International Aid Group Uses Niche Prize to Woo Support
The development group PSI wooed potential supporters with a paid trip to Washington to meet its staff and other experts.
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Online Quizzes, Ringtones, and Apps Aid in the Hunt for New Donors
To get a step ahead of the competition, charities use unconventional techniques to get names and addresses of people who might want to give.
By Debra E. Blum
Contributor
Despite All the Buzz About Innovation, Foundations Are Playing It Too Safe
Many grant makers keep turning to safe investments with predesignated results, but a few are breaking out of that mold.
By Gabriel Kasper and JUSTIN MARCOUX
Power to the People: Companies Hand Grant Decisions to Employees
Silicon Valley companies LinkedIn and VMware find a new recruiting tool in letting employees distribute thousands to charities.
By Ben Gose
Senior Editor
Government, Foundations Turn to Cash Prizes to Generate Solutions
Competitions are now popular to stimulate innovative answers to vexing social and technological problems, a report finds.
By Megan O’Neil
Contributor
Fundraising by Text Message: What Worked and What Didn’t
A museum learned that most people don’t use smartphones to support an exhibit, while the Salvation Army persuaded lots of people to give that way after a disaster.
Online Tools Can Help Supporters Raise Funds From Their Networks
A growing number of groups are creating fundraising platforms that make it easy for people to attract donations from friends, relatives, and colleagues.
By Cassie J. Moore
Contributor
Centralized Data and Tests of Online Appeals Give Sierra Club a Boost
A three-person unit tests and refines the group’s email and social-networking formats.
By TOM HELD
Contributor
Fundraisers Reap Millions by Using Data ‘Gold Mine’
Nonprofits are stepping up their powerful analytical techniques to make smarter fundraising decisions and increase donations.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Data Analysis Guides Fundraisers Toward Smarter Strategies
Figuring out which donors have the most potential helps staff members get early wins—and makes it more likely they’ll stay on the job, say the institution’s leaders.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Start With a Spreadsheet and a Survey: Advice From Experts
Start small, look for differences among groups of donors, and other first-steps to find new ways to appeal to donors.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
Gay-Rights Group Turns Activists Into Donors
The Human Rights Campaign used sophisticated data tools to figure out who among its activists to ask for money.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
How a Splash of Color Helped Johns Hopkins Fundraisers Use Data
Presentation made a big difference in helping fundraisers understand data analysis and act on the findings in their work.
By NICOLE WALLACE
Features Editor
How Nonprofits Are Using Google Hangout
View a video discussion on how to use Google Hangout to get feedback and ideas from the people you serve.
SXSW Update: How Small Groups Can Spark Innovation
Hint: Don’t call it innovation, says a top leader at the Sierra Club.
By CODY SWITZER
Contributor
They collect data from day one and never stop testing. And they aren’t afraid to try new things.