Wednesday, February 04, 2015

Cut down on these buzzwords

Cut down on these buzzwords: "With a new year comes renewed determination to communicate clearly and effectively with your donors, participants, and others. What better way to do this than with your word choices? Let’s avoid some of that overused jargon we so often see in the nonprofit world.

Here are a few terms we’ve seen over the past year that should be called out and questioned whenever possible:"



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Blackbaud’s Charitable Giving Report Shows Online Giving Continues to Outpace Traditional Giving as Donors Shift Channels | Blackbaud News

Blackbaud’s Charitable Giving Report Shows Online Giving Continues to Outpace Traditional Giving as Donors Shift Channels | Blackbaud News: "Charleston, S.C. (February 3, 2014) — Leveraging findings from The Blackbaud Index, Blackbaud, Inc. (NASDAQ: BLKB) today released its Charitable Giving Report, providing the nonprofit sector with the latest data on overall and online charitable giving in 2014, as well insight from industry experts and case studies. The Report includes overall giving data from nearly 5,000 nonprofit organizations representing $16.2 billion in total fundraising and online giving data from nearly 4,000 nonprofits representing $2 billion in online fundraising from 2014."



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Managing Knowledge Enables Nonprofits to Fulfill Their Mission

massnonprofit news ::: "Knowledge management—also called KM—is the process of choosing and using tools and systems to effectively gather, organize, share, and use information, of any topic and type, within and between individuals, organizations, and groups.

Signs that lack of knowledge management is undermining your organization’s effectiveness include the following:"



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Charitable Giving in Bay State Grew by 7.7% in 2014

massnonprofit news ::: "January 30, 2015 — Charitable giving in Massachusetts in 2014 rose 7.7% over 2013 levels, lagging national giving, which increased 9.3% last year, both down from the year before, a trend that is expected to continue through 2015, according to a newly released report.

The Atlas of Giving, a Dallas-based organization that tracks charitable giving, said growth last year was driven by “favorable economic factors that drive giving, an increasing number of nonprofits, the impact of donor advised funds and new and more effective fundraising technologies and techniques.”"



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Webcast: Using Census Data to Tell Your Story 1/23 | Common Good Vermont Blog

Webcast: Using Census Data to Tell Your Story 1/23 | Common Good Vermont Blog: "Free On-Demand Training!
Learn how use the Census Bureau’s online tools to access a variety of datasets available for the local level, including:

American Community Survey (demographic, socioeconomic, and housing data)
2010 Census (demographic data)
Population Estimates and the Economic Census
The data can be useful for grant applications, planning and business development, fundraising, analyzing potential barriers in implementing programs, research, and marketing strategies.

All sessions are conducted by Alexandra Barker, Data Dissemination and Media Relations Specialist from the U.S. Census Bureau."



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Tuesday, February 03, 2015

Nonprofit Aids Resource Center Ohio raises $1 million locally - Dayton Business Journal

Nonprofit Aids Resource Center Ohio raises $1 million locally - Dayton Business Journal: "Aids Resource Center Ohio has raised all of the $1 million needed for its capital campaign to support its new Dayton medical center and pharmacy."



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Is the Humans of New York Community Every Nonprofit's Dream? - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media -

Is the Humans of New York Community Every Nonprofit's Dream? - Online Fundraising, Advocacy, and Social Media -: "Good fundraising can make or break any nonprofit, but what makes truly good fundraising? One of the most important factors for success is a highly engaged community who is extremely passionate about your mission. Humans of New York (HONY) is an amazing example of how building an engaged community inspires people to rally together and raise money for an issue they are moved by."



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Monday, February 02, 2015

Nonprofits worry about impact of Norfolk Southern job losses - Roanoke Times: Roanoke

Nonprofits worry about impact of Norfolk Southern job losses - Roanoke Times: Roanoke: "hock, sorrow and apprehension rippled through the region on Tuesday after Norfolk Southern Corp. announced plans to eliminate roughly 500 jobs in Roanoke and to close the office building downtown that houses them.
The Norfolk-based railroad said the employees will be offered jobs at corporate offices in Norfolk or Atlanta. Those who do not opt to relocate will lose their jobs.

Among those reacting with sadness and angst in the wake of Tuesday’s announcement were regional nonprofit organizations."



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Collaboration: The Nonprofit Trend - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Collaboration: The Nonprofit Trend - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: "Organizations of all kinds use networks to get things done. Whether those relationships are more formal, as in supply chains and subcontracted services, or less so, as in some other cases, the lack of network optimization is very “last century” and very wasteful.

In that vein, the CenDel Foundation held a meeting this week with the goal of initiating a conversation among nonprofits who provide services around homelessness, crisis funding, medical care, and food access to low-income residents in Kent County, Delaware. The hope of bringing organizations together is to “understand what services each nonprofit is providing, identify potential gaps in service, and consider potential areas of collaboration.”"



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Big 2014 Losses Spell End for $250-Million N.Y. Nonprofit – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Big 2014 Losses Spell End for $250-Million N.Y. Nonprofit – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "One of the country’s largest social-service charities and a major provider of New York City programs for vulnerable populations said Friday that it is shutting down after losing $19.4-million last year, Crain’s New York Business writes. The announcement left city and state officials scrambling to find groups to take over more than two dozen contracts with the Federation Employment and Guidance Service.

The $250-million nonprofit reli"



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Charities Rethinking Donor’s Ties Amid Sex Scandal – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Charities Rethinking Donor’s Ties Amid Sex Scandal – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "Some past beneficiaries of Jeffrey Epstein’s philanthropy say they would decline future gifts from the financier in the wake of allegations that he trafficked an underage girl for sex with Britain’s Prince Andrew and other prominent figures, according to Reuters. The prince has strongly denied the accusation, leveled in a December 30 court filing related to Mr. Epstein’s 2008 guilty plea on a procurement charge, for which he served a year in prison."



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Boston College Center on Wealth and Giving to Wind Down – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Boston College Center on Wealth and Giving to Wind Down – Philanthropy Today - Blogs - The Chronicle of Philanthropy: "Boston College’s Center on Wealth and Philanthropy, which has provided in-depth data and analysis on the charitable behavior of the very rich for 45 years, will close by the end of the year, The Boston Globe reports. The move is triggered by the impending retirement of longtime center director Paul Schervish and associate director John Havens, who plan to depart once they complete their current research."



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Why Fundraising Newsletters Don't Work Anymore

Why Fundraising Newsletters Don't Work Anymore: "Yep, without even seeing it, I can tell you that there are very likely some things you need to change with your print or email newsletter.

I've heard from many donors that they don't even look at newsletters anymore, even if it comes from their favorite nonprofit.

You know why? They're boring and self-serving."



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The fundraising leadership crisis – is it real? - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders

The fundraising leadership crisis – is it real? - Information, research and resources for fundraisers and their leaders: "Think about your fundraising career.

Have you ever had a bad boss? Unrealistic goals? 

A board that doesn’t understand or appreciate fundraising?

Have you ever stayed at a job for less than two years?

Have you ever really hated a fundraising job?

Well, you aren’t alone. There is a global conversation happening and it is one I think Canadian fundraisers are an important part of. A conversation about a leadership crisis in fundraising."



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How Average Americans Can Give to Charity Like Billionaires | Money.com

How Average Americans Can Give to Charity Like Billionaires | Money.com: "Forty-four donors gave gifts of $50 million or more to charity last year. The top 10 alone totaled $3.3 billion. But if you really want to know how America gives, look at the explosive growth of donor-advised funds, which have become a kind of personal foundation for Everyman."



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Confessions from a (Less) Anxious Donor Relations Coordinator | AFP Greater Toronto Chapter Blog - Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Toronto Chapter

Confessions from a (Less) Anxious Donor Relations Coordinator | AFP Greater Toronto Chapter Blog - Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Toronto Chapter: "Laura Champion, Donor Relations Coordinator – Direct Response

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada

I am bad with confrontation. My face turns red, I stare at my feet and my first instinct is to run and hide in the corner. It’s a good thing I’m on the phone!

But as fundraisers, we have all been there. The phone rings and on the other side is a very displeased donor. Someone has issued the wrong receipt, sent too much mail or not enough mail. Perhaps they were excluded from a guest list. The donor is unhappy and they want you to know it."



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