One of my personal favorite aspect of Cause Camp is featured in this, the final in my 5-part series counting down to Cause Camp! I look forward to seeing you Friday, February 24 at the 27th Street Conference Center at Center for People in Need in Lincoln, NE. To learn more and register, visit LincolnAMA.com. If you register early in the week, we just might be able to squeeze you in!
Booths and fabulous PRIZES!
In 2009, we decided to offer booths for businesses that had a product or service that could help nonprofits improve their marketing. This part of the event has grown to be a HUGE component of Cause Camp. Some attendees say that meeting these businesses was worth the price of admission!
When you check in on Friday morning, look for your punch card in your packet. During the morning networking and breaks spread throughout the day, stop by and meet the sponsors. Get your card punched and once it is filled, drop it off to be entered for one of several raffle prizes donated by the sponsors.
Prizes include gift cards for food, free services, free product and more!
Another reason I love the sponsors is because THEY make it possible to keep this event going. The Lincoln AMA considers Cause Camp to be our gift to the community and we couldn’t keep the price low and the event growing without sponsorships.
Even better, these sponsorships pay for several scholarships for staff from small nonprofits to attend. And that is worth its weight in gold.
Thanks, Sponsors!
Only two parts left in my 5-part series counting down to Cause Camp! I hope to see you Friday, February 24 at the 27th Street Conference Center at Center for People in Need in Lincoln, NE. To learn more and register, visit LincolnAMA.com.
Hear from those in the trenches
When we survey Cause Camp attendees every year, their favorite part is networking with and learning from other nonprofits. To really capitalize on this, we’ve added two afternoon panel sessions that will feature REAL nonprofit staff and volunteers talking about their successes and failures, tips, tricks and pitfalls.
Fundraising Events. Hear from real nonprofits about how they have created successful events that engage and raise money. From grassroots, volunteer-driven to creatively growing a thriving event, be inspired to make your next event the most successful yet.
The Marketing Mini-Team. Are you a marketing team of one? Or a rag tag group of passionate people who are spread a bit thin? Hear from the nonprofits that are using creative ways to make marketing a part of their fundraising priority.
Come prepared with your questions for these surprise panels!
Hurry! Registration deadline is FRIDAY, Feb 17 for Cause Camp. In the meantime, learn more about it. To see the full schedule, click here.
This is the third of my 5-part series counting down to my favorite marketing event for Nebraska-area nonprofits. Enjoy! I hope to see you Friday, February 24 at the 27th Street Conference Center at Center for People in Need in Lincoln, NE. To learn more and register, visit LincolnAMA.com.
Fearless
When my oldest daughter began to outgrow the “baby stage” and turn into a toddler, my first 
thought was, “I am NOT trained to do this!”
This is the same comment that comes out of the mouths of many nonprofit staff or volunteers! So many of them join an organization out of passion for the mission but find themselves wearing hats they didn’t expect.
Care for that cause is an important piece but you will hear nonprofit experts say over and over that our social sector organizations should emulate the basic practices of business.
Therefore, these passionate individuals who are trained in one area are asked take on jobs for which they have little training.
Now that my daughter is about to turn 9 years old, I’ve learned some tricks of the parenting trade. I learned through trial and error, more experienced moms, but I mostly tried to learn from experts – her daycare, preschool and now elementary teachers!
At Cause Camp, you’ll learn from the experts in marketing and become more confident. Our keynote address is designed to help you gain confidence specifically in the art and science of fundraising.
Asking for money is as scary for people as death and public speaking. But it doesn’t have to be! Learn a simple “R.E.A.L.” method that takes much of the fear out of the process. You’ll learn the most common mistakes and how to correct them, how to articulate your message and how to structure your solicitation
Marc Pitman, author of the book Ask Without Fear! will show you the ropes! Start following him now on Facebook or Twitter! Be prepared with your questions!
*Reminder! The first 100 to register will receive his book!
Watch for more posts on more valuable content from Cause Camp 2012 right here! In the meantime, learn more about Cause Camp. To see the full schedule, click here.
This is the second of my 5-part series counting down to my favorite marketing event for Nebraska-area nonprofits. Enjoy! I hope to see you February 24 at the 27th Street Conference Center at Center for People in Need in Lincoln, NE. To learn more and register, visit LincolnAMA.com. 
Social Campers
Every nonprofit I talk to seems to be at a different place when it comes to social media. Some have dipped their toes into Facebook and aren’t sure they are doing it right. Others have embraced several social media websites and are constantly conversing and tweaking.
Because of this, it is difficult to find a social media speaker that can benefit marketers at many levels. This year, I think we’ve found a couple of Cause Camp speakers that will inspire new ideas now matter how social your nonprofit is.
If you are searching for the answers either “is social media worth our time?” or “how can we do this better?”, this session is perfect for you. Jason Petersen, president of Turbine Interactive and Cindy Conger, social media specialist, will discuss Leveraging the Digital Footprint. From your website to blogging to social media, your organization’s digital footprint creates so much information to understand and analyze, it is often quite overwhelming. Understanding this information, though, can reward organizations that are genuinely authentic. Learn how to analyze your social media results to better engage your supporters.
Perhaps your mission is to raise awareness of an issue. Do you see the potential for your friends and supporters to help you spread that awareness? If so, sit in on Using Social Media to Create Social Change by Jennifer Windrum, Social Media/PR Strategy|Entrepreneur|Lung Cancer Advocate.
Jennifer will share her deeply personal story and how she is using social media to make change. In this session, learn how to empower members of your social media community to share their voice and watch true change result. Jennifer doesn’t “do” status quo. She will show you how combining that attitude and the power of social media can create social change. In October of 2009, Jennifer launched a very personal and politically incorrect campaign called “WTF” (Where’s the Funding) for Lung Cancer? to chronicle her mom’s battle with lung cancer and increase awareness and funding for the #1 cancer killer and THE least funded. No her mom didn’t smoke.
Start following her campaign on Facebook or Twitter! You’ll be inspired, I guarantee it!
Watch for weekly posts on more valuable content from Cause Camp 2012 right here! In the meantime, learn more about Cause Camp. To see the full schedule, click here.
This is the first of my 5-part series counting down to my favorite marketing event for 
Nebraska-area nonprofits. Enjoy! I hope to see you February 24 at the 27th Street Conference Center at Center for People in Need in Lincoln, NE. To see the entire agenda, visit here an scroll to the bottom, under Related links.
Storytelling
We all know that storytelling is a necessary skill for marketers trying to convey the importance of their nonprofit cause. Stories pull the heartstrings. Stories are memorable. Stories lead to action.
At Cause Camp, on Friday, February 24 at the 27th Street Conference Center at Center for People in Need in Lincoln, NE, we’ll have the opportunity to hear about storytelling from two different perspectives during the “Campfire Story Track” that morning. Countdown to Cause Camp – Part 1: Storytelling – continue reading
Wouldn’t you love to host a fundraising event that you could describe as “magical”?
At one "magaical' fundraiser, fireflies lit up the night.
There are many articles and seminars on the how-to of event planning. Some standard and true advice might include setting fundraising goals, selling tickets and determining price per head.
Not much “magical” about all that.
The best events accomplish these three goals:
- building engagement of current supporters
- generating publicity to attract new supporters and
- making money.
Lately, the best events I’ve attended have had a unique theme that fits the mission. They tend to involve activities other than the stale “silent auction” or golf tournament formula. They allow guests to simply come and enjoy rather than sit, be lectured to and nickeled and dimed to death.
But to create a truly “magical” night, the key is VOLUNTEERS.
Volunteers have so much passion for the organization that they are blind to what they can’t do.
Volunteers have so much love for the organization that they are willing to donate time, talent and treasurer.
Volunteers can’t wait to bring their friends to the event to showcase all that the organization has done and can do.
Unfortunately, I often hear excuses from nonprofit staff about using volunteers. Let me take a moment to address these excuses.
“I hate to bother people.” You’d be surprised who would step up if you simply asked! Ask for volunteers in your newsletter by telling them exactly how you need help. Identify people who actively comment on your Facebook page – maybe if asked, they’d do more.
“Volunteers need so much supervision and I don’t have the time.” Honestly, you can’t afford not to use volunteers. Funders are starting to require the use of volunteers more and more. Especially if volunteers require extensive training to work directly with clients, event planning is a great task that requires much less supervision.
That said, yes, staff must be involved. Have a single staff person stay in the loop with volunteers to identify any hurdles. Be sure to have staff available on the day of the event because there may not be enough volunteers to run the event itself.
“My board is afraid to ask for money.” Inviting people to a fun, social event is much easier than asking for a flat out donation. Sharing an event on Facebook takes no time at all and isn’t an intrusion. If your board isn’t capable of helping promote an event, they likely aren’t truly capable of serving on a board. I’ve seen events fail on this item alone.
Learn more about motivating volunteers at my presentation on Slacktivism: Turning Slackers into Activists on July 28.
There seems to be two predominant fundraising schools of thought.
- Only traditional fundraising works.
- Build a Facebook page and makes millions!
My school of thought fits somewhere in between. My friend, Laura Reznicek, and I were invited to speak at the Association of Fundraising Professionals MidAmerican Conference in Kansas City last month and our attendees raved after the presentation that FINALLY, they heard a realistic and rational way to incorporate social media into their fund development model.
Laura and I already have plans to give this presentation locally this fall. But in the meantime, here are a few take-aways you can start implementing now.
- Keep it realistic – Online giving tends to be in smaller amounts from fewer individuals but that doesn’t mean it is a waste of time. It helps to build engagement and attract small donations from new individuals.
- Identify key influencers – Who are your biggest fans? Your
volunteers and boards (maybe even clients!) can help you spread social media messages. Just ask and they’ll be happy to help!
- Be campaign oriented – Don’t look at your Donate Now button through the lens of “build it and they will come.” You must attract donors to it. Try short (2 week or so) campaigns with a theme related to a time of year or creative angle.
What is YOUR school of thought regarding social media for fundraising?
There has been a lot of talk over the past 3 years about how nonprofits should or should not change their marketing and fundraising efforts as the economy fluctuated. I offered several tips and tricks throughout that time on how to continue marketing well on a smaller budget.
But I’ve also found that some marketing truths do not change over time. These are truths that have been around for generations and are something we should remember today as well as the years to come. They apply to both businesses and nonprofits.
1. A good marketer will recommend a medium even if he/she doesn’t consume it.
Each organization has a unique audience but I often hear from clients that they want to advertise in a certain medium that they personally like to read, listen to or watch. 5 Marketing Truths for 2011…. and last year….and next year. – continue reading
Sure, we can’t afford the million dollar ad budgets but we can learn a lot from the successful and unsuccessful commercials run by for-profit companies during the most-watched sporting event in America.
1. Creativity is key. Tell a story (via a short movie) to make it memorable,
much like the Chrysler ad featuring rapper Eminem. This 2-minute spot really told a story about the city of Detroit. Don’t just preach features (programs) but exude emotion.
2. Be careful with Cause Branding. I am a big fan of for-profits partnering with nonprofits in mutually beneficial situations. In most cases, these opportunities shouldn’t be turned away. But ask to be involved in the messaging. In the case of Groupon, who’s ad tried to gain sympathy for the Tibetan people while also selling discounts at Tibetan restaurants was a bit off color, if not offensive. While it hurt their own image, not the Tibetan charity, it still reminds us as nonprofits to approve the message when possible.
3. A big event is a good time to rebrand. Pittsburg makes the steel. Detroit makes the cars. What a better time to remind Americans that Chrysler is an American car then at the Superbowl where the Steelers are playing. It took two minutes but it truly was good timing. For nonprofits, consider big events like anniversaries, signature events or capital campaigns to announce a fresh brand or reposition of priorities.
4. Be authentic – Does Kim Kardashian really wear Sketchers? While I really like the “Imported from Detroit” ad, social media was immediately abuzz with comments about whether Eminem would really drive a Chrysler. We all know that Tiger Woods doesn’t really drive a Buick. Be sure the people you put in place to speak on your behalf are true believers in your cause and not just talking heads.
5. Crowdsource – Both Doritos and PepsiMax opted to not hire big agencies but depend on their fans to come up with the next big commercial. The spots were voted on by fans also, not an executive decision. While contest for a new event logo or short term campaign can be a fun way to engage an audience, be careful about using this for a long-standing logo.
What I learned from my favorite ad.
- The little Darth Vador actually looks a lot like a mini Luke Skywalker (see his reveal here.)
- Sneaking a peak can improve brand awareness. While most companies wait until the big game to reveal their ad, VW released it early on YouTube. I saw it shared several times on Facebook before the TV premier.
- Throw some big rules out the window. One of the key components of a good ad is to make sure the audience remembers the brand. In the :60 commercial, the vehicle doesn’t appear until half way through and even then, it mostly appears in an outside view. The feature that makes the commercial heart-warming is remote locking – not even a new feature. How did people even remember it was VW? Repetition. Lots of viral sharing online.
- Blur generational lines – the ad is appealing to everyone. It isn’t high-tech or using a “now” celebrity but instead goes with a fairly timeless classic.
What was your favorite ad and what did you learn from it?
For the second year, I’m busy planning Cause Camp – the intensive nonprofit marketing training
provided by Lincoln’s Chapter of the American Marketing Association.
I volunteer for this event because I know how important it is for local nonprofits to educate themselves on marketing so they can provide a professional product and a reasonable price that reflects well of their brand.
This will be my 5th time attending this event so in honor of that “anniversary”, I am naming the top 5 things I’m looking forward to at Cause Camp in 2011
- Networking. When I know what you are up to, I can connect you to other organizations and facilitate collaboration in natural and beneficial ways.
- The newest social media ideas. I can’t wait to meet John Haydon and hear about what we could be doing better and what’s just over the social media horizon.
- Sponsor booths. Seriously, I love seeing what our media and business sponsors can do to help make our nonprofits better. Plus, they usually hand out candy or pens! There will be a dozen sponsor booths this year so get ready to fill your bag!
- The Roundtables. This new feature of Cause Camps lets us sit in smaller groups with our presenters to ask the questions we didn’t think to ask in front of the group. We’ll get to learn more from the presenter AND each other.
- I love seeing my nonprofit friends. Will I see you there?
Register here!
PS – Did I mention we have scholarships available? Email me to be considered for one.
