Philanthropy Front and Center-Atlanta

2012 Digital Giving Index Update from Network for Good

Online giving platform Network for Good just released their Digital Giving Index update for the first quarter of 2012, which includes trends and analysis for $25 million in donations to more than 200,000 charities. This includes donations to Network for Good’s nonprofit customers through their own websites, and to other nonprofits through more than 35 corporate partner websites and Network for Good’s two giving portals, www.NetworkforGood.org and www.SixDegrees.org.

The Digital Giving Index shows information on changes in online giving, breakdown of donation dollars, and average gift size by channel. Giving channels in the study include: individual charity websites, charity portals, social giving (peer-to-peer) websites, and applications. Major takeaways:

Online giving increased across all channels in Q1 of 2012, and total online giving rose 16%.

• Charity Websites donations across generic (doesn’t look like the nonprofit’s website) and branded charity websites saw growth at 12% and 36% respectively.
• Portal Giving grew 3%. This was in line with expectations of modest growth since portal giving usually keeps a steady pace.
• Social giving saw an increase of 20%. This includes giving events (giving challenges and cause marketing campaigns), and personal fundraising campaigns where individuals may ask family or friends to support their favorite charity.

Most charitable giving through the Network for Good platform happens via charity websites, followed by social giving and portal networks.

• Giving through charity websites continues to make up over 60% of total dollars raised in 2012, holding onto the title of most popular giving channel for yet another quarter. It fell only slightly to 65% from 68% over the same period in 2011.
• Social giving in 2012 continues to stay steady around 20%, but is expected to increase since peer-to-peer giving is gaining in popularity.
• Portal giving is remains around 10% — not much of a change from 2011. This number does not take into account the month of December or large scale natural disasters, during which portal giving can reach 25% of giving.

Branded pages still see larger and more frequent donations than their generic counterparts. 

Average gift size grew for both generic and branded donation pages in Q1 of 2012, however average gifts on branded donation pages tend to be around 20% larger than on generic donation pages ($104 v. $82). When charities produce a donation experience for their supporters that reinforce and solidify their brand, their average gifts increase over time.

Gift sizes continue to increase for portal giving, and have increased dramatically for social giving.

The dollar amounts contributed through portal giving increased by $10 (still excluding natural disasters), from $94 in the first quarter of 2011 to $104 in the first quarter of 2012. Witn the exception of natural disaster response, portal giving donations are usually made by donors that want to manage all of their charitable giving in one place.

The average gift size of social giving for Q1 of 2012 grew by 90% since 2011. Social fundraising is characterized by lower dollar gifts, but the size has been gradually growing from just under $40 in Q1 of 2010 to $100 in Q1 of 2012. This shows that event-based personal fundraising is on the rise; family and friend connections are proving to make social giving a viable alternative.

These are just the highlights from the first quarter report, so be sure to check it out for yourself to get the full set of statistics and insights!

Chanell Turner, Program and Social Media Intern, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Network for Good Updates 2011 Digital Giving Index

The online giving platform Network for Good recently released their 2011 Digital Giving Index. In just over 10 years of operation, Network for Good has processed more than $625 million in funds for more than 83,000 charities. Such a wealth of information gives Network for Good a unique perspective on the experience and behaviors of charitable giving across multiple online channels, and their 2011 study examines giving on individual charity websites, charity portals, and social giving (peer-to-peer) websites and applications. The 2011 study includes trends and analysis on $138 million in donations to more than 40,000 charities through the Network for Good platform in 2011.

Online giving continues to rise across all the channels studied, and total online giving rose 17%. From the report:

• Charity Websites saw growth across both generic (doesn't look like the nonprofit's website) and branded donation pages by 5% and 11% respectively from 2010 to 2011
• Portal Giving grew 9%, excluding disaster relief donations. If you factoring in donations for disasters, portal giving grew 15%: "Disaster giving for Japan tsunami relief in March 2011 accounted for a quarter of total 2011 portal giving."
• Social Giving increased by 29%, which makes sense, given that peer-to-peer fundraising is becoming much more common on social networks.

The majority of online donations still happen through charity websites. In 2011, 65% of online donations happened via websites, down 2% from 67% in 2010. This is largely due to an increase in peer-to-peer fundraising, which made up 15% of all online giving in 2010 and 2011. Portal giving still sees a bigger percentage of online giving at 17% for both years, but Network for Good reports that the gap is narrowing. It will be interesting to see how things change for 2012.

Donation pages that look like the rest of your website see more and larger donations than a generic giving page.  Dollars donated through charity websites increased 10% over 2010, but growth was higher for branded donation pages: "In 2011, Network for Good saw a 4% increase in average gift size for charities with a branded donation page, versus a 2% increase for those with a generic donate page." Here's the real kicker: "Further, an average charity with a branded donation page received 5 times more donations and raised an average of almost $15,000 more than an average charity with a generic donate page raised in 2011. The impact of a branded donation page can increase to 6 or 7 times during year-end peak fundraising season."

End-of-year fundraising is huge, both in terms of gift size and total percentage of donations. Your giving website becomes even more important during this time. In the fourth quarter of 2011, average gift sizes on charity websites grew from a little over $100 for the year to $174 for generic giving pages and $203 for branded giving pages. Giving through websites also increases: 71% of online donations happened through nonprofits' website (as opposed to 65% for the whole year), up from 67% in 2010. December is an especially key month: "Roughly one-third of annual giving through the Network for Good giving system  occurs in the month of December alone; and in 2011, over 10% of donation dollars came in on the last three days of the year." 13% more dollars were donated in December 2011 over December 2010.

Since these are just a few highlights, be sure to check out the full report from Network for Good for all the charts and numbers. Download the report»

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Preparing Your Nonprofit for the New Frontiers of Philanthropy

Last week, the Georgia Center for Nonprofits and Bank of America hosted a special program featuring Bill Burckart, Special Initiatives Manager for the Center for Civil Society Studies at the Johns Hopkins Institute for Policy Studies. The Center's New Frontiers of Philanthropy Project is examining the proliferation of new tools and actors on the frontiers of traditional philanthropy that are ushering in a new phase of social purpose finance. Burckart discussed many of these emerging trends and their significance for nonprofit leaders and other social innovators. Read GCN's recap of the event here.


Following Burckart's keynote, representatives from several area organizations added their thoughts on the practical implications of social investing for Georgia's nonprofits. While not a traditional source of funding for nonprofits, loans and social investments are the major source of funding for most for-profit social enterprises and are even now being offered to nonprofits by some grantmakers, such as the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta. The field is expected to expand greatly in the next ten years, with an estimated infusion of $500 million to $1 trillion in social investment capital entering the market. What should nonprofit leaders be doing now to prepare their organizations to take advantage of these new forms of philanthropy?

1. Prepare a cash flow assessment. Social investors providing loans or other capital may be motivated by social benefit, but they still require a return on their investment. If your organization is considering these types of funding, you must show that you will be able to repay the investment within the required timeframe and on the funder's terms. Some guides from our collection to help you get started:

Finance Arts Guide to Nonprofit Cash Flow: A Guide for You and Your Nonprofit Organization, by David Gray (Princeton, NJ: Finance Arts, 2010).

The Cash Flow Solution: A Nonprofit Board Member's Guide to Financial Success, by Richard Linzer and Anna Linzer (San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, 2007).

Cash Flow Strategies: Innovation in Nonprofit Financial Management by Richard Linzer and Anna Linzer (San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

The Cash Flow Management Book for Nonprofits: A Step-by-Step Guide for Managers, Consultants, and Boards, by Murray Dropkin and Allyson Hayden (San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers, 2001).
 
2. Develop a strong business plan for your programs or earned income ventures. In addition to cash flow, investors want to see your plans for initiating and sustaining any new venture. Before seeking funds, it's important to identify potential competitors or collaborators, sources of revenue or contributions, and organizational strengths and weaknesses. Get help developing your business plan with these resources:

The One Page Business Plan for Non-Profit Organizations: The Fastest, Easiest Way to Write a Business Plan, by Jim Horan (Berkeley, CA: One Page Business Plan Company, 2007).

Business Planning for Enduring Social Impact: A Social-Entrepreneurial Approach to Solving Social Problems, by Andrew Wolk and Kelley Kreitz (Cambridge, MA: Root Cause, 2008).

The Business Plan that Got Funding: A Complete Model for a Nonprofit (or Profit) Organization, by Melissa M. Montalvo and Karym V. Urdaneta (Miami, FL: Global Resource Cycle, 2010).

Nonprofit Business Plan Development: From Vision, Mission and Values to Implementation, by Terri Theisen (Atlanta, GA: Healthcare Georgia Foundation, 2008).

3. Be able to measure and effectively communicate impact. Your organization's impact in the community is your primary return on investment. To attract social investors, a nonprofit will need to show a history of progam effectiveness through evaluation and outcomes measurement. The efficacy of your programs is the key indicator of success for most social investors. Our recommendations for books to help you form an evaluation plan:

Mission Impact: Breakthrough Strategies for Nonprofits, by Robert M. Sheehan (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2010).

The Nonprofit Outcomes Toolbox: A Complete Guide to Program Effectiveness, Performance Measurement, and Results, by Robert Mark Penna (Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, 2011).

Finally - Outcome Measurement Strategies Anyone Can Understand (2nd ed.), by Laurel A. Molloy (New York, NY: Innovations Quantified, 2010).

Building A Performance Measurement System: Using Data to Accelerate Social Impact, by Andrew Wolk, Anand Dholakia, and Kelley Kreitz (Cambridge, MA: Root Cause, 2009).

Remember to search for additional resources online in our Knowledge Base or search our library collections in the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.

Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Have You Jumped Into Mobile Activism Yet?

Join our live chat discussion and help us celebrate the launch of GrantSpace Mobile! We'll discuss new ways to move your audience to act through wireless devices – marketing techniques, ideas for outreach, as well as a conversation about the growing trend of mobile activism, such as text campaigns, updates from the field, and volunteer alerts. We will devote most of the hour to your questions!

This free, live chat will take place this Thursday, March 8, from 12:00-1:00pm ET. Our panelist will be Ken Banks, founder of kiwanja.net and FrontlineSMS. Ken is widely considered a thought leader in the application of mobile technology for social good. Ken devotes himself to the application of technology for social and environmental change in the developing world and has spent the last 19 years working on projects in Africa.

Register now and join us here on March 8 for the actual discussion. 

See you there!

Local Update: Enterprise for Good Happy Hour, Leadership Summit, & Marketing Boot Camp

It's our first Local Update of the new year and I'm excited to let you know about some great happenings! The Atlanta chapter of the American Marketing Assocation is holding a Nonprofit Marketing Boot Camp (and they're offing one scholarship for a local nonprofit participant), YNPN Atlanta and ATLANTA+acumen are teaming up for a social entrepreneurship happy hour, and the InwardBound Center for Nonprofit Leadership is holding a leadership summit. If that's not a great way to kick off 2012, I don't know what is.

Here are the details:

Enterprise for Good Happy Hour, with YNPN Atlanta and ATLANTA+acumen

Tuesday, January 24, 6:00-8:00pm

Want to learn how "doing well while doing good" works in the real world? We've invited local and global social entrepreneurs, impact investors, and sustainability professionals to share their inspiring stories and innovative program models with you. Come and have your questions answered!

Special Guests:

• Jason Dominy, Wholesale Coffee Support and Outreach, Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters
• Kristen Hard, Founder and Chocolatier, Cacao
• Jeff Shinabarger, Founder, Plywood People
• Margaret Yuan, Social Venture Capital Group, Gray Ghost Ventures

Program
6pm-7:45pm: Q&A with special guests and Enterprise for Good social
7:45pm: Door prize winners announced
8pm: TAP hosts Tuesday night trivia for those who care to stay and participate!

Location:
TAP Gastropub
1180 Peachtree Street NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30309

Tap offers complimentary valet parking.

This event is FREE and open to all. Attendees are responsible for their own food and drink. Also. attendees who RSVP will be eligible for door prize drawings! See you there!

Nonprofit Leadership Summit, InwardBound Center for Nonprofit Leadership
Wednesday, January 25, 8:00-2:00pm

Team coaching can shift a leadership team and their organization to create new ways to increase productivity and regain high morale, trust and respect. In the past year, the InwardBound Center worked intensively with three nonprofit leadership teams, resulting in case studies that will be revealed in detail at their January 25 Nonprofit Leadership Summit. Discover how the leadership teams at CARE, St.Vincent de Paul, and Literacy Action changed the way they work together; hear keynote speaker Sam Bracken, founder of The Orange Duffel Bag Foundation, tell his story; and enjoy breakout sessions in the afternoon.

Where:
The Loudermilk Center
40 Courtland Street, NE
404-507-1690
Atlanta, GA

Cost: $50 for nonprofit staff, $75 for others.

Additionally, The Inward Bound Center will be awarding technical assistance in 2012 to two organizations for their own 6-Month Leadership Coaching Engagement. Come to the Nonprofit Leadership Summit on Jan. 25th to prepare for the 2012 Request for Proposals, which will be issued after the Summit.

Nonprofit Marketing Boot Camp, AMA Atlanta
Tuesday, January 31, 8:00am-5:00pm and Wednesday, February 1, 8:00am-12:00pm

In today's challenging economic climate, every nonprofit needs an organization-wide commitment to a comprehensive marketing strategy so it will stand out among the growing number of nonprofits competing for funding, programs and volunteers. Nonprofit leaders will gain the tools needed to create and enhance an organization's marketing strategy. Instructor: Sybil Stershic, President, Quality Service Marketing. Get more information>>

Where:
Georgia Tech Global Learning Center
84 Fifth St. NW
Atlanta, GA 30308

Cost: AMA Members $600, Non-members $860

As part of the boot camp AMA will be giving one scholarship to a local nonprofit participant! To enter, send an email to bootcamp@formomentum.com with name, title, organization and an essay up to 100 words on how you and your organization would benefit from attending the Boot Camp. Entries must be received between January 4 and January 20 to qualify.

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

11 Top Blog Posts of 2011

With just 3 days until the new year, I wanted to take a moment (or rather, a blog post!) to reflect on some of the awesome content that we were able to bring you this year, and to thank our spectacular guest contributors for providing such valuable information. The hard work of our staff and the generosity of our guest bloggers enabled us to produce content that boosted our blog views by over 50% for the year and garnered lots of RTs on Twitter and Likes on our Facebook page.

This list is based partially on pageviews, but also on comments and reactions that we got from our readers. I can say confidently that this list represents some of the best posts our blog has to offer, with great information and food for thought for nonprofits, consultants, volunteers, board members, and foundations. Without further ado:

1. Write Your Own Marketing Plan (12-part series)
Susan Burnash, Purple Duck Marketing

Over three months of work on the part of our January/February Expert in Residence, Susan Burnash, produced this masterwork: a series of posts that walks you through writing your own marketing plan, from how to write the executive summary to how to analyze the results of your plan at the end of year.

2. 8 Ways Your Board Can Help Fundraise Without Asking for Money
Amy Eisenstein, Tri Point Fundraising

From the author of 50 Asks in 50 Weeks comes eight simple ways your board members can get involved with fundraising without ever asking for money, including thanking donors, making introductions, and helping you spread the word. This was far and away our most popular single post of 2011.

3. Sustainability: It Requires More than Money, Part 1; Part 2; and Part 3
Kevin Monroe, X Factor Consulting

 July Expert in Residence Kevin Monroe introduces the three Rs of sustainability (results, relationships, and resources), and talks about how your organization can harness each one to keep programs running without a funding hitch. 

4. To Know Them Is To Love Them: Social Media and Fundraising Research
Gordon Jay Frost, FundraisingInfo.com

A great read from Jay Frost that highlights the importance of using social media to get deeper insights into the giving preferences of potential major donors.

5. 12 Ways to Put Social Media to Work for Your Nonprofit 
Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

A follow-up to the class offered by Jay Frost in June, this post summarizes some of the great tips given by Jay to give your organization's presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter a quick boost.

6. 10 Questions for Your 2011 Year-End Review
Kelly Hill, Nexus Research Group

Kelly Hill offers 10 questions to help organizations assess their performance over the course of the year. Even if your organization isn't don't formal performance evaluation, these questions provide a great starting place for reflection and planning going into 2012.

7. Blogs for Arts Nonprofits
Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

The arts nonprofit version of the 50 Best Blogs for Nonprofit Leaders leaders list, highlighting blogs that ask the tough questions and provide great information for arts organizations, with great suggestions from Atlanta PlanIt, C4 Atlanta, David Zoltan, and Jason Parker of Art Relish.

8. Are You Making a Difference? 
Kelly Hill, Nexus Research Group

Four questions from Kelly Hill to help you determine your organization’s commitment to real internal assessment. Each question comes with an explanation of terms and ideas central to assessment, and examples to help smaller nonprofits get started.

9. Growing Your Nonprofit Consulting Business 
Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Whether you're exploring your career options or looking for ways to expand your exising consulting business, this is a great list of resources and considerations for those interested in nonprofit consulting.

10. Beyond the Experts: Where Can I Find Sample Nonprofit Business Plans?
Stephen Sherman, Reference Librarian, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Building on the information from Chataun Denis, our August Expert in Residence, Stephen provides resources to help you get samples of nonprofit business plans. Given the popularity of the topic here at the Foundation Center, it's no surprise that this was also one of our top blog posts of the year.

11. How to Answer Your Call to Charity Without Starting a Nonprofit
Rachel Spears, Executive Director, Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta

Rachel provides an absolute must-read for anyone who is thinking about starting a nonprofit organization. She makes the vital point that while many people want to do good for their communities, starting a brand-new organization may not be the best way for everyone.

 

That's it for 2011! We look forward to bringing you another great lineup of topics and guest bloggers in 2012, but if there's a specific topic that you'd like to see us (or one of our guests) address, please leave your thoughts in the comments; we'd love to hear from you.

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

12 Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Facebook Page in 2012

Feeling less-than-enthusiastic about your Facebook page lately? Starting to look at that empty status box with dread? Maybe you're running a little low on good content, or feeling you're not keeping your fans' interest enough, and not sure how to get your groove back?

We've got just what you need. Yesterday at the Foundation Center, we were fortunate enough to have Jenny Schmitt, Senior Spark and First Employee at CloudSpark present Social Media 101: Facebook for Nonprofit Professionals. She brought a ton of great advice and ideas for starting and growing your organization's Facebook page, and we've distilled them into 12 tips that you can use to make 2012 a banner year for your Facebook page:

1. Have a purpose for being on Facebook and give people a reason to engage with you. There is a lot of activity happening on Facebook every second. Think about it: the average Facebook user has 130 friends, and will join 80 community pages, groups or events. That means that when the average user looks at their feed, there are a lot of different status updates, pictures, videos, and links all vying for his or her attention (55% of Facebook’s users are female).  Not everyone is going to see your status updates, but it’s important that if they do, you’re giving them a reason to tune in. (More on how to do that below).

2. Don’t set up your entire social media presence on one network, especially Facebook. They can pull your page or change the terms of services and you can lose the page and access to the community that you have been working so hard to build.

3. Include your organization’s website somewhere in your profile picture. This is a great way to drive traffic to your website.

4. Keep conversation on your wall casual. This isn’t a business conversation. Make it as easy as possible for people to engage with you by making your language accessible and talking the way people talk. Don’t be stuffy. Facebook is a good place for your organization to loosen up.

5. Think about your Facebook page like your front porch. You need people to get to the porch so they can go into the rest of your house (your website) for more serious conversation. To get them to your Facebook page from their newsfeed, make sure that you always have a call to action in your post. Asking questions, polls, and great multimedia content encourages people to explore. Tagging people in your posts helps as well.

6. Pay attention to Facebook Insights! One of the best features of having a Page is the built-in analytics that come with it. See how many people are talking about you (comments and shares), how much reach you’re getting (how many people you’re reaching on their newsfeeds), and how many Likes your posts are getting. Think critically about what you’re posting and whether or not it’s getting people’s attention. If your content is falling flat, it’s time to change things up.

7. Have conversations with your fans! Don’t leave them feeling like no one is listening. Reply to their comments. One tip that Jenny mentioned: when you reply, use their names. Studies show that people like to hear their own names; they feel like you’re talking directly to them.

8. Encourage people to contribute their own content on your page. The best communities will create content alongside you, but as Jenny pointed out, “you need to prime the pump.” This doesn’t happen automatically, you need to invite people and provide lots of encouragement.

9. Facebook provides lots of options for building your community: use them. Questions lets you poll your fans, so don’t be afraid to ask the hard questions. You want to get people talking and getting passionate about the conversation. In your statuses, ask True/False questions and propose This-or-That scenarios (would you rather a donor give a big gift with lots of strings attached, or a smaller gift that you could spend on whatever you want?). Post links and visuals (everyone loves kittens!), and maybe even record messages--updates from the ED, anyone?

10. Make fans the center of your Page. Jenny suggested having “featured fans” on your page, where each week you feature a different fan in your profile picture (you can combine their pic underneath your logo). It’s an easy step that shows appreciation and says “I am making you part of our community.” It’s also good for spreading the word. That fan is going to tell all her friends and family to check out your page to see her picture.

11. Consistency and good content is key. Post AT LEAST once a day so that you’re keeping your organization in your fans’ minds (best times to post: Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday in the early morning, early evening, and late night). With that in mind, it can be hard to keep coming back day after day with content that will get people’s attention, especially if you’re not planning ahead. That’s why it’s hugely important to keep a content calendar. Think ahead to holidays, programs and events that your organization is holding, and tie your content to them. People want relevant, timely information.

12. Above all, focus on the solution!  When talking about yourself and the work that you do (as an organization), always remember that people want to focus more on the solution than the problem, so don’t focus on how big and daunting and depressing the problem is.  Be frank about the problem, but show how your organization is contributing to the solution. This message will resonate more with your fans (and be better for fundraising later!)

Facebook is a great way to build a community of advocates and supporters for your organization, and with the right mix of personal, professional, and conversational content, you'll be well on your way. May these tips help you make your pages awesome for the new year!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Don’t Be a Spammer! Lessons from an Email Service Provider

Tuesday, I had the privelege of attending a great brown bag lunch presented by the Young Nonprofit Professionals of Atlanta featuring Jes Fern, who serves as mentor to the compliance department at MailChimp, an Atlanta-based email service provider. You can find dozens, probably hundreds, of classes and workshops and webinars and blog posts about how to do email marketing for your nonprofit, but what made this particular program unique was Jes's great perspective: working in the compliance department, Jes knows everything there is to know about proper email etiquette and how to stay on the right side of the law.

My biggest takeaway from the event? It's really, really easy to be a spammer. Your organization may be spamming its mailing list regularly, and you may not even be aware. Nonprofit marketers, development officers, and directors need to be savvy about their mailing, because the consequences of getting labeled as a spammer can really damage your organization's longterm ability to get the word out.

So what is spam? The definition is broader than you think: Jes defined it as ANY unsolicited bulk email. If the recipient has not granted permission for the mail to be sent, it is considered spam. What this means for organizations is that you should not be adding people will-nilly to your email list. Those people who signed up for a giveaway at the last conference you attended? Nope, unless you specified that they were signing up for your mailing list. What about that group that visited your offices for a tour? Also nope. Even if you get a list of important people from your executive director or even the board, you should not put these addresses right on your mailing list.

The best rule is to refrain from adding anyone to your email list that did not very explicitly opt-in to join the list. Also, as an organization, it's important to keep proof of these opt-ins in case there's ever a dispute. Legitimate email service providers require at least a single opt-in, and prefer double opt-in, meaning that the individuals signed up for the mailing list and then confirmed that they wanted to receive mail.  Double opt-in systems have the added effect of ensuring that the people who are getting your mail really want to hear from you, giving you a more engaged, effective list over time. You can also add people to your mailing list who have written your organization to request it, and who have purchased a product or made a donation.

These may seem like stringent requirements, considering all the spam piling up in people's inboxes daily, but remember: your mailing list is a really powerful tool, and therefore you should protect it and make sure it is as effective as possible. Poor email practices can have some pretty ugly consequences. Among the penalties that Jes listed:

• Your email service provider can drop your organization for violating spamming laws and terms of service.
• Other email service providers (ESPs) and internet service providers (ISPs) will blacklist your IP address, meaning that if they see mail coming from your address they will automatically block you from reaching the intended recipients.
• You can pay some serious fines. According to the Bureau of Consumer Protection, "each separate email in violation of the CAN-SPAM Act is subject to penalties of up to $16,000." That can add up quickly.

These penalties come as a result of people hitting the "spam" button in their inboxes (which actually does do something besides delete the email!), and from making complaints to your ESP/ISP or even to the government if the problem gets bad enough. Opt-in signup systems go a long way toward preventing these issues, but the content of your email is important too: if your email looks spammy or your recipients don't recognize who the sender is, they might mark it as spam without even opening it--after all, there are only so many hours in a day. Spammy emails might also get caught in your recipients' spam filters. Some tips from Jes to help you avoid these issues:

• Always send from the email address and name that your audience is most likely to recognize.
• Spam filters have a scoring system, in which a given email gets points for spammy aspects. Too high a score results in getting dumped into the Spam folder. Points come from the header, subject line, content, and who the email is being sent to.
• Be careful with your subject line: it needs to match the content of the email and should not be misleading.

For more about how spam filters think and what constitutes a "spammy"-looking email, check out How Spam Filters Think from MailChimp. Being conscious of how your emails appear to your recipients can go a long way toward making your email campaigns more effective and toward avoiding any compliance issues.

Throughout the presentation, Jes advocated for well-thought-out, responsible email processes and a tight, highly engaged mailing list. To achieve that, she suggested pruning your mailing list every 5-6 months to remove people who are disengaged (i.e. not opening any of your mail). That seemed a little counterintuitive to me--after all, don't you want to reach the most people possible? But she countered by saying that at MailChimp, they've found that email addresses expire in 6-12 months and permission expires in as little as three. People can disengage quickly, and the goal should be to reach people who aren't just going to open your emails, they're going to read them and act on them to support your organization. At the end of the day, isn't that what we all want?

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Local Update: Holiday Opportunities, Brown Bag with YNPN + Financial Management Class

Welcome back! Nothing like starting off the week after Thanksgiving with a rainy morning, right? We've got some great opportunities and events coming up that will brighten your week! In this edition of Local Update: two holiday giveaways (a technology makeover from Toshiba and a free hour of consulting from some great nonprofit pros), a brown bag lunch about Mailchimp with YNPN Atlanta, and a Financial Management Class this Saturday. Sound good? Here are the details:

Opportunity: Toshiba Technology Makeover Video Contest
Deadline to submit a video: January 7. Winners will be announced February 20.

via the Chronicle of Philanthropy:

This holiday season, Toshiba is giving away a $100,000 technology makeover to one U.S. nonprofit and smaller prizes (worth $28,500) to four other charities through their Helping the Helpers program. To enter, nonprofits need to Like Toshiba's Facebook page, Toshiba for Good, and submit a 2-minute video explaining "how your nonprofit can benefit from a Toshiba Technology Makeover, replacing your current equipment with leading-edge innovations that will make your lives, and the lives of those you serve, better."

Videos need to be submitted by January 7. Toshiba will nominate finalists in the week following, and then their Facebook fans will vote for their favorite videos from January 20-February 17. Winners will be selected on February 20. Be sure to check out the contest rules (especially section 6) so you know what criteria the contest judges will be using to determine finalists.

This sounds like a great opportunity for a small-to-medium-sized nonprofit. Please let us know if you decide to enter--we'd love to hear about your efforts. Best of luck!

Opportunity: Free Hour of Consulting Giveaway
Deadline: Thursday, December 1, 11:59pm EST

via Fundraisin is Fun:

Ephraim Gopin (@fundraisinisfun on Twitter) has joined with three nonprofit consultants- Beth Ann Locke, Ligia Pena and Amy Sept to donating their time to your nonprofit as a gift for the holidays! In the Comments section on Ephraim's blog post about the contest, leave:

1. Your name
2. Your email address
3. Your organization’s name
4. 1-3 sentences describing what “present” you wish your organization would receive during the holidays.

The group will choose three nonprofits and offer them an hour of professional consulting in any of the following areas: communications, website, social media, and fundraising. Winners will be announced and contacted by Sunday, December 4. Check it out>>

Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of Atlanta: MailChimp Brown Bag Lunch
Tuesday, November 29
12:00-1:30pm

via YNPN Atlanta's Facebook Page:

Join YNPN Atlanta for a brown bag lunch at the Alliance Theatre where Jes Fern, the mentor to the compliance department at MailChimp, will review best practices for nonprofits when it comes to email marketing, particularly focusing on list management. She’ll also touch on ways that email marketing can help nonprofits and some thoughts around year-end fundraising efforts through email marketing (very timely as we approach the end of the tax year).

12:00-12:15: Meet and Mingle
12:15-1:00: Presentation
1:00-1:30: Q&A

Make sure to bring your lunch and your business cards with you! Once you arrive at the Woodruff Arts Center, please proceed to the fourth floor to the Alliance Theatre's administrative offices - we will meet in their conference room. If you get lost, call Lindsey Hardegree at 336-391-4956.

Please RSVP to programs@ynpnatlanta.org as there is only room for 25 people.

Parking: There is a parking deck at the Woodruff Arts Center, though you might find less expensive parking off of West Peachtree Street near 15th St.

MARTA: The Arts Center MARTA Station (N5) is located directly behind the Woodruff Arts Center. Take either the North or South Rail line to Arts Center Station (N5) and follow the signs to the Woodruff Arts Center.

Understanding Nonprofit Financial Management
Saturday, December 3
10:00am-3:00pm

via Ramona Baptiste, CPA:

This Saturday, RCB Consulting Group will be holding a day-long workshop for those involved with nonprofits (in any capacity) who want to get a better understanding of nonprofit finance. Topics covered include accounting systems, board financial responsibilities, audit requirements and readiness, budgeting and cashflow, and financial reporting, among others.

Early bird registration ends TODAY (11/28), and costs $50
After November 28, the program will cost $75
A working lunch will be served.

Where:
Carrie Steele-Pitts Home, Inc.
Ollivette S. Allison Life Learning Center
667 Fairburn Road NW
Atlanta, GA 30331

To register, visit RCB Consulting Group's website>>

That's all for now! If you know of opportunities or have an event coming up in the next few months that you'd like to add to one of our future Local Updates, please don't hesitate to email me at emk@foundationcenter.org. Have a great week!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta

Giving Thanks

It's just two days before Thanksgiving and we have a lot to be thankful for here at the Foundation Center-Atlanta!

We have a fantastic advisory board, an incredibly supportive group of foundations who believe in the work that we do, and a talented and generous group of consultants, professionals, and experts who bring their knowledge to our training room each month and allow us to offer great programming. We are able to offer great resources thanks to the hard work of our staff both here and at our main office in New York, we have a lovely group of friends and followers on social media, and we have an inspiring community of nonprofit professionals and individuals who come into our resource center each day with innovative and exciting plans for how they're going to change our community, our region, and the world. Thank you!

In the spirit of giving thanks, I wanted to give back with some helpful resources that your organization can use to thank the people and institutions that make your nonprofit's work possible: board members, donors, clients, your community.

Hold a Thank-a-Thon
In one of our recent classes, Top 10 Fundraising Tips, presenter Darian Heyman, MC for the Social Media for Nonprofits conference series and editor of Nonprofit Management 101, recommended holding a Thank-a-Thon with your board members. The premise is simple: get your board together one afternoon with a list of your organization's donors from this year, divide the list among your board members, and start making calls! The call should simply be to say thanks. There's no ask, just an expression of appreciation. As Darian put it, "How often do you get a call from a nonprofit just to say thanks?" Thanking donors is important for building better relationships, and it's a great way to get your board involved in fundraising in a friendly way.

Show Your Good Work
As Benevon's Terry Axelrod puts it in this great guest post, "Donors want to see what their gifts allowed you to accomplish -- specific facts and stories of how they changed the lives of real people." (The same is true of your board and funders) So show them! This could be as simple as telling the story of one of your organizations's beneficiaries, creating an awesome dashboard to show what you've accomplished, or even making a thank-you video. DonorsChoose does an awesome job of thanking their donors: if you contribute to a classroom project posted on their website, you'll get letters and pictures back from the kids and teachers who you helped! That brings me to my last suggestion:

Be Personal With Your Thank-You Letters!
While IRS regulations require nonprofits to send a "gift-acknowledgement" for all gifts over $250, all donors expect (and should receive) thank you letters! Here's some great advice from the National Council of Nonprofits:

Being prompt and making the message as personal as possible is most effective, especially when followed up by a report or personal message describing the difference the donor’s gift has made. It’s helpful to have a template ready to send out that can be customized as needed when donations arrive.

Personalization is a great touch. Notes from the Executive Director or board, letters from beneficiaries (as with DonorsChoose), newspaper clippings, postcards, even newsletters are fair game. Your organization shouldn't need to spend lots of money on fancy thank-you notes (and that kind of defeats the purpose anyway, doesn't it?) -- creativity goes a long way, and donors will appreciate the effort.

More resources for giving thanks:

IRS Publication 1771: Charitable Contributions Substantiation and Disclosure Requirements (PDF)

Acknowledging Gifts and Contributions | National Council of Nonprofits

How to Thank Your Donors | About.com

GrantSpace Knowledge Base Article: What information should be in a gift acknowledgement letter? Where can I find samples?

How hopeFound says ‘Thank You’ (And how they can help you say thank you too) | Pamela Grow's Blog

I hope these resources are helpful, and give you some ideas for thanking your supporters. May you all have a happy Thanksgiving surrounded by family and friends!

Elyse Klova, Program Associate, Foundation Center-Atlanta