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Pop Art Father and Son e1518471523916

How Dad’s Last Story Changed My Life

Storytelling
Like many people, I spent much of my life believing my father was immortal. Then he told me a story that changed that. When dad was diagnosed with cancer, I knew he was going to beat it. The whole family…
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Pop Art Surprised Businessman e1517479584911

Weird and Amazing Direct Mail

Direct Mail
Jeff Brooks and Sean Triner, Fundraisingologists at Moceanic, look at some of the odd and unintuitive things that make direct mail work better. You might be surprised! Your boss will be surprised! Find out some other weird and amazing best…
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What to Do When the Fundraising Experts Are Wrong

Direct Mail
Every once in a while, I hear from a fundraiser who says something like this: Our direct mail is not at all the way you say it should be. It’s wordy, complicated, and written at a very high reading level.…
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The Art of Not Being Clever in Your Fundraising

Fundraising
One of the reasons I like the Web: It’s helping kill off the Clever Headline. Google and the other search engines don’t understand puns. They don’t appreciate wordplay. They don’t admire a Joycean multilingual, triple-entendre, back-flip ironic headline. These things…
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Pop Art Two girls girlfriends talking

11 Ways to Beat the Odds and Raise a Lot of Money

Fundraising
Fundraising is just hard. Not only are you trying to persuade strangers to give you money for almost nothing in return — but you’re asking all that of people who are being asked by dozens of other fundraisers at the…
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Pop Art Business meeting between boss and employee e1516057032531

Four Ways Nonprofit Bosses Kill Fundraising – and How You Can Fight Back (but Keep Your Job)

Fundraising
One of the more startling things we’ve learned here at Moceanic is how big a problem nonprofit CEOs are for fundraising. Far too many people in the fundraising profession have a significant uphill battle to fight on every project they…
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What makes donors respond - the image or the copy?

What Makes Donors Respond?

Donor Psychology
I found two interesting online banner ads. One from Seattle’s Union Gospel Mission, the other from UNICEF USA. Each ad is half brilliant.  And half not-so-brilliant. Sean and I talked about these ads and the easy step each of them…
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Bad advice charities are given

Crazy Advice Charities Are Given

Fundraising
Sean Triner, Fundraisingologist at Moceanic and Lynne Boardman, Managing Director at Harvey McKinnon Associates tackle some common advice nonprofits receive, including: “Don’t ask your donors to put you in your will. Talking about death will upset them.” “Don’t thank donors…
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How a Smart Fundraiser Turned a $2,000 Donor into a Source of $60,000

How a Smart Fundraiser Turned a $2,000 Donor into a Source of $60,000

Direct Mail, Fundraising, Major and Mid Value Donors
You know how we all worry about overheads? Well, Josh O’Rourke, a relationship fundraiser from Amnesty International Australia, had a good approach with one of his mid-value donors. Having met up with a mid-value donor who had given gifts up…
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How to Write Like a Nonprofit Genius and Motivate People to Join Your Cause

How to Write Like a Nonprofit Genius and Motivate People to Join Your Cause

Writing
Once upon a time, I was an English teacher. A guardian and promoter of our written language in its formal academic form. Please accept my apology for the damage I did during those years. I worked hard to teach my…
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