I have to admit that I am a little depressed thinking about the upcoming fall fundraising season. I’m expecting a lot of doom and gloom from nonprofits. I know it can work, but I’m really hoping that I will see more orgs taking Katya Andresen’s advice about how fundraising is really about giving people a sense of happiness and joy.
I came across what I think is a perfect example of a nonprofit screaming JOY! JOY! JOY! — to the tune of Abba. Watching this video made me so happy that I actually cried. I’m a sucker for kittens and puppies, sure, but I think the real reason I cried was because I could see how much PURE FUN the staff, volunteers and visitors at the SPCA of Wake County were having. While staying on message about the desperate need for animals to find homes. Look at the comments on the video, like this one, which sums it up perfectly:
“This is SUPER!!!!! Much better than all of those depressing commercials you see about abandoned and negelected animals. I know they have a purpose, but seeing something that demonstrates the joy a pet can bring is truly a blessing. Thanks keep up the good work.”
(10/13 update: uh-oh, the video has been pulled for a copyright issue . . . hope they can get it back online because it’s so great!)
Where can you add some joy to your marketing and fundraising this fall? I’ll give you some suggestions in our upcoming webinars, Telling Powerful Stories about Everyday People and Your End-of-Year Email Fundraising Plan.
Special thanks to my friend and SPCA of Wake County volunteer Christy Agner who shared this on her Facebook wall, where I first saw it.
