These are blogs and sites I follow, and books and articles I found compelling. Some by industry leaders, some just for motivation.
The Generosity Network
This book is rocking my world. The basic premise that fundraising should be joyful is reason enough to read it.
ssireview.org
Stanford Social Innovation Review magazine and blog posts synthesize many new approaches to non-profit management and development. Their tag, “informing and inspiring leaders of social change,” sums it up. Their model emphasizes experimentation and the widest impact of new practices.
ssireview.org/articles
Shifting involvements, new terrain. The donor vortex emerges!
bethkanter.org
Beth’s blog leads the investigations and reports from the online frontier. She’s accessible, engaged and brings it all together. Her book, The Networked Nonprofit, is a must for today’s development professional. She takes on all facets of development, from the ask and acknowledgement, to governance and communications.
sethgodin.com
Seth is a marketing master. He sees the “connection revolution” in our daily lives, right down to how we use a parking meter. He’s funny and smart, and right on the money.
danpink.com
In his book, Drive, Pink explores what’s working and what’s not in today’s work culture. He dives into big thinking of what motivates creative and effective worklife.
economist.com
This Economist article from January 7, 2012, nails it. “One Thousand Points of Like, Why Online Fundraising is Harder than it Sounds.” The final paragraph stayed with me:
This belies the charge that networked do-gooders are “slacktivists.” So too does a study from Georgetown University and Ogilvy PR, a public-relations firm, which finds that Americans who back causes through social media are often active in other ways too. So a campaign that does not raise money at first may still lure supporters—and potential future donors.
theagitator.net
This site includes a comprehensive look at direct response, with flashes of insight into online donor activities.
dailygood.org
A look at change in action. Sometimes in unlikely and beautiful ways.
hillmancurtis.com
My friend Hillman’s Web site. He died in April, 2012. His sense of design is lovely and simple. He spoke and wrote about reinvention, inspiration, creativity and beauty. I look at this site for my own inspiration.
