The hero image trend in web design is still going strong. Don’t believe us? Just take a look at the top-half of this page. How a website is designed directly influences how a user feels about the brand behind the site. Using a hero image on your site can help to establish trust among new … Continue reading 20 conversion-boosting hero image website examples
Gamification Websites for Nonprofit Fundraising
We all have something in common – we don’t want to be bored. A common thread among all nonprofits is that they need to raise money in order to do their good work. Now, combine that with the above fact about not wanting to be bored and gamification websites for nonprofit fundraising was born. Gamification … Continue reading Gamification Websites for Nonprofit Fundraising
Customers generally don’t care about your story; they care about their own storybrand
‘Building a Storybrand’ – This is not a book about telling your company’s story. A book like that would be a waste of time. Customers don’t generally care about your story; they care about their own.’ Such was the overarching message of the Lucidity Business Book Club’s book of choice for the June meeting as … Continue reading Customers generally don’t care about your story; they care about their own storybrand
How to guide your audience to support your mission
Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could count on a certain percentage of people in your email list to donate to your organization, and a certain percentage of those donors to become passionate, sustaining members or even board members? Just like traveling through a forest, a guide can show your audience how to move on … Continue reading How to guide your audience to support your mission
On the Road to Better Donor Communication
With all that’s gone on this year, if you’re still sending generic, organization-centered communication, you’re doing a huge disservice. There has been some conflict about donor-centered vs community-centered, and Ann Green thinks we can have both. What you don’t want is to be organization-centered. You can’t communicate with your donors without focusing on them. This … Continue reading On the Road to Better Donor Communication
Cat People and Dog People
Are you a cat person or a dog person? The answer to that might impact your choice of a (potential) mate. The experiment on an online dating site randomized the same male in two different photos, one holding a cat, one not. Women then “swiped” to show interest. The guy with the cat was considered … Continue reading Cat People and Dog People
Inclusive communications in the fundraising and philanthropy sectors
Generations of fundraisers and NGOs have been conditioned to a very insidious formula for the way we fundraise. This formula has evolved, it has mutated, but it is still very much alive. Essentially, this formula rests on humanising the donor, and then predominantly the white donor, and on dehumanising the predominantly non-white beneficiaries and more … Continue reading Inclusive communications in the fundraising and philanthropy sectors
Nonprofits are the engines of change
Nonprofits operate in an increasingly volatile world -- and a rapidly evolving digital landscape. This was true before the pandemic and even more so now. According to a 2020 nonprofit trends report, the demand for more nonprofit programs and services is rising. So what can non-profits do now to be successful? Vala Afshar looks for … Continue reading Nonprofits are the engines of change
5 Ways for Nonprofits to Tell an Ethical Story
In an effort to raise money and awareness for causes, nonprofit organizations often feel compelled to tell stories of desperate victims. Well-intentioned efforts to convey the urgency and severity of need lead organizations to reduce people to their problems. And to stand out in the crowded marketplace, organizations often conflate value with heroism, representing themselves … Continue reading 5 Ways for Nonprofits to Tell an Ethical Story
“Othering” Language akin to Poverty Porn: Is Your Nonprofit Guilty?
“Poverty porn” refers to the use of pictures, video, the written word, and other forms of communication to present participant stories through a victimizing lens. These elicit feelings of pity and motivate donors to give. These media show helpless, passive victims just waiting for someone to rescue them. While dehumanizing language may bring in funding, … Continue reading “Othering” Language akin to Poverty Porn: Is Your Nonprofit Guilty?
Propper Fundraising 