All posts by Tony Martignetti

Nonprofit Radio for November 2, 2012: Grow Your Grateful Patient Program & Disaster Relief

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

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Tony’s Guests:

Interviewing Nancy Johnson and Bill McGinley at bbcon 2012
Nancy Johnson & Bill McGinley: Grow Your Grateful Patient Program

Bill McGinley, president and CEO of The Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP) and Nancy Johnson, senior consultant at Target Analytics, sat with me at the bbcon conference to talk about healthcare grateful patient fundraising: why these prospects are critical and very generous; privacy concerns; and, how to start the relationship.

 

 

Gene Takagi & Emily Chan
Gene Takagi & Emily Chan: Disaster Relief

Charities want to help Hurricane Sandy victims. In the rush to help you can’t ignore the rules around private benefit, needs assessment and documentation. You’ll be on the right path with our regular legal contributors Gene Takagi and Emily Chan, from the Nonprofit & Exempt Organizations Law Group.

 


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 a link to the audio: 116: Grow Your Grateful Patient Program & Disaster Relief. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get the podcast automatically.
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Researcher Bias In Stelter Planned Giving Report

Beware courtesy of xadrian on Flickr

Bias is apparent in The Stelter Company’s newest research report, “What Makes Them Give?” The planned giving study recommends expanding communications and outreach to younger and less loyal prospect pools than traditionally thought appropriate. Much of Stelter’s business is communications, direct marketing and outreach.

It’s in their corporate interest to encourage charities to reach out to larger pools of prospects by direct mail, email, calling and website engagement because they have business lines in all those methods.

For lots of decades, Planned Giving pros have promoted estate and retirement plan gifts to prospects in their mid-50s and over. That’s the age at which it’s been believed people generally begin to think of their long-term plans as charitable vehicles. Before then, plans are for protection of family and gifts to loved ones, for the most part.

Also, being in the will or IRA of a 40-something is less valuable than a 70- or 80-year-old because of the vastly greater likelihood that the younger person’s charitable interests will change–perhaps many times–before their death in 50 or 55 years.

Stelter’s research recommends starting promotion at age 40, claiming 60% of best prospects are age 40 to 54. That conclusion may be completely correct.

But because of the company’s bias I cannot rely on their study as evidence of trends that suggest activities that will increase Stelter’s revenue.

Along with direct and email products and campaigns, the company offers a calling program. The more people charities mail to, email and call, the more potential revenue for Stelter.

That creates researcher bias, notwithstanding the research was conducted by a different company hired and paid by Stelter.

“What Makes Them Give?” also suggests expanding Planned Giving prospect pools by setting aside beliefs about donor loyalty as a predictor of giving.

To turn prospects into donors you have to communicate with them, so larger prospect pools benefit Stelter’s bottom line.

The study includes a good number of recommendations unrelated to expanded communications and outreach, including rethinking recognition societies. Those are untainted by Stelter’s bias.

I’d love to expand Planned Giving prospecting. I really would.

We don’t yet have objective research concluding that would be a wise investment of charities’ hard-earned money and limited time.

Nonprofit Radio for October 26, 2012: A Conversation With Jana Eggers & GPS: Global Positioning Scott

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

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Tony’s Guests:

Jana Eggers and I at bbcon 2012
Jana Eggers: A Conversation With Jana Eggers

She’s the senior vice president of products and marketing for Blackbaud. At their bbcon conference earlier this month we talked about what’s coming in the nonprofit technology market; special considerations for purchasing technology; and leadership lessons she’s learned from being a triathlete.

 

 

Scott Koegler
Scott Koegler: GPS: Global Positioning Scott

Scott Koegler is the editor of Nonprofit Technology News and our technology contributor. This month we’re talking about location based services that use the GPS technology in your smart phone. Foursquare, Instagram, Yelp and Facebook Places are sites that you can learn from, or partner with, to get to know your donors and volunteers better.

 
 


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: 115: A Conversation with Jana Eggers and GPS Scott. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get the podcast automatically.
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Dear Housing Works Thrift Shops

On Thursday, Oct. 11 at about 5:15pm I intended to donate a bookcase clock to your Gramercy Thrift Shop. I had been carrying it around all day with Housing Works in mind.

While in the bag the clock unscrewed from its pedestal and I screwed it back in. The young woman accepting donations saw that and when I put it on the counter she laughed. The clock swivels in its pedestal and I surmise she decided it was broken and a worthless item.

When I asked her for an explanation she insisted, “Nothing is wrong” and chuckled when I accepted her offer of a donation form. Her unsuppressed snickering turned me off and moved me to withdraw my donation. She offered no apology or explanation.

She’s [description omitted]. The clock is 2 years old from Bombay Company.

Your thrift operations need to be more attentive to hiring and training.

I have donated to the Gramercy store previously and bought from there. My most meaningful purchases were a $250 chair with ottoman and a $100 file cabinet. I have bought smaller items as well.

Your inconsiderate employee cost you a donor and buyer.

I blog on philanthropy and fundraising. I may well blog this as an example of what not to do.

Sincerely,
Tony Martignetti

I emailed that to Housing Works’ vice president for development on a Sunday. He emailed me back on Monday:

So sorry to learn about your experience at the Thrift Shops. I’ve forwarded your email to our director of stores. I expect that you’ll hear back from her shortly.

Please know that we appreciate your generous support over the years and we hope that this experience doesn’t completely end our relationship with you. Staff training is very much important to us; however, we sometimes fall short of our customer service goals.

Feel free to call me at any time; my contact info is below.

Housing Works’ director of stores left me two messages on Tuesday. She was very apologetic. I called her back but we haven’t spoken.

Rather than an example of what not to do, which I anticipated, it’s representative of the right way to handle a customer complaint.

Well done, Housing Works.

Nonprofit Radio for October 19, 2012: Leadership & LinkedIn News

Big Nonprofit Ideas for the Other 95%

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Tony’s Guests:

Norman Olshansky
Norman Olshansky: Leadership

Norm Olshansky, consultant and co-editor of “You and Your Nonprofit” shares his advice on nonprofit leadership. His premise is, “Everything starts with leadership.”

 

 

Maria Semple
Maria Semple: LinkedIn News

Maria Semple, The Prospect Finder and our prospect research contributor has two new offerings from LinkedIn. BoardConnect helps you find the right people to serve as board members and Reasons2Call reveals touch points for making contact with the people you want to talk to.

 

 


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: 114: Leadership & LinkedIn News. You can also subscribe on iTunes to get it automatically.
View Full Transcript