With so many ways we can now reach out to donors, there are too many charities and people making noise for the sake of it or because their “schedule” tells them to. If you only ‘talk’ when you have something of value to say – people will appreciate and respect you the more for it.
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
When to keep your mouth shut
Monday, November 2nd, 2009Tweeting your Live Event – Part 2 – IFC
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009I’ve been watching with great interest the live tweets that are streaming out of Holland the 29th International Fundraising Congress.
I love it for at least three reasons.
1) There is a live updated billboard that anyone who is there can see who is talking about IFC using the #29thIFC hashtag – I’ve been trying to think of how i can use this to my advantage for promotional means – haha…
Sorry but that is just cool.
2) I can learn (sadly in small sound bites) what some of the speakers are talking about. Things I learned today: “Most people do not want a one to one in person ask for a bequest. Less than 5% It’s too personal!” “There are nine millionaire cats in the UK! Gifts were also left 2 dogs, turtles ponies. Known as ‘Last friend syndrome‘ “Best way to fundraise online: Stop fundraising, start inspiring action” “R.Radcliffe says that Legacy Club members think of it as a free meal but many many don’t leave a gift in will.”
3) I can follow live who is tweeting the most content from the conference:
You can check this out right here.
No it’s not the same as being there by any means (maybe next year?) but it does create a buzz for the event, it allows fundraisers to stay up to date with their colleagues and ’share’ in the event. Heck, I can even ask a question or two and expect someone there will seek the answer for me. Maybe I’m a tweetgeek but here is another fine example of how you can use twitter as a powerful communications and marketing tool. I look forward to seeing more photos and tweets in the next few days.
Tweeting your live event
Thursday, October 15th, 2009Last night I was asked to be a volunteer tweeter from the CAMH Unmasked event in Toronto. Have a listen and consider doing it for your next event!
Here are the tweets from before, during and after the event: http://twitter.com/#search?q=%23CAMHunmasked
My heartfelt thanks to Seth Godin
Monday, August 24th, 2009
I was touched to open my email this morning and have a heartfelt thanks from none other than Seth Godin. He writes: I want to thank those that have supported my book Tribes. It’s been the #1 bestselling leadership book on Amazon for the last 300 days, mostly because the people who like it, talk about it and spread the word.
Seth: you are so welcome.
As I mentioned in a post recently, I enjoyed this shortish book so much because it really is a call to arms for us all to step up and lead. It challenges to revolt against the status quo. Most importantly, as he points out in his blog post: Leadership is scarce because few people are willing to go through the discomfort required to lead.
This book has been a major driver and inspiration for changes here at Idea Design.
I am ready to lead. I think I see a few ways that I can do that most effectively and hope to explain those soon in the weeks to come but let me give you some hints.
The biggest issue for me is that you see Idea Design as a small design studio that does (hopefully) great graphic design for charities. And really, up until late last year, that was mostly what we did. And we still do it.
In the past year I’ve had two really important people join me in the journey to do things differently. Two people who help me challenge the status quo.
Mark Haak has been working in the commercial and charitable sector for about fifteen years learning the tools of the online trade, creating web sites, micro sites, e-campaigns and a whole lot more. He is also a talented art director, photographer and designer and the guy knows how to problem solve, communicate with his clients, have a fun time and appreciate his family and life. A true inspiration and wonderful to work next to. In the projects that we have worked together, we have grown to admire each others strengths and weaknesses and would both admit, we are better for it.
Jen Love. Impossible to sum up in a paragraph. Jen and I cut our teeth together at Stephen Thomas, a direct response agency in Toronto. We worked with some of the best (still do) and with each other on and off through the years. She is a dedicated student of fundraising, a talented creative writer and a passionate friend and colleague. There is no grey area with Jen. Ever. Together, we bring over twenty-five years, combined experience in working with charities.
As Jen says, you tell us your fundraising problem and we work with you to find a solution.
Simple.
So as the three of us work together, we acknowledge Idea Design does not represent the amazing work we are being asked to do by our clients. We realize that now is the time for change.
Idea Design is not going away. There will always be a need for a small creative design studio who understands the needs of charities and how to help communicate in a clear and concise manner. But the all encompassing ‘container’ will be.
I guess now is my chance to send Seth an email thanking him profusely for writing “Tribes”. I strongly urge you to read this book – heck I’ll even loan you mine. It’s time to challenge and change the way we are doing the things we do everyday. Why?
Because as I’ve said, “Vanilla Sucks” and more than enough people are doing it.
Thanks Seth.
Love, John
The “Vanilla Sucks” Campaign
Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009
I’ve been really happy with people’s responses on twitter, here on the blog, over at linkedin to the Vanilla Sucks message from Monday. If somehow you missed it – feel free to check it out.
This is about destroying status quo. This is about standing up and being counted. This is about doing things outside your comfort zone. This is about wanting better.
I want to see examples from you! Show me how you are so not vanilla in the things you do, or examples you find online.
This isn’t just about me. This is about you. This is about all of us.
Anyone can be vanilla. That’s easy. But demand more for yourself, your organization, your life… imagine how much fun you will have.
Here is a video of the most un-vanilla wedding I have ever seen. (Thanks to @lkr and the post over at outspokenmedia.com)
Vanilla sucks
Monday, July 20th, 2009
Finishing up Seth Godin’s “Tribes”.
He tells the story of the unicorn in the balloon factory… racing through and disrupting the status quo. It disrupts the stability. Not for the sake of it, but because the status quo is so vanilla.
We work in an industry of vanilla – in my humble opinion. Let’s get our 8%, lets not spend more than 90 cents per piece, our board thinks this approach is too creative, let’s include and send this to everyone and exclude no one, I could go on.
Vanilla.
But I’m not going to sit here today and point my finger at anyone except me.
I’ve finished up an 8 week “Creating Fame using social media” course created by Laura Roeder. It was interesting to learn about using the tools of social media to raise the profile of yourself and your business – it wasn’t really about becoming famous. But it struck me part way through – as good as the course has been – I am using a lot of these tools properly and doing everything the way, in theory, I should be. Making connections, building relationships, tribe building… but I don’t feel I am any further ahead than I was a year ago. And I think I’ve figured it out.
I’m vanilla. Damn. I’m a worked at the balloon factory.
Idea Design? That doesn’t say anything about what my colleagues and I are doing for charities.
I look at our home page – and it’s all quite safe, standard… vanilla.
So I want to be chocolate. Actually, I want to be cotton candy!
As I communicated to Mark Haak the other day I want three things for me and my business.
1) I want to work with clients who love us and the work we do for them.
2) I want to work with other creative people who love what they do and love to have fun changing the world.
3) I don’t want to worry about money.
For me, this isn’t about being the next direct response agency, or taking over the country. It’s about doing work we love to do and feeling appreciated for what we are doing for our clients.
We do awesome work, we speak plainly and honestly, we try to educate and learn alongside our clients, we are shamefully inexpensive and we throw in a lot of extras far too often for free…
But we are also passionate. We are world changers. We are brilliant. We make mistakes. We like new stuff and approaches.
We are not vanilla. That’s for sure. So the time is coming to stop looking like we are.
If you are a chocolate or – can I get a ‘hell yah’ – a cotton candy charity and you want to have fun and make a difference, and learn new things – call us, email us, join us.
Vanilla has it’s place, but not in my life.
Stay tuned.
