Hey Reader, let me tell you about Brooke. Nonprofit executive director. Small team. Big mission. And she needed funding for a new program. Goal: $5,000 We sent 2 emails on Giving Tuesday. She raised $7,000 – fully covering the cost of the program with some left over. Huge WIN! I don’t want you to see this and get comparison-itis, Reader. Because we didn’t just send those 2 emails. Brooke was one of my retainer clients for a few years until they hired in-house. We’d spent that entire first...

Does your nonprofit hit the pause button during the summer, Reader? The “summer slowdown” happens across various industries. It’s a time for leaders and staff to relax, go on vacation, or spend time with their families. It’s much deserved. But summer “slowdown” doesn’t mean “stop” when it comes to your nonprofit marketing. Like it or not, we’re in an attention economy. That means the nonprofits that stay top-of-mind during slow times have a greater chance of achieving desired outcomes when...

This week, I was listening to We Are for Good’s most recent podcast episode with Scott Cameron of Sesame Workshop (we’re BIG TIME Sesame Street lovers in our house, so this was a *moment*). The entire episode is heart-warming gold, but Scott said something that made me rethink everything in my approach to nonprofit marketing: Relationships move at the speed of trust. This thought could go in many different directions, but let’s look at it in terms of how you’re currently conducting your email...

I was talking to a nonprofit leader this week, and she said, "Writing newsletters is what I hate most about my job. I'm so tired of filling out updates. I feel like all I do is shove our updates on people." I say this with love: If the only emails you send are stuffed with updates and zero invitations to engage, your subscribers (donors, volunteers, prospects) are probably not interested in engaging with you. And if you don't enjoy writing your emails, that's evident when the email lands in...

What do you put in your email newsletters? This is one of the conversations I have most often with nonprofit leaders. They feel like you either have to stuff multiple updates into a mile-long email or give general updates to all segments of your list. *Yawn* Let me tell you, Reader, you don't have to do either of those things to have your supporters engage with your newsletters. 🤭 Soooo... what do you include in your newsletters? As we consider the components of your newsletter, let's also...

How do you make your supporters feel welcome, Reader? The moment a supporter opts into your email list is the warmest they'll be throughout most of their donor journey. How you greet them (or don't) matters for your mission. I've broken down why an email welcome sequence is one of the most important components of your nonprofit marketing strategy. Read the blog post here! Stay kind, -Amanda Last chance for 25% Kit! I've mentioned this the past couple of weeks, but if you're using Mailchimp...

We'll invest in marketing when we have a few extra dollars. Sound familiar, Reader? Somewhere along the way, there became a narrative within the nonprofit sector that you can't take up space. That nonprofits "don't have" or "don't deserve" the same digital presence as for-profit businesses. That you somehow have to "prove" your worth as an organization before posting or sending or hiring. Throw that BS mindset away. People won't know about your mission unless you tell them. That means taking...

Reader, I have major rainwater run-off issues that started creating foundational problems with my home. After many calls to the water department over the years, my husband and I have been left to our own devices to redirect the rainwater. We've tried many solutions that failed. Or worked at first, then miserably fell apart. So last weekend, my dad helped me create a dry river bed that runs along my driveway, waters the pollinator garden, and trickles down the hill - the runoff's forged path....

Raise your hand if you've ever said something like, "I don't want to add call-to-actions to my emails because I don't want to sound salesy." You know I won't judge you - but I will guide you to a better way to use your CTAs as a relationship builder. While you're probably not selling goods to your supporters, you do need to provide them with a way to immediately support you. That's the entire point of having a nonprofit, right?! That doesn't mean you have to ask for a donation at the end of...