I was struck hard by this cartoon honoring superstar children’s author Maurice Sendak, who passed away last week. Sendak was an fearlessly innovative storyteller, who introduced previously taboo topics and tone into his work beginning with Where the Wild Things Are. It’s no surprise that the childrens’ publishing establishment didn’t welcome his innovations with open arms, but Sendak persisted with game-changing results.

“When it was published in 1963, the book was hated by critics and banned in libraries. Wild ideas always attract naysayers. But wild ideas are the ones that make a dent. Where the Wild Things Are is one of the most awarded and influential children’s books in history. But too often wild ideas are smothered or diluted before they’ve really had a chance,” says Marketoonist Tom Fishburne.
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Nancy Schwartz on May 14, 2012 in Strategy | 2 comments
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Please post your nonprofit marketing position here—FT or PT staff, consulting or internship opportunities. 

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

1) Associate Director, Media Relations and Communications
Save the Children (Washington, D.C.)

2) Chief Marketing Officer, buildOn (Stamford, CT)

3) Communications Associate, The Food Trust (Philadelphia, PA)
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Nancy Schwartz on May 11, 2012 in Jobs and Hiring | 1 comment
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Guest bloggerRobert J. Rosenthal (@volmatchRobert) is VP of Communications & Marketing at VolunteerMatch, the Web’s largest network for volunteer engagement. Their new guide (free), 101 Volunteer Recruitment Secrets, showcases the insights of dozens of volunteer recruiters to share what works.

Part One: 101 Secrets to Great Volunteer Recruitment

Great communications is at the heart of many of the secrets of the most effective volunteer recruiters. In my last post at Getting Attention I featured two such tips – Target your audience where it is and Being responsive can help turn a spark of interest into a flame. So what are some of the other communications tips from 101 Secrets?

Getting to the “Why’s” of a Volunteer Prospect

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Guest Blogger on May 10, 2012 in Volunteers | 0 comments
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Register Now to Learn this Vital Skill - Seats Filling Fast
How to Stop Striking Flat Notes with Your Target Audiences and
Join the 16% of Nonprofits Whose Messages Resonate and Spur Action

Date: Wednesday, May 30, 2012      Time: 1:00-2:00 PM EDT/10:00-11:00 PM PDT
If you can’t make this time, register anyway. All registrants receive the video recording.
Register Now

You’ve got to connect with your target audience to spur them to action…to give, to sign, to volunteer.

Messages are the way to build relationships. You need to learn how, now. Register today—50% of seats reserved in first week of announcement.   

Without strong messages, it’s impossible to connect. And there’s simply no way you’ll build the mutually-satisfying relationships with passionate supporters you need to meet your organization’s overall goals.

But just 16% of nonprofit messages connect
Survey findings indicate that 84% of nonprofit communicators admit their messages fail to connect with the people they need to engage as donors, partner, volunteers and more. And that poor messaging gets in the way of achieving the change they seek.

Now you can close this critical gap
You can close this gap, and the sooner you do so the better. But even if you recognize that you need to strengthen your messages, many of you don’t know where to start. I’ll show you how in this free 60-minute webinar.

Register Now

You will learn:

  • The three things you have to know before you even start message creation
  • The four cornerstones of a nonprofit message platform that connects, with real-life examples
  • The specific value of each message element, and how to use it for greatest impact.

You’ll finish the webinar with a clear path to messaging that connects with your target audiences and spurs the actions you need to move your cause forward. Messaging for mission!

Register Now

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Nancy Schwartz on May 7, 2012 in Branding and Messages | 0 comments

Please post your nonprofit marketing position here—FT or PT staff, consulting or internship opportunities. 

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

1) Associate Director of Communications
City Harvest (New York, NY)

2) Communications Associate
The Nellie Mae Education Foundation (Quincy, MA)

3) Communications Coordinator
RI Coalition Against Domestic Violence (Warwick, RI)
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Nancy Schwartz on May 4, 2012 in Jobs and Hiring | 0 comments
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Please post your nonprofit marketing position here—FT or PT staff, consulting or internship opportunities. 

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

1) Communications Coordinator
International Center for Transitional Justice
(New York, NY)

2) Communications Director
Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (Berea, KY)

3) Communications Director
Planned Parenthood of South Florida and the Treasure Coast (West Palm Beach, FL)
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Nancy Schwartz on April 27, 2012 in Jobs and Hiring | 1 comment
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Guest blogger Robert J. Rosenthal (@volmatchRobert) is VP of Communications & Marketing at VolunteerMatch, the Web’s largest network for volunteer engagement. Their new guide (free), 101 Volunteer Recruitment Secrets, showcases the insights of dozens of volunteer recruiters to share what works.

If you know the fundamentals of your work but it still feels like you’re missing out on a secret to effective volunteer engagement, we understand.

It can be lonely being the one responsible for volunteers. All around the organization the rest of your colleagues are dug in doing their work, setting program goals, delivering services, raising funds. Meanwhile you’re trying to figure out the best way to align a prospective volunteer’s need with your own program goals.

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Guest Blogger on April 25, 2012 in Volunteers | 4 comments
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Nothing thrills me more than travel. So what a terrific surprise it was to be invited by the folks at Connecting Up Australia to speak on messaging and train on marketing planning at their annual conference next week. My husband, Sean, and daughter Charlotte are joining me on this adventure so we can spend a bit of time vising with kangaroos and koalas, and we’ve just arrived down under!

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Nancy Schwartz on April 23, 2012 in Professional Development | 0 comments
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Please post your nonprofit marketing position here—FT or PT staff, consulting or internship opportunities. 

NEW OPPORTUNITIES

1) Communications and Events Coordinator
Community of Hope (Washington, D.C.)

2) Communications and New Media Director
The Center for the Next Generation (San Francisco, CA)

3) Communications Associate, Living Goods (San Francisco, CA)
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Nancy Schwartz on April 20, 2012 in Jobs and Hiring | 0 comments
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