You can download and print the PDF right now using this link. No opt-in required. Just download the guide and enjoy.

The largest online gift made in 2011 was $260,000. This was a significant increase from 2010, when the largest online gift was $100,000. The median online gift of $1,000 or more was $1,200 in 2011. This was a slight decrease from 2010.

Download the whole report from Blackbaud’s website.

If you manage any online content, you should be alarmed by these bills too.

I encourage you to  Call, fax and email your Senator and Representative today. You can also sign Google’s petition.

Learn more at AmericanCensorship.org and SOPABlackout.org.

Inside this eBook, you’ll find 10 checklists that cover:

• Website home page
• Donation form
• Writing style
• Email lists and campaigns
• Thank-you programs
• Creating and marketing your next event

Download The Fundraiser’s Checklist

As we can see from the chart above the most popular channel for nonprofits to promote their commercial social network communities was the charity’s own website at 78%, next with 62% emails to their e-subscribers and while 48% used face-to-face events. Online advertisements and search engine marketing (SEM) are less popular, used by just 12% and 6% of groups respectively.

How does your organization promote your social networks? Drop us a line and let us know!

Test all of your links to make sure they go to the correct address and the pages still exist.

2. Make sure you send a plain text version.

Don’t ignore your subscribers on mobile, Facebook or those who prefer text messages.

3. Make sure all your pictures have an alternate text tag.

An alternate tag or ALT tag is a text description for images in your emails. It is used when the image is not available to the reader because they may have turned off images, or are using a screen reader due to a visual impairment.

4. Make sure all your links have a TITLE text tag.

A TITLE tag is similar to the ALT tag, but instead of a text description for images it is used as a short description of the page you’re linking to.

5. Personalize all your messages with your subscribers First names.

I hate receiving a email that does not have my name on it anywhere. You need to personalize the emails you send. “Dear Mr. Jones” or “Hi, John” instead of, “To whom it may concern” makes your subscribers feel special.

6. Always get permission

There’s nothing worse than sending unsolicited or SPAM emails and not adhering to the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003.

Instead of sending SPAM, contact your current supporters or customer base and ask permission to place them on your list. Also, place a sign up form directly on your website.

7. Include a unsubscribe button.

If you do not provide a clear and easy way to unsubscribe from your list, your email will be considered spam, and you could lose credibility.

8. Have an intriguing subject line.

The subject line provides an overall summary of the contents of your email. Create some interest; a catchy subject can lead to a improved open rate.

9. Track your results.

Most major email providers, like IContact (affiliate link), allow you to track open rates, bounce rates, clickthrough rates, etc. Track your results over time and store them in a spreadsheet to see how your emails are trending.

10. Test your emails in different email clients.

Create a template for your emails and test it in different email clients, operating systems and browsers. Once you’re pleased with how your template looks, you can reuse it.

QR Code for this article

First let me explain what a QR code is. A QR code or Quick Response code is a barcode or 2D code that is designed to be read by smartphones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background.

A new study release by comScore, Inc., a leader in measuring the digital world, found that in June 2011, 14 million mobile users in the U.S., or 6.2% of the total mobile audience, scanned a QR code on their mobile device.

The largest population was male at 60.5%, ages 18-34 and had a household income of $100k or above.

The study also analyzed the source and location of QR code scanning, most users scaned codes found in newspapers/magazines and on product packaging and do so while at home or in a store.

How does your organization create QR Codes?

Creating QR codes is cheap most of the time free. In fact, many QR code generators are free. CNET offers a compilation of QR Code generators or most URL shorting services, like bit.ly create QR codes as well.

Has your organization tried out QR Codes? I’d love to know in what way.

For more information read: QR Codes: How to Read Them by interlinkONE, Inc.

Heading in to 2011 most nonprofits (92%), regardless of organization size are using at least one commercial social network like Facebook,Twitter or LinkedIn.

The industry giant, with 89% adoption among nonprofits is Facebook. Twitter is the second most popular, used by 57% of organizations, YouTube is third with 47%, LinkedIn claims the fourth spot with 30% and finally Flickr came in fifth with 19%.

The largetst gain in the last decidade was Social network sites from 11%-65%.

This latest survey on search was conducted from April 26 through May 22, 2011 and had a sample of 2,277 adults, those 18 years and older.

You can view the entire report here.