September 2011

If raising funds online is about technology, then raising funds through direct mail is about paper. Of course, neither is true. Online fundraising, like all forms of fundraising, is a way to form and nurture a relationship between your nonprofit and donors or prospective donors.

Three articles in the Aug 7th edition of The New York Times, both separately and taken together, hammered home the importance of including everyone in the search for solutions, innovation, and excellence … the more inclusion, the better the prospects.

Both nonprofits and small businesses stand to gain a lot from cause marketing. As you know, that’s a partnership between a business and a nonprofit to raise money for the nonprofit and attract new customers or more sales for the business. For big examples, think Project(RED) and its partnerships with clothing manufacturers. Or Home Depot and KaBOOM building playgrounds together.

As I read all the reactions to the president’s speech on the American Jobs Act and think back over what he said, I’m struck by a couple of things:

by Farra Trompeter

This summer, I had the pleasure of learning, teaching, sharing, and absorbing lots of great ideas at Social Media for Nonprofits, a conference series curated by Darian Rodriguez Heyman and Ritu Sharma and sponsored by NTEN. The conference made its New York debut, after passing through San Francisco and Washington, DC, where it similarly drew large crowds of eager nonprofit staffers, enthusiastic consultants, and yes, even a few services.

by Marc Halpert

Recently at a networking luncheon in New York City, when it was my turn in the introductions portion of the agenda, I dubbed myself a “schizo-preneur.” Some eyebrows rose and there were a few chuckles, but the point I was making is that I have two seemingly divergent businesses that I manage to bring together to help my clients.

As the others introduced themselves, there appeared to be other “schizos” like me -- more than a dozen in a room of 45 networking colleagues! I submit that this economy has forced entrepreneurs to open multiple businesses to keep the cash flow pipeline full(er).

So how can you portray yourself best, given your different business interests? How do you show that you can be a valuable business partner?