One Lesson from the #iGiveLocal “Give Local America” Fiasco | Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog

One Lesson from the #iGiveLocal “Give Local America” Fiasco | Kivi's Nonprofit Communications Blog: "Instead, this post is about lessons learned for communications pros. And there will be many that come out of this.
One big obvious one is that you need the ability to redirect quickly all the traffic your campaigns have generated elsewhere when your primary page or even your whole site goes down.
Many — probably most? — of the thousands of nonprofits participating in Give Local campaigns across America were sending donors directly to donation pages on Kimbia’s platform.  When the platform failed, they had no easy way to send the traffic elsewhere."



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Why Can’t the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector Scale Generosity? #givedaylessons | Beth’s Blog

Why Can’t the Nonprofit and Philanthropic Sector Scale Generosity? #givedaylessons | Beth’s Blog: "Experiencing a cascading technology failure in real time for just one community is painful enough.  But it was heart wrenching to watch, in real time, community after community experience this fiasco.  Instead of scaling community giving and philanthropy and empowering their local nonprofits to use crowd funding, Give Local America Day amplified frustration, panic, hopelessness, and anger. "



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Dave Matthews Band: 25 years of music — and charitable giving - Roanoke Times: Virginia

Dave Matthews Band: 25 years of music — and charitable giving - Roanoke Times: Virginia: "Tinsley, Beauford and the late Moore grew up in the same Charlottesville neighborhood. Beauford and Moore were accomplished jazz musicians when Matthews approached them, and Tinsley had learned violin through classical music.
Lessard was playing both jazz and classical music on the bass.
They got together, recorded some demos, started getting regular gigs and soon became a popular regional draw.
The band began putting money into the community shortly after it became a regular on the summer tour circuit in the U.S. and internationally. After signing a recording contract with RCA Records, the band completed its big-label debut, “Under the Table and Dreaming,” in 1994, kicking off its first international tour with a concert in Charlottesville."



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Charity organizers struggle in crowded field of events | TribLIVE

Charity organizers struggle in crowded field of events | TribLIVE: "After a two-year hiatus, Best Buddies Pennsylvania and supporters decided to resuscitate their 5K fundraiser last fall.

They knew the competition was steep.

Like places nationwide, greater Pittsburgh has observed an inundation of charity walks packing the calendar most weekends from late spring through early fall."



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Facebook, Twitter play different roles in connecting mobile readers to news | Pew Research Center

Facebook, Twitter play different roles in connecting mobile readers to news | Pew Research Center:



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'Star Wars' Charity Event Forced to Change Theme After Lucasfilm Cease-and-Desist Order - NonProfit PRO

'Star Wars' Charity Event Forced to Change Theme After Lucasfilm Cease-and-Desist Order - NonProfit PRO: "Hard to see, the Dark Side is—especially when you can’t use your lightsaber to light the way.
Newmindspace, a Toronto-based nonprofit, has rebranded its popular charity lightsaber battles as the “Cats in Space Tour” after it received a cease-and-desist letter from Lucasfilm’s lawyers for using trademarked terms, the Toronto Star reported."



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Does your nonprofit really need a celebrity spokesperson?

Does your nonprofit really need a celebrity spokesperson?: "According to the article Signifying the Public: Celebrity Advocacy and Post-Democratic Politics published in the International Journal of Cultural Studies, celebrity spokespeople can help nonprofits achieve social and political goals but their ability to influence donors is limited. The researchers found that “people support charities because of personal connections in their lives and families which made these causes important, not because of the celebrities.”

There was a similar finding in the article Analysis of the Value of Celebrity Affiliation to Nonprofit Contributions published in the Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly. This study found that “the effect of celebrity affiliation on donations is relatively small and likely secondary to prospective donors’ primary focus on the charity’s core mission, beneficiaries, and activities.”"



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Star Wars: Force For Change charity campaign raises $2 million

Star Wars: Force For Change charity campaign raises $2 million: "The Star Wars: Force For Change charity campaign is over. Yesterday, Daisy Ridley urged fans to donate one last time!

Yesterday was May the 4th, the previously low-key and now very much mainstream “Star Wars Day.”"



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The Power of One and the Power of Community: Part 3 | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly

The Power of One and the Power of Community: Part 3 | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly: "How does this relate to NPQ readers?

You’re probably wondering what this has to do with my column at NPQ. And you’re also probably wondering what this has to do with your nonprofits and your board members, your fundraisers and your fundraising.

A whole lot, as far as I’m concerned. Just read the articles in NPQ. Share them with your boss and boards. What are the implications and applications for your NGO?

Just look at the reviews of nonprofits and their boards and their staff. NPQ reminds us to read these."



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14 Observations for the next Executive Director | Intermountain Impact Investments

14 Observations for the next Executive Director | Intermountain Impact Investments: "We had been discussing this move for nearly a decade, so it wasn’t a big surprise for us.  In our final days, however, my successor as Executive Director asked if I might jot down some recommendations and observations.  Then, he could totally ignore them at his own discretion.  If they are words worth his lack of attention, I bet you might benefit by ignoring them too."



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Where’s the Community Accountability in Impact Investing? | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly

Where’s the Community Accountability in Impact Investing? | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly: "The concept of impact investment, which has the explicit purpose of supporting economic and community development, is receiving a growing amount of attention from an increasingly diverse set of financial players. This emerging trend is one of the most exciting, and at the same time potentially problematic, trends I’ve seen over the last decade. As with any new field, impact investing raises consequential questions and issues, with the answers and intended results remaining up for grabs.

Let’s consider the following questions to start:"



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Glitch Torpedoes Give Local AmericaThe NonProfit Times

Glitch Torpedoes Give Local AmericaThe NonProfit Times: "Technical difficulties brought Give Local America to a screeching halt yesterday, forcing some communities to extend the 24-hour crowdfunding event for at least another day."



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How to discourage donors from making a difference - Future Fundraising Now

How to discourage donors from making a difference - Future Fundraising Now: "Fundcrushing is a form of anti-fundraising that works on the mistaken assumption that people will want to respond to a situation if they understand how huge it is."



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After naming controversy, alumni call for organization-specific donations

After naming controversy, alumni call for organization-specific donations: "In light of the University’s recent, controversial naming decisions — which many members of the Yale community argue were motivated by the preferences of wealthy donors — two Yale College alumni are asking their peers to donate to Yale organizations that promote diversity and inclusion rather than to the University generally."



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Philanthropy Can Help Save Rust Belt Cities, If Labor Helps Too - Forbes

Philanthropy Can Help Save Rust Belt Cities, If Labor Helps Too - Forbes: "But theirs is a story with a lesson that goes beyond Detroit—and could, if rightly understood, be extended to include—and give new life to—other Rust Belt cities. Like Detroit, Cleveland, Buffalo, St. Louis and especially Chicago are straining under the burden of “legacy costs” and a paralyzed politics that’s been unable to deal with them, even as city services erode. (So, too, does recently-notorious Flint, Michigan.) In a new paper for the Manhattan Institute, I run some numbers and find that a Detroit-style “grand bargain” approach could—with the same level of financial contributions from both big philanthropy and organized labor"



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California Charities Pan Philanthropic ‘Warning Label’ - The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times

California Charities Pan Philanthropic ‘Warning Label’ - The NonProfit TimesThe NonProfit Times: "Nonprofits in California are rising up in opposition against a proposed bill that would serve as a “warning label” to charitable solicitation in the state. About 800 state charities have come out in opposition."



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Press Releases |The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Down

Press Releases | BlackbaudNews.com: "The Blackbaud Index: Overall Charitable Giving to Nonprofits Down

Posted on May 2, 2016 by Nicole McGougan
The Blackbaud Index reported that overall charitable giving to nonprofits decreased 0.1% while online giving increased 6.5% for the three months ending March 2016 as compared to the same period in 2015.
As reported in the recently released Charitable Giving Report, overall giving in the United States increased 1.6% while online giving grew 9.2% for the full year 2015 as compared to the full year 2014. To learn more about how nonprofit fundraising performed in 2015, download the full report at www.blackbaud.com/charitablegiving."



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Keeping It in Reserve: Grantmaking for a Rainy Day | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly

Keeping It in Reserve: Grantmaking for a Rainy Day | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly: "So, having only just gained some collective traction around the value of grants for general operations, it may seem premature to make a case for a type of grantmaking that, if anything, departs even further from the traditional program-focused model. Nonetheless, that is the case we will be making in this article: to highlight another potential item in the philanthropic tool kit for supporting and strengthening grantees. This is grantmaking that bypasses operations altogether and instead looks to strengthen the financial position of grantees by providing funding for financial reserves and liquidity."



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Study identifies challenges facing Black-led nonprofits - The Philadelphia Tribune: News

Study identifies challenges facing Black-led nonprofits - The Philadelphia Tribune: News: "The Philadelphia African American Leadership Forum released a new report Thursday titled “How African American-Led Organizations Differ From White-Led Organizations.”
The study was designed to articulate the unique and critical value of African-American-led nonprofits, as well as the challenges these organizations face."



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LACMA receives a historic $75-million windfall, creating an energetic and hope-filled momentum - LA Times

LACMA receives a historic $75-million windfall, creating an energetic and hope-filled momentum - LA Times: "Elaine Wynn, who is one of the world's top art collectors and became a museum co-chair last year, has pledged $50 million to the project. At the same time, former Univision chairman A. Jerrold Perenchio has promised $25 million. Combined, it amounts to the largest monetary donation in the museum's history."



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A Major $100 Million Infusion of Social Benefit Investing for Chicago Area | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly

A Major $100 Million Infusion of Social Benefit Investing for Chicago Area | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly:



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Charities need to be honest about running costs | Voluntary Sector Network | The Guardian

Charities need to be honest about running costs | Voluntary Sector Network | The Guardian: "The reality is that any organisation, including a commercial company, needs to spend money on running its operations. This means that a charity really does need a head office to control the organisation, as well as ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. Even volunteers cost money: they need to be trained, coordinated and supported, and that all requires resources. The myth that charities can operate with zero overheads is utterly misleading and creates the illusion in the public’s mind – and it damages the rest of the charity "



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Giving Workers Paid Time Off to Volunteer Will Help Your Company Succeed

"Research into the newly released 50 Best Workplaces for Giving Back—a list produced by our organization Great Place to Work and published by Fortune—reveals that employee empowerment is key to getting a full “return” on community involvement. By letting employees guide charitable efforts, the winning companies create high levels of commitment and pride among their teams."



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In Chicago: Impact Investing for the People, Not Just the Privileged - Inside Philanthropy - Inside Philanthropy

In Chicago: Impact Investing for the People, Not Just the Privileged - Inside Philanthropy - Inside Philanthropy: "Who said that big legacy foundations can't do cool stuff?

While conventional wisdom holds that it's do-gooders from the tech world who are disrupting yesterday's philanthropic models, making traditional grantmaking look quaint, you'll also find some legacy foundations operating on the new frontiers of philanthropy. Indeed, some of these funders were exploring different ways to deploy capital to improve society long before the recent social investing craze got underway. "



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Time Runs Out on $5M Fundraising Goal for Colorado Ute Museum | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly

Time Runs Out on $5M Fundraising Goal for Colorado Ute Museum | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly: "Showing off a new tribal-funded, beautifully appointed place to call home, the Southern Ute Cultural Center and Museum’s relaunch in 2011 was not only off to a great start, the nonprofit was the belle of the ball in the West. The facility, which housed rich historical permanent exhibits on the history of the Ute people, including oral narratives, important flora and fauna, and scholarly archives, was declared by True West Magazine in 2012 as the “top history museum of the year.” It looked like the Colorado sky was the limit.

Sadly, the promising start devolved into missed fundraising goals, loss of support, and nonprofit staff having their paychecks held while refusing to reveal dwindling program numbers to tribal funders. The Durango Herald reports:"



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Nonprofit Sues Bankrupt Corporate Donor to Obtain Pledged Donation | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly

Nonprofit Sues Bankrupt Corporate Donor to Obtain Pledged Donation | Non Profit News For Nonprofit Organizations | Nonprofit Quarterly: "Erica Mackie, GRID Alternatives’ CEO, says that the SunEdison Foundation made a two-year pledge totaling $5 million in February 2015 of cash and in-kind solar module donations, that GRID Alternatives has only received around $3 million, and SunEdison did not meet its two most recent donation deadlines.

“GRID is filing this claim to request that the remainder of the commitment is fulfilled, so that we can continue to serve our communities with these important initiatives,” says Mackie, who is nonetheless also quick to express gratitude to the company:"



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The State Of Impact Investing: Is It A Houseboat Or Is It Brunch? - Forbes

The State Of Impact Investing: Is It A Houseboat Or Is It Brunch? - Forbes: "ince first getting engaged in the impact investing movement several years ago, I’ve participated in hundreds of dialogues ranging from one-on-one conversations, to college and business school classes, to large, institutional and conference gatherings in the thousands. From these experiences, two moments stand out in my mind with clarity, and both gave me pause. The first, at a conference of high net worth and philanthropically-minded individuals, I heard a humorous but cynical comment from a celebrated venture capitalist—it went something like this: “Impact investing is like a houseboat; it’s not a good house and it’s not a good boat.” Ouch… Do we ever have our work cut out for us if we are going to broaden this tent, I thought."



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Three questions to ask someone to get a great story

Three questions to ask someone to get a great story:



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Tension Between Boston’s Charity Runners and Qualifiers Disappears by Race Day | Runner's World

Tension Between Boston’s Charity Runners and Qualifiers Disappears by Race Day | Runner's World: "
Lisa Miele, 45, of Lincroft, New Jersey, will run her second Boston Marathon on Monday to raise money for One Mission, an organization that helps children with cancer. While almost everyone she has encountered has been positive about her decision to run for charity in Boston, one former coworker took issue with it."



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Achieving Diversity in the Nonprofit Workplace: A Step-by-Step Guide | Third Sector New England

Achieving Diversity in the Nonprofit Workplace: A Step-by-Step Guide | Third Sector New England: "A Step-by-Step Guide to Diversity and Inclusion

“Achieving diversity and inclusiveness in the workplace is implicit in the values ascribed to fulfilling the mission of your nonprofit.”"


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