McCormick Place was teeming with fundraisers last week as development professionals from around the world came together in Chicago for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) International Conference.   The lineup was impressive – and inspiring.  Blake Mycoskie of Tom’s Shoes opened the conference on Sunday, Queen Latifah kicked off Monday, and President Bill Clinton closed out the conference on Tuesday.  

If you are someone deeply involved in the nonprofit sector, you most likely receive daily emails, newsletters, or updates with some permutation of the following words: how to, nonprofit, survive, fundraising, downturn, results, and impact. It’s probably not a surprise that in this resource-constrained climate, many funders and donors are more targeted in their grantmaking and donating. They are demanding more data-driven results from grantees and less anecdotal evidence. In a recent survey, a group of 30-49 year-olds were asked to rank the importance of certain topics when considering donating through social media.

Your organization has likely done a masterful job of cultivating strong funding relationships with a cadre of donors who value the fine work you do in the community. These donors have meaningful relationships with your leadership team and with your board members. In fact, they may socialize with your board members and executive director from time to time outside of the context of your organization. Or their spouses are on the board of another community organization together or know each other from their college days. Regardless, their support of your organization is primarily based on strong social and personal relationships and an emotional valuing of your cause.

I received an email last night from a friend who said that her program budget had just been cut 75%.  She is the only staff person remaining.  Sadly, her story is not unique.  Communication and fundraising is a critical competency these days.  Here are some tips I picked up at last year's Independent Sector conference. The following six elements were positioned as the building blocks of a successful communications campaign: 1. Selflessness - communicate mission first, organization second 2. Collaboration - portray organization as an "honest broker to improve the world" 3. Advocacy - share information, remain non-partisan 4. Efficiency - show how organization spends fewer resources for greater impact

Social media is taking off.  And nonprofits can take off with it.  By plugging into existing social networks, nonprofits can take advantage of the power of online chatter.  The Stanford Social Innovation Review highlights the role social media can play in fundraising.  They suggest, in particular, that nonprofits "should not use the failing economy as an excuse to avoid social media," rather the economy should be driving them to this outlet.