Blogs « Bridge Conference 2024

Titans of Media: Google vs. Facebook for Nonprofits

“Which media titan should be favored more heavily in your marketing mix?” Digital marketing is a core strategy element for most nonprofits. Reaching users where they’re most engaged—with the right content, at the right time—is key. Consumer expectations evolve in concert with technology, and organizations that don’t adapt their messaging, fundraising, and list growth strategies […]

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Start Planning for Summer Learning Now

Although winter will be with us for a little longer, signs of summer are already popping with the recent announcement of the twelve resource-rich tracks for the upcoming Bridge to Integrated Fundraising and Marketing Conference. At this summer conference, marketers and fundraisers will learn about emerging trends in their fields and develop new ideas on […]

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Developing a Compelling Case for Support

                By Christina Yoon, Ph.D. A nonprofit’s case for support is a fundamental document — the heart and soul of all fundraising efforts. It tells the organization’s story, sharing clear messages and inviting donors to contribute to a collective vision. From capital campaigns to the annual fund, the […]

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5 Tips to Makeover Your Nonprofit Board into a Fundraising Powerhouse

                  I meet a lot of fundraisers. It makes sense, after all, I train people to be great fundraisers. Sadly, it’s rare for me to meet nonprofit professionals who are truly happy or satisfied with their boards. They’re usually quite frustrated their board isn’t fundraising. Why? They […]

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Trust and the Overhead Myth: Still Challenging Nonprofits

            In 2015, Giving USA announced that giving levels across the country had returned to record highs—finally restarting the philanthropic pause triggered by the 2008 recession. If donor confidence had been restored and all is right in the charitable world again, why does a poll conducted by the Chronicle of […]

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Modeling Best Practices for Nonprofit Fundraising in the Age of Big Data

Remember when selecting your prospect or donor universe was straightforward? Remember when a program had one or two models to supplement straight RFM segmentation? Those days seem far in the rear-view mirror. Today’s programs use multiple models for multiple uses across multiple channels of your fundraising program. From renewal and lapsed audience segmentation, prospect universe […]

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Marketing Automation is almost here. Is your nonprofit ready?

By Adam Ruff You’ve probably heard someone throw around the term Marketing Automation (MA). Most likely you nodded, agreed it’s a game-changer, but truthfully weren’t even sure what it was. If you went so far as to Google it, then most likely you really got confused. Frankly, MA isn’t the easiest thing to define. This is because it […]

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Advice to Nonprofit Leaders: Be Relentless

In today’s ever-changing funding environment, nonprofit leaders must be relentless in their efforts to build a reputable brand, engage their community, and carry out their mission, advises best-selling author and prime-time TV and radio host Jeffrey Hayzlett. “It’s the relentless, not the lucky, who win in the end,” Hayzlett says. Being relentless means doing the […]

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Great Fundraising – More Than Good Luck

How and under what circumstances is truly great fundraising able to flourish? Fundraising expert Alan Clayton and his team researched this question and came up with some surprising answers. The research, conducted as an academic study by Adrian Sargeant and Jen Shang, was commissioned and interpreted by Clayton and his researchers. Sargeant and Shang are […]

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5 Reasons to Bring a Co-worker (or Two) to the Bridge Conference

At some nonprofits it can be a challenge to get a green light—and budget—to attend a professional development conference. We know. Money is tight, staffing is bare bones, and conference attendance can feel…well…discretionary. But in fact, there are good reasons for not just attending, but for attending as a group. 1. It’s a great team […]

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Philanthropy: Make Your Mother Proud

No matter how old we get, or what status we achieve in life, we always want to make our mothers proud. Recently, we had the opportunity to meet with David M. Rubenstein, co-CEO of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Since Mr. Rubenstein co-founded the firm in 1987, Carlyle has […]

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