VIDEO: In Defense of the Volunteer a as Learner
The “Volunteer as Learner” is one of the least explored roles in voluntourism. Hear Caliopy’s take on why we need to talk more openly about this role in our volunteer programs. View my article, 3 Models of Voluntourism: What You Need for an Ethical and Engaging Program here. View my Checklist here.
Donor-Centric Language: Efficacy and Ethics
The language we use matters. When is donor-centric language an effective way of garnering support, and when do fundraisers cross the line in communicating real issues with transparency and authenticity? A long time ago (and yes, sometimes still today), nonprofits centered themselves in their communications to donors. Fundraising appeals were very – to put it bluntly […]
Why your Board and Staff need first-hand experience
I’ve written extensively about the importance and benefits of taking major donors to the field. In this article, I’d like to highlight the value that your organization can gain from sending board and staff members. In some organizations with international missions, it is routine for executive and development teams to make multiple site visits. In […]
3 Initiatives Every Donor Trip Should Support
When planning to take donors or volunteers to the field, it is imperative that the trip aligns with your organization’s Mission, Strategic Plan, and Development Plan. Failure to think through a travel program’s role in each of these three could result in creating unachievable goals for the trip – or worse – no goals at […]
Metrics and Measurements for Travel Programs
Everyday nonprofits are running travel programs for donors, board members, and volunteers without having any metrics in place to determine the program’s success. We’re all very familiar with the metrics and measurements we use in our mission-related work (also called Monitoring & Evaluation), as well as the benchmarks and goals we set for fundraising (as […]