An interview with World Wildlife Fund’s public relations manager Tara Wood reveals the secrets of success for Earth Hour 2008. CharityVillage: For those who aren’t familiar with the event, what exactly was Earth Hour all about? Tara Wood: It was...
I have spent more than 20 years as a communicator working in the social sector to effect progressive change. But, as communicators, it is time to stop the information flow and start the flow of meaning. We have become experts...
If we want to make a difference in our community or in our world we are bombarded with so many messages. Sponsor a child, plant a tree, run to find a cure, or sign on to make poverty history; there...
An organization may boast an executive director with years of experience in the voluntary sector, a top-notch communications coordinator, a board filled with the most impressive experts in their field, and a dedicated volunteer base. But without one key element,...
In my work with civil society organizations around the globe over the past year, I can’t tell you how many times this statement about technology by Jonathan Peizer has come to mind: “It is not about choosing the right technology...
These days, more and more nonprofits are deliberately developing their brand. In a time when budgets are stretched and there are so many competing priorities within organizations, how are they finding the financial resources to invest in branding? While a...
"Urgent vote TOMORROW!" "Your account balance is overdue." "Hurry, final sale ends tonight!" With so many other, potentially more urgent messages competing for your e-mail list members' attention, what can nonprofits do to maximize the likelihood that their e-newsletters will...
Habitat for Humanity is an organization on the tip of many tongues these days. Not surprisingly, with undeniable signs of poverty and homelessness all around us, the nonprofit’s message speaks loud and clear: Help us break that vicious cycle by...
We live in a world of too much information at our disposal, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In this world of information uber-overload, we go about trying to influence one another with factual data, rigorous argument and...
I sit on a charity board where some of the staff are very worried about some potential legislation harmful to our cause, and want to lobby against it. Is this ethical for a charity? Is it legal? It is quite...
