Driving Participation Podcast: What Is Working in Marketing & Fundraising | Nonprofits | Schools | Associations

What if nonprofits had the same marketing, technology, HR and strategy resources as corporations? Taproot, a service that connects organizations with passionate, skilled volunteers through pro bono work, aims to do just that. Pro bono services enable organizations to drive social change with a connection of resources. When successful, these engagements build overall engagement, and open up channels for growth. This week, Alexandra Hallock, Senior Program Manager for the Taproot Foundation, joined Driving Participation to explore the relationship between an organization and its volunteers. Beth and Allie discuss the necessary components for a pro bono partnership, and what nonprofits can do to make the volunteer experience rewarding for all parties involved.

With the emergence of social media, the environment around volunteering has become more dynamic. Social networks give organizations and nonprofits new opportunities to connect with volunteers. This technology is not only about helping volunteers with developed projects and initiatives, it's also opening up a conversation with those who have not previously engaged. This week, Karen Bantuveris, CEO of VolunteerSpot, joined Driving Participation to discuss how nonprofits can use social networks to identify and build relationships with potential volunteers..

With National Volunteer Week fast approaching (April 10-16th), we brought in Maggie Creps to discuss the challenges and opportunities in creating a unifying volunteer experience. As Manager of Volunteer Engagement at Medical Teams International, Maggie is directly involved in the volunteer journey, transforming the way MDI inspires, engages and motivates its members.

In the past few years, social media has transformed the traditional donor-engagement process. Organizations and nonprofits leverage these communication tools with everything from online competitions to video campaigns—to find, influence and engage supporters. Social media platforms are inexpensive yet powerful ways to recognize donor behavior, but how can organizations redesign their outreach strategies to be more effective? Steven Shattuck, VP of Marketing at Bloomerang, joined Driving Participation to discuss donor stewardship strategies for social media.

The way we access, learn and share information has exploded in the last decade. Anyone with the desire to widen their skill set can access the plethora of networking communities, online tutorials, and learning applicators available online. This expansion of education welcomes micro-credentialing, a digital token or "badge" that signifies accomplishments such as completion of a project, mastery of a skill, or mark of experience. This week, Sondra Smith, Director of Special Projects for EDUCAUSE joined Driving Participation to explore the use of micro-credentialing and education to engage with members.

What's the difference between journalism and online content marketing? Both work together to deliver useful and engaging information that connects to members and generates leads. More and more organizations are realizing the value of high-value content, and are hiring journalists to produce it. This week, Julie Shoop joined Driving Participation to discuss the gradual convergence of marketing and journalism. Julie is Vice President and Editor in Chief of Associations Now Magazine, a subset of ASAE, which works to provide resources, education, ideas, and advocacy to enhance the power and performance within associations and nonprofit communities.

The Mann Center of Performing Arts has served for many decades as the City of Philadelphia’s premier outdoor performing arts festival. This year, the Mann celebrates its 40th anniversary, and with it comes the launch of new initiatives tailored to reflect the expectations of 21st century audiences. As a nonprofit, the Mann Center is focused on fostering long-standing relationships with its audience, artists, donors, board and staff, volunteers, community and business partners, and other internal and external stakeholders. But how do you move someone from first time attendee to active participant within an organization? This week, Cathy Cahill, CEO, and Kelly Schempp, Vice President of Audience Development and Integrated Marketing joined Beth to discuss the strategy behind the Mann’s marketing and fundraising efforts.

Donor recognition is essential to the long-term health of any organization. Every nonprofit wants to recognize donors in some way, shape or form, but what does it take build a relationship that leads to long-lasting support? This week, Karen Singer, artistic director of Karen Singer Tileworks joined Beth to discuss building a strategy around creative donor recognition. When properly executed, it is a highly valuable investment and fundraising tool that can be leveraged to help increase donor gifts, before, during and after campaigns.

Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools available to nonprofit organizations, with its ability to connect with audiences, build support for causes, rally volunteers and increase donations. But what does it take to develop an email marketing plan that ensures your subscribers are engaged by your content? This week, Jeremy Koch, Chief Empowerment Officer at Empower Nonprofits joined Beth to discuss the opportunities available within e-mail marketing.

What takes a good organization from inertia to innovation when it comes to creating behavior change among audiences? Brendon Shank thinks its about changing the expectations of the teams involved, empowering them to try new things and put their passion into it. In this episode, Shank talks about the Society of Hospital Medicine's Fight the Resistance campaign and how staff members brought their own innovation and enthusiasm to the table.