November 7, 2024

We are excited to announce that we GC Nonprofit News is now offering a new opportunity to promote your upcoming conferences, workshops, networking events, trainings, open houses, space for lease and/or special promotion of goods and services for nonprofits. Click here to learn more. Current sponsors receive a 20% discount on total cost of advertising promotions. 😊 

In partnership with local nonprofits and our sponsors, GC Nonprofit News strives to create a more informed, open and connected community by sharing nonprofit news, job openings, and resources. 

Stay connected and informed by reading GC Nonprofit News every week. Jane😊



Jane Page-Steiner, Owner & Publisher – jane@gcnonprofitnews.com

Kelli Tarantino, Editor - kelli@gcnonprofitnews.com

*Reminder: Please submit your news by 2pm on Tuesday and jobs by 10am on Wednesday for Thursday's issue of GC Nonprofit News. Jobs submitted after 10am on Wednesday will appear in the following week's eNews.



How to Connect with Donors So They'll Want to Give to Your Nonprofit

by George Crankovic

Who is this person writing to me? That’s one of the first things a donor would ask after opening your appeal letter or email. Then, that donor will make a judgment: Is this person friendly, standoffish, arrogant, distant, a know-it-all, down to earth, caring, concerned? It’s an impression your donor forms by reading the first few lines of your appeal. 

And that impression is based a lot on the tone of the copywriting, the copy voice. Think of the copy voice as the personality of your appeal. And because your fundraising appeals are often the only thing about your nonprofit that your donor ever sees, the copy voice is the personality of your nonprofit too. It creates an impression that will engage donors or turn them off. 

Consider this example, an appeal about climate change:

Dear Ms. Joan Sample,

I am writing to you today from [charity], a dedicated advocate for climate action and environmental sustainability. As you may know, our planet is facing unprecedented challenges due to climate change, and the need for immediate action has never been more urgent.

At [charity], we are committed to combating climate change through innovative projects, community engagement, and policy advocacy. Our recent initiatives include installing an array of solar panels, which have already made a significant impact. However, to continue this vital work, we need your support.

So, who is this? Someone who’s maybe a little conceited? It’s a lot about them and less about you, the donor. And it’s pretty bland and corporate sounding. It has that press release kind of feel, as if it’s been through the legal department. Impression? Impersonal and blah. Keeps you at arm’s length. Not someone with whom you’d have a heart-to-heart. 

Contrast that copy voice with this one, again about climate change.

Dear Ms. Joan Sample,

I am writing this appeal on a hot July afternoon.

My 11-month-old son is playing at my feet as I do. I look at Joe and I look at the blazing heat outside and I wonder how I can avoid talking about the greenhouse effect in nakedly personal terms. 

But why shouldn’t I? Why shouldn’t I tell you how much I fear for the world we’re preparing for Joe?

So, who is this? It’s a real person expressing a real sentiment about climate change and our future. It’s not cautious. It’s not corporate. It hasn’t been reviewed to death by a committee. It’s honest, relatable, personal and human. It’s someone writing directly to me. (And no, it’s not peppered with “yous.” Copy doesn’t have to be in order to be engaging.) Impression? I’m ready to read more. 

That’s the reaction we want to elicit from donors. Admittedly, it’s not easy to get this right, and it’s something with which many nonprofits struggle.

One reason is that nonprofits feel they must speak from a position of authority about the cause. So they assume an overly formal writing style with big words, long sentences and lengthy paragraphs. But then the appeal letter reads like a corporate memo.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE

Tricia Sunders joins United Way as Chief Development Officer

leading growth strategies to expand the organization's philanthropic efforts. 

Hudson Cancer Research Laboratory welcomed Denise Byrum as the Senior Director, Operations and Organizational Development.  

An annual partnership entering its sixth year, Gold Star is once again teaming up with The Children's Theatre of Cincinnati (TCT) for another successful year of honoring special teachers in our community.  Teachers are special people who deserve recognition for their efforts to educate and inspire – and now, the search is on to recognize the Tri-State's next Gold Star Teacher of the Year.

The Chatfield Edge has sold its 99-acre St. Martin campus in Brown County to Future Plans, Inc. The Chatfield Edge will keep its offices on the campus, along with several new organizations offering essential services to students and the community. Learn about the new era of community use for this historic site here.

Cincinnati Bank of America has named The Cincinnati ToolBank and Talbert House as its 2024 Neighborhood Builders for their work in supporting the Cincinnati community. Both Cincinnati nonprofits are each awarded a $200,000 grant over two years, comprehensive leadership training for each organization's executive director and an emerging leader, and access to a national network of nonprofit peers.

Based on the strong response to the August screenings of “Chronicles of a Wandering Saint” Cincinnati World Cinema is doing encore screenings Friday, Nov. 8 at 7pm and Sunday, Nov. 10 at 4pm. Learn more here.

Dads against Angry Moms, a silver rated organization on GuideStar, was selected by Southwest Ohio GiveCamp (2024 Projects – Southwest Ohio GiveCamp) in October for their marathon give back weekend to receive tech support to create their website. DAAM provides healthy activities for Dads and their children to encourage absent dads to be present dads, present dads to be good dads, good dads to be great dads and great dads to reach out and share their experience and strength. To see the website created by GiveCamp visit Ourdaamlegacy.org.  

The Victorian at Riverside is grateful for a $7,000 grant from The Robert and Christine Steinmann Family Foundation to provide meals for older adults in our assisted-living community in Covington, KY. Support enables residents to maintain their independence while avoiding hospitalizations and transfers to a nursing home.



To further assist you with understanding the Impact 100 grant application process a Nonprofit Panel Discussion is scheduled virtually for November 13, 2024, from 4:00pm-5:00pm. Panelists, all past Impact 100 grant recipients, will insights about their Impact 100 Grant journeys. There will be opportunities to ask questions and learn from them. Please register here. 

Main Street Ventures, an entrepreneur support organization providing equity-free funding to startups across the Tri-State region, is excited to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2025 Launch It: Cincy summer program for undergraduate students. In its fourth year, the program provides undergraduate entrepreneurs the opportunity to spend the summer living and working in Cincinnati, connections with other student founders, access to office space, mentoring, finance support, and other resources to help build and grow their ideas.

Could you use marketing help? If so, apply to participate in AMA Agency - a community outreach program that matches nonprofits and startups with experienced marketing professionals for 6-month marketing projects. The mission of the program is to help grow our local economy and build community resilience. Find more information and apply here. 

Aviatra Accelerators announces the launch of its Capital-Ready Women (CRW) program, the only fundability assessment and guided program in the U.S. that is not government-affiliated or associated with a financial institution. This program is specifically designed to help women in non-tech industries prepare to successfully access capital through loans or investments. Look here for more information about Aviatra's Capital-Ready Women program or to apply.



On November 13th from 9am-10:30am, GC Nonprofit News and Leadership Council for Nonprofits will present a panel discussion on HR Challenges and Solutions. Publisher, Jane Page-Steiner will moderate a discussion on HR issues with top nonprofit leaders from our region. Panelists will share strategies they have used to retain and develop nonprofit employees. We are excited to have on the panel; Meredith Davis, Senior Director Jewish Family Service of the Cincinnati Area, David Howard, Chief Human Resources Officer, CHNK Behavioral Health, and Thuy Kolik, Vice President & Chief Financial Officer/Chief Administrative Officer Lighthouse Youth & Family Services. Click here to register for the workshop.

Join Pro Bono Partnership of Ohio (PBPO) on November 20 at 1 p.m. for its Quarterly Employment Webinar Series: Mental Health with respect to ADA & Pregnancy Related Accommodations.  Experts at Thompson Hine will cover important issues faced by nonprofit employers. Each 1-hour session gives an overview of the latest legal developments, practical solutions, and a chance for you to ask your questions live. Learn more here.

Framing 101 for Nonprofits - Join Interact for Health to discuss effective framing of health justice and related topics. This FREE webinar will outline key framing strategies and the evidence behind them, explore examples from Interact for Health and other advocates, and have plenty of time for discussion and questions. Learn more here.

Evaluation and Learning 102 with Innovation Network - Join Interact for Health and Innovation Network to take your evaluation practice to the next level. This FREE webinar is meant as a follow up to the “Evaluation 101” training offered last year, but if you couldn’t attend that, no problem! Innovation Network will provide a short two-page overview of some key concepts and resources covered in the last training. Learn more here.



Keep Cincinnati Beautiful - Whether you are looking to plan a team-building event for your corporate group, pick up litter on your regular walk around your block, or provide professional expertise we've got a wide range of opportunities available for anyone who wants to get involved! Please reach out to our Corporate Impact Director, Megan Beck: megan@keepcincinnatibeautiful.org

NPOs consistently better than for-profits on jobs Nonprofit employment bested for-profits during the COVID-19 pandemic. From 2019 to 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, employment declined 6.9 percent in for-profit businesses,

Culture doesn't have to eat strategy The phrase “culture eats strategy for breakfast” is often true – certainly there are situations where strategy is consumed by culture – but strategy and culture are not mutually exclusive.

Our sponsor and partner marketplace serves to further connect our readers with our advertisers who are focused on serving nonprofits. To learn more about a sponsor's nonprofit services, click on their ad. Contact Kelli Tarantino, editor, at kelli@gcnonprofitnews.com to discover how your business or organization can become a sponsor/advertiser of the Greater Cincinnati Nonprofit News.

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