Fundraising: Why a Recession Is No Time to Cut Back by Lisa J. Lehr

Fundraising is just like advertising: a recession is no time to cut back.

Actually, fundraising is advertising. But instead of selling a product or service for your own profit, you're selling the satisfaction of helping a good cause - warm fuzzies, if you will. Warm fuzzies are relatively easy to sell in a strong economy, as Americans tend to be generous and like to share our good fortune. In a weak economy, however, warm fuzzies are a harder sell.

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All organisations, no matter what their nature, succeed or fail mainly due to their ability to communicate. If they fail to let you know that they exist, why they exist and how you will benefit from their existence then their future may not be a rosy one nor very profitable. There are certain fundamental laws on what makes a successful organisation and this is one of them.

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How to Get Your Name in the Paper Without Advertising by Veronika Noize & Jack Rubinger

As a marketing professionals, one of the most common misconceptions that we run across in our business is that marketing is nothing more than advertising, and that advertising is the only way to get your name in the paper.

The good news is that marketing isn't (just) advertising. Oh, sure, advertising can be a tactic used in some marketing plans, but it certainly isn't necessary or even cost effective for many small businesses. And the better news is that you can get your business name in the paper without spending a dime on advertising. We call that cost-effective marketing tactic "public relations."

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Community Calendar

Most newspapers have a calendar section where they list upcoming organizational events for the week. Often the print in this section is much smaller than the print in most of the rest of the paper. They do this because there is such demand for space, and the readership for this section is also generally smaller. Nonetheless, people interested in community events specifically seek out this section.

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Big Fundraising Check Photo Opportunities by Print-Art-Etc

If your nonprofit organization is receiving a large fundraising donation and photo opportunities are an afterthought, you could be missing fabulous opportunities for publicity.

A good-quality, unusual photo is often the first thing that attracts a reader's attention. It serves as an anchor on the page. And often, a photo can tell its own story, without being accompanied by an article. Big checks are still unusual enough that they will make the paper or the news.

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Develop a Selection of Board Feature Ideas from Successful Fund Raising newsletter

To what degree are you doing feature stories about both your collective board and individual board members? Don’t overlook the benefits of stories related to your organization’s top leaders. Articles about those who oversee your organization add another level of credibility to your cause. Plus, readers find such human interest stories to be of interest.

Develop a checklist of board-related story ideas from which to choose for internal and external publications, for news releases to distribute to area news media, and for feature ideas to hand feed news media. Here are some story angles to consider:

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Craigslist: A Powerful Publicity Tool by Joan Stewart

So you thought Craigslist was only for finding an apartment, a job, a car or a date.

Did you know that the wildly popular web portal can be one of the most valuable tools in your PR campaign, particularly if you're looking for grassroots publicity targeted at certain cities or countries?

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Are you seeking media attention? Have you sent out media releases to promote your company, product, service or event? Are you attempting to use the media to reach potential customers, shareholders, sponsors, donors or other stakeholders? If so, you need to be prepared for interviews.

Even if you are not actively seeking media attention, you never know when a reporter might call. That’s why every business owner, executive and spokesperson should be able to answer questions pertaining to positive or negative news.

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Gotta Blog – Why Blogs Matter for Your Nonprofit by Nancy Schwartz

You probably have heard more and more about nonprofit use of blogs over the last year. And you may have read my article, "Should your nonprofit launch a blog?, " last fall. It's a great introduction to blogging for nonprofits. Take a look at: http://www.nancyschwartz.com/nonprofit_blog.html

A quick reminder – a blog is a website that takes the form of an online journal, updated frequently with running commentary on one or many topics.

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Showing Off by the AFRDS

Nobody likes a show-off – unless you’re boasting about a successful fundraiser. Parents, volunteers and other members of the community who contributed to the fundraiser deserve to know how their time and money were spent. Showing off also lets your volunteers know their work was worth it, and they’re more likely to come back next time.

So how do you go about getting that publicity?

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Turning Tickets and Invites into Low-Cost, High-Impact Marketing Tools (Case Study) by Nancy Schwartz

I recently returned from a trip (part work, part pure play) to San Francisco. I grabbed a cable car ticket before jumping on and found myself enthralled by a strikingly effective marketing tactic – The San Francisco Cable Car Collectors' Series.

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Nonprofit Publicity Tips Online and Offline by Joan Stewart

If your nonprofit is strapped for time, money, or both, follow these 10 tips for generating thousands of dollars in print, broadcast and online publicity.

• Create one-page press release templates for frequent news items such as new employees or board members, events you’re sponsoring or hosting, or when you’re searching for volunteers. Then simply fill in the blanks.

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Free and Easy Opportunities To Generate More Traffic Through Talk Radio by George McKenzie

Baseball great Reggie Jackson, who often got more publicity than he wanted, once said, "The media are like birds on a wire. When one flies, they all fly."

Everyone in the media monitors everyone else, because NO ONE wants to miss anything or leave the impression they're falling behind current events.

You can use that competitive spirit to build a free publicity machine for yourself. Especially on radio.

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35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release by Catherine Franz

Layout

1. 1-2 pages in length.
2. Double-space.
3. 1.5 to 2 inch margins.
4. Use company stationary with logo and slogan.
5. Avoid bright or dark-colored paper.
6. Center "News Release" at top.

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Thou Shalt Promote Thy Program ... by the AFRDS

1. Mark your calendar.
   Provide a complete fundraising schedule at the beginning of the year to avoid surprises. This keeps parents and students apprised of launch dates, deadlines for turning in orders/money, and estimated time of delivery for products.

2. Try two-in-one approach.
   Get more power for your dollar by taking advantage of regularly scheduled school events - e.g. football games, PTA/PTO meetings, teacher conferences - and be sure to display products from your current fundraising campaign, to garner more sales.

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Photographs for Publicity from the Official Football Fund-Raiser's Guide

Photographs often make the difference in whether an article is reduced to a calendar item or run as a feature story.

Some newspapers, especially in small towns, send a staff photographer to cover big events in the lives of major organizations. Prestigious fund-raising events may be automatically presented in a big story. For other organizations and events, there are other options.

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Just be Yourself by George McKenzie

Suppose you've been trying get on a radio talk show for months, and the producer finally calls back and extends an invitation.

This is a great opportunity! But all of a sudden, you feel like a King Kong-sized gorilla has just super-glued both hairy feet to the back of your neck.

Oh, you know your stuff. That's not the problem.

The problem is stage fright.

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What Works Now That the Press Release Is Dead by B.L. Ochman

practice Reality PR you must think like a wired journalist and realize that the fact your company exists is not news. You must understand what the journalists' audience wants to read and what they, by virtue of this, want to write.

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