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

Breast cancer. Cáncer de mama. Cancer du sein. This week on Driving Participation, Beth is joined by Janine Guglielmino and Myriam Siftar from Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC). They talk about a recent project they completed in which LBBC materials about breast cancer were translated into five other languages to better serve their audience and those who needed the information most. Guglielmino notes that this allows people to see themselves represented, which builds trust. They talk about communication guidelines, why a neutral message is not feasible, the difference between a regular translation project and doing a cultural assessment and more.

So a donor made a gift... Now what? Gail Perry from Fired Up Fundraising joins in to talk about the post-donation experience. What kind of communication should you use for this donor? What should your message be? How do you invite the donor in and build an emotional connection? Gail answers these questions and more. She discusses different communications strategies, how to put the "fun" in fundraising events, why nonprofits shouldn't be afraid of email, the benefits of a print newsletter and much more.

This week, consultant and speaker Hardy Smith joins in to share the best way to create not just a relationship, but a true collaboration. Real collaboration between people—or even between organizations—comes with many benefits. Collaboration helps vent out the issues at the root of a challenge and helps vent out the opportunities for creating solutions, he says. He shares where organizations go wrong with collaboration and the one element that makes a key difference. He and Beth explore internal and external collaboration and much more.

In this week's episode, Theresa Miller, chief engagement officer for Girls on the Run International, joins Beth to talk toolkits: how to create them and why they're helpful. Theresa talks about how the fundraising teams and marketing and communications teams join together to engage different audiences and work as a unit, resulting in a fundraising increase on International Women's Day by more than 300 percent! With toolkits complete with social media messages, graphics, fundraising appeals and more—plus a calendar to guide when to post — Theresa explains how the organization helps its state councils and supporters reach their audience in a way that works for them.

What is the difference between content and content marketing? How do you differentiate between an interim metric and what Beth calls a terminal metric? What about the difference between content and social media? Robert McGuire of McGuire Editorial Content Marketing Agency joins Driving Participation to answer these questions and more. He takes a deep dive into the world of content, particularly content-driven attraction and conversion. He and Beth explore micro conversions, lead magnets, and growth hacking among other terms and practices you can learn from to make your content strategy work.

How can you create content that effectively drives your message home? Sarah Gilman, director of the National Resource Center on Lupus at the Lupus Foundation of America, joins in to talk all about content. From developing a consistent, recognizable voice to repurposing and repetition, she explores key ideas to keep in mind when it comes to creating content—especially health content. Content strategy isn't a term necessarily used often when it comes to public health, but Sarah talks about its importance in her field and in the work she does. She and Beth explore the importance of creating a content guide to help you implement a consistent voice and tone, ways to repurpose your content, and more.

This week, Beth is taking what she's heard from podcast guests about the meaning of participation and turning it into concrete actions you can take. She outlines five shifts you can make on the path to participation. It's clear that participation can mean different things to different organizations, she says, but what everyone has in common in the need to inspire people to take the important actions you need for your organization to thrive. From creating a survey to get to know your audience better to making the simple change of swapping "we" for "you," Beth details ways you can get the right people to get involved.

How can you optimize your experience with LinkedIn to really create meaningful and personal connections with people? Donald Hale, interim vice chancellor for advancement at the University of South Carolina Upstate and assistant vice president for development for the University of South Carolina Main Campus, joins in to talk about how to take a virtual connection and make it a personal one. When you send that first message to join a network, you can personalize it beyond the general introduction. Donald gives examples about how to use LinkedIn to network in the most optimal way, such as when organizing local events to get the attention of the alumni who it applies to most. They talk about the importance of visual elements, active versus passive engagement, and more.

This week, Beth sits down with the team from the Drexel Fund, Drexel University's annual giving team. They talk about how they reach 133,000 alumni and how their methods have changed over the years to create more effective messaging depending on who they're trying to reach. One key tactic has been experimenting with segmented groups of their target audience to create more personalized messages with the incentive of donating and getting involved. Drawing inspiration from even something like a Rubik's cube, they talk about projects and ideas they have to make their appeals fun, engaging and personalized.

Whether your first introduction to MailChimp was on Serial (remember Mail Kimp?) or you use it regularly for your organization, this week is all about taking a page from their book to learn how you can use visual elements in your marketing and communication—without veering off-brand. For everything from annual reports to public health messages, Beth shares tips on how to use visuals to share information and tell a compelling story that is in line with your organization's personality.