Our colleagues returned from the 17th Annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference energized. Many commented on how refreshing it was to attend an in-person event once again — to see familiar faces and make new connections, to hear new ideas and learn from dynamic sessions.
Here are fast takes from three THDers about their experience:
We recently sat down with Linda Williams, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer, for her perspective on how fundraising is changing and why. She highlighted several catalytic societal trends and industry mindset flips. Here's her take on an evolution that’s shifting fundraising into “marketing to raise funds.”
As 2020 progressed, I heard many people wishing for things to get “back to normal.” For me, last year's events were an inspiration to move forward to better, not back to normal.
2020 shined a spotlight on the many gaps in our society, revealing opportunities to make things better. I became more aware of how each of us has just so much time and energy, and I wanted to use both more purposefully as part of a collective mood and movement that makes a positive, meaningful difference.
That’s why I feel so fortunate to join the exceptional team at THD as Vice President of Account Management.
In part 1 of our Nonprofit Paid Search series, we talked about how marketing through a pandemic can feel risky, but the real risk comes in avoiding it altogether. We also gave some tips on how to set your organization up for success in paid search. In this installment, we explore additional options for improving paid and organic search performance for your organization. Without further ado, let’s jump right in!
It’s an unusual time — there’s no doubt about it. But there’s still plenty you can do today to ensure that you get the most out of your paid search campaigns now and in the future. Especially during the pandemic, here are some helpful strategies for campaign success:
The digital landscape has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and online advertising is no exception. In the nonprofit sector, we’ve seen responses from organizations range from addressing the coronavirus head on, to shutting down online advertising altogether. The ways in which organizations choose to respond during this extraordinary time is critical to how they will come through it and to how quickly they will recover if they've been negatively impacted. Let’s take a closer look at the current online advertising landscape and what it means for nonprofits.
It goes without saying that the coronavirus outbreak caused an upheaval in how nonprofits are approaching their fundraising programs. Given the new norm of social distancing, many organizations will need to rely more on digital marketing to compensate for losses they may be seeing in other channels.
As the country tries to slow the spread of COVID-19 and non-essential businesses are required to modify how they operate, many in our industry are concerned about how this will affect our ability to continue helping our clients to fulfill their missions. In direct mail fundraising, the USPS is the most instrumental tool we have to reach our donors and deliver our message. And it is crucial not only to direct response fundraising, but critical to the infrastructure of the entire country. Authorized and recognized by the United States Constitution, the USPS was of course deemed an essential institution and will remain open and fully operational throughout the remainder of the COVID-19 outbreak.
On March 31st, GivingTuesday.org announced "#GivingTuesdayNow", a worldwide day of giving prompted in response to the financial hardships nonprofits are experiencing because of the coronavirus pandemic. Though a great opportunity for struggling organizations to inject some energy into their Spring fundraising efforts, #GivingTuesdayNow has presented some challenges to nonprofits, which are pivoting quickly to incorporate this worldwide day of giving into their current communications schedule.
Coronavirus is shaking up businesses, consumers and donors alike. With the pandemic in full swing and uncertainty around when it will end, digital marketing for nonprofits has become more important than ever.
