"Raising Funds in an Uncertain Economy" published in Nonprofit World

I'm pleased to announce that an article I wrote called "Raising Funds in an Uncertain Economy" was featured in the March/April issue of the Society for Nonprofit Organizations "Nonprofit World."

This article is a version of my Recession-proof Fundraising.

What publications do you read for fundraising information?

SlideShare showcases Successful Fundraising in a Recession

I just learned that SlideShare is currently showcasing my Sucessful Fundraising in a Recession keynote slides in their News & Politics section!

The transcript is still wrong. Most of that is from my fundraising storytelling slides. Weird!

Comments on Successful Fundraising in a Recesssion

A friend let me borrow his Flip video camera on my recent trip to Utah.

Here are some of the comments from people that heard my brand new talk, "Successful Fundraising in a Recession."

Thoughts on Successful Fundraising in a Recession from Marc A. Pitman on Vimeo.

More thoughts on Successful Fundraising in a Recession from Marc A. Pitman on Vimeo.

Even more thoughts on Successful Fundraising in a Recession from Marc A. Pitman on Vimeo.

The slides are available at Successful Fundraising in a Recession on SlideShare.

Fundraising & Marketing Seminar in Utah: May 13 3 p.m.

I'm pleased to announce that while I'm in Salt Lake City for the USFR meeting, I'll also be giving a public seminar on fundraising and nonprofit marketing.

The seminar, called "Who's Telling Your Story?" will be hosted by the Utah Nonprofit Assocation from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, May 13.

For more information, or to register for the seminar, go to the Utah Nonprofit Association Event Calendar.

Speaking at USFR's Annual Meeting

I'm pleased to announce that I have the honor of speaking at the Utah Society of Fund Raisers annual meeting on May 13 in Salt Lake City.

My topic will be "Successful Fund Raising When Most Giving is Going Down."

If you're in the area of Salt Lake City, I believe there's still time to register.

FREE "Ask Without Fear!" Teleclass

Since this month marks the 1 year anniversary of the publication of "Ask Without Fear!", I'm deciding to have a party!

On April 28 at 12 noon Eastern Time, I'll be offering a free teleclass on fundraising in today's economy.

To join the call, you just need to go to the registration page.

The call costs $37 but you can get in free if you know the "password": the fourth word of the second paragraph on page 50 of "Ask Without Fear!" (In the ebook, page 50 is "52 of 98.) If you have the Kindle version, it's the fourth word at location 1047.)

This call will be part class, part roundtable. I'll be sharing some strategies that are working but there will be plenty of time for group coaching as well!

We'd love to have you join us! Just go to the registration page.

This call will be recorded and available for purchase afterwards.

Fundraising Coach in Indiana

I'm pleased to announce I'll be at the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance annual conference in Indianapolis next week. I love this year's theme: "Building Through Change: Inspiring Leadership."

I'll be teaching community foundations how to help their donors become "donor evangelists." There are lots of other terrific sessions. I'm particularly interested in hearing the sessions on nonprofit storytelling!

Call the folks at the Indiana Grantmakers Alliance if you're interested in registering for the conference. My session is first thing on Friday morning.

If you're in the area, I'm having a tweetup at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, April 24, in the lobby of the Renaissance, Indianapolis North in Carmel with @drthomasho and @AmyStarks. Would love to have you join us!

Free Twitter Success seminar podcast

Last week, I had the privilege of being a panelist on a Twitter seminar.

What a spirited conversation! We had people from all over the United States and one coach from the UK.

The link for this free recording is available at:
http://helpinghandsforcoaches.com/2009/03/31/twitter-success/

Great fundraising advice from Ted Hart of People to People Fundraising

Yesterday, I was honored to interview Ted Hart, creator of People to People Fundraising, p2pfundraising.org.

In this hour long interview, Ted covers a variety of topics, including:

• the importance of the CFRE
  
• why he says 21st fundraising is going back to its orgins
  
• why it's often the staff's fault that our board members aren't good at fundraising
  
• some common website mistakes he sees nonprofits around the world making
  
• and why social media is a great nonprofit tool, but a lousy place for nonprofits to start
  

This is one interview you have to hear. You'll learn things that can help your nonprofit work today, including the one thing Ted recommends you do now!

To hear the full conversation, go to the "Ask Without Fear!" Radio Show at http://fundraisingcoach.com/radio-show/

Blackbaud Delivers

I'm thrilled to be one of the speakers lined up for Blackbaud Delivers! I'm pretty sure I'm the only non-Blackbaud employee on the roster!

Here's what their site says:

Blackbaud Delivers

If you’re worried about the key challenges your organization faces daily…you aren’t alone. Everyone has unique worries, and nonprofits are working harder than ever to bring in and stretch every dollar. But there are specific steps you can take right now to protect your organization’s future — and we’re here to show you exactly how.

What is Blackbaud Delivers™?
At Blackbaud, along with our corporate and nonprofit partners, we speak with hundreds of nonprofit executives every day about the issues that worry you most. And we have knowledge experts, varied by field of expertise, who can help you overcome just about anything you throw their way. In 2008, Blackbaud Delivers began its mission to offer practical nonprofit management seminars presented by some of our best experts in a variety of major cities and via the Internet. View the 2008 Blackbaud Delivers archive of events and content.

The theme of the 2009 Blackbaud Delivers program is “Worry Less,” and all seminars will be geared toward helping you reduce your worries and put the practical steps you need in place to keep your fundraising on the upswing this year.

How do the seminars work?
Each regional seminar lasts a half-day, so you’re only away from your desk a few hours. And each web seminar lasts 90 minutes. Plus, the best part is that Blackbaud Delivers events are absolutely free for you to attend! Simply sign up to attend any of our events.

All Blackbaud Delivers events are absolutely free for you to attend. Simply sign up to attend any of our events.

Seminar Locations & Dates: (Check the website for the dates of the webinars.)
Houston, TX | 02/11/09
Starting a Planned Giving Program
Katherine Swank J.D., Consultant, Target Analytics

Atlanta, GA | 02/11/09
Building an Action Plan to Out-Hustle the Economy
Samantha Cohen, Consultant, Blackbaud

Vancouver, BC | 02/17/09
The Changing Nature of Online Fundraising
Steve MacLaughlin, Director of Internet Solutions, Blackbaud

New York, NY | 03/11/09
The Right Message, The Right People, The Right Time: Making the Most of Email Marketing
Allison Van Diest, Senior Product Marketing Manager, Blackbaud

Boston, MA | 04/22/09
Vote & Register

Ottawa, ON | 05/12/09
Vote & Register

Denver, CO | 05/13/09
Vote & Register

Chicago, IL | 06/09/09
Vote & Register

Arlington, VA | 07/23/09
Vote & Register

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.