Steve Thomas | June 30, 2009
This week we’re devoting the entire week to focusing on Facebook as a core social media marketing platform for nonprofits that you can’t ignore because of its pre-donor acquisition, donor involvement and fundraising potential. Yesterday, Hoots and I had the opening round of this conversation–my frustration with my inability to make FB work for me [...]
Steve Thomas | June 29, 2009
This week is we’re devoting the entire week to focusing on Facebook as a core social media marketing platform for nonprofits that you can’t ignore because of its pre-donor acquisition, donor involvement and fundraising potential. Facebook has grown in popularity and made some key strategic choices that increase advantages for nonprofits. But Facebook (or FB [...]
Steve Thomas | June 24, 2009
I’m starting with a confession rather than the usual themes of fundraising for nonprofits, online video and social media. I’m going to trust you with my confession and you’ll have to trust me for a few lines that I can connect the dots for you. But, hey, we’re all about relationships around here, so I’ll [...]
Hoots and Thomas | June 23, 2009
A lot of people are trying to figure out Twitter — who’s using it, how are they using it, what are they using it for, even what kind of tool Twitter is. Much of the conversation and conclusions are very subjective. The objective stats or hard numbers are reported by Hubspot in their June 2009 [...]
Steve Thomas | June 22, 2009
There are some conversations around the Internet hallways that blogging as a social media strategy is dead (or antiquated or passe). Wired.com ran controversial article in October 2008 that said “blogging is dead.” Yesterday Steve Rubel, one of the digital media thinkers out there, suggested that microblogging and other hybrid tools are making “blogging [...]
Steve Thomas | June 19, 2009
For many nonprofits, this year’s giving is down.* And for many organizations, much of that reduced income is that major donors aren’t giving at the same levels they have in the past.
You’ve wondered why. You told everyone it was the economy, but is it really all the economy?
Your boss asked “why?” You’ve [...]
Hoots and Thomas | June 16, 2009
Yep. For the record, we’re married. One of the greatest blessings in our lives is getting to work together. As we began Oneicity we didn’t hide it, but we didn’t talk it about until people had gotten to know us professionally first.
We didn’t want people thinking about the “married” thing before they got to [...]
Steve Thomas | June 15, 2009
Today I’m cleaning out the refrigerator and creating a little social media stew. Here are three quick social media items to begin your week.
Just in case you need a reminder of how social media has changed our world, consider the story of Charles Pitts of San Francisco. Mr. Pitts has a vibrant online social life [...]
Steve Thomas | June 12, 2009
We made it to the last question in our series of important questions you must ask your agency or consultant. We saved what we consider to be the most important to the last. The most important question you must ask your agency or consultant is: “Are our values in alignment?”
You could phrase the question another [...]
Kris Hoots | June 9, 2009
There are tons of questions flying around about social media fundraising. Here are a few of the kinds of questions being asked.:
What’s social media mean for my ministry (company)?
How’s it useful for anyone but teenagers?
How can my organization benefit?
For today’s post, we’re going to start with an introduction to get us all on [...]
Steve Thomas | June 8, 2009
Here are 3 boring, blue-collar, old-fashioned, dependable, back-to-basics fundraising strategies that will help generate income in a tough economy (and in any economy). They’re not glamorous. They’re not exciting. But they work and won’t require a huge investment of time or money.
Think about when your hot water heater dies the Friday night when your [...]
Steve Thomas | June 5, 2009
There are only two questions left in our series of questions you must ask your agency. These are questions you must ask your agency or consultant and be happy with the answers. Question #7 is: “Are you creating solutions to solve my specific problems or are you selling me generic solutions?”
Your world is far too [...]
Steve Thomas | June 3, 2009
There is one critically important factor for evaluating results from your fundraising. This single piece of information is often overlooked.
Response rate? Nope.
Gross Income? Not even close.
Return on Investment? A good guess and an important data point, but no.
Net Income? You knew that’s my favorite but it’s not most important.
Give up?
Here it is: Context.
Context? [...]
Steve Thomas | June 1, 2009
If you’re marketing or fundraising for an organization and have to choose between a great strategy and a great story, choose the story every time. It’s easy to become infatuated with the siren call of strategy and technique. Hey, I’m sympathetic. I love cool tools, engaging strategies and clever techniques. I can get sucked into [...]
