Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential

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Ep 50: How to Run a Facebook Ad Jun 02, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential, we're going to tackle one of the most talked about pain points of Facebook – Facebook Ads! Because this is SUCH a lengthy and intricate topic, we're going to start at the very beginning and talk about the easiest way to run an ad on Facebook – boosting a post. There will be a deeper dive into Facebook Ads for you coming up in the near future, but let's start with the basics now. Even if you already know how to boost a post on Facebook, this episode will help you feel more confident in what you're doing and why you do it! This is a big exciting episode – it's only appropriate for our 50th episode – so let's jump right in! Let's start from the very beginning… Why would you ever want to advertise on Facebook? You can reach hundreds of people who might be interested in how you can help them or inspire them or teach them – but they don't know about you yet. And you can do that for as little as $5. Advertising on Facebook is extremely effective, and extremely affordable. The more money you spend on Facebook advertising, the more people you reach. Can you imagine, if you're able to reach hundreds of people with just $5, how many people you can reach with a Facebook advertising budget of $25? Yes, you're able to get your Facebook ad in front of hundreds or thousands of people in as little as 4 or 5 days, for as little as $5. Pretty incredible, right? What would you want to advertise about? If you're a nonprofit who offers services, you can run ads like any other business that offers services. You can use your Facebook ad to get the word out about what you offer, your hours of operation, any special events you have, or fundraisers. You can tell Facebook to show your ad to people who would be interested in taking advantage of those services. Even if your nonprofit or group supports an interest, or a hobby that doesn't have a brick and mortar building with in-person service, there are still great reasons to run ads. Let's say, you want more people to follow your page and engage with you, you can run a Facebook ad that will encourage people who may be interested to follow your page. This is a great way to grow your audience. For example, if your organization is a historical society, and you want more people to follow your page because you want to share stories, pictures and articles, a Facebook ad can make sure that people who may be interested in history or your topic can learn about your page. Or maybe you have a fundraiser coming up or a giveaway – a Facebook ad can help more people learn about it, even if they don't already follow you on Facebook. Earlier this year, one of my clients put $8 into a Facebook ad about a fundraiser they were having, and they raised $8,000. That was the only advertising they did for that particular fundraiser. One Facebook ad, for one week. Definitely worth spending the $8, right? Another example would be if you're running a Facebook page for a daily devotional, you can run a Facebook ad to make sure that people who are thinking about starting a daily devotion can learn about your page. Now that you see why a Facebook ad may be right for you, let's talk about the easiest, most basic way to advertise on Facebook. It's called "boosting" a post. Boosting a post on Facebook is hands down the fastest, and easiest way to get an ad running on Facebook. If you have a Facebook page for your organization, you've probably seen the blue button at the bottom of one of your posts that says, "Boost Post." If you click on that Boost Post button, that means, you will add a budget and your credit card information, and then Facebook will show that particular post to more people – people not already in your audience. What exactly does that mean? It means when someone is scrolling through Facebook, that post will appear in their "feed" – the list of new posts - whether they follow your page or not. You're paying for a targeted group of people to see your post. You tell Facebook which audience you want to target. When you click on that Boost Post button, a new window will pop up and ask you what your objective is, and who you want your audience to be. You'll see other options too, but for now, I want you to ignore those other things. Let's keep it simple to start off. The main thing you need to be concerned about as a new Facebook advertiser is your audience. Remember, as a nonprofit organization, your audience is the person you want to help, or it can be your donors, or it can even be people who you want to recruit as volunteers. For an audience of the person you want to help – the person who needs your nonprofit's services – think about that person's age, male or female, where do they live, what are their needs, their problems, their interests? What is going to make them want to click on your ad? Remember – your audience is always asking the question, "What's in it for me?" Make sure you think about that when you're creating your post that you're going to boost. And keep it in mind as you tell Facebook who your audience is. Knowing the answers to these questions makes it clear who to tell Facebook to show your ad to. For a deeper dive into who your audience is, check out Episode 7 of Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential. Now that you have your audience in mind – let's go over the step-by-step process for telling Facebook. (Tip: It will be easier to go through this process on your computer) First, click the "Boost Post" button. Once you click the Boost Post button, a new window will pop up that says OBJECTIVE and a couple other things. Scroll past those options until you get to AUDIENCE because right now, we're going to stay focused on only this section of this new window. When you scroll down to the part of the window that says AUDIENCE, you can choose from one of these options - People you choose through targeting - People who like your page - People who like your page and their friends - People in your local area People you choose through targeting – this means, you can choose specifically who you want to see your post. All you have to do to customize this option is click on the "Edit" button right next to it. This will let you edit the audience's interests, location, ages, and gender. Once you click Edit, you can choose who you want to see your post. Men, Women, their age range, where they live, and you can even type in something to the "Detailed Targeting" box. This means, you can type in something like "airplane" – select that when it appears in the menu, and then your boosted post will be shown to people who are interested in airplanes. Save your settings once you've chosen your targeted audience. People who like your page – I know what you're thinking. "If they already like my page, why aren't they seeing my posts automatically?" The simple answer is, there is a LOT of stuff on Facebook. It's a competitive place. Facebook likes to show people popular posts, so if your post isn't popular yet, this will help it get there by ensuring that the people who follow your page see your post. People who like your page and their friends – This is a great option if you want to cast your net a little wider than just the people who follow your page. Why? Because many times, people are friends with like-minded people. If someone follows your page, chances are, they have a like-minded friend that will also want to follow your page. Also, as an added bonus, Facebook builds in a little bit of extra credibility for you with this option. When Facebook shows this post to one of your followers' friends, it will tell them that their friend follows your page. Think about it – aren't you more likely to engage with someone or something if you know your friend is already part of it? People in your local area – This is a great option for brick and mortar organizations. If you're offering services, or you're a community service organization, this is a great way to get the word out in your area. After you choose your audience, you need to select the DURATION AND BUDGET. Your Facebook ad, or in this example, your boosted post, should run for a minimum of 4 days. Facebook won't let you run an ad for just 1 day at the last minute. They have to approve all ads, which can sometimes take 24 hours (sometimes it only takes an hour), so don't wait until the last minute to boost a post. Facebook recommends you spend at least $1 a day. You'll see when you're going through this process on your computer or your phone (Tip: it's easier on your computer), how to easily adjust the number of days and the total budget you want to spend. In this part of your screen, you will also see an Estimated People Reached. This is the estimate of how many people will see your post per day based on how much money and how many days you've chosen. If you want more people to see your post, you can go back and add more money to your budget by simply finding the post on your nonprofit's Facebook page again. Once you've boosted a post, you won't be able to go back and make changes to the text or image – once it's posted to your Facebook page, you can't edit it while it's boosted, but you can delete it, by clicking those three little dots in the top right corner and selecting "delete from page." You can also stop your boost, just locate the post on your nonprofit's page, click on "View Results" and switch the "status" button from Active to Paused. If this is intimidating or you're worried about making a mistake, now you know how to "undo" a mistake! You have the power to experiment and try something new, because now you have a safety net. You know how to get yourself out of something if you mess up, which means, you can do this! Nothing is holding you back! Okay, so now, we've set our AUDIENCE, and DURATION AND BUDGET, we just have to set up PAYMENT. Under the DURATION AND BUDGET section, scroll down to PAYMENT, and add your credit card information. Check over everything one more time, and then click the boost button when you're ready! And then your post is boosted – now you get to watch the difference the simplest Facebook ad can make for your organization! A few troubleshooting tips: When you boost a post, sometimes you'll have the option of "add a button" to the post. If you want to do this, the button can say things like "Learn more" and if your audience clicks on it, it will take them to your website. But if you're not ready to add a button to your boosted post, and you're seeing that you have the option to do so, just find the little section that says, "Add a button to your post." Click that little drop down menu below that and choose "No Button." Make sure to use a picture and a few sentences with your post. Facebook says, "Posts that feature photos and videos tend to get more engagement than text-only posts." That's straight from the horse's mouth, so find a picture to use with your post, and make sure what you're writing to go along with it is short and sweet. Get the free guide: What makes a good Facebook and Instagram Post Episode 2 has great tips for creating posts: nonprofitpotential.com/2 If you're feeling nervous… Don't be! Think about the reason you want to boost a post. It's because you want to grow. You want more people to see your post. You want more people to follow your page. You need it because you have something beautiful and amazing and something that will help people and enrich their lives… and this is how you reach people in 2020. This is how it works now. This is just Facebook, and yes, it can be confusing, but you can do this! Remember that! You can do hard things – and now you know how to do this! DM me or email me to let me know how boosting a post went for you. Tip: Print these notes and use them to help guide you through the process of boosting a post! Don't be nervous. You can do this. I promise, once you take that first step, the second, third, fourth step – ALL THE STEPS – will come so much easier. All you have to do is click that Boost Post button and start the experiment. There are people who need to see your post, but they don't know about you yet. Don't deny them of that help you could give them because of a fear of Facebook. I am so proud of you for getting out of your comfort zone so that you can help someone in need and spread the word about your nonprofit. YOU. ARE. AMAZING. I can't say that enough. Until next time! Links mentioned in this episode Episode 7 - Who Is Your Ideal Customer Portrait? Episode 2 - Anatomy of a Good Post Get the free guide: What makes a good Facebook and Instagram Post Subscribe, Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts "I love this podcast! The episodes are short, but packed full of practical tips and easy-to-implement action steps…. I learn something every week." If that's something you'd say…please rate and review this show today. You'll help me reach more people - like you - with tools to help nonprofits reach more people, raise more money and change communities for the good. To subscribe on your iPhone's Apple Podcasts app, watch this short video. You'll also see how to rate my show and leave a review. Or, if you want to subscribe on iTunes on your computer, click here to open the Apple Podcasts web page. Then follow these steps: Click on the "Listen on Apple Podcasts" button near the top of the screen. Click on the "Open iTunes App" button in the little window that pops up. (Yes, it's confusing!) In the iTunes App that opens, click on the "Subscribe" button on the left side under the Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential logo. Then click on the words, "Ratings and Reviews". Click on the "stars" to rate my podcast Click on the "Write a Review" button. If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer! Want something fun to do? Check out the brand new personality quiz, "What's Your Secret Spice?" It will help you become more confident in yourself and as a leader in your organization with its personalized results. Click here to take the quiz now Sign up here to subscribe to my weekly email. You'll get encouragement, motivation, tips and new episodes delivered right to your inbox! If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/50

Full show notes at the publisher

Ep 49: Get Decisive with These 3 Steps May 25, 2020

Show notes

Wanna know something not many people know about me?I can be very indecisive. For me, even the smallest decisions can be hard to make. What shoes should I wear? What should we have for dinner? Should I take my dog, Jack, for a walk or play fetch instead? I spend so much energy trying to make decisions. I overanalyze every situation, I procrastinate making decisions, and sometimes, I just completely avoid making decisions by deferring to others.

I say, "Oh, it doesn't matter to me! You decide!" Or… my husband hates it when I do this… He'll say, where do you want to go to dinner? And I'll say, "I don't care, you decide," and then he'll choose a restaurant, and I'll say, "Oh no, not there!" because really, the decision DID matter to me!

Spending too much time on daily decision-making can be a huge waste of time and energy! Making decisions is something that didn't come naturally to me. It was uncomfortable, so I put it off and that's when it became exhausting and stressful.

Does this sound like you at all? If so, you have probably felt the effects of being indecisive in every corner of your life, especially when it comes to your nonprofit. Think about all the decisions you have to oversee at your organization – how you help people, how to raise money, who to hire, how to lead your volunteers and staff, how to market your organization, what your brand – your logo, your colors, your website, your EVERYTHING looks like! You have so many decisions in your basket as a nonprofit leader – and those are just a few of the decisions you make!

But here's what I've learned about making decisions in my life:

If I set aside time to think about my bigger choices BEFORE the moment I need to say what I think or act, it's a million times easier for me to decide. I take time to think about things beforehand, then I don't get as stressed out or worry, I don't waste time overthinking the situation, and I don't say, "Oh I don't care, you decide!" I end up with what I actually want!

Here's the good news… Decision making is a skill that you can practice. Yes, you can practice making decisions and get better at it. It can actually become easier for you! Don't we all want that? It's not hard or magic and you can start practicing today.

Three little tricks that help me make decisions every day.

1. Stop overanalyzing

My friend Sherrie said something to me the other day on the phone… She said, "I'm 62 years old, and I've spent so many years of my life worrying about what might happen, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's that most of the time nothing happened, but I sure did lose a lot of sleep over it."

If you struggle with overthinking things – you're not alone. I've had my fair share of sleepless nights and stressed out days worrying and overanalyzing decisions I needed to make. I thought every decision had to be the perfect one.

Overanalyzing is like when you're doing the dishes, and the sink is getting clogged up with water. You want to turn on the disposer, but you're afraid there's a spoon in the drain. The water keeps filling up, it's not going anywhere, the sink is not going to drain unless you turn on the disposer, but you don't want to put your hand in the drain to feel around for a spoon. So, you just sit there and watch the water rise. Maybe you turn off the water, but the sink isn't draining. It's stagnant. It's better to turn on the disposer and drain the water – and if there's a spoon in there, that's OK! Maybe next time you reach in to check because you learned that this time when you didn't check – you slightly damaged a spoon. The point is – you have to be willing to make a choice. You can't just live with a clogged sink.

You can rebound and learn from a poor decision. You can learn quickly and move forward. Whereas with no decision, you're not making the situation worse, but you're not making it better either. You can only move forward or backward in life – if you make a mistake, or a poor choice, you can learn from it and move forward – you just have to be brave enough to do it. And you, my friend, are called to be brave. So, stop overthinking, and practice being brave but learn from those decisions.

2. Find positive influences to help you learn

Find people in your life and learn from them how they make decisions. These days you can learn in so many ways - listen to podcasts (like this podcast!), stories that inspire you, interviews of people you admire and read books that teach you something or listen to books online. Spend your time learning and pay attention to how others are making decisions. Learn from their examples.

3. Make smaller decisions Mother Teresa said, "Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies." The same idea applies to decision making. Decision making is like a muscle. If you were going to start working out for the first time, you wouldn't go to the gym and pick up the heaviest weights you could find… If you're like me, you'd start with the 2-pound weights! Practice being decisive in little ways. Make little choices, and then the bigger decisions will start to seem easier! Recognize the little decisions you already make and give yourself credit for it. Think about how many decisions you've already made today – you decided what to put in your coffee, you decided what to eat, you decided what to wear, you decided to listen to this podcast! Look at you! You're a decision-making machine! Honor that and give yourself kudos for it! Now keep it going – recognize all the times you make little decisions for the rest of today… and every day! Stay committed to making decisions – "Yes, I want vanilla creamer in my coffee!" "Yes, I want the chicken cashew salad!" "Yes, I want to watch Fixer Upper!" "No, I don't want to look at this catalog that came in the mail." Practice, practice, practice, and celebrate every decision you make. Before you know it, you'll be more decisive! It won't take so much energy and time for you to make decisions. You'll feel comfortable and confident in your choices – and who doesn't want more of that?

Remember, don't try to be perfect. Nothing hampers decision making like trying to make everything perfect – accept that not every decision is going to be flawless, and not every outcome is going to be perfect. Life is not perfect, humans are not perfect, so let go of that expectation, it will only slow you down. Try keeping things in perspective, and you'll improve and learn with every decision you make.

You're doing an amazing job! The fact that you carved out time in your day to listen to this podcast is a true testament that you're striving to learn, grow and be the best version of yourself so you can help others. You are an incredible, one-of-a-kind person and I am so proud of you for making time to learn so you can lead even better.

Until next time!

If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer! Want something fun to do? Check out the brand new personality quiz, "What's Your Secret Spice?" It will help you become more confident in yourself and as a leader in your organization with its personalized results. Click here to take the quiz now

Sign up here to subscribe to my weekly email. You'll get encouragement, motivation, tips and new episodes delivered right to your inbox!

Subscribe, Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts

"I love this podcast! The episodes are short, but packed full of practical tips and easy-to-implement action steps…. I learn something every week." If that's something you'd say…please rate and review this show today. You'll help me reach more people - like you - with tools to help nonprofits reach more people, raise more money and change communities for the good.

To subscribe on your iPhone's Apple Podcasts app, watch this short video. You'll also see how to rate my show and leave a review.

Or, if you want to subscribe on iTunes on your computer, click here to open the Apple Podcasts web page. Then follow these steps:

Click on the "Listen on Apple Podcasts" button near the top of the screen.
Click on the "Open iTunes App" button in the little window that pops up. (Yes, it's confusing!)
In the iTunes App that opens, click on the "Subscribe" button on the left side below the Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential logo.
Then click on the words, "Ratings and Reviews".
Click on the "stars" to rate my podcast.
Click on the "Write a Review" button.

If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/49

Ep 48: Blog Better with These 6 Tips May 18, 2020

Show notes

I am SUPER excited for today's episode. Quite a few of you have asked if we could spend an episode talking about blogging… So here you go! Let's talk about creating a blog for your nonprofit!

First of all, why are blogs important?

If you have a blog, it can help you show up in Google searches and that helps more people find your nonprofit which gives you a better opportunity to serve and help people.

A blog is another way to connect with them, build their trust in you, and solidify the idea that you are here to help them.

So, what should you write about on your nonprofit's blog?

Start off by thinking about the person you serve (or want to serve).

What did they eat for breakfast this morning (if they ate)? What do they do in their spare time? What do they spend their money on? Why do they use your service?

For example: Let's say your nonprofit is a food bank – why do people come there? What do they use that money for that they save by coming to you?

Is it so they can save up for shoes for their kids?

So they can pay for doctor's appointments, school supplies, medicine?

Buy their child an ice cream cone or something special?

They need a little extra money for their mother – medicine, or something extra for her?

You've probably had many conversations with people you serve, and you see the hardship they go through. What do you talk to them about when you see them? Are their kids doing OK in school? How is their mother? You know how complex and complicated their lives are.

When you begin to write the blog post, think of those things and that person. Write your blog post about topics that will help them. We all have things we know are good for us and want to share about them. But is that what the person you serve wants to read about? You know eating healthy is best and kale and super foods are really good, but is that a topic for the people you serve? Probably not.

Instead what would help them? What would they want to know about? Think about the questions that person Googles – what do they search for on the internet when they have a question or a need? Then take one question and answer it in your blog post.

Let's use another example – let's say your nonprofit is a pregnancy resource center. The person you serve is probably searching questions like: How do you get pregnant? How do you read a pregnancy test? How do you know you're pregnant?

Answer each of those questions in their own separate blog post. Break it down to an easy to understand, bite sized article. That's your blog post.

Think of the person you serve, think of what their day to day life is like, what are their struggles and problems, think about a question they would Google, and then answer one of those questions in a blog post.

A good way to get ideas for blog posts is to brainstorm. Write down the most common problems you encounter at your nonprofit. What are the recurring problems you hear from the people you serve… Write them ALL DOWN. Don't think about it too much – this is just a brainstorm activity. Doing this with someone else will help you get the creative juices flowing!

Another way to get ideas for blogging is to ask the people who work at your nonprofit for stories. You'll gain insight and ideas into what needs you can address in a blog post. You're not telling that story in the blog post; it's just meant to give you a topic idea. Write down ALL of these ideas and then go back over your list when you're finished and pick out the very best ideas.

Now, let's talk about what happens when it's actually time for you to sit down and WRITE!

Things to keep in mind:

Use one topic per blog post –The temptation here is to give a complete picture of the problem you're trying to help with. Avoid that temptation by just answering one question…what does a positive pregnancy test look like, things to do with your children for fun, where to go for free pharmacy meds, three things to do to help your elderly mom. See? Take just one topic at a time.
Write 150-180 words. In previous episodes when we've talked about blogging, I said 300-500 words, but my new recommendation is SHORT. 150-180 words. I am one of those people whose brain is wired, "If some is good, more is better." In other words, I have a hard time quitting, but there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. I struggle with this ACROSS THE BOARD in life! If some is good, more is better when it comes to food, sleep, exercise, laziness, face cream, listening to the music too loud in my headphones… I really have to fight that mentality of "if some is good more is better" – that isn't always, if ever, true! So, if you're like me, and you know you have a tendency to give too much, to fix all the problems, I want you to really focus on setting that limit for your blog post! 150-180 words.
Use a happy picture with it – Unsplash.com is a catalog of free photos you can use for your blog post. Use a happy or appropriate picture that matches the theme of your post. The picture is to help them think of where they want to be – not a sad picture of where you think they are.
Add your phone number and email address at the end of your blog post so people can contact you. They might finish reading your blog post and think, "Hey! I need more information." Or "Hey! These people know what they're talking about – I need to get in touch with them!" Don't miss the opportunity to connect with them. Put your phone number and email address at the end of every blog post.
Make things easy to look at when possible.

- Use lists/bullet points – keep them short.
- Don't blog about the top 10 things, write about the top 3 things.
- Make it easy to read
- Bold the text a little bit for important words.

Think about who you're writing to. What are they interested in? Make it easy for them to read.

Write on a 4th grade level. Don't use big words, it has to be short, quick, easy to read.

Exception: If you're blogging for a nonprofit university or an organization like that, you're going to write longer and on a higher level than 4th grade because your audience typically reads at a higher level. A blog is not an educational piece, but a way to connect to people you serve or supporters.

Remember that we have thousands of pieces of information coming at us every day. Our brains are made to find the things that will help us survive and thrive. So, people scan for things that are easy to understand and helpful to use. If we get too complicated in the words we use or the tips we're giving, people lose interest quickly. Keep it simple and easy to read with good bite-sized information.

A blog is a way to connect with your people to help them. When you keep them in mind, you'll have helped them and strengthened their connection with your nonprofit organization.

Can we just step back and recognize for a minute how amazing you are? Here you are, finding out how to write a better blog post for your nonprofit because you want to help more people. You want to serve more people who need your help. You are AWESOME.

You truly have a heart for helping others, and I admire you and your courage to serve those in need in your community. You inspire me! Thank you for all you're doing.

Until next time! Links I mentioned in this episode:

Unsplash.com

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If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/48

Ep 47: Is your Facebook post missing THIS? May 12, 2020

Show notes

You and I both know that right now more than ever, people are in need. People are in crisis. Whether it's an economic crisis, or an emotional crisis, or a health crisis, or something else – there are a lot of people out there in your community that need you now more than ever. They need assistance from your organization. They need your help. They need your support. They need your kindness and compassion.

So how do you tell them that you're here for them? How do you let them know you've got their back – you're here to help them. You want to help them. You are able, ready and willing to help them. How do you tell them that?

Well, for starters, you keep posting on Facebook and Instagram twice a week – but what is the most important part of that Facebook or Instagram post?

A call to action.

They want you to tell them what to do next. And so, you tell them something like this:

"Text us now at 555-555-1234"

"Make an appointment online at agathasangels.com"

"Call us today at 555-555-1234"

That's all a call to action is. It's telling someone how to get ahold of you. They need you, and it's up to you to tell them how to get ahold of you.

I know, using a call to action can be really uncomfortable. You might feel like you don't need one, or it feels like it's not your style, or it's pushy…

There are a lot of reasons you might skip a call to action:

- You forgot

- You feel uncomfortable

- You don't want to be "salesy" or slimy

- You don't want to be pushy

- You don't know how or what to say

- No confidence that it's the right thing to do

- Not confident that your product will help them

- Thinking, "I'm not depending on God if I'm asking, I should just let God send me who he wants to put in my way"

Or there could be other reasons.

Here's the honest truth… If figuring out where to find your organization's phone number or your website is too hard or time consuming, or it's not clear what you can help them with, then the people you want to serve will just scroll on by because they don't know that you want to serve them…

By using a call to action, are you manipulating people? No. You're not telling them, "You better call us… OR ELSE!!!"

By using a call to action, are you pressuring people? No. You're giving people your contact information. If you knew your new friend really needed your help, would you just say, "Let me know if I can help" and then walk away? Or would you say, "Let me help – Call me, here's my phone number!"

If you were pushy, or manipulating, you'd be like an unrelenting robocaller – not interested in the person's needs, just wanting to wear them down so they'll buy. See? That's not what you're doing at all. You're not being pushy!

You're just helping the person who needs your help cross the bridge to a better place.

Imagine your organization is a beautiful glowing island in the middle of the ocean with white sandy beaches and palm trees swaying in the cool tropical breezes – tell people how to get a boat ticket there! Tell people how they can get to the island! Your island is relief for them. Your island is where they want and need to go. So, use a call to action – every single time in your Facebook and Instagram posts. You're not being pushy or salesy.

You're helping. You're validating them and telling them it's OK to call – and you're making it easy for them by giving them the phone number or your website right then and there.

You might be like, "Lauren, I already know what a call to action is."

But here's my question for you – are you using one in ALL of your Facebook or Instagram posts? Ask yourself, what is the point of your posting? Is it just to post for the sake of posting?

Or is it for something else… Something MORE MEANINGFUL? Is it to encourage people to use your services? To showcase your service or product so people will be better after they get help from you?

If you are posting meaningful things that describe your services – that are telling people about your organization - on Facebook and Instagram, that's the first part! Great!

Now, you need to let people know what to do next when they find out you can help them. Give them that phone number! Give them that website! It will be a welcomed relief for the person who is searching for help. Remember – they might be feeling lost, overwhelmed, tired, hopeless – they need your help. Don't make them hunt for the details about how to contact you. Make it easy! They will be so grateful they found you and you'll feel fulfilled that you helped another person!

Let's talk about how to come up with a good call to action. A good call to action has to satisfy these two requirements:

It has to be easy to use for the person you want to serve – your simple phone number, or your website. Don't make them send you a carrier pigeon or smoke signals to contact you.
It has to be a method that you are going to monitor. If you tell people to call you and you give them your phone number, you have to answer the phone, check the messages, and return calls. If you tell people to make an appointment online on your website or email, then you need to check your emails and confirm those appointments. You have to pay close attention to the outlet that you are giving people to contact you.

Come up with ONE call to action, and then use it repeatedly! Here's my favorite call to action that I use all the time for one of my clients… I'm going to give it to you so you can just copy it. It works. Ready? This is what I write at the end of every Facebook and Instagram post for this client:

We're here - how can we help? Call us at *Agatha's Angels at 555-555-1234 or make an appointment online at *agathasangels.org

*Name changed

Now see? That doesn't feel salesy, or slimy or pushy, does it? Just tell people the truth – you're here for them and this is the best way to get ahold of you. That's all a call to action is!

Make it easy for people to use your service. Don't make them hunt to figure out the details. It is so frustrating when we want to buy something or go somewhere or use a service, but we can't figure out HOW! We need direction! If we don't have direction, we won't take action. We'll just keep scrolling.

Challenge: Come up with a call to action and then use that same one for your next 3 Facebook or Instagram posts.

I just want you to remember, you have such a good heart for serving others who need you, and you are making a difference in their lives. You can take on these challenges because it's worth it to see people's lives changed for the better. You are strong enough, you are smart enough, and you have the courage. Courage isn't the absence of fear, it is acting IN SPITE OF IT! YOU ARE DOING GREAT! If you have those feelings of "feeling pushy," be courageous my friend – take one small step out of your comfort zone today – do it for the person who needs your help.

And you'll both feel good about it!

Remember to subscribe to Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential wherever you get your podcasts.

If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer!

If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/47

Ep 46: Fundraising Tips from the Best of the Best with Martin Leifeld May 04, 2020

Show notes

Have you ever had a conversation with someone who was just so good at their job, and who has made such a difference in the world, when you finish chatting, you just pray some of their skill, experience and overall goodness has somehow rubbed off on you?

That pretty much sums up my conversation this week with Martin Leifeld. Martin has spent more than 40 years in senior fundraising leadership roles. In working with a number of different organizations in his career, Martin and his teams have raised a staggering $500 million dollars. Martin is also the author of the book, Five Minutes for Fundraising: A collection of Expert Advice from Gifted Fundraisers.

If you've ever wanted to gain insight from someone who has been around the block a time or 10 in the world of fundraising, this is it.

Here are just a few of the things Martin and I talked about in this episode:

[5:58] How to prepare for fundraising

[10:00] What you should know about fundraising during COVID-19

[12:50] How to become a successful and effective fundraiser

[15:50] Giving the great gift to your donors

[19:03] Advice to begin building lasting and life-giving relationships with your donors

[20:17] Powerful but simple tools to help you as a fundraiser

You can find Martin's book, Five Minutes for Fundraising, and his collection of free videos on his website, MartinLeifeld.com. Martin was an incredible guest, and I'm so happy I get to share his expertise and insight with you.

Want something fun to do? Check out the brand new personality quiz, "What's Your Secret Spice?" It will help you become more confident in yourself and as a leader in your organization with its personalized results. Click here to take the quiz now

Rate & Review on Apple Podcasts

Click here, scroll to the bottom and tap to rate five stars, then select "Write a Review." Let me know what you like best about the podcast!

Links I mentioned in this episode:

MartinLeifeld.com

Martin Leifeld's Retirement Video

Remember to subscribe to Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential wherever you get your podcasts.

If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer!

If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/46

Ep 45: Re-Opening After COVID-19, Giving Tuesday & How to Get More Facebook Followers Apr 28, 2020

Show notes

As a nonprofit organization, you deal with multiple audiences – your staff and volunteers, your donors, and the people you serve. In today's episode, I've got three quick tips to help you with ALL of them!

The conversation you need to have with your staff and volunteers before your organization opens back up in these coronavirus times
Giving Tuesday coming up May 5th and your feelings about asking for money at this time
And a little trick that you can use every day to get more of the people you want to serve or people who support you to like your Facebook page… It's so simple, but SO GOOD.

Let's start with that conversation with your staff and volunteers. A lot of states are opening back up again… It's SUCH a confusing time with what we're all supposed to do with this coronavirus stuff…some states are opening back up for business, while others are on lockdown until June. There are conflicting instructions on what we're supposed to actually do, it's hard to… well… KNOW WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO! Everyone – including the government and health officials – are all just figuring it out.

Disclaimer – I am not a doctor or an expert on the coronavirus. I do not work for the CDC. Follow the recommendations for your state. What is your state doing? What are the recommendations of your governor? Those are the guidelines you should be following.

If going back to work and opening back up at your nonprofit is on the table, the first thing you need to do is have a conversation with your staff and volunteers. I read a statistic this week that said 1 in 3 volunteers is 55 years old and over. I know a lot of nonprofits have a lot of volunteers that are over 60. So, if you're the leader of your organization, you have to take this into consideration – if your volunteers cannot, should not or don't want to come to serve at your organization, how will you adjust the way you serve, how will you adapt?

Get the pulse of your volunteers and staff. A great way to get honest feedback is by asking them to all weigh in with SurveyMonkey. You can sign up for a free plan.

The beauty of using SurveyMonkey is you can get clear honest feedback from your volunteers and staff to your clear questions. You can ask them questions like: when will you be ready to volunteer? Next week, in a month, or decide later. Then you can adjust your services based on how many volunteers will come in, and how you can incorporate social distancing. It's not going to be business as usual, but you can start inching a little closer to normal.

You know your organization's specific situation. Get feedback from your volunteers and staff, pay attention to what your governor is recommending, and take into consideration the details of how you nonprofit can operate – if you think about those things, you'll feel a lot more confident about what to do and how you're supposed to do it.

Ok let's shift gears and talk about your donors…

This year, there will be not one, but TWO Giving Tuesdays. In addition to the original Giving Tuesday in November, there will be another Giving Tuesday May 5th, which is next week at the time of the release of this episode.

I've been hearing a lot of nonprofit leaders voicing concerns and feeling conflicted over the idea of asking for money right now, especially if they don't necessarily need it.

First of all, I just want to say, yes, a lot of people have lost their jobs or have had to shut down their businesses. But not everyone. Not everyone is out of a job. On top of that, people realize that now more than ever, nonprofits need support. That's why there are two days of giving this year on the calendar!

It's OKAY to ask for money right now during these "giving events." and here's the truth about it all: If you don't ask, somebody else is going to. You might not be on the brink of closing your nonprofit's doors, but you don't have to wait until you're on the edge to ask for money. Remember what you do! You are helping your community. You are helping people in need. You do good for others! Nonprofits help so many people in every community and at this time lots of people need help. So yes, absolutely, you should participate in Giving Tuesday and any other local day of giving event coming up in your area. Those donations will help you to continue to help people in your community.

Here's what you're going to do to make it successful for your organization:

Tell people the facts about your organization. Make sure your website, your Facebook page, and if you have an actual profile with your local day of giving event states clearly what your organization does. That first sentence in the "about" section should state in the plainest of terms what you do. For example, "We are an after-school mentoring program." Make it SO easy for people to understand how you serve your community. Lay out the facts.
Use your Facebook, Instagram and email list to prepare your donors for the day of giving. Start warming up your donors – you don't have much time if you are just getting started, but a few social media posts and a couple emails to your donors can go a long way. Let them know when to donate and give them the link to where they can donate. Remember when talking to your donors, make them the hero – let them know your organization couldn't do it without them.
In your social media posts, use a picture, a sentence and a call to action with a link to the donation page. This is an absolute MUST.

Check out this episode for a deeper dive. Even if you only raise a few hundred dollars – that's a few hundred dollars more than you had yesterday!

OK, so we've touched on how to get a pulse on what your staff and volunteers are able to do and about your donors.

Let's focus on the people you serve. This is a little Facebook trick that you can use every day to get more of the people you want to serve to like your Facebook page… It's so simple, but SO GOOD. It's a tiny thing you can do that over time, can pack a big punch.

Have you ever gotten a notification on Facebook – that little bell at the top of the screen on Facebook – and it says "Wilma Jones liked your organization's Facebook post. Help her to see future posts by inviting her to like your page" – you've seen that one, right?

Have you ever DONE IT? Have you ever invited someone to like your page through one of those notifications? Here's what you do… I find it easier to do this on a computer rather than your phone, so get to a computer to try this.

Next time you get one of those notifications, click on it. This will bring up the post that Wilma Jones, or whoever, liked. When you see the post load, click on the little number next to the reactions – the little number next to the thumbs up or the hearts reactions. A list of Facebook users that have liked your post will pop up.

Next to their name, you will see a button – if that button says "Invite" – I want you to click it! Invite everyone on that list to like your Facebook page.

If the button says, "Liked" or "Invited" that means, they either already like your page, or you already invited them and they haven't accepted your invitation to like the page yet, and you won't be able to invite them again.

Now, here's the next level…where you can REALLY grow your organization's Facebook page.

Get a really good post on your organization's page and boost it so that more people in your area will like it. Then, during the boost, invite people who like your post to like your page.

If someone likes your page, send them a message to say, "Thanks for liking our page! Let us know if you have any questions!" You can start building a relationship with them right away with this simple little trick – and build your Facebook audience.

It's such a small thing to do – but before you know it, you can grow your Facebook followers exponentially. Try it! Try it one time this week and see what happens!

Links I mentioned in this episode:

Stats on Senior Volunteers

SurveyMonkey

Episode 2: Anatomy of a Good Post QUIZ: What's Your Secret Spice?

For additional help, listen to these episodes:

Episode 10: Three Step Plan for Event Marketing

Episode 44: It's Never Too Late to Start a Facebook Page Episode 13: 5 Things You NEED to Know About Email Newsletters

Remember to subscribe to Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential wherever you get your podcasts.

If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer!

If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/45

Ep 44: It's Never Too Late to Start a Facebook Page Apr 21, 2020

Show notes

A week ago, a small business owner called me to ask for help setting up a Facebook page. Normally she doesn't rely on Facebook to keep her business going. But in these times of staying home and self-quarantining, she realized that Facebook is the easiest way to stay connected with her customers and her community - even new customers she's never served before.

She saw the example of the other restaurants selling out of food every day and small businesses that are still operating. They are still bringing in income, and still open for business. That wasn't happening for her. She saw their example and knew it was time for her to get on the social media train, too.

If you are a small business owner or a nonprofit leader who hasn't gotten on that train yet – I'm telling you – IT IS NOT TOO LATE!

You might be thinking… "What good is it? Nothing's going to happen if I do the Facebook thing."

The only way nothing is going to happen is if you don't do anything.

Imagine you and I are walking down Main Street in your town. As we walk down the street, we see that every organization or business is holding up a billboard with a big giant neon arrow pointing to their front door. If it's a restaurant, there's a sandwich board sign yelling out that they're open. Every nonprofit organization and business has their specials, services, and sales on display in a big beautiful glass case on the sidewalk.

And then we get to a storefront that's bare. There's no sandwich board. There's no neon arrow. There's no billboard. There's not so much as a menu or the hours of operation Scotch taped to the front window. We can't tell if the lights are on.

So, what do we do? We keep walking.

Why would we try to go in when we don't even know if they're open, when we could go to the place next door that is lit up and beckoning for us to come in?

Which business or organization do you want to be?

Do you want people to KNOW you're open? Do you want people to be attracted to your business or organization? Do you want people to use your services, or buy your products, or donate to your cause? Then you have to tell them!

People aren't going to seek you out to beg you to serve them. They will pick what's easiest to use.

And right now, because of the coronavirus, a real-life sign in front of your business is not enough. Everyone is at home. On their computer, or on their phone. THAT IS WHERE YOU NEED TO PUT A SIGN. Where everyone is looking!

It's not too late to start a Facebook page for your business or organization. It's not hard, you just have to start with one step at a time. And here's more good news – Facebook is free.

I always hear people say, "I don't use Facebook personally – I stay away from it. It's too much drama."

If you feel that way too, I know exactly what you mean! But here's the truth – you don't have to use Facebook personally in order to have a Facebook page for your business or organization. You do have to have a personal account to set it up, but you don't even have to put a picture of yourself, or a single bit of personal information besides your name and your email address – and your email address doesn't even have to be public.

The purpose of your Facebook business page is to talk about your business or your nonprofit. You don't have to put your personal life on your business or nonprofit Facebook page. If you don't have a page yet, I know it's uncomfortable, I know it's scary – but nothing ventured, nothing gained. You can do this.

Now, if you're just starting a Facebook page for your business or organization, it's not going to be business as usual right off the bat – it takes a little time but you're opening the door to the possibility of business now, and more business later. You're warming up your customers, patients, or clients. You're getting the word out that you're open for business!

If you're a church administrator – you still have bills to pay, but your congregation is out of sight. Get them involved, you can speak to them directly, you can remind them the church needs their support. You can minister to them through Facebook – that's what they're looking at all day, they could be hearing from you!

If you're a restaurant – you need to let people know that you're still open (because not every restaurant is), what your hours are, what food you're serving and how you're serving it (is it carry out, or drive thru?) Show pictures of your food to remind people of how delicious it is!

Maybe you have to do something different to bring in money these days. Here's a good example of how social media helped a daycare owner who had to close her business.

Before Easter she started posting on Facebook about her new service. People could pay her to sneak into their yards a day or so before Easter and hide dozens of Easter eggs filled with candy so families could enjoy an Easter egg hunt together without any of the work. Her daycare business might be closed right now, but she saw a need, pivoted, and found a way to make money. Why was it successful? Because she put it on Facebook! She was able to get the word out about it.

My mom told me about how she and my dad were going to get Chinese food the other night, but they couldn't figure out if their usual restaurant was open or not – so do you know what they did? They looked on Facebook and ordered Chinese food from a different place they knew was open. How did they know? Because of Facebook. Their menu was even on the page! It was easy for customers to see what they wanted and place an order.

I just saw on Facebook a seasonal pizza restaurant in our town is about to re-open, even though there's a pandemic going on. And do you know what I did as soon as I saw the Facebook post? I sent it to my husband and told him to get ready for pizza night!

But how would I have known if I didn't see it on Facebook?

I wouldn't have known because I never drive to that part of town – I'm hardly driving anywhere right now with a pandemic – I'm at home on Facebook with everyone else!

Hopefully by now, you're convinced that you need to get on Facebook. So how do you start?

Well, first, you have to understand, there is a method. Use the method. This is what businesses that make money do – this is what nonprofits that are still serving and financially stable are doing.

This is the method:

Post twice a week.
With every post include a picture, have at least one sentence about your service, sale, event, or item, and tell people what to do next – a call to action.

So, for example, if you sell sandwiches, I want you to take a picture of your best, most delicious looking sandwich, add words like, "Yum! Chicken Cashew Sandwiches available for pickup today!" and then tell the customer what to do next with a call to action, "Call 555-5555 to order."

Remember, you need to make it easy for people to understand that you're open. You need to make it easy to understand what you're selling. You need to make it easy to understand what people should do next if they want your service, or your product. And you have to make it visual – Facebook is all about the visual.

So take a picture. Write a sentence. Give your phone number or how to contact you. Make it easy to understand what's going on.

Just like on our imaginary walk down Main Street – if you don't make it clear that you're open for business, people are going to keep on walking by. Open that door to the possibility of business! Get that "billboard" up on Facebook Avenue! Get seen! Get people's attention!

Here's what I want you to do THIS WEEK:

Start a page, if you haven't already – include a brief "ABOUT" section for your business or organization. Use a short sentence about one thing you offer. You also NEED to fill out the contact information section with at least a phone number for how people can reach your business. There's a link to step-by-step instructions on how to do this at the bottom of this page.
Start posting. Here are 2 post ideas:
If you're a nonprofit, post one informational post about how you are serving THIS WEEK. And for the other one, use an inspirational post – maybe you're thanking volunteers, maybe it's an inspirational quote.

If you're a business, create one post about one product you sell. And for the second post, do the same thing for another product you sell. It's that simple.

Just tell the people what you do, sell, or how you help. Remember to include a picture, a sentence, and your phone number.
Invite your friends in your area to like your page. Even if you aren't Facebook friends with anyone, use the phone to call and ask your friends to like your business or organization's Facebook page. And also ask them to ask their friends to like your business or organization's Facebook page. It'll be a great time to catch up with them too.

The only way nothing is going to happen, is if you don't do anything.

It's not too late. Start now! YOU CAN DO THIS. I want you to be successful. I will help you. Email me your questions! Get in touch at nonprofitpotential.com/contact

Please share this episode with anyone you know who might be feeling stuck. I appreciate it – and they will too!

Resources to help you get started with the FIRST STEP to becoming Facebook savvy!

Episode 2: Anatomy of a Good Post Episode 5: What to Post and When? Episode 6: Handling Comments Episode 18: Need Ideas for Posts? Here They Are. Episode 36: 3 Things People Should Know About Your NonprofitDownload the free guide: How to Set Up a Facebook Page Download the free guide: How to Interact as Your Organization's Facebook Page

Remember to subscribe to Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential wherever you get your podcasts.

If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer!

If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/44

Ep 43: How to and Why You Should Email Your Donors TODAY! Apr 14, 2020

Show notes

As I'm recording this, there's a pandemic going on. Still. It's Good Friday – Easter weekend is here, and a few weeks ago, I thought, OH FOR SURE we are going to be in church on Easter Sunday – everything is going to be open up again, and this whole social distancing thing will be over.

Well, it's not. There is not a single Mass or church service scheduled at one single church in our town this weekend. Everything is still closed. It's not safe yet to be in big crowds. Things aren't back to normal.

So how, when our normal way of life is ANYTHING BUT NORMAL – how are we supposed to do things like run a nonprofit organization that can't serve in a normal way?

Whether your nonprofit is open and you're wearing a facemask, gloves and PPE every day, or your organization is closed for the time being, there is still a very important thing you can, and must be doing right now. Something that will help you now, and it will give you a MAJOR advantage for the future. What is it? Email.

Email your donors, supporters and board members. Yes, send out an email to these people once a week.

Maybe you're thinking - LAUREN, I don't know what to write in an email – I hate it, that's why I only do it once a quarter…or once a year!

Or maybe you're thinking… I don't know what to say to these people IN PERSON, much less what to say in an email.

Or maybe you're thinking… I only send out emails when we're about to have a fundraiser or an end of the year appeal.

Or maybe you're thinking… I only have email addresses for 5 people. I can't start with that.

I'm telling you, START. The email I'm talking about is not the same as writing a quarterly newsletter sent by US Mail… It's not a two-page letter. It's not an overview of everything you're doing. Your email is simply saying, "We're still here and serving!"

You're not sitting down for a long visit and a cup of coffee. You're just checking in with a high five.

Here's the thing. If you want to have a robust group of donors – people who support you financially – you have to have a relationship with them. A relationship built over time and consistently. Consistency means you email them REGULARLY. Think of your emails as a really long breadcrumb trail to your next fundraiser.

If you're at home right now because of COVID-19, you can begin to reach out every week to your donors by email.

Add to the email list any people who support and love your organization but haven't given money – YET – and add your board members too.

Use this time to your advantage! You might not be serving in your normal capacity, or your normal way. Maybe you've had to shut down operations all together – but that doesn't mean you have to stop growing your nonprofit.

Even if you haven't sent emails before on a regular basis, start now. They will help you build relationships. You CAN keep reminding your donors that your organization is STILL HERE. You can tell them how you're finding new ways to serve, that you're using this time wisely, and that their support means everything to you and the people you serve.

So – here's the game plan. Are you ready? This is my challenge to you.

Send an email to your donors and supporters once a week – start this week!

Here's how to do it:

First, use a free email hosting system like Mailchimp or Constant Contact

It will allow you to build a professional-looking email
It will keep track of your email list in an organized way

They are both super easy and user friendly. Either one you choose is easy to set up. Set up a free account today so you can send that email this week.

Second, what goes in the email?

Every email needs:

Your logo, or at least a picture of something that represents your organization. Put it in the header and also link the logo to your website or Facebook page.
A short letter of 3-5 sentences talking to your donors. Tell a story, describe something that happened. Don't get too lengthy – keep your entire email to less than 200 words or 20 lines. And remember what everyone thinks: "What's in this for me?" when you're writing your email.

Links – This is where you say "Follow us on Facebook!" and put a link to your Facebook page or "Learn more about our organization" and put a link to your website, or give some kind of call to action that will encourage the reader to do more.
An interesting, punchy subject line – You can save writing the subject line for last, then you can take some ideas from your email and turn it into something that will make someone want to open your email.

The most important thing - make your emails about your donors and supporters.

WHAT? Yes, make it about them.

For example, let's just say you're writing a quick email to touch base with your donors and update them this week on the fact that you're still closed… How could you possibly make it about THEM?

First, thank them for supporting and praying for your organization in this difficult time.

Second, update them on what's going on with your organization this week – be sure to say thanks for any support you've received whether it was donations of items or the card they sent.

Third, serve them. Think about your donors – what are they doing? How are they coping? What are their challenges and struggles right now? What can you do to serve them?

I've been getting some good emails from nonprofits doing this lately – they've served their supporters by sharing links to free classical music on YouTube, a link to the 5 Love Languages quiz for people to take while they're staying at home, a link to the CARES Act information for small business owners and links to Small Business Survival Guides from the US Chamber of Commerce. Those are just a few examples.

YOU don't have to come up with the content to share – you don't have to write a whole article on your blog about the CARES Act or record a video of yourself singing songs for entertainment. Just share with them a little something that will let them know that you're thinking of them. By doing this, you're cultivating positive, good feelings with them.

Every time they see your email in their inbox, they'll know that something good is waiting for them inside.

If you show them gratitude and grace by serving them, they will remember. Their loyalty and support of your organization will grow.

If you start now, by the time your next fundraiser event comes around, you'll be ready to reach out to your donors and supporters to ask them to attend because you've been cultivating your relationship with them, giving to them.

They've been hearing from you. Their positive feelings toward your organization have been growing because every time they see your email, they know it's you touching base, checking in, quickly letting them know what's up and supporting them.

Don't let them forget about you in this crazy time. They want to know what's going on with your organization. Give them that quick weekly update, say thank you, and serve them with something helpful or entertaining for them.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, you have the choice to crumble under the circumstances and lie down in the face of adversity, or you have the opportunity to show everyone just how amazing and strong your organization is. Keep showing up. Send out that weekly email! Use this time to your advantage! Your donors will take notice.

You are doing an amazing job! Keep going! Thank you for not giving up!

Remember to subscribe to Unlocking Your Nonprofit Potential wherever you get your podcasts.

Links mentioned in this episode:

Mailchimp https://mailchimp.com/

Constant Contact https://www.constantcontact.com/index.jsp

If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer!

If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/43

Ep 42: How to Make Schooling Your Kids at Home Easier Apr 07, 2020

Show notes

With this crazy COVID-19 stuff going on, have you suddenly found yourself filling the role of teacher, principal AND janitor of your child's new at-home school? How's that going so far?

In this episode, I sat down with MY MOM, who schooled me and my two brothers AT HOME for more than a decade. Before the days of Google, iPads, and online learning programs, my mom figured out how to manage the crazy dynamic of having kids at home all day and instill a love of learning in all of us.

If your child is out of school and they have to do schoolwork to turn in – go with what's expected by the school but enhance it by creating an atmosphere of love of learning at your house.

Understanding how a child or anyone learns and watching that process can be a happy experience for everyone.

Four General types of Learning Strengths

Visual strength: They like to see charts, diagrams, flowcharts. These things make concepts in their mind become real. Reading, art, learning things by seeing them. Some favorite things they like to use are colored post it notes, flashcards, colored markers and pencils
Auditory strength: Do you have a talker in your house? They like to talk out loud about concepts they're thinking about as they work through ideas. They aren't thinking first and then speaking the conclusion, they're thinking about something and talking to help them figure it out. Some things they like are having someone listen and discuss. They also like someone reading aloud, audio books, singing aloud the musical alphabet and multiplication tables
Read and Write strength: Many children who do well in school have this strength. They like reading anything - books, articles, reading online, making notes about what they find. This is the kind of learner traditional classrooms rely on. If you went to a regular school, you know what this is…maybe you struggled with it, but you know what it is.
Kinesthetic strength: All young children learn kinesthetically. But as they get older, many of the other strengths surface. Kinesthetic learners like real world examples, they like when someone shows them "how-to" do something. They use their bodies and learn by doing, seeing, tasting and touching things. Things like dressing up as historical characters, building things, watching ants in the sand, sports, hands on experiences.

Knowing how you learn is a big help. No one only has one kind of strength. Understanding the four kinds of strengths helps with learning. It helps the child be successful and you be less frustrated.

The basic skills to learn and succeed with are reading, writing and math!

If your child is out of school and they have to do schoolwork to turn in – go with what's expected but enhance the learning by using some of these ideas or making up your own ideas.

For early childhood ages: unload the dishwasher and sorting silverware, counting, sing the ABC song while washing hands, pull out the chalk and markers to teach colors, how two colors put together make a new color. Counting songs for math - counting to a hundred, multiplication tables. Starting a story and each person adds the next sentence making up the story as you go along.

READ, read, read out loud. Are there various ages of children? Read a good book at the level of the oldest child. Give everyone quiet toys to play with while reading (blocks, coloring, drawing). Goodreads for children can help you choose good books to read together.

Ideas for things to do at home:

Watch bugs, ants or other creepy crawly things – where do they go, what are they doing?

Dressing up as characters in a book and retelling a chapter

Acting out a fairy tale or folk tale

Easy science experiments

How do things work – do you have old small appliances or things to take apart?

Listen to your child when he/she talks about or finds something interesting

Remember, this is a special time we've been granted to be with our children. Find joy in this stay at- home event.

You'll be making memories forever!

Tell a friend about this podcast!

Subscribe so you never accidentally miss an episode.

Thank you for all you do for your family and community. You make all the difference to so many people. Keep it up and know we're all in this together and we WILL BE successful!

Links mentioned in this episode:

Goodreads for Popular Children's Books

If links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/42

Ep 41: Online Fundraisers - Hot or Not? Mar 31, 2020

Show notes

If you've had one toe in the nonprofit swimming pool in the past few weeks, since the coronavirus pandemic situation has been unfolding, you've likely heard the words "online fundraising" about a million times by now.

Lots of nonprofits have had to cancel or postpone their fundraising events because people are practicing social distancing, and they're not allowed to gather in big groups… I know here in Wyoming, pretty much only the grocery store is open, food is available for pickup only at a handful of restaurants that are still open… and that's it. That's how it is in a lot of areas in the country.

So, on top of all of the closures and cancelations, a lot of nonprofits have had to stop serving for the time being. They're serving in limited capacities or they've had to re-invent because they saw a need. I just want to take this opportunity to say – I see you all, I know those of you who are making a drastic pivot and figuring out how to keep serving even in these challenging times are working so hard. I see how you are doing everything you can to help and to take care of people in any way possible, and I just want to say thank you.

Right now, you have the choice to crumble under the circumstances and lie down in the face of adversity, or you can show everyone just how amazing and strong your organization is. Keep showing up. Keep posting, keep emailing, keep serving in any way possible. Your donors and the people you serve will take notice. You are doing an amazing job! Thank you for not giving up!

OK – SO – in this challenging time when we're all trying to figure out our next step, let's talk about online fundraisers – are they hot? Or are they not?

In the past couple weeks, I have heard so many different versions of what an online fundraiser could be… It could be an online auction, it could be a live streamed event where you have speakers call in like on a Zoom call, or some kind of video chat --- I saw one fundraiser banquet that was actually going to take place, but the organization was going to live stream it so people could also watch it online. Other kinds of online fundraisers could be an online appeal, or a donation drive.

But first, is it right for your organization? The first question you have to ask yourself is, is an online fundraiser right for you? For your organization?

Let's use an example… If you're a school and your donors are already highly invested because they're the parents and grandparents of your students, then you might be able to have a great online fundraiser.

If you're a new or newer organization and you don't have a strong, established relationship with your donors, it might be more challenging to have an online fundraiser. But here's the good news, you can just start where you are!

How can you pivot and still raise money? What fundraiser have you done in the past that worked – how can you make it work in your current circumstances?

Do you feel skeptical? If you're resistant to the idea of an online fundraiser, and you just feel like this is not right for your organization… listen to your gut. Brainstorm and think of another way to fundraise. Pivot.

Start where you are…

Send weekly emails - Use this time to build your relationship with your donors by storytelling, talk about what you do, and the value you bring to the lives of the people you serve. Bring value to your donor's lives – send them a positive, feel good email!

Use social media – post 2 times a week with a picture, and text and a call to action – THIS WORKS. I have built an entire business on this method. It works. It gets the most results.

Send handwritten thank you notes that tell the story of one person they're helping because they donated. Remind them of what your mission is. You know it, but they might not be so clear about it. Tell them over and over in a few concise, clear words what your mission is.

Ask people to give. One of the main reasons people don't donate is because they haven't been asked. So, at the end of your weekly email, put a link to where they can donate. Just start there!

Here are a few ideas for online fundraisers to get you started brainstorming:

Do you have an end of the year appeal? Do it now, but without the cost.

Start sending emails every week for two or three weeks in advance to prepare your donors for your appeal. (This is your runway to get people prepared to give.) Remind them, do a countdown. Prep them with information about why you are doing the appeal, who the money will be helping. Let them know you need their help!

Then, at the end of that three week "runway," kick off a week of giving. Send a link, or post a link where they can donate, or give them a phone number they can call to donate. Do this every day during your week of giving. Update your Instagram Story, build excitement around it, tell them stories.

If you have a little extra money to boost a Facebook post, do it – Boost a post. Even $5 makes a difference in who sees your post. Make sure everyone of your donors sees your post and don't forget that other people in your local area can see your post when you choose the specific audience for your post.

Remember you're building your relationship with your donors when they see your posts.

Have a walk or a fitness challenge to raise money

Get people to pledge or sponsor people who walk around their neighborhood for one week, or count steps with their fitness tracker or Fitbit, or work out with the Peloton app – by the way, the Peloton fitness app is free for 90 days right now when you sign up – you don't need workout equipment or a credit card to sign up – it's amazing, I'm totally hooked.

It's important that with these "virtual" events to be SO CRYSTAL CLEAR that you're hosting a virtual, online event. Online fundraisers or online events can get confusing – people don't know if they need to attend the event in person, or on their computer or what, so make sure you include those details for folks.

For example, if you're going to have a virtual 5K walk for your nonprofit. Make sure you express in plain and simple words that every participant is going to walk the 5K on their own, in their neighborhood or at a park or on their treadmill or whatever. Give them a deadline or a time span – encourage them to walk their 5K during April 12-17th, if that's your week of giving or whatever date span. Give them ideas on where to walk or encourage them to participate with their whole family. Tell them to post photos on Facebook and Instagram and give them an easy, unique hashtag to use like #Walk4Life2020, and encourage them to tag your organization in their pictures, so then YOU can share their photos on your organization's social media pages, and in your emails and on your blog.

Treat it like you would a normal fundraising walk, but make sure it's CRYSTAL CLEAR so everyone knows it's online.

There are so many different types of fundraisers that you can do and pivot – make them work online. Here's another idea.

Plan an in-person fundraiser for August

Organizations are always concerned about having fundraisers in the summer because they're worried people are going to be on vacation, but in August, kids will be back in school. For this special time, when your fundraiser has been postponed, have your event in August. That's far enough away so that you can have your regularly scheduled fundraiser again in March or April 2021.

Live stream an event

Having the capabilities for live streaming can be an advantage. Take note that people's attention span is SHORT. I recently heard that attention span was 22 minutes for online videos or streaming … Your "ask" will need to be really early in the live stream event. Remember to give advance notice that is very clear to your people that they can attend your event online and how to tune in.

Some things to think about with all your online fundraisers…

Who are your donors? Will they go to YouTube? Is this what they would like? Is this how they want to spend their time? For example, will they engage with an online auction?

Live streaming - If you're going to have speakers get on a Facebook Live, the first thing you must think about is who are your donors – will they like this? And second, you have to keep it short. If you have short videos to send out to your donors or post on social media, keep them under 10 minutes.

Auction online – Do you already have the items lined up? Can you order the items online?

Remember to tell them who you are…

Tell them who your organization is and what you do – you must remind them over and over who you are in a clear, short message. You know it, but they don't know it like you know it. Don't take it for granted.

Explain that you have bills, and there is still a need for your nonprofit. Tell them how you are making a difference together.

Last week, my Pastor sent out an email with encouragement – and a simple ask. (Listen to the episode if you want to hear the email – it's a great example of an appeal!) If you don't ask, people don't know what you want them to do. Ask your donors to give. Ask clearly!

Tell a friend about this podcast!

If you have any questions – I'm right here for you! Ask away! Send me a message on Facebook or Instagram or send me an email and I'll happily write you back with an answer!

Remember to subscribe to this podcast, leave a review and tell a friend!Thank you for all you do for your community, and thanks for listening. I have been getting the most amazing notes and DM's from y'all this week – and it means THE WORLD TO ME. Thank you.

Links I mentioned in this episode:

Extra help with your emails: Episode 33: Unlock the Potential of Your Email List

Peloton App

Grant Search Resources:

Grants.gov

GrantWatch

Google Ad Grants

GuideStarIf links are not visible in your podcast app, visit the Episode Webpage and Show Notes at https://nonprofitpotential.com/41