Previous Winners—
Nonprofit Tagline Awards
Great Words Promoting Good Causes
A high-impact tagline is an essential tool for any nonprofit fighting to deliver its message in a crowded, competitive world.
To guide and motivate more organizations to strengthen their taglines, the annual Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards (a.k.a. The Taggies) recognizes organizations both large and small that have earned top honors for their attention-getting taglines, demonstrating again that an organization of any size can craft a powerful, pithy motto to build awareness and connect with its key audiences.
2020 AWARD WINNERS
Organizational Taglines
Arts & Culture
Tagline: Where good books are brewing
Organization: Coffee House Press
Associations
Tagline: E.R. You Watch It…We Live It!
Organization: Indiana State Council of the Emergency Nurses Association
Civic benefit
Tagline: Instruments of Mass Percussion
Organization: Drums Not Guns
Education
Tagline: Because Curiosity Knows No Age Limit
Organization: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Clemson University
Employment & Workforce Development
Tagline: Our Vision Does Not Require Sight
Organization: Volunteer Blind Industries
Environment and animals
Tagline: Finding good homes for great dogs
Organization: Save the Strays Animal Rescue
Faith-based & Spiritual Development
Organization: Religions for Peace
Tagline: Different Faiths, Common Action.
Grantmaking
Tagline: Connecting People Who Care…With Causes That Matter
Organization: Greater Menomonie Area Community Foundation
Health and sciences
Tagline: When time matters most.
Organization: United Hospice of Rockland, Inc.
Human Services
Tagline: Help is a four-legged word
Organization: Canine Companions for Independence
International, Foreign Affairs, National Security
Tagline: Healing a hurting world
Organization: Episcopal Relief & Development
Library
Tagline: Spread the words.
Organization: Edmonton Public Library
Other
Tagline: Your Guide To Intelligent Giving
Organization: Charity Navigator
Fundraising Taglines
Tagline: Bring Back the Roar!
Organization: Oregon Zoo Foundation: Capital campaign to fund lions’ return after 10-year absence
Program Taglines
Tagline: Your Mouth Can Say A Lot About You
Organization: Massachusetts Dental Society: Awareness campaign to educate the public about the important relationship between oral health and overall health
Tagline: Serve a Semester. Change the World.
Organization: Youth Service America: Semester of Service
Special Event Taglines
Tagline: Little feet. Big strides.
Organization: Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research: Kids Can Cure Fun Run, LA Cancer Challenge
2019 AWARD WINNERS
Arts & Culture
Tagline: Big Sky. Big Land. Big History.
Organization: Montana Historical Society
Associations
Tagline: Building community deep in the hearts of Texans
Organization: TexasNonprofits
Civic benefit
Tagline: Holding Power Accountable
Organization: Common Cause
Education
Tagline: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste ®
Organization: UNCF — The United Negro College Fund
Environment and animals
Tagline: Because the earth needs a good lawyer
Organization: Earthjustice
Grantmaking
Tagline: If you want to be remembered, do something memorable.
Organization: The Cleveland Foundation
Health and sciences
Tagline: Finding a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to.
Organization: PA Breast Cancer Coalition
Human Services
Tagline: Filling pantries. Filling lives.
Organization: Houston Food Bank
International, Foreign Affairs, National Security
Tagline: Send a net. Save a life.
Organization: Nothing But Nets
Jobs and Workforce Development
Tagline: Nothing Stops A Bullet Like A Job
Organization: Homeboy Industries
Media
Tagline: Telling stories that make a difference
Organization: Barefoot Workshops
Religion and spiritual development
Tagline: Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.
Organization: The people of The United Methodist Church
2018 AWARD WINNERS
Arts & Culture
Tagline: Where Actors Find Their Space
Organization: NYC Theatre Spaces
Civic benefit
Tagline: Stand Up for a Child
Organization: Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri
Education
Tagline: Stay Close…Go Far.
Organization: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Environment and animals
Tagline: Helping Preserve the Places You Cherish
Organization: LandChoices
Grantmaking
Tagline: Make the Most of Your Giving
Organization: The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Health and sciences
Tagline: Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
Organization: American Lung Association
Human Services
Tagline: When You Can’t Do It Alone
Organization: Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee, Inc.
International, Foreign Affairs, National Security
Tagline: Whatever it takes to save a child
Organization: U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Jobs and Workforce Development
Tagline: All Building Starts With a Foundation
Organization: Building Future Builders
Other
Tagline: Because facts matter.
Organization: Oregon Center for Public Policy
Other
Tagline: The Art of Active Aging
Organization: EngAGE
Religion and spiritual development
Tagline: Grounded in tradition…open to the Spirit
Organization: Memphis Theological Seminary
How to Earn Income (and Autonomy) for Your Nonprofit
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting Attention“What?,” you may be saying? Our job isn’t to generate revenue. We use the generous gifts and grants we receive to deliver programs, services and products to our community.
That’s what I hear from most nonprofit organizations intent on doing things the way they’ve always done them — relying on money from funders (private and government) and individual donors to sustain them.
Unfortunately, that model isn’t sustainable. And counting on a weak funding model leaves your organization vulnerable to everything from the volatile economy to the retirement of the program officer who had funded your organization for so long.
Nothing is more critical to your organization’s health than your budget. And a very effective way to stabilize your income is to earn some of it.
Here’s an example of how that can work for your organization:
Keep posted–I’ll be featuring earned income case studies and guidance in the months to come.
Please tell me: 1) What programs, services and/or products is your organization already providing to your core community, that you could repackage and sell to other sectors, and 2) What do you need to know about earning some income?
BTW, Public Health Services has changed its fiscal management program’s name to Nonprofit Consulting Services which leads me to believe that more earned income streams are in the works!
Previous Tagline Award Winners
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionPrevious Winners—
Nonprofit Tagline Awards
Great Words Promoting Good Causes
A high-impact tagline is an essential tool for any nonprofit fighting to deliver its message in a crowded, competitive world.
To guide and motivate more organizations to strengthen their taglines, the annual Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards (a.k.a. The Taggies) recognizes organizations both large and small that have earned top honors for their attention-getting taglines, demonstrating again that an organization of any size can craft a powerful, pithy motto to build awareness and connect with its key audiences.
2020 AWARD WINNERS
Organizational Taglines
Arts & Culture
Tagline: Where good books are brewing
Organization: Coffee House Press
Associations
Tagline: E.R. You Watch It…We Live It!
Organization: Indiana State Council of the Emergency Nurses Association
Civic benefit
Tagline: Instruments of Mass Percussion
Organization: Drums Not Guns
Education
Tagline: Because Curiosity Knows No Age Limit
Organization: The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Clemson University
Employment & Workforce Development
Tagline: Our Vision Does Not Require Sight
Organization: Volunteer Blind Industries
Environment and animals
Tagline: Finding good homes for great dogs
Organization: Save the Strays Animal Rescue
Faith-based & Spiritual Development
Organization: Religions for Peace
Tagline: Different Faiths, Common Action.
Grantmaking
Tagline: Connecting People Who Care…With Causes That Matter
Organization: Greater Menomonie Area Community Foundation
Health and sciences
Tagline: When time matters most.
Organization: United Hospice of Rockland, Inc.
Human Services
Tagline: Help is a four-legged word
Organization: Canine Companions for Independence
International, Foreign Affairs, National Security
Tagline: Healing a hurting world
Organization: Episcopal Relief & Development
Library
Tagline: Spread the words.
Organization: Edmonton Public Library
Other
Tagline: Your Guide To Intelligent Giving
Organization: Charity Navigator
Fundraising Taglines
Tagline: Bring Back the Roar!
Organization: Oregon Zoo Foundation: Capital campaign to fund lions’ return after 10-year absence
Program Taglines
Tagline: Your Mouth Can Say A Lot About You
Organization: Massachusetts Dental Society: Awareness campaign to educate the public about the important relationship between oral health and overall health
Tagline: Serve a Semester. Change the World.
Organization: Youth Service America: Semester of Service
Special Event Taglines
Tagline: Little feet. Big strides.
Organization: Hirshberg Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research: Kids Can Cure Fun Run, LA Cancer Challenge
2019 AWARD WINNERS
Arts & Culture
Tagline: Big Sky. Big Land. Big History.
Organization: Montana Historical Society
Associations
Tagline: Building community deep in the hearts of Texans
Organization: TexasNonprofits
Civic benefit
Tagline: Holding Power Accountable
Organization: Common Cause
Education
Tagline: A Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste ®
Organization: UNCF — The United Negro College Fund
Environment and animals
Tagline: Because the earth needs a good lawyer
Organization: Earthjustice
Grantmaking
Tagline: If you want to be remembered, do something memorable.
Organization: The Cleveland Foundation
Health and sciences
Tagline: Finding a cure now…so our daughters won’t have to.
Organization: PA Breast Cancer Coalition
Human Services
Tagline: Filling pantries. Filling lives.
Organization: Houston Food Bank
International, Foreign Affairs, National Security
Tagline: Send a net. Save a life.
Organization: Nothing But Nets
Jobs and Workforce Development
Tagline: Nothing Stops A Bullet Like A Job
Organization: Homeboy Industries
Media
Tagline: Telling stories that make a difference
Organization: Barefoot Workshops
Religion and spiritual development
Tagline: Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.
Organization: The people of The United Methodist Church
2018 AWARD WINNERS
Arts & Culture
Tagline: Where Actors Find Their Space
Organization: NYC Theatre Spaces
Civic benefit
Tagline: Stand Up for a Child
Organization: Court Appointed Special Advocates of Southwest Missouri
Education
Tagline: Stay Close…Go Far.
Organization: East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania
Environment and animals
Tagline: Helping Preserve the Places You Cherish
Organization: LandChoices
Grantmaking
Tagline: Make the Most of Your Giving
Organization: The Greater Cincinnati Foundation
Health and sciences
Tagline: Improving Life, One Breath at a Time
Organization: American Lung Association
Human Services
Tagline: When You Can’t Do It Alone
Organization: Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota-Manatee, Inc.
International, Foreign Affairs, National Security
Tagline: Whatever it takes to save a child
Organization: U.S. Fund for UNICEF
Jobs and Workforce Development
Tagline: All Building Starts With a Foundation
Organization: Building Future Builders
Other
Tagline: Because facts matter.
Organization: Oregon Center for Public Policy
Other
Tagline: The Art of Active Aging
Organization: EngAGE
Religion and spiritual development
Tagline: Grounded in tradition…open to the Spirit
Organization: Memphis Theological Seminary
Tagline-Overview-Awards-Report
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting Attention2012 Nonprofit Tagline Awards (a.k.a. The Taggies)
Great Words Promoting Good Causes
Congratulations to the 2012 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Award Winners! The 18 winners were selected by more than 3,300 voters from 63 nonprofit tagline finalists that had been identified by our expert panel of judges. The finalists were drawn from the 1,400 nonprofit taglines entered.
Get free access today to the updated Online Tagline Database, with 5,000+ searchable taglines for your own message brainstorming, and the Nonprofit Tagline Report!
Celebrating the Best in Nonprofit Taglines—The Taggies
A strong tagline does double-duty — working to extend your organization’s name and mission, while delivering a focused, memorable and repeatable message to your base.
But our recent Nonprofit Messages Survey showed just 29% of organizations like yours have a tagline that connects and spurs action.
The Awards program is designed to inspire and guide your organizations to deliver taglines that connect quickly and strongly with your target audiences—Aha! messages that build and strengthen key relationships for the long term.
Since 2008, the GettingAttention.org community and other nonprofit communicators, other staff and supporters have been enthusiastic participants in the Nonprofit Tagline Awards program (a.k.a. The Taggies)—entering their own taglines and spreading the word to peers to do the same, voting to select award winners and learning what works and what doesn’t via the Nonprofit Tagline Database and Report.
Getting to Aha! is doable, for every organization. Go for it!
Thanks for the inspiration, advice and encouragement.
We couldn’t have done it without The Taggies!
“About the time you were holding the first Taggies, we were knee-deep in developing our first strategic marketing plan—with the help of a couple of talented, local board members, we managed to get thru the process and finalize our branding guidelines developed in four months!
‘We are Smiles Change Lives and we provide essential, life-changing orthodontic treatment for children from low-income families: Bracing kids for a better future!’
“Your emails during the contest helped fuel our desire to develop the right tagline and we believe we have. Thanks for the inspiration, advice and encouragement thru your emails and webinars. We couldn’t have done it without the Taggies!”
This program is made possible thanks to the generous sponsorship of
Change.org and See3.
P. S. Follow Tagline Award news on Twitter via the hashtag #taggies12
Where to Begin with Nonprofit Marketing
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionI’m so proud of my friend and colleague Kivi Leroux Miller for crafting the excellent Nonprofit Marketing Guide: High-Impact, Low-Cost Ways to Build Support for Your Good Cause (partner link). And Kivi’s been gracious enough to make Getting Attention the first stop on her virtual book tour.
I recommend you purchase the book today. Here’s why: It’s a source every time-strapped communicator can count on time and time again – comprehensive, accessible and smart. When you buy the book before midnight tonight (June 1, 2010) and forward your receipt to book@nonprofitmarketingguide.com, you’ll be entered to win a free Getting Attention tagline review. You’ll also be entered into a drawing on Friday for several All-Access Passes to the Nonprofit Marketing Guide Webinar Series.
Here’s a small taste of Kivi’s practical nonprofit marketing advice…
“Where do I begin?”
That’s hands down the most frequently-asked question that nonprofit communicators ask consultants like Nancy and me.
Like any good consultant (or therapist), I always respond with a question of my own: What is it that you want people to do?
I can usually tell how long – and difficult – the conversation will be based on the answer I get. Responses like these signal a long conversation ahead:
The problem with responses like these is that there isn’t any specific action involved. No one is doing anything. So I ask the same question again, but using the language from the response.
Now, we start to get to more specific responses, like
With these more specific actions as our goals, we’re equipped to shape a nonprofit marketing strategy. The conversation continues by discussing
Writing an email newsletter or updating your Facebook page may end up as key elements of your strategy, but tactics aren’t the place to start . Instead, take some time – even just five minutes of quiet behind a closed door – to sort through these questions. That’s where to begin.
Top Dog Media Guide for Nonprofits: The Publicity Hound
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionI just discovered The Publicity Hound, an info-packed blog written by publicity expert Joan Stewart. Joan provides quick, useful tips on topics from working with media photographers to when to pass up publicity. Take a look. I think you’ll find Joan’s insights very useful for your nonprofit’s media work.
Are you Getting Attention?
Google Grants Provides Free Advertising to Nonprofit Orgs
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionGoogle is demonstrating its commitment to sharing its success with the nonprofit sector with its new in-kind grant program:
Google Grant recipients use their award of free AdWords advertising on Google.com to raise awareness and increase traffic to their websites. Each organization that receives a Google Grant gets at least three months of in-kind advertising. Here are some recent success stories:
Click here for details on how to apply.
9 Steps to Great Nonprofit Podcasting
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionHats off to Internet marketing consultant and blogger Carson McComas (aka frogbody) for drafting his right-on-the-money list of podcast guidelines. I’ve riffed from his list to create this one for nonprofits:
1) Keep your podcasts short at the beginning.
2) Stick to a single topic for each podcast.The format is tight, keep the focus that way too.
3) Keep your nonprofit’s podcast voice personal and chummy.
4) Outline your podcast, before you start recording.
5) Verbally identify your podcast at the start of your podcast with “Date, issue number, topic/guest, etc.
6) A conversation is more engaging than a monologue.
7) When you interview a guest, don’t hog the mike.
8 ) Be professional, with your equipment, and your editing.
9) Make it easy for listeners to get new podcasts via email
How to Retain Baby Boomer Volunteers
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionThere are about 79 million Baby Boomers out there — born between 1946 and 1964 — and they’re volunteering at a rate higher than ever before. But 31 percent of those who volunteer fail to return the following year, reports a just-released study from the Corporation for National Service.
So how does your organization change this attrition rate? Clearly, you need to focus on this group of volunteers as a unique segment of your volunteer base — learning their interests, needs and patterns, how to capture their experience and energy, and what factors impact their decision to volunteer from year to year.
Most organizations treat volunteers as a single audience — and they’re no more a single audience than your donors, staff or board. Remember that Boomers:
When you take these steps, your organization will be reward with a corps of skilled, dedicated, energetic volunteers with many years to keep volunteering, and who are great prospects for giving in the coming decades.
Nonprofits that Keep Their Word Deliver Great Experiences for Supporters, Finds Researcher Scott Deming
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Getting AttentionEver had a nonprofit customer experience (as a donor, volunteer or whatever) that left you with a smile on your face? On the other hand, have you ever had an encounter with an organization that left you gnashing your teeth and griping about the event for weeks on end to anyone who’d listen? If you’re like most people, you can answer both questions (especially the second one!) with a resounding yes. But did you ever stop to wonder precisely what its was that went so right or, in the second case, so terribly wrong?
Scott Deming, author of The Brand Who Cried Wolf: Deliver on Your Company’s Promise and Create Customers for Life has the surprisingly simple answer: Great customer experiences happen when organizations keep their word. Most critical, pronounces Deming, is that what you say your organization stands for (brand) means next to nothing compared to what your stakeholders experience. That experience is your real brand or, as my mother used to say, actions speak louder than words.
What’s interesting is that Deming profiles organizations he deems brilliant branders (orgs like Ben & Jerry’s and Saturn who consistently provide an ultimate customer experience) and wolf criers (who claim they do but actually don’t). And guess what nonprofit leads the wolf criers list….none other than the infamous Red Cross.
I find Deming’s perspective a particularly meaningful way to look at the organizations that have really let us down. Others I can name include the United Way and Smithsonian. These are organizations supporters and other audiences trusted to do the right thing; but they didn’t. And they lost our trust and support.
The Red Cross is a glaring example of how trust can be instantaneously eroded. In the hours after terrorists attacked the United States on 9/11, record-breaking pledges poured in from around the world. The Red Cross set up The Liberty Fund as a direct response to the attacks and collected more than $564 million. However, by November 2001, CNN and other news agencies reported that only $154 million of that had been distributed. Dr. Bernadine Healy, who was the outgoing Red Cross president at the time, argued in defense of the charitable organization’s decision to set aside more than half of the money raised for future needs, including possible terrorist attacks. This news angered many donors. They felt like their money was not reaching the intended recipients. Bad customer experience.
Here are a couple of Deming’s most useful suggestions for staying on track to deliver the right kind of experience for your supporters:
Take a minute to learn how to help your loyal supporters spread the word:
The Most Powerful Marketing Copy in the World — Testimonials
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