Here we are! Another busy week packed with streaming video meetings on Zoom, conference calls and the torrential flow of emails. Although leaning into the benefits of connective technologies has allowed my team and me to work safely and productively from our respective remote offices, I’ll admit that at times virtual communication can scramble the brain. ...
13 October, 2020 BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot October Home 26 Likes
Anyone who knows me at BDI will tell you: I can’t stop talking about Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) lately. And I’m not going to stop anytime soon – in fact, I’m really excited to have this chance to share more about DAFs with you today! ...
08 October, 2020 BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot October 19 Likes
Authenticity sells. But authenticity online can be a tightrope as a nonprofit. You need to raise funds to support your programs, services and outreach. But at the same time, you don’t want your donors to feel you’re using any tricks on social media in order to get their money. And in our marketing-saturated modern life, they know when they’re being manipulated. ...
24 September, 2020 BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot September 22 Likes
These days, scroll through your social media feed and you’ll probably see a post where someone declares a destination, restaurant or a product as “on brand” for them. Meaning, this aligns with who I am/what I believe/how I live my life. So let’s redirect to the nonprofit world......
16 September, 2020 BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot September 11 Likes
BDI is here to help you ride the waves of change! As the summer months come to a close, we look ahead to the coming season of new political, economic, social and philanthropic developments. At this point, you may feel like 2020 is a series of earthquakes and aftershocks......
09 September, 2020 BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot September 14 Likes
Ahh… certainty. Not easy right now when the world seems to be coming unglued. You don’t want to make a mistake, because the lives and welfare of the hurting people you serve are at stake. But there is a peaceful pathway that awaits. A few principles you can take to heart that will help provide confidence and rest as you navigate raising funds in these stormy seas. And for certain… produce better results....
30 August, 2020 BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot September 9 Likes
The last time you heard from me, I spent some time on some key strategies to help you create a fundraising-focused website. Today, I want to focus on an aspect of your website that’s key to maximizing your fundraising success: your donation page. That’s because one of the primary goals......
BDI Quick Shot August 8 Likes
What we hoped would be a sprint may end up being a marathon. We’ve lived in the midst of the pandemic for many months now. As genuine struggle and the extended disruption of our personal and professional lives continue without a reliable end date in sight, fatigue mounts. All nonprofit......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot August Home 20 Likes
It’s almost Fall, y’all. And countless nonprofit organizations across the country are preparing for a very busy acquisition season. The most important thing to keep top-of-mind is that every new donor could lead to new opportunities; and as such, you should treat every new donor as special. Need we even......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot August 8 Likes
Ahhh, life with COVID-19! It seems each day brings additional questions – many of which don’t have a clear answer yet. How accurate is the news? How long will the first wave of the virus last? What does this mean for me and my family? For our agency and clients?......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot July 15 Likes
As I was looking through a client’s gift file the other day, I was stopped in my tracks by a donor record. Not because the record had a mistake. Not because the record didn’t belong. But because I saw something curious. Before I continue, here are two very important things......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot July 9 Likes
It has been said that nothing in life is certain… except death and taxes. When it comes to fundraising, there is a third certainty: donor attrition. If there’s one thing we can count on in fundraising it is this – around 30-40% of donors who gave to your organization last......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot July Rhonda Moore 8 Likes
These days, we’re inundated with information. Conflicting news, fluctuating numbers, and opposing opinions are everywhere. Even though this season of isolation may have felt like a digital hurricane of content, there’s a silver lining: People are connecting online more than ever before. This is great news for nonprofits! During times......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot June 14 Likes
In a recent marketing survey, consumers listed “positivity (optimism, hope)” dead last in what they want to hear from companies during the COVID-19 crisis. See: Morning Consult – Brand Management in the COVID-19 Era Has hope really become hopeless as a way of sharing your message? This might be......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot June 7 Likes
As we enter the summer months, here’s a brief update on the United States Postal Service (USPS). It’s been a difficult year for USPS, especially given the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that a majority of nonprofit direct response mailings rely on USPS, it’s important to pay attention......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot June 8 Likes
“If only our building would catch on fire!” I once had a CEO lament to me about a time a local Rescue Mission raised over a million dollars through a fundraising campaign after a fire had destroyed their Mission. While this CEO wasn’t literally wishing for his Mission to burn......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot June 7 Likes
Maybe you’ve noticed… digital marketing has exploded over the last few years! It’s super exciting. But it can also be EXHAUSTING. Even for me… and this is my specialty! So I can only imagine that if you’re relatively new to digital marketing, you may be feeling overwhelmed. Not just by......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot May Stephanie Tippitt 13 Likes
If you’re like me, making difficult decisions is DIFFICULT. And life has a habit of confronting us with difficult decisions. Whom do I marry? Is divorce the only solution? Do we move or not? How do I care for an aging parent? Which bills should I pay first? And the......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot May Phil Stolberg Thought Leaders 9 Likes
“April showers bring May flowers” is an expression I’ve heard since I was a child. Who knew that Thomas Tusser, an English poet and farmer, penned the phrase in the early 1500s! Never has it resounded more clearly for me than this year, living in Southern California, where belated winter......
BDI Quick Shot BDI Quick Shot May Lolly Colombo Thought Leaders 7 Likes