Navigating the pandemic has not been easy for nonprofits. To help, last year Connect360 hosted monthly Zoom “Couch Conversations” where nonprofit marketing/communications/PR professionals could sit on our “virtual sofa” for idea sharing. Here are highlights showcasing how nonprofits got creative: Donors – and former donors – are home, bored with isolation and eager to […]
CONTINUE READINGLast week Connect360 conducted its fourth “Couch Conversation,” a virtual roundtable for nonprofits. The open forum is simply an idea exchange where nonprofits can learn from peers facing the same difficulties during these challenging times. Some of information shared included: EMAIL DATABASE. One national organization shared they are sending 60+ emails in a two-month period […]
CONTINUE READINGNonprofits shared different ways their organizations are working to increase donations for the upcoming Giving Season and Giving Tuesday in the third of our series of “Couch Conversations” — a Zoom event hosted by Connect360. Nonprofit marketing and communications professionals participated in an open forum to talk about strategies for making up for lost donations […]
CONTINUE READINGIn Connect360’s most recent Zoom “Couch Conversation,” nonprofits sat on our virtual sofa and shared their findings, experiences and solutions managing around current times. Highlights include: There’s a growing sense of “virtual” fatigue among donors. Early in the pandemic, virtual events worked well. They were a novelty and gave those at home something to do. […]
CONTINUE READINGConnect360 recently hosted a “Couch Convo” Zoom event where a dozen nonprofits gathered on our “virtual sofa” for informal conversation and to hear how other organizations have been managing during these unprecedented times. As a recap, here are some of the ideas nonprofits have shared as ways to generate awareness, expand a community base […]
CONTINUE READINGWe know many of our nonprofit clients and friends are struggling now as spring fundraising efforts are cancelled or on hold. In conversations with many of these organizations we know they are trying to walk a fine line between being fiscally prudent but also understanding the need to be visible more now than ever. As […]
CONTINUE READINGEvery February Connect360 conducts an analysis of Public Service Announcement airings from the previous year to learn how the media uses PSAs and to monitor trends. We just completed our analysis of 2019 data which included over 2.5 million airings across 175 public service announcements distributed and tracked by Connect360 in 2019. Our analysis resulted […]
CONTINUE READINGAs December dawns, many nonprofit organizations with a calendar year-end are hard at work calculating the value of the Gift-in-Kind donations they received. This includes the value of all airtime television and radio stations provided when they aired their Public Service Announcements (PSA) for free. That is because when a station airs a PSA for […]
CONTINUE READINGWith Labor Day marking the unofficial end of summer, nonprofits are swinging into gear by focusing on the upcoming Giving Season. Believe it or not, Giving Tuesday is just 90 days away. Over 69% of donations are coming from two generations — Baby Boomers and Matures with Boomers leading the way by contributing 43% of […]
CONTINUE READINGIn an era of heavy spending on internet advertising, a more old fashioned medium is picking up speed – out of home ads are expected to hit $38 billion worldwide, up 3% from the previous year. OOH ads are effective engagement drivers – a recent Nielsen/Outdoor Advertising Association of America (OAAA) survey showed almost half […]
CONTINUE READINGIn spite of the popularity of smartphones, TV-connected devices, tablets and digital wearables, more Americans tune into AM/FM radio than any other platform. Ninety-three percent (93%) of U.S. adults 18 and over are listening to radio, according to Nielsen’s second quarter 2017 Comparable Metrics Report. With so many listening to radio, that means radio public […]
CONTINUE READINGWhile the “Giving Season” seems a long way off, it’s really not. Donation-related searches start going up as early as September. To make sure your organization is ready to have donors give you the once-over, here’s a short checklist of things to consider. Be sure your home page has photos or visuals of how donations […]
CONTINUE READINGMany nonprofits release campaigns during September, October and November to target key awareness months or be visible for the Giving Season. Looking ahead to this critical period, one major event we’re closely monitoring is PSA impact for the upcoming mid-term fall elections. It’s going to be a very active time with voters filling 435 seats […]
CONTINUE READINGBased on a recent analysis, we may have a possible game-changer for nonprofits: using public service announcements (PSAs) as a donation tool. In reviewing public service campaigns that had spots with both a “general” as well as a “donate” call to action, our findings revealed 30% of the stations used the donate spot. A general […]
CONTINUE READINGPSAs With “Direct Appeal” Can Receive Air Play It has long been known that Public Service Announcements (PSAs) that ask for donations don’t usually fare well with the media. We have always counseled nonprofits to end with a softer approach, like “for more information” or “to learn how you can help” along with the nonprofit’s […]
CONTINUE READINGPublic service campaigns now have more channels for being seen and heard. Are you embracing it all? Traditional PSAs (television and radio stations) still deliver a big bang for the buck. In addition to driving huge impressions, they provide sustained exposure – staying on air 3 to 6 months, up to a year and beyond, […]
CONTINUE READINGRecently Connect360 sponsored a breakfast seminar for nonprofits, “The Latest Trends in Nonprofit Story Telling and PSA Engagement.” Panelists featured at the event included the PSA gatekeeper at NBCUniversal, the founder of Out-of-Home for GOOD, and experts from Upworthy and Hulu. All four brought their unique perspectives to the table, and even though they represented […]
CONTINUE READINGSome of our nonprofit clients planning late summer or early fall campaigns are worried about the potential impact the elections may have on their campaign, and are asking if they should consider holding the release until after the polls have closed. To learn what’s best, we took the question to PSA directors. While a few […]
CONTINUE READINGIf it’s time for the Super Bowl, the Grammys and the Oscars, then it’s also time for … wait for it, wait for it … Connect360’s annual analysis of PSA airings. Perhaps not as star-studded an occasion, but each year around this time we analyze the airings data from the previous year to learn when […]
CONTINUE READINGAs we look to close 2014 Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15-October 15), I thought it helpful to get one nonprofit’s perspective and experience with a Spanish-language public service campaign. Recently I spoke with our client at Alcoholics Anonymous World Services, Inc. and asked a few questions: Annette: What made A.A. undertake a Spanish-language TV PSA? […]
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