CharityVillage LIVE with Kori Brus from Good Works, Wednesday, January 16

Deconstructing Philanthropy: Writing – the least important, most important thing

As a writer I’ve seen all of the frustration that comes part and parcel with the copywriting process. I’ve seen it as a client after receiving work that wouldn’t pass a grade 10 English class. I’ve felt it while rewriting the work of paid professionals. And I’ve experienced it as a writer watching quality work wither under the weight of infinite edits because people valued having their say above the success of the final campaign.

Creative is indeed the least important, most important thing, and writing is the paragon of that dynamic. Writers too often forward copy that, quite simply, sucks. But equally there are many times when we can get caught up in our control needs and fail to let our creative people sing.

Here are the three most important things for every fundraising campaign leader to do if they want to get their copy right and ultimately build fundraising success. Read more >

Join us at 1 pm ET / 10 am PT on Wednesday, January 16 for a CharityVillage LIVE with Kori Brus from Good Works. We’ll talk about the role that good writing plays in a successful fundraising campaign. Bring your thoughts, comments and questions. We look forward to the conversation. Set a reminder now.

So you want to host a youth conference: How to make your next event truly engaging

If you think you’ll attract (and keep) the attention of youth at your next event with the promise of free pizza – think again. While youth engagement is an important endeavor for many organizations, all too often activities and events that are intended to be engaging are anything but.

A university student and community leader with queer and trans youth, Erica Butler talks about conferences she has attended as a young person, “Most of my conference experiences have been entirely mediocre. I suppose the worst would be a conference I attended a couple years ago. It wasn’t youth-specific, so they made an effort by having a ‘youth caucus’ that met during lunches and breaks. There was no organization to these times so we mostly just ended up awkwardly eating together.”

Butler was one of a number of youth and organizers of youth organizations CharityVillage spoke with in an effort to find out how to organize youth conferences that are meaningful, effective – and hopefully pizza-free. Read more >

Organizations with their “heads in the cloud” can save money and enhance their phone service

Cloud-based technology is providing nonprofits with new tools to increase their efficiency and professionalism while keeping a careful watch on operating budgets. Cloud technology powers the Hosted PBX, a solution that allows organizations of nearly any size to have a sophisticated telephone service with minimal or no investment in equipment. A Hosted PBX lets employees and volunteers work from their home, a hotel or on their cell phone while still being connected to the same office telephone system. The technology even allows for video conferencing, making remote collaboration more effective than ever.

To get the maximum value out of a move to a Hosted PBX, organizations need to select a service provider that can deliver the features and voice quality they need, and be there for them when you need to grow. Here are 10 things to ask to make sure you choose the right provider. Read more >