Month: February 2014

Posted on

White House Offers Crisis Management Help for Infrastructure Hacks

An-engineer-setting-firewalls-to-avoid-hacking

Government steps in to help contractors running critical infrastructure secure their systems

Experts have been warning for some time that hackers from criminal organizations and various nation-states with whom we don’t see eye-to-eye are targeting critical infrastructure, including power, water and nuclear systems, here in the States.

Recognizing the lack of understanding and preparedness among the organizations that run said infrastructure, the White House is putting crisis management tools in their hands with a new cybersecurity framework, described in this quote from a PCWorld.com article by Grant Gross:

The voluntary framework creates a consensus on what a good cybersecurity program looks like, senior administration officials said. The 41-page framework takes a risk management approach that allows organizations to adapt to “a changing cybersecurity landscape and responds to evolving and sophisticated threats in a timely manner,” according to the document.

Organizations can use the framework to create a “credible” cybersecurity program if they don’t already have one, said one senior Obama administration official. “The key message is that cybersecurity is not something you just put in place and walk away,” the official said, in a background press briefing. “There’s no prescription or magic bullet for cybersecurity. There are only well-conceived, proven ways of continuously managing the risks.”

Although it’s highly unlikely the framework provides a be-all, end-all solution to cybersecurity risks, hopes are it will serve to spark more discussion of and focus on the dire need to be aware of and protected from major attacks on our critical systems.

At this point it’s all but inevitable that someone out there is going to take over control of the systems we rely on for safety and security, either for financial gain, political motivation, or simply because they can. The better prepared the organizations who hold the keys to the systems that keep us safe and secure are to do crisis management for major attacks, the more quickly the impact can be mitigated, and the more protected we’ll all be.

——————————-
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Posted on

Under Armour’s Olympic Crisis Management

A-speed-skater-skating-on-a-hot-aftrnoon

Was Under Armour’s crisis management podium-worthy?

Nobody’s quite puzzled out what exactly caused the underwhelming performance of U.S. speed skaters during the Sochi Games, but as the losses piled up many looked toward the company behind the team’s high-tech “Mach 39” skin suit, Under Armour.

With massive hype surrounding the suits and the team as a result of Under Armour’s own marketing and broadcaster’s repeated mentions, expectations were high, but after six days of sub-par racing the U.S. team actually swapped back to their old uniforms, dropping the popular sportswear manufacturer’s stock price some 2.4% overnight.

The response

Under Armour wasn’t shy when the need for crisis management became obvious, telling anyone who would listen about the rigorous testing procedures for the Mach 39 and mentioning multiple other groups of athletes who found success in world events like the World Cup and even in other sports at Sochi itself wearing Under Armour gear.

With sponsors willing to put big money into speed skating in short supply and a team whose comments to the media had put a serious strain on the sponsor-sponsee relationship, nobody was quite sure how this one would pan out, but in the end Under Armour made a bold move to put the entire situation behind them, committing to another eight years of support for the U.S. skating squad.

It’s not all smooth sailing from here…

Although Under Armour got out in front of the situation much more successfully than the U.S. team did their opponents, a repeat in 2018 would be dangerous for the company’s reputation. You’d better believe there will be a lot of crisis management going on behind the scenes over the next four years as Under Armour works to perfect the suit, and athletes are better trained in what NOT to say about the people paying to support their Olympic aspirations.

——————————-
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Posted on

Bad E-Reporting a Crisis Management Concern

concerned-male-thinking-about-company-problem-solution

Dishonesty and lack of fact checking can threaten your reputation

The skyrocketing popularity of amateur e-reporting has led to good things, as stories that would never have otherwise seen the light of day draw public attention. Unfortunately, it’s also resulted in an increase in unverified, untrue reporting as well, often to the detriment of whichever organization’s been caught in the crossfire.

Reader Adam Nowlin shared the story of a Reddit post that, according to the author, contained pictures of health code violations at a Mimi’s Cafe in Maryland. The images drew thousands of comments on the popular site, and, according to a Baltimore Sun article by Richard Gorelick, led to an inspection by the local health department:

Responding to a barrage of inquiries about sanitary conditions at Mimi’s Cafe in Columbia, the Howard County Health Department on Wednesday inspected the restaurant and gave it passing marks.

Lisa M. de Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the health department, said that the food-safety division routinely responds to complaints or tips from the public. In this instance, the department received about 15 emails regarding the restaurant in less than 24 hours, which is highly unusual, de Hernandez said.

The inspection Wednesday “found nothing critical that would endanger the public or cause us to close the restaurant,” de Hernandez said.

The Reddit poster who started it all eventually admitted the photos of bugs and grimy conditions were not recent, which leads us to our point – even if your organization is squeaky-clean, bad reporting can STILL put your reputation in jeopardy. E-reporters are hungry for eyes, and if falsifying or dramatizing stories to grab virtual points on Reddit, Facebook, blogs, and even view-hungry news sites is what it takes, then many will leap happily right off that ethical bridge.

Today’s crisis management plans need to include the very real chance that a reporter, amateur or professional, will smear your brand. The more prepared you are, the faster you can react, and the better your chances of getting the real information in front of your stakeholders in time to save your reputation.

——————————-
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-

[Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Posted on

1. Our First Piece on Direct Mail & 2. Help Save the CFC !!

First Piece on Direct Mail

#1. Direct Mail, Direct Response: An Introduction
by Jonathan Howard

In the internet age, with a host of easy, cheap and fast electronic media from which to choose, why do major national charities still spend the time and money to request charitable donations by mail?

Because it works for them.

But will it work for you? There’s really only one way to find out: try it. But before you jump in, take some time to understand the shared language and tools of direct mail.

I can’t promise that your mail program will be a success. But I can share some proven concepts and techniques to give you the best possible chance of making direct mail an effective fundraising strategy for your organization.

It’s all about response
The term “direct mail” means that we expect consumers to respond directly to our mailing in some planned way.

Direct mail is one branch of the mighty river of “direct response marketing,” also called “direct marketing” or just “DM.” DM includes telephone sales, email solicitations, online pop-up ads, and those indefatigable TV pitchwomen on the QVC network … among many other forms.

Direct response selling asks consumers to take immediate action: “Click here.” “Call in the next 15 minutes.” “Do it now.”

We measure direct marketing success primarily through the “response rate” or percentage of people we’ve solicited who take the action we ask of them.

For instance, if we mail 1,000 letters requesting first-time donations and get 40 checks back, we’ve had a response rate of 4 percent. If we send 10,000 emails and get 40 first-time donations, our response rate is 0.4%.

Response rates vary a lot depending on the audience, the quality of the mailing, the season and many other factors. Most mailings seeking first-time donations have response rates of less than one percent. Appeals to past donors usually do much better, with response rates of 10 percent, 20 percent or more.

Fundraisers still rely on direct mail fundraising, versus email fundraising, because mail response rates generally are 10 to 30 times higher to comparable target groups. That persistent response advantage for mail can offset the higher cost of printing and postage; and, mail donors typically give more than online donors and may be more loyal in terms of repeat gifts.

Taking these factors together, direct mail fundraising continues to be a cost-effective strategy for many nonprofits, large and small. And it can work for you.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
See the next posting on Direct Mail on March 26.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jon has more than 25 years in the nonprofit sector,
helping nonprofits develop successful direct response strategies and effective donor communications.
You can contact Jon at Jonathan Howard
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks ??
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

#2. Proposed Changes to CFC Regulations Update: How You Can Help Save the Combined Federal Campaign – Part I
by Bill Huddleston

The summer was the last time there was reaction to the proposed changes to the CFC regulations. That was when the outcry from the non-profit community resulted in the July Congressional hearing about the impact of the regulations as proposed by OPM.

It would be worth your time to watch the testimony — link to the hearing.

At the time, OPM was without a permanent director. John Barry had resigned and the confirmation of Katherine Archuleta, who had been appointed in May, was bogged down … along with everything else in Congress. Finally, on November 4th, Ms. Archuleta was sworn in, becoming the first Hispanic director of OPM.

All of this is background to the fact that, despite thousands of comments (almost all negative) and the Congressional hearing, there has been no public communication from OPM about the proposed changes to the CFC.

It’s likely that the proposed changes would gut the program, and hit small charities (local, national and international) particularly hard. To see my analysis of the proposed regulations, click on the following link: Analysis of the proposed changes

What’s Likely To Happen Next?
Since OPM proposed the regulations, two major events have occurred. One being the confirmation of Ms. Archuleta, and the second being the public response from the OPM staff to the concerns raised about the regulations as proposed — with the exception of the Congressional testimony (by the former head of the CFC office, not by the current position holder) there has been NO public response.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
See Part II of this piece on March 19.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
During his 25-year career in the Federal sector,
Bill Huddleston, The CFC Coach,
served in many CFC roles. If you want to participate in the Combined Federal
Campaign, maximize your nonprofit’s CFC revenues, or just ask a few questions,
contact Bill Huddleston
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

If you would like to comment/expand on either-or-both of the above pieces, or would just like to offer your thoughts on the subjects of this posting, we encourage you to “Leave a Reply.”

Posted on

Fresh Content Ideas

A writer creating fresh content ideas
4-1-1 Rule
Courtesy of Tipping Point Labs

 

 

 

 

 

Follow the 4-1-1 Rule

Need fresh content ideas? Who doesn’t? By using the 4-1-1 Rule, you will attract and engage your target audiences, give them value, and come out the winner!

The 4-1-1 Rule was coined by Tippingpoint Labs and Joe Pulizzi of the Content Marketing Institute. The rule states:

“For every one self-serving tweet, you should retweet one relevant tweet and most importantly share four pieces of relevant content written by others.”

Why? Because when you lift someone else up by circulating their content (with appropriate credit and links), you create a win-win-win. The original author wins by gaining more exposure, your reader wins by receiving valuable information, and YOU win in many ways.

How You Win with the 4-1-1 Rule

First, you establish yourself as someone who acknowledges and helps others. Immediately, and in the most important way, you create a very positive impression. If you help others, you must be a generous and trustworthy person, right? Second, it will come back to you. The individuals you lift up (and others) will notice, and you will be lifted up. It may not come from the same individual, but it will happen. That’s how it works. And Third, you create for yourself a value system of helping, not selling.

Since your postings will likely be searched by search engines, think of ‘helping’ when you sit down to write your posts. This is an important aspect of your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy.

Your SEO Strategy

The effectiveness of your SEO strategy – getting found online – depends on how well you know and appeal to your Target Audiences. Spend clear-thinking time to profile your Target Audiences by listing:

  • 30 of their pressing needs
  • 20 unique problems they face
  • 10 of their issue-related likes and 10 dislikes
  • 25 top questions they have

… the answers to which are information topics they would search for, and be eager to read and pass on to others. Now find others’ content or write your own.

Apply the 4-1-1 Rule

Try to apply the 4-1-1 rule to your posts on all content platforms and social networking platforms. It certainly works with blogs, LinkedIn and Facebook.

As Jay Baer says, “If you sell something, you make a customer today, but if you genuinely help someone, you create a customer for life.”

Where do you find content of great interest to your Target Audiences?

For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Marketing and Social Media.

.. _____ ..

ABOUT Lisa M. Chapman:

Ms. Chapman’s new book, The WebPowered Entrepreneur – A Step-by-Step Guide is now available at:

Lisa M. Chapman serves her clients as a business and marketing coach, business planning consultant and social media consultant. She helps clients to establish and enhance their online brand, attract their target market, engage them in meaningful social media conversations, and convert online traffic into revenues. Email: Lisa @ LisaChapman.com

Posted on

Listen Up, 4 Surprising Ways to be a Better Listener

A listener paying attention

listen

Mary got nervous every time her manager started a conversation with her. She was worried she would forget some critical piece of information. That anxiety interfered with her ability to focus and remember what was said. As a result, she tried to write down everything that was said during every conversation. Since we speak much faster than we can write, she fell behind and her attention was divided. Her anxiety increased, and her listening became even more ineffective. It became a real issue between them, until she learned how to be a more effective listener. You can learn what Mary did, and improve your listening skills today.

Before the conversation. Take a moment to think about the purpose of your listening. Are you listening for facts, feelings, or both? If you are listening to directions for your sales meeting, you really need to attend to the facts of the matter and get them right. If you are listening to a friend talk about her weekend you may be attending mainly to the emotional aspects of her talk. Sometimes you need to attend to both, for example, when speaking with a job candidate you will want to attend to both the interpersonal connection and the details being shared.

During the conversation. Pay attention—without judging—to the delivery of the speaker. Consciously notice the expressions on his face, the tone of her voice, the set of his shoulders. If all of these seem to match what he or she is saying, there is a good chance the message is straightforward. If you see signs of a mismatch (she says she is not angry but her voice sounds angry) be a little more cautious; these are mixed signals and you would be wise to keep the conversation going until the real issues surface.

Throughout the conversation. Keep your eye contact and mental attention directed at the speaker. We probably wouldn’t check our watch when someone is speaking, but we can easily be distracted by a ping from our phone, someone walking by, or that TV screen overhead at the restaurant. If you truly intend to be a good listener, keep your attention focused, or admit that it is not. “I’m sorry, but I was distracted just a moment ago. Where we’re we?” It isn’t pretty, but it is a whole lot more honest than nodding while trying to sneak a peek at your messages.

After the conversation. If this communication was important, take a few moments right afterward to jot down your observations and impressions. Make note of facts, feelings and agreements or follow-up actions. Try to take these notes as soon after the meeting as you can, before other imperatives and distractions cloud your memory. But don’t try to write too many notes during the conversation, as this can hinder your ability to focus and listen.

Listening is one of the most important yet least understood communication skills. Test your own listening skills here, and try these four tips for more effective listening.

_________________________________________________

Author Gail Zack Anderson, founder of Applause, Inc. is a Twin Cities-based consultant who provides coaching and workshops for effective presentations, facilitation skills for trainers and subject matter experts, and positive communication skills for everyone. She can be reached at gza@applauseinc.net.

Web site: www.applauseinc.net

Blog: www.managementhelp.org/blogs

twitter: @ApplauseInc

Posted on

Cultures In The Project

Group of multiracial individuals holding a sign with the word multicultural

In this ever shrinking business world, it is not uncommon to deploy a project with colleagues from different countries, with cultures different from our own. We can even implement a project in our own country and easily have stakeholders, say, from India, China, Mexico, Canada. Each one will bring different points of view, dependent on their upbringing and experiences (read ‘culture’). So it is a great business advantage to have project managers who are able to navigate these different cultures, and not end up in the difficulties Mrs. Muddle finds herself in.

Mrs. Muddle is a very capable technical project manager from Ohio, where she still lives. She has a science degree from a major US university and, because all her projects finish on time and on-budget, Management has chosen her to lead the expansion of key manufacturing equipment in their US and in their Asian (South Korea and Vietnam) locations.

After a kick-off meeting in person and a scope definition workshop, Mrs Muddle wanted to publish some ground rules for the ongoing status meetings. She had noticed that the Asian project managers −Mr. Moon-ki from South Korea and Mr. Chuyen from Vietnam− brought to the meetings no less than half a dozen colleagues. She therefore issued the rule that, henceforth, only the project managers should attend the status meetings.

Her edict was met with shock and discomfort in the Asian teams. Mr. Moon-ki informed Mrs. Muddle that he absolutely did not have the delegation from his management team to commit the company to any decision whatsoever. Mr. Chuyen made very clear that since the project required tasks from finance, engineering, IT and other disciplines, he could not agree to anything on their behalf. Mrs. Muddle tried to make her colleagues see reason, indicating that it was more efficient to deal with just one person than casts of thousands. She was confused as to why such a reasonable rule would make her colleagues angry.

What she failed to recognize is that South Korean and Vietnamese cultures are highly collectivistic, and that these gentlemen were unwilling to make any moves that would upset the peace of “the group”. In some societies, like the USA and Canada, being “individualistic” is a desirable trait. But in many parts of the world, the interests of “the group” do take precedence over the needs of “the individual”. Mrs. Muddle was astonished when her manager called her. Seems like they needed to schedule an apology meeting with the Asian subsidiaries…

Posted on

Higher Ed Hack Means Crisis Management for UMD

-person-working-on-the-security-system-to-avoid-hack

Cyber criminals hit University of Maryland

Despite a recent doubling in IT security staff, personal data including names, Social Security numbers, dates of birth and university ID numbers belonging to nearly 310,000 individuals was stolen from the University of Maryland’s computer systems.

In response, University President Wallace Loh (and, you can bet, his crisis management team) put out a clear and concise letter explaining the situation:

February 19, 2014

Dear students, faculty, and staff of the University of Maryland (at College Park and Shady Grove):

Last evening, I was notified by Brian Voss, Vice President of Information Technology, that the University of Maryland was the victim of a sophisticated computer security attack that exposed records containing personal information.

I am truly sorry. Computer and data security are a very high priority of our University.

A specific database of records maintained by our IT Division was breached yesterday. That database contained 309,079 records of faculty, staff, students and affiliated personnel from the College Park and Shady Grove campuses who have been issued a University ID since 1998. The records included name, Social Security number, date of birth, and University identification number. No other information was compromised — no financial, academic, health, or contact (phone, address) information.

With the assistance of experts, we are handling this matter with an abundance of caution and diligence. Appropriate state and federal law enforcement authorities are currently investigating this criminal incident. Computer forensic investigators are examining the breached files and logs to determine how our sophisticated, multi-layered security defenses were bypassed. Further, we are initiating steps to ensure there is no repeat of this breach.

The University is offering one year of free credit monitoring to all affected persons. Additional information will be communicated within the next 24 hours on how to activate this service.

University email communications regarding this incident will not ask you to provide personal information. Please be cautious when sharing personal information.

All updates regarding this matter will be posted to this website. Additional information is provided in the FAQs below. If you have any questions or comments, please call our special hotline at 301-405-4440 or email us at datasecurity@umd.edu.

Universities are a focus in today’s global assaults on IT systems. We recently doubled the number of our IT security engineers and analysts. We also doubled our investment in top-end security tools. Obviously, we need to do more and better, and we will.

Again, I regret this breach of our computer and data systems. We are doing everything possible to protect any personal information that may be compromised.

Sincerely,

Wallace D. Loh
President, University of Maryland

Even better, the university included a F.A.Q. section right below the page hosting the letter, a step that’s likely to reduce the volume of calls and emails officials will be wading through over the next few days.

We’ve been hammering this point in blogs, and it’s certainly worth repeating here – the question is no longer if you’ll face a hack-related crisis, but when. Include the possibility in your crisis management planning, and make sure to practice, because you WILL putting it to use.

——————————-
For more resources, see the Free Management Library topic: Crisis Management
——————————-

[Jonathan Bernstein is president of Bernstein Crisis Management, Inc., an international crisis management consultancy, author of Manager’s Guide to Crisis Management and Keeping the Wolves at Bay – Media Training. Erik Bernstein is Social Media Manager for the firm, and also editor of its newsletter, Crisis Manager]

Posted on

Tips For Revising A Document

Businessman revising documents on the desk

You have inherited a document that no one is happy with. How do you find out not only what is wrong with it, but also how it should be changed to satisfy everyone? Revising documents require excellent communications skills. You need to also think about:

  • What questions should be asked and who should be approached to get your answers?
  • Should you just verify the content or should you reorganize and rewrite the content?

How should the writer begin? Finding out what is wrong with the existing document is not an easy task. The best approach recommended is to reach out to others to validate what has to be done. Ask these questions:

  • Who is not satisfied with the document and why? –Ask because it could have been written for the wrong audience.
  • Who is currently using this document and has copies of it and why? – Ask because they might not have the latest version; verify it.

Next, review the document and gather specific reasons for needed changes. Don’t just find out why it is wrong, find out what was needed or is missing. Then get that information by holding meetings, working across departments, researching and querying all those involved in the original project.

Ask does this document:

  • need a rewrite (or reworded) due to a lack of clarity?
  • need to be revamped (or overhauled, a real face lift ) due to a lack of organization?
  • need to be pitched and revised (corrected) due to its objective not being reached?

If the document needs to be rewritten, find out what is wrong with the verbiage. Ask further questions such as:

  • Do they want a briefer, more concise document, or was it too short?
  • Was language usage incorrect?
  • Was the presentation and the written tone wrong? In other words, was the text too informal or too formal?
  • Were the words too technical or not technical enough?
  • Did they want more images or less?

If the content needs to be corrected, ask further questions such as:

  • Where can you get the correct information? It could just be, for example, that new procedures or policies were put into place and the document just needs to be updated.
  • Where are the SME (subject matter experts)? Find all your knowledgeable experts in order to gather all your correct information.
  • Why and when were, e.g., policies, procedures, workflows, etc., changed? This way, your readers will see why a revised document was needed.

If the document needs to be revamped, ask all of the above questions as well as:

  • In what manner should the document to be altered? Find out exactly how they want it to be changed. If you do not get them to explain what they want, then they will not be happy with your finished product.
  • Does it just need reorganization and restructuring or is it all wrong? This is the difficult part, especially if you do not easily see anything wrong with how the document was organized.

If you have had experience in rewriting a document, please share your experience.

Posted on

What’s Coming – The Next Seven Weeks of the Fundraising Blog

Coming soon sign

And welcoming the two new members of our writing team, Jon Howard & John Elbare

February 26:


Direct Mail, Direct Response: An Introduction
by Jonathan Howard

Beginning a series of postings … Starting with: Why do major national charities still spend the time and money to solicit charitable contributions by mail ? Will it work for you ??

February 26:


You Can Help Save the Combined Federal Campaign – Part I
by Bill Huddleston

The outcry from the non-profit community resulted in the July Congressional hearing about the impact of the proposed OPM regulations. So, what’s next ??

March 5:


Introduction to Planned Giving – Part I
by John Elbare

Here begins a basic education about planned giving … defining, in easy to understand language, some of the terms; and, over a period of time, helping you get a grasp on how your organization can make planned giving work for you.

March 5:


A Mission (Statement) Impossible
by Tony Poderis

Every nonprofit organization’s Mission Statement needs to cite clearly Its Reason For Being, and must state the positive difference it makes to its stakeholders/beneficiaries … for example….

March 12:


Using Statistics Accurately/Effectively in Your Grant Proposals
by Jayme Sokolow

Statistics can be used or abused, especially in grant proposals. However, there are steps you can take to use numbers accurately, and in ways that promote understanding.

March 12:


Introduction to Planned Giving – Part II
by John Elbare

Continuation of the introduction to planned giving … defining, in easy to understand language, some of the terms; and, helping you get a grasp on how your organization can make planned giving work for you.

March 19:


You Can Help Save the Combined Federal Campaign – Part II
by Bill Huddleston

A bureaucracy’s first reaction in a controversy is often to deny it. That’s what OPM is doing; they are refusing to acknowledge that they have screwed up … big time.

March 19:


How Do You Deal with Grant Deadlines?
by Jayme Sokolow.

Deadlines are to proposal professionals as water is to fish. They are the lifeblood of our profession. Dealing with them effectively will make a big (positive) difference to your emotional well-being, and to your professional career.

March 26:


Events In Private Homes: Part I
by Hank Lewis

There are four basic purposes for such an activity … and the recognition/realization of the need for (the purpose of) a specific type of event, should be the first issue for consideration.

March 26:


Building Blocks of Direct Mail
by Jonathan Howard

Direct mail success depends on the interplay of three factors….

April 2:


Making Your Nonprofit Conference A Special (Fundraising) Event
by Natalie Lewis

When was the last time you went to a conference, walked into the exhibit hall and were pleasantly surprised that it looked new, different or interesting? Design your exhibit hall so that vendors will want to pay you to participate.

April 2:


Events In Private Homes: Part II
by Hank Lewis

Education, Cultivation & Stewardship – What can/should happen at an event in someone’s home.

April 9:


How Many Development Staffers Do We Need to Attain Our Fundraising Goals?
by Tony Poderis

I’ve often been asked about a formula/guideline for determining the number of development staff needed relative to an organization’s fundraising goals? My reply….

April 9:


Events In Private Homes: Part III
by Hank Lewis

Asking attendees to write a check … at an event in someone’s home. Should you or shouldn’t you ?? It all depends.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Have you seen
The Fundraising Series of ebooks.
They’re easy to read, to the point, and inexpensive ($1.99 – $4.99)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=