Everyday Giving Blog

Want to Know John McCain and Barack Obama Position on Philanthropy?

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has assembled a special report on what the two major contenders for the White House think about philanthropy. Go to http://philanthropy.com/campaign2008 and check it out before you vote tomorrow.

Get Fully Funded Blog Hosts the Carnival for Nonprofit Consultants

Sandy Rees at the Get Fully Funded Blog did a great  job hosting the Carnival for Nonprofit Consultants this week. The purpose of this blog carnival is to highlight some of the best blog posts from nonprofit bloggers.

You can check out this week's summary at http://www.getfullyfundedblog.com/?p=94. I especially liked the post Developing Philanthropic Children published at the Connection Cafe blog.

Thanks Sandy!

What Drove Me to Blogging?

Would you like to know why I started blogging? Are you curious about what Everyday Giving blog post I consider my favorite? These are just a couple of the questions I answered for an interview with the SocialButterfly blog.

Click here to read all of the questions and my responses. Some of the questions are just plain fun!

Blogged.com Rates Everyday Giving Blog

I received a great surprise this week. The editors at blogged.com reviewed the Everyday Giving Blog and published their rating. They rated the Everyday Giving Blog "Great" with a score of 8.3 out of 10. Their review was based on the following criteria:

• Frequency of Updates
• Relevance of Content
• Site Design
• Writing Style

Go to http://www.blogged.com/blogs/everyday-giving-blog-10364.html and leave your own review. Carol Kirshner from Dollar Philanthropy has already been there and done that. Thank you Carol!

Nonprofit News At Your Fingertips

Would you like to go to a single webpage and get access to the latest nonprofit news and ideas? It is now available to all of us.

Alltop.com is a series of webpages (currently in beta mode) that features links to stories from the top news websites and blogs. Each webpage covers a different topic. There is now a page dedicated to the topic of nonprofits. Go to http://nonprofit.alltop.com to check it out.

I was aware of most of the nonprofit blogs featured on the site. However, I discovered a few I wasn't aware of or hadn't visited in a while. The service provides a quick way to find the stories of interest. Holding your cursor over each link shows a preview of the story.

I have bookmarked http://nonprofit.alltop.com and will be using it on a regular basis. You might want to check it out as well.

Successful and Outstanding Blogger Award

Liz Strauss from the Successful Blog just called me an SOB! In this case it is a good thing. SOB stands for Successful and Outstanding Blogger.

Liz is an expert on using blogging to build and foster relationships. That is why I am so surprised and honored that she presented me with the SOB award.

What does the award represent? The following words accompanied the award:

"They take the conversation to their readers, contribute great ideas, challenge us, make us better, and make our businesses stronger."

Thank you Liz for the recognition. I will wear the SOB badge with pride.

When Is Enough Really Enough (Or Too Much)?

Beth Kanter is contemplating some great questions for anyone raising funds for a cause on social networking sites. One of the items discussed on her blog post The Future of Learning in a Networked World: Reflections From My Session is:

"How often can you ask before people get burned out by it?"
"Would writing about what I am learning about social fundraising (as well as hitting up people for money) would that alienate at some point? Where's that line?"

The following are some of my thoughts (as they relate to a blog):

• In traditional online marketing I am continually taught by experts that a person needs to be exposed to an advertisement at least 3 to 7 times before action is typically taken. If that is the case, then why do we expect to be effective by only exposing a person to one blog post asking for a charitable donation?


• Consider providing value to the reader in your blog posts beyond just asking for the donation. Educate the reader about the problem being helped by the charity. Discuss the success you are having with the online fundraising campaign. Talk about the lessons you are learning. You can even work the ask into blog posts on different but related topics. Be creative.


• Since asking for a donation for charity is usually not considered "self-serving", I don't believe several asks would drive a person away (even if he or she has no plans to donate).


• Should you care if a person stops reading your blog for this reason? What is the purpose of your blog? If it is to have the largest number of readers then I guess you should care. If it is to attract a reader you can inspire and engage with, don't worry about the loss. That person obviously doesn't share your same values.


• You need to stay true to the purpose of your blog. This is the one exception to the rest of this list. It will be easier to ask many times if your site is focused on the topic of philanthropy or related to the mission of the charity you are raising funds to support. If you maintain a blog about bike repair and continue to ask for donations to support a team of doctors helping in other countries, you will probably alienate your readers pretty fast.

What do you think? How many times can a person be asked to support your cause before you alienate him or her?

Presenting the Bloggers Who Create Community Award

The Bloggers Who Create Community Award was presented to me and the community at the Everyday Giving Blog by Laura at the Twenty Five Days to Make a Difference blog. The purpose of this award is to show gratitude for the community created on wonderful blogs.

Since I received the award, I now have the privilege to present the award to 3 bloggers who have created a terrific community. Each winner has permission to display the award badge and present the award to 3 deserving bloggers.

I present the Bloggers Who Create Community Award to Beth Kanter, Mark Hendricks and Rebecca Carpenter.

• Beth Kanter
  
  Beth is a guru in the use of technology for nonprofits. She seems to be involved everywhere nonprofit technology is discussed online. Beth practices what she teaches (and let's others watch and participate as she does it). She also shares an astounding amount of useful information with the community for free. Beth Kanter has created a huge community of nonprofit and technology experts who are changing the world.


• Mark Hendricks
  
  Mark is a top expert in internet marketing. The thing that makes Mark unique is that he doesn't base his teaching in hyping the latest technology or technique. He also stresses the importance of giving back. In fact,I am amazed at the number of people in his Internet Success System community who lead, support and fund charitable organizations and activities. Yes, I am a member of Mark's community. In fact, I will be presenting at his spring conference about ways the group can use their knowledge and skills to help others. Mark Hendricks has created a huge community of internet marketers who are making a difference.


• Rebecca Carpenter
  
  Rebecca is a leader in living life and marketing social networks. She is passionate about fun, adventure, family and travel. Her travels around the globe have given her a unique insight into the conditions of the world and ways we can make it a better place. Maybe that is why Rebecca has chosen to work at Razoo.com in support of their marketing strategy and branding. Razoo is connecting do-gooders from around the world and Rebecca is at the heart of it. I am fan of Razoo.com and Rebecca Carpenter. Rebecca Carpenter has been instrumental in creating a tremendous community of altruistic people who are making the world a better place.

Please help me congratulate the winners by visiting their websites and sending a note of congratulations and encouragement to each.

Bloggers Who Create Community Award

Laura at Twenty Five Days to Make a Difference presented the Bloggers Who Create Community Award to the Everyday Giving Blog.

Here is what Laura had to say as she presented the award:

"Roger Carr’s website, The Everyday Giving Blog, is all about helping others. I know that Mr. Carr has built a HUGE COMMUNITY of charitable people there, because he sends a lot of readers who respect him to my site. I also like what his site is all about. The type of community he is building is something that means a lot to me."

Thank you Laura. That is what the Everyday Giving Blog is all about. I accept this Bloggers Who Create Community Award on behalf of the Everyday Giving community.

Take Advantage of the Free Blogging Course

I'm evaluating a multi-media course on blogging from the folks at Simpleology.  For a while, they're letting you snag it for free if you post about it on your blog.

It covers:

• The best blogging techniques.
• How to get traffic to your blog.
• How to turn your blog into money.

I'll let you know what I think once I've had a chance to check it out. Meanwhile, go grab yours while it's still free.