the results are up to you! Good luck!

Inspirations:
Matt Cutts: Try Something New for 30 Days on Ted.com
Sparkpeople January Jumpstart on Sparkpeople.com

Commission Does Not Pay: Compensation for Development Professionals

2011-12-09T20:18:00.001-07:00

Why is compensation always such a hot button issue in the nonprofit world? On a regular basis, I hear questions (and complaints) about the following:

How are we supposed to pay for a fundraiser when we need someone to raise the money to pay for the fundraiser?
Can't you just take a percentage of the grant amount when it comes in?
Shouldn't you raise the money to pay for yourself?

Dutifully, I point to the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice, to which all AFP members must agree to abide. Standard number 21 states:

Members shall not accept compensation or enter into a contract that is based on a percentage of contributions; nor shall members accept finder’s fees or contingent fees.

There is a white paper on why percentage based compensation is a bad idea for nonprofits, which boils down to two things:

Percentage based compensation puts the fundraiser's interests ahead of the organization's, and
Percentage based compensation, due to the length of time it may take for a gift to come to fruition, may produce reward without merit.

I agree with these positions and do my best to comply with the Code of Ethics. I don't fundraise on commission. I don't write grant proposals for a percentage of the grant amount.

In the past, I have accepted bonuses and have done sales work on commission. And over time, I've come up with new reasons to add to why fundraisers should not be paid on commission.

Because working on commission stinks.

I understand why companies, whether for-profit businesses or nonprofit organizations, want to pay on commission. You are paying for performance--you don't have to expend resources until you have them, and the person receiving the commission has control over what they can earn. In theory.

Here's why commissions don't work:

Short term effectiveness. Yes, if you're really successful as a commission-based professional, you can make a lot of money. But how sustainable is that performance? Can you hit that every year? Goals are inevitably set higher and higher each year, and as it becomes more and more difficult to reach goals, your income drops. Not motivating!
Quick turnaround focus. Higher dollar deals take time to close. You need cultivation, or "get to know you" time, and frequently the decision involves multiple layers of decision makers. If you're working on the higher dollar deal, you can feel like you're being penalized since you're not being compensated as you work on the relationship development. Or, you can be pushed cut corners to close the gift faster.
No motivation to work as a team. So who gets the money if you work together on an ask? Is it somehow split? Who gets credit for this? Am I working harder than the other person or people on the team? You become focused on yourself and what others are NOT doing rather than being focused on the right thing for your organization.
Little feeling of control. Even though commission-based compensation is supposed to reward highly productive salespeople, there are many things out of your control. Fewer available prospects, smaller deals, reduction in options to offer, change in opinion about your company, etc. all will impact the professional's effectiveness. What you did last year to earn your commission may not work again this year.
In a bad year, commission-based compensation can make things worse. Failure is generally not motivating. If you're not successful, then you're not being paid. And if you're not being paid, it's hard to get yourself excited about trying again. Your daily existence becomes more about desperation than motivation.
It's a game of numbers. Commission-based professionals, to make a decent wage, need to make as many calls as possible, and the majority of them need to be calls to close. Very few people will have the discipline or the financial cushion to have one big success and then spend months or even years cultivating another. This encourages quick asks that might not be renewable, or lower dollar deals that can close quickly.
Lack of genuine appreciation. "Well, you're being paid for your performance, so why do I need to thank you?" As a manager, if you're writing a check when someone closes a deal, you think that's the appreciation. As the person receiving the commission, that's compensation for work done, not appreciation. This gap can lead to resentment and distrust.

Let's face it. Effective fundraising takes time, and it takes money. As much as it is an upfront investment to pay someone a living wage to work in fundraising, in the long run, it should be an investment worth making for your organization to develop long term relationships with your donors and a sustainable source of income for your mission.

Reference materials:
Association of Fundraising Professionals Position Paper on Professional Compensation (PDF file)
Association of Fundraising Professionals Ethics page

Quick Tips for Year End Giving

2011-11-11T22:49:00.001-07:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year....the most productive fundraising time for almost every nonprofit organization is the last two months of the calendar year. Are you ready? Even if you haven't thought about your end of year fundraising efforts yet, you can still make it happen! Here are a few strategies to use to encourage year end gifts.

1. Direct mail.
The best time to mail is around Thanksgiving, so if you have not planned this out already, it's almost too late. But let's not think about perfect, let's think about DONE. Do a "holiday letter" from your organization--you can even use winter themed paper from the office supply store if you want! Write in an informal way about what you did at your organization this year, complete with pictures if you can, and add a request for a gift at the end of the letter. Mail this to your existing donor base with a return envelope, no other inserts. Or, if you don't have an existing donor base, have your board members mail it to at least 10 people each, and mail to any of your constituents. The key is to not spend too much time or money on this--imperfect is okay.

2. Website.
This is a no brainer. Make sure your website is set up to accept gifts online, and confirm that gifts will be charged to the donor's credit card as soon as the gift is entered online so that the donor receives proper credit for their tax deduction. If you already have online giving set up on your website, go online and make a gift yourself to see if it's going to be easy for the donor. If it's too complicated, try to streamline it as soon as possible. Put a reference to "give securely online at..." on every piece of mail that leaves your organization, starting immediately.

3. Social giving.
This is a good time of year to encourage your fans to encourage their friends to support you. There are a myriad of online social giving tools available, from things as simple as Facebook Causes to much more complex options. Here's a good list to check: 30+ Social Giving Sites that Connect People to Causes and Nonprofits

4. Email.
This is just direct mail via electronic delivery. The hardest thing is getting the email opened. Carefully craft your subject line, and if possible, have peers deliver the email to peers. This is a great way to put your volunteers to work.

5. Holiday gifts.
Encourage your board, volunteers and others close to your organization to request "in lieu of gifts, please make a donation to...." Have gift cards ready to go that are festive and "gift worthy." If the design is connected to your cause, even better. Beats fighting the crowds at the mall.

6. Events.
If you don't have an event already scheduled during the holidays, DON'T ADD ONE. There's enough going on as it is!

7. Major and Planned Gifts.
This is not the time to initiate new solicitations, really, but to close on those that are in process. Use the year end tax deduction awareness to nudge people into making a decision about a significant gift. Also, this is a good time to share information about planned giving in a quiet fashion, but not necessarily time to host a planned giving information session.

8. Advertising.
Ads in local media will work this time of year to raise awareness since people are paying attention to advertising during this heavy shopping season. Consider investing in an ad or two placed before Christmas.

Pick just one of these strategies and hopefully you'll see an increase in your year end support!

This blog is an excerpt from "Finish Strong! Strategies for Successful Year End Giving," presented for the Latino Public Radio Consortium's Cafecito y Pan Dulce Webinar Series.

Rush Hour: Is Time a Fundraiser's Greatest Luxury?

2011-10-26T11:30:00.000-07:00

You've just start a new job as a development director for a nonprofit organization. How much money can you raise by Friday?

Now you've been on the job for two months. Have you raised enough money to cover your salary?

Oh, and the board members are asking--we gave you that list of cold calls to make. Why haven't we seen a major gift yet?

In a tough economy, there is a lot of pressure to "show me the money." Yet in the traditional fundraising model, we talk about the development cycle:

Identify prospective donors
Qualify prospective donors
Make initial contact to gauge interest
Cultivate donors who are interested in your cause
Ask for a gift
Continue cultivation if the timing is not right
Accept and steward the gift if the gift is made
Renew cultivation of donor and repeat.

To optimize the value of the experience for the donor and the value of the gift for the philanthropic cause, we are supposed to take time to build relationships. But in today's world, do we have time to do that?

When it comes down to it, if you're dependent on contributions to keep the doors open, you do not have the luxury of time. In fact, budgets have been so tight that far too many nonprofit organizations have eliminated their development staff positions, even though it is supposed to be the revenue generating line in the budget! Boards are often needing and expecting quick, if not unrealistic results from their development staff.

So what's a development professional to do? Here are some coping mechanisms:

Expand your annual giving with a monthly giving program. It may not be huge dollars individually, but as an aggregate, your annual giving program is your most reliable and steady source of fundraising revenue. Whether or not you have an established donor base, ask people to give monthly, which helps increase their gifts by making it easier to include in their budgets.

Churn out proposals. This is a case where volume may help. As much as I hate submitting proposals that I know will not get funded, you're going to have to go after some long shots, if anything just to prove activity to the board. You're going to need to increase your ask rate across the board.

Reduce every expense possible as long as it does not affect the donor experience. The supporters that are sticking with you should be rewarded and thanked for being generous in difficult times. Every time you think about cutting back on something, put yourself in the donor's place and decide if it's something they value. For example, I once decided to change a donor lunch menu from a hot meal to a sandwich plate as a cost saving measure. Boy, did I hear about it! The hot lunch was back the next meeting. I was, however, able to cut back on holiday gifts for my major donors that year with no objection. Turns out, my donors didn't really care about the fruit basket. It's important for donors to know you're being fiscally conservative, but try to minimize the impact on them.

Don't let the board off the hook. If they give you a list of people to call on, write a letter to go over their signature as an initial contact. And every time a board member asks if you've closed a gift from random prospect number 98, be ready to report the steps you've taken and where you need their help. Keep reminding them, and asking them to be a part, of the process.

Be honest with your donors. Be factual about your financial situation and the end result impact on community needs. For example, if you need $10,000 to make payroll, say, "If we aren't able to raise this money, we'll have to cut our hours or layoff staff, which will mean fewer services for those in the community who need them."

Continue to focus on donor intent. Be particularly vigilant about moving money around. As much as there may be a temptation to "borrow" from a restricted fund, DON'T DO IT. Plus, if a donor really doesn't want to support your general operating fund, respect their wishes.

Decide what you're NOT going to do. Maybe it's an event. Maybe a program that needs to be shelved. Maybe it's all new programs. Boil your organization's services down to the core and only focus on funding those activities.

Report your actions. You're probably feeling under the gun! In spite of feeling overwhelmed with everything you have to do, this is not the time to withdraw. Err on the side of oversharing--prepare a regular activity report to your organization's leadership, and if people ask, "How is it going?" tell them! Celebrate every success, no matter how small.

Create your rallying cry! It may sound corny, but you need a mantra. What can you stay focused on? When I was Vice Chair of Membership for the Association of Fundraising Professionals during the only downturn in membership in the organization's 50 year history, my mantra was, "Keep who we have." New members were great, but membership retention was more important to the overall financial picture. Our membership division activities became focused on renewing our members and rewarding them for staying.

Maintain the development cycle, just move it a little faster. There are going to be times when you have to go after the quick win. This does not mean that you jump to the ask; you just need to spend less time researching and cultivating. Jim once secured a major gift within three days after initial contact, but still went through the stages of the cycle. Then, focus your efforts on slowing down the cycle for subsequent asks with that donor, so you can take time to build the relationship after the fact.

There will be many times when you feel like your Herculean efforts are being ignored and that no one understands that you just can't "print money." But by focusing on regular, actionable steps, it will be easier to show progress and hopefully lead to more solid financial footing.

Why Short Cuts Ruin Results

2011-10-10T00:21:00.000-07:00

I had the honor of meeting Dan Coughlin at the Association of Fundraising Professionals Arizona Statewide Conference in 2008 in Tucson. We have been using some of Dan's concepts with nonprofit organizations, and subscribe to his newsletter to see what new gems he can share. Here's an excerpt from his latest article which we think applies to many in the nonprofit field, reprinted with permission. The full article is available at http://thecoughlincompany.com/cc_vol10_7.html (Thanks, Dan!-Alice)

WhyShortcuts Ruin Results byDan Coughlin

Peopleare often categorized into groups by things like their gender, race,height, year of birth, and nationality. Then all sorts of assumptionsare made about each person based on their combination of theselabels.
Thoselabels mean nothing to me. They don’t tell me anything about theindividual because the individual had no choice over any of them whenhe or she was born. Each person was just given those labels.

What’svastly more interesting to me is whether the person is a short-termthinker or a long-term thinker. Each person gets to choose which ofthese categories he or she is going to operate within.

Ashort-term thinker focuses on doing whatever he or she can do to geta good short-term result. The short-term thinker idolizes shortcuts.Shortcuts are fast ways to get really good results, but that are notcapable of producing good results consistently over the long term.

Along-term thinker focuses on doing things that will generate goodshort-term results on such a consistent basis that the long-termresults are good as well. The long-term thinker realizes you can’tget poor results all of the time in the short term and expect to getgood results over the long term. The long-term thinker abhorsshortcuts because he or she knows they breed habits that can’tsustain success.

Thisis such a subtle difference between short-term and long-term thinkersthat it may seem insignificant. However, the ramifications over timeare undeniably dramatic in every area of life.

Education

Theshort-term thinker stays up all night to cram for an exam, gets an A,and then forgets everything he or she learned on the topic. Thelong-term thinker steadily does homework, asks questions in class,takes good notes, and is well-rested and prepared for each test. Thisperson also gets an A on the test, but is prepared to produce at thislevel consistently over time. The short-term thinker eventually hitsa ceiling because all he or she knows is what can be crammed induring an all-out session.

Health

Theshort-term thinker goes on a crash diet to lose thirty pounds. Thelong-term thinker works out four to five times a week and eatswell-balanced meals and keeps his or her weight at a reasonable levelon an on-going basis. The short-term thinker eventually gains theweight back plus a bunch more.

Athletics

Twodads stand beside each other at a youth basketball game. The onechild is eleven months older and much taller and stronger and fasterthan the other child. The older child’s father is a short-termthinker. He thinks, “My kid has what it takes to be a greatplayer.” The other child’s dad is a long-term thinker. He thinks,“We’ll just keep working on skills and see what happens.” Tenyears later the two children are the same size and height andstrength and speed. The younger child has much better skills and goeson to play college basketball. The older child has never really movedbeyond the glory days of being eight years old.

Business

Theshort-term organization rides a trend in the marketplace to get goodresults, but does not have the processes in place to produce goodresults when the trend comes to an end. Apple, being the long-termorganization that it is, has focused consistently on buildinginsanely great products and developed a process that has produced aseries of homerun products. If one product didn’t work out, theyhad the habits in place to produce another great product. Same istrue with Walt Disney (long term focus on delivering quality familyentertainment), Rolex (long-term focus on creating extraordinarywatches), Ralph Lauren (long-term focus on providing easy luxury),and Toyota (long-term focus on building extraordinarily reliablecars). Even when these companies ran into hard times or mademistakes, they still maintained their long-term thinking approach.

TheWorld’s Greatest Business Challenge

Thegreatest challenge in business is not to achieve success. Thegreatest challenge is to sustain success over the long term. In orderto do that, you have to consistently maintain a long-term thinkingapproach.

Asyou run your business or your part of your business, I’m asking youto think about this question, “How can I generate the best possibleresult today in a way that allows us to generate more good resultsfor many years to come?” That is a significantly different questionthan, “How can I generate a great result today?” One is forlong-term thinkers and the other is for short-term thinkers.

Avoidshortcuts and achieve results in ways that allow you to be successfulagain in the future.

AboutDan Coughlin

Visitwww.thecoughlincompany.com.Dan Coughlin is a leading authority on managing for long-termbusiness success. He is a business keynote speaker, seminar leader,and executive coach on leadership, innovation, and branding. He isalso the author of four books on generating sustainable, profitablegrowth. His clients include McDonald’s, GE, Toyota, Prudential,Coca-Cola, Marriott, Jack in the Box, Boeing, Abbott, Denny’s,Subway, Holder Construction, Kiewit, Ace Hardware, and the St. LouisCardinals.

Using Prezi?

2011-09-30T19:56:00.000-07:00

Prezi is a cloud-based alternative to PowerPoint and other presentation software. Of course you can download your Prezis for use without internet as well. If you want to learn how to use it, click here Learn About Prezi. There are 3 video tutorials that will teach you all you need to know. If you want to learn why to use Prezi or the pitfalls to avoid, read on...

Unless you are an advanced user of PowerPoint or other presentation software, your audience is potentially somewhere on the "Barney Arc of Hatred" when PPT pops up on the screen. They are so tired of seeing someone read their bullet points off of their blue background slides that they'll pull out their phones and pretend they're tweeting about you, when in fact they're checking Facebook or playing Angry Birds. Or worse, they're tweeting about you.

Prezi can shake these jaded audiences up by providing a flow of motion that is refreshingly unexpected. It's NOT about creating a synopsis or handout of your presentation. It's inherently about presenting key words, concepts and imagery to reinforce learning and memory of the concepts you present in person. It's not about making a text heavy presentation "prettier." Someone who tends to put all their content as text in their presentation and reads it to their audience, probably shouldn't use Prezi. (and, probably isn't serving their adult learners very well) However, for those speakers who use their presentations as a visual experience and memory aid to enhance learning for their audience while increasing the impact of live, interactive presentations, then Prezi can sing.

GoalBusters Prezi created for the AFP Los Angeles Regional Philanthropy Conference.

Prezi can, by itself, without "you" deliver a meaningful learning experience. Use it like that if you want to create a stand alone presentation that does not need interpretation. However, that is NOT the most effective way for professional speakers to use Prezi. If you are delivering a live presentation or wish to provide support materials to someone who has been in one of your presentations, think of your Prezi as more of a visual or contextual outline with memory cues of the content you present. It has value for someone who has participated in your presentation, but does not replace "you" or allow someone to easily "borrow" your work and present it on their own.

GRIPES: A common complaint I hear is that "All that movin' around makes me sea-sick." I'd argue that if a viewer has that experience, then the Prezi may need editing for better flow. When setting "motion paths," be conscious of the fact that in western cultures we expect to read "top to bottom" and "left to right." Create your motion to accommodate these expectations, especially with bullet points and text blocks to minimize potential "motion sickness."

Also, I've heard claims that Prezi retains the copyright to your content. That is not true. Prezi does not impose, nor retain copyright. Here's a link to their policy http://prezi.com/copyright and Terms of Use http://prezi.com/terms-of-use/

In their TOS, the pertinent sections are 4.3-4.5 and 5. You can read it all, but cutting to the chase, all of this "rights to use" language is about Prezi protecting themselves from someone trying to sue them for distributing copyrighted material because the presentations are "cloud-based."

BOO! IT'S SCARY! (or maybe you're complacent) You've heard that saying "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got. Yeah, that's a lie. Keep doing the same old tired stuff without innovation and "updates" and your effectiveness will decline. We all need to be shaken up a bit now and then don't we? So, what do you have to lose? Prezi is free, give it a try and see how your audience responds. Also see if it tugs you to rethink presentation of your work to better serve your learners. Change is good.

Happy Halloween!

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Alice Ferris alice.ferris

Schultz Fire Flood - One Year Later

2011-09-30T17:54:00.000-07:00

GoalBusters works to support the efforts of nonprofit organizations of all sizes. None of which can succeed without volunteers. We also volunteer for numerous organizations and often "wade in" to help our neighbors. The July, 2010 Schultz Fire Flood in Flagstaff, AZ was a literal example of that commitment.

Jim volunteered for 4 days helping dig homes out of deep mud and create high sandbag barriers to protect those homes from the next inevitable downpour. Our friends called and emailed reporting that Jim appeared in numerous Phoenix television broadcasts. He is shown briefly taking a "water break" in this local story at the :50 second mark. This was 4-5 hours into the first of his 4 days slinging sandbags and shoveling mud and ash. The clip shows the devastation suffered and the teamwork of volunteers and homeowners to prevent this level of damage when the next storm strikes.

The Schultz Fire was a human caused wildfire that burned more than 15,000 acres in the Coconino Forest near Flagstaff, AZ. The resulting loss of trees and other ground cover created intense flooding from the following monsoons. Flooding continues when heavy rains are experienced more than a year later.

A neighbor had watched everyone work to exhaustion that first day and just after dusk as it began to rain again, she approached with her children to deliver a tray of fresh, hot fry bread for the volunteers. Jim washed up in a rain gutter downspout and took a bite.

A Hopi friend took this photo and commented while laughing, "Jim, he'll work for frybread."

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Jim Anderson
GoalBustersJim
Alice Ferris
alice.ferris

Buying Bird Seed: Does the Public Broadcasting Funding Model Still Work?

2011-09-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

"Is membership philanthropy?"
This was a seemingly simple question during the Ethics session led by Walt Gillette, ACFRE from WAMU and Roberta (Robbe) Healey, ACFRE at DEI's Public Media Development and Marketing Conference in July 2011. But given that this was a room of public radio people, it strikes at one of the core principles of the public broadcasting funding model.

How the Public Broadcasting Funding Model is Built
Funding for public broadcasting has been high profile in 2011 due to renewed attempts to zero out funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). With all the attention Federal funding of public broadcasting has received, many of the general public are less aware of the private funding pieces.

Most public broadcasting stations are funded by a combination of sources in varying proportions. These sources may include:

CPB Community Service Grant: most, but not all, public broadcasting stations receive Community Service Grants.
Licensee in-kind support: stations are often licensed to other, larger nonprofits, such as an educational institution. The parent organization frequently will provide in-kind contributions of office space, utilities, human resource management, benefits, etc..
Foundation grants: some stations are very skilled at securing support from private foundations for specific productions or community engagement projects.
Underwriting: one of the two elements with which listeners are most familiar, underwriting is how businesses secure announcements on the air to build brand awareness. Key FCC rules are that there cannot be mention of price, a call to action or comparatives that contribute to "promotion."
Membership: the inevitable pledge drives. Almost every public broadcasting entity does some kind of pledge drive, whether it be once a year or several times a year. These involve many volunteers, lots of phones, tons of thank you gifts/premiums/"swag," too many mentions of phone numbers to count, gallons of coffee, dozens of donuts, at least a few coffee mugs, lots of staff time and usually at minimum one embarrassing thing said live on the air. Membership programs are also frequently supported by direct mail campaigns and telemarketing.
Other individual giving: several stations with more mature development programs have branched into major gifts, but it is not the majority of stations.

Calculations for what a station receives in their Community Service Grant are based on how much private sector funding the station secures. The more contributions they receive, the higher their eligibility for the Community Service Grant in most cases.

Flaws in Public Broadcasting's Funding Model
Over the past 25+ years of participating in the public broadcasting funding model, as a staff person, as a consultant, as a volunteer and as a donor, I've had a lot of opportunities to see campaigns that really worked and ones that crashed and burned. So here's my opinion of what's broken:

CPB funding rewards the successful. When I was at a successful station, this seemed like a great idea! I began my public broadcasting career in one of the most public broadcasting friendly markets in the country--Madison, Wisconsin. But now I'm working with rural and minority stations who can't generate as much community support because the resources aren't there. So are these stations doomed to be under-resourced and overly dependent on CPB funding?
Licensees frequently don't understand how to fit a station into their operating structure and don't know how to appropriately spend their funding. Take educational institutions for example. What department does the station report to? How do you classify the positions for appropriate compensation? How do you track spending to remain in compliance with the CPB?
There is an incredibly small pool of foundation funding available for broadcasting. Ask any station what foundations provide funding to public broadcasting and they will mention The Ford Foundation, The Knight Foundation, and a limited number of other national funds. Some local or regional foundations will support individual stations, but these tend to be smaller grants.
The underwriting "pitch" assumes that your station has measurable audience and that you don't have to go head to head with stations that sell "dollar a holler." The reality for small market stations or smaller stations in multi-station markets is that there aren't ratings numbers or market research for your audience, or at least not ones that you can sell on. In addition, you are fighting for the same marketing dollar that goes to the other stations. Not every station has underwriting staff that is able to sell the differences between public broadcasting value and commercial ad value. If you compete head to head on price, the public broadcaster will lose.
Membership, in most cases, is NOT philanthropy. Back to the original question. It's a transaction. If you don't deliver, you don't get a continued customer. A few loyal people join their public broadcasting station because it's "the right thing to do," but this argument will not continue to work on its own, especially as our audiences move into the Generation X and Millennial generations. If you are providing premiums or thank you gifts, the contributor is driven by that transaction. If you say, "You pay for this program," you are promising to deliver that program. This is not about altruism or solving a social problem, it is about getting stuff.
We assume people "get it," but they don't. Public broadcasters assume that the audience knows they aren't fully funded by the government and that we are worthy of support. The average listener or viewer might understand this to some degree if they've heard or seen one pledge drive, but the general public does not. "You guys get my tax money, isn't that enough?"

Transforming the Funding Model

I started thinking about these issues as we were traveling through a very rural part of the Southwest in "hostile territory." We were on a fact finding trip for a public radio station with a construction permit for an uber-conservative community where some people don't know what public radio is and the much of the rest are threatened by "the liberal media" coming into their town. Yet we know that there are people in this community who want public radio. So how do we find support for this?

Stop (or don't start) training people to be transactional donors. We started with tote bags, coffee mugs and t-shirts, then escalated to videos, books and CD's, which were just a gateway drug to exclusive concert tickets and the ultimate VIP package of the whole series on DVD, the companion book, logoed tkotchkies and special online access to seminars! (As a regular pledge drive pitcher, I'm part of the problem, because I'm actually pretty good at selling this stuff!) We need to break away and get back to mission. Public radio stations throughout the country have gone "premium free" and survived, even thrived.
Underwriting is not advertising sales. Most of the successful underwriting representatives I know are from commercial media sales. But they are also in relatively large markets with a good number of mid to large businesses with actual marketing budgets. They are also in markets where they have audience research numbers. The underwriting sales model has been based on the commercial sales model with a spin in the pitch, but fundamentally is still a commercial model. For underwriting to be successful for all stations, regardless of market size, underwriting efforts need to be fully brought into the spectrum of development activities to build true corporate support, not just generate an ad buy.
This isn't about community service--this is about being part of the community. Public broadcasters have been pretty isolated from their communities. Part of it is the "editorial firewall," but part of it is a fear of getting "messy." It's easier to tell stories about social issues than to actually facilitate change happening. Thanks to the efforts of the National Center for Media Engagement (NCME), we are beginning to see stations "engage with their communities beyond broadcast," which is exactly what needs to happen if stations are to remain relevant and fundable. For some of the communities we work in, we need to determine a community need that we can address, not impose what we want to do on this community.
Stop focusing on the means and start focusing on the ends. Central to the previous point is that stations need to know what a community wants and needs. What are the root causes to issues and how can public media make a difference? Maxie C. Jackson III, President and CEO of the National Federation of Community Broadcasters frequently reinforces the NCME ethos that stations need to be central conveners for people to discuss and debate community issues in a safe place and stations need to reflect and seek to promote the culture that they are a part of. Stations no longer can stand to the side and report what they observe. For example, recently I worked with the Latino Public Radio Consortium on a proposal where, if funded, public broadcasting in Puerto Rico will support Head Start and Early Head Start programs in a very rural, poor neighborhood to improve the educational progress of their students. Not just about providing children's programming, the stations will be facilitating multimedia ways for the community to express their needs and engage in the learning process.
Only when we are less about media and more about making the community better will philanthropists and foundations take note. This will open up more funding opportunities, particularly if public media entities can collaborate with other nonprofit organizations. We are not public broadcasters, we are community activists that happen to have media outlets.

None of these thoughts will actually fix the public media funding model. And I can't even begin to fix the issues with Federal funding of public broadcasting: I'll leave that to 170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting. But the bottom line is that we in public media need to stop selling a product, whether it be to underwriters or to members, and start initiating change that will make a difference in the communities we are part of. If philanthropy is about "love of your fellow man," then we need to generate passion for our communities, not just treat them as audiences. I'm betting they will love us back.

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Convert Your Business Facebook Profile to Fan Page

2011-08-16T22:16:00.015-07:00

If you know you're ready to make the switch, click here to convert your profile to a fan page. If you're not sure why you should bother, read on...

Point of Caution If you do not have a Personal Profile separate from your Business Profile and ALL of your Facebook interactions happen on your business profile, please read this Mashable Blog detailing the potential pitfalls of conversion. If that is the case you should create a personal profile as soon as possible for personal interaction apart from your business interactions. If you already have a separate Personal Profile the risks associated with conversion of your business profile to a business page are minimal and are detailed below.

PROFILES vs PAGES There are many businesses, organizations, bands, etc. who have set up Facebook accounts as "people" or personal profiles. Contrary to the US Supreme Court and Mitt Romney's assertations, businesses aren't people and Facebook agrees.

Click here for Facebook's explanation Why should I convert my profile to a page? clearly stating that setting a profile for anything other than a person is a violation of their policy's and could result in you losing the page. Yes, it happens and will likely be happening more frequently.

To better benefit your business and more securely protect your "friends" data, businesses should set up their Facebook pages as fan "pages" NOT as personal "profiles." If you are a business and you have "friends" on Facebook, you should convert your profile page to an actual Facebook page. Yes, I know you like your "friends" and they like you, but they can't invite your store over for dinner with the family or take your business to movies.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Fan Pages are indexed by search engines. Profiles are not. If you want your Facebook page to improve your results in Google, Bing or Yahoo searches, do NOT set your business up as a personal profile. Create a fan page so "new" people can find you.

Capacity Fan Pages can have an unlimited number of fans. Profiles are limited to only 5,000 friends. Even if you only have a few hundred fans now, why would you choose an option that limits your maximum number of fans.

Delegation Fan pages allow you to assign numerous administrators.
This is great so that one person doesn't have to do all the work maintaining the page. It's also helpful if you're not available to monitor your page due to travel or illness. When an administrator posts, they do so as the page, not themselves personally. Although, I encourage signing your post when it's obviously a personal comment or a reference to someone else on your team.

Multiple Identities
You can manage multiple fan pages from a single personal profile. This is important if you want to promote various businesses, organizations or groups. Alice Ferris and Jim Anderson both have personal pages and we share administration rights for numerous clients and professional organizations we're affiliated with. Including: GoalBusters Consulting, the National Federation of Community Broadcasters (NFCB), KGHR Navajo Public Radio, KAWC Colorado River Public Media, KUYI Hopi Public Radio, AFP Arizona Statewide Meetings and the Public Radio Program Directors (PRPD)

Personal vs Professional Profiles If you have a business fan page, people will still want to connect with (most of) you personally on your profile. They want to know the people behind a business.

Consider your business fan page to represent your brand and your personal profile is a "sub-brand." You may also consider setting up two personal profiles. Use one openly and professionally taking care with the nature of the content to minimize offending customers or clients. Use the second as a "private" profile with your family and true friends. This is a good way to separate that crazy uncle or the person you dated in high school from your professional acquaintances.

Advertising Opportunities Facebook can help you advertise your page, not your profile.

Ready to Convert? The Social Media Hound suggests a review of the following information before your convert your personal profile to a page.

All your confirmed friends will be converted to people who like your new Page.
Your profile pictures will be migrated to your new Page.
Photo albums, profile information, etc. will not be transferred. Be sure to save any important content before beginning your migration. (see step one, below)
Once you convert your personal profile to a business page, that profile will no longer exist.
You will not be able to convert your page back to a personal profile.
You will continue to login with the email/password that you used before you converted the page.

Convert your Facebook profile to a business page:
Step one
Backup your Facebook profile. Login to Facebook and click the down arrow next to Account in the upper right corner of your screen, then select Account Settings. Toward the bottom of that page, you’ll see Download Your Information. Click the "learn more" link to the right and follow the instructions.

Step two
Post a notice indicating you are going to convert the page and explain the page may look different as you complete the conversion and update your information. When you are ready to begin the conversion click here and read How do I convert my profile to a fan page? Follow the instructions. After conversion post another notice to your friends who now "like" your page informing them of the conversion and thanking them for "liking" your organization

Good luck with your conversion.

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Contact Jim.Anderson@GoalBusters.net with any questions regarding Social Media.

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Big Gifts for Small Shops

2011-07-11T09:00:00.006-07:00

There's a myth that smaller nonprofit organizations have a harder time securing big gifts than larger organizations. In fact, any size nonprofit organization can be the beneficiary of significant philanthropic gifts, but when you have a smaller staff, you have to be extremely diligent about what you do to make these transformational gifts happen. Don't just wait for the contributions to drop in your lap! Here's what you can do:

Think BIG. Small organizations sometimes sell themselves short. We remind the organizations we work with, "you're small but mighty!" Transformational gifts only happen if you have a transformational idea. Come up with the big dream and sell it!

Determine what you can get donated in-kind. It's often easier to get physical items donated rather than cash. Be careful, however, to determine what quality you are willing to accept. Don't take something sub par just because it's available. Also, I'm not talking about a wish list in the newsletter--you actually have to ask for items just like you would ask for a cash gift.

Mine your files. Nonprofit organizations notoriously under-utilize the data they already have. Do you have a donor database? A vendor database? Even if it's just a list in the checkbook, you have a list of people who have an established relationship with your organization. If you look at the list, you might find some hidden gems. If you don't recognize the names on your list, ask around--your board, your other staff members, even the donor! Also, look for consistency of giving rather than just size of gift. People who have been giving to you consistently have established a certain level of loyalty; even if they don't have the capacity for a larger gift, they may know someone who does.

Start a planned giving program. Now. Today. It's easy--read Starting a Simple, No Hassle Planned Giving Program.

Start a monthly giving program. This is a hugely easy way to get people to up their investment in your organization. Think about it--it's a lot easier to do $100 a month than it is to give $1,200 in one lump sum. Even if you start low tech, like giving a donor 12 envelopes, it will bring in more consistent revenue throughout the year.

Ask, ask and ask again. It's a game of numbers--larger shops seem to have more success with major gifts because they are asking more! At least once a month, ask someone for "too much." Preferably, ask twice a month or more. You may discover what you thought was too big of a gift is actually quite do-able. As the old adage goes, you don't get what you don't ask for!

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The Power of "the Dark Side": What Fundraisers Can Learn from Salespeople (and vice versa)

2011-06-13T23:03:00.000-07:00

This is a stereotype. It's not Jim.

In spite of the fact that Alice frequently describes Jim as "the older brother I never wanted," we've had a respectable amount of success as a business partnership. Our strategy has been to merge the most powerful traits of the for-profit and nonprofit sectors to increase resources for philanthropic organizations.

So how does, as Jim likes to say, "a cynical salesperson work with a Pollyanna fundraiser for six years without losing his mind?" Here's what we've learned about what translates to philanthropy from "the dark side."

Fundraising AND sales are about relationships.
Fundraisers like to think we have a lock on relationship development. We're "development directors" for that reason! Salespeople? They are focused on making the sale more than the relationship, right? Well, not exactly. Good salespeople aren't focused on the one-time deal: they know that long-term customers are better. Jim shares a story of a major broadcasting executive who once said to him, "This better do everything you said it's going to do. Because it's easy to sell me once, but it's going to be tough to sell me again."

Price is irrelevant; value is everything.
Many fundraisers obsess about how to determine the right ask amount. Salespeople set a price and talk about the value of the purchase. Successful fundraisers do the same--they talk about how communities will be transformed; how lives will be touched; how root cause problems will be solved. This is the value of the philanthropic investment--eventually the amount is less important to the donor.

Present from a position of pride, not poverty.
Many salespeople walk into an interaction with a bit of swagger. (Maybe too much at times!) In contrast, many nonprofit people present a position of neediness. "I know this is a tough economy, and you probably get a lot of requests, but would you consider donating...." Don't do that! Nonprofit organizations change lives, make dreams become reality, improve our communities. You do great stuff! You've earned a little swagger! Be bold!

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
Salespeople have a "book of business" that they work in a methodical way. Even though fundraisers have "moves management," very few nonprofits utilize a structured approach to managing donor lists, cultivating new gifts, and researching new prospective contributors. Whether you're in a one person shop or a large development department, you must take time to plan how you're going to approach your "portfolio" of contributors so that you can deepen the relationships.

Not every meeting is an "advance," but your advances should outnumber your "continuances."
One of Jim's pet peeves, both in sales and in fundraising, is the continuance--the meeting or interaction that doesn't lead anywhere. You had a nice lunch, but there wasn't any change in the relationship. Alice calls this "the cultivation vortex:" you spend too much time cultivating and never feel like it's "the right time" to ask. Move forward! Is there an action step, a deliverable, additional information that needs to be provided? Is there a scheduled time for a follow up? Do you know what's happening next? How will your prospective contributor deepen their engagement with your organization?

Having a mission, vision and an ethical code is a valuable asset.
Few for-profit corporations have a mission and vision for how to transform the community. And almost none have a code of ethics and standards of professional practice that they can point to and say, "here's what is important." This is what gives nonprofits the privilege of their tax status and the privilege of community loyalty. For-profit businesses are catching on to this: Toms is one of our favorites. (And they sell cool shoes.)

Trust is critical.
Generally, the culture of nonprofits is to trust people until they prove unworthy. In sales, trust is not easily earned. This is probably the most difficult part for someone migrating from the for-profit world to the nonprofit sector, because philanthropy is fundamentally based on trust: trust that you will do what you said you would do with the money. Trust that you both have the best interests of the relationship at heart. Trust that a fundraiser will put the needs of the organization ahead of personal gain.

On that note, we know that fundraising is not sales. But that does not mean that you don't have to sell. Selling is not only about an exchange for money, but also communication, listening, persuasion, and yes, relationship development. By studying the practices of reputable salespeople, we can "use our powers for good" to benefit of our communities.

This post is an abbreviated summary of our presentation formerly known as "Little Bit Country, Little Bit Rock and Roll," and was posted on the sixth anniversary of Alice and Jim's business relationship.

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Lessons in Nonprofit Ethics from Three Cups of Tea and 60 Minutes

2011-04-21T22:05:00.002-07:00

Often when we discuss potential ethical dilemmas, someone says, "Do you want to see this on the front page of the paper?" I guess the question now is, "Do you want to see this on 60 Minutes?"

After the release of the 60 Minutes story investigating Greg Mortenson, author of Three Cups of Tea and Executive Director of the Central Asia Institute, many questions have been raised about the truth of Mortenson's books, the legitimacy of his charity, and the transparency of the CAI's financials.

And all these questions have been raised just in time for me to do a presentation on fundraising ethics!

Originally, my presentation was supposed to summarize the findings of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Ethics Think Tank and use the case study format led by Paul Pribbenow, chair of the AFP Ethics Committee, to discuss fictional cases. Instead, I facilitated a discussion with participants from the AFP Northern Arizona Chapter about the issues and impact of the 60 Minutes story.

So, using Dr. Pribbenow's case study analysis process, here's what we learned from Three Cups of Tea and 60 Minutes:

1. What are the issues?

Greg Mortenson receives compensation and travel expenses from the Central Asia Institute, and there is a question as to whether he receives "excess compensation." The CAI board states that they retained counsel prior to the 60 Minutes story and that counsel determined that this is not the case.
There is lack of understanding by the public on the mission of CAI. Much of the audience of Mortenson's books assumes that the sole purpose is to build schools, but CAI says that their mission is to build schools and educate the American public about the issue through Mortenson's talks. While it's all education, these are very different kinds of education, and the domestic portion seems cloudy.
There is conflicting information circulating about how many schools have been built and the effectiveness of building those schools.
There is even more conflicting information about the details of Mortenson's "genesis" stories of the Central Asia Institute.
Mortenson and CAI did not willingly participate in the 60 Minutes investigation and following the story are playing "catch up" in their media response.
Mortenson is the face and keystone of CAI's fundraising efforts.

2. How should this have played out?

A clearer separation of CAI and Mortenson's finances would have eliminated much of the charity's issues: for example, Mortenson could have sold his book, took his expenses out of the royalties, then provided a personal donation to CAI to fund the programs. Or, at minimum, CAI could have clearer and more public policies regarding reasonable travel expense reimbursement.
More consistent and transparent financial reports would allow CAI to more accurately report how funds were expended and how their efforts impacted the women in Afghanistan and Pakistan. To wit, CAI has added a link to their financial reports on the front page of their website since the airing of the story.

3. What other nuances or relationship dynamics are playing into this?

The CAI Board of Directors consists of Mortenson and two others. That is not a large enough board, given the cult of personality around Mortenson, to promote critical, independent analysis. Mike DeLucia, Former Director of Charitable Trusts for the New Hampshire Attorney General's Office, noted, "Fraud may be easier to perpetrate in nonprofits due to an atmosphere of trust, weak internal controls, lack of financial expertise, and reliance on voluntary boards." While there is not proof of fraud, CAI may still benefit from a broader and more independent board of directors.
Mortenson is a visionary, but by the accounts of those who know him, he's not an administrator. This is true for a lot of non-profit organizations--the founder is inspirational, but not one for details. CAI may want to modify its organizational structure to remove Mortenson from the regular operations of the charity. They may actually have this structure already, but it needs to be more prominently noted if that is the case.

4. If you were on the board, what would you do?

Develop a crisis communications plan to use NOW and in the future. Avoiding the media is never the best approach--they just get more persistent. CAI is attempting to respond now on their website, but they could have proactively addressed the 60 Minutes challenges well before the story aired, potentially minimizing the impact of the story.
Create an easy to read financial report that provides specifics on how much was spent overseas to build schools and fund programs in Afghanistan and Pakistan and how much was spent in the US on speaking engagements. Donors have the right to know where their money was spent, but let's face it, most will not wade through the audit or the Form 990. Make it easy to understand.
Get the facts straight on how many schools were built, where they are, and what their current statuses are. No need to embellish.
Consider hiring a new independent auditor to not only verify financials but also provide analysis on organizational structure and internal controls.
Expand and diversify the board of directors.

Regardless of the current allegations, CAI has a respectable mission and appears to be doing good work. Let's hope that they can move beyond this and become a stronger, more effective organization.

Other opinions:
Three Cups of Tea, spilled, New York Times Op-Ed
Lessons Learned from Three Cups of Tea, Justice for All blog by Akhila Kolisetty

Links to other relevant information:
Association of Fundraising Professionals Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Practice

Thanks to Paul E. Doherty for asking me for this post.-AF

How to Work for a Nonprofit and Not Be Totally Stressed Out

2011-03-30T21:52:00.001-07:00

When you ask someone who works for a nonprofit organization, "How are you?" what answers do you hear nowadays?

Working on a fundraising campaign right now, since our (fill in the blank) funding got cut...
Well, we're short-staffed for (fill in the blank) right now...
(Heavy sigh) I'm stressed out.

It's not easy being in the nonprofit field in general, and today's economic conditions make it even more challenging. Nonprofit organizations are serving more people with fewer resources and facing increasing threats to their core funding. So how do you continue to work in the nonprofit field and save your sanity?

What's the problem? Take time to determine what the real issue is. Is it a problem that you can solve, or a condition that you need to work around? Is it an immediate threat, or something that you think might happen in the future? What's the true impact on your organization? Can you document it, or is it "worst case scenario" imagining?

Find your allies. In every situation, you'll discover pretty quickly who's in your inner circle, the people who are loyal to your cause no matter what. How can you "rally the troops" and give them something productive to do? Likewise...

Know who will throw you under the bus. Nonprofit professionals are usually a very trusting bunch, but sometimes you need to face the harsh reality that there are some people that you just can't turn around to your side. Minimize their impact on your efforts as you are able, shore up defenses with your allies, and strengthen your network.

Identify collaborators. Some people may think that a dollar you get is a dollar I don't. Break out of that mind set of "all or nothing" and find other people and organizations that you can work with to share resources. Donors appreciate that you are being efficient and effective with their contributions and generally reward collaborative efforts.

Respond quickly. If you are in the midst of a crisis, such as a major funding source pulling out, you have to respond quickly and decisively. This is not the time for long, drawn out analysis. It helps if you have planned ahead (see disaster plan) but even if you haven't, act. Where can you make immediate changes with the greatest impact? How will you communicate what you are doing to your constituents? Own the problem and take control of what you can.

Have a disaster plan. Hospitals and public safety agencies plan ahead so that they are prepared for the worst emergencies and can respond. Do you know how you would respond if a major funder pulled the plug? Knowing how you would handle that in advance, even if it's scary, helps you create strategies to mitigate risk. What can you control? How do you counteract things you can't control? After the crisis is under control, make sure you write down what you did so you can develop a plan for the future.

Focus on what really matters. Things can seem really impermanent in the nonprofit field--there's always another fundraising campaign, another event, another client to help, another problem to solve. If you focus on the never-ending spiral of day to day stuff, it can easily get overwhelming. So where have you made a difference? Who do you help? Get out there and talk to people whose lives have been improved by what you do.

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Alice and Jim will be presenting "Self-Defense for Nonprofits: Tools for Fundraising in Adverse Conditions" and several other workshops, as well as the keynote address at THE Conference in Wilkes-Barre, Pennslyvania on April 13. For our calendar of presentations, visit our event schedule.

What Would Mr. Rogers Do?

2011-02-20T20:03:00.018-07:00

Public broadcasting has been part of our lives for a LONG time. Here's Alice at about 1 year old, with her mom, Annie Lin, and Mr. Rogers. Public Broadcasting is probably as much a part of your family as it and Mr. Rogers are a part of ours.

Why does Public Broadcasting deserve the small investment of support it receives? Simple. It changes lives. How's that for "ROI?" Public Broadcasting has faced relentless attempts to eliminate it. Why is that? Why would Public Broadcasting so frequently be on the chopping block? More importantly, why have these attacks historically failed?

Mr. Rogers himself defended Public Broadcasting decades ago. His comments ring true today.

It was 1969 when Fred Rogers from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood appeared before the Senate Subcommittee on Communications to express his disagreement with a proposal by President Richard Nixon to cut federal funding for public broadcasting. Rogers detailed the guiding influence of television, and helped sway the Senate’s decision to leave funding for public broadcasting intact.

More than 40 years later, public media faces an even greater challenge. Several bills now before Congress would eliminate funding for public broadcasting. Unlike previous attacks on public broadcasting, the bill just passed by the House will zero out funding for public broadcasting immediately. These funds are used to keep your local public broadcasting stations on the air with high-quality non-commercial programming with a particular focus on the needs of underserved audiences, including children, minorities, and low-income Americans.

The unique thing about public broadcasting is and always has been a commitment to make sure every American, regardless of financial ability or cultural background, has access to education, lifelong learning, arts, culture, and civilized discussion about the issues facing us today. This programming is available without a subscription fee or special decoders--just turn on your radio or television, and it's there for you.

170 Million Americans use Public Broadcasting each month. Help us tell Congress that funding for public broadcasting is too important to eliminate. Take 30 seconds, and add your name in support of public media.

170 Million Americans for Public Broadcasting

Won't you be our neighbor?

All Sponsors Are NOT Created Equal

2011-01-28T10:27:00.027-07:00

Congratulations! You've nearly "SOLD OUT" the sponsorships for your event! You are Rock Stars!!

But... Now you have to deliver the value you promised. Now you have to make sure that you honor and recognize your sponsors in a manner consistent andequitable with their level of support. You can accomplish this by consciously making decisions about the size, order andtitling of sponsor logos in your media buys, online promotion and advertising opportunities. As you consider these options keep in mind that ultimately it's about visibly demonstrating the level of investment of your sponsors. Let's take a look at the one "virtually" free resource you can offer...

ONLINE REPRESENTATION
Email, Social Media and Website you have discretion in utilizing your "real estate" but shouldstrive to be fair in "who gets how much and where." How should you set up a "Sponsor Page" or "Sponsor Sidebar?" It doesn't matter how egalitarian your organization is, think "Hierarchy" because your sponsors do.

TITLE SPONSOR Logos are ALWAYS displayed first and are usually the largest on the website. Sometimes their logo may be the same size as “Major Sponsors” depending on overall layout and webpage design.

MAJOR SPONSORS Logos appear second after "Title Sponsors" with the size dependent on layout and level of support. You may have multiple "Major Sponsors" at different levels of support. Keep that in mind as you decide size, order and placement of their logos.

SUPPORTING SPONSORS You may choose to include logo and/or name representation depending on level of support. It is important the size of "Supporting Sponsor" logos not be larger than "Major Sponsor” Logos. You may also choose to only list the name of organizations under a separate heading for the smaller sponsorships. You may also decide whether or not to include click-able navigation links to logos and/or names of sponsors. I tend to always include navigation links on logos and names for all sponsors.

MEDIA SPONSORS It is usually best to create a separate category for non cash contributors. The value of your media partners contributions should be recognized but should rarely be treated the same as your “cash” supporters. You can think of it in terms of “restricted” vs. “unrestricted” funding. Size of logos within your “Trade/Media Sponsor” category should still indicate level of sponsorship support.

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It can be tricky is working with differently proportioned logos. You may need to stack or modify the proportion on some rectangular logos so they don't appear twice as large/long as a comparable square logo. It can be difficult to provide exactly "equal" proportions but effort should be made to always maintain representation that is consistent and equitable with the level of support provided by both cash and trade partners.

Ultimately, how you recognize your sponsors is the decision of you and your team, but if questioned by a sponsor as “why” their representation appears the way it does, you should always be able to explain your logic for their representation.

NON CASH SUPPORT CONSIDERATIONS

All In-Kind (Trade) Benefits Are NOT Created Equal

You will ALWAYS have partners who offer to support you with non-cash benefits. If it's truly a gift, you should usually accept it unless it has no value to you or if there is a cost involved in maintaining the gift such as fees, maintenance, etc.

But often the non cash offer is in the form of trade for sponsorship, recognition or other services or benefits you might provide. It is critical that you recognize that the value of these offers vary dependent upon what is being offered and what you truly need. Follow these rules and you can prioritize the time you invest pursuing In-Kind Benefits.

THREE TIERS OF IN-KIND VALUE
"MUST DO" - EXPENSE SAVINGS
If you would otherwise have to pay for a product or service and someone is willing to provide it in trade value, that is the same as cash. Pursue these benefits as you would a cash contribution.

"SHOULD DO" - MARKETING/PROMOTION
These are most often your media partnerships. You would invest in these marketing and advertising companies if you had the financial resources. They will (hopefully) generate awareness, interest and participation in your event. If effective, they improve the overall attendance for your event and financial contributions to your organization.

"WOULD LIKE TO DO" - CONSTITUENT/TEAM BENEFIT

These are value offerings that provide "perks" for your team or for the people you serve. They might be tickets to events, they might be free samples or services. You would provide these "perks" if you could, but would rarely invest cash in securing them.

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Please contact Jim.Anderson@GoalBusters.net with any questions regarding sponsorships.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Thankful for the Kindness of Strangers (and Friends): The Joys of Travel

2010-11-28T23:16:00.002-07:00

With all the talk of full body scans and "friendly" pat downs, it makes you wonder why anyone would bother with travel at all! For GoalBusters, the last few months have been filled with many trips and through it all, we've met many people that make it worth the hassle.

Why travel is cool:

The Last Butter Tart
(before 5 of us ate it)

1. People generally want to share the best of their community. In Mexico City, my hosts were insistent that I tour the Anthropology Museum during my less than 72 hour trip for a presentation. They were so insistent that they arranged for a driver to whisk me from the conference to the museum, wait for me at the museum, and bring me back to the conference in time for one of the closing sessions. That driver also took me to a bank to get pesos (at my request) and took me to a street stall for lunch (and he even bought).

In Toronto, my friends Mark and Joseph Climie-Elliott invited people to join them for the Taste of the Danforth. A small group of us got to experience this lively Greek street festival and five of us shared a single butter tart, the last one remaining of several hundred that were made by the bakery we visited. It was a really good, really teeny piece of pastry which is now a link amongst Mark, Andrew Watt and I at Association of Fundraising Professionals meetings!

Carlos Madrid-Varela and Alice in Mexico City

2. People are pretty understanding if it looks like you're trying. I speak almost no Spanish. I can say por favor, gracias, si, no, a few numbers, and a smattering of other words related to food. Yet in spite of my less than preschool grasp of the language, every person I interacted with wanted to help me. Maybe they felt sorry for me, but I was put at ease almost immediately by everyone with a smile and "Don't worry, I speak a little English," or hand signals to try to communicate. In general, if you ask questions with genuine interest, you can usually get some good travel tips and maybe a clue to a hidden gem.

My fellow birthday celebrants

3. People love to celebrate, even if they don't know why. During this stretch of travel, I celebrated my 40th birthday, which I wasn't exactly quiet about! Many strangers joined right in, making it a birthday week to remember: there was a group of old Chinese men at a bar in Chinatown in San Francisco who toasted me in between innings of the Giants championship game; there was a young woman who was celebrating her birthday with co-workers and shared her decadent chocolate birthday cake with me; there was the old time country western band whose members ranged in age from 62 to 82 who sang "Happy Birthday" to me and then taught me how to two-step. Which leads me to a lesson learned...

4. If you don't plan too much, you can end up on quite an adventure. I'm not saying, "don't plan." I'm saying, "don't over-plan." Most of my travel disasters have come from too rigid a plan rather than no plan at all. (I'm a total list person, so this is a tough one for me!) My new rule--plan enough to have a framework, but leave room for detours. For instance, a spontaneous stop at a produce stand on the side of the road leads to perfect locally grown strawberries and delicious and cheap pomegranates. Or asking the front desk about the best restaurants in Rochester, Minnesota leads to an evening "dine-around" of four different restaurants and way too much fried cheese.

5. You meet some really nice people. From Toronto to Mexico City, from New Jersey to Monterey Bay, we've encountered so many people who showed genuine hospitality to us. I look forward to returning the favor to some other traveler soon.

So, where to next?

Jim Anderson Named AFP Northern Arizona Fundraising Professional of the Year

2010-10-30T17:17:00.001-07:00

Jim Anderson of GoalBusters Consulting, LLC will be honored as the Fundraising Professional of the Year during the 2010 National Philanthropy Day®, hosted by The Association of Fundraising Professional Northern Arizona Chapter (AFPNAZ) Thursday, November 18 in Sedona, Ariz.

James Anderson
AFP Northern Arizona
2010 Fundraising Professional
of the Year

Anderson was nominated by Vernon Kahe, Alice Ferris, and Sararesa Begay-Hopkins for his contributions to the philanthropic community since 2005.

Anderson’s work with the Hopi Education Endowment Fund (HEEF) and KGHR Navajo Public Radio, among many others, gave him experience and motivation to be a philanthropist, while his personality and creativity gave him the characteristics it takes to be a one-of-a-kind leader.

“Often, one is surprised to see this uptight-looking guy in a suit and tie break out in a TV theme song, or even better, 'I’m a little teapot' or running around a crowded room sprinkling water, acting like rain,” said Kahe, resource development manager for the HEEF. “Although easygoing, Jim gets his point across, while the suit and tie lend credibility.”

Will work for frybread.

Ferris, Anderson’s business partner at GoalBusters Consulting, LLC since 2006, has a vast appreciation for Anderson’s personal commitment to philanthropy. During the Schultz Flood, he dropped everything he was doing to help an affected family shovel mud for fours days, and was rewarded for his hard work with frybread.

“I know Jim wants people to believe that he’s a tough salesman, but he has the heart of a philanthropist,” Ferris said. “I believe that this combination makes him an excellent fundraiser and worthy of this year’s award.”

In addition to financial results achieved since moving to the nonprofit sector, Jim has many accomplishments that demonstrate his creativity and willingness to do what needs to be done:

North Country Healthcare
2007 Cinco de Mayo Parade Team
Roller skated in the Cinco de Mayo parade to promote the North Country Healthcare Capital Campaign
Master of Ceremonies for several fundraising events, including the American Cancer Society's Denim or Diamonds, where he coaxed $11,000 from the attendees to sponsor kids affected by cancer to attend camp
Participation in one of the longest pledge breaks ever (28 minutes) on KAWC Colorado River Public Media while waiting for Riders in the Sky to find a place to park their RV
Initiated the “GoalBusters Philanthropic Follies,” a variety show/dinner theater fundraiser scheduled for October 2011 that will benefit Flagstaff Cultural Partners.

James S. Anderson has more than 25 years of sales and sales training experience through his positions with local media and national research companies such as Nielsen Media, Simmons and Scarborough Research. Consistently recognized as a top revenue producer ($30 million plus), Jim earned "Sales Executive" and "Negotiator of the Year" awards. Jim has an extensive background in media production, and has created projects ranging from training videos for television stations nationwide to promotional videos for client events. As an instructor at Northern Arizona University, he received superior evaluations from the 500 or more students who participated in his "Communications Analysis" and "Sales, Research, Marketing and Promotion" classes. Jim specializes in marketing and branding strategy, social media marketing, multimedia production, sales and sponsorship programs, and board and organizational training. Jim serves as vice president of external relations for the AFP Northern Arizona Chapter, president of Flagstaff Communicators, and is an AFP Faculty Training Academy graduate.

GoalBusters Consulting, LLC provides philanthropic leadership services to nonprofit organizations throughout the United States, specializing in development program management and implementation, strategic planning, campaign planning and direction, social media marketing, grant proposal research and creation, event management, and board training. GoalBusters has presented on philanthropic leadership topics in the US, Canada and Mexico, and is available for trainings, workshops and other speaking engagements, in addition to providing customized services for organizations. Additional information is available at www.goalbusters.net.

Key Takeaways from the Fundamentals of Fundraising

2010-09-17T23:17:00.004-07:00

We recently presented two modules of the AFP Fundamentals of Fundraising in Tuba City, Arizona, on the Hopi Reservation (and across the street from the Navajo Reservation.) The discussion and questions from our participants made us think about what key points really need to be communicated to people new to fundraising. Here are our thoughts:

Make sure everyone agrees on the definitions.
What is philanthropy? What's a “major gift”? What does each person think of when you say “fundraising”? There are a wide range of responses on these questions, so it's important to make sure we're not losing something in translation.
Not every donor prospect is a good one.
Most people new to fundraising hate to think that someone out there might NOT be interested in their cause. They cling to the thought that a big donor, foundation or corporation will hear about their program and be so inspired that they throw their priorities out the window and make a huge gift! It's tough love, but let's be real. Some people just aren't that in to you.
Cultivation is good but don't get stuck there.
Yes, you should get to know your donor, find out their interests, and develop an ongoing relationship. But at some point, you need to ask. The example we give is about dating—you know that person that you know wants to ask you out on a date but never does? Don't get to that point with a donor and asking for a gift. We recommend 5-7 meaningful contacts with a prospective donor, then assess if it's time to ask. But don't forget the next point...
There is no neon sign flashing over a donor's head saying, “Ask now.”
It just takes practice to know when someone's ready to be asked for a gift. They might be kind and give you “buying signals” like, “What's the budget on that project? How many donors are you looking to secure for that? Are there naming or dedication opportunities with this project?” But more often than not, they don't make it that easy. They might not even realize that they are ready to be asked. You may have to test the waters with questions like, “Would you be interested in more information about this?”
You need reasons of the head and heart to make a strong story.
Charitable contributions are not logical. We are voluntarily giving away our hard-earned money! So the most powerful stories to encourage philanthropic support include reasons of the head—such as a low cost per student, or a challenge match, or a tax deduction—and reasons of the heart—personal stories of people who have been touched, or personal experience for the donor, or “it just feels good.” Also, depending on the donor and his or her motivations, you may need to appeal to a sense of status—how does this make me look to my peers?
Fundraising is not a cookie cutter formula.
People who think they can send the same grant proposal to a bunch of foundations or treat every donor the same will be sorely disappointed. Just like any relationship, the more you can customize your interactions to the needs of the individual donor, the more effective you will be.

Special Event Makeover: The Velvet Rope: Creating a VIP Experience

2010-09-01T21:25:00.010-07:00

At the GoalBusters "Special Event Makeover" workshop, we discussed how to make your special event "special." Here is a repost of a blog from 2008 with highlights from "The Velvet Rope."
************
Is your special event truly “special?” Are your VIP’s truly “very important?”

Maybe you’ve been to an event where you thought, “This is truly spectacular!” But you’ve also probably been to an event where you thought, “I will never come to this thing again!”

What made the good event so good and the bad event so bad? It was connected to your personal experience. Did you feel special or did you feel like just another cog in the machine?

To make a lasting connection to an event participant, you need to create an unforgettable experience that they believe delivered more value than they paid for.

When designing your event’s experience, think about these points:

Exclusivity. It’s not “VIP” if everyone can have it. And this does not just apply to high end concerts or galas. Even at picnics or family gatherings, it can be as simple as providing a t-shirt that’s only available at your event. Exclusive is about providing access that other people don’t have.
Participant focused. Depending on your event, you’ll have different personality types of participants. If your participant wants recognition, then make sure you have some way to publicly appreciate them. If they would rather learn more about the organization, make sure there’s plenty of information available.
Shared history. Your VIP’s develop a connection to each other and to your organization when you give them stories in common. Provide unique opportunities for the VIP’s to interact.

You can design the highest value experience for your donor without necessarily spending a lot of money. Logo cups, a separate buffet or food and beverage services, toys, and other gifts are easy and usually inexpensive to provide.

Whatever you do for your participants, always think creatively and think from the perspective of your donor. Your next event will be spectacular!

For more on this topic, contact GoalBusters about “The Velvet Rope.”#####

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Starting a Simple, No Hassle Planned Giving Program

2010-08-27T10:22:00.001-07:00

For most nonprofits, planned giving programs are something that you know you should do, but in the middle of making sure that mailing campaign gets to the post office, trying to get the newsletter done, picking out the menu for your next special event, and just the general day to day responsibilities, planned giving goes by the wayside. The excuses? "It's too complicated." "That's for later when we have an established program." "We're too small for that."

In reality, planned giving programs can be easy, if you start with the basics. First, to every piece of communication that leaves your office, add a simple footer that reads:

For information about including (YOUR IMPORTANT CAUSE) in your will or trust, please contact us at (DEVELOPMENT PERSON'S PHONE NUMBER) or email (YOUR EMAIL).

This means on the bottom of fax cover sheets, on letterhead, in your email signature, on your website, on your Facebook page, etc. You may not get any direct responses right away, but this raises awareness that you are an organization that will accept a gift like this!

Then, if someone actually contacts you and wants information, you can send them the following sample bequest language. (Please modify this depending on the laws of your state.)

Sample Bequest Language

Supporting [ORGANIZATION] through your will or trust

One of the many ways that you can support [ORGANIZATION]’s mission to [INSERT MISSION HERE] is to make a legacy gift through your will or trust.

A will or trust is an important legal document, so please contact an attorney or financial advisor for assistance. To assist you with this important decision, here is some suggested bequest wording.

Bequest with a Specific Dollar Amount

I give, devise and bequeath to [ORGANIZATION], [STATE] non-profit 501(c)(3)corporation, tax identification number [EIN], the sum of $__________ [for restriction, if applicable].

Bequest with a Percentage Amount

I give, devise and bequeath to [ORGANIZATION], [STATE] non-profit 501(c)(3)corporation, tax identification number [EIN], _____ percent of my residual estate [for restriction, if applicable].

Bequest of a Residue of an Estate

I give, devise and bequeath to [ORGANIZATION], [STATE] non-profit 501(c)(3)corporation, tax identification number [EIN], all the rest, residue and remainder of my estate, including real and personal property, [for restriction, if applicable].

For questions or additional information, please contact:

CONTACT INFORMATION

*****

That's pretty much it for most nonprofit planned giving programs, and you'd be surprised what can happen! Other simple options are to encourage your donor to name your charity as the beneficiary on a life insurance policy or retirement fund.

Of course, if someone wants to make a more complicated gift, such as a charitable remainder trust, life trust or other deferred giving vehicle, find a local resource to help you! Check with your local Partnership for Planned Giving (PPP) Council or a community foundation to see if they have a planned giving advisor who will assist your nonprofit with more elaborate gifts.

Good luck!

Storytelling: Communicating Your Mission with Infectious Passion

2010-07-13T14:17:00.086-07:00

On July 13th 2010, GoalBusters presented the webinar "Storytelling: Communicating Your Mission with Infectious Passion" for the Charity Channel's Charity University. Here are some of highlights and resource materials we discussed during the session.

Storytelling is a part of our cultural heritage and vital in any organization to transfer the passion
you have for your cause to the public, donors, volunteers, board members and staff.

Stories are important to us because:

They communicate history
They establish identity
They share culture
They aid memory

Universal themes will help you engage the listener so they keep listening.

Organizational Stories and Themes: Examples

Mob at the Gates

Benevolent Community

Rot at the Top

Triumphant Individual

Examples for a Nonprofit School

Government funding being cut for education

New legislation requires more time for testing and less time for other classes

Students’ families and friends get together to refurbish the auditorium for performances

Owner of property next door to school building large factory and trying to force school to move

Principal of school was once a student there and has come home to provide education for his hometown

How will you represent your organization? Most organizations have stories in each category. Which are the most compelling for your organization?

Classic Story Structure: “Introduce your hero, get him up a tree, throw rocks at him, throw more rocks at him and then get him out of the tree.” - Robert McKee, Screenwriting Guru

It's easier to convince a prospective donor to contribute if he or she can empathize with a character and be engaged by the story.

What do you need to transform your data to a story?

Introduce Protagonist - Who are we following? It can be an individual or your organization.
Inciting Incident - Importance of antagonism or the emotional dynamics. This is the "Problem Statement.
Obstacles / Barriers - Why is it hard to fix the problem?
Resolution / Success - Put the donor in the story

Another way to express the story is...

Who you are
What you do
Why it matters
How someone can help

Telling the Story:

Determine your audience - Focus on who you can actually persuade to act
Give your characters voice - Client quotes, Real people where possible
Select communication vehicle -In person? Print? Radio? TV? Video?
Pick presentation style - How formal do you need to be? Where will you be telling your story?
Target desired response - What do you want them to do? Fall asleep? (bedtime story) Get angry? Volunteer? Change their mind? Give you money?
Think about the epilogue and the sequel - What comes next? What will you talk about when you next meet?

#####

Watch the videos of the nonprofit organizations whose stories were shared today.

The Hopi Education Endowment Fund's connection of History, Identity, Memory and Culture.

The "Classic Story Structure" in the campaign to build the Sanders Clinic; Sanders, Arizona.

Meet John H. Caskey, III the protagonist of the North Country HealthCare story.

#####

Additional Storytelling tips and resources

Storytelling as Best Practice - Ten Tips for Storytellers by Terrence E. McNally

1. Stories are about people. (And people have names – even if you have to make them up.) Instinctively, your audience will want to know whom they will be following on this particular journey, and they also will want a mental picture of that person, so it helps to provide at least a few physical details.

2. One or more of the people in your story has to want something: to do something, to change something, to get something. A story doesn’t really get started until the audience knows what the goal is and has a reason to care whether or not it is attained.

3. Stories need to be fixed in time and space. Audiences don’t need every detail, but they want to know: was this last week or 10 years ago? Are we on a street corner in Boston, a Wal-Mart in Iowa, or somewhere else?

4. While people in a story pursue a goal, they tend to talk. Direct quotes let the audience hear your characters’ unique voices, bring the audience into action (which is precisely where you want them), and lend urgency to storytelling.

5. Audiences bore easily. Your story has to make them wonder, “What happens next?” or “How is this going to turn out?” As people in your story pursue their goal, they have to run into obstacles, surprises, or something that makes the audience sit up and take notice.

6. Stories speak the audience’s language. They are colorful (thanks to telling details), concise, and clearly understandable.

7. Stories stir up emotions. Human beings (which should comprise the majority of your audience) will not think about things they do not care about. So you have to make them care before you can get them to think about your issue. That’s the test your story has to meet.

8. Stories don’t tell: they show. Intellectually, your audience will understand a sentence such as, “She felt hostility from the family.” But when you write, “The family wouldn’t look her in the eye,” your audience will see the moment and feel the family’s anger.

9. Stories have clear meaning. When the curtain comes down, your audiences should know why exactly they took this journey with you.

10. Stories are containers of truth. At their essence, the best stories are about how we should treat ourselves, how we should treat other people, or how we should treat the world around us.

#####

Resources for Further Learning

Storytelling as Best Practice By Andy Goodman, available at agoodmanonline.com

Free Range Thinking A free monthly newsletter by Andy Goodman, available at agoodmanonline.com

The Triumph of Narrative by Robert Fulford “Story telling is an attempt to deal with and at least partly contain the terrifyingly haphazard quality of life.”

The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge “I realize that…many otherwise competent managers in leadership positions were not leaders of the same ilk precisely because they saw no larger story.”

The Story Factor by Annette Simmons “In a complex environment, people listen to whomever makes the most sense – whomever tells the best story. Facts don’t have the power to change someone’s story. Your goal is to introduce a new story that will let your facts in.”

Storytelling in Organizations by Yiannis Gabriel “In [a business] environment, amidst the noisy din of facts, numbers, and images, the delicate, time-consuming discourse of storytelling is easily ignored or silenced. Few organizations are spontaneous storytelling cultures.”

Storytelling for Grantseekers: The Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising by Cheryl A Clarke

All Marketers are Liars: The power of Telling Authentic Stories in a Low-Trust World by Seth Godin

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screen writing by Robert McKee

Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting; a step-by-step guide from concept to finished script by Syd Field.

#####

Additional training and presentation information about Storytelling and other topics is available at www.GoalBusters.net or by emailing info@goalbusters.net.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Fundraising Through a Different Lens: Thoughts to Guide Philanthropy in Diverse Communities

2010-06-20T10:26:00.002-07:00

Many well intentioned fundraisers have made a cultural misstep: you schedule a major event on a religious holiday, pick a menu that features food that is culturally taboo, or you make an assumption about someone's beliefs only to find out the hard way that you are very, very wrong. So how can you navigate cultural traditions, norms and unwritten rules when you are not a member of a certain group, yet you need to work with the group for fundraising?

1. Think about things you have in common with individuals within the community.
When we meet someone new, if you're good at getting to know people, you immediately start to try to find things that you have in common. But isn't it interesting, that when you consider groups of people, suddenly it becomes easier to find things you don't share? Instead of thinking about a particular culture as a group: Native American, African American, Chinese American, Jewish, Muslim, or others, begin with a single individual. Try to find common values and interests with that one person. Not only will this help with building respect for a potential donor's values, but also works to develop relationships that are critical to the fundraising process.

2. Find a "coach," advisor or trusted ally to help you within the community.
There are many factors that contribute to the definition of a culture, including but not limited to religious beliefs, traditions, geographic location, economic class, language, food, and much more. It can be very difficult to understand the layers of culture if you are an "outsider"--a transplant or an occasional visitor. Your advisor should be someone that you have gotten to know well enough that you can ask them the "stupid questions" without completely offending them. They should also be someone who believes in and trusts you enough to steer you away from the pitfalls and potholes! One of our trusted advisors is always good to point out without judgement when we've made a mistake. They also explain where we went awry. We value these learning opportunities and generally don't make the same mistake twice!

3. Take time to understand the "philanthropic currency" of the community.
While fundraisers are typically dealing with cash or cash based assets, we need to be aware that many diverse communities do not have a history of cash based philanthropy. In each group's culture of philanthropy, there may be traditions of helping extended family by providing a place to stay, or bringing food to a person who is sick, or coming with your horse to help with farming. In general, there is some tradition of helping others in every culture we have encountered, but in most, it is very direct and hands on. This is not to say that cash contributions don't happen in diverse communities--in fact, "minority" groups will become a majority proportion of philanthropic givers in the future as the makeup of our population changes. What you need to do, with the help of your advisor or coach, is understand what the culture's philanthropic currency is traditionally, and how you can translate those concepts to cash giving.

For example, in early Chinese American philanthropy, support was provided through "name houses," where any new immigrant with a particular family name could get help with housing, employment, communication, and more. So I could have gone to the Lin house to get help if I were just landing in the United States. Benefactors to these name houses were generally immigrants who had already established themselves. Points that you might glean from this tradition are that honoring the family name and making sure that the next generation is better off than the last are highly valued by this group.

4. Challenge your assumptions not only about other cultures but about yourself.
What misconceptions might other cultures have about you? Being aware of what assumptions others might be bringing to the conversation will also help with your relationship development. In my past, I've had people assume that I know how to speak Chinese, can beat up someone with karate, will generally be quiet and demure, will giggle with my hand over my mouth, and that I was not born in the United States--all of which are incorrect. (I've also had people assume that I was a good student, that I'm good at math, and that I can whip up a mean Chinese dinner, but those are true.) For Jim, working with Native American communities, others bring many assumptions about what the "pahana" (white man) will do. Assessing what misconceptions you may have to disprove will also help you navigate the culture.

5. Take time to build trust.
As much as I would like to say that there is a magic formula, there isn't. This won't happen overnight. Like other sustainable philanthropic endeavors, this will be an investment in a relationship that will evolve into support for your cause. It's not about changing what you wear, or translating your materials into another language--it's about understanding what a community values, finding advocates for your cause within the community, and building connections based on honesty and mutual respect.

Other resources about diversity in fundraising
This blog is an extension of my original essay written for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Kaleidoscope e-newsletter. Read the essay here.

Jay Frost writes a great blog, Frost on Fundraising. Here's his article on The Business Case for Diversity.

This blog was based on a session presented to the Association of Fundraising Professionals Southern Arizona Chapter in June 2010. One exercise was "Circles of my Multi-Cultural Self," which is available at Critical Multicultural Pavilion.

If you are interested in having this session presented to your nonprofit organization or association, please contact us at info@goalbusters.net or use the Contact Us link.

Board Training Essentials: Resource Materials

2010-06-09T23:45:00.000-07:00

On June 2, 2010, GoalBusters presented a webinar on Board Training Essentials for Stevenson Inc. Here are some of the resource materials we discussed during the session.

In addition to basic business policies, like human resources and financial operations, here are organizational policies related to nonprofit operations that you should have:

Gift Acceptance
Conflict of Interest
Investment
Donor Confidentiality
Naming/Recognition

Templates for each of these are available by emailing info@goalbusters.net.

Links to additional information:

The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Gallup Q12 Model to evaluation employee satisfaction
VALS Survey from Strategic Business Insights
Simple Board Member Expectations summary from the Association of Fundraising Professionals
Sample Board Member Commitment Letter-Word Document from North Dakota State University Extension or HTML from Onestreet.org
Board Evaluation Matrix sample from Lori Jacobwith

And here's the PowerPoint:

Board Training Essentials

View more presentations from GoalBusters LLC.

Thanks for participating!

Alice Ferris On The Air with Eight, Arizona PBS Pledge Drive

2010-06-06T20:56:00.080-07:00

Alice Ferris regularly supports Public Television and Public Radio station pledge drives with her volunteer and compensated appearances. Here are some Social Media posts and threads with links from her on air work for KAET, Eight Arizona PBS June 6th. You can support Arizona Public Television now by calling 888-443-2929 or 480-965-8800. Let 'em know Alice encouraged you to call.

#####

GoalBusters Consulting, LLC's founding partner Alice Ferris is on the air statewide in Arizona right now! She'll end up on the air for KAET Arizona's PBS station for more than 5 hours live tonight and even more in encore performances. She started this evening at 4pm with "Great Scenic Railway Journeys." Right now she's on "Canadian Tenors" and later tonight she'll be helping with the Elaine Paige program.

Eight, Arizona PBS, is a member-supported service of Arizona State University

Eight specializes in the education of children, in-depth news and public affairs, lifelong learning, and the celebration of arts and culture — utilizing the power of noncommercial television, the Internet, educational outreach services, and community-based initiatives. View Post

John W. Dawe I'm mad crazy about Elaine Page!

Alice Ferris Fab John! :-D

#####

Alice Ferris just finished hosting her first pledge drive shift of the night. She's on the air statewide for Eight, Arizona PBS right now, wrapped up "Great Scenic Railway Journeys" next up "CanadianTenors" and later tonight she hosts the "Elaine Paige" program.

Mary W. Black Just saw you on Channel 8! Love those Railway Journeys! Great Job Alice!

Winona Reid She's doing a great job! I just turned to channel 8 since the CELTICS WON!! She's a celebrity now! :-)

Jim Anderson Winona, Alice has been doing public Television pledge drives since she was 15. She's been on camera since her early 20s, First for Wisconsin Public Television. She's been volunteering for KAET, AZ PBS and KUAT Tucson PBS for 14 years. (Wow!) She does 4-5 television pledge drives a year, or about 15-20 hours of HD TV airtime (multiply that 2-3x for state-wide public radio). Frequently, she's approached by people asking if she the "Public Television" lady? She also has 4 different "virtual" (pre-recorded) pledge drive programs airing throughout the country. At any given moment, she's on the air in apx 100 major cities nationwide.

Alice Ferris Thanks Mary! It was a long shift, but a good time! - Hey Winona, yes, all of what Jim said is true...although I'm now either the "Lawrence Welk lady," the "Cooks lady," or now "the Train (as in railroad) girl." Not a bad gig.

Via TripIt

Support KAET, Eight Arizona PBS by calling 888-443-2929 or 480-965-8800. Or visiting them online at Support Arizona PBS.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Alice Ferris Appears in AFP's First YouTube Video

2010-05-21T14:16:00.036-07:00

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) launches a YouTube Channel. The first 3 videos they share celebrate their first 50 years. "Part 1" features GoalBusters Consulting's founding partner Alice Ferris.

Screen Capture from the first few second of the first video below.

2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the Association of Fundraising Professionals! For nearly five decades, AFP has been working to advance ethical and effective fundraising and support charities around the world that provide critical services to their communities. Check out AFP's 50th Anniversary web page too!

AFP 50th Anniversary Video (Part 1) - [Original post: AFPIHQ YouTube Channel]

AFP 50th Anniversary Video (Part 2) - [Original post: AFPIHQ YouTube Channel]

AFP 50th Anniversary Video (Part 3) - [Original post: AFPIHQ YouTube Channel]

Video Production by Rich Tolsma Productions

Connect with the Association of Fundraising Professionals: Website - YouTube - Facebook - Twitter

Jim Speaks Out Against Arizona Anti-Immigration Law SB 1070

2010-05-07T16:12:00.025-07:00

I have never attended a City Council Meeting, let alone spoke at one. But I was deeply affected by the pain I believe the new Arizona immigration law will cause.

First, I attended a rally in front of City Hall. Yes, I was the only "white guy" in tie. Next, I decided to go into the City Council Meeting and listen to some of the speakers. I didn't decide to speak until after I heard many other concerned citizens expressing their positions. I tear up now thinking about how so many people are potentially affected directly by this law.

Here are my comments. I am proud to have included references to both Stephen Hawking and Donald Sutherland in my comments. I've indicated in the video where editing took place. The entire evening ran nearly 4 hours. In the end, the Flagstaff City Council listened to our citizens and refused to enforce Arizona's law. They unanimously voted to file an injunction refusing to enforce this bill.

If you'd like to see more of the citizen comments you can watch the entire evening at http://bit.ly/JimCityCouncil

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Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Rural Fundraising and Respect of Place

2010-05-05T10:43:00.003-07:00

We've been working with a long time friend and colleague on a project to build a new clinic in Sanders, Arizona, a remote community near the eastern border of Arizona. If you're driving at speeds like most trucks on the Interstate, you won't even notice Sanders, but there is a growing community of Navajo and others in this rural place.

As we've spent more time in Sanders and in the Navajo Nation, we've been reflecting on how to communicate the stories and needs of this unique place. While there are volumes of stories to tell, it boils down to this:

1. Cover basic needs first. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs has been around for a while because it makes sense. In a rural community, very often people are trying to meet basic needs, like food, shelter and clothing. It becomes totally irrelevant to the community if you're trying to pursue lofty ideals if you don't have the fundamentals covered.

2. It takes time to build trust and respect. Rural communities can be a bit of a paradox, in that they are very hospitable, yet it can take a long time for you to be considered a trusted part of the community. They will show you around, but not let you in until they think you're serious about sticking around. When we were conducting our initial interviews of the board and other community members, they were polite. Now, after several visits, they're starting to reveal the real stories.

3. Best practice doesn't always apply. The challenge with "best practice" is that it has very often been vetted by organizations in metropolitan areas. True best practices, in many respects, are the simplest strategies that will work regardless of community size. Just because a strategy worked in a similar size organization doesn't mean it will work in a rural area.

4. Take time to learn how you "fit in." This doesn't mean abandoning your personality, changing your style, or trying to be someone you're not. This means observing community interactions first hand and finding the good in what you see before you immediately suggest change. Think about it--how would you like it if a complete stranger walked up to you on the street and told you everything that they thought was wrong with you?

5. You learn the most over food. This one can be true about a lot of communities, not just rural ones, but is accentuated in small towns. Most of the time, there's one, maybe two places where people hang out. For Sanders, people go to the Apple Dumplin in Chambers, about 5 miles away on the frontage road. In St. Michaels, everyone congregates at the Denny's (which is probably the best run Denny's we've ever experienced)! We've learned much more about a community by eating its food, talking to restaurant staff, and watching the locals than by formal meetings in offices.

With all these points in mind, we look forward to more opportunities to get to know these communities and hopefully bring new resources to improve their way of life. And we hope we'll best communicate not only the people's needs, but their sense of pride and respect for the place they call home.

This entry is a preview of a book in process co-authored by Alice Ferris, MBA, CFRE, ACFRE and James Anderson. Originally posted January 2009.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Fundraising Tips: A Snapshot of Rural Donors - Press - AFP

2010-05-02T22:33:00.005-07:00

From the Association of Fundraising Professionals

Fundraising Tips: A Snapshot of Rural Donors - Press - AFP

(April 6, 2010) Although people from rural communities are less likely to donate to charity, those that do give donate a higher percentage of their income than urban donors, according to a recent study by the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

The research, funded by a grant from AFP, found that all else held constant, rural respondents were almost 5.2 percentage points less likely to be a charitable donor, and donated less, on average, than urban donors, after controlling for human and social capital variables, such as education level, income level, health status, religious affiliation, family composition, and others.

Rural respondents were significantly less likely to be donors to secular charities, and gave less on average to secular causes overall.

However, rural donors donated a statistically significantly higher percentage of their income to charity than did urban donors. Also, rural donors are more likely to donate to religious causes than secular causes. Frequent religious attendance is associated with a higher probability of giving for rural residents, as is itemization of deductions on income tax returns.

Researchers found that rural donors give $122 less, on average, after controls. However, for both urban and rural residents, the amount contributed is closely related to some of the same factors that are associated with the probability of giving: being a college graduate, being married, frequency of religious attendance, level of wealth, level of income and itemizing charitable deductions.

Note: The researchers defined "rural" as those living in small towns with a population of less than 20,000. In this study, approximately 18 percent to 21 percent of respondents lived in rural areas.

College Educated Give More

The researchers offered several suggestions for fundraising in rural areas. Because college education is a factor associated with giving, engage college educated people in your work, researchers recommend. Rural residents who have gone to college give more than those who had not had that opportunity, even after taking income differences into account. Especially for secular causes, it is important to cultivate the interest of people with a college education, and people likely to be itemizing deductions (people who have recently purchased a home, for example).

Segment potential donors by income in order to structure appeal amounts matched to different areas. Values expressed most frequently by rural donors include:

Those with more should help those with less (equity of responsibility);
Giving is a form of reciprocity for benefits received;
Giving is a way to express religious beliefs; and
Nonprofit organizations are perceived to be more effective in delivering services than government agencies.

Even with attention to fundraising in rural areas, the total amount of charitable giving from rural areas will naturally be smaller than the total gifts from urban areas, because fewer people live in rural areas.

Urban Communities

Urban residents donate almost 85.4 percent of total charitable giving, according to the study. Average and median giving amounts, whether for overall giving, religious or secular causes, from urban donors were always higher than the averages from rural donors.

Suggestions for fundraising in urban communities based on the findings of this study include:

Ask couples to give to charity, not simply the men in the household. Men report lower giving and lower probability of giving to secular causes, compared with women. Married people report giving more than unmarried people of either gender.

Segment on income but expect lower rates of return in lower income areas. Structure appeal amounts matched to different income levels. Income is associated with the probability of giving (higher income means higher probability of making a charitable gift) and with higher gift amounts.

Structure requests to highlight connections to the prospective donor's friends and family, in addition to the appealing to broader concerns for equity and reciprocity. Urban donors were more likely than rural donors to say they gave to support the efforts of their friends and family.

To visit the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University's website, go to www.philanthropy.iupui.edu.

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Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE: Alice Ferris Earns ACFRE

2010-04-27T02:22:00.027-07:00

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NEWS: Alice Ferris Earns Highest Professional Fundraising Credential from AFP
Date: April 2010
For Release: Immediate
Contact: Cathlene Williams, Ph.D., CAE
Association of Fundraising Professionals
703/794-2178

(Arlington, VA) – The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the largest community of professional fundraisers in the world, has awarded its highest professional certification, the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE), to Alice L. Ferris of Flagstaff, AZ.

Available only to senior-level fundraisers who have worked in the profession for 10 or more years, the ACFRE is a distinguished achievement earned by only 90 professionals since the inception of the program in 1992.

The ACFRE program is the most rigorous certification process available to professional fundraisers. The process includes a comprehensive application, detailing achievements in practice, education, publishing, teaching, and service to the profession; a written examination that measures a candidate’s knowledge of fundraising as well as the philosophical, ethical, and social aspects of philanthropy; a portfolio representing the candidate’s body of professional work; and an oral peer review in which the candidate must articulate a mastery of advanced-level knowledge in fundraising management, leadership, and ethics.

The ACFRE Certification Board of AFP, chaired by Karla A. Williams, ACFRE, oversees the ACFRE candidate review process. Ms. Ferris was honored for her achievement during AFP’s 47th International Conference on Fundraising in Baltimore, in April 2010.

Ms. Ferris is founding partner of GoalBusters Consulting, LLC, a consulting firm providing strategic planning, campaign leadership, special event coordination, social media marketing, fundraising training and board development. Clients include public broadcasting stations, rural healthcare clinics, educational causes, Native American organizations, rural and small development shops, and others.

Ms. Ferris serves as Vice Chair for Member and Chapter Services for the AFP International Board of Directors and also as President of the AFP Northern Arizona Chapter. Alice also serves on the boards of the Flagstaff Rotary Club and the Flagstaff Cooperative Preschool. In addition, Ms. Ferris contributes substantial volunteer time as an on-air host for Arizona PBS (Phoenix, Ariz.), Arizona Public Media (Tucson, Ariz.) and other nonprofit video production.

The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), which represents nearly 30,000 members in 212 chapters throughout the world, advances philanthropy through advocacy, research, education and certification programs. AFP fosters the professional development of fundraising professionals and promotes ethical standards in the fundraising profession. For more information, visit www.afpnet.org.

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Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

"From Girl Scout to new ACFRE": Comments from the AFP International Conference

2010-04-16T10:14:00.004-07:00

When Michael Nilsen, senior director for public affairs at the Association of Fundraising Professionals, asked me to speak at the plenary session on April 12 during the AFP International Conference on Fundraising, I had no idea what a huge week it would be for me. On Sunday, April 11, I passed my three hour oral review for the Advanced Certified Fundraising Executive (ACFRE), completing an almost two year process and making me the 90th ACFRE in the world! (More on the ACFRE process in a soon to come blog entry.)

The headline for my photo from "the big stage" in the AFP Conference update was "From Girl Scout to freshly minted ACFRE." Below are the comments I shared as I opened the Monday plenary:

Good morning, and welcome to the Monday morning general session of AFP’s 50th anniversary celebration here in Baltimore. I hope you’re enjoying the anniversary videos. I was honored to be asked to participate in them. During the interviews, I was asked, “Why am I a fundraiser?”

I can remember driving with my mother once and she asked me, in a very serious tone, “Alice, did we raise you to become a fundraiser?” Considering that I was a top girl scout cookie salesperson in my youth, it's very possible that they did raise me to become a fundraiser! But I think the more relevant question is, why do I keep doing this?

Well, I'm still a fundraiser because of AFP. First, while I did get my initial training at my first fundraising job, I've learned most of what I know about fundraising through AFP. I've taken advantage of as many formal educational opportunities, like this conference, as I could. But it has been the one-on-one, informal mentoring from AFP members that has been most valuable. Many seasoned pros in this association have always been to be ready to “pay it forward” by helping someone less experienced than themselves.

Second, volunteering for AFP is one of my most rewarding experiences because I get to see the impact of my work with my chapter and internationally. Now I'm one of those people who gets to mentor newer fundraisers. I have had the privilege to work with many who are now established professionals. And at the International level, I'm very excited about our new Next Generation Committee, which I hope will support increased participation of young people in the profession. I really look forward to talking with more people who want to pursue fundraising as a career.

And finally, through AFP, I have MANY friends, across the globe, who “get” what I do! At chapter meetings, we help each other troubleshoot issues at work; through email and phone, I can get career advice from my AFP colleagues throughout the country; through Facebook and Twitter, I can celebrate fundraising successes and milestones with my associates around the world! Moral and emotional support from my AFP pals is never far away.

Truthfully, I think my parents did raise me to be a fundraiser. But the reason I still love doing what I do is because of AFP. Thank you for letting me share with you, and enjoy the rest of the conference.

With the achievement of my ACFRE, I believe more than ever that AFP has strengthened my commitment to fundraising as a profession. This process challenged me to articulate what I have learned, seek out mentors to help me through the process, and accept lots of moral support and encouragement from fellow fundraisers throughout the world. Thanks to everyone who has been part of my AFP family, and I look forward to welcome new fundraisers into the fold!

Photo from AFP International Conference on Fundraising, April 12, 2010.
Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Fundraising for Small Shops

2010-03-08T14:57:00.010-07:00

How do you create a successful fundraising program with a small development staff? It's not impossible, but requires resourcefulness, creativity, and, of course, hard work! In this session, we'll address "mission critical" tasks for your development program, how to recruit volunteers to extend your resources, and how to prioritize your many responsibilities to be efficient and effective. This presentation was originally presented for Stevenson Inc. in 2009.

Fundraising for Small Shops

View more presentations from GoalBusters LLC.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Grants Step By Step

2010-03-08T14:49:00.005-07:00

We've been getting a lot of requests for information about grant proposal writing. Given the economy, we expect that funding from foundations and corporations will be flat at best, and more likely at lower levels this year. Therefore, you must have as strong a proposal as possible! This presentation, presented to the AFP Greater Houston Ask the Experts Conference, gives you a brief overview on things to look for in grant writing to make your proposal the best it can be.

Grants Step By Step

View more presentations from GoalBusters LLC.

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Building the House of Philanthropy

2010-03-08T13:53:00.008-07:00

Traditional philanthropic models spend a lot of time focusing on the donor pyramid. While this model is a fundamental illustration of how donors deepen their relationships with nonprofit organizations, the pyramid doesn't fully illustrate how philanthropy progresses in rural communities. As we have worked with a variety of Native American and rural organizations, we have added to the donor pyramid, creating "The House of Philanthropy."

At the foundation of the house is a culture of philanthropy, a tradition of giving that exists in every culture. In the Hopi culture, these concepts are articulated as "sumi'nangwa" and "nami'nangwa" which have been explained to us as the concepts of working together for the common good, and the helping each other without being asked. In every community, you can identify this fundamental need to help one another!

Building on that foundation are three pillars of non-cash support: donations of time (volunteerism), donations of services, and donations of goods. You will often see this demonstrated with community members helping out where needed, even without a formal "ask." Not only will people show up to work, but they will also donate tamales for a sale, soaps and shampoos to a shelter, items for a rummage sale, or clothing to a thrift store! There are so many ways for people to support organizations and causes without cash contributions, and these are often the "entry points" for philanthropy. In addition, charities as they are created frequently start with these types of donations before any cash is received.

After there is an established need and some degree of stability in an organization, cash contributions may start coming in as donors reach a point where they realize that they can't help with their skills or items, but they can provide financial support. A good example of this is a cooperative preschool that I volunteer for--parents are supposed to put in "helper hours" every month, but some parents choose to pay a little bit more for their childcare since they don't have the time available during the day. These gifts will likely start off small, but gradually progress through the traditional donor pyramid, potentially to the level of intergenerational giving, where the donor helps ensure services to the next generation!

The House of Philanthropy demonstrates that the donor pyramid is only as stable as its foundation and supporting pillars. If there are challenges with moving your donors through the pyramid, check that your foundation is secure.

Additional information on this topic was presented as part of The Hopi Foundation's nonprofit capacity building training, funded by the The Rockefeller Philanthropic Advisors Cultures of Giving Fund. Expanded information will be presented at the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference on Fundraising in April 2010 in Baltimore, Maryland.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

YouTube Tips - "Upload" vs "Video" Views

2010-01-16T11:44:00.034-07:00

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I Tweeted the following from the GoalBusters Twitter account:

"Very Cool! GoalBusters YouTube videos are only 21 views away from 4,000 total views. Check them out for yourself http://bit.ly/GBTube"

I immediately received the following questions via Twitter:
From @mikerdzign: "@GoalBusters Is that in Total Video Views or Channel views, and which is better to report from?"

It's a good question because there's inconsistency in the counts that you see in your YouTube Account and on your YouTube Channel.

The short answer is if you're sharing the progress of your YouTube views, I recommend reporting the Channel Views and Upload Views from your Channel Page. This is the "landing" page that visitors will be able to see. If you report the higher view counts from your Account Information, a visitor won't see that information and may be confused as to why you're claiming a higher number of views than is being shown on your Channel Page.

Channel Views are consistent on both the "public" home page which visitors see and the "user" Account page which only account administrators see.

However, "Upload" views, reported on your home page, will always be less than your "Video" views or the aggregate of total views per video. Aggregate views are not reported by YouTube. But if you manually added up all your "Video" views you'd notice that it is always higher than YouTube reports in "Upload" Views."

This is because "Video" views, usually include multiple same session repeat views by the same viewer as well as views of private videos you may post and potentially "test" views of videos you may later delete.

For example, at the time of this Blog entry GoalBuster YouTube videos had 3,979 "Upload" Views and 4,611 "Video" Views. YouTube also reported that there had been 1,862 unique visits or "Channel Views" to the GoalBusters' YouTube Channel.

I welcome further questions via email at Jim.Anderson@GoalBusters.com

For more Social Media tips from GoalBusters Consulting, LLC, see:
Social Media FAQs Part 1 The mechanics and logic of initial Social Media profile set up.
LinkedIn - Why it Matters and Tips for Success Who is using LinkedIn, why you should care and how to create the most effective profile.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Nonviolent Communication in Action

2010-01-09T00:31:00.021-07:00

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GoalBusters recently conducted a staff retreat/training in Los Angeles for a major metropolitan hospital foundation. One of our training tools was the book "Nonviolent Communication" by Marshall Rosenberg. It contains some very helpful tactics for overcoming conflict and communicating in an objective way by minimizing the clouding effects of heated emotions and judgmental statements.

The techniques were personally useful as I experienced some interpersonal conflict over the holidays with a few relatives. I thought that repeating past arguments would simply be frustrating and futile. So, I decided to try the concepts of "Nonviolent Communication" in dealing with these differences of "opinion and perspectives" which seem to typically fuel these redundant arguments.

Communication Goals: There are four goals when attempting to communicate nonviolently:
1. Observe without judgment - What are the "concrete" actions we observe that affect our well-being?
2. Express feelings - How do we feel in relation to what we observe?
3. Communicate needs - What are the needs, values, desires, etc. that create our feelings?
4. Make specific requests - What are concrete actions we request which will enrich our lives?

Here are four topics that frequently become points of contention in conflicts. The four related examples associated with each topic are based on individual experience and are dependent upon personal observations, feelings, needs and requests. While I've generalized to a certain degree, it is best to be as precise as possible regarding the "observed behavior" at issue.

Hostility:
1. I observe that you speak to me and about me with a great deal of hostility.
2. I'm saddened that one of my relatives would treat me in a manner that I feel is confrontational and cruel.
3. I need to be treated with respect and not to be spoken to or spoken about in hurtful or abusive ways.
4. I request that you do not speak to me or about me in disrespectful or harmful ways.

Personal Responsibility:
1. I observe that you react extremely defensiveness about all disagreements or perceived criticisms.
2. I feel as though it is difficult to have a discussion with you about my perceptions of and feelings about your words and actions without facing immediate justification for your actions or redirection of blame to someone other than yourself.
3. I need to believe that you can accept personal responsibility for your words and actions.
4. I ask that you try to hear me when I speak to you and not redirect the conversation with justification for your actions or blame for someone who was "just as bad" or "worse," even if it's me.

Personal Desires:
1. I observe that you put your preferences and desires above or ahead of what is important to other people.
2. I feel that prevents other people from their right to choice and happiness.
3. I need to know that you value other people's happiness and needs.
4. I request that you consider how your actions affect other people before pursuing your immediate personal desires.

Gratitude:
1. I observe that your appreciation for the generosity of others seems scarce or fleeting.
2. I feel as though you don't really demonstrate gratitude for everything those who care for you do for you.
3. I would admire seeing you demonstrate an appreciation for the kindness and generosity of those who act to help you.
4. I request that you make it a point to demonstrate your gratitude beyond a simple "thanks" and a hug by looking for ways you can give back. Perhaps through respecting the wishes/requests of your hosts (turn off lights, pick up after yourself, avoid wasteful actions) or by pitching in with household chores.

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I'm not terribly optimistic that my efforts will have a lasting impact on those I had the conversations with, but it did make me feel better to try. And I am proud that I didn't get drawn into a re-hashing of tired, old arguments.

I thought some of you may experience similar frustrations and would perhaps appreciate this unique approach at resolving those frequent conflicts. Good Luck.

Wikipedia Article: Nonviolent Communication

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Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

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The GoalBusters Elves Sing - GoalBusters "Elves Ourselves" 2009

2009-12-19T13:27:00.015-07:00

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I can't believe I stayed up this late breathing life into the "GoalBusters Elves" again. Yet, it's true. Here they are (by popular request and "executive order.") Three new elves are introduced... Jeanie, Indigo and Squib. Harry and Stokey have recurring roles. And... this year we sing! (Extended "Director's Cut" coming to YouTube soon)

Another GoalBusters Consulting, LLC Video Production.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace
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GoalBusters "Elves Ourselves" for Christmas 2008

2009-12-19T13:18:00.010-07:00

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GoalBusters wishes to share all the joy and happiness of the holiday season with you. Considering that is impossible due to these times of economic hardship, we're sending you dancing elves instead. We hope you enjoy our Holiday greeting!

Meet the new GoalBusters interns... Giggles, Scout, Sparkles, Harry and Stokey! Merry Christmas!

Another GoalBusters Consulting, LLC Video Production.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Holiday Light Parade - Flagstaff, AZ - December 2009

2009-12-14T06:19:00.016-07:00

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Merry Christmas from GoalBusters! If you missed Flagstaff's holiday light parade, here's a quick glimpse at most of the 65 entries in under 5 minutes.

Dharmesh Vora, President of Vora Financial Group graciously sponsored the City of Flagstaff's Holiday light parade for the second year in a row. Thanks Dharmesh for giving such a wonderful gift to our community.

(Jim Anderson Photography/Editing, GoalBusters Consulting, LLC Video Production)

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Finding Dollars in a Desert - Tools for Successful Fundraising in Tough Economic Times

2009-11-24T00:30:00.051-07:00

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In a challenging economy, people make tough decisions about where they spend their dollars. How do economic realities and personal perceptions affect the nonprofit sector? Some decide to give less to each organization they support. Others may choose to stop giving to certain organizations. How do they make these decisions? What efforts can you take to minimize the impact on your organization?

In this interactive session, GoalBusters Consulting's Alice Ferris and Jim Anderson discuss:

-Economic realities for charities nationwide and locally
-"The Perfect Storm"
-Strategies to minimize or avoid these economic pressures
-What to do (and please DON'T do) when a donor says, "I can't contribute now"
-Six things you can do now to stabilize your organization and empower your team
-How to find the "oasis in the desert." Ten practical strategies for successful fundraising regardless of economic conditions.

(Recently hosted by the Yuma Area Nonprofit Institute (YANPI) and Arizona Western College, at the AWC College Community Center (3C) in the Schoening Conference Center, Yuma, Arizona.)

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Finding Dollars in a Desert - Fundraising in Tough Times - GoalBusters Consulting

View more documents from GoalBusters LLC.

LinkedIn - Why it Matters and Tips for Success

2009-11-23T12:11:00.027-07:00

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LinkedIn is a crucial resource in the branding of your online identity. It is the one online tool that business professionals, community leaders and decision makers use even if they are avoiding other "Social Media."

Who is using LinkedIn? They are mature, well educated, and high income earners.

LinkedIn Statistics from Quantcast.com (11/22/2009)

Visitation/Usage -
Rank: 45th most visited website in the U.S.
Unique Monthly Visitors: 15.2 Million US, 30.2 Million Global visitors
2% of visitors are "Addicts" making up 40% of all visits.
39% of visitors are "Regulars" making up 45% of all visits.
59% of visitors are "Passers-by" making up 15% of all visits.

Demographics -
Age: 79% Are 35 or older
Education: 80% Are college educated. They are twice as likely to have Graduate Degrees than other internet users.
Income: 69% Make $60,000+ / 38% Make $100,000+

Creating a Profile
When creating or updating a LinkedIn profile remember that in many ways it is similar to an online resume. Much like a resume, your goals vary dependent upon your current employment status. Are you looking for a job? Interested in changing jobs? Or simply maintaining your personal "brand integrity."

Here are some tips that may help.

Photo: Select a professional "head shot." This is not the place to show how cute your kids or kittens are. Choose a sharply focused, closely cropped head shot. Crop well below your chin and leave a small space above your head. Fill the frame, don't crowd it. Be sure you're dressed professionally, looking directly into the camera and smiling. This is essentially Part 1 of your "virtual handshake." It's your eye contact.

Updates: These updates serve as a pulse of what you "do." Like Twitter they are short updates on status and activity. Unlike Twitter avoid posting random stream of consciousness. Remember 59% of LinkedIn users are "Passers-by" and likely only get their "Network Updates" once a week.

Relevance - Seek opportunities to provide relevant information about your professional career and experience. Include information about events, trainings, workshops, volunteer work, non profit support, etc.
Content - Provide links to relevant websites, photos, videos, etc. This gives viewers of your profile a way to actually interact with you even if you aren't aware of it.
Tone - The updates should lean towards professional decorum but shouldn't be sterile. Occasional humor is encouraged.
Filter - These updates should offer insight to your personality but recognize there is a line you shouldn't cross. Provide information you would share with coworkers, not what you share with close friends.
Value - Avoid posting mundane drivel. There is no quicker way to turn off a prospective employer or business associate than to make it clear your posts aren't worth reading.

Summary: - This section will look different dependent upon your current employment situation, goals and personality. For the most part remember you're not really telling a story, you're presenting a product... "you." It's good to talk about experience, core strengths, values, aspirations and goals. Avoid redundancy of directly repeating information presented elsewhere in your profile unless it is a core message point. Keep in mind, this is your elevator speech, be brief. "Jimism #372 - Your elevator speech shouldn't take more than 3 floors."

Specialties: These can be simple skills bullet points or very short descriptive sentences. It's important that you are fully representing your skills, but avoid overkill. Choose the most important things to share in this section. It is called "Specialties" not "Everything."

Experience: When listing work experience don't simply provide a list of tasks you completed. Think in terms of why the completing the tasks was important. What was the end result? It's about spinning tasks to describe impact and importance. If you answered phones, did you "coordinate and facilitate customer service and satisfaction?" Don't "go nuts" you want to be descriptive but direct. You don't want to make every sentence appear to be "long winded" and self-aggrandizing.

Education: Pretty straightforward. Where did you go? When was that? (you might opt to skip years if you fear you'll be discriminated against based on age. Is it possible you'll be viewed as too old or too young?) What did you study? What activities and organizations did you participate in.

Additional Information: This is a valuable section in sharing information about organizations or causes that are important to you. It also allows you to share important accomplishments. Think of this as the part of the interview when you are asked, "So, tell me a little about yourself." What should you share? Rule of thumb, Keep it relevant and interesting. Quirky is okay here. It demonstrates your personality.

Social Media Cross Promotion: Should you link your personal sites to your professional LinkedIn Profile? I would say yes, but only if you are willing to invite "acquaintences" to your other social media worlds. Remember, when it comes to Social Media not everyone is really a "friend" in the classic sense of the word. How open are your networks? Do you ever post anything you wouldn't want a supervisor to see? If you want to maintain some privacy, you may want to skip linking your personal and professional profiles.

I hope these tips help. I encourage feedback and/or questions.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

For more Social Media tips, see Social Media FAQs Part 1 which discussed the mechanics and logic of initial Social Media profile set up.

When Developing Your Year Long Fund Raising Plan, Conduct a SWOT Analysis

2009-11-03T11:16:00.007-07:00

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Excepted from the GoalBusters' Webinar: "Developing a Year Long Fundraising Plan"
Reprinted in The Major Gifts Report, November 2009

In the process of developing a year-long fundraising plan, it’s important to analyze any previously developed fund raising plans, say James Anderson, a partner at Goal Busters Consulting, LLC (Flagstaff, AZ).

One way to do that is to conduct a “SWOT” analysis, he says, in which you look at your organization’s strengths, opportunities, weaknesses and threats.

Anderson outlines what to look for when analyzing each of these areas:

Strengths (internal)
What do you do well or exceptionally? What unique value do you offer? Often this will be your primary strength. What are the things you want to keep doing that you do better than other organizations?

Opportunities (external)
What could you be doing or doing more of? Where are the areas you could extend your offerings, your services, your programs? Where could you potentially tap into donors and donor bases that you may be currently overlooking or not fully capitalizing on?

Weaknesses (internal)
What are the things you know you are not doing well? Are there things you need to change because it feels as though you just keep pounding your head against the wall? or are they things you simply don't do well either because you don't know or don’t have the resources to do properly?

Threats (external)
What things will potentially negatively impact your plan and your organization? When you identify a threat, one way to assess it is to ask yourself what the worst-case scenario is. Some examples of external threats: 1) You are heavily grant-funded and funds are going to dry up and you know that; 2) You are heavily funded by a foundation and investments aren’t returning as strong as they used to and you know that will negatively impact gifts to your organization. “When assessing threats, you'll be facing either ‘conditions’ or ‘problems,’” he say. “Conditions are things you may have to address or handle but you have no real control over. You have to Manage, Accept or Adapt to conditions. However problems are something which you can Solve, Resolve or Fix."

When looking at your SWOT findings, you want to look for intersections, says Anderson:

· Where strengths and opportunities intersect, invest. You want to invest more of your resources, time, and capital on these opportunities.

· Where weaknesses and threats intersect, You may want to consider divesting yourself of that project or program, unless it is something you truly must maintain.

· Where strengths and threats intersect, defend. “If you have an external threat to one of your strengths, don’t let that negatively impact something that you do well, “ he says. “Instead, analyze what that situation is and determine how you can best continue to capitalize on that strength.”

· Where weaknesses and opportunities intersect, you should identify what you can improve on. “It may be a situation in which you can bolster the area of weakness or capitalize on what the opportunity is with the investment of additional resources, but that is a decision where you will have to look at whether your internal resources will allow it, and whether the return on investment (ROI) is worth the commitment of the additional resources,” he says.

Sources: James Anderson, Partner, GoalBusters Consulting, LLC, Flagstaff, AZ. Phone (928) 890-8239. E-mail: jim.anderson@goalbusters.net

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

AFP Kaleidoscope Thought Leader Column: Fundraising through a Different Lens

2009-10-09T22:51:00.007-07:00

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The following column was featured in the November 2009 issue of the Association of Fundraising Professionals' Kaleidoscope newsletter. To see the newsletter on their website, visit AFP Kaleidoscope (Online) and to become a member, visit Join AFP!

*****

People often ask me, “Where are you from?” I know what they are trying to ask, but most of the time I answer, “I’m from Wisconsin.” I was the first Chinese baby born at Beaver Dam Lutheran Hospital. At the time, our family was the only Asian family in Dodge County, Wis. As a child, like many minorities in small communities, I wanted nothing but to fit in. That experience made me adaptable, so I generally can find ways to connect with whatever culture I am in—except, ironically, the Chinese community. My family and I were so focused on fitting in that I received minimal exposure to Chinese traditions and norms.

When we interact with others one-to-one, it is usually easy to find things you have in common. Because of this natural inclination, we have focused on finding similarities among diverse communities as well: Where do we have common ground? How are we alike? While we need to build bridges and find those connections among communities, sometimes it feels as though we ignore the richness our differences offer.

For example, I have had the privilege of working with the Hopi Education Endowment Fund in Kykotsmovi, Ariz. (www.hopieducationfund.org), for several years. When we first started working together, we attempted to take western best practices in philanthropy and apply them to its situation. Some practices did translate well, such as most special-event strategies and direct mail. However, as we dove deeper into more complex strategies, highlighting cultural differences became the key.

When we attempted to start our planned-giving program, we initially looked at naming the program after a prominent Hopi leader who had just passed away. Culturally, planning for death is taboo among the Hopi. From what I had learned over the past few years, when you pass from this earth, those who survive are not to spend too much time mourning you, for that could block your passage into the next world. Naming a planned-giving club after this leader was not appropriate, and also raised concerns about the overall appropriateness of planned giving on Hopi in general. At one point, someone observed, “Planned giving won’t work on Hopi.”

Undeterred, we deconstructed the program: What were we trying to accomplish at the core of this? First, we wanted to provide a long-term source of funding for the organization. In addition, we wanted to offer people the option of transferring assets at a later date-and potentially give the organization a larger gift than they could afford from current cash. Those were the fundamentals, which apply to almost any planned giving program.

With those basics in mind, we requested the assistance of a Hopi language expert and started brainstorming about cultural aspects that might support our activities. After many months of discussion and reflection, a member of our committee brought forth the concept of “no’a.”

No’a has changed the way that I speak of planned giving, even when off reservation. No’a is how one generation passes valuable assets—knowledge, wealth or possessions—to the next. The elder carefully considers those around him or her and then selects a caretaker who will use the asset responsibly and share it with the community. By emphasizing this cultural norm, the fund has created “No’ayatiwqam: Those Who Have Given,” its planned-giving club that focuses on how the donor can select a responsible caretaker, such as the Hopi Education Endowment Fund, to continue to share assets with Hopi students for generations to come.

In a well-intentioned effort to break down barriers among diverse communities, we sometimes miss the color and depth that our differences can bring. As I have worked with other diverse communities, I have come to value my own cultural aspects more, and am starting to take steps toward bringing my family’s Chinese traditions into my philanthropy. By carefully analyzing philanthropic norms, finding the universal core concepts, and adding cultural strengths to these best practices, our profession will be able to make an even greater difference in the many unique communities that we serve.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

Answers to Fundraising's Persistent Questions

2009-07-30T23:50:00.007-07:00

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We recently conducted a webinar on How to Create a Yearlong Fundraising Plan, hosted by Stevenson, Inc. We got some good questions during the session, so we thought we'd share two of them, and our answers.

*****

Q: Do you have any strategies for donor acquisition during these tougher times?

Focus on donor participation, and not necessarily on size of gift. Right now we have a lot of people who are scaling back on their contributions, but are no less committed to the causes they believe in. Economic conditions may have led them to reduce their overall charitable giving budget, so if they could give $100 to a single charity last year, they may only be able to give $50 this year. They already feel sad about that—you don’t need to rub it in! Help them feel like whatever amount they can give is important.

If you have suggested dollar amounts on your solicitations, you may want to add a lower end suggested amount and drop one of your higher end levelsa

I would not, however, add premiums at this time, and if you are using premiums (tote bags, decals, etc.) I would scale back. Donors want to know that you are using their money for the cause, not for premiums. Anything that seems like waste will be a turnoff for potential donors.

Q: You have 10 minutes to introduce your organization to a business. How do you do that and once you do that, when do you make the ask? Do you leave and make a second visit or do you make the ask right there after the presentation?

First of all, if you said you were coming to provide them with information, you should not ask unless they tell you to. No one likes being ambushed. If you said you were coming to ask for their support, then yes, you can ask for their support after the presentation.

Before your presentation, you should already know basic information about the business—who is their target market, what other causes do they support, what kinds of connections do they have to your organization? Don’t use your valuable presentation time asking basic questions or giving them information they already know.

If you have ten minutes, focus on people and results. If possible, find a way to get them to ask questions. Adults are generally more engaged if they are an active part of the learning process and if they are provided with practical solutions to problems.

Pick a story: you could talk about a student who benefited from a scholarship, or a person who received lifesaving care, or an artist that provided an inspiring performance…whatever the human face is for your organization, talk about it. Your potential donors generally don’t need to know process, details on history—you just need to make them feel good about the organization.

Find a way to draw them into the story—questions like “what would you do if you were in such and such situation?” Of course, make sure that your organization solves that problem!

Ask for feedback to make sure you’re not talking at them. If they seem disengaged, ask what kinds of information they would like to have. Be ready to end the meeting early if necessary—they will appreciate you not wasting their time.

If they seem really excited about the program, go ahead and ask them if this is the kind of project they would like to support. Again, if you said this was just going to be informational, do NOT whip out a prepared proposal. But be ready to follow up with a proposal immediately after the meeting if they want one.

Connect with GoalBusters: LinkedIn - Alice Ferris / LinkedIn - Jim Anderson / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Myspace

5 Misplaced Social Networking Fears - Social Networking Tips - Entrepreneur.com

2009-07-28T09:19:00.003-07:00

5 Misplaced Social Networking Fears - Social Networking Tips - Entrepreneur.com

Posted using ShareThis

2009-07-24T16:37:00.001-07:00

How to Write a Press Release

from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

A press release, also known as a news release, is simply a written statement distributed to the media. They can announce a range of news items: scheduled events, personnel promotions, awards, news products and services, sales accomplishments, etc. They can also be used in generating a feature story. Reporters are more likely to consider a story idea if they first receive a release. It is a fundamental tool of PR work, one that anyone who's willing to use the proper format can use.

Steps

Write the headline. It should be brief, clear and to the point: an ultra-compact version of the press release’s key point.
- News release headlines should have a "grabber" to attract readers, i.e., journalists, just as a newspaper headline is meant to grab readers. It may describe the latest achievement of an organization, a recent newsworthy event, a new product or service. For example, "XYZ Co. enters strategic partnership with ABC Co. in India & United States."
- Headlines are written in bold and are typically larger than the press release text. Conventional press release headlines are present-tense and exclude "a" and "the" as well as forms of the verb "to be" in certain contexts.
- The first word in the press release headline should be capitalized, as should all proper nouns. Most headline words appear in lower-case letters, although adding a stylized "small caps" style can create a more graphically news-attractive look and feel. Do not capitalize every word.
- The simplest method to arrive at the press release headline is to extract the most important keywords from your press release. Now from these keywords, try to frame a logical and attention-getting statement. Using keywords will give you better visibility in search engines, and it will be simpler for journalists and readers to get the idea of the press release content.
Write the press release body copy. The press release should be written as you want it to appear in a news story.
- Start with the date and city in which the press release is originated. The city may be omitted if it will be confusing, for example if the release is written in New York about events in the company's Chicago division.
- The lead, or first sentence, should grab the reader and say concisely what is happening. The next 1-2 sentences then expand upon the lead.
- The press release body copy should be compact. Avoid using very long sentences and paragraphs. Avoid repetition and over use of fancy language and jargon.
- A first paragraph (two to three sentences) must actually sum up the press release and the further content must elaborate it. In a fast-paced world, neither journalists nor other readers would read the entire press release if the start of the article didn't generate interest.
- Deal with actual facts - events, products, services, people, targets, goals, plans, projects. Try to provide maximum use of concrete facts. A simple method for writing an effective press release is to make a list of following things:
Communicate the 5 Ws and the H. Who, what, when, where, why, and how. Then consider the points below if pertinent.
- - What is the actual news?
  - Why this is news?
  - The people, products, items, dates and other things related with the news.
  - The purpose behind the news.
  - Your company - the source of this news.
- Now from the points gathered, try to construct paragraphs and assemble them sequentially: The headline > the summary or introduction of the news > event or achievements > product > people > again the concluding summary > the company.
- The length of a press release should be no more than three pages. If you are sending a hard copy, text should be double-spaced.
- The more newsworthy you make the press release copy, the better the chances of it being selected by a journalist or reporting. Find out what "newsworthy" means to a given market and use it to hook the editor or reporter.
Include information about the company. When a journalist picks up your press release for a story, he/she would logically have to mention the company in the news article. Journalists can then get the company information from this section.
- The title for this section should be - About XYZ_COMPANY
- After the title, use a paragraph or two to describe your company with 5/6 lines each. The text must describe your company, its core business and the business policy. Many businesses already have a professionally written brochures, presentations, business plans, etc. - that introductory text can be put here.
- At the end of this section, point to your website. The link should be the exact and complete URL without any embedding so that, even if this page is printed, the link will be printed as it is. For example: http://www.your_company_website.com. Companies which maintain a separate media page on their websites must point to that URL here. A media page typically has contact information and press kits.
Tie it together. Provide some extra information links that support your press release.
Add contact information. If your press release is really newsworthy, journalists would surely like more information or would like to interview key people associated with it.
- If you are comfortable with the idea of letting your key people being directly contacted by media, you can provide their contact details on the press release page itself. For example, in case of some innovation, you can provide the contact information of your engineering or research team for the media.
- Otherwise, you must provide the details of your media/PR department in the "Contact" section. If you do not have dedicated team for this function, you must appoint somebody who will act as a link between the media and your people.
- The contact details must be limited and specific only to the current press release. The contact details must include:
  - The Company's Official Name
  - Media Department's official Name and Contact Person
  - Office Address
  - Telephone and fax Numbers with proper country/city codes and extension numbers
  - Mobile Phone Number (optional)
  - Timings of availability
  - E-mail Addresses
  - Web site Address
Signal the end of the press release with three # symbols, centered directly underneath the last line of the release. This is a journalistic standard.

Tips

Include the company name in the headline, any subhead, and in the body of the first paragraph for better visibility via search engines and for news professionals and other readers. If you're mailing a hard copy, you may put it on company letterhead.
If the press release is for immediate release, you may write "IMMEDIATE RELEASE" in all caps on the left margin, directly above the headline. If the release is embargoed, put "EMABARGOED UNTIL..." with the date you want the story released. A release with no release date is presumed to be for immediate release.
Research actual press releases on the web to get the feel of the tone, the language, the structure and the format of a press release.
The timing of the press release is very important. It must be relevant and recent news, not too old and not too distant.
A follow-up call can help develop a press release into a full story.
Include a "call to action" in your release. This is information on what you want the public to do with the information that you are releasing. For example, do you want them to buy a product? If so, include information on where the product is available. Do you want them to visit your Web site to enter a contest or learn more about your organization? If so, include the Web address or a phone number.
Do not waste time writing the headline until the release is done. Copy editors write the real headlines in newspapers and magazines, but it is good to come up with a catchy title or "headline" for the release. This headline may be your only chance. Keep it concise and factual. But if you try to write it before you write the release, you waste time. You don't know yet exactly what you - or those you interview, will say. When you have finished a draft of the release, you may decide to revise your lead -- or not. Then and only then think about the headline.
Send your release by e-mail, and use formatting sparingly. Giant type and multiple colors don't enhance your news, they distract from it. Put the release in the body of the e-mail, not as an attachment. If you must use an attachment, make it a plain text or Rich Text Format file. Word documents are acceptable at most outlets, but if you are using the newest version (.docx), save down a version (.doc). Newspapers, especially, are on tight budgets now, and many have not upgraded. Use PDF files only if you are sending a full media kit with lots of graphics. Please don't type a release on letterhead, scan it, and e-mail a jpeg of the scan. That's a waste of your time and the editor's. Just type the release into the e-mail message.
Use your headline as the subject line of the e-mail. If you've written a good "grabber" headline, this will help your message stand out in the editor's e-mail inbox.
Craft each release to target a specific media outlet and send it to the specific reporter who covers that beat. This information can usually be found on the outlet's Web site. Blasting the identical press release to multiple outlets and multiple reporters at the same outlet is a sign that you are taking shortcuts rather than targeting a specific market.
Avoid jargon or specialized technical terms. If accuracy requires the use of an industry-specific term, define it.

Warnings

Always remember that editors are overworked and understaffed. If you can make life easier for them, you're more likely to get coverage. If you write a press release that's close to the way the editor will actually publish it, it may see publication with minimal editing. But if you fill it with fluffy advertising copy, don't use proper AP style, etc., the editor must severely edit your piece to use it. That means he or she is more likely to just move on to the next press release--and there are plenty of them.
Avoid the temptation to clutter your lead with a glowing generalization about your company ("XYZ Corp, a global leader in the manufacture of high-end widgets for the royalty of Europe, today announced...") Many releases are written this way, despite the fact that editors delete this kind of fluff. Everybody says they're the leader. Don't waste the editor's time. The place to put a description is in the company information section of the release. But keep it accurate and factual.
When e-mailing a press release, do not make the subject line of your e-mail "press release." You will only blend into the crowd. Get the editor's attention by making the subject line your "grabber" headline, e.g. "Brand Co. wins $30 billion government contract."

Related wikiHows

Sources and Citations

http://www.newsmotto.com - Original source of this article.
More information on how to write a good press release
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