Development Blogs.com

Just over two weeks into our mystery shopping and it’s time to do a bit of a overview of findings to date. And the first thing to say is that there has been a marked improvement in how charities are handling online donations over the last two years. In 2006, 66% of charities sent a thank you email in response to a web donation. This year, 83% sent an email thank you. There are also some significant improvements by individual charities in how they accept, process and acknowledge donations. I’ll be dealing with them in detail in the coming weeks, but Irish Cancer Society, Amnesty International, Simon Communities and Children’s Medical and Research Foundation can all take credit for clear steps forward - generally nothing extraordinary, just doing things better which...

Suppose you are concerned about children in Africa dying from preventable diseases. You want to donate money to a charity that is working to reduce the toll. But there are many charities doing that. How do you choose?The first thing that many people ask about charities is, “How much of my donation is spent on administration?” In the United States, that figure is readily available from Charity Navigator, a Web site that has five million users. But the information is taken from forms that the charities themselves complete and send to the tax authorities. No one checks the forms, and the proportions allocated to administration and program expenses are easily massaged with a little creative accounting. Worse still, that figure, even if accurate, tells you nothing about the charity’s...

Some seem to have cracked it, some have yet to figure it out… MarriagEquality Friends of the Earth Ireland and International Unicef Greenpeace International and their Light bulb campaign LGBT Noise Concern Worldwide Technorati Tags: facebook, social networking, non-profit, charity...

Marc is back! Houtlust may be gone to the great online archive in the sky, but Marc has returned with a bigger, better, more 2.0 site - osocio. And it’s full of ambition: Osocio is dedicated to social advertising and non-profit campaigns. It’s the place where marketing and activism collide. Formerly known as the Houtlust Blog, Osocio is the central online hub for advertisers, ad agencies, grassroots, activists, social entrepreneurs, and good Samaritans from around the globe. Good to have you back, Marc. Technorati Tags: houtlust, osocio, social marketing, non-profit, charity, advertising...

When: Friday, September 21, 2007Where: Toronto, CanadaAlthough the principles of good governance apply equally to business and not-for-profit organizations, governance for not-for-profit entities has unique aspects that directors and officers should understand. This full-day workshop is designed for directors and officers of not-for-profit organizations who wish to use a sound understanding of good governance as it applies to not-for-profit organizations to help their organizations achieve success.ICSA...

Sad to see that Marc has closed Houtlust. The good news is he’s leaving the site in place and also planning a new project. In the meantime, Houtlust remains one the most important resources for anyone interested in non-profit communications. I’ve just discovered Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog. And this week she’s hosting the Carnival of Non-Profit Consultants. Jeff at Donor Power has an interesting piece on what works in fundraising appeals. Remember, heart not head. Technorati Tags: fundraising, charity, non-profit, marketing, communications, donor motivation...

Non-profit organizations could be hard hit by talent shortages exacerbated by the large cohort of baby boomers soon entering the retirement years, but there will be opportunities as well, according to an upcoming report from The Conference Board, the global research and business membership organization."While growth in the nonprofit sector is outpacing growth in the rest of the economy, talent shortages are already affecting critical service sectors, including healthcare and social services, in which nonprofits are heavily represented," says Jill Casner-Lotto, author of the report for The Conference Board. "Also, widespread executive-level and leadership skill shortages currently affecting many nonprofits are predicted to get much worse as the sector expands and experienced executives...

Well, at least one of my new year wishes has come true. Fundraising Ireland launches on Wednesday next, 20 June at 5pm in The Four Seasons Hotel, Ballsbridge. Fundraising Ireland is a network for fundraising professionals and I’d encourage anyone working in the sector to come along on Wednesday. The keynote speech is by Deirdre Mortell of the One Foundation. But don’t worry, it won’t all be speeches and serious. There’ll be plenty of time to meet and chat to other fundraisers over a glass of wine. Technorati Tags: Fundraising Ireland, charity, non-profit, fundraising...

When: February 28, 2007Where: New York, NY Deanna Nino is speaking on the evolution of nonprofit retirement...