Beauty is overrated

FromFundraising is Beautiful

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Beauty is overrated

FromFundraising is Beautiful

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12 minutes

Released:

Oct 19, 2011

Format:

Podcast episode

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Are you creating fundraising that looks great or that gets results? Often, you can do one or the other, not both. In this look at the power of the odd, unattractive, and unfashionable in direct mail, broadcast, and online, we'll show you how the quest to make your fundraising aesthetically pleasing usually leads to lower results. Mentioned in this podcast: Monday Morning Memo by Roy H. Williams.

Released:

Oct 19, 2011

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

In this podcast, Steven Screen & Jeff Brooks give you super-actionable information for how you can make your next fundraising effort raise more money.

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Recession fundraising: Interview with Mal Warwick: Don't miss this interview with fundraising legend Mal Warwick, author of the recent book (as well as many other books on fundraising). Find out how to survive the recession -- including the biggest mistake you can make. by Fundraising is Beautiful
29 min listen
Things to do that will make you a better fundraiser: Here are ten practical things you can do -- starting today -- that will make you into a better fundraiser: Donate. Send and receive snail-mail. Sign up for lots of email from other nonprofits. Participate in online social networking sites. Hang... by Fundraising is Beautiful
16 min listen
Our Holiday wishes for you: The entire Fundraising Is Beautiful staff gathers for a holiday party and to wish our listeners and friends (especially those who are both) some good things for the coming year. by Fundraising is Beautiful
5 min listen
Fundraising in a bad economy: There's really only one thing you need to be afraid of during this economic crisis. Find out what it is, and discover many other tips for surviving hard times -- and maybe even turning it to your fundraising and long-term advantage. by Fundraising is Beautiful
17 min listen
Donor-Centric Newsletters, Part 1: Why You Should Have One: Did you know that many donors ask for newsletters from the charities they support? A great newsletter can improve donor retention and upgrading and bring in revenue while it does it. Find out how you can benefit from the power of a donor-centric... by Fundraising is Beautiful
15 min listen
Donor-Centric Newsletters, Part 2: How to Make it Work: Now that you believe in producing a newsletter for donors, here are some of the little-known and seldom-done best practices for making your newsletter bring in net revenue even while it improves the health of your file. by Fundraising is Beautiful
18 min listen
It's Not Too Late to Boost Your 2008 Revenue: The year is nearly over, but there's still time to do a go to your donors online -- in fact, the next couple of week are prime time for online fundraising. We'll lay out a basic schedule and give some tips for the last, crucial impacts of the year. by Fundraising is Beautiful
16 min listen
It's all about editing: The good fundraiser knows that not everything you do makes good fundraising. We bring donors on board with the stuff that makes their heart sing. We don't insist that they fully get it before we'll accept their donations. If you've been paying... by Fundraising is Beautiful
2 min listen
Partnership (not marketing) with donors: An interview with Troy Stremler, CEO of , a company that helps nonprofits measure and report the impact of their programs. Troy sees a big change in the new generation of donors: They don't want to be "marketed to" -- they want to be partners with the... by Fundraising is Beautiful
19 min listen
Program vs. Fundraising: How to Break the Tension: In almost every nonprofit organization there's tension between program people (those who do the organization's mission) and fundraising people (those who raise the money to make the work possible). This podcast reveals some things you can do to ease... by Fundraising is Beautiful
15 min listen
Your E-Z 30-minute fundraising review plan: We're back -- after a delay we're attributing to the economy and a house-fire -- with practical hints for planning your upcoming fundraising campaigns in a way that will help keep you out of trouble in these hard times. by Fundraising is Beautiful
11 min listen
Put your heart into fundraising: An interview with Cass Wheeler, former CEO of the and author of the new book You've Gotta Have Heart: Achieving Purpose Beyond Profit in the Social Sector (available at and at ). Don't miss what this wise CEO has to say about people who are good at... by Fundraising is Beautiful
21 min listen
Branding and Fundraising, Part 1: How does the discipline of branding help your efforts to raise revenue for your cause? How does it hurt? How do you decide how to spend your marketing dollars? Get ready for a feather-ruffling, controversial look at this difficult topic. by Fundraising is Beautiful
17 min listen
What is your website for?: If the purpose of your website is to raise funds, why is fundraising limited to a couple of "DONATE" buttons? Here's a look at how you can maximize online revenue by making your website relevant, useful, and easy for donors. Websites mentioned in this... by Fundraising is Beautiful
16 min listen
Why donors go away, Part 2: Why do your donors leave? For the most part, it's your fault -- the things you do (and don't do) drive away donors. But there's a lot you can do to keep donors happy, engaged, and giving. We look at some of those smart fundraising moves in this... by Fundraising is Beautiful
14 min listen
How to Work with a Fundraising Consultant: Working with the right fundraising consultant or agency can take your organization to undreamed-of heights. Having the wrong partner can be as rewarding as a long afternoon with a hungry, sleep-deprived two-year-old. In this podcast we share the three... by Fundraising is Beautiful
17 min listen
How to destroy your year-end letter: Two years ago, they had a great year-end letter that raised a lot of money for the cause. Last year, the committee was full of ideas for improving the letter. The result: a 50% drop in giving. Using two real year-end fundraising letters from a real... by Fundraising is Beautiful
12 min listen
How many appeals should you send?: How much fundraising is too much? How much is too little? There's no single right answer to these questions, but we can help you move toward what's best for your organization. If you increase your number of appeals, you will see more net revenue, and... by Fundraising is Beautiful
15 min listen
The power of relevance in fundraising: It's pretty simple, really: Fundraising works when it's relevant to donors. When it's not relevant, people ignore it. Using the recent Haiti earthquake as an example, we look at what makes a situation relevant, and what you can do to increase that... by Fundraising is Beautiful
22 min listen
Branding and Fundraising, Part 2: We continue the discussion on how your brand can help or hurt your fundraising and reveal the top branding error that torpedoes so many nonprofits. And don't miss a rare disagreement between Steven and Jeff -- tensions rise over dueling analogies.... by Fundraising is Beautiful
18 min listen
What to cut when the budget is tight: Okay, you've cried, you've pleaded, you've made your case. But there's no way around it: You have to cut your fundraising budget. Find out the area you can cut with little damage to your program, the areas where cuts would be devastating, and areas... by Fundraising is Beautiful
14 min listen
How to deal with the next big thing in fundraising: For the sixth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we look at steady stream of innovations for nonprofits that happen all the time. How do you deal with it all? How do you know what to ignore and what to get involved with? Here's a... by Fundraising is Beautiful
13 min listen
Is your fundraising ratio killing your fundraising?: The over-focus on the amount nonprofits spend on fundraising and administration (as opposed to accomplishing their mission) is throttling many organizations, keeping them artificially poor and less able to do what they exist to do. We talk about some... by Fundraising is Beautiful
13 min listen
The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications: After an embarrassingly long hiatus, we take a look at the new book The Fundraiser's Guide to Irresistible Communications: How it can help you raise more money for your cause, and why it may be the most important book ever published. The book is... by Fundraising is Beautiful
26 min listen
Why donors go away, Part 1: Why do your donors leave? Here's the bad news: It's mostly your fault. The good news: There's lot you can do to keep them engaged and giving. We look at some of those smart fundraising moves in this podcast and the next one. We are looking at donor... by Fundraising is Beautiful
13 min listen
How to Tell If Your Fundraising Is Good (Part 2: Content): Effective fundraising has some characteristics that you might find odd or off-putting: It's simple. It's about only one thing. There's an obsessive call to action. It's built around stories. It suggests specific amounts for donors to give. It's all... by Fundraising is Beautiful
14 min listen
3 steps to effective storytelling in fundraising: Storytelling that persuades donors to action isn't magic. You just have to make sure your has these elements: It's about the donor (not about your awesome organization) It leads to the donor taking action -- entering the story It's unfinished... by Fundraising is Beautiful
13 min listen
How to Tell If Your Fundraising Is Good (Part 3: Packaging): Direct mail, the life-blood of most fundraising programs, has different design conventions from other types of design. It's less pretty, more old-fashioned, and almost messy. Here's a look at direct mail design and packaging: Everything you need to... by Fundraising is Beautiful
16 min listen
Fundraisers beware of survey research: For the fifth installment of our State of Fundraising series, we take a look at survey research and how fundraisers can get value from it -- without being led dangerously astray. Surveys seem (and often claim) to report the truth. In reality, they... by Fundraising is Beautiful
15 min listen
Fundraising Manifesto for the New Year: Here are four truths about fundraising that can transform the way you approach this beautiful profession: Fundraising is good for donors. Fundraising is a lot like courtship. Fundraising is about your donors, not you. Fundraising is a science. (The... by Fundraising is Beautiful
21 min listen

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The Power of Donor Love: Interview with Jen Love & John Lepp: You'll be equipped and inspired by this interview with Jen Love and John Lepp of in Toronto. They are powerful spokespersons for the idea and practical expression of loving donors. You'll learn how Courier font is a practical tool for donor... by Fundraising is Beautiful
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11 amazing fundraising truths discovered by new writers: We asked two new fundraising (and very successful) writers who have been doing some very great work what they know about fundraising that's making them succeed. Here's what they told us: Write as one person connecting with one person. Avoid the word "we" by Fundraising is Beautiful
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Fundraising is about so much more than money: Steven shares his short poem, "A Benediction for Fundraisers" (based on "Christ Has No Body" by St. Teresa of Avila [1515-1582]). We hope this very brief podcast inspires you to love the important work we do when we motivate donors to give. Program #109 C by Fundraising is Beautiful
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Engagement fundraising -- how you raise the big bucks from the happiest donors: This is a powerful and super-informative interview with Greg Warner, founder of MarketSmart who also hosts a great podcast called Engagement Fundraising. The secret to accelerating your fundraising program is this: find the right level of engagement and g by Fundraising is Beautiful
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3 things that are probably wrong with your nonprofit website: We've looked at a lot of nonprofit websites. More than is good for our mental health, frankly. And we've found three things to be wrong with nearly all of them: Your website doesn't present some kind of need that the donor can meet. The idea of giving is by Fundraising is Beautiful
13 min listen
How to use photos in fundraising: Take note of this: A picture is worth a thousand words. So choose your pictures carefully! We take a look at the ways photos can emotional depth and measurable pull-power to your fundraising ... or undermine your message entirely! A good fundraiser knows by Fundraising is Beautiful
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How to use photos in fundraising: We take a look at the ways photos can emotional depth and measurable pull-power to your fundraising ... or undermine your message entirely! by Fundraising is Beautiful
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Does your fundraising subtext tell donors they matter, or that they don't?: What's the subtext of your donor-communications stream? That is, what's the overarching message they're getting, even though you might not be saying it out loud? For many organizations, it's: We've got this. We're taking care of the problem. You can partn by Fundraising is Beautiful
21 min listen
Does your fundraising subtext tell donors they matter or that they don't?: What's the subtext of your donor-communications stream? That is, what's the overarching message they're getting, even though you might not be saying it out loud? We'll show you how to change your subtext into one that thrills and involves donors... by Fundraising is Beautiful
21 min listen
The right way -- and wrong way -- to thank your donors: A lot of nonprofit thank-you messages say something like this: "Thank you for being our partner...." That's about as thrilling to the donor as telling her she has nice elbows. Donors don't give in order to be our partner. They give to have a positive... by Fundraising is Beautiful
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The right way -- and wrong way -- to thank your donors: A lot of nonprofit thank-you messages say something like this: "Thank you for being our partner...." That's about as thrilling to the donor as telling her she has nice elbows. Donors don't give in order to be our partner. They give to have a positive impa by Fundraising is Beautiful
9 min listen
MUST-LISTEN Interview with Scott Harrison of charity:water: Scott Harrison, founder of charity:water (and a fan of this podcast) reveals some of the thinking behind this innovative nonprofit that came on the scene 10 years ago and his virtually re-written the fundraising playbook in many ways. Get the inside scoop by Fundraising is Beautiful
39 min listen
Interview with Scott Harrison of charity:water: Scott Harrison, founder of (and a fan of this podcast) reveals some of the thinking behind this innovative nonprofit that came on the scene 10 years ago and his virtually re-written the fundraising playbook in many ways. Get the inside scoop on: ... by Fundraising is Beautiful
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Two super-common errors that can kill your fundraising: There are two opposite impulses that almost all fundraisers fall prey to at some time or another. They are: Educating donors Abstraction They are guaranteed response-crushers. And the temptation to do both are powerful. With real-life... by Fundraising is Beautiful
16 min listen
Two super-common errors that can kill your fundraising: There are two opposite impulses that almost all fundraisers fall prey to at some time or another. They are: Educating donors Abstraction They are guaranteed response-crushers. And the temptation to do both are powerful. With real-life examples, we'll show by Fundraising is Beautiful
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The upsides and downsides of holiday-based fundraising: Some of the strongest fundraising is connected to specific holidays. Some of the most ineffective fundraising is also connected to specific holidays. The special edition podcast will show you how to put holidays to work for you. And when not to do it... by Fundraising is Beautiful
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How to create great direct mail fundraising teasers: The most impactful element of any direct mail project is the teaser -- what you put on the outer envelope. We'll share what works, what never works, and the surprising "most likely to succeed" approach. We'll also discuss email subject lines... by Fundraising is Beautiful
18 min listen
How to succeed at fundraising for a church: Houses of worship are a powerhouse of the fundraising world. But even they face new challenges in getting their people to donate. We take a practical and realistic look at the challenges churches face and what they can do to motivate their people to... by Fundraising is Beautiful
11 min listen
It's the donor's story -- not your own: Most fundraisers know that telling stories is the way to reach donors' hearts and minds and motivate them to give. But what's the right story to tell? It's the donor's story. The story she'll tell after she gives. This podcast takes a look... by Fundraising is Beautiful
19 min listen
Fundraising under President Trump: How is fundraising likely to do during the Trump administration? We take a look. We believe it will mean very different things to different organizations. Find out what you can expect in the coming months and years. And what you can do to maximize... by Fundraising is Beautiful
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How old are your donors?: For most fundraisers, your donors are a lot older than you think. We'll look at why this is so and what it means for you: How do you communicate with these people? About what? And in which channels? Knowing hold old your donors are -- and... by Fundraising is Beautiful
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Discover this podcast and so much more

Beauty is overrated

Beauty is overrated

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Fundraising is Beautiful

Related podcast episodes