Claire Meyerhoff

Next Tuesday, April 28th, Claire Meyerhoff and I are doing a FREE webinar encouraging you to banish boring nonprofit communications forever. How does nonprofit marketing and fundraising content become so boring? Claire explains in today’s post. ~Kivi

Guest Post by Claire Meyerhoff, Editorial Director at Planned Giving Marketing

In horror movies, lots of scary people look perfectly normal at first. They have a slight evil glint in their eye, but for the most part, present themselves as upstanding members of the community. Until they hatchet attack the naïve neighbor.

In our nonprofit world of doing good and producing the quality marketing and communications needed to help raise the money to sustain those good works – there are scary people ready to hatchet attack your mar/com and scare your donors away. They look really, really normal and very familiar! They wear khakis! They share their hummus and carrots! They give you a ride when your car is in the shop!

Who are these scary people disguised as nice people?

They’re your lovely boss, your friendly coworkers and you.

In your earnest efforts to make things perfect, be politically correct, satisfy your board, adhere to “best practices” and exercise your inner Hemingway, you’re hatchet attacking your work and scaring off the very people you’re trying to engage – your donors.

Here’s how you wield that hatchet…

You’re over-thinking, over-editing, nit-picking words, choosing photos for the wrong reasons and spending way too much time going over and over your newsletter, end of year report, fundraising letters, brochures, fliers, web copy and social media.

Kivi and I have seen it all! Working for nonprofits of all shapes and sizes – we’ve encountered these gory scenes:

• The placeholder website featuring two year old “news” that remains online because no one can agree on the homepage content. Or remember how to log onto the website manager.

• The bequest letter that circulated around the office for over a year (yes, a year), gathering hundreds of red marks which was foreshadowing because yes indeed, it was never read – or sent. That org’s donors probably named the charity across the street in their wills.

• The newsletter that initially had a heart-warming front-page photo of a volunteer and child planting flowers in your hospital’s community garden – but then your boss told you to swap it out for a photo of five board members lined up like smiling soldiers.

• The end of year appeal that was succinct, upbeat had a clear call to action and engaging ask until it was over-edited and your Executive Director dealt the final blow – he added a paragraph at the top. It “explained” what you do and gave the letter “context,” he said.

Are you scared yet? Getting chills? Having visions of a little guy named Chucky or that handsome Governor with the eye patch from Walking Dead?  Good! That means you’ve read this far and this is sounding familiar. Maybe you’re laughing! I hope so…

Because nonprofit marketing and communications isn’t scary – it’s fun! You get to write stories about nice people doing good things, take photos and if you’re lucky, you have someone on staff (or yourself) who has graphic design experience and you get to make pretty things.

You get to play psychologist and put yourself into the mind of your audience – your donors – and think “what do they care about” and “why did they first start giving to our charity…” It’s fun because you’re doing something that matters and because you care. If you don’t think it matters and you don’t care, maybe you’re in the wrong line of work. But if you’ve read this far, you do care and Kivi and I are here to tell you that you don’t have to be scared anymore…

We can give you many, many helpful hints, tools and tricks to streamline your marketing and communications, make faster, easier, better choices and most of all – give you the permission to just get it done without ruining the good stuff. Get that letter out the door. Post those photos. Finalize your newsletter. Don’t make changes that ruin the initial creative inspiration that makes your content authentically engaging. In the brilliant words of my friend Allison, “perfection is the enemy of good.” I love that!

As a Nonprofit Marketing Guide reader, you have so many free resources available to you – all of Kivi’s great stuff from over the years and more on the way.  We’re having a free webinar next week – Marketing Makeover Magic – please register! It will be a lot of fun and not at all scary!

Claire Meyerhoff is a nonprofit marketing expert who specializes in planned giving outreach and stewardship programs.  A former broadcast journalist and public relations gal, Claire is Editorial Director at Planned Giving Marketing and in her spare time does on-air fundraising for public television’s UNC-TV and helps raise funds for the Keith C. Miller Award at Carle Place High School in New York.

The post Meet the Scary People Who Are Frightening Your Donors Away! appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Blow your supporters away by replacing your boring nonprofit marketing and communications with fabulous and effective content.

Springtime is the perfect time for you to get some fresh, new ideas for your nonprofit marketing and communications! If you have just 60 minutes, please sign up for this free webinar to learn how you can take your  marketing and fundraising content/materials from DRAB to FAB!

FREE WEBINAR
Marketing Makeover MAGIC with Kivi and Claire
Tuesday, April 28th
1:00 p.m. Eastern (10:00 a.m. Pacific)

We’ve invited fundraising marketing specialist Claire Meyerhoff to be our guest “stylist” and she and Kivi are going to share their best tips and tricks for creating truly effective and FAB marketing and communications content.

As Editorial Director at Planned Giving Marketing, a top fundraising firm, Claire has created successful   and  stylish communications for big-name nonprofits. Lucky for us, Claire LOVES small nonprofits with no budgets (and any nonprofit with a small budget!).

Here’s some of the Marketing Makeover Magic just for you…

MAGIC QUICK FIXES. Wonder how you can turn your newsletter into a newsworthy, valuable marketing piece that will get read and get results? Fix your boring website? Improve your social media and direct mail/email outreach? We have quick fixes that you can use right away…

MAGIC DO’S AND DON’TS that will help you shape up your content, process and messaging. DO re-use your best content! DON’T slave over communications your donors are NOT reading (that’s right, you and your boss word smithed that letter into the bore-o-sphere).

ASK THE EXPERTS!  Yes, you can bring  YOUR web pages, newsletter articles and social media updates and Kivi and Claire will take on the challenge.  (Beware, they’ll be brutally honest!) Just email your work to training@nonprofitmarketingguide.com before Thursday, April 23rd.

So carve out a little “me time” for yourself and join us on Tuesday, April 28th!  You’ll learn, laugh and leave with a lots of useful information and valuable content you can use right away. You’ll see lots of great examples of marketing and communications that you can adapt for your org.

It’s time to banish boring marketing and communications along with the winter blues and embrace a vibrant and fresh springtime with our Marketing Makeover Magic webinar.

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Can’t see the form? Try this. 

The post Marketing Makeover MAGIC with Kivi and Claire! [FREE WEBINAR] appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Claire Meyerhoff

What does your planned giving marketing look like? If you are like most nonprofits, then it is probably non-existent or a bit of a mess. Claire Meyerhoff shows how a good story might be just what you need to get your planned giving campaign going. (For more on asking for bequests, join us in January for Tom Ahern’s webinar, Marketing Bequests : The Delicate Art of Asking for the Final Gift.) ~Kivi

Guest Post by Claire Meyerhoff

Do you have a five year bequest marketing plan, a huge budget for an outsourced year-long direct mail campaign, and a dedicated Director of Planned Gifts?

No? Well…then you’re in very good company.  MOST charities are “sliding” when it comes to planned giving.  They love when the phone rings and an estate attorney says, “Arlene Anonymous has made a bequest to your organization…” But they don’t love the idea of dedicating time or budget to go after planned gifts. If you’re not marketing planned gifts (bequests in a will or using other assets to make a gift), here’s an easy way to start… 

Tell a Bequest Story.

Here’s a story (or some version of it) that could appear in a church bulletin, website, Facebook page, Twitter feed, direct mail piece and FUNDRAISING newsletter. A great photo is a must.

Why is Rose Smiling?

Rose Marshall is the happiest she’s been in years.  Every Sunday, her son Jack picks her up at her Rush Avenue home, drives her to St. Mary’s, opens the car door for her, gets her “handy-dandy rolling walker” from the trunk and sets it in front of his mother.

Then Rose walks into church with no help from anyone.

“This new ramp has made me a new woman,” said Rose, who was baptized at St. Mary’s in 1924 and has been a member ever since.

Rose said the old ramp was “iffy,” she didn’t “feel confident” and always had her son “give me a little push.”

The new ramp was installed by Heritage Access (donating labor and providing most  materials at cost) in January, thanks to a gift from Bill Wallace, who remembered St. Mary’s in his will.

“A few years back, Bill told me he named St. Mary’s in his will. He didn’t want to make a big fuss, but said he’d like the money to be used for improvements at the church,” said Pastor Susan.

If you share a story like this in your newsletter and other “outlets,” you’re PROMOTING PLANNED GIVING without sending a single letter or spending a dime.

Here are some of the great things this story does:

1. Shows your donors the impact of “everyday philanthropy.”

Rose’s story is obviously for a small audience in a tight community. You can let your readers know the planned giving donor (the person who put the charity in their will) was an “everyday person.” Do this by including details like “Bill, a retired elementary school teacher…”

2. Gives you, in your fundraising hat, an opportunity to talk to someone about their own will.

You can chat with another loyal donor (in this case, Rose) about putting the charity in his or her own will (or learning that it already is!).

3. Helps you emphasize confidentiality and discretion.

The story shows that Bill, the donor had a CONFIDENTIAL conversation with the Pastor, assuring donors their intention will also be handled with discretion. (Many people who have put a charity in their will DON’T TELL THE CHARITY because they don’t want to “be bothered.” In your letters and marketing materials, it’s important to include language like, “Your gift may remain anonymous which is shorthand for “discretion.”

4.  Shows your donors that you keep your word and use bequests as intended.

5. It’s friendly and upbeat.

The story treats the bequest in a friendly way. It’s about the transformative power of a gift and doesn’t mention death or “your legacy.”

6. Tells a story about OTHER PEOPLE, not your charity.

It thanks the company that installed the ramp. Good nonprofit stories are NOT ABOUT YOUR CHARITY but about OTHER PEOPLE.  Never use self-serving quotes from the board chair.  The pastor’s quote provides context and an important message: “we listen to you.”

7. The story has multiple uses in different media and formats.

The story could be repurposed on Facebook and Twitter or even pitched to a local newspaper, with a new headline, “Why is this woman smiling?” and the photo of Rose.

8. You can retell the story with a “call to action.”

Talk about repurposing content!  While this is the general newsletter version of the story, without a “call to action,” it was later used WITH a call to action in a FUNDRAISING NEWSLETTER or LETTER with this language:

“Is St. Mary’s already in your will, trust or other estate plans?  Thank you!   Please let us know about your plans because it helps St. Mary’s plan for the future.  Call or email Ruthie Lund in the Development Office and she will add your name to the Legacy Society.  Your gift may remain anonymous, if you like.

Don’t have a will? You’re not alone! Now is a great time to start planning, and please consider including a bequest to St. Mary’s in your estate plans.  Contact Ruthie for suggested “bequest language” and the St. Mary’s tax ID for you to share with your attorney.

You CAN do some planned giving marketing yourself! Start by identifying ONE great story about how your org put a bequest gift to good use.  No realized bequests?  Find a donor who has already put your organization in their will. Ask them WHY they did and tie their passion to a great story about work your org is doing right now.

Claire Meyerhoff is a long-time contributor to Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com and heads up the Planned Giving Agency, a full-service fundraising marketing firm specializing in planned giving.  She’s available for conferences and training and her presentation, “Five Easy Things You can do Today to Bring in More Planned Gifts Tomorrow,” is “FANTASTIC,” according to Gary Doyens, Founder and Director of Caroline’s Room and Board Member of the Connecticut March of Dimes.  You can reach her at Claire@pgagency.com or send her a LinkedIn invitation www.linkedin.com/in/pgagency/

The post A Bequest Story: Tell a Story and Encourage Donors to Put Your Charity in Their Will appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Claire Meyerhoff

Last week, Claire Meyerhoff warned us of the dangers of assuming in our nonprofit communications. She promised to be back with tips on fighting writer’s block with the help of Dave Marcus. Here you go! ~Kivi

In the movie The Shining, Jack Nicholson’s character suffers from the worst case of writer’s block ever recorded and his wife, played by Shelley Duvall finds herself dealing with a very, very, very bad outcome.  Holed up in a cavernous hotel that’s closed for the winter, Jack “works on his book” while his wife is terrorized by all kinds of horror; blood dripping from walls, ghostly twins, being chased through a hedge maze by an axe-wielding husband and a sorry lack of fresh fruit and veg.  A defining moment is when we see Shelley Duvall flipping through Jack’s “manuscript,” discovering that her writer husband has been typing…

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” over and over on hundreds of pages.  For sure, this is evidence of a seriously frightening case of writer’s block, but maybe, if only, Jack was privy to the internet, Nonprofit Marketing Guide and some great tips on how to break through writer’s block?

You may never be holed-up in a vacant hotel working on a book, but you’ve probably felt like grabbing an axe or running through a hedge maze after hours of “working” on an end of year appeal, annual report or power point for a board presentation.

Next time, turn away from Jack and listen to Dave.

Dave Marcus

Dave has written his way around the world as a journalist for U.S. News and World Report, The Boston Globe, Newsday and the Dallas Morning Herald where his team won a Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting.  He’s written two books and you can find one of his many freelance articles in top pubs like Vanity Fair, Newsweek and the New York Times.  These days, Dave is a New York public relations and communications strategist working with clients in education, nonprofits, individuals and businesses.  I know he’s busy, so instead of asking him to write an article for Nonprofit Marketing Guide, I just asked him for ONE GREAT WRITER’S BLOCK TIP that I could build a blog post around.

Dave got back to me in a jiffy AND he gave me four strategies you can try if you’re suffering from a bad case of the block:

1)  Tweet about it.  That’s right, break your larger project down to four or ten or fifteen key points – as many as you need.  Then compose a fake Twitter post summarizing each one.  You’ll soon have what we used to call an outline.

2)   Shout it out!  Take a digital recorder and pretend you’ve got a couple of minutes to share the information with an old friend.  Talk.  Stop and breathe.  Then record another segment that grabs you.  Perfect for end of year reports where you’re looking for the top news that will grab your reader.  If you wouldn’t shout it out to a friend, why would you put it as the first item in your report?

3)  Instagram it.  Take photos or find stock images that represent the gist of the report or newsletter profile. Write a brief caption for each, as if you were going to put them online.  Arrange them and re-arrange them. Expand the captions.  Do the math:  10 captions x 50 words = 500 words.  You’re done with the rough draft. And it sounds like a great way to find a theme and spark creativity for that board presentation.

4)  Keep it pure.  Clear out your brain and put down those old, jargon-laden materials you’re using for “inspiration.”  That means dumping clichés such as “metrics,” “leveraging” and “re-purposing.”

When I see Dave next, I’ll ask if he used any of these when he was writing his most recent book, Acceptance: A Legendary Guidance Counselor Helps Seven Kids Find the Right College – and Find Themselves (Penguin Press).  Dave is also the author of What It Takes to Pull Me Through: Why Teenagers Get in Trouble and How Four Got Out (Houghton Mifflin).   You can reach him through DaveMarcus.com or connect with him via linkedin.com/in/davidlmarcus

Claire Meyerhoff is a nonprofit communications and PR specialist working with orgs small, medium and large.  Her next speaking engagement is the Annual Planned Giving Conference at Kanuga, an event Claire calls, “the best planned giving conference anywhere!” This jeans-only conference is April 30-May 1 in Hendersonville, North Carolina. Claire’s topic is “Beyond Buckslips,” and she’ll be sharing her creative and FREE ways your org can communicate the great news about IRA beneficiary designations, life insurance gifts, bequests and other planned gifts.  https://www.ncpgc.org/kanuga2013.html  Connect with Claire via linkedin.com/in/meyclaire.

The post Take an Axe to Writer’s Block appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Claire Meyerhoff

We are extremely excited to welcome back Claire Meyerhoff not only as a guest blogger, but as a resident of North Carolina!  Take it away Claire! ~Kivi

When you (don’t) assign, you make an….

Felix Ungar once said, “When you assume, you make an ASS out of U and ME.”  This magnificent line is from a classic Odd Couple episode where Felix acts as an attorney for himself and his roommate, Oscar Madison (they faced ticket scalping charges).  I’ve heard people (mainly guys) say that line a million times over the years (with gestures), starting with my Long Island high school guy friends/Odd Couple fans (Sal and Mooda, I’m talking to youse), and it always reminds me to NEVER assume!

Never assume what?

The usual. Never assume your friend “knows” what time your flight arrives if you haven’t sent a text or email with your info or that your son has walked the dog.  Then there are all the instances in nonprofit marketing/communications when we should NEVER ASSUME…

….your donors know (and care about) all the nitty-gritty details of your org’s mission.

…your supporters actually read your last email or Facebook post.

…your staff member/volunteer knows what you mean when you say, “write an article about (whatever) for the next newsletter.”

Example:  You ask Murray to write a story about your org’s new public safety workshop and then Murray spends way too many hours worrying about it, thinking about it, writing a first draft, writing a second draft, asking his wife for help and finally, he submits some quasi-coherent and way-too-long piece of copy.  All you get is an article that’s not even half as good as what Oscar Madison could churn out when he was in junior high, because Oscar was a natural journalist and Murray is a retired cop who now volunteers at your org.

So, instead of ASSUMING try ASSIGNING.

“Murray, you know a lot about the new public safety workshop.  Would you please write up three of the best tips for safety this summer and we’ll put those in the June newsletter.  I need them by tomorrow at 3pm because Gwendolyn is editing everything right after that.”

So now, all Murray has to do is come up with his three safety tips. All Gwendolyn, the editor, has to do is write a lead and a closing paragraph that hits all the key points about the new workshop.  If you’re tasked with editing a newsletter, you KNOW this is easier than EDITING Murray’s article and you won’t offend him in the process.

Some people CAN write fantastic articles without any guidance, but in a lot of cases, they don’t really have the time.  Assigning works well in this case, too. I just assigned something to my good friend Dave Marcus who is a Pulitzer prize winning journalist, book author, speech writer and New York PR guy.  I asked him to give me his THREE BEST TIPS for breaking writers block and to give me real life examples for each.  Kivi and I know that many of you feel the pain of writer’s block on many occasions.

I could have asked Dave to write an article about writers block, but he’s a busy guy. This way, I can take his tips and write a useful blog post for my friend Kivi, her stellar website, and you…

(Note to Dave, I need those tips within 24 hours after you read this, thank yew.)

Claire Meyerhoff is Director of The PG Agency, specializing in planned giving communications, marketing and public relations.  Her next speaking gig is the April 30^th-May 1^st North Carolina/South Carolina Planned Giving Council conference in Hendersonville, NC. Find her on LinkedIn and Facebook.

The post Are You Assuming or Assigning? appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Claire Meyerhoff

Last week Claire Meyerhoff shared her writing style icon with us and encouraged you to get your own. This week she is back with how to freshen up those boring old cliches. ~ Kivi

Guest Post by Claire Meyerhoff

Our nonprofit writing is filled with worn-out clichés like “make a difference,” “having an impact,” “building bridges,” and “critical programs.”

We’re not the only ones.  The news business is filled with tired writing, too, like “in a dramatic new move,” “given the green light,” and “the death toll is climbing.”

That’s why, when network journalist Bill Torrey taught broadcast news writing in the 1980’s, he went “the extra mile” to “win the hearts and minds” of eager American University students like me and Julie, Kyle, Jim and Angie.

How?  Bill FLUNKED us if we used clichés.

Bill still has some of his “bad writing lists” — compiled from sources like the AP, BBC, and a book with the dated title, “Newsman’s English.”

I chose these five, “for further consideration.”

Wealth of information

Back to the drawing board

Hit the ground running

Spearheading the campaign

Joining forces

Stale in 1982,  Bill will FLUNK YOU today if he finds them in your org’s newsletter, annual report or fundraising appeal.

What to use instead?  Hey, writing is hard as we struggle to “inspire”  (OVERUSE ALERT!) with words – to show people WHY they should donate, volunteer, etc.  Our readers DO NOT HAVE TO read what we wrote. They can stop. They can throw it in the trash or navigate off your website/Facebook page to watch that video of the dog running in his sleep. Again.

That’s why writing the same old stuff is lethal.    And it’s not as simple as using a thesaurus.  You have to “go back to the drawing board” and take a fresh look at your “topic.”

“Wealth of information”

 TIRED:  “Visit wwv.naturecenter.org! Our website has a wealth of information to help members of the community find programs and services to suit their needs.”

Feels Fresh:   “Kids classes, NEW senior hikes, volunteer schedules, sign-up for Free Mulch Monday and everything you need – all in one place!  wwv.naturecenter.org.”

“Back to the drawing board” and “hit the ground running” in an e-newsletter

TIRED:  “After extensive rounds of negotiations with community partners, the organizing committee has gone back to the drawing board to reconsider options to secure a location for the winter workshops.  However, the good news is that the committee is meeting again next week at the home of Committee chairwoman Jan Brady and they are ready to hit the ground running.  If you would like more information, or wish to volunteer, please contact Jan Brady at JanB@bunch.com”

How about a visual, info-filled, newsier item in fewer words:  “Jan Brady is clearing her dining room table for next week’s organizing committee meeting.  Jan and her team of nine volunteers are talking to everyone they know to find a place for the winter workshops.  Negotiations with the wonderful people at the VFW, Fairview Community Center, Polk College, the JCC and St. Paul’s ended without a deal.  Questions? Want to help? Email JanB@bunch.com”

“Spearheading the campaign” and “Joining forces” in a news release:

TIRED:  “The Interfaith Food Shuttle, the Homeless to Home Project, Upper Valley Community Services, the Windsor Unified School District and the Leroux Foundation are joining forces for a community-based partnership to seek solutions to present-day challenges affecting more than 15,000 children and youth in the region.

These four social service agencies, all members of the Upper Valley Nonprofit Coalition, will be spearheading a campaign to raise awareness and increase revenue for these critical programs.  The “Make a Difference Campaign” will bring together community leaders, educators and change agents to have an impact on these concerns.

Does this sound better?  “Lilly is 11 years old.  Last week, she ate dinner twice. This week, she’ll have dinner every night because her family moved into the Tucker Street shelter.  Lilly and 15,000 young people in our area are hungry, homeless and may never “be O.K.”

But the people who teach our children, work at our food pantries and run our shelters are asking you to help – starting Monday, September 16 – the first day of the Upper Valley’s ambitious “Are you O.K.?” project.

You’re a Kivi-reader, so you know how much she and I always encourage you to de-wonk your words and  try to “inspire” you to be more conversational in your writing.

In broadcast news writing, it’s all about packing a lot of info into a tight amount of time – and keeping your listeners/viewers from tuning out. That’s what Bill Torrey taught us thirty years ago (oh-my-god-we-are-old).

Tired phrases = same old generic voice and no personality.  That copy you slaved over sounds like everything else or nothing at all.

As Bill Torrey would say, “just say what’s happening.”

Thanks, Bill. Again.

Claire Meyerhoff specializes in development marketing, particularly planned giving. You can see some of her newest work for National Wildlife Federation at www.nwf.org/LEGACY. She owns The PG Agency based in the Washington, D.C area and you can reach her at Claire@PGAgency.com.

The post Clinging to Clichés? appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Claire Meyerhoff

Claire Meyerhoff  and I share a passion for helping nonprofits talk in real language to their audiences. She is doing some really great work helping nonprofits talk about planned giving in very easy-going, fun, and natural ways — and if she can do that for planned giving topics (read=the really dry, boring stuff), she can do it for anything!

I’m bugging her to get her clients to give permission for us to share some examples, but until then, here are some tips from Claire excerpted from the Chronicle of Philanthropy’s article this week, “A Mighter Pen Can Help Charities Spread Messages (subscription required to view whole article).

Write to an audience of one.

Have one real reader in mind, such as a particular relative or a neighbor, says Claire Meyerhoff, a communications consultant who specializes in fundraising. Write as if you are speaking to that person. If, say, a family member helped you with a down payment on a car, you wouldn’t write that person a note saying, “Together we found the funds to purchase. …”  Just say thanks for the specific way the person helped.

Avoid complicated language.

Strike a conversational tone and avoid jargon. “Impacting youth is like double jargon,” notes Ms. Meyerhoff. If something affects kids, simply say it affects kids.

Don’t tell readers what they already know.

It’s boring and a quick way to lose their attention. Organizations do spend a lot of time recapping their missions even to people who are longtime supporters, Ms. Meyerhoff notes.

You can connect with Claire on LinkedIn or email her directly.

The post Quick Reminders about Writing Real from Claire appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

Guest Post by Claire Meyerhoff

Claire Meyerhoff

At NonprofitMarketingGuide.com, we kid about jargon all the time. Kivi and I regularly lace our nonprofit marketing jokes with terms like “capacity building” and “impacting youth,” which says a lot about us as marketing geeks with a high-concept (!) sense of humor.

Now, I’ve found the perfect entertainment for the next Kivi and Claire Nonprofit Marketing Guide girl’s night-in wine and pizza party – the Jargon Generator!

The Jargon Generator (JG) seems to be making the rounds among industry insiders like grant writers (thanks, Amanda) who have a sense of humor about their world of wonky wordsmithing. According to JG, the goal is to help you find “useful phrases” to use “until grant application or annual report is completed.”

Here’s how it works: you type any word or phrase, the JG spits out a jargon phrase and people like me LMAO.

Examples of how JG generates BIG LAUGHS:

I typed “creative marketing” and the JG translated this to:

“restructure intensive metrics.” (Hahahaha!)

I typed “help people” and JG offered this jargon-laden crazy phrase:

“morph hyper-local B corporations.” (OMG WTF is that? LOL)

I typed “party” and here’s JG’s alternative:

“maximize expert panel discussions.” (Kivi, pass the Pinot Grigio!)

Kivi and I always talk about why nonprofit writing is so boring. It’s because earnest, well-educated nonprofit people write the same way whether they’re writing a grant or a newsletter article – even though the reader (audience) is totally different. If your reader is a grant maker, they expect to see terms like “affinity based.” It’s shorthand, the lingo, the jargon.

Marketing is much different because your audience is a “real person” like your volunteers, friends and those people who write checks because they want to help you do great work. We call them “donors” – which, whether you agree or not, is jargon.

I have no idea about the identity of the brain behind the brilliance, otherwise, I’d give you props right here ___________. Thanks to you, the Jargon Generator makes us laugh, and also serves a very sober purpose: reminding us to keep our audience in mind when we write!

Claire Meyerhoff is Nonprofit Marketing Guides’s media expert and advocate of “writing to your audience.” She works with orgs small and big, including the National Wildlife Federation. Her company is The Agency, specializing in Planned Giving Marketing, Advertising and Communications. She’s still working on her website, and the best way to reach her is at MeyMedia@aol.com.

The post Jokin’ ‘Bout Jargon: The Lighter Side of Nonprofit Marketing appeared first on Nonprofit Marketing Guide (NPMG).

The “Goody Bag” is a nonprofit event staple, but once you’ve extracted and enjoyed the goodies, do you even notice the bag? Will you bring it home, especially when you you’re traveling by plane halfway across the country? Is that canvas bag, wicker basket or pretty shopping bag worth lugging through an airport?

Which brings us to the nifty paint can pictured here.  I just got back from the Sioux Falls YMCA Golf Classic in South Dakota, benefitting their after-school programs for middle schoolers. I’ll be writing more about it after Kivi and I recover from our Nonprofit Marketing Guide book party in Washington, D.C. tonight!

When I arrived at my hotel in Sioux Falls, I was presented with this paint can, and opened it right away — using the attached paint can opener (love it!).  Inside was a plethora of goodies including a CD by recording artist Steve Azar, who, lucky for us, would be performing at the event.  He’s a Delta Blues guy, hence the event theme, “Delta Blues.” Hence the Blue paint can, and if you have really good eyes you can see that the script on top says “Sioux Falls Premium Events Color Collection.” The whole thing is clever and classy, but most importantly, it makes a connection, which often goes missing in nonprofit marketing.

Got a theme? Work it…any way you can.  Even with a can:

• A gift bag is more than a gift bag.  It’s an opportunity to communicate with your donors, supporters and friends.

• As a “billboard”  for your event, it’s a place to showcase sponsors.  See that attached paint can key?  The presenting sponsor’s name,Starmark Cabinetry is prominently featured. And since Starmark is a company that helps you make your home more beautiful, well, there you go — the whole “home improvement” tie in — tied in with the theme, Delta Blues, which ties into the featured performer, Delta Blues star Steve Azar.

• The wonderful graphic designer who donates pro-bono hours can do more than brochures, programs and pamphlets.  Ask them about projects they’ve worked on recently and you might get a cool idea.

So when it comes time to put together those gift bags, ask yourself this question, “Is this gift bag travel worthy?”

The Sioux Falls YMCA Golf Classic’s “bag” certainly is, because when I was packing up my stuff, I just couldn’t leave it behind in my room at the Holiday Inn.  I carried it through security at the Sioux Falls airport, where the TSA lady wasn’t phased at all. She said, “I’ve seen a bunch of these already today.”

I put it under the seat in front of me on the small plane to Minneapolis, carried it through the Minneapolis airport, then put it under the seat in front of me on the bigger plane to Raleigh. A lot of people gave me curious looks. A Delta flight attendant thought it was “pretty neat.”

It certainly is.

Do you have a “pretty neat” gift bag or other event mainstay that “makes a connection?” Send us a photo and Claire just might feature it here on Nonprofit Marketing Guide.

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