Katrina > Recent Status Updates

Have board members MEET IN THE FIELD for annual meetings.

Not-for-profit & for-profit boards require a "duty of care" & a "duty of loyalty" to the org, which means by law, board members are supposed to have the best interests of the corp at heart. They must do more than just supervise; they are legally responsible for the entity's fiscal health & financial integrity. On the program side, board members must review and make recommendations on the big issues facing the org.

Cause-marketing partnership between Aeropostale & DoSomething: Teens for Jeans.

Cone Inc's data show that two-thirds of people will switch from one brand to another if a "replacement" product or service of comparable value is associated with a cause.

Being Important requires a purpose with a measurable effect.

Whether the reason is self-interest or community spirit---and surely it's a little bit of both--some highly successful not-for-profits have built their success on a community strategy that taps into local pride.

See People First, Buyers Second. [Acknowledge] the human aspects of the decision-making process. By giving them appropriate respect, we gain a competitive advantage over our rivals. ...we help maximize their value to us.

Be Shameless.

[The secret to not-for-profit success] is to humanize fund-raising and marketing. We use humor, empathy, and shared values to raise money.

Offer Options. Choice is a way of life, a basic assumption, like air. How does your company cope with this reality?

Make It Cool. Selling a cool experience is an amazing effective way to move a product.

...asking for something other than money flatters your potential donor. If you want their smarts and their expertise, their introductions or their networks, you're tacitly acknowledging their status in a way that chasing their cash doesn't. You're making it appear that they're even more valuable to you than you expected. And it's not a ploy.

Specificity puts your request in the realm of the concrete and the possible. And if they say no, you have a starting point for negotiation. On the other hand, if they say a blanket no to [the generalized] "please help," you've got no additional asks.

Data helps you make your case. Great data and concrete action plans make it harder to say no.

Data helps you make your case. Great data and concrete action plans make it harder to say no.

Data helps you make your case. Great data & concrete action plans make it harder to say no.

We've learned to make very pointed asks of donors focused not only on timing but also on substance. The less specific we are, the less likely we are to get a yes.

Be Very Specific. Adding a deadline to an ask - and explaining that deadline - is a form of specificity that provides a sense of urgency. A reasonable deadline conveys seriousness and professionalism: you've got a timetable, and you need to stick to it. A rational date-stamp feels studied and intentional.

It's the people who really believe in the product or service who invest in it big-time.

Peter Wilderotter (CEO of the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation) warns that, to sustain long-term relationships with donors, you have to convince them that they're making a savvy investment in a cause rather than just doing you a favor. Friendship is not a foundation for a sustainable business model.

Find The Shared Interests. Think about where your organization's purpose intersects with a potential customer's area of interest - or if that customer is totally a wrong fit. It won't take long. Once you do find the intersection, you can focus attention on it, make clear that it is a mutual area of interest, and have a springboard for a concrete discussion.

When I'm pitching a potential donor, I have three questions in mind: Why does this person care about what we're doing? What does he need from us? How can we best meet his specific requirements?

Functionaries function, believers commit. Corporations should recognize that believers can drive sales, produce new partnerships, generate enormous buzz, bring in new business, and reduce costs.

If you text "DoSomething" to 30644, we'll send you a volunteer opportunity in your zip code, twice a month.