BDPA Brotha Shares 10 Sure-Fire Ways to Ruin Your Networking Efforts

I have been in BDPA since 1988. Some of y'all refer to me as the BDPA Brotha! I have shared tips on 'The Art of Networking' in the past. In fact, I recently shared 15 ideas on improving your networking results.

This time I thought that it would be worthwhile to point out ten things that many of us do to the detriment of our networking efforts. Here are 10 things you should *NOT DO* if you want to make your networking work!

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1. Do not abuse your network. Word of mouth will kill you.
2. Do not abuse your contacts. Always honor their right to privacy.
3. Do not burden your network with your problems, but, be willing to listen to advice when you ask for it.
4. Do not develop a reputation for calling *only* when you need a favor.
5. Do not ever think anything can replace real competence.
6. Do not expect anyone to work harder for you than you are willing to work for yourself.
7. Do not expect your network to find you a job.
8. Do not give a referral without first calling ahead to alert your contact.
9. Do not offer negative feedback callously.
10. Do not talk excessively about yourself. Learn how to get your network to do this for you!

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These are some ideas on how you can maximize your positive results from networking. Have you learned the 'hard way' about any of these ten networking errors in the past? Do you have other suggestions that we may have missed?

I will continue to share these 'BDPA Brotha' tips on a semi-regular basis!

BDPA Brotha Shares 15 Ideas to Improve Your Networking Results

I have been in BDPA since 1988. Some of y'all refer to me as the BDPA Brotha!   I have shared tips on 'The Art of Networking' in the past. I thought that the time was right to be more specific. Here are 15 things you should *DO* if you want to make your networking work!

1. Do ask for what you want. No one is there to take care of you. Anticipate that contacts may say 'No' and don't be offended if they do.
2. Do be business-like ... always!
3. Do circulate at meetings. Learn to introduce yourself to strangers.
4. Do continue to develop your expertise and visibility to enhance your value to the network.
5. Do deliver when you say you will.
6. Do follow good rules of social etiquette.
7. Do follow-up on leads.
8. Do give sensitive and caring feedback to members of your network.
9. Do maintain confidentiality. Protect your sources.
10. Do not abandon former networks as you climb higher.
11. Do not be discouraged.  If given the brush off by one contact in your network, move on!
12. Do offer to pick up the tab!
13. Do refine your 'want list' and only ask for one thing at a time.
14. Do test out the reliability of any information you receive.
15. Do try to give as much as you get from network contacts. Reciprocity is the name of the game. Do not wait to be asked!

These are some ideas on how you can maximize your positive results from networking. Have any of these ideas worked for you in the past? Do you have other ideas that we may have missed?

I will continue to share these 'BDPA Brotha' tips on a semi-regular basis!

Fundraising Tip: Hard Truths Your Board Members Must Face If They Want to Raise Big Money

Do your board members want to raise big money? Then it's time to discuss the facts of life with them. Fundraising facts of life, that is.

"You can't handle the truth!" is Jack Nicholson's memorable line in A Few Good Men.

Fortunately, your board members are a hardier lot than Tom Cruise's character. They can in fact accept the truth—in this case, three fundraising truths -- if you carefully explain the validity of each.

1. Go Figure

Say you're approached by a fellow worker and asked to pitch in for the comptroller's wedding gift. The first question you typically ask is, "How much do you have in mind?" or "What are others giving?"

What you're seeking is a frame of reference.

The same dynamic plays out when you approach prospects. They want a sense of what you're looking for or what their peers are giving.

Are you talking $500, $5,000, or $50,000, they want to know.

You need to be specific. To many, that can be unnerving. Heck, it's hard enough to ask for "any amount you can give" or "whatever you can afford," but the temerity of naming a number—that's like asking "How much do you make a year, bud?"

But if you've done your homework—which is to say, you haven't plucked a figure from thin air—then you won't upset your prospect, especially if you phrase the request tactfully: "We're hoping you'll consider a gift in the range of $50,000" or "Will you consider joining me in giving $25,000 to this worthy cause?"

Another way to frame your request is to mention what others are giving, naming names if you've been given permission. Or, you can stress how your campaign needs several friends to contribute at a certain level and you're hoping the prospect will be among them. Here, you might actually share the gift table you developed.

When you bring your car in for service, the mechanic diagnoses the problem and gives you a quote. What if instead he said nothing? You wouldn't know whether you could afford the repair, or even if your car is worth fixing. It would make you uncomfortable—you'd also question the mechanic's ability.

Don't put your prospect in a similar position. Suggest the amount you have in mind, a "quote," if you will. No one's going to slam the hood on your fingers.

Read the rest of this GuideStar article and learn about the other two fundraising truths!

Fundraising Tip: Never Apply for a Grant Without Contacting the Foundation First

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) spends a good deal of time writing grant proposals. Our success rate isn't very high. I think that the following fundraising tip may be helpful to us as we move forward in our grant-writing campaign.

Never Apply for a Grant Without Contacting the Foundation First:

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As much as you might want to believe that grants are awarded simply due to the fit of the program and the excellence of the application, it simply isn't true. In fact in our experience, the odds of getting a grant that you send in without contacting the foundation are about 5 percent-10 percent. Just as in individual (and all!) fundraising, developing relationships is critical. There are people at these foundations, called program officers, who are directly responsible for deciding who gets money and who doesn't. They care deeply about the work they are funding, and consider it an advantage to be able to scope out potential grantees. In-person meetings with program officers are ideal, but even a short phone call with a grant manager or administrator can still yield the basic information you need as well as getting your name in the mind of someone at the foundation.

Sometimes these initial conversations can save you valuable time in applying for a grant program that was not a fit -- always do your homework on their funding goals ahead of time! But often, they are valuable knowledge-gathering sessions: use the call or meeting to identify the funder's key priorities and desired language, which many times cannot be found on the organization's Web site; figure out which of your programs or initiatives is the best fit;, and determine how much money you should request.

Finally, go out on a limb and ask if they would be willing to preview your LOI (Letter of Intent) or proposal before you submit it officially. This advance look will give them a sense of ownership over your request and provide you with valuable feedback. Start today by calling the offices of your top foundation prospects and seeing if you can get on a relevant program officer's schedule.

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I must admit that the two largest grants that BETF received in the past year came after face-to-face meetings with the funding source.

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Hard Truths Your Board Members Must Face If They Want to Raise Big Money

Excerpted from the second edition of Fundraising Realities Every Board Member Must Face: A 1-Hour Crash Course on Raising Major Gifts for Nonprofit Organizations

"You can't handle the truth!" is Jack Nicholson's memorable line in A Few Good Men.

Fortunately, your board members are a hardier lot than Tom Cruise's character. They can in fact accept the truth - in this case, three fundraising truths - if you carefully explain the validity of each.   Those truths are:

1. Go Figure
2. Each According to His or Her Means
3. Those Who Ask Must Give First

Click here to read the full GuideStar article.

Related articles

• Four tips for a successful fundraising year
• A Book in 5 Minutes: "Startup Boards" by Brad Feld and Mahendra Ramsinghani

Three Fundraising Realities Every Board Member Must Face

There are 43 'realities' about big-gifts fundraising described by David Landsdowne in his book, 'Fundraising Realities Every Board Member Must Face: A 1-Hour Crash Course on Raising Major Gifts for Nonprofit Organizations'. He goes into some detail on each of them.

Three of those 'realities' are:

1. Wealth Alone Doesn't Determine
2. A Few Contribute the Most
3. The Secret to Success

Read the full GuideStar article to learn more from the author about these three fundraising tips.

Related articles

• Fundraising reflections for 2013
• Fundraising - Setting Right Donor Expectations

Fundraising Tip: How to Turn One-Time Donors Into Monthly Givers

The BDPA Education and Technology Foundation currently is supported almost exclusively by one-time donors. We have very few monthly givers. As such, I was very interested in a fundraising tip shared recently by the folks at Network for Good.


Thinking about monthly giving is one of the smartest things you can do as a fundraiser. Network for Good research shows that 30-40% of the donation volume for a nonprofit website is monthly giving, and that would be a great situation to find all nonprofits in -- thanking people every month instead of asking them for donations every few weeks.

How do you do that? How do you turn your annual givers into monthly supporters?

• Make sure your donation form asks what type of gift the donor wants to make ("Do you want to give us a monthly gift?"). Whenever you're asking for money, ask for the monthly pledge, not just a one-time gift.
  
• Revisit the language you're using in your appeals. Frame your ask in such a way that it's a win-win situation-monthly donations for you, convenience and budgeting for your donors. (Read more about the four parts of a great fundraising appeal.)
  
• Package the appeal in an exciting way. For example, some organizations have an ambassador program or a sponsor-a-child every month program. Put a face on that sustainable gift. This way you're creating some tangible tie to the idea of giving every month. Remember: To increase charitable donations, you should appeal to the heart--not the head.
  
• Don't be afraid to ask for a monthly gift of support after someone completes a one-time transaction. It can be ingrained as a nice thank-you message: "Thank you so much for making a one-time gift. This is how you can put your support to work for us each and every month. Would you consider becoming a monthly supporter?" We've seen great success in converting first-time online donors into monthly donors by doing that within the first three days of them making their first online gift.

Think of using this strategy during the holidays when you're experiencing high traffic of one-time gift donations!

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Fundraising Tip: How To Raise More Money Online

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) exists to raise money to support BDPA programs all over the nation.  Our story of helping young people win the future by working with them on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs is a powerful one.  Our challenge is turning the power of that story into donations to our nonprofit.  We need to do a much better job in meeting our fundraising goals.

I think that the following fundraising tip may be a helpful reminder to all of us that work with nonprofits that are doing good works.

Make Your Donation Button Shine

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Online fundraising is a critical component of any individual fundraising strategy. It's the fastest-growing piece of the development pie, plus when people hear about your organization, want to learn more, or seek updates on your work, they will visit your Web site.

It is critical to make sure that visitors can find your donation button within two seconds of clicking on your home page. This means that the button should be sizeable, colorful, prominent, and "above the fold," meaning it's visible on the page without the need to scroll down.

Play around with different iterations if you can and carefully note the impact on conversation rates and donation amounts -- Network for Good performed a test on their Web site and witnessed a 30 percent greater conversion when they changed their donation button from gray to red. Conversion at the last mile is key, so analyze how many people click on the button versus how many actually donate. If the link doesn't go straight to the donation page, fix it! You should also get creative and use images or different words to relate a donation to something tangible, e.g. "donate a science book" or "save our children's future."

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Few, if any, of the local BDPA chapter websites are taking advantage of this tip. The National BDPA website has a 'donations' button located at the bottom of their left-hand navigation bar. We don't have a 'donate now' button on our BETF homepage. We have a 'Donate' option in the navigation bar ... but, I've learned from this fundraising tip that we're missing the boat on this one!

DONATE NOW!

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Fundraising Tip: Make Specific and Direct Asks for Money

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) spends a good deal of time talking with people about BDPA programs and services. We think that the worthiness of these programs is so self-evident that the money should be flowing in from donors to help us expand them. Of course, we've learned over time that we're just having a 'pleasant conversation' if we don't close the deal. I think that the following fundraising tip may be a helpful reminder to all of us that work with nonprofits that are doing good works.

Make Specific and Direct Asks for Money:

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People give because they are asked—if you don't ask, the answer will always be no. It can be tough to look someone in the eyes and ask for money, but somewhere in your pitch, some variation of the words "I'd like to invite you to invest $100 in our work" need to find their place, ideally followed by as long a pause as it takes to get an answer.

For fundraisers, you can't make the mistake of not asking because you feel greedy or you think they will know what you want. Ask with pride for the cause you are so committed to raising money for, and be honored to be the potential bridge for that donor from need to impact, donation to solution. Be sure to ask for a specific amount (something that's a stretch, but not unrealistic), and be clear about exactly what you will spend the money on and the impact it will generate. Tell the story of someone you've served who enjoyed the impact of these types of donations.

Start today by calling a lapsed donor and asking for a small renewal gift, even if it's $25! Practice this type of direct and specific ask on your board members, coworkers, family, and friends, and in no time you will be a master fundraiser.

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If you're still reading this blog post ....then this is my "ask" of you.   Please click here and donate a small gift ... even it it's $10 ... to support our Jesse Bemley Scholarship Fund.   Here is a sample of the young people who's lives you will impact with your donation.

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Create Good Chemistry to Improve Corporate Sales

Many BDPA leaders ask me for tips on increasing corporate sales revenue through sponsors. Much of my success in corporate sales for BDPA can be traced to my relationships with corporate champions.

How a corporate champion (or sponsor) feels with you is a big part of whether they will buy or not. Most people avoid hiring someone they are uncomfortable with. Sometimes clashes in personality are unavoidable. But in most cases, there are things you can do to create good chemistry between yourself and a corporate champion.

Obviously, it is important to try and be friendly and courteous to your sponsors. It's really quite simple. Smile and look them in the eye. If you are respectful to your sponsors and help them feel cared about, you will often see the same reaction in return.

Show an interest in what your sponsor is interested in. If I find some aspect of their project particularly exciting or interesting, I try to show that excitement. At the very least, you'll give the sponsor some encouragement -- something most of us could use.

Treat each as an individual. A corporate champion can tell whether you are truly interested in helping them. Try asking them about themselves. Show your sponsors you wish to know them on a personal level as well as a professional one.

Make sure that you listen. No matter how smart, right, or good you are, sometimes it's best to just be quiet. If you talk too much you may come across as overconfident and possibly arrogant. Many sponsors cannot stand someone who doesn't listen to their questions or concerns. If you put the sponsor before yourself, you're sure to have a better chance of making that sale!

For Non-Profits Seeking Funding, Remember the Power of One

According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS), over 1.5 million non-profits are registered in the U.S. While many of them receive assistance through corporate philanthropy and employee volunteer programs, in general all of them compete for a limited giving pool. So how can nonprofits stand out among all the noise, especially if you're a small, grassroots organization championing an under-served and mainly unnoticed population like foster children?

"One person, one volunteer, one company at a time," says Zaid Gayle, Executive Director of Peace4Kids (P4K), a South Los Angeles non-profit that provides programs and services for foster and at-risk youth from ages 5-18, and after they transition to adulthood until age 24. Because foster kids rarely have a permanent home or family, Peace4Kids is dedicated to empowering foster and at-risk youth by providing its own community as family. The P4K creed is that no matter where their foster kids are moved or what challenges are thrown their way, P4K wants them to feel that they will always have a family at P4K.

Read the rest of this Huffington Post article.

Fundraising Tip: Six Tips for Asking Naturally

Soulclap to Benevon for providing us these fundraising tips on asking for donations to run your BDPA chapter.

Benevon feels you should only be asking for money from the people who you know are ready to say yes. These are the people you have been cultivating and have gotten to know well. The Ask should not be a surprise to your donor. Once you have done enough cultivation to feel confident that your donor is ready to be asked, call and ask if you can meet with them face-to-face. You may want to bring along someone else from your organization who they know and respect—perhaps the executive director or board chair.

Meet wherever the donor is most comfortable. This could be at a restaurant, your office, their office, or their home.

Here are six tips to help you during your Asks:

1. Your agenda is to see how related and connected you can become in those few minutes you will be together. It is all about listening for every cue and being much more focused on what they are saying right now than on what you should say next. This should feel like a very natural conversation—as if you were talking to a close friend or family member.
2. Know what you want to ask for in advance, and be ready to adjust the terms and timeline of the gift if needed. The easiest way is to invite them to join your existing society of donors who make multiple-year pledges at specific giving levels.
3. Explain the difference this gift would make to your organization and the impact it will have on the people you serve. You know this donor well enough by now that you can discuss the aspects of your program that are most important to them—for example, the after-school program, the adoption program, or the chapel. Be sure to include an example of how their gift would impact one person or one family in the program that they're most interested in.
4. Expect them to say yes so that you won't fall off your chair or burst into tears when they do! Remember, you are not asking someone who is an ice-cold stranger. You are giving them the opportunity to make the contribution they want to make. There is no need for you to beg, strong-arm, or cajole.
5. When the person says yes, let them know you are really excited about their gift—that it means a great deal to you. You want to make this person feel truly wonderful about giving to your cause.
6. Even if they say no, listen closely for the cues as to what they need next so you can be sure to provide that before you ask them again. You want to end the meeting with this person looking forward to seeing you the next time, so that when they finally do say yes, they will feel great about it.

You will see that asking someone for money can be serious or playful, short and to the point, or long and drawn out. No two Asks are ever the same because no two people are the same.

The spirit of the Ask is respectful listening and friendly give-and-take, always with a strong commitment to the result. And the more you can relax and enjoy the process, the better.

Fundraising Tip: How To Secure Corporate Support

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) spends a good deal of our energy trying to ensure that we don't have conflicts with the corporate sales efforts of National BDPA or any of the 45 local BDPA chapters.   However, it has become more and more apparent over the past few years that our ability to generate revenues improves exponentially if we find ways to work together.

I think that the following fundraising tip provides some excellent food-for-thought on non-traditional ways that any nonprofit can find support from Corporate America as we continue through these tough economic times.

Pursue In-Kind Donations, Contributed Media
and Technical Expertise

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Especially since the economic downturn, it's become much more common for nonprofits and corporations to enter into partnerships that are less focused on direct financial support. In business they say "profits equals income minus expenses," and similarly for nonprofits, reducing operating costs is just as important as bringing more money in the door. Even in tough times like those we're going through, many companies are able to provide non-cash support that can be just as crucial as a monetary donation.

Here are three budget-relieving examples we encourage you to pursue:

1. In-Kind Support: Make-A-Wish Foundation of America has been particularly successful at developing what are called "cause-related marketing" partnerships with a variety of airlines, hotels, and travel providers. In their case, the nonprofit receives travel services that can be used in granting wishes. These donations save money that would have otherwise been expended, and is critical to fulfilling, the foundation's mission of granting wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions. Whether it's donated beer and wine for your next gala, free computers, or getting your airfare comped, how can corporate in-kind support advance your efforts and add money to your bottom line?
2. Contributed Media: The U.S. Fund for UNICEF has developed an innovative partnership with top advertising agencies. The agencies approach the companies they normally buy ad space from and ask them to donate time to support UNICEF's Believe in Zero campaign. Each year UNICEF receives more than $10 million in donated media to raise awareness for mission-critical initiatives, allowing them to deliver a call to action to targeted audiences. This relationship has been critical to the UNICEF and has resulted in them saving 2,000 lives every day -- that's direct mission impact. But you don't have to be a huge global player to secure contributed media -- call your local TV or radio station and ask if they're able to produce a PSA (public service announcement) for you and air it!
3. Technical Expertise: As part of their relationship with United Way of King County, the Seattle office of a global accounting firm reviewed United Way's IT infrastructure. They provided pro bono recommendations on how multiple databases could be integrated to provide more timely, accurate information, thereby improving United Way's service delivery. Although United Way isn't a mom and pop shop, they wouldn't have been able to pay for this kind of support. At the same time, the accounting firm enjoyed engaging employees in community building, building team morale. Whatever your size, look for a pro bono lawyer and accountant as well as technical support providers and other volunteer roles that may be filled by talented professionals.

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Our nonprofit can benefit from each of these three ideas because our focus has been almost entirely on direct financial support.   Perhaps it is a good idea to get Corporate America to say "yes" to supporting us ... even if that support is not in the form of a check!

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Fundraising Tip: How to Raise Money on Facebook

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) first joined Facebook back in May 2008.  We have discussed Facebook in one way or another quite often via this blog.   However, we have never been able to raise any serious money on Facebook.  Has your nonprofit organization or local BDPA chapter had success raising money on Facebook?

I think that the following fundraising tip may be a helpful reminder to all of us nonprofit advocates who still think that Facebook is for kids.

Create and Tap Your Social Network

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If you've been avoiding getting your organization involved in Facebook, here are three good reasons to rethink that decision:

1. Facebook has an audience of 800 million and growing, making it equivalent to the population of the world's third-largest country.
2. Meet them where they're at: it is extremely likely that a considerable amount of your wired network is already engaged on the platform.
3. More and more donations are happening online.

Here are a few guidelines for getting started with Facebook:

First, create a "Page" for your organization -- this is similar to a personal profile. It allows members to become a "friend" of your nonprofit, allowing them to subscribe to your updates and engage in dialogue with you and other supporters. To set up your Facebook Page, visit www.facebook.com/pages/create.php. The BDPA Foundation Facebook Page is up & running.

Second, create a Facebook Group: If you are interested in sending direct messages to the in-boxes of your supporters (and you have fewer than 5,000 followers), setting up a group is the way to go. Without a group, you are limited to posting status updates and having your supporters read them via their Facebook News Feed. To set up your group, visit www.facebook.com/groups/create.php. The National BDPA Facebook Group is up & running.

Once you are established on Facebook and your supporters are accustomed to communicating with you through this platform, it is time to start raising money. "Causes" is a tool (application) built for Facebook that allows you to fundraise within the Facebook network. Although it's difficult to build a community within Causes, it's worth exploring as a fundraising supplement to your Page or Group. Get a better feel for this tool at www.causes.com.

Once you are set up on Facebook, a great tip for integrating fundraising activities is to use the platform generously and frequently to express thanks for member contributions -- public recognition helps spread loyalty and reinforces generous support.

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The BDPA Foundation is already a beneficiary on 'Causes'.  We would love to work with any interested local chapter to set-up a 'Cause' to raise funds specifically for its programs and services at the local level. BDPA Charlotte and BDPA Los Angeles have both dipped their toes into the Facebook 'Causes' effort.

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Fundraising Tip: Stage a Board Member Thank-a-Thon

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is no different than any other nonprofit when it comes to fundraising. It is something that must be done constantly ... and it's hard to do! As such we thought it would be good to begin to share some fundraising tips.

Here is a tip on how to get your board more involved in fundraising:

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Tons of nonprofits experience frustration with getting their boards to fundraise; in fact, it's the second biggest reason why executive directors leave their posts, according to CompassPoint's "Daring to Lead" study. An easy way to give board members a chance to dip their toes in the waters of donor engagement is staging a thank-a-thon.

The key is to make it easy for board members to participate, and to help them understand that fundraising is much more than making an ask. By inviting your board members to come together one evening or weekend to call and thank recent donors, they will get exposure interacting with donors and will leave feeling empowered and connected to your organization's work. This activity will also help improve relationships with your donors, who will be delighted to receive a thank you call without an attached ask.

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This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Why Millennials are the Perfect Donors

by Liz Braden

In my humble opinion, Millennials bring together all of the aspects of a perfect donor. At Building Tomorrow and in general in my watching of the fundraising world, I have seen Millennials do some amazing things by giving their time, talents, and resources to others and to causes they believe in.

Click here to see three reasons that Millennials are the perfect donors.

Fundraising Tip: How To Bring More Donors To Your Cause

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is convinced that our cause is a worthy one. After all, if our nation is to win the future then STEM-based programs like we have in 45 cities around the nation are a key component. As such, our challenge is getting IT professionals and other African Americans to see what we're all about. How can we attract more eyeballs to our online message?

I think that the following fundraising tip provides some excellent ideas for getting more donors to check out your nonprofit organization (or local BDPA chapter).

Apply for a Google Grant

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Getting new potential supporters into your pipeline is a key concern for any nonprofit — cutting through the clutter and marketing yourself is a key component of bringing new donors to your organization. Google provides many free tools and opportunities to help nonprofits spread the word about their good work: Google Grants for online advertising, expanded YouTube channels, Google Apps software, and premium Google Earth features. And now U.S.-based nonprofits can fill out a simple application to access all of these free services at www.google.com/nonprofits as well as access tips on how to make the most of Google's software, and their new nonprofit marketplace, which lists companies that offer free or discounted services to nonprofits.

At the very least, definitely sign up for a Google Grant (www.google.com/grants). A Google Grant will get you $10,000 per month in free "AdWords" advertising, so people see your link above the other results when they search Google. It's an easy way for you to get more exposure for your cause, which is key to raising more money.

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BETF recently signed up for some of these services -- http://tinyurl.com/BDPA-Google -- and we've asked a volunteer, Diane Hampton (Chicago), to do some research on how we can best leverage these services.  We probably need to take a closer look at the Google Grant opportunity as well.   This is an idea that our CIO, Rudy Duke, may be able to examine after the current transformation of the BETF website is completed later this fall.   

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

Fundraising Tip: Map Donations to Impact

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) spends so much time interacting with the students, volunteers and IT professionals that participate in our programs ... sometimes we take it for granted. One thing that we're learning is that we cannot take for granted the impact that our BDPA programs and services are having on the lives of real people around the country. In fact, we need to do a much better job of documenting the impact we are making if we want to do better in meeting our fundraising goals.

I think that the following fundraising tip may be a helpful reminder to all of us that work with nonprofits that are doing good works.

How to Build Loyal, Happy Donors

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People don't give to you because you have needs; they give to you because you meet needs. Donors and prospects don't want to hear about the woes of the economy or your organizational struggles -- no one wants to join a sinking ship. Instead, they want to know exactly where their donations will go, or have gone, and what impact your work is having on their community and the issues they care about.

Use the power of personal stories to demonstrate how critical and important their support is to your work. Emphasize impact and stories in all of your communications with donors, both in person and in your written materials. Make sure that you send timely thank you notes, reports on progress and success, and ongoing communications to build loyalty and trust with your donors. Start by sending a handwritten note to your best donor today!

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As I'm typing this blog post ... I just made a phone call to the largest individual donor that we have.  He is an IT professional who works for Microsoft.   I thanked him for his donation ... which is coming to us by way of payroll deductions.  I also let him know the results that have already been seen with the young people to whom he directed his giving.   Five of the students he supports with his donation are traveling to Chicago this week to compete in the National BDPA High School Computer Competition Championship.  He appreciated the update.   I wonder if a phone call counts ... or did it have to be a handwritten note?

This tip is inspired by Darian Heyman's new book, 'Nonprofit Management 101: A Complete and Practical Guide for Leaders and Professionals'.

Does this tip seem like one that you might use for your local chapter or nonprofit? If not, do you have a fundraising tip that you would like to share with us?

7 Principles for Building Better Relationships Online

Soulclap to Jocelyn Harmon & Katya Andresen for writing this article and publishing it on the Network For Good Learning Center.

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It's not news that online giving is skyrocketing, but what really thrills us is all the different ways donors can give online now - websites, donation portals, social networks. There are so many options for donors now!

While all of these options are new and exciting, the reasons people give online are not that different from the reasons they give elsewhere. And just like offline, online relationships and the strength of those relationships will ultimately determine your success as a fundraiser.

Here are a few tips to help cultivate those relationships.

1. Be Interesting. Create great content. Think of new ways to tell your great stories, like using video instead of a written testimony. Try to inject humor if it's appropriate. Engage your supporters and create conversations. This should not be a one-way street.

2. Be Interested. In your supporters. Make sure their online experience is easy and built for them. Personalize and segment your communications. Don't send an email about volunteering for an event to a donor who lives in another state. Let them know you care about them and their lives.

3. Be Generous. Focus on what you give your supporters, not on what they give you. Give them the chance to do extraordinary good through your organization. Give them credit for the good that happens. Give them memorable stories about the difference they made.

4. Be Honest. Share both your successes and your failures. Make sure your financial records are easily accessible as well. Transparency should not just be a buzz word.

5. Be Clear. People need to know what to do when they get to your site. Make it easy for them to sign up for a newsletter or donate or contact you. Provide actual contact information and not just a contact form. Have a person outside the organization test your site to see if it's as easy to use as you think it is.

6. Be Brave. Try something new - whether it's a new fundraising campaign or experimenting with mobile giving. Be innovative. Don't be afraid to fail or put yourself out there.

7. Be Grateful. Say "Thank you." A lot. Call, write and email your donors. Find your champions and show them extreme love.

Finally, we want to share a very eye-opening statistic from the Network for Good and TrueSense Marketing Online Giving Study: Repeat giving by donors is 66.7% lower for generic non-branded donation pages than it is for those who have a clearly branded donation page. In other words, they may give once, but they aren't coming back.

When you give donors a sterile commercial transaction as part of the donation process, you take away the feeling that the donor is directly conversing with your organization and making a difference. This will diminish the effect you have on the donor and therefore, the amount you fundraise.

Donors need to feel closely tied to your organization and not feel like a walking ATM. Show who you are in your entire donation process to make the most of and further the relationship you have worked so hard to build.

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Did you find any information in this blog post that you can put into action for your local BDPA chapter or other nonprofit organization?

Matching Gift Statistics

Soulclap to the folks over at FirstGiving for sharing the following statistics on Matching Gift programs around the nation.

• On average one in ten donors is matching gift eligible. 
• Approximately 50% of the Fortune 500 companies have matching gift programs.
• In the 2007 Council for Aid to Education (CAE) survey, 749 institutions reported over $169 million in matching gift dollars.
• LSU received one matching gift check last year for over a million dollars from Exxon-Mobil.
• The American Cancer Society has quadrupled matching gifts in the last three years to over $10 million dollars.
• On average, 4-12% of donors are matching gift eligible and are not identified as such. 
• 13% of companies match at 2 to 1.
• 4,009 companies and subsidiaries match volunteer time.

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) has not aggressively pursued matching gifts in the past.   We will be looking at it much more closely in the weeks to come.

Does your employer have a Matching Gift program?