Friday, June 26, 2009

On the Lists for Social Change

This week I am just a tad bit excited. Here at givingadvice, I am delighted to announce that my blog, givingadvice, made the Entrepreneurs Common: Top 150 List of Social Capital Blogs. Entrepreneur Commons is a not-for-profit, somewhere between regular business and the non-profit world. This list of Social Capital resources is at the intersection of Philanthropy (where the money comes from originally in most cases) , Fundraising & Social Marketing (How to get it), Non-profits & Social Entrepreneurship (where and how it is spent).

The other blogs deserve a shout out and worth checking out. Here are a few:

Philanthromedia
WorldChanging

Gift Hub
Donor Power Blog
Social Marketing

The goal of 'givingadvice' blog is to inspire and inform readers about business philanthropy, cause related efforts, volunteers and other subjects about social change. Even if one post resonates with you and you begin to think about how you can do something similar through your business to make a difference, I am one step closer toward it's purpose.



Also 'givingadvice' blog , is on the List Of Change, a list of social change blogs. There are about 200 and my blog ranked #123. The blogs listed on List of Change are self-submitted but each on goes through a review before being accepted. To be among a list of other blogs that focus on social change is very satisfying. Here are some of the blogs on List of Change:

Beth's Blog
Tactical Philanthropy
PhilanTopic
Philanthropy2173
BlackGivesBack
The Causemopolitan

Be sure to check them out, stop back here at givingadvice and share it with a friend.

Monday, June 22, 2009

Kick-Off for United We Serve



Today marks the official kick off of United We Serve. This is a nationwide campaign calling all Americans, young and old to volunteer this summer and be a part of rebuilding America.

President Obama is challenging everyone, individuals, community organizations, churches, businesses, corporations, foundations and government to be a part of this effort.

Even First Lady Michele Obama is rolling up her sleeves. Listen to her message now.

Friday, June 19, 2009

What does Samuel Adams & Speed Coaching Have in Common?


Samuel Adams Brewing has a unique and clever signature philanthropy program, Samuel Adams Brewing the American Dream, that is a spin-off of the speed dating idea. It's called Speed Coaching. This is one clever and creative program worth sharing. Read more here about how Samuel Adams is helping food and beverage entrepreneurs through skills-based volunteering and microloans.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Connecting Your Giving Message to Market

Question: What is the one way you can interact and gain trust from clients and customers without selling to them?

Answer: Sharing your business's giving back story.

And it is a business strategy that is working better than ever. In fact, it works so well that big corporations are doing it more and more and I KNOW that when you connect with clients on a level that goes beyond 'the transaction' to one that you both share in, like making a difference, you create an immediate emotional connection which builds trust and loyalty.

So, whether you give back in a small way or big way, your business can be influenced by supporting causes and when you create a giving story that is credible and authentic it can be a driving factor in increasing sales. And I want to share with you great tips on this topic. That is why I am interviewing Lisa Manyon, President of Write On Creative and copywriting expert because what you say is just as important as how you say it.

Join us for this free teleseminar, "Connecting Your Giving Message to Market in an Authentic Way" on 4:00pm EST on Tuesday, June 23, 2009.

On this call you will learn:
  • How to connect with customers on their terms
  • POWER points to ask yourself before you start writing
  • Why what you say is as important as how you say it
  • Shortcuts to copy success
  • Crafting copy that compels your customers to act
  • Why credibility and authenticity count
Sign up to reserve your spot on this call.

Friday, June 12, 2009

As Giving Falls, Stories Need to Rise

Great article by NPR, "Charitable Giving Fell Last Year but Didn't Dive". A need for services increases and donations decreased leaving many nonprofits having to get very creative and resourceful with fund development and adding social networking to increase awareness.

My advice to charities is the same as it has been, your mission is not your message. Your stories of success is your message and you have to be able to share it in a compelling way that emotionally connects with prospective donors and current donors.

Monday, June 8, 2009

2 Scoops for Volunteerism??

July is National Ice Cream Month. Mmmmm, this is good to know! And, Baskin-Robbins is partnering with DoSomething.org on a summer campaign called, "I Serve, You Serve" to encourage teens to get involved in their communities.

Teens who sign up to volunteer through DoSomething.org/Serve will get a coupon for a free vanilla soft-serve cone from July 13-17. The campaign slogan is "Get something good for doing something good." Okay, kids get an allowance for doing chores. Now we have to reward them for volunteering, for an act of kindness. Come'on! I am not thinking kids are going to volunteer for an ice cream cone. The campaign name is cute but appears short on being compelling.

The act of rewarding kids for volunteerism beyond the thank you and gratitude they should feel for helping out someone is not necessary. What kind of message does this send? The whole idea of volunteering is to give back and help out without there being a bargaining chip. If we are going to engage kids in community service through schools and teach them the value of volunteerism then it strikes me that we all have a part in sharing the same message and enticing them with ice cream to volunteer doesn't quite align with that message.


Friday, June 5, 2009

Happy National Donut Day!

I don't know about you but I have a severe sweet tooth. So from one sweet tooth to another: "Happy National Donut Day!"
There's a great spirit behind this day. National Donut Day started in 1938 as a fundraiser for The Salvation Army to honor those who served donuts to soldiers behind the front lines in France during World War I. That is nearly seventy years ago.

In that spirit, across America, Dunkin' Donuts wants to share the suga' with you. They will be giving out free donuts when you buy a beverage. What a way to get your day started. Make sure you stop in to a Dunkin Donuts nearest you and grab your free donut. Hey, why not extend the generosity and pick up 12 coffees and a dozen donuts for co-workers. Better yet, why not drop it off to your local Salvation Army in appreciation for the families they serve in your community.

Share the spirit of generosity on this day. A lil' sweetness and suga' can go a long way.