Hands-On Fundraising

OCTOBER 22, 2024

Why is it so hard to say thank you? We spend a lot of time thinking about how to raise more money. We labor over the appeal: the language, the images, the right ask. And then, too often, we treat the thank you as an afterthought. It’s not that hard to write a good, emotional […] The post Why is it so damned hard to say thank you?

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Clairification

JUNE 27, 2024

Which, as it often does, brings me to share a bit of wisdom from the sage Seth Godin. Simple five step plan for just about everyone and everything The number of people you need to ask for permission keeps going down: Go, make something happen. Do work you’re proud of. Treat people with respect. Make big promises and keep them.

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Clairification

AUGUST 8, 2024

As you’re planning ahead, and readying your year-end fundraising initiatives, take a little time to think about your communication delivery mediums. Not to mention your message content. Are you reaching the right audiences, and making it easy for them? Are you sharing messaging that’s relevant to your constituents, and also authentically you?

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Clairification

MAY 30, 2024

If the surf or the powder isn’t great, leave it for the tourists. Good is insufficient, wait for the great moments… When we’re young, or the project is going really well, it’s easy to waste the good days. After all, there will be another one tomorrow. What becomes clear, though, is that good days are precious. Don’t waste it! What did you learn?

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 22, 2024

When the world changes, do we have a process to redefine great work? Do you have the tools you need to reach your goals? How could we create a system where great work is easier to do? — Seth Godin Think about it, okay? If you really dig into these questions, both as an individual and as a team, you may be surprised by some of the answers.

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Clairification

APRIL 18, 2024

Take some inspiration from the inimitable Seth Godin: If we’re restless, it pays to get up and walk around. Is stress different? Along the way, it seems as though we got confused about the best way to deal with the stress that comes from work and from the projects we work on. Push through the stress and on the other side, everything will be okay.”

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Clairification

MARCH 20, 2024

The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of voices from across the nonprofit world so you can resource, learn and digest at your own pace, and come up with new and better ways to do your job of changing the world. Seth Godin wants to help you too! And use some of the wisdom gleaned in this weeks issue of Clairity Click-it to help you.

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MAY 16, 2024

Exhausting! Inverting the vex “Life can be irritating. And sometimes, we can make a choice. The thing that’s vexing you: is it a situation or a problem? Problems have solutions. If we care enough, we can find a way to solve a problem, but it might cost more money, require more effort or involve more risk than we’d prefer. And if it’s a situation?

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Clairification

APRIL 4, 2024

Did you know this year the U.S. dropped out of the top 20 happiest countries for the first time ever , dropping from #15 to #23 ? Point is: the good life isn’t about “happiness.” It’s about meaning. Meaning is more resilient. More significant. More enduring. It emerges when we live out our most noble motivations. It’s a never ending game.

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Clairification

MAY 2, 2024

It’s not always easy to find all the good stuff across the web. That’s why I do the work for you! Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang , for making it possible for me to spend the time hunting and gathering. You’ll find this is another robust issue. Find a topic that interests you, and… click away! Think about it.

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The Chronicle of Philanthropy

OCTOBER 24, 2024

The foundation's decade-long Building Healthy Communities initiative set out to improve health in 14 California regions. It ended up redefining its approach to community change. Day parade. The foundation's decade-long Building Healthy Communities initiative set out to improve health in 14 California regions.

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Clairification

DECEMBER 1, 2022

As always, a big thank you to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang , for making it possible for me to spend the time hunting and gathering. Thank you for doing your vital work, and helping make our world a better place, Claire. claire@clairification.com. Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to….

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Clairification

JANUARY 25, 2024

It’s been pretty cold in my neck of the woods, so let’s warm up with a cup of cocoa, coffee or tea and some good reads. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it! As always, I’ve also got a little piece of wisdom to share with you from the inimitable Seth Godin: The generous ask “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

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Clairification

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Let’s begin with this week’s bit of wisdom… “Let us conceive of gratitude in its largest, most beautiful sense, that if we receive any kindness we are debtor, not merely to one man, but to the whole world. We all prefer to join a rising tide rather than a sinking boat. Optimism is contagious, and will motivate people to connect with you.

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Clairification

JUNE 15, 2023

June 13 th marked the 10 th anniversary of the Clairity Click-it Newsletter. That’s 260 issues (whoa!), all chock full of resources I hand select for you from across the web. And nothing I select will cost you a dime! If you’ve found this newsletter thought-provoking, educational or just plain practical, please forward it to a curious colleague.

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Clairification

JANUARY 11, 2024

Neither freedom nor responsibility are given; they’re taken. What will you do to achieve the necessary balance to keep your organization, your community, and our world in check? Seth Godin suggests it has a lot to do with the culture you/we build. The freedom loop We spend almost no time teaching toddlers about freedom.

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Clairification

MARCH 7, 2024

[Okay, I do have a bit of Seth Godin wisdom to share, but this time it’s to be found below under “Articles/Events.” So, scroll down.] As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang , for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you.

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Clairification

JUNE 1, 2023

If the surf or the powder isn’t great, leave it for the tourists. Good is insufficient, wait for the great moments… When we’re young, or the project is going really well, it’s easy to waste the good days. After all, there will be another one tomorrow. What becomes clear, though, is that good days are precious. Write it down, roll tape, speak up. .

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Clairification

NOVEMBER 16, 2023

Let’s begin with this week’s bit of wisdom… The reluctant spammer “I don’t want to send this pitch to a list of every single podcaster in the world, but we have to get the word out.” “I I don’t want to send an email to every one of our previous donors every three days until they unsubscribe, but our work is so important, it has to be done.” “I

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Clairification

MARCH 23, 2023

The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of voices from across the nonprofit world so you can resource, learn and digest at your own pace, and come up with new and better ways to do your job of changing the world. Seth Godin wants to help you too! And use some of the wisdom gleaned in this weeks issue of Clairity Click-it to help you.

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Clairification

DECEMBER 14, 2023

“One takes a little more effort than the other. While throwing shade might be more fun, it eventually runs out of energy. It’s designed to end conversations, not start them, to intimidate, not encourage. Turning on lights helps everyone.” ” — Seth Godin This week’s Clairity Click-it is dedicated to turning on the lights.

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Clairification

DECEMBER 28, 2023

Sharing creates connection, possibility and energy. And the magic of gratitude is that it improves everything it touches, especially the person who offered it in the first place. So, what holds us back? Fear of connection, of change, of seeing what is possible. It might feel safer to focus on scarcity. Generosity and gratitude often go together.

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Clairification

APRIL 20, 2023

They give us the chance to act as if, to describe a possible future and then to lean against them as we work to create the place we seek to be.” — Seth Godin My wish is this issue of the Clairity Click-it helps you find one or more resources to help you define some boundaries you can use as levers in your work to create a better world.

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Clairification

OCTOBER 19, 2023

Throwing shade or throwing light? One takes a little more effort than the other. While throwing shade might be more fun, it eventually runs out of energy. It’s designed to end conversations, not start them, to intimidate, not encourage. Turning on lights helps everyone. — Seth Godin You are on a meaning-seeking journey. Get curious!

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Clairification

NOVEMBER 2, 2023

Untrained in the field, make a pronouncement that makes it clear that you have not just an understanding of what’s going on, but also that you’ve figured out the causes and the next steps. The thing is, confusion shared often leads to the learning we need to become productive as we move forward. “I I would say “not so much.”

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Clairification

DECEMBER 15, 2022

As always, a big thank you to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang , for making it possible for me to spend the time hunting and gathering. Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place, Claire. claire@clairification.com. Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to….

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 8, 2024

Valentine’s Day reminds us to come from a place of love President’s Day gives a long weekend (in the U.S.) to relax But one of my favorites, on February 17th, is little known, and perfect for the social benefit sector. It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day ! Get creative!

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Clairification

MAY 18, 2023

This blew my mind: Seth Godin wrote people are really making good use of the free AI on his blog – and so far, it’s pretty trustworthy. I gave it a try, and these were the results. I asked “How do you choose a good vacation spot?” After all, it’s that time of year! Such a great answer, and not at all superficial to my mind.

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Clairification

OCTOBER 5, 2023

Part of your job is to bring meaning, not just to the beneficiaries of your organization’s mission but also to the people who contribute towards your meaningful outcomes. It turns out when you consider what brings meaning and value to philanthropists – donors and volunteers – you do a more effective job creating abundance all around. Get curious!

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Clairification

SEPTEMBER 21, 2023

Once we leave out the “and” (as in, I want to do this and be well paid, invited, approved of and always successful) then it’s way easier to do what we said we wanted to do. — Seth Godin Do you want to raise a bunch of money before the end of the year? More than last year? Then, as the folks at Nike say, “Just Do It.” No ifs, ands or buts.

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Clairification

APRIL 6, 2023

Eisenhower’s sentiment that “ what counts is not necessarily the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog. ” And part of that fight comes from the ability to pivot creatively and consistently show up in the face of uncertainty. As Bruce Lee guided, “ Be water, my friend. Empty your mind.

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Clairification

MARCH 9, 2023

The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of voices from across the nonprofit world. Hopefully one or more of these will give you a shot of dopamine too — a boost of joyful energy that says, “Yes! I want to try this!” And, just for fun, here’s some interesting art from a recent studio opening in San Francisco.

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Clairification

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Because as we approach what I call the “Grateful for Blessings Holidays” (emotional trigger) and the end of the calendar year (financial/tax trigger), people naturally turn their thoughts toward generosity and philanthropic giving. The fairy dust is already in the air, just waiting for you to wave your magic wand to propel it into action.

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Planned Giving

NOVEMBER 7, 2024

It’s been almost two years and my heart is still heavy when I think about my friend. You can read her article—“Most Nonprofits Still Don’t Get It” — on page 12 of this issue. If anyone “got it,” Deb did. Many of you are familiar with Deb’s “Blue Book” on planned giving. Some refer to it as the Blue Bible. (I I have the last 12 fresh copies.)

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Clairification

JANUARY 26, 2023

The solar-powered LED calculator we used in school did no such thing. 6 x 7 is 42, no ifs, ands or buts. Part of the magic of Google search was that it was not only cocky, it was often correct. The combination of its confidence and its utility made it feel like a miracle. Of course, Google was never completely correct. That was left to us.

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Clairification

OCTOBER 27, 2022

Someone said that to me the other day and it was heartbreaking. The number of tasks in our culture that require someone who was born with off-the-charts talent is small indeed. Just about everything else we need people to do is the result of effort, practice and care. The correct thing to say is, “I don’t care that much.” That’s okay. Then… do it!

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The Chronicle of Philanthropy

OCTOBER 28, 2024

Overused acronyms and jargon aren’t just confusing — they make it harder for nonprofits to achieve their goals. By Jeff Raderstrong Getty Images Overused acronyms and jargon aren’t just confusing — they make it harder for nonprofits to achieve their goals.

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