November onward is a traditional season for giving. Lots of individuals and families are more inclined toward charity from Thanksgiving to New Year’s than any other time in the calendar year. In fact, according to a recent survey, over half of the nonprofit organizations queried reported that they received over a quarter of their contributions between October and December, with 16 percent receiving more than half a year’s total contributions during that same season.
So what is your organization doing to capitalize on this seasonal generosity?
TIP: A holiday card that does double duty as a donation opportunity is a great way to build your relationship with proven and potential donors, as well as offer a convenient vehicle for them to give. We are in the process of creating such a holiday card for a hospital foundation client, complete with an enclosed donation reply card and envelope. September sounds early? Nope, several clients come to us right around now because it requires planning to consider the message, design and get all the internal buy-ins, not to mention get the mailing lists in order so the card hits mailboxes just after the turkey leftovers hit the fridge.
> If you need a holiday card or help with your development efforts, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
IMC, an IT consulting firm whose client base includes many nonprofits, had a website with a muddled message and limited functionality. Lazzaro Designs collaborated with a third-party tech expert to completely redesign the website, sharpening the firm’s message, updating the site’s visual impact, enhancing the viewing experience by improving its responsiveness, reorganizing the site’s architecture, and advising on an ongoing blog from which to launch e-marketing blasts. It’s live now–take a peek!
> If you need help building or refreshing your website, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
If your organization produces a regular newsletter or publication, we have one golden rule for you: Get it out and get it out on time!
It’s tempting to hold the publication up for the latest development—a photo of an important hire or finally being able to announce a new service. But don’t do it or, at least, do it with great caution and not often. The printed version of The New York Times does not try to compete with CNN. The most important thing about the Times is that it arrives on your doorstep or digitally on its website every single morning. If you want breaking news, you turn on your computer or TV. If you want regular, insightful, DEPENDABLE news, you turn to the Times or your newspaper of choice.
TIP: You should be using your website’s blog or news page, intranet, LinkedIn page and newsfeed, Twitter feed, and Facebook page to keep your internal and external audiences up to date on breaking information or quickly changing events. But, your regularly scheduled print or online publication should present the bigger picture with engaging copy, lively graphics and photos in a reliable way. And that means coming out on time as promised.
> If you need help getting your projects out the door, give Lazzaro Designs a call or shoot us an email.
Lazzaro Designs has been retained to create a Movement Disorders newsletter for the entire Mount Sinai Health System. For several years, we produced a similar publication for Continuum Health Partners before its merger with Mount Sinai in 2013.
The newsletter will feature patient stories and resources, clinical research information, as well as be a vehicle to foster donor relations.
