Fox 25 Boston

I just got word that I'll be a guest on Fox 25 Boston's morning show on Tuesday, August 10. The segment should be on around 7:50 a.m.

If you're in the Boston area, I hope you'll tune in!

New "Ask Without Fear!" Reviews from AHP

In a recent email, the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy recently included three reviews of Ask Without Fear!:

Ask without Fear can be read in a short period of time and is well worth the effort. Although much of the content may not be “news” to seasoned fund raising professionals, a quick review is always beneficial. I found myself underlining phrases and making a few notes in the margin. There is sound wisdom here as well as making us stop and think about what is the most important facet of our jobs—people.

— Marilyn Parker, Operations and Planned Giving Director
Benefis Healthcare Foundation


This primer offers helpful acronyms, charts and stories to guide the novice development director along the path to fundraising success. The book is not for trustees or donors but for the early-career fundraiser. Perhaps the most valuable element of the book is the author’s stories, which like every good fundraiser, Pitman has in abundance and uses to good effect. One would hope that future editions include information missing here. Pitman is one of the few fundraiser-cognoscenti of the new social media, such as Twitter. A discussion of this topic and its relevance to fundraising would make a helpful addition to the book.

— Gary Jaworski, Executive Director
American Hospital of Paris Foundation

This 90 page book is quick, easy to read and engaging; a good read for volunteers or development professionals. It has a number of myth busters, tips and addresses to useful tools on the web; however not all the websites listed were still available. The last chapter introduced the use of personality profiles in fund raising and this topic is difficult to cover fully in a short chapter. The book does an effective job of outlining the research and strategies that should be employed in all types of fund raising.

— Mark Larkin, CFRE, Executive Director
Centracare Health Foundation

2 New Fundraising Seminars for 2009

2009 looks like it'll probably be a challenging year. Since many are having their education budgets cut, I've put several tools up on the web. These are packed with incredible content and are conveniently available for you to learn without leaving your office!

1. Who's Telling Your Story? Storytelling is the best way to non-threateningly market your nonprofit, prospect for new donors, and reinfoce your culture with your staff. Some of the things you'll learn about nonprofit storytelling include:
   
   
   
   • a 2500 year old method to structure an effective story that still works today
   
   
   • 5 categories of stories to use to reinforce your organizational culture
   
   
   • Why stories of times you've failed are as important as stories of times you've succeeded
   
   
   • A 3-step tool to help you tell stories in ways that board members, volunteers, and staff will find themselves repeating them - singing from the same sheet
   
   The MP3 is $97. The flash video with the PowerPoint slides is $127. Or you can have both for the same price: $127! To see the full list, check out Who's Telling Your Story? at http://fundraisingcoach.com/storytelling/
   
   
2. Ask Without Fear! EXPANDED! I kept the book intentionally slim so others would feel motivated to get out and ask people for money. But people keep asking me to expand on the book. Now, in 4 1/2 hours of teaching spread out over three webinars, I have the luxury to go into much more detail.
   
   So much is covered, it's impractical to list it all here. So go to Ask Without Fear! EXPANDED fundraising seminar to see the more than 90 items listed!
   
   Each webinar is available for $197 individually. Or you can get all three and a free copy of a workbook to help you put this strategies into practice for only $497. Much cheaper than going to a conference!
   

Be sure to check out all the fundraising seminars and webinars at the Fundraising Coach Store! You can still get great ideas for fundraising, even if your organization doesn't want you traveling to conferences!

"Ask Without Fear!" featured in The Rotarian

 

Marc and his fundraising book are both featured in the January issue of The Rotarian, a magazine that goes to 500,000 Rotarians in North America.

Part of the article includes:

People intimidated by the idea of fundraising, Pitman says, should keep in mind that the exciting part is what the fundraising leads to. “There are two dangers for nonprofits,” he says. “One is that they go down the road of not funding their mission, and then they can’t accomplish anything and they fall apart. The other is that they become this fundraising machine and get so good at fundraising that they forget their mission.”

Read the entire article at The Rotarian's website.

Double listing for "Fundraising Seminar" on first page of Google

Last week, I watched a video improving traffic to your site from StomperNet. They gave ideas on how to optimize your site to help people more easily find you in web searches.

Wednesday night, I put these tips in place for my fundraising seminar website. By this morning (Friday), it was on the first page on Google for the the search term "fundraising seminar"!

If you're new to SEO, I'd suggest checking out the many free webinars at Stomper Universe.

As for me, I'm going to be seeing out to get my fundraising seminar page to be one of those two listings! :)

FundraisingCoach.com listed in Top 10

Roger Carr listed the Fundraising Coach blog as one of the Top 10 Fundraising Blogs on Blogs.com!

Quite an honor. And be sure to check out Roger's blog Every Day Giving.

AWF on the shelf at Borders

Wednesday, I signed more copies of Ask Without Fear! at the Border's in Bangor, ME. That's why they've got those nifty "autographed copy" stickers in the corner!

Here are some pictures of them right smack in the middle of the management section! As you can see, it's in very good company!

Fundraising Coach on CBC's "Definitely Not the Opera"

Burning some more of my 15 minutes in the spotlight, I was included in a segment on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's Definitely Not the Opera.

A podcast of the best parts, perhaps including my segment, is available at http://www.cbc.ca/dnto.

Ask Without Fear! mentioned in CA newspaper article

Thanks to Google News Alerts, I found out I was quoted in the Yuba Prospector. The article is sensationally called: Charities Left Squirming to Stay Alive.

I was never contacted. And I didn't say all that I'm quoted saying. I certainly didn't suggest nonprofits stop innovating!! But I guess it gets the word out about Ask Without Fear!!

FundraisingCoach.com listed in top "100 Blogs that Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person"

Christina Laun has posted a list of "100 Blogs that Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person." In her introduction she says:

Everyone needs a little help sometimes in getting motivated, feeling happy or just getting those creative juices flowing. Luckily, the Internet is full of places to find inspiration. These blogs can help you get moving towards your goals, whether you want to give back more to the community, feel better about yourself, or just get in shape.

And I'm glad to say that FundraisingCoach.com's blog is included in the "Giving Back" section!

Check out the list for yourself: "100 Blogs that Will Inspire You to Be a Better Person

AFP include FRC's comments in Fundraising Tips in a Troubled Economy

Today the Association of Fundraising Professionals published a terrific article "Fundraising Tips: Do’s and Dont's in a Troubled Economy."

Here's a quote from the AFP article, by Matthew Haag, senior director of major gifts and regional programs at the University of Rochester:

“...don’t stop communicating. Now is an opportunity to show that you are interested in them beyond the financial, because you know some just don’t have it to give right now. Don’t lose sight of the long-term relationship you are building.”

And they included comments from my "Recession-proof Fundraising" article.

Be sure to read the entire "Fundraising Tips: Do’s and Dont's in a Troubled Economy" for some great reminders about how to fundraise even in these unstable times.

Ask Without Fear! LIVE on 92Moose this morning

It was an honor to be on the 92Moose morning show today. We talked about the Ask Without Fear! LIVE fundraising seminar I'm doing this Saturday in Waterville, ME.

Click here to listen to the 4 minute interview with Jon James (and laughter by Renee Nelson).

REGISTER NOW for "Ask Without Fear!" LIVE fundraising training on 9/13

I'm thrilled to announce a brand new fundraising seminar: Ask Without Fear! LIVE!

There's still time to register for this full day fundraising seminar that will be held in Waterville, ME on Saturday, September 13. Why a Saturday? Because the most important people--our board members and volunteers--work day jobs. It's easier to get volunteers and boards to a Saturday event!

The Ask Without Fear! book is intentionally slim. This week's full-day seminar expands on each of the "Get R.E.A.L." steps, gives remarkably practical ideas for fundraising, and makes them approachable for nonprofit staff and boards of trustees or volunteers.

We're going to have a blast. And, we're going to do it at a bargain. This type of full day training normally costs $500 or $600. It's certainly worth it! These tools will help you raise far more than that.

But for this seminar is being offered for only $127, including breakfast and lunch.

For all the details, including a list of some of the things you'll learn, go to: http://fundraisingcoach.com/awf-LIVE/.

Hurry, space is limited! Register today!

Free Fundraising Q&A Saturday, 8/23

I'm thrilled to be having a free fundraising question and answer time at the Borders Books & Music in Bangor this Saturday from 1 pm to 2 pm.

If you live in Central Maine, would you consider downloading this 8.5 x 11 fundraising promotional poster and putting it up around your town?

SOFII features Marc A. Pitman

The Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (aka SOFII) is an awesome collection of amazingly successful fundraising campaigns from all over the world.

And I'm honored to be featured on the site! Check it out at SOFII Top Tips. [A free membership may be required.]

8/23 Borders Books & Music hosting "Ask Without Fear!" book signing

The Bangor Borders Books & Music is hosting a book signing at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 23.

Come get your copy of Ask Without Fear! signed by me. Or get copies for your entire board of trustees.

And come with any and all fundraising questions! I love helping fellow fundraisers!

Chronicle of Philanthropy reviews "Ask Without Fear!"

The Chronicle of Philanthropy reviewed Ask Without Fear! in July.

Marketing News Radio features Ask Without Fear! author Marc A. Pitman

The American Marketing Association's flagship radio show Marketing News Radio featured Ask Without Fear! author Marc A. Pitman on it's show July 30th.

Links to the streaming audio or mp3s of the show are currently available on the Marketing News Radio home page.

Chronicle of Philanthropy features "Ask Without Fear!"

Ask Without Fear! was featured on the Chronicle of Philanthropy's website.

Read it yourself at: Should You Ask a Donor to Cover Your Group's Budget Deficit? - Philanthropy.com

Ask Without Fear! featured in the Townline

Ask Without Fear! was featured prominently in the latest Townline newspaper!