All posts by Tony Martignetti

Nonprofit Radio for September 21, 2012: Abbondanza Alliances & Claire’s Cliches

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

Listen live or archive:

Tony’s Guests:

Rosanna Imbriano
Rosanna Imbriano: Abbondanza Alliances

Rosanna Imbriano–a true Italian–and principal of RI Consulting, encourages you to secure strategic alliances that expand your marketing and save your marketing budget–because they cost you nothing.

This segment with Rosanna has a survey. Please take a moment to answer three quick questions. You’ll find it below. Thank you! If you could also share it with other nonprofit professionals, I would appreciate it.
 

Claire Meyerhoff
Claire Meyerhoff: Claire’s Cliches

Claire Meyerhoff returns. She’s principal of The Planned Giving Agency and creative producer of Nonprofit Radio. This week she’s got cliches aplenty for you to avoid and simpler words to replace them with. The show’s Jargon Jail is sure to suffer overcrowding.

 
 

Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world’s leading questionnaire tool.

Here is a link to the survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ZK698ZR


Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

If you have big dreams but an average budget, tune in to Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio.

I interview the best in the business on every topic from board relations, fundraising, social media and compliance, to technology, accounting, volunteer management, finance, marketing and beyond. Always with you in mind.

When and where: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern

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Here is the audio podcast link to this episode: 110: Abbondanza Alliances and Claires Cliches. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get it automatically.
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7 Tips for Small-Shop Planned Giving

Claire turning the tables and interviewing me at last year’s National Conference on Philanthropic Planning!
These ideas come from my interview of Claire Meyerhoff, principal of The Planned Giving Agency, who turned the tables and interviewed me. It played on last week’s Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio and it’s embedded below.

Here’s the executive summary:

 1. You don’t have to be big to do Planned Giving. Dismiss the idea that only big charities with lots of expertise can have a Planned Giving program. It’s not true.

If you’ve been around for at least 5 years and have individual donors over age 60, you’re ready.

 2. Make your message about the donor. Keep your copy free of fundraiser jargon. Here’s your test: would your dad and grandmother get it?

 3. Start simple. Bequests in a will and naming your charity as a beneficiary on life insurance, IRAs and pension plans are easy to promote and easy for your donors to execute. No expertise required.

 4. Say “Thank you.” When you learn of a gift, don’t let your first thank you be the last. A small recognition society is an ideal way to keep donors engaged and regularly express gratitude. You do this for donors who make outright gifts. Your deferred gift donors deserve the same.
 
Give your society a name that’s unique to your organization. Avoid “legacy circle” and “heritage society.” They’re ubiquitous.

 5. Talk about something new. Inaugurating your Planned Giving program is newsworthy. Creating your recognition society is newsworthy. The mere fact of your existence and hard work isn’t enough to get attention. What’s new?!

 6. Ask. If you’re not asking for gifts, you’re leaving money on the table. If planned gifts come in without asking, you’ll get even more when you start asking.

 7. Talk about the impact. Tell us what a bequest will do for your charity. Provide food or clean water? Rescue a cat? Save lives by investigating human rights abuses?

There’s a lot more on this subject in my series for GuideStar, “Make 2010 The Year YOU Start Planned Giving.” It remains timely in 2012.

Here’s the video of my interview with Claire.

Nonprofit Radio for September 14, 2012: Small Shop Planned Giving & Events Technology

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

Listen live or archive:

Tony’s Guests:

Claire Meyerhoff
Claire Meyerhoff: Small Shop Planned Giving

Claire Meyerhoff is principal of The Planned Giving Agency. We talk about marketing gift planning in ways that are not same-old-same-old for small- and mid-size charities. Claire turns the tables and interviews me at last year’s National Conference on Philanthropic Planning.

 
 

Scott Koegler
Scott Koegler: Events Technology

Scott Koegler returns to help you with event planning. Use free tools to collaborate with the volunteers, employees and vendors who are putting your events together. Scott is the editor of Nonprofit Technology News and our tech contributor.

 
 


Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

If you have big dreams but an average budget, tune in to Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio.

I interview the best in the business on every topic from board relations, fundraising, social media and compliance, to technology, accounting, volunteer management, finance, marketing and beyond. Always with you in mind.

When and where: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern

Sign-up for show alerts!

Here is a link to the audio podcast of this episode: 109: Small Shop Planned Giving & Events Technology. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get it automatically.
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A Smart CRM Survey

A free and valuable comparative survey of software for nonprofits was introduced to me by Maria Semple on Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio when she and I were talking about constituent relationship management (CRM) and its importance for prospect research.

Our segment together was “See The Right CRM System.”

My listeners know Maria. She’s “The Prospect Finder,” a smart and incredibly resourceful prospect research consultant–and a monthly contributor to my show. (If you don’t have in-house research, or your research staff is stretched, you should talk to Maria.)

On the August 10 show, she explained why you need to have the right software managing relationships with your employees, those you serve, donors, volunteers, vendors, community supporters, related charities in your community and all your other constituents. (I do hope you recognize donors are not your sole constituency.)

A Consumer’s Guide to Low Cost Donor Management Systems” compares 29 offerings and provides detailed analysis of 10 of the most popular, including eTapestry and DonorPerfect. Each system costs $4,000 or less. That’s ideal for my listeners in small- and mid-size charities.

The guide is objective, written by Idealware and NTEN, the Nonprofit Technology Network (whose membership director, Amy Sample Ward, will be Nonprofit Radio‘s social media contributor starting next month). All they ask is your name and email. That’s perfectly reasonable and appropriate. (I’ve seen free stuff where a phone number was required. No thanks.)

Consult this really helpful, free survey if you’re looking at CRM systems.

Nonprofit Radio for September 7, 2012: Get Out and Positively Communicate & SECrets

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

Listen live or archive:

Tony’s Guests:

Interviewing Sharyn Abbott at NextGen:Charity 2011
Sharyn Abbott: Get Out and Positively Communicate

Sharyn Abbott is the author of Mixing It Up! The Entrepreneur’s New Testament and her strategies apply to small- and mid-size nonprofits, too. At the NextGen:Charity conference in 2011 we talked about networking your nonprofit; recruiting and hiring motivated people; and positive communications. Sharyn reads my face to tell me what kind of communicator I am.

 

 

Maria Semple
Maria Semple: SECrets

Maria Semple is the author of Panning for Gold: Find Your Best Donor Prospects Now! and our prospect research contributor. This month she pans for research gold in SEC corporate filings.

 

 


Top Trends. Sound Advice. Lively Conversation.

You’re on the air and on target as I delve into the big issues facing your nonprofit—and your career.

If you have big dreams but an average budget, tune in to Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio.

I interview the best in the business on every topic from board relations, fundraising, social media and compliance, to technology, accounting, volunteer management, finance, marketing and beyond. Always with you in mind.

When and where: Talking Alternative Radio, Fridays, 1-2PM Eastern

Sign-up for show alerts!

Here is the link to the audio podcast: 108: Get Out And Positively Communicate & SECrets. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get it automatically.
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