True Lies About Digital Communications

Dubbed True Lies: An honest approach to making the web, social and mobile media work for you, our presentation's premise is that anyone can simplify and streamline the thinking and tasks that are typically associated with digital communications.

The message boils down to this – any organization can effectively “go digital” if it focuses on some basic marketing tactics, stresses quality over quantity, and is willing to embrace trial-and-error.

Caesar and I also sought to debunk some common assumptions and fears associated with digital communications, while we described some practical (often free) online tools and donation modules that can make the job easier for any nonprofit.

The breakfast began with a Charity Spotlight on The Society for Heart Attack Prevention and Eradication (SHAPE), as presented by the organization's Executive Director, Jay Donella.

Edge Creative Strategies and blu27.com would like to thank Philanthropy & Houston, those in attendance, and most especially the organization's gracious headmaster – Max A. Cameau, CAP®, of Merrill Lynch – for this opportunity. We look forward to more encounters in the future.

Philanthropy & Houston is a monthly colloquium for Houston charities, sponsored by the Charity Committee and Downtown Club.

Download or view our presentation slides.

You Can Trust Me

The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration, or SOFII, a terrific resource for fundraisers, recently published an analysis of a letter sent to Oxfam Ireland by one of its donors.  In part, the letter read --

…[I am] unable as an individual to deliver aid to whoever needs it. That would be impossible and very wasteful. The money you received from me is real money – with that I mean, if I didn’t give the money to you, I wouldn’t have difficulty finding another use for it. What I am really trying to say is this: I trust you to spend money wisely and carefully and give aid appropriately with consideration to people’s background. I don’t expect Oxfam employees to work for nothing, they need to be properly paid.
I am proud to support Oxfam and I know that puts a responsibility on all Oxfam personnel.

Twice in his letter the donor refers explicitly to the trust he or she places in Oxfam … and indeed the entire letter underscores the trusting relationship that the donor enjoys with the charity.

However, as the letter also clearly indicates — and Damian notes in his excellent analysis — this trust has been earned. It is not unconditional. Note the last line of the letter, and the writer’s earlier comment … “I give money to Oxfam in good faith ….” Damian calls this individual a ‘dream donor’.

As The Agitator pointed out this week, “a sort of ‘compact’ has been entered here, and one that sounds very durable.” What percentage of your nonprofit’s donors might be classified ‘dream donors’? Should you survey them to find out?  How else might you know? How do you nurture this kind of trust?

How about our fellow Americans – who do they trust?

Americans trust nurses, above all, and then pharmacists, medical doctors and police officers, according to a survey released in December 2010. For the 11th consecutive year, nurses topped Gallop’s list.

Grade-school teachers also ranked well, but their trustworthiness fell from 74% two years ago to 67%, based on Gallop’s telephone research.

Even though police officers remained high on the list, the profession’s reputation also slid (by 6%) in the past year.

Meanwhile, Americans consider car salespeople, members of Congress and lobbyists to be the least ethical professions on the list of those surveyed.

I have written to Gallop with a request that they consider adding nonprofit organizations to the list next year.

Online Donation Made Easy

The ability to accept donations online has become an essential component of virtually every nonprofit organization’s web-marketing strategy. Donations are the oxygen that enriches an NPO’s lifeblood, and these days, donors expect to be able to contribute online.

Yet for many NPOs, a custom-made e-commerce solution can be far too costly, time-consuming and riddled with potential problems. We all know of PayPal and numerous shopping-cart modules that are pre-packaged for “easy integration” into virtually any website. But almost every such solution comes with inherent limitations and sometimes nasty bugs. Moreover, the vast majority of these modules aren’t attuned to the specific needs of NPOs.

At Edge, we’ve begun to recommend one online donation system above others – Acceptiva. Billing itself as a “customized online payment and donation service,” and proudly stating that it “works only with nonprofits,” Acceptiva takes a huge amount of hassle and guesswork out of the online donation process.

In a nutshell, here’s how Acceptiva works –

1. Via an ordinary Microsoft Word document, you submit the requirements and structure of your online donation form to Acceptiva.
2. Acceptiva creates, codes and posts the form online as little as 24 hours.
3. Once tested and approved, you link to this Acceptiva-hosted form through your website and you’re ready to start accepting donations.

Of course, there are a few typical administrative elements that are part of the Acceptiva equation. Like with all such services, Acceptiva must first establish a link to your organization’s bank account for the electronic transfer of donations. Plus there is an initial set-up fee, and the usual credit card and transaction fees also apply.

Acceptiva operates as a paid-subscription service. While a monthly fee may initially raise eyebrows at some NPOs, at Edge we believe Acceptiva is a bargain for several reasons.

• For a one-time set-up fee and less than $50 per month, an NPO can create an unlimited number of donation forms. When compared to the cost and hassle of other such solutions – and especially from-scratch donation systems – Acceptiva offers exceptional value.
• Acceptiva forms can be designed for one-time donations, recurring donations, event registrations, tuition payments and much, much more.
• Acceptiva is extremely secure and works with Master Card®, Visa®, American Express®, Discover® and e-checks.
• Acceptiva charges no additional fees over and above ordinary merchant bank processing fees.
• They even offer a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Now you may be asking yourself, “What’s in this for Edge?” Rest assured, our endorsement of Acceptiva is completely unsolicited and we reap no financial benefit from suggesting the service.

We first witnessed the power and convenience of Acceptiva when this service was recommended to CHRISTUS Foundation for Healthcare by Edge’s own web guru, Michel Godts. CHRISTUS has since used Acceptiva for the processing of all its online donations and event registrations with great ease and success.    

Of course, Acceptiva may not be right for every NPO, but if your organization is considering a custom online donation solution, why reinvent the wheel? Check out Acceptiva first.

Check Out Google Grants and Facebook Causes

Google Grants Has Your Back
A quick “heads up” for any NPOs that might not already know – Google Grants allows qualifying charitable organizations to receive free in-kind Google AdWords advertising. AdWords pay-per-click ads are the “sponsored links” that appear on the right sidebar of the Google page with search results. For-profit businesses pay for such placement, but as an NPO, your AdWords budget could be covered by Google Grants if your organization qualifies.

Check Out Facebook Causes
If you haven’t already explored Facebook Causes, this could be your NPO’s ideal entry point into the social media realm. Through the Causes network your NPO can attract and inspire new contributors and champions. If your NPO is already on Facebook, Causes can help bolster donations and exposure to your efforts.

Let’s Chat About Social Media.

Seems to me that, in the nonprofit sphere, everyone is writing about social media and their power to build brands and community. Frankly, while we get involved in varied social-media (techie, sexy, costly, mysterious) projects, we keep coming back to the fundamentals of good marketing at Edge. 
A fabulous article appeared yesterday on the topic of social media, and I want to share it. Hope you enjoy. And I’d love to hear your responses.

There’s More to Marketing than Social Media
by Nancy Schwartz

We, as nonprofit communicators, are facing a difficult challenge.

The challenge was seeded years ago when social media began to take the nonprofit world by storm. First came blogging. I treasured (and still do) the vitality and vibrancy of blogs as a source of succinct, timely content and discussions. That’s why in 2005 I launched the Getting Attention blog to complement our long-form e-update articles.

But as we continue to be inundated by a plethora of social media tools, many of us have caught the fever, allocating our never-enough-time to experimenting with whatever’s new and shiny—frequently in response to pressure from above. I’m concerned to see nonprofit marketers forsake the well-tested cornerstones of effective nonprofit marketing to do all social media, all the time. Or even 40% of the time.

I get it.

It’s hard to resist jumping on what’s hot. Social media is practically all you hear from marketing experts and nonprofit leaders alike. So much so that many nonprofit leaders frequently push their communicators to jump in, even if they don’t really understand what the “in” is. Several of you have shared with me the pressure you’re feeling – whether self-inflicted or coming from other sources.

This human services agency is using Facebook’s “safe space” to build awareness of its family violence prevention services. That international aid organization is bringing front-line stories of its far-away work to supporters back home via online video. And an online organizing superstar dramatically increases email list counts and quality for his client organizations via social-media advocacy campaigns.

It’s incredibly seductive. Lots of success stories, lots of experimentation and lots of attention. Finally, we communicators are on the leading edge!

Don’t get me wrong.

The excitement generated by social media tools has dramatically changed the marketing landscape and invigorated our field. And I do value the distinct benefits of Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other tools for GettingAttention.org and for nonprofit clients. Twitter is fantastic for sharing and discussing hot news. Facebook is an ideal way to nurture an engaged community, and enable community members to extend it to their friends.

But these are just tools, and should never lead your marketing agenda. Dedicating 40% or more of your organization’s marketing resources to social media all too often comes at the expense of the fundamentals that form the foundation for effective marketing. I promise you that for every nonprofit social media success story you hear, there are three or more failures. They are there—but folks are just too shy to share them.

Core marketing is your path to breakthrough results—beginning with a thorough, proactive, ambitious, but realistic marketing plan that defines your steps to make the most of what your organization has to offer, in a way that connects with the network you need to engage.

Social media tools just won’t do that. But focusing on the cornerstones will—from planning to getting to know your audiences, crafting relevant messages, defining the best channels  to engage those folks in productive conversation and action, and measuring the impact of your work.

Here’s the dilemma. Many times when I talk marketing cornerstones to nonprofits I get a nod, but that’s about it. It’s only about half the time a nonprofit marketer agrees that the cornerstones come first, with social media somewhere down the line. These are the folks who most frequently report dramatic marketing wins to me.

That leaves at least half of you who are missing out on your nonprofit marketing potential.

In the last two months, others I respect greatly have articulated the same perspective. Social media wizard Chris Brogan recently highlighted the problem with social-only nonprofit campaigns, cautioning us to avoid littering the online communications landscape. MarketingProfs contributor Elaine Fogel asked Isn’t Anyone Using Offline Marketing Anymore?

Most significantly, nonprofit innovators Beth Kanter (the nonprofit social media guru) and Allison Fine published The Networked Nonprofit: Connecting with Social Media to Drive Change, in which they position social media as a principle means, not end, for effective nonprofit operations today.

These social media and marketing experts join me in asserting that social media tools are just that, tools. And warn of the dangers of mistaking them for strategies. But despite the fact that the choir is growing in size, I bet many of you remain skeptical that there’s nothing more important right now, nonprofit marketing wise, than finding ways to use social media to advance your organization’s mission.

I want to ask for your feedback.

For those of you who believe in the value of marketing cornerstones, and maintain them as the heart of your nonprofit marketing work:

• Why do you do so in the face of so many social media options?
• How do you respond to leadership and colleague pressure to do more with social media when your resources are already limited?
• How can we build understanding among our peers that the basics must come first?

For those of you feel that social media is your MOST important focus now, please share your strategies:

• How do you decide what to do social media wise?
• How do you measure results?
• How do you communicate effectively without having to tackle the marketing basics I rely on?

There’s no single way to do it right. But I also know that that marketing cornerstones remain the right way to go, even in the shadow of the new and shiny.

Baby and bathwater; we can have it all. Hearing your ideas and experiences will help. Please share them here.

About the Author

As President of Nancy Schwartz & Company, Nancy and her team provide marketing planning and implementation services to organizations as varied as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, and Wake County (NC) Health Services.

© 2002 - 2010 Nancy E. Schwartz

Small Change: A Short, Unassuming Book about a Big, Important Idea

In our newsletter and on our blog I have in the past recommended that all our friends read Uncharitable, by Dan Pallotta. I’ve called the book revolutionary and even have taught from its pages in the advanced Rice/AFP course, “The Art of Fundraising.” 
Now I have to advocate that you read the counterargument, in a much smaller volume entitled, Small Change: Why Business Won’t Save the World, by Michael Edwards.

Edwards is a former director of the Ford Foundation's Governance and Civil Society Program in New York, where he oversaw grants totaling more than $900 million between 1999 and 2008. Pallotta is an articulate thinker and writer in a movement that promises to save the world by bringing the magic of the market to philanthropy. Nonprofits should be run like businesses, its adherents say, and businesses can find new sources of revenue by marketing goods and services that benefit society.

Dubbed “philanthrocapitalism,” the movement’s supporters believe that business principles can and should be the primary drivers of social transformation. What could be wrong with that?

Plenty, argues, Edwards, who marshals a wealth of evidence to show just how far short the promise of philanthrocapitalism has fallen, and why the whole concept is fundamentally flawed.

The debate advanced here by Edwards was begun, I think, by Jim Collins, author of Good to Great. In his monograph entitled “Good to Great and the Social Sectors,” Collins begins his text with this clear directive: “We must reject the idea – well intentioned, but dead wrong – that the primary path to greatness in the social sectors is to become ‘more like a business.’” I find myself siding with Collins and Edwards. See what you think.

Edge Completes UT–Tyler Constituent Research Project

In mid-June Edge had the pleasure of delivering an illuminating array of research findings and marketing recommendations to the president and other leaders at the University of Texas at Tyler, who are planning creatively for their young school’s future.

This engagement had Edge using both qualitative (interviews) and quantitative (Web-based) research techniques in gathering information from prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, staff, high-school counselors, and students who, though accepted by UT Tyler, chose to enroll elsewhere.
   

Our staff at Edge – none of whom knew of UT Tyler before accepting this engagement – enjoyed learning about this extraordinary school this spring and look forward to hearing many great things about it in the years ahead.

Edge’s Shuchi Sharma and Steve Barnhill were assisted in this project by Clare Mawson, of Gelb Consulting Group. We were led in our efforts by Gregg Lassen, vice president of business affairs and CFO of UT Tyler, and by Beverley Golden, the university’s director of news and information.

A university of 6,100 students, UT Tyler was founded in 1971 as Tyler State College and renamed Texas Eastern University four years later.  The school joined the University of Texas System in 1979. Since 1998, UT Tyler has been educating students from the freshman level through graduate and postgraduate levels.
 

Go Patriots!

MLN Unveils a New Degree of Excellence

Ranking among the Southwest’s leading full-line mechanical contractors, MLN Company proudly celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2008. In commemoration of this milestone, MLN called upon Edge for a rejuvenation of the company’s graphic identity, website and marketing communications.

MLN Company’s bold new logo signifies the company’s ongoing dedication to delivering an unsurpassed degree of excellence in HVAC and plumbing installations. The graphic identity made its official debut in June of this year.

Along with this bold new graphic identity, MLN also introduced the new mlncompany.com this April. The site was authored by Edge’s Steve Barnhill, designed by Don Goodell, and engineered by Edge web developer, Michel Godts. Like many Edge websites, it employs the ExpressionEngine content management system.

Brother, Can You Spare Me a Dime?

CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare, a longtime Edge client, recently launched the Change for Change online donation program. Contributors to Change for Change can make small recurring donations that benefit those in need of healthcare throughout Houston and surrounding areas.

As little as 13 cents a day can mean a dozen children get needed antibiotics. Twenty-five cents can provide wellness exams for three elderly women. Fifty cents will mean a schoolboy finally gets the eyeglasses that correct and clear his vision.

Change for Change contributors can choose from a variety of recurring monthly donation packages or one-time amounts. Edge is proud to have helped make this online donation program possible. Through small donations to Change for Change, big things are already happening.

• Learn more or donate to Change for Change.

Edge Builds a Firm Foundation With E.E. Reed

With a company history backed by nearly 50 years of shaping Houston’s cityscape, E. E. Reed Construction is among our region’s most respected, reliable and recognized general contractors.

E.E. Reed’s expertise spans every phase of commercial, institutional and retail construction. This May,  E.E. Reed’s Houston headquarters engaged Edge Creative to oversee a number of marketing projects, which will initially include the conception and design of corporate capabilities and sales-collateral materials. In addition to its Houston office, the company boasts locations in Austin, San Diego, California and Washington D.C., and has completed projects from coast to coast.

Edge is honored to work alongside E. E. Reed, a company that is a flagbearer in the construction industry. Look for more updates in the weeks and months to come.

HCHA Publishes Snapshots of Harris County Health

Edge just completed design, copywriting and production work for the 2009 Annual Report for the Harris County Healthcare Alliance. HCHA is a nonprofit corporation formed in 2006 to serve as a catalyst for improving the healthcare system of Houston and Harris County.

The new book conveys "snapshots" of the state of health in our area, with particular focus on infant mortality, adolescent pregnancy, pregnancy/infancy outcomes, sexually transmitted infections, hepatitis B and C, immunizations, cancer, adult and childhood obesity, and emergency-room use for behavioral-health problems. Serving as editor on the report was Karen Love, HCHA’s executive director. Valuable editorial assistance was provided by Michele Salazar-Martinez.

Hot Off the Presses: The Legacies of Texas Southern

In our previous newsletter, you read that Edge had recently completed design of the 2009 Texas Southern University Annual Report. Since that time, the annual report has been printed and arrived in the hands of hundreds throughout the TSU community. We’re proud to say that response has been overwhelming.

Stories of TSU’s people have helped make this annual report especially memorable and successful. These stories focus on graduates and students who have special ties to TSU’s multifaceted past. Such ties may come in the form of a family member who also went to TSU decades ago or an especially inspiring professor. Simply put, these tales illustrate that across generations, TSU has remained a positive force in our community and on the landscape of higher education.

Edge thanks TSU's Wendy Adair, Meera Bowman Johnson and Greg Holland for their invaluable contributions.

PESA Website and Annual Report Blend Tradition, Functionality and Fun

Edge Creative Strategies and the Petroleum Equipment Suppliers Association (PESA) recently launched PESA.org, the new online home of a thriving professional organization and business resource with more than 75 years of colorful history.

PESA encompasses a variety of companies that serve the petroleum industry. Today nearly 200 member firms are active in the association.

PESA’s Michael Perini and Chris Evans welcomed a hands-on opportunity to manage site content via the site’s user-friendly ExpressionEngine content management system. The site’s launch was announced via a whimsical direct-mail campaign that combined vintage PESA imagery with tongue-in-cheek commentary.

The PESA 2009 Annual Report was also unveiled in April to equally positive reviews. Designed by Edge creative director, Don Goodell, its playful graphic theme is built around business cards that represent PESA member companies.

How Important Is An Organization’s Symbol?

William Wilberforce had struggled for more than a decade to end the slave trade in the British Empire. As a member of Parliament, he had argued, debated, organized and tried everything in his power to alter the thinking of the English people, but his struggle seemed endless.

Driven by his Christian faith, and supported by his friend John Newton, a former slave trader himself and the writer of the hymn “Amazing Grace,” Wilberforce pressed on, trying to get the public to see slavery for the evil it was.

But the slavery business was the largest industry in the Empire, equating to the size and economic importance the defense industry to America today.

Growing ever more frustrated, Wilberforce commissioned Josiah Wedgewood, famed creator of pottery and china, to design a medallion “expressive of an African in chains in a supplicating posture.” The words surrounding the nearly naked man were engraved as a motto: Am I Not A Man And A Brother?

The medallion was created, and the phrase written, to appeal both to Christians and secularists, and it made an immediate impression on British Society.

In 1788, an order of the cameos was shipped to Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia. Wearing the cameo became a fashion statement for abolitionists and anti-slavery sympathizers in the U.S. Medallions were worn as jewelry of all kinds and mounted like pictures on walls in homes. They also adorned hair combs and snuffboxes.

The general public was enthralled, and the image started to appear in major pamphlets of the day.

Wilberforce’s goal was to focus public opinion on the cruel slave trade, and it worked. Before long, the momentum changed the debate in Parliament, and Wilberforce and his supporters won the day.

The medallion had done what years of debate, intellectual discussion and government action could not do alone. It had helped change the culture and end the slave trade.

When a powerful story and indelible image are connected to a person, cause, product or organization, anything can happen.

Color Edge Silver

At the 2010 Houston Addy Awards in February, Edge was honored with three Silver Medals. These medals were earned for City of Refuge Church direct mail, Granite Properties collateral material and Garrett Family collateral. The University of Houston Hilton College Dean’s Report garnered a Certificate of Excellence. Everyone here at Edge – and most especially our creative and visionary clients – had a hand in bringing home the hardware.

CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare Opens New Midtown Clinic

February 6, 2010 was a glorious day; and the crisp breezes, bright sunshine and high blue sky were only the beginning. It was on this Saturday that CHRISTUS Foundation for HealthCare welcomed hundreds to the Grand Opening of the new W.T. and Louise J. Moran Health Center/John S. Dunn Building, located in Midtown Houston.

A collaboration of Houston’s historic San José Clinic, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and CHRISTUS Foundation, the new center is a major, multi-service health complex, offering primary and specialized medical services, dental care, mental-health counseling and literacy-education programs Houston’s uninsured and underserviced.

Since 2005, Edge has worked closely with CHRISTUS Foundation President Les Cave in bringing the vision of a much-needed midtown clinic to fruition. Edge has supported CHRISTUS with marketing communications that buttressed the fundraising drive for the Moran Health Center. Associated deliverables have included brochures, funding letters, and even the new christusfoundation.org.

In the words of Les, “We couldn’t have opened the Moran Health Center without Edge’s strategic thinking, creativity and support.” Here at Edge, we are humbled, truly appreciative and blessed to be part of such a glorious undertaking.

Edge Showcases Change at TSU

Before 2010 began, Edge was chosen by Texas Southern University to oversee its 2009 President’s Report. Edge Creative Director Don Goodell is leading the project’s design team, while photographer Pam Francis has been recruited to help bring the book’s vision to life.

Titled "Generations of Change," the report will feature stories of paired TSU graduates, students and faculty members who share bonds across generations. These ties may be through family, a common academic path, a notable achievement or a mutual passion.

By focusing on what was, what is, and what can be, TSU’s 2009 annual report will represent an institution that is poised to embrace the future, while respecting the past. Edge is honored to be part of TSU’s ongoing story.

Vim, Vigor and Vitality – on Sundays and Online

January marked Edge’s launch of www.cityofrefuge.org, the new online home of City of Refuge Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Located in Houston’s historic Third Ward, City of Refuge (COR) is a truly multicultural congregation, where all are welcome to worship with “Vim, Vigor and Vitality.”

Based on the ExpressionEngine Content Management System, the new City of Refuge website allows for extreme flexibility in management of text, imagery, event listings, audio sermons, news bulletins and more. Thanks to the simplicity and stability of the ExpressionEngine system, the vast majority of the site’s content is updated in real time by the COR staff.

Site design was overseen by Edge’s Don Goodell, while copy was written by Steve Barnhill. Edge’s Frank Moore, along with COR’s Brandon Fremion largely populated the site for initial launch and continue to oversee ongoing updates. The site’s “back-end” ExpressionEngine framework was programmed by longtime Edge collaborator and web wizard, Michel Godts.

Yorkshire Academy’s Annual Edge Encounter

Located in Houston’s Memorial area, Yorkshire Academy is a private school that welcomes students from 18 months of age through 5th grade. The Academy’s British Curriculum equivalent emphasizes a multi-cultural approach to learning with focus on low student-to-teacher ratios and  exceptional extracurricular activities.

As in years past, this January, Yorkshire Academy called upon Edge to craft an invitation for the school’s annual Open House.

Themed “Everyone’s a Writer,” the event offered parents, teachers, staff and students the chance to celebrate the joy of writing within a truly unique scholastic environment.

The event invite features design by Edge’s Don Goodell, copy by Edge’s Frank Moore,  illustrations by Mike Guillory and photos by Yorkshire’s own Lori Darnell.

Serving, Strengthening and Sustaining with Ellen Cokinos

In January, Edge launched a new website for Ellen Cokinos Consulting for Nonprofits, www.ellencokinos.com. Throughout her 25-year career in the nonprofit arena, Ellen has amassed an impressive array of consulting successes, as she has served, strengthened and sustained the causes of some of our nation’s most esteemed “NPOs.”

Orchestrated by Edge’s Creative Director Don Goodell and authored by Steve Barnhill and Ellen, ellencokinos.com is the ideal combination of form and function. Clear navigation, clean design and concise messaging are complemented by the poignant photography of Pam Francis.

Everyone at Edge appreciates Ellen’s friendship and faith, and we salute the debut of her impressive, informative new online presence.

Who Wants to Be a Partner? 25 First Moves for Nonprofits

If the thought of collaborating has appeal for you, but you don’t know how to start, here are 25 suggestions by Karen Eber Davis lifted from Texas Nonprofits’ e-newsletter of February 22nd. All of these ideas are intended to "see how the relationship works," and establish trust.

1. Share a coffee or lunch date to discuss common interests.
2. Trade ad space in your newsletter or programs.
3. Jointly sponsor a one-time education event for the community.
4. Attend an education event together; compare notes about how you will use the material at your organization.
5. Do a joint board retreat at one location; share rental expenses. Share a meal or refreshments or a keynote presentation with the other board.
6. Develop a joint marketing piece. "Come to these two March events.."
7. Offer a special discount coupon for attending two events, one from each partner.
8. Link your web pages. Become Facebook friends. Add each other to your mailing list.
9. Learn enough about each other to make referrals.
10. Go for a tour of each other's sites, meet afterward to share suggestions and insights.
11. Do a joint staff education event.
12. Recommend a service provider or association.
13. Attend each other's special events.
14. Serve on each other's hiring interviews for key positions.
15. Review each other's grants, prior to submittal.
16. Co-chair a committee together for an association to which you both belong.
17. Write or video a testimonial for the other organization for use in their publicity, press release or grant request.
18. Agree to meet monthly for one quarter, via telephone, to discuss common concerns, interests and ideas.
19. Share articles you think the other leaders will find of interest.
20. Share materials you developed, but no longer use, i.e. the case statement from your capital campaign, annual appeal letters, brochures, etc. Offer each other permission to copy with credit.
21. Review each other's websites, newsletter and other media. Make suggestions for improvements. 
22. Brainstorm a list of joint projects. Pick out the top three possibilities and explore moving forward on one of them.
23. Purchase something together to receive a discount (buy one get one free)
24. Develop a joint press release on a common concern.
25. Jointly write a letter to editor of the local newspaper.

Why Don’t We Collaborate?

One of the issues that always faces us in philanthropic activities is that of collaboration. My question about this is, Why do our organizations resist collaborating?

Two foundation officers tell me that the lack of partnerships among NPOs is frustrating, costly and maddening to them.

“I will get six proposals from six local nonprofits all seeking to do the same thing!” one officer told me. “Why not get together and bring me a single proposal. That would be much more attractive to us, for sure.”

The reason for avoiding collaborations are often selfish, he explained. “I am a believer that nothing is impossible if no one cares who gets the credit,” he told me. “But individual credit is just too important to many organizations – often more important even than achieving the philanthropic objective.”

Another officer, who was reviewing proposals even as we spoke, told me that she is heartbroken by the lack of collaboration she sees. “So much more is possible if nonprofits would only work together,” she said.

A prominent CEO of a Houston nonprofit told me that she has occasionally sought collaborators, but most often been rebuffed. “Sometimes my calls don’t even get returned,” she said.

It all makes me wonder. If you have a thought, please let me know.

San Antonio Fun Raising

My one-day journey to San Antonio with Jana Mullins of Rockwell Fund and my colleague Shuchi Sharma was both filling and fun. Trips to San Antonio often are.
                The local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals invited Jana and me to lunch with 60-plus members, asking that we reimburse them by sharing our stories and maybe a lesson or two garnered during our years of nonprofit work.
                It might go without saying, but San Antonio fundraisers are quite different from their Houston counterparts. They appear more relaxed, open-minded and inclined to enjoy their work than we are here. But we all had fun, and that’s precisely what the Alamo City’s AFP members wanted.
                Jana shared a lot about her book, Open Hands (http://www.amazon.com/Open-Hands-Lessons-Giving-Receiving/dp/193397933X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264189864&sr=1-1) and I followed with a presentation on Five Principles that I contend can revolutionize development success for nonprofits. I might have provided little more than meringue for Jana’s pie! But attendees certainly left the luncheon filled with information and inspiration. We did, too.
                It interests me to learn how different two professional groups can be in nature, even when working only a few hours apart. The experience suggests to me that the two AFP chapters could gain a lot from having joint functions, where fundraisers might learn about what’s happening just down Interstate 10.
                Everything's the same, and it's all different.

San Antonio in January

On behalf of Edge, I’m taking my show on the road.

Next month I’ll be going to San Antonio to speak at the lunch meeting of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. I’m elated.

It’s my first presentation in San Antonio since the 1980s, a decade in which I regularly worked for the fine people of Luby’s, La Quinta and Fox Photo.

That was two decades before our company came to specialize in counsel and services to nonprofits.

The invitation was extended to me by Jana Mullins, of Rockwell Fund. Jana was originally asked to speak to the AFP chapter about her wonderful book, Open Hands: Lessons on Giving and Receiving, but concluded  “My book and I aren’t really a lunch event!”

I’ll speak for half an hour, delivering the core messages of the presentation I gave in “The Art of Fundraising II,” a Rice Continuing Studies course, in a separate presentation within Rice’s Leadership Institute for Nonprofit Executives, and also to participants in a 2.5-hour lecture at the United Way here in early fall.

I’m seriously flattered by the invitation and now have some serious editing to do in the coming month. If you’re in San Antonio and have an interest in participating, please give the AFP Chapter there a call.

Looking for Mr. Goodword: Researching Foundations and Their Roles as Communicators

My main curiosity stems from experience with Houston-area foundations, which don’t generally place a priority on being proactive communicators. At least that’s my impression.

In April I will be combining a talk on foundation strategies with some general principles I have adopted for designing communications for nonprofits, which is our company’s (beloved) business niche.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation has provided me a synopsis of their communication strategy. I will be happily sharing the headlines.

So…I began my work with a call this week to Matthew Barnes, grant officer at Houston Endowment. Matt shared his thoughts with me and then connected  me with Jane Lowe, at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Anyone who watches PBS or listens to NPR knows RWJF very well. They are huge underwriters of public radio and television. I am interested in knowing the strategy behind their sponsorship investments and then making similar connections with  leading foundations of like minds.

Jane sent me a write-up on the foundation’s strategy that I am reading tonight. My naive impression is that RWJF has two public faces. One is expected face of a philanthropic foundation: They award grants to deserving organizations and initiatives. The other face is more akin to typical nonprofit organizations. By this I mean that they plan and conduct activities on their own, apart from their grantees -- but always in support of their overarching mission to improve the health and healthcare of Americans.

Once I have read my material and spoken with them, I’ll know more and can share it here.

For now, I am reminded of the words of a foundation executive who, in so many words, told me that his foundation didn’t need to invest in any marketing communications, because “We’re not selling anything.”

What I’m Thinking: A Good Example of a Bad Thing

I recently spoke for 2.5 hours nonstop to 85 nonprofit staffers on the topic of “Five Ideas that Can Revolutionize Your Work.” 

The presentation – an original one and given at no charge -- took me the better part of two months to prepare. Writing took me away from the office for parts of several days. I rehearsed twice in front of my own staff. I anticipated questions and developed answers. I tell you, a lot went into this thing.

I  now believe that giving and receiving are two halves of a single act. They’re the yin and yang of relationship.

 Predictably, for me, I was a nervous wreck when I stepped before the packed room and fired up the projector. The second I ended, the host appeared at the back of the room and said, simply enough, “Thanks, Steve.”

 An hour earlier, I had spoken for 10 minutes to this audience about the power that arises from being a “grateful receiver,” an idea refined in many conversations with my close friend, Jana Mullins, creator of the book Open Hands, Open Hearts.

 “My upbringing has taught me that it is more important to give than to receive,” I had explained to my room full of nonprofit workers. “I’ve learned to question that teaching. And, after a lot of thought, I  now contend that giving and receiving are two halves of a single act. They’re the yin and yang of relationship. Each part has special power and importance. Neither is better than the other. I urge you to consider this proposition in relationships with your volunteers and donors.”

We all know great receivers. They’re the people to whom we love to give. They respond with such comments as, “This is the greatest!” or “I can’t wait to wear this!’ or “You give the best gifts of anyone!” or “How did you know I needed this?” And when we walk away, we feel wonderful, not only about them, but about ourselves. They add the yang to our yin. And we have a strong yen to give them gifts again.

 I wish I had left that room feeling valued and wanting to do it all again. But I didn’t.  

 At the close of my 2.5-hour lecture, I really yearned for my contribution to be acknowledged as special and valuable. I wanted to  leave that room wanting to do it all again. But I didn’t.

If we act this way with the people who create the oxygen that keeps our nonprofits (or for-profit businesses, such as Edge) alive, we’re probably doomed. Let’s try to delight everyone who contributes to our mission. That’s what I’m thinking.

An Alternative Paradigm for Nonprofits, Pt. V: The Challenge is Competition

Not long before my partner and I decided to devote Edge Creative to serving altruistic organizations, I learned that Houston was home to 10,000 nonprofits. Ten thousand!

I naturally thought, “What a rich palette of colors with which to create a future! How can this not be great?”

It looked so good. Ten thousand companies, the biggest of them ranking among the largest Houston employers. Businesses in social services. Health care. The arts and education. Nutrition. Housing. Elder care. Research. The environment. Safety. Service to God and to humankind. The quest for sustainable peace.

If we succeed in helping these organizations prosper, might we not only be fulfilled but also exalted, even elevated to sainthood?

Then I saw the larger picture: Most nonprofits are underfunded. Understaffed. Untrained in how to best select and use suppliers. Ill-equipped to excel in their quest for resources. And, drum roll please, most believe, whether consciously or not, that we live and work in a world of insufficiency.

Let’s admit it: That latter mindset often drives our nonprofit operations. Life to us is a zero-sum game in which survival is paramount. Scarcity is the rule.

The Latin root of the verb "to compete" is competere, which translates as "to seek together."

In fact, a more useful belief might be that that ours is a universe of abundance and that the problem we mostly face in nonprofits is competition for resources, not a scarcity of them. That’s an altogether different challenge.

When faced with a person contending that getting the best people, attracting the most money and creating the brightest future depends on our success against competing forces, I like to counter, “Maybe not.”

Maybe, just maybe, we can pursue success in concert with other forces, as suggested by that popular axiom, “Focus on Growing the Pie, Not Splitting It.” In other words, let’s transform the zero-sum game into an everybody-wins endeavor.

Ironically, the etymology of the word “competition” points us in precisely this direction. The Latin root of the verb "to compete" is competere, which translates as "to seek together" or "to strive together." 

Could this be an option? If so – and we understand competition in this classical way – new possibilities emerge. 

Collaborations and consolidations can benefit everyone, to wit the recent merging of End Hunger Network and Houston Food Bank.

Before we answer the option question, we’re compelled to honestly determine whether our primary goal is, as our missions state, to unselfishly address social needs (altruism) or, as our actions sometimes suggest, to ensure our organization’s survival (Darwinism).

As for me, I prefer to believe that there’s enough to go around, but that we need to be creative in finding and deploying our resources. In many instances, being smart calls for cooperation, collaboration, or even consolidation. In other words, it might mean that 10,000 nonprofits is too many. That won’t be a breakthrough discovery. Any charitable foundation in town can tell you how the numbers (and redundancies) complicate their work. Collaborations and consolidations can benefit everyone, to wit the recent merging of End Hunger Network and Houston Food Bank.

On the other hand, if our primary goal is survival as an organization – or just plain staying employed -- then “beating” the competition (and eventually eliminating it) is definitely called for. And this survival-of-the-fittest mentality will definitely result in a decline in the number of Houston-area nonprofits.

The first of these options arises from the best of our natures, I think, while the second does not. The first is conservative, meaning that it shows appreciation for our resources and their origins, while the second is imprudent and wasteful, an affront to those who sacrifice so that we can do our vital work. 

The destination is predetermined. The road we take is up to us.

An Alternative Paradigm for Nonprofits, Pt. II “Be Interesting or Be Absent.”

If your email box is like mine, then a lot of junk collects there. And a fair amount comes from nonprofits to which I have contributed money, volunteered time or otherwise showed support. I read it all, but then that’s my business. Most working people are unlike me. They delete more than they read. They go the way of incentives to order Xanax, Cialis and Levitra — no prescription needed.

People Read What Interests Them.

Howard Gossage (1916-1969), an advertising industry legend often called the "Socrates of San Francisco," was known for his pungent wit, creative mind, delicious sense of humor, and respect for mankind.

Many of Gossage’s headlines are historic. Consider, “Be The First One on Your Block to Win a Kangaroo,” and its follow-up “New York Child Wins Kangaroo, Her First.”

Who could resist reading on?

The soul of this industry pioneer’s creativity (and the source of his magical success in attracting and influencing the public) was revealed in the most famous of all “Gossagisms”: People don’t read advertising. They read what interests them. This maxim has particular value to all of us, nonprofit communicators.

For whatever reasons, we sometimes think that because our causes are worthy, our messages are therefore compelling. Don’t for a minute believe that.

We compete for attention with advertisers that spend many thousands of dollars to know their audiences, millions to create strong messages that speak to what their audiences want and need, and millions more to select and employ the most efficient and effective delivery systems, both new media and old. In addition, many of these advertisers are ready and willing to take creative risks to assure that they seize people’s attention in unforgettable ways.

Undoubtedly Gossage always faced critics who claimed, “People won’t read that much copy.” He proved them wrong, because he made sure his copy was interesting.

As nonprofits, we compete for attention with advertisers that spend more money and take greater creative risks to grab people’s attention.

Can you imagine being the guy who, 84 years ago, suggested to Goodyear that the company adopt a blimp as its corporate PR symbol? I’m guessing he alarmed every skeptic in the company. Today, three graceful Goodyear giants

Run Into the Roar.

Before this year ends, thousands of nonprofits will close their doors forever.

In far to many instances, the reason for their closures will not be the weakened economy, but their responses to it. They’ll have hunkered down as if they were facing a Gulf hurricane. Truth is, what’s coming is climate change.

I once heard an old African folk tale entitled “Running into the Roar.” Its intent was to teach that our survival instincts can sometimes be lethal. The fable has value for us now.

According to the story, a herd of gazelles was feeding lazily on the grasses of the Serengeti, when a pride of hungry lions caught wind of them.

Gazelles, as you may know, have little trouble outrunning even the fastest of lions. So to eat, lions, the pinnacle of hunting prowess, must outsmart their prey. In this story, they do.

Setting the table for dinner, the lions walked stealthily toward the gazelles, but stopped well short, downwind of the herd, at which time an feeble, old male lion broke silently from the others and snuck around to the far side of the antelopes, positioning himself in the tall grass where he could not be seen.

Once the frail lion – which posed no real threat to the speedy gazelles — was in place, other members of the pride jumped to their feet and rushed at full speed toward to herd of antelopes.

Instinctively, the startled antelopes sensed danger and, with lightening reactions, fled directly away from the approaching predators. Safety, they knew, awaited them that way.

Of course, in this instance, that way was the way toward the old lion staged cleverly in the tall grasses.

As the herd approached him, the frail old lion stood up, gathered all of his strength, and roared with all the meanness he could muster.

Egad! thought the gazelles. Hold everything! We’re going the wrong way! Let’s turn around and get out of here! It’s dangerous going this direction.

The antelopes quickly executed a u-turn and ran straight for the powerful jaws of the approaching pride.

Safety, the moral tells, is sometimes found not in running away from a perceived threat, but heading directly into it. Instincts can’t always be trusted.

So it is for our NPOs today. Leaders will sense today’s economic dangers and respond by battening down the hatches, furling the sails, and retreating below decks. There could hardly be a riskier response.

Right now, conventional wisdom is dangerous. Moreover, following our instincts can be fatal.

In future articles here, we’ll look at five principles that will prove better than instincts in shaping an NPO’s strategy in 2009. In these future stories, we’ll illuminate –

• The one essential business of every NPO.
• How we can get messages through to the people who matter most.
• The one influence that’s more powerful than what people think about us.
• The truth about why we get ignored, even when our causes are compelling.
• The way our world view limits our possibilities.

I’m looking forward to the weeks ahead. Thanks for your attention. Till next time, run into the roar.