Time to Rethink Your Approach to Social Media?

Last December, in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the Internet, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency hosted the DARPA Network Challenge to explore the role of the Internet and social networking in contemporary communication.  Whether influenced by recent events, like political protest in Iran or Columbia, or not, the rules of the contest were simple.  DARPA moored ten eight foot red weather balloons in different locations across the continental United States, and teams tried to track them down as quickly as possible.  While most of us were putting the finishing touches on our holiday shopping, a team from MIT tracked down all ten balloons in just under nine hours. Continue reading »

Filed under Donor Communications, Philanthropy, Social Media, Stewardship, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Communications, Development, Facebook, Friend Raising, Fundraising, new media, online giving, Philanthropy, Social Media, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off

Non-Traditional Donor Recognition Outlets

Monday I had the good fortune to participate in a session at the Association of Donor Relations Professionals annual conference in Baltimore.  I sat on a panel discussing “tricks from the experts”.  My portion of the presentation focused on ways to recognize donors beyond traditional plaques and printed lists.  Specifically, we considered avenues available to those who either have no physical space for traditional donor recognition or are interested in exploring new methods for engaging donors and potential donors alike. Continue reading »

Filed under Anne Manner-McLarty, Donor Communications, Donor Recognition Programs, Philanthropy, Social Media, Stewardship | Tags: ADRP, Communications, consultant, Donor Recognition, Facebook, Fundraising, Interactive Displays, new media, online giving, Philanthropy, Social Media, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off

Nonprofits: Link your Thanks to your Brand

Communicate with your public that philanthropy is a core value to your organization. It is imperative to do so in today’s competitive fundraising environment. Link those branding messages through the use of traditional marketing approaches of content continuity and unity when you thank. Continue reading »

Filed under Social Media, Think Before You Thank | Tags: Branding, Capital Campaign, Donor Recognition, Fundraising, new media, online giving, Philanthropy, Think Before You Thank, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off

The Future: Online Donor Recognition

There is a shift in modern philanthropy away from foundation giving toward a new philanthropic model that includes highly organized means for a much larger number of individual donors to participate in the growing global philanthropy industry.  What should donor recognition be when there is no opportunity to gather the donors in one place, when there are no walls for plaques and when the individual gifts are smaller but the impact of the giving is huge? Why is it so important that we find new ways to achieve meaningful donor recognition online?

Fundraisers today are challenged with shifting the delivery method for donor recognition and telling a more complicated, larger story. Continue reading »

Filed under Anne Manner-McLarty, Donor Communications, Social Media | Tags: Best Practices, Donor Recognition, new media, online giving, Philanthropy, Trends in Fundraising | Comments Off