Illustration of writing an article on a laptop

ASU Lodestar Center Blog

Research and recommendations for effective, day-to-day nonprofit practice from ASU faculty, staff, students, and the nonprofit and philanthropic community.


Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Adult beverages are often part of the routine checklist when hosting nonprofit events. Open bars seem the ideal solution because it brings in money and it eliminates the need for guests to serve themselves. However, there are several points to consider before setting up an open bar in order for it to become a successful component of your event. 

Insurance and Liability

If your organization is a large entity and you regularly host events that serve alcohol, it is likely that liquor liability is included with your nonprofit's insurance.  However, never presume; always double check, and confirm with your insurance provider. If you're new to the NPO world, consult your state and local laws about social host liability. This coverage typically protects you from hazardous actions and behavior conducted by intoxicated guests, including self-harm. Coverage may also be the responsibility of the hosting venue, whether it's a community center, civic hall, or someone's home.

Requirements vary between states, which is why it's important to research all of the intricacies. Even if you don't foresee regularly hosting fundraisers that serve alcohol, it's usually possible to obtain a temporary permit for the occasion in question. It's also a good idea to hire professional bartenders, who are insured for their services.

Provide Varied Menus and Activities

There is nothing wrong with providing adult…

Read more

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Many nonprofit organizations are getting onboard in the digital world and have found the website builder which best fits their needs and budget. 

There is much more you can squeeze out of your website just by tweaking or adding a few things to give your nonprofit the jump it needs to stand out.

I want to break down six best practices that can add to your nonprofit website. These tips will help grow your cause and take it to the next level.

You ready?

1.  Stay Transparent

According to The Chronicle of Philanthropy, one in three Americans lack confident in charities they are considering donating to. That number is high, and not a statistic you want to be a part of.  

Do the following to help:

  • Provide financials.
  • Present stories of impact.
  • Add videos to show what’s going on.

2.  Make Sure You're Mobile Friendly

Most readers will be on a mobile device and you have to make sure it’s easy for them to read, scan and navigate on them.  Google and other search engines consider this a huge thing. Make sure you consider this an important factor as well. 

3.  Optimize Your Main Donation Page

Many charities are making it super simple to…

Read more

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Working for nonprofit organizations comes along with many exciting things. It’s one of the few jobs that can keep you motivated especially because you’re making a difference in people’s lives. However, the job has its challenges as well, and one of them is reaching out to potential donors

Raising funds or getting potential donors’ attention can be one of the most exhausting or perhaps discouraging situations faced by many nonprofit marketers. This may be caused by lack of enough resources, budget, or time. 

While a large number of nonprofit organizations have turned to the online environment to seek help, a lot of them still encounter problems with communicating to their right audience. According to a study by Content Marketing Institute, about 92 percent of nonprofits use content marketing as means of communication, but the majority of them don’t believe in their effectiveness. 

If this describes your nonprofit, then keep reading because this article will show some ways that your nonprofit organization can use effective communication strategies to get more donors.

1. Build A Strong Social Media Community

As a non…

Read more

Thursday, January 11, 2018

For any nonprofit organization to succeed in its cause, it’s essential that they have a strong, engaging online presence. Social media is one of the best platforms to spread your organization's message and get to achieve your goals.

To succeed in social media communication, you have to use a robust strategy and put significant efforts so that you can convince your target audience to support your organization. But how do you know if your social media strategy is working or if it’s time to rethink your strategy?

The best way to answer this question is to measure the impact of your social media campaign. But how do you do it? Read on to find out five crucial metrics that can help nonprofits measure the success of their online communication efforts. 

1. Sentiment

The first metric your nonprofit organization can use to gauge the success of your online communication is to take a holistic view of the sentiment that your audience has for your organization. Though it’s an intangible metric, sentiment can help…

Read more

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

The truth is, it's easy to attract people to a nonprofit fundraising campaign, however, ensuring that they're going donate a different story. This can be an issue, especially if they don't even know how to navigate your website. 

As a result, your nonprofit can put all your hard work to waste since interested donors are less likely to donate to your cause if your online donation process is inconvenient. That's the last thing you want, and to prevent that, you have to ensure that you'll avoid these common nonprofit donation mistakes.

Common Mistake #1: Asking for Too Much Information

Aside from making sure that your website is easy to use in a sense that your prospects would be able to find the donation form right away, it's also important that it's something that wouldn't make them have second thoughts, so your nonprofit needs to be sure that your online donation process follows the rule of keeping things simple

More often than not, donation pages ask people to create an account first and answer the form. Try to be in their shoes-- you wouldn't want to be welcomed by online forms where you are “required” to fill out a lot of information. 

This is one of the common reasons why donors end…

Read more

ASU Lodestar Center Blog