Wild Apricot

APRIL 1, 2010

This month’s round-up of free webinars has loads of professional development that’s meant specifically for nonprofit folks - fundraisers, board members, administrators, active volunteers and volunteer coordinators - but we’ve also included a few webinars on social media and technology topics that, while aimed more at business, can help your nonprofit to more effectively get your message out, raise funds, and recruit support online.( read more ).

Social Media

Association Leaders

APRIL 25, 2010

Leaders are mentors (role models) whether they want to be or not. The concept of a mentor is one who shares his experiences and knowledge with another to help the subordinate grown professionally or personally. Everyday leaders (in business, associations, communities and families) are presented with the opportunity to mentor a subordinate. As a leader you can choose to take the extra time to explain a process to a co-worker, share an experience with a new association member, pass on a word of

Process

Association Subculture

APRIL 30, 2010

skip to main | skip to sidebar. Friday, April 30, 2010. NO Neutrality on Net Neutrality. John Hodgman - "The point is, with net neutrality, all of these packets whether they come from a big company or just a single citizen are treated in the exact same way.". Jon Stewart - "So, whats the debate? That actually seems quite fair.". John Hodgman - "Yes.

United States

Idea Architects

APRIL 9, 2010

When you're the driver, you've got control of the wheel and know not only where we're going, but each decision you're making along the way. In the passenger seat things feel different. I don't have the same sense of control and comfort with our speed, direction, degree of the turns, etc. I can't prepare for your sudden veer left or rapid acceleration because I don't know they are coming.

Advertisement

Struggling to get members to open or engage with your emails? You're not alone. Our free Best Practices for Email Marketing guide offers practical tips to strengthen your email strategy and improve engagement. Inside, you'll learn how to: Write subject lines that increase open rates Build scannable, mobile-friendly designs Choose send times that fit your audience Personalize content with Smart Newsletter Use Message Report data to refine strategy This guide helps associations and chambers create

Email Marketing

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 20, 2010

One of the best tactical sessions I attended at NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference week before last was “Optimizing Your Site for Search Engine Performance: And We Ain’t Talkin’ Just Keywords.&# Here is the slide deck. It’s a mouthful, but it boils down to this one simple idea: Getting Google and other search engines to point people to your website.

Tips

Wild Apricot

APRIL 9, 2010

Sometimes life doesn't work out the way you want it. Sometimes all the planning and preparation in the world amounts to absolutely nothing. The same goes for social media. A lot of times we hit a wall. Things stop working. Twitterers aren't banging down doors trying to follow you. Facebook pages go limp. Blogs dry up. It happens. The thing is, you're a nonprofit.

Social Media

Association Leaders

APRIL 18, 2010

Americans have long been known as volunteers. Since its beginnings, America has been the land of volunteers. Associations, both trade and professional, were born in the US. Americans love to give their time and their money to charitable causes, research and development and professional and business development. During the last two years, the US (and world) economy has been in a tailspin.

America

Off Stage

APRIL 15, 2010

Off Stage. Apr. 15, 2010 - Part 2 of Life after MLS: Information Technology Best Practices of Nonprofit Organizations. Continue, if you will, thinking of your organization as an MLS-less association. In your minds eye, erase the 80% or so of your budget and staff time that go toward supporting that program, and concentrate on evaluating the effectiveness of the remainder-in particular, your Information Technology activities.

Technology

Idea Architects

APRIL 14, 2010

What if we quit expecting all board members to be visionary? I've been in a few conversations recently where staff members were deeply lamenting the perceived lack of vision from their boards. Comments include: They just get themselves lost in the weeds too much. They are so analytical that everything has to be backed up by data. They don't seem to have any real interest in thinking about the distant future.

Committee

Speaker: Sean Yoder

Nonprofits are under more pressure than ever to demonstrate financial accountability while continuing to expand their impact. Traditional budgeting models often fall short, reinforcing silos, limiting flexibility, and stalling growth. Enter collaborative budgeting: a dynamic, team-driven process that enables smarter resource allocation and builds financial resilience at scale.

Process

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 14, 2010

Last week at the Day of Service at the Nonprofit Technology Conference in Atlanta, I met with Executive Director Megan Anderson and Volunteer Coordinator Courtney Hodges of the Furniture Bank of Metropolitan Atlanta. Each year, the NTEN community helps scores of local nonprofits in the conference’s host city , and this year I signed up to assist the Furniture Bank.

Atlanta

Association Law

APRIL 30, 2010

skip to main | skip to sidebar. This blog focuses on legal issues of interest to association leaders, including executives, volunteers and members. It is NOT intended to provide legal advice, but rather to share my informal thoughts on legal issues commonly faced by trade and professional associations, as well as foundations and other charities. This blog does not focus on homeowners associations or religious organizations.

CA

Wild Apricot

APRIL 22, 2010

Recent changes in Ning’s business model (see News & Views About Change for updates) have Network Creators wondering whether to pay to keep hosting their online communities on the Ning platform, or to start looking at alternatives. We won’t be told the new pricing structure and other details until May 4th, but in the meantime, inevitably, rumors are running rife – and it’s a fresh reminder to backup the content you and your members have worked hard to create online.

Content

Association Leaders

APRIL 11, 2010

I love spring. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth. Flowers are blooming, trees are budding, grass is becoming green again. In northern climates, people are renewing friendships with their neighbors as they finally get to spend time outdoors after a long, cold winter. In the business world, spring is a time for renewal and rebirth as well. Now is a great time to do some spring cleaning.

Review

Speaker: Tim Sarrantonio, Director of Community Engagement

There’s more than one way to end the year with impact—and we’re letting you decide the direction. In this "choose your own adventure" community-led webinar, attendees will vote in real time to pick one of three year-end event strategies to explore in depth: Volunteer Appreciation Events 🧡 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Campaigns 🌈 Mission/Program Celebrations 🎉 Once the path is chosen, we’ll dive into a step-by-step engagement workflow plan tailored to that format, showing how

Strategy

Executive Connections

APRIL 20, 2010

Executive Connections. « Cherry Blossom Time | Main. | Guest Video Message from SLA President Anne Caputo » 20 April 2010. Are You Involved in Corporate e-Learning? I need your help! Deanna Marcum, Associate Librarian for Library Services at the Library of Congress, has asked me to speak at the Kanazawa Institute of Technology (KIT) )/CLIR (Council of Library and Information Resources) International Roundtable for Library and Information Science in Japan this June.

Library

Idea Architects

APRIL 30, 2010

This was the question I posed to more than a dozen association colleagues. Their answers, as well as insights drawn from the literature and my own experience, can be found in the May issue of ASAE's Associations Now magazine. The online version includes a short video clip in which I offer additional thoughts beyond the article content and an online exclusive article offering advice from 11 association professionals on how to become promotable.

Video

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 22, 2010

I’m putting together a new webinar called Creating a Social Media Policy for Your Nonprofit (it’s on Wednesday, April 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET). As I’m thinking about the variations I’m seeing in social media policies, I’m measuring them up against what I’ve been using as the “good nonprofit marketing through social media&# yardstick: Does the policy encourage staff to be genuine, generous , and grateful ?

Social Media

Membership Marketing

APRIL 27, 2010

Membership Marketing Blog. Membership marketing – acquiring, engaging, upgrading, and renewing members – is the cornerstone for associations and relationship driven organizations. Whether you are an association professional or a relationship marketer, join the discussion on the Membership Marketing Blog and share your ideas and counsel. Speaking Engagements.

Marketing

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How To

Wild Apricot

APRIL 22, 2010

There’s no question that blogging is one of the most powerful communications tools a nonprofit can have in its online arsenal, if you’ve got the resources to put behind it. But yes, maintaining a blog can take a lot of time and mental energy – especially if you frequently find yourself running out of blog post ideas. Here’s a way to tackle that writer’s block – not just today, but for months to come: Check the Calendar Have you noticed how Google changes the header image on its main search page

Social Media

Association Leaders

APRIL 4, 2010

I must admit I am a workaholic – though I’ve gotten better over the years. Even before blackberries, iPhones and eMail I found a way to stay connected to my work during all hours but sleep, seven days a week. Over the years I have been able to step away from work for a few hours at a time at least (mostly to spend time with my children).

Examples

Executive Connections

APRIL 27, 2010

Executive Connections. « Are You Involved in Corporate e-Learning? | Main. | Top Secret Savings Alert » 27 April 2010. Guest Video Message from SLA President Anne Caputo. Anne Caputo invites you to join us in June for the SLA 2010 Annual Conference & INFO-EXPO in New Orleans, and why this is the one conference you can't afford to miss!

Video

Idea Architects

APRIL 24, 2010

Need some good airplane or rainy day reading? Here's a roundup of my recently published articles. Most are quick reads (2-3 pages long) balancing practical pointers and enduring concepts. A few are links to the web site where the article still appears. Others are PDF downloads as noted. In May, watch for my new article in Associations Now focusing on "The Promotable Professional.

Newsletter

Advertisement

Unlock the Power of Historical Data A Data Revolution: Why Your AMS/CRM Needs a Native Data Warehouse Today’s association leaders need more than real-time snapshots—they need the full story. MemberSuite: A Data Revolution reveals how a native data warehouse transforms your AMS into a strategic decision-making engine. In this free eBook, you’ll discover: The difference between a database and a data warehouse—and why it matters How to gain historical visibility into membership, engagement, events,

Leadership

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 26, 2010

Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now is hosting the next Nonprofit Blog Carnival with an April Fool’s theme, so I decided to share with you those times during my week when I am most likely to think, “This is a joke, right?&#. This happens several times a week, as I review the email that comes from my blog’s contact form. Here are the three most frequent requests that make me think, “Seriously?

Press Release

Membership Marketing

APRIL 9, 2010

Membership Marketing Blog. Membership marketing – acquiring, engaging, upgrading, and renewing members – is the cornerstone for associations and relationship driven organizations. Whether you are an association professional or a relationship marketer, join the discussion on the Membership Marketing Blog and share your ideas and counsel. Speaking Engagements.

Marketing

Wild Apricot

APRIL 25, 2010

Up to 25% of American nonprofits – charities, trade associations and membership groups – will lose their tax-exempt status at midnight on May 15, when the provisions of a 2006 federal bill kick in. As the New York Times reported , late last week: The new law, embedded in the 393 pages of the Pension Protection Act of 2006, also directed the Internal Revenue Service to revoke the tax exemptions of groups that failed to file for three consecutive years.

New York

Associations Live

APRIL 28, 2010

skip to main | skip to sidebar. Associations Live. Connecting MSAE members and a world of ideas! Wednesday, April 28, 2010. Lessons Learned from our First Webinar. I know - most everyone who takes the time to read this blog will be experts at hosting webinars. I wasnt an expert before we hosted our first webinar, and Im not an expert now that weve got one under our belt, but Ive learned a few valuable lessons which Ive tried to boil down into 10.

Class

Speaker: Gareth Webb & Phil Selley, Founding Partners at Intouch Business

For many nonprofit organizations and NGOs, managing grants and monitoring projects with spreadsheets and manual processes feels familiar—but is it holding your organization back? As funding requirements become more complex and stakeholder expectations for transparency grow, relying on outdated methods can lead to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and compliance risks.

System

on Leadership

APRIL 19, 2010

on Leadership … by Steven Davis, CAE. Leadership … an Ongoing Discussion. « Leadership … Continued Discussion 3/29/10. Leadership … Continued Discussion 5/11/10 » Leadership … Continued Discussion 4/19/10. In this post I want to return to Ken Blanchard and his book The Heart of a Leader , which I have found to be an excellent read and chock full of wisdom and inspiring guidance.

Leadership

Idea Architects

APRIL 22, 2010

When attempting to facilitate change, we often make three common mistakes: We limit our appeal to one side of the brain: left (analytical) or right (intuition and emotion). Our stories about the future we envision must incorporate sufficient facts and emotional and aspirational appeal to connect with individuals who have a strong predisposition to one way of processing information.

Process

Nonprofit Marketing Guide

APRIL 6, 2010

I’ve been listening intently to all of the great ideas you’ve been sharing with me about the kinds of coaching programs you want on nonprofit marketing and communications. After much deliberation, I’ve decided to create three different coaching programs over the next three months (It’s just too much to cram into one month). In May, we’ll cover nonprofit writing.

Course