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Feeling the Squeeze
Bob Zimmerman is quoted in Chronicle of Philanthropy about Capital Campaigns: "Feeling the Squeeze: some capital campaigns falter as the economy sours." Bob remains optimistic "that campaigns can be successful now. The economic downturn is hurting nonprofits but not in the way most of them think. They take the downturn as an excuse not to do fund raising. I hear a lot of whining and moaning about the economy, but the best way not to raise money is not to ask for it." For full article you may need a subscription to access.

Internet is Changing Philanthropy, Advocacy, and Politics
Convio sponsored and recorded a panel discussion on Converging Campaigns: How the Internet is Changing Philanthropy, Advocacy, and Politics with Facebook, Rock the Vote, Nationwide Grassroots, American Cancer Society and others to listen to the Webcast.

Want to Connect with the Millennials?
OK maybe you are a boomer who didn't know what to call the younger generation. Now you do--people who reached adulthood at the turn of the millennium are the "Millennials." Read the transcript of a recent discussion that took place on how to have your nonprofit connect with them.

ONLINE GIVING APPEALS TO THE WEALTHY A new study, The Wired Wealthy, on online giving found wealthy people are increasingly likely to use the Internet for donations.

SEND EMAIL ON SAME DAY AS SIGN-UP New study by the online game company Lumosity tested a program in which it timed its e-mail sales pitches to customers to be sent on the same day of the week that those customers originally signed up for its e-mail list and saw sizable improvement in response rate. Given the decreasing open rates this may be worth pursuing for fundraising appeals. To see the Chronicle of Philanthropy blog.

NEW NONPROFIT VOTING RESOURCE A new resource for 501(c)(3) nonprofits was launched last week, NonprofitVoter.org.The site has useful resources such as toolkits, training resources, guides, and links. Check out their "strong reasons for nonprofits to increase voting in their communities and promote democracy, including benefits that extend beyond this or any one election."

GOOGLE NEW SITE FOR NONPROFIT GROUPS Google has opened a new website for nonprofit groups that explains how to adopt various Google applications for nonprofit work including an e-mail program, mapping software, blog software, tools to analyze Internet traffic, and a grants search engine, among other items.

BOARD MEMBERS RULE NOMINATED FOR AWARD & WEEKLY PICKS The Alliance for Nonprofit Management announced that Zimmerman Lehman's Board Members Rule: How to Be a Strategic Advocate for Your Nonprofit has been nominated for the 2008 Terry McAdam Book Award. Each year the McAdam Book Award Committee solicits nominations for the most inspirational and useful book published that has made a substantial contribution to nonprofit management, management consultancy, or the advancement of the nonprofit sector. It was also featured as a "Weekly Pick" for March 23 - 29, 2008 by "Create the Future." Available at www.zimmerman-lehman.com, or your favorite bookstore online (Amazon or Barnes & Noble or most independent bookstores--just search by title.) For table of contents.

WHAT ARE NONPROFITS DOING ABOUT THIS ELECTION YEAR? A great example of nonprofits getting involved in this year's election - all perfectly legal--is the Primary Project, in which nonprofit leaders have been asking presidential nominees questions about how they would strengthen the economic and social capacity of the sector. Another excellent example is how Common Sense Media questioned the candidates about their issue. See also the discussion on nonprofits and politics in the 2008 campaign season.

SHOULD YOUR NONPROFIT USE SOCIAL NETWORKING SITES? What nonprofits are likely to get the most value out of social networking sites? See a recent article by Idealware that gives guidelines for knowing if social networking is or isn't right for you, and some of the ways that social networking might benefit your organization. See also the discussion on social networking from the Chronicle of Philanthropy. To discuss web communications or Internet strategies, call team member Andy Krackov, ZL's Web Communications Specialist at 415-986-8330.

SOME GOOD NEWS A new study shows that nonprofit leaders significantly outscore their for-profit counterparts in leadership practices including persuasiveness, risk-taking, demonstration of effectiveness and vision. More information.

Copyright 2007 Zimmerman Lehman.

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