Showing posts tagged nonprofit fundraising
Volunteering and Charitable Giving
I was delighted when a company I admire greatly - WealthEngine - wanted to re-post one of my articles on its own blog, WealthWorks. Click on the link to read the post, which contains both helpful information as well as a personal story underscoring the link between volunteering and giving.
I have been blessed to meet and work with volunteers of all walks of life during my career in the nonprofit sector. The people who inspire me most are donors who not only contribute financially, but who also take the time to work with me side-by-side in the “trenches.”
The article discusses just a few of those wonderful human beings. Be sure to follow the link provided to the original article on my WordPress blog for additional details.
Last but not least, thanks to WealthEngine for its valued partnership on several prior projects! It is a company of great integrity, and truly, a campaign “life saver.”
2013 Advice on Nonprofit Fundraising ~ Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog
My predictions for nonprofit fundraising in 2012 have been reinforced for 2013 and beyond.
Click on the painting, “The Crystal Ball” by John William Waterhouse, to reach my blog post and supportive resources.
I use this lovely 1902 painting on the front page of my blog to illustrate predicting the future.
Best wishes for your fundraising success this year!
WordPress Blog Reflections ….
… and my most-read post to date is, “Baby Boomers and Seniors are Embracing Social Media” (two pages, click on the photograph to reach page one).
As the year draws to a close, I give thanks to my readers - from Texas to Canada, from South Africa to Australia, from the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic to Japan. The site has enjoyed more than 18,000 site visits in just over one year’s time, and it is growing all the time. Thanks to everyone for the many kind comments and suggestions.
And as always, very best wishes for your fundraising success in 2013!
Practical Planned Giving Conference ~ Rosen Shingle Creek Resort
The recent conference hosted by Crescendo Interactive at the lovely Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, Florida was terrific (crescendointeractive.com/). Who have thought one could market planned gifts (gifts made through a Will, estate plan, or other vehicle), to worthy charities using social media! Times have changed.
My humble contribution to the effort may be viewed on SlideShare: slideshare.net/CAppleton/appleton-powerpoint-crescendo-interactive-practical-planned-giving-conference-september-2012.
Carolyn M. Appleton's Nonprofit "App"
Thanks to TheAppBuilder (discovered via IBM), I have created a simple, new “work” app. Click on the link to access it online.
I’ve been receiving comments via my WordPress blog (>14,000 site visits by >80 countries), requesting greater ease of mobile access, and this app helps address that need.
One can download the app icon onto a mobile device by e-mailing yourself the link; opening the e-mail on an iPhone (for example); then following the instructions that should appear automatically.
“This app provides convenient links to my websites and information about a few special projects. Very best wishes for your fundraising success!”
~Carolyn M. Appleton, CFRE
"The probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just."
—
President Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)
On a personal note, I have always liked this quotation. Many times during my nonprofit career I have heard people say, “it can’t be done.”
But then, determined individuals and organizations do get it done.
I like that spirit.
Find more inspiring quotes at brainyquote.com.
Corpus Christi, Texas
I was recruited by a headhunter to move from Dallas to South Texas in late 1999. This Instagram is based upon a photograph taken from my former home on Corpus Christi Bay, looking toward downtown. Corpus Christi is a place of dramatic skies and weather, and while living there eleven years, I formed many warm friendships (I also did some “heavy lifting” in the fundraising department for several nonprofit organizations). Thanks to social media, I still feel like I am close by.
While based in Corpus Christi, I developed a nonprofit fundraising “resources” website to assist area nonprofit executives in their work. The site has since been refined and has found its way to WordPress, and a broader audience.
Click on the photograph to reach Fundraising Resources ~ admittedly, even I use this website because I cannot “bookmark” all those sites, nor recall all their URLs ~ hence, the site serves a dual purpose. I like being able to refer people to it, rather than spending a long time trying to explain each and every reference.
Carolyn On WordPress
Updated: February, 2013
I am retroactively updating this Tumblr, as I celebrate just over a year blogging on WordPress and more than 20,000 site visits from people in more than 116 countries. Thanks, everyone!
Blogging has been one of the most rewarding activities I have ever undertaken. Click on the photograph to reach the site.
I continue to refresh existing articles with new and updated information, so check back often. I do not maintain an RSS feed; “bookmarking” is best.
For a compilation of some of the many kind comments I have received on the blog, see SlideShare.
Thanks for the 2011 “NTENny” Award
I was honored to receive an award in 2011 for my enthusiastic membership recruitment efforts for, NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network (nten.org).
NTEN has been invaluable to helping me navigate the ever-changing “tech” world of nonprofit management, fundraising and communications over the past several years. In fact, NTEN is the reason I began blogging (http://carolynmappleton.wordpress.com), and for that I am truly grateful.
To become an NTEN member, click on the photograph above. It is an investment that will repay you many times over in the months and years ahead. Thank you!
Charity Lotteries
Update:
I published this on October 13, 2011. Between Tumblr and WordPress, where I have also discussed charity lotteries, I have received numerous appreciative e-mails from across the world. I am glad the post has been of interest. I believe the times are such that more work in the lottery arena is warranted.
During an annual international conference hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) a few years ago, I met Jan Wezendonk, Chairman of the Board of Nationaal Fonds Kinderhulp (kinderhulp.nl), a successful nonprofit organization based in the Netherlands that provides assistance to needy children.
During our conversation, Jan told me about one of the ways in which his organization has been funded, via the EU Charity Lottery. You can read an overview about how the lottery works here:
“Charity lotteries raise millions of euros each year for hundreds of NGOs and charitable organisations. Well known organisations as Amnesty, Unicef and WWF, but also local grassroots organisations receive charity lottery funding. In general, this funding is long-term (minimum of five years) and institutional; the benefiting organisations can spend the money as they see fit.”
I have written up comments about the highly successful lottery system of Texas - which has continued to thrive during the economic challenges of the past few years - in my WordPress blog (http://bit.ly/tgfRlN). The article, “Charity Lotteries - A European Success Story,” has generated more comments and inquiries than most all others, a few of which I’ve allowed to appear at the conclusion.
The economy is regaining its vitality, albeit slowly. It seems to me that states might consider bolstering their lottery activities, and in some instances rethinking them entirely.
Well-planned, broad-based solicitations - whereby myriad small donations are solicited and pooled to attain significant fundraising goals (crowdfunding) - have become highly successful during the economic downturn. There may be other avenues one can pursue to have a similar impact on nonprofit charities, including lotteries. Food for thought!
