Opinions, opinions...we at Watershed have plenty! The following is a selection of Madeline’s recent articles. Linking to any of these articles is always fine (and much appreciated!). If you would like to reprint an article, please contact madeline@watershedcompany.com.
Staffing your online program
IN THE OLD DAYS, before the Internet, your communication programs likely existed in their own silos: direct mail over there, advocacy over here, event invitations somewhere else entirely. The Internet changed all that. By now, your online list probably contains all of your previously-silo-ed constituents in one place. Now, donors receive action alerts. And activists get fundraising appeals. Continue reading...
At last...online fundraising and advocacy benchmarks –
WONDERING how your online response rates compare? If so, I think you’ll be interested in the new “eNonprofit Benchmarks Study,” the first detailed look at the hard numbers for nonprofits using the Web for fundraising and advocacy. Continue reading...
The Rules
HOW TO catch the online donors of your dreams (In other words, Ten New Best Practices for Online Fundraising). Continue reading...
Subject lines that sink or swim
I ONCE READ that an e-mail subject line is like a “promise” to your readers about what’s inside. I like the sound of that just fine. But more useful, though, is to consider this: You’ve got about 1 or 2 seconds to capture your constituent’s attention and convince her that of the many e-mail messages bombarding her in box, yours is the one she simply must read. No pressure, eh? Continue reading...
Six (new) ways to integrate your online and offline fundraising
FOR YEARS, we’ve talked about online and offline integration as the holy grail of fundraising - a seamless donor and prospect program in which every piece of mail and e-mail and your Web site communicate a similar message and build upon one another. If you’ve achieved it, read no further. For the rest of us - here are a few more ideas for taking your integration efforts one step further. Continue reading...