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John Cochrane, a newbie blogger but well-known UofChicago economist asked a question about the optimal form of the Eurozone in the latest Economics Bloggers Survey...

I'm a little bit surprised -- a majority think the Euro should be abandoned?  Although this chart doesn't stack qwll (my fault), opinions are strongest in favor of the two extreme positions -- complete union or complete disunion, and I expected the middle "weak union" to be most favored.  This is the U.S. model, a currency union among states which allows state and municipal default.  

Thanks John!

Craig Newmark from Newmark's Door provided us with two questions in the latest Economics Bloggers Survey. One is fairly simple, asking about inflation.  The other is a really rich question about education reform.  Both are fascinating:

Note, these values do not add up to 100% because we did not chart neutral responses.  Think about it this way: there were more responses in favor of "Flexibility for principals" (81%) than ALL responses for most other questions!  Supreme Court, are you listening?  

Start: 02/16/2012 11:00 am End: 02/16/2012 12:30 pm Timezone: US/Pacific Start: 02/16/2012 11:00 am End: 02/16/2012 12:30 pm Timezone: US/Pacific Organization:  NTEN Teaser: 

As budgets tighten, organizations from industry to charity are searching for ways to cut costs while maximizing outreach to clients (or donors). In this webinar, Leslie Hawthorn will discuss how open source tools can help nonprofits fulfill their mission.

Cost:  $35 for Members / $70 for Nonmembers Event Details: 

As budgets tighten, organizations from industry to charity are searching for ways to cut costs while maximizing outreach to clients (or donors). In this webinar, Gregory Heller will discuss how web and desktop based open source tools and software can help nonprofits fulfill their mission.

This webinar will include

• An introduction to open source software: what it is, what it isn't, where to find it
• An exploration of some common desktop open source tools that nonprofits have used successfully
• An exploration of some common web based open source tools that nonprofits have used successfully
• Tips on how to evaluate the right open source software package based on your needs for technical support

> Register for the Event!

About the Presenter

Gregory Heller

Gregory Heller is a nonprofit technologist with over ten years experience serving nonprofit organizations. Since 2005, Gregory has worked with CivicActions to empower nonprofit organizations with Drupal and CiviCRM powered websites. Gregory is an experienced trainer, and a Certified Scrum Product Owner and Scrum Master. A longtime NTEN member, Gregory is once again this year organizing the Ignite NTC event in San Francisco on April 3rd.

@GregoryHeller on twitter

http://civicactions.com/team/gregory_heller

Registration Key:  https://www.ntenonline.org/EWEB/DynamicPage.aspx?WebCode=CSCEventsRegM&evt_key=7d87d86b-5e81-45aa-b287-abdb95c1f62b&egp_evt_key=7d87d86b-5e81-45aa-b287-abdb95c1f62b&ParentObject=CentralizedOrderEntry&ParentDataObject=Registrant&DoNotSave=yes&action=Add&evt_title=Open%20Source%20for%20Nonprofits:%20Tools%20and%20Tips&Site=nten

HAIKU from the latest Economics Bloggers Survey...

By now we know to
Expect the unexpected
To ruin your day.
~ Ryan Avent

Can’t bail forever
This year we might discover
The can does kick back.
~ Arnold Kling

Common currency
Is not the source of problems
Debt is the culprit.
~ Pedro Albuquerque

Euro troubles prove
Federalism is key
To secure freedom.
~ Will Franklin

Euro, Kroner, Franc,
Makes no difference to me
Long as gold glistens.
~ Robert Cringely

Europe’s Recessing
The ECB has no clue
Austerity Bites.
~ Daniel Gross

Euro-zone crumbling now
Silently, in the background
Surface is a veil.
~ David Tufte

Greece will soon default
The Eurozone will crumble
Let’s all go shopping!
~ Felix Salmon

Haughty Albion
Because she made the right choice
She must be punished.
~ Scott Sumner

NGDP it
Nominal incomes restored
Safe assets return.
~ David Beckworth

On this Continent
All European Unions
Always end in blood.
~ Andrew Samwick

Poor little Euro
a useful means of exchange
with no fiscal role.
~ David Zetland

Run the Euro press
Beg America for help
Beg China for help.
~ Michael Rizzo

Saint Germanicus
Gave no gifts to young Euro
Christmas without snow.
~ Tim Kane

Surprise everyone
Reintroduce the Deutschmark
Inflate the Euro.
~ Eli Dourado

The most painful part
Of the Euro’s coming end?
Krugman being right.
~ Joshua Barro

Twelve years later
Returned to the beginning
Germany loses again.
~ Kenneth Houghton

Euro resembles badly made movie
Its producers keep claiming movie a hit
Time they accept it flopped.
~ Amol Agrawal

Welfare states’ debt due
Ratings downgrades, states default
Euro muddles through.
~ Arthur Diamond

When the task is great,
take but one step at a time
Compromise builds strength.
~ Jeff Miller

You may disappear
or appear in great numbers
debt must come undone.
~ Steve Waldman

Thanks to Cardiff Garcia for recruiting his co-bloggers at FT Alphaville to submit three (!) questions to the latest Economics Bloggers Survey.  We tried snubbing them for nearly two years, but you can deny greatness for only so long ...

Bloggers offered tepid support for any of the solutions laid out by FTAlphaville. In fact, one-third of bloggers dispute the premise that there is aglobal shortage of safe assets. The full text of solutions is:

More country assets: The treasuriesof every remaining AAA sovereignshould start pumping out safeassets immediately (in the form ofgovernment debt).

Wider guarantees: Governments orcentral banks should guarantee a widerrange of debt (feel free to assume accompanying stricter regulation).

Broaden collateral: Central banksshould continue to diversify the rangeof acceptable collateral for temporary liquidity ops until they’re approving everything but Silvio Berlusconi’s black book.

Earth bonds!: Earth bonds!

All bad ideas: The world needs moresafe assets, but none of these ideas is any good.

 

Wow.  NGDP targeting not so near the fringe.  

 

So if the majority is right, who else loses their top rating?  America?  Oh, wait ...

You may have already seen that Kauffman published the latest quarterly bloggers survey earlier this week. Here are some of the individual charts ...

As Donald Marron noted on his blog, the word cloud is showing some positive signs.  One of the quirks of a word cloud is that it can miss the "nots."  For example, we noticed early on that some responses to this question included things like "not growing" and "not stable" which are read by the idiot algorithm as two distinct concepts NOT and GROWING.  We try to clean that stuff up, so Donald is right, the positive words are a nice change.  As such, it seemed appropriate to shift from the monochrome to a multi-colored map.  Hopefully it will be monochrome -- but all positive chrome -- a year from now. 

What I love about this question is its nuance!  Our sample of economists is mostly non-partisan, and the few partisans are evently split between D and R.  But the clearest constant has been the strong majority that thinks the federal government is too involved in the economy.  

Jim Hamilton has written some tremendous blog posts at Econbrowser.com on Keystone.  I was happy to see such strong support for his position here.  The biggest surprise was the response to a pet issue of my own: allowing states to set their own minimum wage.  I wonder if you could combine that with this idea of inflation adjusting the federal minimum -- would that pass Congress?

Unfortunately, scanning the old reports, this chart shows the same pessimism as 2010 ... 2 years ago. Bloggers generally think the real economy is worse off than the measured economy.  We have our work cut out for us.

Thanks to the 58 bloggers who participated in the survey!

 

 

 

 

Julia Reich

For those of you interested in the ongoing Komen-Planned Parenthood story, I will continue to update yesterday’s post at the bottom of the original content. Today we are moving on with a new topic . . .

Our resident design expert, Julia Reich, is back with the latest trends in logos. And if you are embarrassed with your organization’s current logo or think it’s just time for a change, be sure to join us February 8th for Julia’s webinar called, “Help! My Logo Sucks!” Julia will take a look at why some logos work and some don’t, and teach you how to evaluate your own logo. The webinar is for All-Access Pass Holders to our webinar series.

~Kivi

Guest Post by Julia Reich, Julia Reich Design

Designers – and clients we serve – should be aware of design trends that may impact our marketing and communication efforts.

So when the annual report on Current Logo Trends goes up at Logolounge.com, I hurry over.

It’s important to learn about design trends so we don’t jump on any stylistic bandwagons and replicate what others are doing. Marks should be classic, but not in the boring, conventional sense. I mean they should look just as fresh and impactful in five or ten years (or more) as they do today. Not trendy.

Of course, not all trends are trendy. As “a general direction in which something tends to move”, trends are a fascinating indication – in the words of logolounge.com’s founder, Bill Gardner – of “courageous experimentation” for the design and marketing space. “Some trends will emerge strongly while others will submerge and not be seen again. As part of a historical record, though, each is significant.”

Recent Trends

The visual online world continues to change the parameters of logo design. Ink used to be king, with print processes to factor into each design. For example, thin line weights have historically been frowned upon, since they can be too hard to read in dots per inch, once that letterhead flies off the offset lithography press. Alternatively, solid blocks of color were encouraged. Now we’re seeing thinner line weights due to successful online legibility.

(Since computer monitors are backlit, colors appear bolder and brighter than when we look at the same image on a printed medium, like a brochure, where the light is absorbed or reflected off the inked page surface).

Client: Advanced Lifeline | Design Firm: Allegra-East

Computers as design tools are encouraging the typical flat logo to take on new dimensions and shapes, so they see appear to fly off the page. With more brands being born and nurtured online, and with less print collateral weighing them down, colors have become lighter, brighter, oftentimes created with translucent overlays and gradients.

Client: Mom to Madre | Design Firm: 3 Bees

Other logo trends seem to be inspired by the ubiquity of online entities. For example, fruit are enjoying their moment in the visual identity spotlight – quite possibly due to Apple’s world dominance, followed by Blackberry in the near distance.

 

Client: Radius Disability Services | Design Firm: SASI Marketing

Speech bubbles have been very popular recently, perhaps due to all those Facebook “Like” symbols we keep seeing (and using).

Client: In The Life Media, Inc. | Design Firm: Guard Dog Brand Development

Cute is also seeing its 15 minutes of fame. I would guess this is due to Twitter’s omnipresent blue bird mascot.

Client: Goodness Grows Gardening Network | Design Firm: Trampoline

For more on the 2011 logo trends (and to access the annual archive dating back to 2003), visit logolounge.com and learn why mortar & pestles, the letter “O”, and the color brown were also popular logo trends this past year.

Trend or no, the rules of good logo design always apply. Learn more in an earlier article of mine on this blog, Tips to Evaluate your Visual Identity.

Julia is Principal of Julia Reich Design, which helps nonprofit organizations bring their mission to life with award-winning brand strategy, graphic design, and web design services. Clients love her team’s top-notch creative work combined with an affordable, personalized approach.

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Arts & Science Council, Charlotte, set $8.7 million goal for annual fund drive, up from last year’s total of $8.3 million; Bob James, vice chairman, board of directors, Fifth Third Bank, chairs campaign; and more.

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Urban Ministries of Durham will receive $50,000 challenge grant from Stewards Fund, Raleigh, if it can raise $50,000 from first-time donors or any increased gift from current donors by May 31; and more.

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Posted:  February 1, 2012

Special Edition

Top Ten Nonprofit Policy Issues:
2011 State and Local Policy Review  To anticipate the public policy issues that nonprofits will face at the state and local levels in 2012, it is useful to review the significant policy challenges and opportunities that nonprofits faced in 2011. The following brief analysis shares a sampling of insights that the National Council of Nonprofits gained through its work with the collective network of State Associations of nonprofits and other nonprofit organizations active at state and local levels. 

read more

(Updates to this post can be found at the bottom.)

Yesterday afternoon, and continuing into today, I believe we are witnessing the accidental rebranding of what is surely one of America’s biggest and most well-known, and even well-loved, nonprofit brands.

Komen for the Cure, it seems, is no longer a breast cancer charity, but a pro-life breast cancer charity.

Let me stop right here and say this post is not about abortion per se, one way or the other, other than the fact that it is the single most divisive issue in American politics today. My personal beliefs are very clear and public. But how you feel about abortion is really irrelevant to this communications debacle unfolding before us.

This post is about what happens when a leading nonprofit jumps into a highly controversial area of public debate without a communications strategy, stays silent, and therefore lets others take over the public dialogue, perhaps permanently redefining the organization and its brand. Watch and learn, so you don’t make the same mistake on whatever hot button issues your organization might be wading into.

Here’s what happened yesterday afternoon:

The AP reported that Komen for the Cure has decided to halt grants to Planned Parenthood that were used for breast cancer screening for low-income women. According to the reports, this decision was made in December and communicated to Planned Parenthood, which urged Komen to reconsider. Komen, citing a new policy that prevents grants to organizations under investigation, said because Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-FL, is investigating whether government money was improperly spent on abortions, the  decision to pull the funding was final.

The AP story broke yesterday, and within hours, Planned Parenthood sent a fundraising email out to its network, asking supporters to replace the money that Komen had pulled for breast cancer screenings for low-income women.

 

Within minutes, both Facebook and Twitter were swamped with pro-Planned Parenthood, anti-Komen comments.  At one point last night, I did a quick count and found the ratio of anti-Komen’s decision to pro-Komen’s decision to be about 80 to 1 on Twitter.

Some typical anti-Komen tweets:

Some typical pro-Komen tweets:

 

Adding another twist to the story, it seems that Karen Handel, Komen’s senior vice president for public policy, who was hired in April 2011, is a pro-life advocate who, when running for the Republican nomination for governor in Georgia, made her opposition to Planned Parenthood quite clear.

Now let’s look at Komen’s response . . .  which is no response (until about 90 minutes ago). As one person on Twitter put it, just crickets.

 

Komen didn’t post on its Twitter or Facebook feeds last night, or first thing this morning. The only Komen action on their Facebook page had been to delete anti-Komen comments, so the ratio of negative to positive looks more like 10 – 1 instead of the 80 – 1 (and even higher this morning) on Twitter.

Komen’s most recent tweet was about prostate cancer in a mummy.

On Facebook, the most recent update was about a new sponsor, Energizer.

 

Take a quick look at the wall posts on Energizer’s page, and I suspect Komen has one unhappy sponsor right now (how unfortunate for Energizer to be the last update on the Komen page — it would have happened to any company in that position when the news broke):

 

 

Then around 10 am Eastern today, Komen finally updated its Facebook page. As of this moment (11:30 am ET), still no update on Twitter:

So What the Heck is Going on Here?

Let’s give Komen the benefit of the doubt and assume that they made this decision to stop funding Planned Parenthood very thoughtfully and deliberately. In that case, they would surely have realized that the likelihood of the story going public was high. They may not have counted on Planned Parenthood being so aggressive in turning the Komen decision into a fundraising campaign, but even without that, it’s still a big news story because of how high-profile Planned Parenthood funding of any kind is right now. And that’s all about abortion, which is about as divisive an issue as you can get in American politics right now.

The “Try to Rise Above It and Pretend This Decision Isn’t about the Most Divisive Social Issue in America” Strategy

Yet it appears that Komen wants to desperately pretend that this decision is being made in some completely different context. By not responding at all to the overwhelming negativity being thrown their way, and continuing to pretend that this has nothing to do with a red-hot social issue, they are alienating a big part of their constituency.

It seems like they are hoping this will just blow over. It won’t. This isn’t Komen’s first branding debacle: See the Kentucky Fried Chicken incident and suing smaller charities for using “for the cure” but I’d say it’s the biggest one yet.

What Should Komen Do Next?

Earlier this month, I urged nonprofits to decide how they are different, to embrace that, and forget the rest. Previously Komen stood out as a tremendous organizer and mobilizer of women across the political spectrum who would raise money like crazy for them. They kept it nice and simple, and non-controversial. Wear that pink ribbon and raise money to fight breast cancer.   The abortion debate was nowhere in sight. It was all about the breasts, and not about the uterus. And I think that’s one thing that made them different — Komen was an organization that dealt with women’s health issues without getting caught up in the abortion debate, like most women’s organizations end up doing.

No more. They took a deep dive into the hot swirling waters head first (but apparently eyes shut). No matter what they do from here on out, they will be forced to pick sides, and that’s just awful for the Komen brand.

If they stick by their decision, they will endear themselves to pro-life women, and lose the pro-choice. If they give in to the pressure and petitions, they will win back the pro-choice women, but anger the pro-life. It’s a no-win situation that could have been avoided had they developed a communications strategy on this decision at the start. Sure, they would have still angered many of their supporters, but I believe they could have avoided this huge rift had they communicated upfront, and honestly, about the decision. They should have released it, instead of letting Planned Parenthood own the messaging.

The Branding Challenge, Part II

Now that they are full on into the abortion debate, Komen (I think) must now come out and say whether they think abortion causes breast cancer. If you look through the comment stream now, that particular question is what pro-life and pro-choice commenters are arguing with each other about. And as an organization with a mission to prevent breast cancer, I think it’s reasonable for supporters to expect Komen to make a statement about various theories on what causes it, including this one.

Let’s see how they handle that question, and whether they use it as a second chance to mend their brand, or if they fall deeper into the non-communicative abyss.

Can Komen Heal the Rift?

Regardless of how you feel about abortion, what do you think Komen could do to bring pro-choice and pro-life women back together to fight breast cancer hand in hand?

Or do you think this will all blow over with little long-term affect on Komen?

Share your ideas, and your thoughts on these communications questions in the comments.

 

UPDATE at 5:30 pm Eastern, 2/1/2012:

I’m quoted in this Politico story on the Komen mess.  As the day went on, and Komen continued to say nothing, I got even more annoyed with how awful they are handling all this. They still haven’t tweeted anything (and that stupid mummy prostate tweet is what people see when they check their profile). So my criticism got a bit harsher . . .   ~Kivi

UPDATE at 6:30 pm Eastern, 2/1/2012

Check out this analysis of the social media commentary by PoliPulse:

UPDATE at 9:00 am Eastern, 2/2/2012

Last night around 10 pm, after declining interviews with network news and major newspapers, Komen finally started tweeting and released this video response:

Contrast this response to what Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards did: interviews with all the major networks and this MSNBC interview:

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

This morning, Beth Kanter published a post including a description of my process for creating this post (if you are interested in how content gets developed and the concept of newsjacking).

UPDATE at 5:30 pm Eastern, 2/2/2012

Nancy Brinker, founder of Komen, is interviewed by Andrea Mitchell.  Do you think it helped or hurt?

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

UPDATE at 8:00 am Eastern, 2/3/12

Komen board member speaks to the New York Times in Outcry Grows Fiercer After Funding Cut by Cancer Group. He says this really was specifically about Planned Parenthood and not overall “grant excellence” as Brinker has claimed. Article states, “John D. Raffaelli said Komen had become increasingly worried that an investigation of Planned Parenthood by Representative Cliff Stearns, Republican of Florida, would damage Komen’s credibility with donors.”

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North Carolina is home to 23 accredited children’s advocacy centers that serve 74 of the state’s 100 counties, with 11 other counties developing centers, including nine that already are providing services.

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N.C. Rural Center, Raleigh, launched “New Generation Initiative” that will provide $3.6 million in resources to engage rural youth and young adults in the life of their communities; and more.

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Clarenda Stanley, former major-gifts officer, North Carolina Central University, Durham, named director of development and communications, Lucy Daniels Center, Cary; and more.

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I spoke at the AFP Triangle Philanthropy Forecast 2012 yesterday in Raleigh, NC on a panel about communications and media trends for 2012 with Gail Perry, Lu Esposito, and Todd Cohen.

My first point was that integrated marketing is essential in 2012. You have to decide your messages and then coordinate how you will use all of your communications channels to share that message. Think about how you will use your website, email, Facebook, direct mail, media, events (the Big Six) and anything else you rely on to share that message. Don’t just write a direct mail fundraising letter and then figure out whether you can tack on email or Facebook posts after the fact. Try to think about how you can use multiple channels right from the start.

That led to a discussion about messaging — or what to communicate about in 2012.

We can get into all of the various elements of a good communications strategy, but if you are in a hurry, it really boils down to two questions. When someone gets communication from you, you want them to be able to answer:  So What? and Who Cares?

So What?

Why does what you have to say — your message — matter right now? What’s timely about it? What’s interesting or different? How is it relevant given everything else that’s happening now? Can you put it in a context that makes it easier to understand? What about it will make someone laugh or cry or otherwise connect on an emotional level? What are they supposed to do about it (e.g. is there a call to action?)

Who Cares?

Why is this message particularly relevant to the person on the receiving end? Even if it is interesting, timely, and emotionally powerful, is the message being delivered to the right people — the ones who would stand up and say “Yes, I care!”

Memorable and motivating messaging has to answer both the So What? and the Who Cares? questions, or it won’t work.

Let’s look at two examples . . .

Take the story on 60 Minutes Sunday night about the endangered species being raised on Texas ranch land: Can Hunting Endangered Animals Save the Species? What’s interesting or different is the paradox that these ranches are based on. They will raise these various endangered species and they will flourish, while they are perishing and close to extinction in their native African grasslands. But to pay for that, the ranchers let big game hunters pick off as much as 10 percent of the herd. It’s an interesting conflict, so we’ve answered the So What? question.

Now, let’s look at Who Cares? You have two different groups of people who are very interested in keeping these species alive. The wildlife preservationists want to protect the species without hunting them. The hunters want to protect the species so they can hunt them. You also have a third group of conservationists, who see this arrangement as a practical reality, even if less than ideal.

We have an interesting story. But if it’s your job to fundraise to help these animals, you really need to know which of these three groups you are talking to! That’s why understanding your supporters — the who cares — and why they care is so essential.  Your perfect fundraising letter to the hunters is going to be quite different from the perfect letter to the animal rights advocate.

Here’s another (sillier) example. I am slightly obsessed with the Republican primary in Florida (Thank God it’s Election Day down there, so I can get on with my life). For the last two weeks, I have been glued to the news reports, waiting to see what Newt and the rest of them have been saying about each other. I find all this stuff about self-deportation and moon colonies fascinating. They’ve answered the So What question for me.  But despite all the attention I’m giving it, I would never give any of those candidates a dime (I’m a progressive Democrat.) So I’m a terrible answer to the Who Cares question for Republican fundraisers.

Messaging only works when you get both questions answered!

 

 

 

 

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Charitable giving will grow slightly this year but charities still will need to work to raise more money, an economist told Triangle-area fundraisers.

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Endowments at U.S. colleges and universities earned an average of 19.2 percent on their investments in fiscal 2011, the second steep annual climb following two years of recession-induced declines, a new report says.

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Posted:  January 30, 2012 Take Time to Help Yourself How Is the Small Employer Health Credit Working for Your Organization? The Small Employer Health Credit that qualified smaller for-profit and nonprofit organizations may claim to help reduce the cost of employee health insurance has come under criticism for its complexity and low payout rates. We are asking for your help in better understanding how this new program actually works and how it can be improved. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is looking to speak with nonprofits willing to share their experiences with claiming the Health Credit that was passed as part of the 2010 health care reform act. The GAO will be holding two focus groups that are open to all nonprofits that have applied for the credit to gather information about its overall effectiveness. Read more about the GAO review.   Here are three ways you can help:

• Contact the State Association of nonprofits in your state to let them know your experiences with the Small Employer Health Credit – whether you applied for it, or if you decided not to apply for some reason.
• Contact the GAO directly to share your experiences.
• Spread the word to your colleague organizations about this opportunity to understand and improve this important tool for making employee health insurance more affordable.
  

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Nonprofits that count on government funding expect deeper cuts, especially for programs serving the most vulnerable populations such as elderly and homeless people, and they expect those cuts will cause big problems for their organizations, a new study says.

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Welcome to another round of Mixed Links! We’ve got some great social media and communications posts today.

This post by Kari Saratovsky not only sheds some light on the recent rise in Pinterest, but also shares some great infographics on Millennials. Check out The Millennial Story, Told By Infographic(s).

Think Facebook was confusing before? Beth Kanter shares What Do Facebook’s New Timeline Apps Mean for Nonprofits? Make sure you are fully awake (having a big mug of coffee, not a mixed drink!) when you get into this one. It’s powerful stuff, but not necessarily easy to understand.

When I released my 2012 Nonprofit Communications Trends Report, I found that creating and sharing videos gained more in importance for nonprofits from 2011 to 2012 than other social media channels. Nonprofits are definitely beginning to see the benefits of being able to tell their story visually (more on that in my e-newsletter next week). If you are looking to jump on board, YouTube has just released even more features and tutorials in their YouTube Nonprofits Program.

For more ideas on using videos, Lori Jacobwith gives us an Awesome Example of Using Technology to Keep Supporters Engaged.

The folks at Throwing Light ask the question, Email Tsunami: How Much Is Too Much? Leah has some great ideas on how to find what’s right for you and your organization. I know this is a big question for many of you, so if you are curious what other nonprofits are doing, see what our Trends Report showed.

And for email’s staying power, Allyson Kapin proclaims Email: Still Not Dead! I love the point she makes about Mark Zuckerberg proclaiming that email will die, while requiring that people have an email address to sign up for Facebook. Be sure to check out the great infographic she uses to make her point.

Katya Andresen shares some new and interesting statistics in Why You Need Someone Else to Be Your Messenger. She explains why only letting your executive director or CEO speak for your organization may not be the best idea. People’s trust in these positions has gone down recently as folks rely more on recommendations by “regular” people.

Last but not least, Jeff Brooks writes How to Handle “Great Fundraising Ideas” From Your Board. And by “great fundraising ideas” he means “horrible fundraising ideas.”

I’m off to hang out with 35 Girl Scouts for a Camp-In (so I’ll be saving my Happy Hour for later in the weekend). Anyone want to guess how much sleep the adult chaperones will get tonight?

See you next week!

 

Love the daily blogging? Great! If not so much, switch to Kivi’s weekly email newsletter with blog highlights and then unsubscribe from the blog’s emails.