You have built a Facebook page. Now What? 1. Make sure you claim your vanity URL so instead of being www.facebook.com/#!/pages/….and a whole bunch of junk You become www.facebook.com/yourCharityName That looks far cleaner when you publish it. It’s better branding. People searching in Google can find it more easily. It’s easy, so trust me and go do it, ok? 2. Now…get some content up. Like building your network of friends it’s crucial and it’s easy. You won’t get it done in a day, but if you make a habit of it, the content will grow to a good size sooner than you think. 30 minutes a day....

“If you build it they will come” is pretty much hogwash on the internet front. “Just build it” and you have about as much chance of developing a significant following as if you built a store in the middle of a forest and told nobody. Much like you have to work hard to drive people to your web site, by including links to relevant pieces in all your communications, including print media, you need to work to build a basic fan Page with a good following. That’s right – you need to work at it. Hard. Though yesterday I wrote that Facebook could be the best non-profit...

Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, Foursquare, Web Pages, Email Marketing. The list of ways to engage people on the internet is practically endless and if you try to keep up with all the latest trends you’ll have no time for anything else. You need to focus and pick your areas for engaging people on the web. Which will it be and what is the best way to invest in social media and other forms of web communications? If I could pick only one single way to connect with young donors on the web it would be through Facebook. Specifically a Facebook Page. By young I actually mean far older than you think too....

Today I’d like to strongly encourage you to go and sign up for a commercial email marketing service. It sounds like a nasty fill someone’s inbox with SPAM service, but it is anything but that. It is an essential tool to efficiently communicate with your supporters. Perhaps we should call it “permission-based email system” because you only include those folks who have already given you permission to stay in touch – and there are easy ways for them to opt out on their own. Whether you are a small group with tens or hundreds of supporters, or if you are one with thousands or even...

It’s not all about asking people for gifts. In fact, it should be about saying thank you more than asking. Fundraising is about building relationships and not engaging in transactions. The one best thing that you can do today is pick up the phone and say thank you to one of your donors. When there is no agenda, no ask around the corner, and no need coming up for your organization call someone and let them know how much you appreciate their support and how their gifts are helping. A donor who has made a difference for you deserves more than the momentary joy of writing a cheque – they...

I’m just back from meeting with a small independent school who are starting their first annual fund. They have fewer than 150 on their list of families to appeal to. This was my second meeting with them. The first time we spoke I encouraged them to look at an annual fund to help them achieve their important goals. We talked about the importance of an annual fund and how it can help them meet their needs. Most importantly we talked about being focused and taking on this one small project. No worrying about the perfect brochure, no worrying about how to collect the biggest list of names they ca...