Ventures in Philanthropy E-Newsletter: November 2008

	November 2008
President’s Message:
Welcome to our Ventures in Philanthropy E-Newsletter

Getting Back to Basics
Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE

During this challenging time in our national and global economy, most of us are concerned with how the economy will affect our fundraising efforts for the remainder of this year and during the coming year.

We hear gloom and doom from many sources, and hope and optimism from others. Board members are delaying needed campaigns because they fear their donors have been seriously impacted by the stock market declines, executives are concerned that they may need to lay off staff if donations fall, and program staff are concerned that their clients will not be served, causing more serious community problems.

By the time some of you read this, the US presidential election will have taken place and we will be preparing for a new administration. If you, our US readers, receive this before Election Day, be sure to get out and vote!

We hope the coming year will be a more stable one for all of us. In the meantime, fundraisers need to think about getting back to the basics of fundraising, things that will keep your organization stable in good times and bad.

A few basic rules for every development officer:

Make sure that your board understands its role in fundraising.
Remember that they three key word in fundraising are: Relationships, Relationships, Relationships. Use this time to talk with your donors, try to understand their concerns and accommodate their needs. (Maybe they need to extend their pledge for another year, or consider other ways of giving.)
Evaluate your special events and get rid of ones that are too labor intensive, do not yield a good net profit or help you build lasting relationships with your donors.
Thank your donors!
Educate your staff-both development and non-development staff in the basics of good fundraising.
Give your development office (and maybe even yourself) a make-over. Make sure your office and your staff look professional. This goes a long way towards instilling confidence in donors.
Have a consultant perform a development audit for you to ensure that you are using your resources wisely. You may even be able to get a capacity building grant for this purpose.
Look at Internet fundraising if you aren't already using this tool.
Have an outside person do a review of your website and update it if need be. More people are doing their homework before giving to nonprofits, and a professional looking, up-to-date-site is critical.
Clean up your database. Bring in some volunteers to help you review basic demographic information (do you have names spelled correctly, etc) and assure that all donor history is recorded accurately before year end.

Technology Corner — Presenting your message to over 71 million unique viewers each month

Obama's record-breaking fundraising underscores the increasing power of the Internet. Obama has raised $600 million dollars since beginning his campaign — 87% of the donations were made online; 90% of his donations were $100 or less. His website is state-of-the-art and loaded with videos; some his own production; many created using YouTube and embedded on his site. A seach for "Barack Obama" on YouTube returned 358,000 videos.

Online video isn't the future, it's the present: 75% of Americans watched a video online last month, and YouTube is far and away the leader with hundreds of millions of videos viewed daily. 75 million unique visitors stop by YouTube each month; many of those check in daily.

Creating and posting a video online has come a long way since YouTube launched in 2005. You can post your video to YouTube using their tools and then embed it into your own website. You even have the option to allow other viewers to embed it on their personal websites. It couldn't be easier, and now YouTube has a program especially for nonprofits. The prestigious list of nonprofit organizations currently using YouTube is stunning.

If you plan to investigate online video options, you may also want to check out DoGooderTV, a nonprofit media hub growing like crazy.

Here are a few links to help you navigate the world of online video:

Using DoGooder TV

Getting the Message Across with YouTub: 7 Ways to Take Your Nonprofit to the Next Level

10 Reasons You Should Be YouTube-ing

YouTube Nonprofit Program

How to Put a Video on YouTube

How to put your videos on YouTube

In the News

We are pleased to announce that CAPITAL VENTURE’s President/CEO, Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE appeared in an interview on Charity Radio, part of the Charity Channel Network. Linda discusses raising money in uncertain economic times and getting back to the basics of fundraising that form a solid foundation for any development program. To listen to the interview, click here.

Training and Professional Development

CAPITAL VENTURE has updated our Training Catalogue, which is available by email. We offer a wide variety of workshops for groups such as AFP chapters, statewide associations, national organizations, Dioceses, United Ways and Centers for Nonprofits. If you would like to receive a copy of our offerings, please contact cvlinda@cox.net.

Training Opportunities

Pressed for time? Travel budget limited? Check out our website for the great webinars presented by Affinity Seminars on various topics of interest to development professionals.

Another excellent resource for nonprofit webinars is Charity University. You'll find several on-demand courses sessions I've recorded available there, including the most recent one, The Development Plan. I'll be presenting three more tele-courses for Charity University this fall which will be available on demand as well. You'll find the dates and details listed in the Upcoming Presentations section below.

CAPITAL VENTURE will be launching our own special training videos this fall, so be sure to check next month’s newsletter for more information.

UPCOMING PRESENTATIONS
November 5 , 2008 Monterey Bay Community Foundation Technology & Fund Development: 16 Next Generation Strategies Mike Kierce, eTapestry The Development Plan Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Monterey Bay, CA Click here for details and registration November 6 , 2008 eTapestry Workshop Using the Internet to Increase Fundraising Mike Kierce, eTapestry Breathing New Life Into Your Development Program Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Sacramento, CA Email Linda for details November 7, 2008 Charles Schwab Nonprofit Roundtable Raising Money from Individuals Reno, NV Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Email Linda for details	November 10, 2008 Charity Channel Building a Board of Fundraisers Extraordinaire Webinar Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Click here for details and registration November 24 , 2008 Charity Channel Are You Ready for a Capital Campaign? Webinar Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Email Linda for details December 1 , 2008 Charity Channel Organizing Your Capital Campaign Webinar Linda Lysakowski, ACFRE Email Linda for details
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CONTACT U S
CAPITAL VENTURE
Advancing Philanthropy through Consulting and Training for Nonprofits
Offices throughout the United States
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CAPITAL VENTURE Associates are located throughout the United States. Call to find the one closest to you. (866) 539-9990 toll free
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