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Segment Your Donor Base for Your End of Year Appeal
Segment Your Donor Base for your Year-end Appeal It is time again for the end of year fundraising appeal letter to be written! Ā And, as
Harvest
Harvest By Ann Beck Here in central Illinois, we are all too aware of the corn and soybeans drying in the sun and awaiting the
6 Ways to Motivate Your Team
6 Ways to Motivate Your Team By Andrea Applegate “To handle yourself, use your head; to handle others, use your heart.” Eleanor Roosevelt Motivating your team
Keeping Employees Engaged
Keeping Employees Engaged Employee engagement numbers have dipped for the first time in a decade. Ā According to the latest Gallup report, 50% of employees are
I Don’t Have Time to Raise Money!
I Don’t Have Time to Raise Money! By Jill Nilsen Do these excuses sound familiar? āI have a grant application to finish.ā āI have a
Travelers on Our Journeyļæ¼
Travelers on Our Journey By Ann Beck – Summer! Vacations, long weekends, sun and fun! This summer it seems as if everyone is finally āon
Customer Service is Everything
Customer Service is Everything Ā By Andrea Applegate – The Oxford Dictionary defines customer service as āthe help and advice that a company gives people
Setting Successful Fundraising Goals
Setting Successful Fundraising Goals By Melissa Walton I often talk about the key to leading a successful fundraising campaign being the initial needs analysis, to
Re-imagining Your Vision Statement
Re-Imagining Your Vision Statement Your vision is a shared belief about the future of your organization and what you are trying to achieve. It should
How to Transcend into a Reset, the Start of Real Renewal
How to Transcend into a Reset, the Start of Real Renewal Happy New Year! Rather than reflect upon the constant and consistent issues transcending into
A Great Secret for Finishing Your Fundraising Year with a Bang!
A Great Secret for Finishing Your Fundraising Year with a Bang! Approximately 25% of all online revenue is receipted during the month of December. Even
3 Top Trends to Navigate the New Fundraising Landscape
3 Top Trends to Navigate the New Fundraising Landscape Covid exposed many nonprofitsā economic Achilles heel by taking away the ability to fundraise in person.
How Resilient Are You?
Are You Resilient? Click here to take the test and learn about resiliency and managing through change.
The Next Phase: Being an Inspirational Leader
The Next Phase: Be An Inspirational Leader After the last fifteen months or so, returning to ānormalā or whatever the equivalent of that has evolved,
Am I a Good Active Listener?
Am I a Good Active Listener? You spend most of your day communicating with others.Ā Your employees, your customers, your donors, your peers, your family.Ā
5 Things Your Website Should Include
5 Things Your Website Should Include In this digital age of marketing, it is paramount that your business has a website.Ā In fact, 92% of
International Women’s Day – Time to Celebrate?
International Women’s Day – Time to Celebrate? On International Womenās Day, Dau Consulting wants to give a shout out to women all over the world
Good Management is in the Sweet Transitions
Good Management is in the Sweet Transitions By Ann Beck – What a difference a year makes! Last year at this time, we had no real
Is Coaching for You?
Why Coaching Can Help You Succeed (v-blog) Take control of your success with some management and business coaching from Dau Consulting.
How important is Your Year End Fundraising Email?
How important is Your Year End Fundraising Email? Well it is pretty darn Important! An average of 25% of all online revenue is receipted during
Six Holiday Marketing Tips for 2020
6 Holiday Marketing Tips for 2020 by Jadrianne Smith The busiest shopping day is just around the corner! Is your business ready for Black Friday?
Is Your Mission Clear, or Clear as Mud?
Is Your Mission Clear, or Clear as Mud? If you ask your employees if they understand your companyās mission, they will probably say āyesā. But
Why Coaching? – 4 FAQ’s
Why Coaching? – 4 FAQ’s Ā Did you know that the Coaching industry is a $15+ billion powerhouse and the second fastest growing sector in
Interesting Times
Interesting Times Makes You Focus on What’s Important The famous proverb, āMay you live in interesting times,ā certainly is applicable for the weeks we have
Social Media Connection
Connecting with Your Audience Using Social Media Jade Smith discusses how to stay connected with your audience using social media in this v-blog.
Gen Z
What Gen Z’s Need to Hear in the New Normal College student Aly Easton shares ideas on what to communicate with your employees.
Communication with donors
Communicating With Your Donors During Covid-19 Dr. Jill Nilsen talks about communicating with your donors durning these uncertain times.
Managine remote employees
Managing Remote Employees in the New Normal So much has changed in our everyday lives over this past month. How do you check in and
Scheduling your time
Scheduling Your Time in a New and Deliberative Way A new year has begun, have you returned to your job, energized and refreshed? You are
Copywriting secrets
4 Copywriting Secrets for Facebook & Instagram Ads Do you want to know a secret when it comes to Facebook and Instagram ads? There are
Building an effective board
Building an Effective Board So, how do you fill a vacancy on your board? Randomly go through your contact list and pick a name? Accept
Help Wanted
Help wanted Social media affords businesses the opportunity to alleviate some of the cost associated with recruiting new employees. Have you ever posted an open
3 Questions
3 Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing to Serve Do you know what the most asked question I get when facilitating nonprofit strategic planning sessions?
Grow your sales
Grow Your Sales With Digital Marketing Imagine if 50,000 potential customers saw your ad every month. What would that mean for your sales? Dau Consulting
Dreamers and Doers
Dreamers and Doers Create the Cross County Innovation Center Have you ever dreamed big and it actually came true? What a feeling! It is even
Jan 22nd Challenge
The Jan 22nd Challenge – Recommit to Your New Year’s Resolutions/Goals If you are a Steven Covey disciple or just someone who is in tune
Holiday Marketing
Holiday Marketing You Should Have Started Yesterday Itās that time of year, my favorite time of yearā¦. the Holiday Season! When Fall finally arrives, I
Visual content
Visual Content – The Universal Language Images are everything in social media. With an influx in the use of social media for marketing purposes, it
Managing non-profit questions
What Questions Do You Have About Managing a Nonprofit? You work in a complex environment. During any given week, you have to interact with your
i-Generation
Are You Ready for the iGen’s? For me, August means back to school preparation for my high school entrepreneurship class which includes researching the latest
Instagram Stories
Say Hello to Instagram Stories Just when you thought you were on top of your social media presence, a platform adds a new element that
Failure
Failure Can Be a Beautiful Thing As you know, I enjoy traveling abroad each summer. This year I came across the most beautiful failure I
Donāt Forget to Ask!
Donāt Forget to Ask! I recently attended an event that showcased the talents of young students majoring in various fine arts programs. The audience was
Digital Footprint
Do You Have A Digital Footprint? āEveryday, you leave a footprint!ā-Ernest Agyemang Yeboah We look at our footprints in the sand on a beautiful beach
Facebook Algorithm
How to Break Facebook’s New Algorithm Have you noticed a decrease in your business Facebook performance in the last year? You may not have changed
Take The Passion Test
Take The Passion Test Valentine’s Day is the holiday that celebrates passion. We show our passion to those we love by gifting cards, candy hearts,
Holidays Engagement
Engage Your Customers During the Holidays The holidays are here and itās a time to remember and appreciate the ones that support your business. Social
Year-end Appeal!
EFFECTIVE YEAR-END APPEAL MESSAGES! You are sitting at your desk, working on your next board report when you happen to glance at the calendar. YIKES!!
5 ways
Five Ways to Drive Traffic to your Website Using Social Media Would you like to have more visitors to your website? The more traffic you
Rules to Live By
Rules to Live By As I was pondering what to write for the blog this month, I happened to glance at a plaque that has
Customize Your Product
Customize Your Product For Different Audiences My daughter has this crazy tradition of eating a McDonald’s Big Mac in every country that she visits. When
Thank your donors
How Do You Thank Your Donors? In my childhood, when I left the house to play with a friend, my mom would always say to
State of small businesses
5 Interesting Facts about the State of Small Business Did you know that small businesses (defined as a business with 500 or less employees) are
5 Instagram tips
Five Tips to Grow Your Instagram Followers Does your business have an Instagram profile, or are you thinking about expanding your business presence beyond just
I’m sorry…
I’m sorry… Have you ever sent a post you regret? Have you ever had an upset fan or follower that has expressed their dissatisfaction publicly?
8 Fundraising Questions
8 Questions to Ask Before Beginning a Major Fundraising Effort Your Board decides that it is time for your organization to aggressively undertake a major
Photography – Composition
Make Your Pictures Stunning – Composition Last week, I discussed how lighting can make or break a shot. This week I will discuss composition. Background
Photography – Lighting
Make Your Pictures Stunning – Lighting āThe camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera.ā – Dorothea Lange I always
Forming, Storming, Norming or Performing?
Is Your Team Forming, Storming, Norming or Performing? In 1965, Bruce Tuckman developed a theory of team cycles of behavior. Judith Glaser, in her 2014
Facebook advertising
Connect with People & Grow Your Business with Facebook Advertising Would you rather continue to spend your advertising dollars on less targeted media to get
Good Reads
Good Reads Looking for an inspiring book to read that will inspire or motivate? We have a few suggestions. Happy reading! This is a great
Is It Worth the Hassle?
Is it worth the hassle? As a business owner are you still struggling with the idea of social media being worth the āhassleā? This is
Keeping Your Donors Close
Keeping Your Donors Close The last of the donations from your year-end appeal letter has been opened. Your final thank you letter has been dropped
Marketing Tips for the Holidays
Marketing Tips for the Holidays Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year. Were you promoting your sales and products to your customers?
Hello. Hello. Anyone home?
Hello. Hello. Anyone home? Donāt be boring. Social media is a place where you can let your guard down a bit while still being professional.
Five Things Successful Leaders Do
Five Things Successful Leaders Do Many books and hundreds of articles have been written to address what makes good leaders. Basically, good leadership is the ability
Leadership insight
Leadership Insights from Cubs Manager Joe Maddon Itās been 108 years since the Chicago Cubs last won the World Series. We at Dau Consulting canāt
Perfecting The Elevator Pitch
Perfecting The Elevator Pitch You are attending a local chamber event, representing your organization. A new chamber member approaches you and introduces himself. He then
New look, leaning in…
New Look, Leaning In… and Proud of It We’re celebrating Dau Consulting’s third anniversary with a new look starting with a new logo! The old
Lights, Camera, Action
Lights, Camera, Action – Using Videos in Social Media If youāve been on social media this year youāve probably noticed more and more videos in
7 Steps to Managing Change
7 Steps to Managing Change We all know that change is a constant and that most people resist it, but, as a leader, it is
Are You Facebook “Official”
Are You Facebook “Official” Unofficial Facebook pages are lurking through the Facebook world. These are business pages that have been created by Facebook because of
Difficult Board Members
Dealing with Difficult Board Members Do you have any of these individuals on your board of directors? Mr. Domination who kidnaps every discussion and makes
Linked-In
How to Amplify Your Business on LinkedIn Now that you’ve learned 6 Easy Ways to Network Yourself & Your Business on LinkedIn and have set up your
6 Ways to Respect Money and Yourself
6 Ways to Respect Money and Yourself Do you have credit card debt? Do you buy lottery tickets? When was the last time you read
CRISIS? I’M NOT READY! PART 3
CRISIS? I’M NOT READY! PART 3 The crisis is over and your organization is gradually returning to business as usual. However, before you leave the
Should My Business be on LinkedIn?
Should My Business be on LinkedIn? You may be one of the 332 million people on LinkedIn with a personal profile, but have you thought
A Fun & Fearless Summer
A Fun & Fearless Summer Summer! When I was seventeen, it was a very good yearāno, it was an adventurous year. That summer I drove
The Grass is Always Greener
A Place Where the Grass is Always Greener At this time of year, we are departing from dirty snow into brown grass turning to a
Rome Wasnāt Built In A Day
Rome Wasnāt Built In A Day Patience is more than a virtue, itās a requirement when it comes to marketing; social media is no exception.
CRISIS? I’m Not Ready! Part 2
CRISIS? I’m Not Ready! Part 2 Last time, we learned about the importance of having a crisis communications plan to help you and your organization respond to
Stretch Away Stress
Stretch Away Stress Stretch Your Body Stretch Your Mind – The Benefits of Corporate Yoga Many surveys indicate that Americans identify stress as their number
Network with LinkedIn
6 Easy Ways to Network Yourself & Your Business with LinkedIn You may know LinkedIn as just a professional social networking site to post your
5 Tips
5 Tips on Turning Your Hobby into a Thriving Business Wanting to make some extra cash with your hobby, craft or art? Do you know
What influences your life mission?
What influences the ability to carry out your life mission? Now that you have identified and articulated your mission, letās look at what may impact
Basketball Quotes
4 Great Basketball Quotes That Apply to Business Last night was a great night for basketball. Two teams gave it their all in the hopes
Engaging Community in your Business
Engaging Community in your Business Community is a feeling of fellowship or a group that shares similar attitudes or goals. Social media can help grow
In a Crisis? Are You Ready?
In a Crisis? Are You Ready? It is a sunny morning. You are checking email at your desk, enjoying a latte, when suddenly, you learn that
Take a Breather
Take a Breather Take a breath, slow down, and breathe. Simple yet powerful. Our brains need oxygen to function. When we’re tense we breathe in
Utilize the Cloud
How to Utilize the Cloud to Leave Your Laptop at Home The personal computer has been around for decades, and through the years, it has
Facebook Insights
How to Use Facebook’s Insights to Win on Social Media Does your organization have a Facebook fan page? If you do, have you been utilizing
What Is Your Legacy?
What Is Your Legacy? As winter lingers, do you find yourself just going through the day-to-day motions? Winter always moves me into much deeper reflection and
Educate Customers to Get Them in the Door
Educate Customers to Get Them in the Door Social media is a way for your businesses to educate others. Donāt think you have anything exciting
Make Today a QTIP Day
Make Today a QTIP Day Weāve all had one of those days where nothing seems to be going your way. Your spouse is cranky because
Piecing Together a Good Meeting
Piecing Together a Good Meeting Do your board members come to meetings well prepared? Do they attend on a regular basis? Do they engage in
Three Ways to Re-Boot New Years Resolutions
Three Ways to Re-Boot New Years Resolutions You made your resolutions, you were motivated, and you had that end goal in sight. But whoa, where
A Beginnerās Guide to PC Maintenance
A Beginnerās Guide to PC Maintenance Letās start with a hypothetical scenario: letās say you just purchased a new car, and everything is running beautifully.
3 Easy Steps to Rock Your Marketing
3 Easy Steps to Rock Your Marketing January is filled with a lot of optimism and excitement for the new year. Businesses are planning how
Itās That Time Againā¦..
Itās That Time Againā¦..4 Ways to Make the Change You Really Want Among our Dau Consulting group, it is my turn to share strategies and
Misery Loves Company
Misery Loves Company No one likes to see negative reviews or comments on their social media sites, especially when it is business related. Unfortunately, no
6 Lessons
Six Lessons You Can Learn From “It’s a Wonderful Life” Christmas is just around the corner and “It’s a Wonderful Life” will be showing multiple
Christmas Memories
Christmas Memories: Why don’t they remember them right? When we gather with family and friends at this time of year we often share memories of
Enhance Your Board
One Easy Way to Enhance the Effectiveness of Your Board Are you concerned that your Board does not work as effectively as possible? Do you
Itās Time to Cut the Cord
Itās Time to Cut the Cord American consumers have been watching their favorite television programs and movies in more or less the same fashion for
How To Be More “Likeable”
How To Be More “Likeable” If your business or nonprofit has social media profiles, you know it can be a battle to get that “Like”
Showing Up For Work
Showing Up For Work The other morning, before heading out the door for work, my wonderful husband hit me with vacation decisions to be made
Free online training
Understanding the “Where” of My Business: Free Online Training My last few blogs have introduced concepts with Business GIS and Location Analytics. As you
Opportunity is Knocking
Opportunity is Knocking …4 Ways to Answer the Door Are you looking for a business opportunity, but are having no luck in finding even one
I have an announcement
I have an announcement Social media is a fast, effective and to-the-point tool to make an announcement. Within seconds, thousands of people can know what
3 ways
3 More Ways to Keep Your Brain Healthy In my last blog, I shared three ways to keep the brain vital and growing no matter
New to the board
I’m new to the board, now what? You have just been asked to serve on a board. Now what? We have found that no single
8 ways
8 Ways to Get More Facebook Followers Social networks function as huge on-line communities, communities where your customers and potential customers are. Using these tools
Baby Boomers vs Millennials
Baby Boomers vs Millennials: How to Overcome Workplace Tension In a recent Parade magazine Sunday supplement, the featured article was on āMillennials vs. Boomers,ā so
Business GIS and Location Analytics
Business GIS and Location Analytics My last blog introduced concepts and issues associated with Business GIS and Location Analytics that help business leaders answer the
Be Part of the Conversation
Be Part of the Conversation As times change and different ways of communication and marketing evolve, itās important to stay āpart of the conversation.ā Times are different
Most Common Management Mistake
How To Avoid the Most Common Management Mistake As many of you know, I teach a high school entrepreneurship class so one student recently asked
How to Keep Your Brain Healthy
How to Keep Your Brain Healthy My name is Susan Hanfland and I am a Brain Junkie: About 25 years ago I became interested in
Growing with Social Media
Growing with Social Media If your organization hasnāt gone social yet, you might want to rethink that strategy. Online is where your customers spend their
5 Questions
5 Questions that Big Data Can Answer for Your Organization āBIG dataā is a new business term that you want to learn and understand. When
What Every Workplace Needs
What Every Workplace Needs to Ask Themselves & How Coaching Can Help How challenging is todayās workplace? It seems that it is constantly in flux
7 Strategies
7 Strategies to Work Better with Your Nonprofit Board As the Executive Director of your nonprofit organization, do you sometimes feel that your relationship with your
4-Step Process
The 4-Step Process to Turn Your Frown Upside Down University furloughs, layoffs and budget cuts have put frowns on many faces around Illinois and generated
Four Reasons
Four Reasons to Add this Blog to Your Management Toolkit Welcome to the first weekly blog Tips From the Toolbox for Dau Consulting. I am honored to
