Category Archives: Planned Giving

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.

 
 


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Metoo hello and welcome to tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent friday, september fourteenth. Oh, how i hope that you were with me last week. I’d be devastated to hear that you had missed get out and communicate positively. Sharon abbott is the author of mixing it up the entrepreneurs new testament and her strategies apply to small and mid sized non-profits as well. At the next-gen charity conference in two thousand eleven, she and i talked about networking your non-profit recruiting and hiring motivated people and positive communications. Sharon’s e sharon even read my face to tell me what kind of a communicator i am. You see what i put up with for this show face reading and secrets maria simple is the author of panning for gold. Find your best donor prospects now, of course, you know she’s, our prospect research contributor. Last week, she panned for research gold in sec corporate filings this week, small shop planned e-giving claire meyerhoff is principal of the plant e-giving agency. We talk about marketing gift planning in ways that are not same old, same old for small and midsize charities. Claire turns the tables. And interviews me from last year’s national conference on philanthropic planning and 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. You know, scott he’s, the editor of non-profit technology news and our technology contributor on tony’s, take two between the guests. I blogged this week about a really helpful analysis of constituent relationship management that cr m software, published by idealware that they published the analysis. I think it’s very good, and i’ll talk about it. Use hashtag non-profit radio. Join the conversation on twitter, you know we take a break right now. What you don’t know is that when we return, it’s clear, meyerhoff, small shop planned, e-giving stay with me. They didn’t think the tubing getting dink dink dink, you’re listening to the talking alternative network e-giving. E-giving cubine joined the metaphysical center of new jersey and the association for hyre. Awareness for two exciting events this fall live just minutes from new york city. In pompton plains, new jersey, dr judith orloff will address her bestseller, emotional freedom, and greg brady will discuss his latest book, deep truth living on the edge. Are you ready for twelve twenty one twelve? Save the dates. Judith orloff, october eighteenth and greg brady in november ninth and tenth. For early bird tickets, visit metaphysical center of newjersey dot or or a nj dot net. Hi, i’m donna, and i’m done were certified mediators, and i am a family and couples licensed therapists and author of please don’t buy me ice cream are show new beginnings is about helping you and your family recover financially and emotionally and start the beginning of your life. We’ll answer your questions on divorce, family, court, co, parenting, personal development, new relationships, blending families and more. Dahna and i will bring you to a place of empowerment and belief that even though marriages may end, families are forever. Join us every monday, starting september tenth at ten a m on talking alternative dot com. Yeah, you’re listening to the talking alternative network. Duitz no. Welcome back to big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. It just occurred to me. I forgot to say i’m your aptly named host. You probably knew that right now. I have my interview with claire meyerhoff. You know, whereas the creative producer here, but she’s, also the principal of the plant e-giving agency. And we talked about small shop planned e-giving. This is tony martignetti non-profit radio coverage of the national conference on philanthropic planning. We’re in san antonio, texas. The conference is sponsored by the partnership for philanthropic planning. My guest now is claire meyerhoff. Claire is editorial director of the plan giving company. And she also has her own the plan e-giving agency, which she is principal of claire meyerhoff. Welcome to the show. Thanks so much. And, tony, i’ve brought a very special gift for you from san antonio. It is a law badge, texas ranger. And it says, tony, it does say, tony ship a texas ranger. Tony okay, now, now you know why claire is also in her credentials. Creative director for this show. Because she brings little things like this. Now. Yesterday was her birthday. And yet today, she’s bringing me a gift that is just the kind of gal i thank you from my texas ranger badge. Howdy, partner. Put in on that. Looks great. Now everyone will know that you’re a texas ranger so you can go arrest people and put them in george in jail. That’s. True. I could use this for dragon jail. Yes. Now i just need a little set of keys. I always wanted a little set of warden skis for jargon. Jail. Okay, um, so what messages have you been hearing consistently at at the conference? Claire? Well, something i’ve been hearing at the conference is that people really want to take it up a notch. As far as their marketing. We’re hearing that aa lot of people are doing more advertising say within their organizational magazines, and they’ve been doing the same old ads forever, and so they’d like to do so something a little bit different. So that’s something i’ve been hearing, just sort of on the street just from chatting with people. Yeah. Ah. And what are they? They have any intentions or ideas about what the difference is? What everybody wants to do something different. What direction? Well, i think that they just don’t really know their plan giving people they’re not they’re not don draper, they’re not darrin stephens from the mcmann tate advertising agency, so they need a little bit of help and that’s, what i really like to do is doing ads. I just did one for north carolina state university, and when i was talking with my client about what kind of ad they wanted to dio b sanford who’s, thie associate director there, said, you know, i’ve always loved this statistic about how people spend more time planning their vacations than planning their wills. And he said, that’s a that’s, a great thing. What if we did something with that and then drove people to your website to the will planning tool that you have s o choose one thing and then geared towards that? So we came up with an added so it’s, a woman on the beach he’s, you know, in her fifties and she’s cool and she’s on the beach, and it says two hundred forty three number of hours she spent planning her vacation than its xero number of hours spent planning her estate and then the copy, something like she has everything she needs for her dream vacation, but she doesn’t have a will she’s not alone, sixty five percent of americans don’t have a will, but now’s a great time to start planning goto our website and in a little messaging kind of like and while you’re there, you know, leave us a gift, too. So it’s not about planned giving it’s not about the bequest it’s about the donor, so that really, truly is donor-centric to speak to them and an issue that they might be having in a clever way also in a clever way that gets their attention because you have to remember that in a magazine, whether it’s for your university or your favorite non-profit you’re kind of flipping through it, flipping through it, flipping through it, and something has to catch your attention, and it may not be the same old messaging about leaving, leaving a legacy that might not catch the person’s attention. All right, so let’s, use that as a segue way clarinet wants to ask me some questions, so we’re actually going to ah, we’re going to change positions and turntables. Claire is going to be behind the board, but don’t touch anything here i won’t touch is very technical, very technical. Now claire has a background in radio. She knows i’m making fun of her. She knows more about the board than i do. I really need you to switch. We’re going one of you up there, let’s, take off your headphones were gonna sweep. Ok, make a lot of noise, things switching, switching now, amit buy-in okay, bubbles well, you can adjust them. I just okay. Four minutes into the program. This is clear. And now you can see what they can see my badge. Better to come closer to my texas ranger underside. Okay, this’s clear. Meyerhoff in the special guest host here at tony martignetti non-profit radio. My guest today is tony martignetti, who is one of the greatest hyre teachers in the world of plan giving, i think because when i started in the business, i had a lot of questions, and tony was so generous with his time, i call him up and say, you know, really, what is it? A charitable remainder trust? Tell me all about that. So you were always so helpful, so i’d like to take this opportunity to thank you. You’re welcome. It’s a pleasure. Thank you. That’s like the greatest. I don’t know one of the greatest let’s not get carried away, but it’s a pleasure to help the community. And you yes, thank you. Thank you, here’s something that that i have really noticed being in plan giving. I’ve become sort of evangelical about it everywhere i go if i run into someone who’s from a non-profit i immediately asked them so. Do you have some sort of a plan giving program? Do you get requests? What do you do? And what i hear a lot of times is we’re not big enough for that. We’re not big enough for that, and i say, no, no, no it’s really easy, and i start to tell them about how they can start a basic plan e-giving program, but i can only take it so far because i just know about sort of the communication and the messaging, so if you’re a small non-profit a small organization and you want to sort of plan giving program and you do a little marketing, you put it in your newsletter and, gosh, someone actually calls you and says, yes, i have made you the beneficiary of my retirement plan, ok or something. What sort of the next step that the small non-profit has to take two actually accept these gifts. Okay, first thing is say thank you. We can never say thank you enough, but but the first, whether it’s a phone call or it comes in by reply card on ah dahna mailing that you did or whichever you want to say thank you very much talking alternative radio twenty four hours a day. Are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level, and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s. Create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three, that’s to one to seven to one, eight one eight three. The conscious consultant helping conscious people. Be better business people. Dahna are you fed up with talking points, rhetoric everywhere you turn left or right? Spin ideology no reality, in fact, its ideology over in tow no more it’s time for action. Join me. Larry shot a neo-sage tuesday nights nine to eleven easter for the ivory tower radio in the ivory tower. We’ll discuss what you’re born, teo you society, politics, business and family it’s provocative talk for the realist and the skeptic who want to go what’s really going on? What does it mean? What can be done about it? So gain special access to the ivory tower. Listen to me, larry sharp, your neo-sage tuesday nights nine to eleven new york time go to ivory tower radio dot com for details. That’s ivory tower radio dot com every tower is a great place to visit for both entertainment and education listening tuesday nights nine to eleven it will make you smarter. Hey, hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business? Why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com if you have big ideas and an average budget tune. Tony martin. Any non-profit radio we dio. I’m jonah helper, nari team in co founders of next-gen charity metoo now, in your your hypothetical, it was an ira gift. Is that right in my hypothetical? Okay, all right, so we’ll stick with the i r a gift. So, um, we want to make sure the donor understands that they are now going to be part of the close community of our charity, and the ideal way to do that is through a recognition society, which is just a way of another. Another way of saying thank you. So i hope that the charity would have a small and it’s a small charity. So a small recognition society that might just be eight or ten people who have remembered the charity in some way in their will or ira or other estate plan method. But we want to say thank you consistently. We don’t want to say thank you at the time we find out and we do that through our recognition society. I hate the name, legacy society, heritage circle. Oh, my god. It’s so generic. There are thousands of heritage circles. Name your society. You have free reign like you. Name it. Anything you want. Name it for, um, something that’s iconic to your organisation. It could be a person. It could be a gn animal. It could be, in some cases, maybe a bigger charity. Maybe it’s a building or i have a client. Where? It’s the bell tower society. Because people used to meet at the bell tower that’s a college campus different than the small charity, but make it unique to your organization. And this is really the great part for marketing. Because if you create the society and you name it, it gives you something to talk about your announcing it. You have this now. So let’s say in the past you have received a couple of bequests and you just had them and there’s no sort of organization of it. Well, you’ve come up now with the society so let’s say it’s called the elm tree society because you have a beautiful elm tree on the front lawn of your building is the elm tree society. And in your next newsletter at your next event you can talk about that we have launched. We have created the elm tree society it’s so special it’s this it’s that it’s the other thing. If you do x y and z u will be in the elm tree society. So it gives you something to talk about and that’s, the key to marketing is that you need to have something to talk about. Just the fact that you exist isn’t enough. You need to have some news, something that’s new going on to talk about. And i love the elm tree society too, because then when you have a little recognition lunch you can have little leaves on the tree leaves on the tables. On the tree is deep rooted, deep rooted in our work and and our stories and here’s a story from the tree it’s okay, i go too far, but the the the point is you make it something iconic and, yes, it gives you something to talk about. And i love the image of a deep rooted tree, too. I just that even though it’s just and she comes up with ease off the top of her head is that remarkable stories of great. And speaking of coming up with things off off the top of your head, i was visiting a friend of mine for her fiftieth birthday in massachusetts in this in february, and her husband is a financial planner and he is also the treasurer for his church, and then he goes, oh, you workin plan giving? We need to do that at my church. We don’t have anything he says. These people are dying and we’re not getting anything. And i said, well, are you asking for them? Are you are you marketing the plan gifts? And he says, no, we’re not doing anything to sit down. So within about fifteen minutes we laid it all out. We started with the society we named the society after a tree that’s on the on the really old tree on the front lawn in the church. So we named it after the tree, and then i said, well, now, now you have to come up with, like, a way to talk about it. So do you have any recently realized plan gifts? And he said, yes, we have got some money last year and we used it. The intent was they wanted to upgrade all the handicapped accessible stuff in the church. So that’s claim i said, do you have a church member who is benefitting from that and says, yes, there’s this woman and she wasn’t coming to church for a long time because it was hard for her toe access the church that’s fantastic. So i said, do you think she’d be game? And he said, yes, i said, okay, you get her, you get a photo of her act using this handicap access, you get a great quote from her talking about how wonderful it is now that she can go back to church. You put this in your newsletter and you talk about the fact that this all happened because of a bequest, and that gives you the opportunity to talk about bequests and you’re new society also, the added bonus. Now you have a way to talk about bequests with the woman who has been benefitting from the situation because you have asked her to take her photograph. So now she’s, a new french, is kind of in on it and that’s the key thing is to kind of get people in on it so you can make a plan giving program at a kitchen counter on a sunday morning over a bagel and coffee. Yes, small non-profits should not be discouraged at all thinking that they that they can’t do it. It’s just a matter of having simple conversations like you’re describing or putting something simple in your newsletter and you start with the simplest of gifts that one the ones you and i are talking about the bequest maybe go to the ira if that continues after this year. But charitable bequests just a gift in your will alongside the children and grandchildren and your spouse there’s a gift for us. It does not to be a large gift that’s just that’s the easy way to start a plan giving program and by the way, your story i don’t even i don’t know any of the players, and it still makes my eyes water a little bit because it’s such a touching story it’s so poignant. Those are the kinds of tender things that we want to be able to share with others to encourage them to do the same. Well, it’s, because we it’s kind of like we know the secret this secret way to raise money for your organization that’s so easy and a lot of people don’t know it. So at the church, they don’t they know about if they know about the quest, but they don’t know that. It’s something that they can go out and ask for, they think it’s something that just has to fall in their lap. So that’s what’s so important about talking about it and talking about it in a way that features the benefits of the plan gift and why it’s good now rather than why it’s good later, and i think that that too many people in the plan giving industry talked too much about this idea of a legacy that people are sitting around thinking about leaving a legacy and how important a legacy is. I don’t think people really wake up in the morning and think about leaving a legacy. I think that when i talk to people that have done plan gifts, they’re doing it for the here and now they’re going, you know what? This is something i can do. It makes me feel good, it’s good right now, i know i’m helping, i know i’m doing a good thing, and i’ve never heard a donor ever really say it’s because i want to leave a legacy, you know? No, i don’t you’re right, i don’t hear that that often, i think people who will get to that age, you know, are thinking about what they’re going to leave behind, but i think it’s when it when they’re thinking about that it’s not so much for about charity, it’s more about we’re going to leave behind for my family that in terms of the legacy, i think that’s more family oriented, but you’re right, a lot of fundraisers, air thinking about our marketing leave your legacy, and i don’t think people think in that respect for charity, for charitable purposes no, no, they’re doing it because they want to do something they want to do something smart and savvy and cool right now, so if if you are ah let’s, just say i’m a loyal donorsearch to a animal shelter in my town and i’ve been giving to them for fifteen years, and i’m having a conversation with someone on the staff and they say, you know, we now have this society where it’s wait are accepting plant gifts and it’s this and that and here’s, some of the things other people have done and it’s going to be great because we’ll be able to do so much and this per yes and focusing i’m sorry, but focusing on what the gift does, what the outcome, what the impact is how, how this is helping. Is it saving a life? Is it rescuing on animal is what’s the what’s the outcome that the gift creates? Not so much the focus which i see too often is this was a charitable lead unit trust which had a provisioned for generous state tax implications. And you know it’s, not about the taxes. You do it about the do it about the the great story that this that this gift creates because it has saved a life educated a child rescued ah rescued an animal given shelter to someone who was, who was abused, what’s what’s the gift doing and also, i think. And the other part, the donor part of is what can i do? And it’s an easy way to be a quote philanthropist like you think only rich people can make significant gifts and do something really sincere. But you khun do that too. And when i’ve talked to some people about it, i said, look, you know, you’ve been you give one hundred dollars a year to this organization, but if you made this organization half the beneficiary of that ira that you have sitting around that has twenty thousand dollars in it and let’s say something happened to you tomorrow, your organization would get ten grand that’s a lot of money, they could do a lot with that. Ten grand of people call, really? I didn’t know that, and i think when people realize that they can be a philanthropist, that they could be someone to make a significant impact. That kind of floats there boat it’s definitely and it’s definitely not just for high net worth people with big assets. It’s ah it’s an ideal way of giving for very people of very modest means, but your example, ten thousand dollars, five thousand dollars almost anybody could leave five thousand dollars in their state in some method, whether it’s, ira or by will it’s a it’s just outstanding for people of very modest means to do big things and be philanthropists and people also want to be savvy. They want to know that their money is is being maximized so let’s just say they they have some life insurance they’ve had around for a long time, and now they’re divorced from that spouse that they bought the life insurance for their children are grown. Their son is a doctor. Their daughter is a lawyer and they don’t need this life insurance policy anymore. What’s, anybody going to do with this five hundred thousand dollars on this guy’s life and he’s he’s, sixty five years old. So here’s this life insurance policy, he could give that two his charity? Yes, that or yes, he can actually transfer the ownership or just make them a beneficiary of it. Yeah. Ah. In plan giving me talk about the what you’re describing, the excess policy, like somebody may have taken out a policy to help children in case they had untimely death. Or to make sure the mortgage got paid or the you know, college educations got paid for if they had an untimely death. Now those things are all done. The mortgage is paid or substantially paid. Kids are educated. There is this policy like you describe that we took out first purpose. And now that purpose is fulfilled. Um, that is a great gift. A zay said could just be a beneficiary. Just just named the charity. All they need is your your name and your tax id number and you can put that in like a a two cent in sidebar on a newsletter include us in your own life insurance policy, here’s our tax id and legal name and that’s all they need. And if you want to write a little bit more, you could talk about sort of the scenarios of it. So because people want to do the right thing with this assets. So let me ask you if you had a life insurance policy and let’s say it’s it’s it’s paid up and it’s it’s five hundred thousand dollars. What else could you if you didn’t give it to charity? What could you do with it right now? Could you? You could cash it in, but then what would you pay tax on it? Or you could cash it in? I don’t know that you pay tax. No, i don’t think you pay income tax on it. If you if you surrender it now for its cash surrender value that’s an option, you could just keep it in name some other family member of beneficiary of the death benefit there’s, not there’s. Not really great options, esso. I think charity is. Should at least be a part of it. You know, you can you can still do eighty percent for family and twenty percent for charity. And that doesn’t have to be one charity could be for charities and each get five percent of that that remaining twenty. So you know that ah, and that’s the way to of overcoming the objection you might hear. Fund-raising right here, i’d like to help you, but i have other charities i want to help also, but one life insurance policy can help multiple charity’s one will khun do that if we’re talking about something bigger, like charitable trust, you know, those couldn’t help multiple charities, but keeping it simple. Will ira life insurance? Any of those three can help multiple charities. Just make sure that at the end, when you add it all up, the percentage is equal one hundred, and it might just be five percent for charity or ten. And in the rest for family. Always to be thinking, you know, when you hear oh, i’d like to help you. But there are others too. These airways that a person can help. Lots of charities now being the ah the ah! This not exactly host right now, but i’d recognize we have to wrap up like in thirty seconds or so if this is going to fit in the show like around nineteen between nineteen, nineteen, half in twenty minutes so you just took ten seconds of it, so let’s, just wrap it up here i’m clear meyerhoff with tony martignetti and we are the co host today for this very moment moment of non-profit radio tony martignetti non-profit radio, where you will find a fabulous solutions for your small non-profit big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent. This is texas ranger tony thanking clare, thank you very much for the for the switch on dh sharing some time with me and ah ah, as always for being creative director, creative producer of twenty martignetti non-profit radio and you’re listening to our coverage of the national conference on philanthropic planning in san antonio, texas. The conference, of course, hosted by the partnership on philanthropic planning that’s my interview with claire meyerhoff, very grateful to her for that right now we take a break and when we return it’s tony’s take two and then scott koegler is with us for events, technology stay here. Talking alternative radio twenty four hours a day. Joined the metaphysical center of new jersey and the association for hyre. Awareness for two exciting events this fall live just minutes from new york city. In pompton plains, new jersey, dr judith orloff will address her bestseller, emotional freedom, and greg brady will discuss his latest book, deep truth living on the edge. Are you ready for twelve twenty one twelve, save the dates. Judith orloff, october eighteenth and greg brady in november ninth and tenth. For early bird tickets, visit metaphysical center of newjersey dot order, or h a n j dot net. Are you suffering from aches and pains? Has traditional medicine let you down? Are you tired of taking toxic medications, then come to the double diamond wellness center and learn how our natural methods can help you to hell? Call us now at to one to seven to one eight, one eight three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three or find us on the web at www dot double diamond wellness dot com. We look forward to serving you. You’re listening to the talking alternative network. Hyre welcome back. Uh, sorry about that. And right now. It’s. Time for tony’s. Take two. On the august tenth show, maria simple talked about customer our constituent relationship management, cr m software packages and we weigh talked about an analysis that i thought is so good that i wanted to block about it and and pointed out it’s done by idealware and and ten the non-profit technology network its objective. And they compare twenty nine c r m systems and give a detailed analysis of ten of those, including common good sorry, common ground donor perfect and e tapestry. And what i love about this is that all the systems that they review cost four thousand dollars or less in the first year. So i just think it’s a really valuable resource. And i wanted to point out to you and you’ll find the link to that analysis on my blogged at tony martignetti dot com. And that is tony’s take two for friday, september fourteenth, the thirty ninth show of the year. Scott koegler is with me now. We’re talking about event technology. Scott, how are you? I’m doing great. Tony, how are you? I’m very well, thanks for joining me today way all know? Scott he’s, the editor of non-profit technology news, which you’ll find it n p tech news. Dot com event technology. I’m not sure people think of using technology, tio support their events and some people are already doing it. But what what’s out there, that’s that’s helpful? Well, you know, there there’s a bunch of stuff. Probably the basic is, uh, facebook, you know, just setting up your your event as it has kind of something that you show on facebook and you can invite people there, but there are some very specific applications typically their cloud based, you know, they you don’t install them that’s early on your computer, you access them just like you would facebook and, uh, on then you set up your events there, you can invite people to it. You can sell tickets to it. You could track show photographs. You can all kinds of, uh, you know, just anything you’d like to do to promote and track your that. Okay. And so i assume this includes registration and ticketing things like that. Exactly. Exactly. Everything you typically do, kind of at the site. In fact, there are some applications. Portions of applications that the actual walk around during the that and can record interviews, take pictures, things like that. So it becomes full sweets of applications that you use free calls now? Yeah. Good night. Over. Right? And then even even follow-up, i presume, right? Some some will help you with follow-up notice messages. Well, certainly. Of course, the whole purpose of events usually is fund-raising or preliminary to fund-raising. And so you certainly want to know who came what they did. If you have some ability to record something about them in bio or maybe the kind of interests that they have, you want to be able to follow up with. So some of these things air are connected to social media systems or email kind of systems. So you may be able to send out updates in both of those ways. Or maybe all of them. Okay, while we’re teasing a little bit now, what’s, uh, let’s, get into some of these. What do you have first? Well, there were a couple and you mentioned one. That right? Which is a really, really popular with very powerful. Okay, yeah, i just you know, i only know it because, you know, occasionally i’ll get an event bright invitation to, like a cocktail party or networking or some like that. But it’s it’s more robust than that. Uh, it’s it’s. Very powerful. It allows you to set up your events. It has, as you mentioned just a minute ago. Ticketing function so you can actually sell your tickets through it right online if you if you want to have tickets. And now, if you have an event that is based on donations and we want to accept proof pre accept donations prior to the event that you could do that as well, okay? And this is what i’m sorry, but this is a free one. It is free. Yeah. Ok, go ahead. Please continue. I think that they i’m not sure, but i think that they actually take a piece of your tickets. That’s where they get some revenue. Okay, if you’re selling tickets, okay. Okay. On dh that’s ah, eventbrite is b r i t e dot com eventbrite dot com. Okay, anything more you want to tell us about event, right? Um, you know, it connects up with with a couple of social media sites. Certainly. You can connecting through facebook in those kind of things, and another one you mentioned also hub spot, which really isn’t kind of social media, it’s more of a kind of a management, you know who said what about what? So it’s, kind of after the fact for social media on that actually does cost money so that’s one that right probably want to get into later on hub spot is really marketing ah, marketing sweet, and it just has a an event bright module, they’re you know, they’re connected to event, right? That’s it hub spot dot com is one. What else? What else is in your current article on this? Well, yeah, there’s a couple of interesting ones. One is, of course, a jew. And i’m sure that many of the listeners know that sage as a non-profit management just, uh, kind of an all around piece of application that allows you to keep track of your daughters, your prospects, your events and pretty much accounting and anything else. So they have a module also that helps to manage events and, you know, it’s. Tough to say this, but pretty much all these do a variety of the same kinds of functions, so when you think about managing the that, you know, they’re all going to take registrations, they’re all gonna allow people that teo to register, get a map to where your that is make comments, those kind of things, of course, sages is an application, cos so they’re going to charge for for their application. I i don’t know exactly what their charges are, but they know they’re going to be they’re gonna charge. Okay, interesting, you’re the article on this that you have it and p tech news dot com mentions a small organization that’s just think they’re thirty to twenty, twenty and thirty year olds, and they’re talking about just fifteen people coming to their average event. But then you also mentioned an organization that runs a much bigger events, right? Right? The jazz foundation and neo-sage so, you know, if you have, the resource is and you have the clientele, the constituents that are doing kind of significant funding for you, it’s certainly pays teo be able to get into one of the more more robust and something that actually integrates in with your they’re counting on the other functions, such as sage. Okay, okay. There’s there’s, another one to please. But i will mention here and, um, that is an impact. A m p a c i know it’s an acronym. Hang on one second way. Could make some of your god. I will jam, jam, pack and association management now, i don’t know. I was thinking american pacific, maybe for for pacific island there’s or something, but whatever it is and and packed negotiation management, uh, package back. Oh, is it a m p a k or a m p f c c dot com. Okay, so we have just about two minutes before before i break. Tell us about impact. Okay. It’s. Similar in some ways, neo-sage and that it’s pretty much an all around kind of a system to manage your organization. But this comes in module so he can actually start relatively small, although still relatively small, is going to run about nine hundred dollars a month. So you are going to be fairly well bust, kind of an organization to use this. Okay, but it does have, as i said, different modules that you can piece together, and one of those is any that management system and those plug in to its accounting functions plugs into profiling systems for your donors, and also connects into, uh, social media. So i think the lesson here is that if you could get away with something like event, right, which was really, really great job. But it doesn’t particularly integrate with financial management rights of the size that you have a new immigrated financial management system than something like an impact. Or sage is really going to do a great job point, because it keeps everything in one place. Okay, we’re going to take a break. And when we when we return, we’ll see what else scott has for us. And also, just talk about some of the the simple, er management tools like, like google docks and drop box for your events. So stay with me and scotty. Told you. Hi, this is nancy taito from speaks been radio speaks been radio is an exploration of the world of communication, how it happens in how to make it better, because the quality of your communication has a direct impact on the quality of your life. Tune in monday’s at two pm on talking alternative dot com, where i’ll be interviewing experts from business, academia, the arts and new thought join me mondays at two p m and get all your communications questions answered on speaks been radio. Have you ever considered consulting a road map when you feel you need help getting to your destination when the normal path seems blocked? A little help can come in handy when choosing an alternate route. Your natal chart is a map of your potentials. It addresses relationships, finance, business, health and, above all, creativity. Current planetary cycles can either support or challenge your objectives. I’m montgomery taylor. If you would like to explore the help of a private astrological reading, please contact me at monte at monty taylor dot com let’s monte m o nt y at monty taylor dot com how’s your game want to improve your performance, focus and motivation? Then you need a spire athletic consulting stop, second guessing yourself. Move your game to the next level, bring back the fun of the sport, help your child build confidence and self esteem through sports. Contact dale it, aspire, athletic, insulting for a free fifteen minute power session to get unstuck. Today, your greatest athletic performance is just a phone call away at eight a one six zero four zero two nine four or visit aspire consulting. Dot vp web motivational coaching for athletic excellence aspire to greatness. Hey, all you crazy listeners looking to boost your business, why not advertise on talking alternative with very reasonable rates? Interested simply email at info at talking alternative dot com. Scott and i are talking about events technology. Scott there’s, another group that i wanted to just mention is meetup dot com depending on what type of event you’re planning, meet up could be helpful. Meetup it’s great it’s not particularly non-profit oriented, right? Although there, you know, there are plenty organizations in there that they’re kind of loosely organized and that’s kind of what it’s for is if you haven’t interest like i imagine their side, it belongs to a wine meet up uh, and there it’s anybody conjoined? Of course, you have some control over who you allowed to join, but it’s it’s typically location based. So look for people in the area with the same kind of interest they sign up and then you are you create what’s aptly called a meet up, which is, you know, a place in a time, okay? And you can add details to it has specifically invite people and you can track it to the comments on it. So it’s, very nice. I don’t know they’re actually his, eh? Ah financial component to it that allows you to collect these if you have a particular like if you’re going to a restaurant or something like that? The marriage make a reservation. You can make reservations. If you also want to collect fees. You khun sell a ticket or not? Sure. What’s called problem with something like a ticket. All right. Yeah. That’s a great one of this horrific. And now we know that you’re in teena file. I am. I am. What is your what’s? Your favorite wine? Do you have? It is possible to say you have a favorite, you know that there are also different. I had one this weekend that was particularly good. And it’s called vincent. Now you’d think that would be van gogh. But it’s actually not expensive motorcycle. Is this is this motor oil? Or is this wine we’re talking about is much better than the movie by a guy named mark ryan. Mark ryan winery and it’s called the vincent. Is it a red or white or blush it the red? Ok, sabelo okay. All right. Yeah. So it’s uh, particularly right, we might. We might have this into our conversations from month to month. I’m a i’m a drop a surprise question on you about wine or something. Ok, well, not that i know what i’m talking about? Me so it’s. Not like a test. You could say anything. I would. I am not a someone, marie, but i do enjoy, you know, kind of sitting next to them and say, all right, let’s, talk about dropbox because dropbox, simple file sharing this could be really helpful for events. People in different offices, or even maybe people working from home or even in the same office. File sharing. Sure, sure, absolutely. Drop box. I just give a brief about what that is essential. You install little application on your computer and you drag files into it, just as you would drag files into your own filing system on your computer and the system automatically copies that file up to a cloud based repository. And then you can invite people to share the file of files that you placed there. It’s especially good for large sounds like photographs and things like that, but it works just fine for documents and the other kind of things. But having said that, uh, there, too, to systems that have, uh i’ve been around for a while, but there recently kind of made a play against drop oxide. Is google google doc’s? Sure, which is probably even better suited for for meetings and events because you can also put your calendar up there and i’m sure the calendar you can share documents, spread, shoots those kind of things, and then when somebody opens those documents on their own computer, they actually used the google docks formatting functions, right? So the differences and i just wanna point out the differences and drop box you’re using standard file formats like dot doc and dot excel for excel spreadsheets and etcetera. You using whatever you’re accustomed to, but in google using their their document a system, right? And the advantage with google is that, you know, i may not have word french someone computer, right? So what do i do when i get the file? You know, struggling so with google docks, you know, you can you can upload, uh, i’ll say power point, i’ll go there google’s presentation files, right? And then you could actually view them in the google presenter. So, you know, it’s kind of a a full system where dropbox is really great at sharing any kind of file that you want to, but you may not. Be ableto use it once you download that file, and with google, you can import files that you’ve already created. I didn’t, i didn’t. I didn’t mean to lead people to think that you have to start fresh with their with their blank spreadsheet or something you can import, and it will convert it into therefore into the google format. Sure, and you have the option of either converting, and we’re not converting it, so you could e yeah, you could take a powerpoint files just up with powerpoint files, and it stays a power point, okay, i realise it or converted, so, you know, get some options there, and then you’ll find that it’s a docks docs dot google dot com, but you have to have google account to use these, don’t you? I don’t know if you have to have a google account to use to be a recipient, right to share have somebody invite you to share, right? I share documents with people that i didn’t know whether or not they have a right to be the creator of a document. You certainly have an account, right? And to invite other people, okay, we have just two. Minutes left. You said there’s. Another one. That’s making a play. Uh, yeah. Area the old player microsoft recently put up outwork dot com, which you’re familiar with. Outlook. The application outlook dot com is the online version of outlook that runs on your desktop. So there’s a whole bunch of things about that. We might talk about that next time. Because that’s kind of interesting it’s it’s, i’m gonna say it’s loosely based on hotmail but it’s much more like what you experience on your desktop. This also includes a file stating and file sharing as part of that whole suite. So, look, look for microsoft there. They may not have been, you know, major name, a new application development, but they seem to be coming strong. Okay, interesting. And outlook dot com is cloud based, right? It is crowd based, just like dropbox and google. Okay, yeah, why don’t we? Why don’t we a plan that for the next month? All right, that sounds good. What do you want to talk about there? Okay. And overviewing outlook. Dot com. Okay. Anything you want to leave us with around event technology in last minute? Uh, you know, the biggest thing is, you know, planning the event and use one of these applications to organize it because it’s one thing to just say they were gonna have a party, it’s something else to say it’s going to be here and we want you because of your special skills and tony, you’re assigned to bring wine. Ok, alright. My favorite wine is called is, uh, is a vineyard named list cerini okay, it’s been around for a long, long time. Very well known. Little little tart, slightly target, but it has subtle notes. All right, scott can go. Thank you very much. Thanks, tony. Take always a pleasure. Thank you. Next week? I don’t know, because i’m recording today’s show three weeks in advance, so but you know, it’ll be a good show. You know that that’s, why that’s, why you’re with us every week. You can keep this conversation going on linkedin. Post your follow-up questions, including wine for scott if you have them and the guests will answer in the linked in group i host a podcast for the chronicle of philanthropy it’s called fund-raising fundamentals, and it is a ten minute monthly podcast devoted to fund-raising it’s on itunes. You also find it on the chronicle of philanthropy website. If you like this show, i hope you will check out fund-raising fundamentals continuing to wish you good luck the way performers do around the world more often than break a leg upper singers around the world. So this is an international one today use toi toi toi toward off a spell or a hex. And this imitates the spitting sound sound of spinning on somebody like last week’s three three remember from norway but the norwegians only spitting twice there. Very clean people. Look, look at them. They look clean, they look wholesome. Their country is spotless because they’re only spitting twice but are everywhere else. We’re spinning three times on dh. It used to be said that saliva actually had demon banishing powers so internationally on, especially for opera singers internationally spinning three times over somebody’s head or shoulder is a gesture toward off evil spirits. But spitting on them is assault in probably under most criminal codes, so don’t hit them. And as you’re doing this, i wish you toy toy toy for the week. Our creative producers, claire meyerhoff. Hard to believe we have one. But janice meyer. Janice taylor is helping me with all these international greetings from performance artists. Sam liebowitz is our line producer shows social media is regina walton of organic social media, and the remote producer of tony martignetti non-profit radio is john federico of the new rules. You should be here next friday. Went to two p m eastern at talking alternative dot com. Hyre hyre. I think that’s a good ending. You’re listening to the talking alternative network, waiting to get me anything. Nothing. Cubine hi, this is nancy taito from speaks been radio speaks been radio is an exploration of the world of communication, how it happens in how to make it better, because the quality of your communication has a direct impact on the quality of your life. Tune in monday’s at two pm on talking alternative dot com, where i’ll be interviewing experts from business, academia, the arts and new thought. Join me mondays at two p m and get all your communications questions answered on speaks been radio. Are you stuck in your business or career trying to take your business to the next level and it keeps hitting a wall? This is sam liebowitz, the conscious consultant. I will help you get to the root cause of your abundance issues and help move you forward in your life. Call me now and let’s create the future you dream of. Two, one, two, seven, two, one, eight, one, eight, three that’s to one to seven to one eight one eight three the conscious consultant helping conscious people be better business people. You’re listening to talking alternative network at www dot talking alternative dot com, now broadcasting twenty four hours a day. This is tony martignetti athlete named host of tony martignetti non-profit radio big non-profit ideas for the other ninety five percent technology fund-raising compliance, social media, small and medium non-profits have needs in all these areas. My guests are expert in all these areas and mohr. Tony martignetti non-profit radio friday’s one to two eastern on talking alternative broadcast are you concerned about the future of your business for career? Would you like it all to just be better? Well, the way to do that is to better communication, and the best way to do that is training from the team at improving communications. This is larry sharp, host of the ivory tower radio program and director at improving communications. Does your office needs better leadership? Customer service sales or maybe better writing are speaking skills? Could they be better at dealing with confrontation conflicts, touchy subjects all are covered here at improving communications. If you’re in the new york city area, stop by one of our public classes or get your human resource is in touch with us. The website is improving communications, dot com that’s improving communications, dot com improve your professional environment. Be more effective, be happier. And make more money. Improving communications. That’s. The answer. Told you.

Celebrate Charities! Individuals & Governments Can’t Do That Work

Courtesy of rAmmoRRison on Flickr.
A stray cat has climbed a tree and can’t get down. Neighbors try and can’t coax it. Police and fire say, “We haven’t done that since Andy Griffith was the sheriff of Mayberry.” Who you gonna call? A charity.

That’s what happened in my neighborhood.

There’s so much work that needs to be done which individuals and governments aren’t suited for. But when individuals collectivize into charities, taking advantage of state and federal laws, there’s no end to the good works they can do and valuable impacts they can achieve.

Yet, I’m concerned about the future of our charitable community in the U.S. The lines are slowly eroding between charitable and corporate. Paul Clolery, editor of The Nonprofit Times, voiced the same concern in my interview with him for Nonprofit Radio. I’ve got other media data points too.

I’ve blogged this three times before. The most recent, “Corporatization Redux II” has links to the first two.

And I see some bad practices in Planned Giving are morphing into conventional wisdom that could really hurt the sector. Chasing young prospects and highly speculative gift counting worry me.

Incrementalism is the way most devastating change slips past us. Each modest step goes unnoticed, until a decade has passed and everyone wonders what happened.

I’ll be blogging my concerns shortly.

Nevertheless, celebrate the charitable community in our country, and around the world!

The cat’s out of the bag: charities do good works that others cannot.

Nonprofit Radio’s 100th Show Winners & Stand-Up Comedy Clips

Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio had its 100th show on July 13. I had a bunch of contests and the winners are in. The show was great fun! If you didn’t catch it, you can listen to the podcast.

Mary Lynn Halland won an hour of consulting by me, in Planned Giving or Charity Registration. She submitted a question in advance to the show’s LinkedIn group.

Linette Singleton won “Open Community: A Little Book Of Big Ideas For Associations Navigating The Social Web.” She named Ken Berger as the CEO of Charity Navigator, who’s been a guest on the show.

Maria Semple identified “great vengeance and furious anger” as a line from “Pulp Fiction.” I used it to express how I’d feel if you didn’t listen to the show. Maria won the book “Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility And Money Through Smart Communications.”

There’s an NTEN t-shirt and pair of sunglasses still to be awarded to a podcast listener. Check out the podcast and claim your prize.

Thank you NTEN and Amy Sample Ward for donating our prizes!

Last week I did a stand-up comedy set at Gotham Comedy Club in New York City. Thank you to everyone who came out! Here are two short clips from a set I did earlier this year.

Christmas Elf:

Law School Admission Test:

I’m keeping busy doing things I love, like Nonprofit Radio and stand-up comedy.

I wish the same for you.

Contests, Swag & Social Media: Nonprofit Radio’s 100th Show

Courtesy of My Buffo from Flickr.

My 100th show is this Friday!

I’ll be giving stuff away throughout the show (1 to 2pm Eastern). My guest Amy Sample Ward, social media scientist (my appellation, she’s modest), procured Nonprofit Technology Network (NTEN) books and clothing and comp’d webinars. And I’ll give away consulting time.

I’ve arranged for lots of giveaways because I’m so grateful for your support of Nonprofit Radio for two years. I wouldn’t be at this milestone if you hadn’t been with me. Thank you.

There are lots of ways to win.
Start by posting a question on my blog for Amy. She’ll take your social media questions before the show and one person who posts here will win NTEN sunglasses and a copy of “Brandraising: How Nonprofits Raise Visibility and Money Through Smart Communications.” It’s 28 bucks on Amazon. And the glasses, you can’t touch those unless you’re an NTEN member.

Post a question for Amy before the show on the LinkedIn group and you’ll have a chance to win one hour of Planned Giving or Charity Registration consulting from me.

Enter both pre-show contests with two questions. The social web is enormous. You can generate two different questions.

Listen live and join the conversation on Twitter using the #NonprofitRadio hashtag. We’ll have Twitter-only contest questions.

You’d be smart to have the show’s Facebook page open too. The first one to post a certain phrase at the appointed time will win “Open Community: A Little Book of Big Ideas for Associations Navigating the Social Web.”

Keep the Nonprofit Radio LinkedIn group open, too. An hour of comp’d consulting will go out through there during the show. That’s in addition to the pre-show questions above.

If you listen to the archive, you’re not left out. I’ll have books, webinars and clothing for podcast listeners.

All the Nonprofit Radio regular contributors will be on talking about social networking. That’s Scott Koegler; Maria Semple; and Gene Takagi with Emily Chan.

I’ll have something to give away nearly every 5 minutes. I’m so damn grateful for your support.

We’ll have a good time! Listen live or archive!

Here is the survey for this week’s show. Please take a moment to answer the questions. Thanks.

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