Altruism is a core value at Front Porch Marketing, and being community connected is at the forefront of our decision making, both as a company and individually. Our team gives back to the communities in which we live and serve. Our team gives our resources — in time, knowledge, and dollars — because we believe to whom much is given, much will be required.
Where might you see us when we’re not on the Porch?
We spend time in our children’s schools volunteering. And they are broad and wide because we are all in different communities. Some of the schools we support are public. Some are private. But the goal is the same: paying it forward to the next generation. Right now, we are hosting two amazing high school interns for the summer as we do every year!
Some of us volunteer at our churches. Others serve non-profit organizations including the Faith Family Education Foundation, and the Grant Halliburton Foundation, among others. In addition to filling our tank, we serve a greater cause. And, organically, it benefits our business by building brand awareness, and boosting brand engagement. We are known as community helpers. We not only help the community ourselves, we help our clients align their businesses with a cause where they are passionate to make an impact.
Community connections are important.
In addition to schools, non-profits, churches and the other organizations our team members spend time with, there are networking organizations for which we are aligned. They help communities on a much larger scale and we are honored to be part of their missions. They connect us to community and beyond. We are grateful for the Fort Worth Chamber, GS10KSB, NAWBO and WBENC, just to name a few.
Is being community connected important to you and your business? Looking to make a difference in your area? Strategically need to align business with a cause? Want to talk to us about anything? Email us here.
Fundraising for causes near to our hearts is in the Front Porch Marketing team’s fabric of being.
Last year marked my last of three being involved in Jesuit Preparatory School of Dallas Mum sales.
The new Mum Moms found a new solution to Mum sales in the COVID19 world. No Homecoming Dance or other celebrations. So why spend the time or energy?
Reasons Not to Cancel Your Fundraising Efforts
It is tradition. Everyone wants to continue traditions and celebrations. Even if they look differently. Students want to celebrate Homecoming. Donors want to continue annual giving and / or event attendance. They look forward to it. We are thirsting for normalcy.
Fundraising for Mums helps the school. Our school communities need more funds to operate at their best. Now more than ever.
Volunteers for Mums builds school community. Volunteers help make the work happen. They come together. Celebrate tradition. Share stories. Ask advice. Coming together to make this happen.
Adapt communication vehicles and their frequency. Email, text and phone are preferred. Make sure they are quick and to the point. Adjust frequency. More emails and texts are needed to break through the clutter. But they must be on point and useful.
Reinvent your event. Socially distant or online. Engage experts if needed. Events can still happen. It takes extra time. More investment of dollars is needed. Keeping the conversation going is immeasurable.
Make involvement easy. SignUpGenius is a great vehicle. Make sure volunteers know where and when to meet. Maximize their time spent. Create opportunities to volunteer from home.
Make donating simple. Eliminate all the barriers to donation. Make sure the donate button or page is front and center. Optimize the speed and ease of use.
Pick up the phone or schedule a video conference. Check in with your donors. Reach out. Show them you care. You do.
My Mum Mom fundraising era has (maybe temporarily?) ended. The relationships I made with all communities and the students are priceless. Make sure your efforts create the same.
We once again find ourselves, think agility, at a new threshold as our state and country reemerge from quarantine and businesses are making decisions on their next step. The initial rush of the digital pivot is fading … the next opportunity is stamina and easing back into the new normal, whatever that may be.
However, before we start running that ball, let’s just pause and celebrate the WINS over the past five weeks.
With collaboration of the students, parents, administration and teachers, Faith Family Academy was able to continue to serve their student body food, technology and knowledge. They did not miss a beat. Faith Family Academy, you rock!
To Mister Sweeper, who
continues to hire when so many are looking for employment AND keeping streets,
parking lots and garages clean, an especially important job right now! Mister Sweeper, you rock!
Agility Rules!
To Corps Team Dallas, who
continue to support clients in their hiring, pipeline and talent continuity plans,
plus the virtual edition of “What We Love about Dallas,” was a go-to guide for entertainment
this month! Corp
Team Dallas, you rock!
Despite Big Al’s business being significantly hindered during shelter in place every week they have continue to give big with 100+ meal donations to first responders and the underserved community partners, like Family Gateway, Ronald McDonald House, Genesis Women’s Shelter and UTSW first responders. Big Al’s, you rock!
Essential workers that found a new way to safely do business, you rock!
Entrepreneurs who continue to forge ahead despite many unknowns with business and marketing plans, you rock!
Non-profits that are using creative means to serve their clients, you rock!
Therefore, Stay-at-home parents that are navigating new schedules and systems, you rock!
To the kids (especially
seniors) that are mourning traditions missed, but are finding creative
alternatives, you rock!
Above all, all accomplishments, are worth cheering. Find reasons to celebrate and promote good news and good deeds. Recognize all the daily, tiny actions and choices that are keeping our community moving. If we did not catch you in this wrap up, know that we think you rock!
GivingTuesday is December 3 and North Texas Giving Day is just around the corner – September 19. Is your organization ready for this nonprofit marketing challenge?
Giving Days are a celebration of philanthropy. GivingTuesday is a global day of giving that kicks off the charitable season, when many nonprofits focus on their holiday and end-of-year giving. Communities Foundation of Texas’ North Texas Giving Day is an annual giving event that empowers everyone to give back to their community by supporting local nonprofits and causes they care about in an easy-to-use platform.
Criticism of Giving Days
There has been criticism of Giving Days like GivingTuesday. One, GivingTuesday is in December, usually the best fundraising month for most nonprofits. Two, many nonprofits use GivingTuesday as an excuse to get spam-ey:
“And what is in these #GivingTuesday appeals and communications? A great new story? A special giving opportunity that I can be a part of to do something powerful, unique or impactful? Again, generally speaking, no. They are cash grab emails. Give today. Donate now. Make your donation. Why you might ask? Well… uh… because it’s #GivingTuesday seems to be the response.”
Giving Days are not a giving bonanza. That’s a lot of pressure to put on one day. But, they are a great way to raise funds and introduce yourself to new donors. And, local Giving Days are often during the more fundraising fallow parts of the year, so as not to take away from end-of-year giving.
Plus, local Giving Days are often organized by foundations or organizations that have resources and tools to promote philanthropy in ways that small nonprofits often do not have the funds and manpower to do. These larger organizations reach out to media, offer marketing tools, and some, like Communities Foundation of Texas, give out bonus funds to organizations who accomplish certain goals during North Texas Giving Day.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but in light of some sobering statistics on U.S. giving, it is important to take advantage of Giving Days in a strategic and focused way. The Fundraising Effectiveness Project found that while overall giving went up slightly (1.6%) in 2018, this was largely driven by major gifts (donations of $1,000 or more).
Revenue from smaller gifts decreased. Donations of $250-$999 dropped by 4%. Gifts under $250 fell by 4.4%. And, perhaps most serious of all, the overall number of donors fell (by 4.5%) as did retention rates (a 2% drop) and the number of new donors to an organization (a 7.3% drop). This means that:
“Giving is increasing because of larger gifts from richer donors. Smaller and mid-level donors are slowly but surely disappearing – across the board, among all organizations. Philanthropy should not and cannot be just the domain of the wealthy, and the entire sector needs to look at how we reach out to and engage these donors.”
So, now that we’ve got the bad news out of the way, lets get to planning. Because as my mom says, people don’t plan to fail, they fail to plan.
First Things First – Focus
A winning Giving Day strategy has a focus. Organizations who focus their Giving Day goal on one program or initative – say, a new Maker Space for a library or a fund that supports afterschool programming for underserved kids – tend to do better than those who do not target donor giving.
Increasingly, donors want to know where their funds are going and its much easier for people to wrap their mind around one thing – a program or a new piece of equipment – than the dreaded “General Operating Costs.”
Light a Match
I had a boss once who said that having a donor match was like throwing a match on gasoline – it really lights a fire for giving. People love a deal and donor matches make it feel like they are doubling their money. Find a local company who is willing to sponsor a match – you can even offer marketing incentives like putting their name and logo on your Giving Day emails, social media, and website.
Marathon, Not a Sprint
Make a plan for the months and weeks leading up to your Giving Day. Luckily, both Giving Tuesday and Communities Foundation of Texas provide great campaign timeline tools to help you get started.
Also think about:
Get some “ringers”: Assign advocates for your organization who can promote your nonprofit on social media and can make a donation in the early hours of your campaign. People like to join a bandwagon that has some momentum behind it.
Be specific: Paint a picture with your gift amounts. For example a library can say a $50 donation buys 10 new books or $100 donation supports 3 hours of afterschool tutoring.
Make it easy: Look at your donor giving page. Is it easy to use or is it cluttered and clunky? Clean it up before the big day. Giving Days are digital by nature and people are most likely to give online. If it takes a long time to make a donation or the process is confusing, your donor will “abandon cart.”
But the Day Itself is a Sprint
Giving Days are very social by nature – social media that is. Acknowledge your donors on the day of (with their permission of course.) Push out social posts promoting the focus of your fundraising for the day. Interact with your ringers. Let people know how far along your are to your goal and how much match money is left. Talking about how much match money is left creates a sense urgency. And, of course, celebrate and thank your donors.
Giving Days are a great way to acquire new donors, engage with current donors, and of course, raise money for your cause. But you have to have a plan. Giving Day campaigns are a marathon (except on the day of, when its a sprint). Are you geared up? If not, we can help.
I have been to plenty of conferences before, but I don’t think any a conference has resonated with me quite like this year’s Nonprofit Communicators Conference. Judging from the theme alone, “Communication for Social Good, Impact, Authenticity and Executive Presence”, the conference could have been six hours of well-worn clichés. Instead, I came away with a lot of great insights.
Authenticity Matters
When I hear words like “authenticity,” it sounds like one of those touch-ey feel-ey phrases that make me roll my eyes. Why should we care if a company is being authentic or not?
We live in interesting times. Globally, we are experiencing a lack of trust in institutions, including schools, media, government, and yes, nonprofits. With the share of Americans donating to nonprofits in decline, this lack of trust is disturbing news.
For-Profit companies cannot afford to ignore this reality either. Almost two-thirds of the consumers around the world based their purchasing decisions on their beliefs.
Authenticity is knowing your story and owning it. It is your history and your values. These values must be proven over and over again. A company’s history, story, and values are how they can inspire others.
Here are a few authentic brands. Is your brand an authentic reflection of your company?
Leadership Models are Changing
When I saw that there would be a workshop on executive presence and internal communication, I thought it would be someone telling us to “power pose” our way through work. The workshop turned out to be much more than that.
I used to think of a leader as a hard-charging person who was often the loudest or the most extroverted. Sort of like a bull in a china shop, but more charismatic. More of drill sergeant than a coach.
This “command and control” model of leadership is changing. People spend more than 90,000 hours of their lives at work. Our work and personal lives often blend into each other; with many workers who are expected to be “on” 24/7. I think these people deserve better than a drill sergeant for a boss.
Leaders listen, are constantly learning, they always ask for feedback and they are other-centered.
Leaders also have a “magic sauce” called Executive Presence.
Executive Presence is Crucial
What is executive presence? It’s the qualities of leadership that
Character – Qualities of a leader as a person that are fundamental to who they are and give us reason to trust them. These qualities include integrity, concern for others, and humility.
Substance – Cultivated qualities of mature leadership that inspire commitment, inform action and lead to above-and-beyond effort. These qualities include practical wisdom, composure and vision.
Style – Over, skill-based patterns of communicative leadership that build motivation and that shape and sustain performance. Behaviors like intentionality, inclusiveness and assertiveness fall into this category.
Executive presence is an inside>out process, it starts with inner work. The workshop presenter described executive presence with a flight analogy – executive presence is like “putting on your oxygen mask first.” You must know who you are – your story, your voice, your values – before you can expect to lead others.
You can’t bluff your way through executive presence. True leaders are difficult to come by for a reason. Anyone can bark orders at people. Few people can actually inspire others to act.
I know which type of leader I would like to follow and which type of leader I aspire to be.
The Power of Storytelling
Human beings are wired for stories. Stories are a universal language. They carry weight, often even more so than facts because stories can make us feel something – joy, sadness, anger, etc.
Both organizations and individuals must know their story to make an impact in this world. A few questions to think about when contemplating your own story:
What is the story you are telling the world? Do your organization’s values match your deeds?
Whose story are you telling?
How will you tell your story? Does your story lend itself to video? Social media? A podcast?
Stories matter – they inform our world view and they can inspire others to action. What’s your story?
Corporate Culture Communicates a Lot
Today’s workplace asks a lot of its employees, and employees are looking for more in return. In fact, as many other institutions are losing the public’s trust, people are increasingly placing their trust in their employers. Globally, 75 percent of people trust “my employer” to do what is right, significantly more than NGOs (57 percent), business (56 percent) and media (47 percent).
Culture is a kind of communication; it conveys what your company values. When your corporate culture is aligned with your values, when your company “walks the walk,” your employees are more engaged. An engaged workforce is a productive workforce.
And a word of caution from the conference: “Social media has raised the stakes of internal organizational culture.” You don’t want one of your employees becoming so disengaged from their work that they pull an … emergency slide.
The conference resonated with me for a few different reasons, but they basically boil down to this: I feel like I am at a point in my life where questions about authenticity and leadership are becoming more and more important. How we present ourselves to the world, whether it’s in a professional or personal setting, matters. The stories we tell are important. And whether we are being true to our authentic selves, is paramount.
Now, if you will excuse me, I’ve got some inner work to do.
Nonprofits work hard for little money and recognition. With few resources, you’re doing the best you can. But don’t think for a second that just because your organization is a nonprofit that you can’t have great marketing.
Remember, nonprofit is a tax status, not a case for support. Being a nonprofit alone is not a reason for anyone to give. Nonprofits must tell the public about the good they are doing and how people can help.
Here are 5 common nonprofit marketing mistakes and how to fix them:
Mistake #1: Not Participating in Social Media
The point of social media is to be social. Too many nonprofits post only about themselves, follow only a few accounts, do not respond to comments, and ask without giving in return.
This is the equivalent of meeting someone at a party who only talks about themselves, talks your ear off for 20 minutes, and then asks for $50.
Don’t be that guy.
Here is a good rule of thumb to remember when it comes to social content:
A third of your social content should promote your organization, converts readers and generates donations.
Devote a third of your social content to sharing ideas and stories from thought leaders in your industry or like-minded organizations.
A third of your social content should be fun stuff to show that there are human beings behind your social media handles.
Mistake #2: Forgetting Who Your Audience Is
Too often, organizations market to themselves. They only consider what appeals to them and not their supporters. Step outside of your perspective and think long and hard about your audience.
Are your supporters older, younger, parents, young professionals? Are they more likely to respond to digital appeals or direct mail? What do they care about the most – saving time, professional development, kids, the environment, education, social issues? Put yourself in your supporters’ shoes.
Stretched logos, incorrect brand colors, spelling errors, pixelated photos – if they happen once or twice, it’s a simple mistake. If they happen all the time, it makes your organization look homespun at best, or unprofessional worst. And that can erode trust.
Mistake #4: Too Much Text
As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words. And a thousand words alone is, well, not something anyone wants to read.
Your supporters lead busy lives. Take a closer look at your content and figure out where you can tighten your copy.
Mistake #5: Boring Photography
Scott Kirkwood, former editor-in-chief at the National Parks Conservation Association magazine, put it best in a HOW Magazine article:
“…if you helped the nearest national park receive money for a new building, don’t show a photo of that building – it’s a building. Think about how that building will change the life of a visitor. Will the park be able to offer more bird-watching programs as a result? Great. Show a photo of a bird.”
Don’t think that just because your organization is a nonprofit that you can’t afford great photography. The latest smart phones can take great pictures and with a few tutorials, you could be well on your way to taking great photos.
Show photos of the people, animals, environments, etc. helped by your programs.
Show, don’t tell.
You’re trying to do good on a shoestring budget and a skeleton staff. We get it. Its understandable if this seems overwhelming. Great marketing is a constantly moving target that poses a challenge for many organizations.
If you want to talk about your organization’s marketing challenges, give us a call.
