Bright Nonprofit

Running a crowdfunding campaign takes a lot of preparation, research and maintenance. But one of the most important parts of running a campaign is getting it off to a good start. Kicking off your crowdfunding campaign means having a lot of ducks in a row (read more at: How to Start a Crowdfunding Campaign).

So here is an overview of how I just kicked-off my crowdfunding campaign for the nonprofit I started (Noble Paws). This is the third crowdfunding campaign I have run. Our goal is to reach $10,000.

The first thing I did was take all my pre-made content and get it set up to auto-post the morning of the campaign. This included a Facebook post with our video, a YouTube video post (same video), a tweet ready to be launched and two pre-made emails. I also had a volunteer make a new banner for our Facebook page (we will have a new banner each week of our campaign).

So all this was set to go live by 8am the first day of the campaign.

Here is the video we used to kick off our campaign:

I sent out two emails. One email went to my support team with instructions on how to help kick-off the event. The second one was an email to all our previous donors, supporters and volunteers (about 180 people). Here is how it worked.

Support Team

Hey all, Today is the big day. We kick off our 2015 Fundraiser. The campaign will last just over six weeks. But it is super important to get started with a bang. This is a major campaign with multiple people helping ensure its success. I appreciate all your support and help with this.

Here are the FOUR THINGS you can do to help.

1. Send Email TODAY (Monday)

2. Share our Video Post TODAY (Monday)

3. Share Every NPaws FB post (Daily)

4. Like and Comment when we get donations (Daily)

So, to sum up how you can help the campaign:

Thanks all – it takes a team to make this happen. I appreciate all your help.

Steve

[SAMPLE LETTER TO FRIENDS]

Hey _____. [START WITH A SHORT FAMILIAR TOPIC – I LIKE THE POST OF YOUR KIDS HALLOWEEN COSTUMES, DO YOU STILL LIKE 4 SHOT COFFEE?, HOW ARE YOUR DOGS DOING… SOMETHING THAT CONNECTS WITH THEM ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. THEN ADD…] So, you may know that I volunteer for a cool organization called Noble Paws. They teach people with disabilities how to run their own dog team. It’s a lot of fun and what they do really makes a difference in many people’s lives. They are holding their annual fundraiser and I am hoping you can help us reach our goal. Noble Paws is a 100% volunteer organization and all donations go directly to their programs. Please take a minute (literally, it is only a minute) and watch this video – https://youtu.be/SJOzcPH57LY. At the end there is a link to donate to the cause. But even if you don’t donate, please consider sharing the video with people you know. You can donate directly at: https://fundly.com/noble-paws-2015. Well, I hope [SOMETHING FAMILIAR HERE…]. And I appreciate you considering helping Noble Paws. Thanks so much.

Mailing List

Ok, so here is a link to the newsletter announcement I sent out to our mailing list.

After all this was done, I had nothing to do but wait. I tried not to check my Facebook, email and crowdfunding page too much… but it was hard to resist. I really prompted people to “like” and “share” our video. And it paid off. But the end of the day, the video was shared over 50 times and seen by 3,000 people. I did my best to “like” and thank everyone who shared the video as well as thank all who donated.

That is important, so I will say it again. If someone shares your post, or donates to you, be sure to thank them via social media. That keeps the post alive and thus it will show up on more peoples timelines. Share, like, comment. Share, like, comment. Say it with me… share, like, comment.

Ok, that is basically it. The campaign is kicked-off. Now it is time to keep it alive. More about that in a coming post.

Running a crowdfunding campaign takes a lot of preparation, research and maintenance. But one of the most important parts of running a campaign is getting it off to a good start. Kicking off your crowdfunding campaign means having a lot of ducks in a row (read more at: How to Start a Crowdfunding Campaign).

So here is an overview of how I just kicked-off my crowdfunding campaign for the nonprofit I started (Noble Paws). This is the third crowdfunding campaign I have run. Our goal is to reach $10,000.

The first thing I did was take all my pre-made content and get it set up to auto-post the morning of the campaign. This included a Facebook post with our video, a YouTube video post (same video), a tweet ready to be launched and two pre-made emails. I also had a volunteer make a new banner for our Facebook page (we will have a new banner each week of our campaign).

So all this was set to go live by 8am the first day of the campaign.

Read the full post on our blog at: http://nonprofitally.com/the-most-important-part-of-crowdfunding

In this episode I talk with Chad Reid of JotForm.com. You may remember Chad from his three part series he wrote for Nonprofit Ally about using forms to survey your members, creating your donation page and making “apply online” forms.

Connecting with your audience can be like hopping on a moving train from an bridge overpass. OK – not the best metaphor but it is does capture the changing landscape of connecting with followers. What people read, how they read and where they read have all changed drastically. The fact that a sentence can serve as a paragraph is just one obvious change in the field of communication in general. So effectively communicating with your audience, with content that is engaging, takes skill and forethought.

Here are some key points that all communicators should strive to accomplish:

Start with WHY: This seems a no brainer, but don’t assume that your visitor knows “why” they are on your site and “why” you do what you do. So when you write your about page, your mission page, your latest posts or even a calendar event try to relay “why its important” at the beginning of your content.

Know WHO your Audience is: we have heard this before in other podcast, so obviously this is important. If you want to connect to your audience you have to know who they are. Go beyond the basic demographic (gender, age location) and try to learn more about your audience: soccer mom? country music listener? social media user? sports fan? parent of autistic child?

Connect with your Audience: don’t just assume that since someone is on your site they know what they are doing there. So the sooner you can connect with with, with stories, photos or videos, the better chance they will stay on your site and read more about what you do. People may come to your site because of a topic you offer information on, but they stay for themselves… they stay because there is something of there for them.

Fix a Problem: if you can “fix” a problem or answer a question, then you are relevant to your audience and connecting with them at a level that is useful and meaningful. Chad suggest writing content that includes tips and how-to’s, stories about your agency and metaphors (jumping on a train = connecting with your audience).

Chad works at JotForm.com

Simon Sinek Ted Talk – How Great Leaders Inspire Action

Simon Sinek Book – Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action

Just for Fun: So, for those who have listened to the podcast you now know why there is a picture of my dog with Trump hair as the featured image for this podcast. Join in on the fun… just brush your dog and use the hair to make a Trump wig. Then post it on twitter #trumpdog.

In this episode I talk with Chad Reid of JotForm.com. You may remember Chad from his three part series he wrote for Nonprofit Ally about using forms to survey your members, creating your donation page and making "apply online" forms.

Connecting with your audience can be like hopping on a moving train from a bridge overpass. OK - not the best metaphor but it is does capture the changing landscape of connecting with followers. What people read, how they read and where they read have all changed drastically. The fact that a sentence can serve as a paragraph is just one obvious change in the field of communication in general. So effectively communicating with your audience, with content that is engaging, takes skill and forethought.

If you want to raise more money for your nonprofit, don’t… I repeat don’t… have a bake sale. There are a number a reasons why:

If you really have four people willing to volunteer four hours (a rough guess and what it takes to run a successful bake sale), then put them together in a more useful manner and MAKE MORE MONEY.

First, think of fundraising as a long term project the mostly involves relationship building. You goal is to get people invested in your mission and turn them into recurring donors. This involves shaking hands and exchanging information. You want to collect your donors information, but them on a mailing list, get their phone number and email. You want them to visit your website and come to an event.

Set up a crowdfunding campaign (learn more about Crowdfunding) and give them the following assignments:

[box type=”info” align=”alignleft” ]Don’t forget to sign up for our FREE CROWDFUNDING WEBINAR. This webinar is hosted by Dana Ostomel. Dana is the founder of Deposit A Gift, which is an online crowdfunding platform. This is your chance to get insider tips on crowdfunding from the source! [/box]

[button color=”green” size=”big” link=”http://nonprofitally.com/crowdfundweb” target=”blank” ]Sign up for FREE Crowdfunding Webinar[/button]

Just go door-to-door asking for donations/sponsors from local business and you’ll likely end up with a handful of applications and web addresses to online forms. It is pretty common for businesses to have a donation request process. These forms are relatively simple to complete but they are time consuming. So assign two donation request forms to each of your volunteers. That would be eight forms completed. This could easily generate $1,000 AND it would be the start of a long term relationship with local businesses.

The above video (see video on Youtube) has even more tips for you. So be sure to watch it, share it and review it.

If you want to raise more money for your nonprofit, don't... I repeat don't... have a bake sale. There are a number a reasons why:

1. Your return on investment (ROI) is very low
2. The people who donate will not be invested in your mission
3. There is very little short term gain and NO long term gain.

If you really have four people willing to volunteer four hours (a rough guess and what it takes to run a successful bake sale), then put them together in a more useful manner and MAKE MORE MONEY.

First, think of fundraising as a long term project the mostly involves relationship building. You goal is to get people invested in your mission and turn them into recurring donors. This involves shaking hands and exchanging information.

You want to collect your donors information, but them on a mailing list, get their phone number and email. You want them to visit your website and come to an event.

Set up a crowdfunding campaign (learn more about Crowdfunding) and give them the following assignments:

• Person one: half-hour of email friends and business and a half-hour of socail media sharing/posting. (Once a week for four weeks).
• Person two: One hour of "Thank You" card writing (yes, hand written) to previous and current donors. (Once a week for four weeks).
• Person three: Make a video short that highlights your mission and tells a success story of your services. (Four hours in one week).
• Person four: Create three-five images a week (HOW TO MAKE AN IMAGE LINK) to post on your social media sites during the crowd funding campaign. (Once a week for four weeks).

Just go door-to-door asking for donations/sponsors from local business and you'll likely end up with a handful of applications and web addresses to online forms. It is pretty common for businesses to have a donation request process.

These forms are relatively simple to complete but they are time consuming. So assign two donation request forms to each of your volunteers. That would be eight forms completed. This could easily generate $1,000 AND it would be the start of a long term relationship with local businesses.

• Bring brochures and business cards. Make shaking hands and talking about your mission the number one prorioty. Don't ask them if they want a cookie, ask them if they want to help homeless people find warm beds.
• Have your mailing list sign up sheet on the table. After you talk to them, invite them to join your mailing list. You want to build a relationship with them... get their contact information.
• Do a series of bake sales throughout your community. Make it an "Awareness Campaign". Your goal is to get your brochure (not cookies) in to as many hands as possible.
• Have a poster board or banner displaying your mission in action. Make your booth an "information center" that just happens to have baked goods.
• Give your baked goods away! Yes, give it all away! And just have a simple donation jar on the table and a simple note that says "Thank You." Don't ask for a dime. (I bet you make even more money this way).

The above video (see video on Youtube) has even more tips for you. So be sure to watch it, share it and review it.

Dana Ostomel is an expert on crowdfunding. How do I know this... well because she started and runs her own crowdfunding platform. So who better to get the best tips on crowdfunding from than the source. Her website is at depositagift.com. Dana has a background in market so her insight can help you run a successful fundraising campaign on many levels.

And here is the really cool thing. You not only get to hear her on this podcast about crowdfunding, but you are also invited to a FREE WEBINAR. Yup free... and only being offer to listeners and followers of Nonprofit Ally.

So enjoy this very informative podcast and don't miss the opportunity to learn more at our upcoming webinar. It's going to be awesome.

First, here are some of the things you will learn in this podcast:

• How to attracted donors to your crowdfunding site
• The different types of followers and how to convert them to donors
• The three most important things you campaign needs to be successful
• Making a successful plan for your campaign

And now, here is more about the webinar:

You've probably heard the buzz around "crowdfunding". But what is it, and how does it work? Join us for a free event to learn how you can incorporate crowdfunding to raise the bar on your fundraising initiatives. The timing is perfect as you prep for Fall initiatives, end-of-year appeals, #GivingTuesday and even Spring benefits! Please join us for a lively discussion with Deposit a Gift, the go-to crowdfunding site for nonprofits, schools and religious organizations. Who Should Attend:

Executive Directors Development Staff Marketing & Communication staff

What You’ll Learn

• Why crowdfunding is important for your organization
• How to incorporate crowdfunding into your existing fundraising mix
• What types of campaigns crowdfunding can be most effective for
• What other objectives can it help you achieve beyond just making the thermometer rise
• Best practices for setting up and marketing your campaign
• Strategies to energize your community and galvanize an even wider audience
• Q & A / Open Discussion About Projects You Have In Mind

When October 6th, 1:00 pm (EST) Sign up Today Register for Webinar

Full webinar details available here.

Dana's Website: Deposit a Gift on Youtube: youtube.com/DepositAGift Deposit a Gift on Facebook: facebook.com/DepositaGift Follow Dana on Twitter: twitter.com/depositagift

Getting found in Google can seem confusing. But there are some basic steps you can take to help you "get ranked" in Google. In this episode I talk with Shae Baxter, an SEO rock star. She walks us through some of the most important parts of setting up a successful search engine optimization plan for our nonprofit websites. You can visit her website at shaebaxter.com.

First off, you need to know that getting ranked in Google search results involves several things. There is no silver bullet that will do all of it for you. But with the right tools and tactics, you can help your website "get found on google". Here are some things you need to know to get started:

• Get a WordPress SEO plugin: when google crawls a page (looking for content) it searches the page titles, description and tags. An SEO plugin will allow you to customize how your site appears to the "Google Bots" and thus how you get indexed in the search results. Here are two popular SEO plugins, Yoast SEO and All in One SEO. (these plugins are for websites made with WordPress - Learn How to Make a WordPress Website)
• Install a site map: another thing those Google bots are looking for our sitemaps. This tells Google where your content is on your site. It makes their job easier. Both of the above SEO plugins come with a one-click sitemap install.
• Connect to Google Analytics: Google may find you by accident, but connecting to Google Analytics will tell Google you exist and exactly where to find you. This step is a must.
• Connect to Google Search Console: Once you connect your site to the Search Console you will be able to see what keywords people are using to find your site as well as which pages are being visited the most.
• Write SEO friendly content: don't just write a blog post or news article. Think about who will be reading it and why. Then address those people right away with content relative to their needs. There is no need to write a two paragraph introduction to your blog post. SEO friendly content gets to the point quickly and with detail.

Every page on your site is not the same. So be sure that you use good keywords with your SEO Plugin (see above) to help Google index your site. Think of some phrases that people will use to find your content. The key is to use "long-tail" phrases (not one or two word phrases). For example, you'd do better with a phrase like "How to loose weight drinking green smoothies" than if you tried ranking with "weight loss". The more specific your keyword phrase the less competition you have with competitors and the better chances the people that find you will actually stay on your site. On Page SEO vs Off Page SEO Shae breaks down two ways you can help your content get found on the web.

1. On Page SEO: This is your content. You have control over this. This includes your page title and your description tags. Make sure your SEO plugin (see above) is optimized to best portray the content on each page with researched (keyword rich) page titles and description tags.
2. Off Page SEO: Market your content so others can find it! Link to other post (on other sites) that are similar to yours, submit your post to other sites, encourage people to share your content and market it with your social media. Don't just leave it up to Google to send people to your site. The more others link to your site, the higher you will rank in the search results.

Stop the mindless blogging and start creating content that will make you look like a brand. First make sure you are writing to your audience. Good content - worth sharing - will help establish you as an authority. Remember Google wants to promote good content. And they want this content to be credible. If you can establish authority, then you will start ranking higher in Google. This means actively marketing your great content, linking it to other publications and sharing it on social media (off page SEO). But also seek out opportunities: offer guest posts to other sites, reach out to others in your field, offer to be a guest on a podcast, host a webinar or start a YouTube channel. The key is to get others to recognize you (and ultimately your content) as an authority and have them send their followers to your site.

Shae's Website is at: shaebaxter.com You can email her at: [email protected]

Link Building: The Definitive Guide Example of aggregate content gone viral (you can do this too): 24 Must See Diagrams that will Make Eating Healthy Super Easy

Getting the word out about your nonprofit organization can be a challenge. But it doesn't have to be. There are a lot of ways to help bring awareness to the community about your program. And the great thing is... most of them are free!

Here are some simple ways to spread the word about you nonprofit.

1. Social Media - get a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and/or Youtube account and post to them regularly. It is better to have ONE social media account you use often than it is to have four accounts that you use rarely.
2. Network with other Organizations - Go to events, fundraisers or meetings hosted by local nonprofits that provide similar services (or complimentary programs) to your own. Be sure to bring your business card.
3. Start a Blog - First, you should have a website. If you don't, then follow my free course on How to make a Website for your Nonprofit. Now add a blog (or latest news) section to your website and post to it regularly.
4. Give a Free Talk - Book a room at the library or call your local Rotary Club and offer to give a presentation about your organization or a service you provide. The best way to do this is to NOT talk about yourself. Instead talk about approaches used to tackle hunger or how to file for public assistance.
5. Like/Follow other Organizations Social Media Pages - This can help other organizations find you and learn more about what you do.
6. Advertise with other Organizations - This can be as simple as sharing a link to your website on their Facebook page or buying a small ad in their newsletter.
7. Give Interviews - Simply put, if you get the opportunity to talk to the media, Do It!
8. Send Press Releases - Anytime you do something in public (events, fundraiser, presentation) go ahead and send a press release to the newspaper, radio and TV.
9. Write an Op Ed - A well written article that is informative, newsworthy or educational can be a great way to bring awareness to your cause.
10. Start a Podcast - With some simple recording equipment you can reach a broad range of people with a podcast. You can talk about trends in your industry, interview experts, give a how-to... whatever you think would be helpful to your audience.
11. PSA's - a public service announcement is a great way (and usually free) to tell people about upcoming events or services. Just contact your local radio or TV station to see about submitting a PSA.
12. Put up Posters - This is the ultimate grassroots way of telling people about your organization. Don't overlook the simplicity and effectiveness of a eye catching poster.
13. Start a Newsletter - the best thing about a newsletter is it means you are starting to collect a mailing list. This is super important.
14. Write a Guest Blog Post - Contact another organization and see if they will let you write an article for their website (or newsletter) about a service you provide or a particular subject you are an expert in.

OK. So that is it. Fourteen quick, down-and-dirty, ways to get the word out about your organization. There is no secret to grassroots marketing. It's just a matter of going out and doing it.

If you have other ideas on simple and affordable marketing tips that have worked for you, please share them in the comments below. Thanks folks. I hope this was helpful.

In this episode, I talk with Steve Scott who is the author of many books including, “Level Up Your Day: How to Maximize the 6 Essential Areas of Your Daily Routine”, “To-Do List Makeover: A Simple Guide to Getting the Important Things Done” and “S.M.A.R.T. Goals Made Simple – 10 Steps to Master Your Personal and Career Goals”. Steve talks about goal setting and how change your habits to get the most our of everyday.

Steve recommends against making too many long term goals. Instead focus on the short term goals (three to six months) and then set your goals based on the actions it would take to achieve these short term goals. He advocates following the SMART goal format (see video on SMART Goals) which is to make goals: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time Bound.

One way to set yourself up for goal setting success is to stay focused on the purpose. Let’s admit it, sometimes the actions it takes to achieve a goal can seem overwhelming and just flat out no fun. So to help reach your goals start by chunking down the goal into small task. And then when completing these task stay focused on the “purpose (goal)” of the task. This will help you check of the to-do’s from your task list.

Another thing Steve stresses in this interview is to stay focused on your 80/20. That is, focus on the 20 percent of your actions that produce 80 percent of your results. Each day make a short list of the most important things you need to accomplish that will help you with your 80/20.

During the podcast we use Steve’s goal setting method and applied it to writing a grant. Here is what we came up with:

Steve Scott’s website: DevelopGoodHabits.com

Steve’s books: DevelopGoodHabits.com/my-books

Steve’s (NP Ally Steve) SMART Goal Video: Are you Planning to Reach your Goals?

Pomodoro Technique

Passion Planner

The Spark Notebook

Goals on Track

WasteNoTime, browser productivity app

ColdTurkey, productivity software