BLUE FOX | Accounting for Nonprofits and Social Enterprises
  • Home
  • Services
    • Tax Services
  • About
    • Our Founder
    • Our Team
    • Our Philosophy
    • 10 Reasons to Outsource Your Nonprofit Accounting
    • Our Clients
    • Technology Solutions
    • Testimonials
    • FAQs
    • Join the Team - Bookkeeper
  • Blog
  • Freebies
  • Contact
  • Subscribe

That Time I Went to Cause Camp

4/18/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
Cause Camp was recently named by Forbes as one of the Top 10 Nonprofit Conferences. Held at the Nebraska Innovation Campus in Lincoln, Nebraska, it did not disappoint. (Neither did the famed local Hurts Donut or Honest Abe’s Burgers, but that’s a story for another day.) If you don’t want to schlep to Lincoln, you can stream the event for $99. (I did that last year to see if it was worth going. It was. Donuts and burgers notwithstanding.)
 
Sponsored by Nonprofit Hub, Cause Camp draws about 400 people/year to Lincoln for both lecture-style and breakout sessions. There are parties and lots of local beer, too, but in Lincoln they call that networking so it’s all very legit.
 
My favorite thing about Cause Camp was the intimate size of the crowd and conference space. There were plenty of opportunities to get to know your seat neighbor or lunchmate. And lots of non-structured time allotted for, you know, being human with each other.
 
My second favorite thing about Cause Camp was the speaker lineup. Truly fantastic, engaging, and actionable information presented by every single speaker. And because the crowd was an intimate group, you actually had time and opportunity to chat with the speakers one-on-one. That’s unusual in conference-land.
 
Here’s (just some of) what I learned from the experts at Cause Camp.
 
On Saying Thank You
Steve Shattuck from Bloomerang gave a fantastic talk on the importance of thanking donors and thinking about thanking strategically. I think this info applies to for profit entities as well. Thanking the customer is a lost art in modern sales. Check out these stats:
  • First-time donors who get a personal(ized) thank you within 48 hours of making a gift are 4x more likely to give a second gift. FOUR TIMES! Whoa.
  • A thank you call from a board member within 24 hours increases the same donor’s next gift by almost 40%. Can you imagine the uptick in fundraising if you instituted just this one gratitude practice?
 
On Donor/Customer Retention
Speaker Rachel Muir is my new best friend. She just doesn’t know it yet. (Is that weird? IDK.) A “recovering nonprofit executive,” Rachel is a renowned fundraising consultant. Just a few of the fascinating things Rachel taught us:
  • “One-time donors are the one-night stands of philanthropy.” Enough said.
  • Have a specific thank you for first-time donors. It shows you value the donor immediately, it honors their first gift as a unique moment, and shows that your organization is committed to a long-term relationship.
  • Celebrate your donors’ donor-versaries. I love this idea! Why not send a special note or video message to a donor on the date of their very first gift to your org? Powerful stuff.
  • Valentine’s Day and Thanksgiving Day (not Giving Tuesday) are SUPER unsung holidays for talking to donors.
  • “One of the greatest gifts you can give your donor is the gift of being known by you.”
 
On Video
Here again, Rachel Muir and others wowed us all. The power of video is undeniable. I’m working on a video content to do list for Blue Fox as we speak. Highlights:
  • Use a tool like bombbomb.com to embed and send personal videos via email – super different and impactful
  • This dog wants you. Here’s a video that made me want to fly across the pond just to get a dog from the Battersea shelter.
  • “Emotion needs no translation.” Rachel Muir is a genius. (Free handouts and resources at her website.)
  • Check out this smile-inducing video from Ball State. The Ball State Alumni Association sends happy birthday videos to their donors every year. (Yes, they do make a new video each year, keeping it fresh and intimate.)

On Finance
Just kidding. As with #19NTC, there were NO sessions on finance. I guess I will just have to apply to speak next year?!
 
This year’s Cause Camp was pretty well focused on storytelling and fundraising, and as you can see it was fantastic content. (I have 11 pages of notes – this blog just scratched the surface.) Maybe that will change in the future. But if not, I think if you do or implement just one of these takeaways from Cause Camp, you will be advancing your mission.
 
My favorite quote from the conference is an old proverb:  The knowledge of fire does not keep you warm.
 
How often do we know things and not do them? So get going. Do the things. Try the things. Think about the things. And let us know if we can help. 
 
Resources: Speakers and their Twitter feeds teach us a lot. Julia Campbell and Kishshana Palmer’s tweets and Insta posts (Kishshana's) make me either think or LOL almost every day!

About: Our team at Blue Fox provides customized, boutique financial and back office services for social impact organizations. Services range from standard bookkeeping and payroll services, to coaching and consulting, to full-blown virtual CFO services. Our mission is to disrupt the traditional accounting model through technology, innovation, and a radically client-focused approach that truly empowers nonprofits and social enterprises. For more information call (321) 233-3311, email hello@yourbluefox.com, and visit www.YourBlueFox.com. 
​
Author:  Founder & CEO, the Original Blue Fox, Chantal Sheehan, MS, CFP(r) ​​​​
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Our Blog

    Welcome to the Blue Fox Blog! A fairly entertaining source of info and news related to our company, nonprofits, social sector trends, and, of course, accounting. Enjoy!

    Subscribe

    Top Articles

    Client CASE STUDY: One of The Most Financially Sustainable Nonprofit Orgs We Know

    Blue Fox + Bill.com = Clean Audits & Happy Clients
    ​
    What Fuels Financial Sustainability? 


    The Magical Nonprofit Financial Ratio Matrix

    Dear COVID-19, I'm Breaking Up With You

    The Latest COVID-19 Resources for Nonprofits

    10 Reasons to Outsource Your Nonprofit Accounting

    6 Step Guide To Build Donor Trust

    Our Favorite Resources for Nonprofit Fundraisers

    3 Vital Resources for Nonprofit Start-ups

    2020 Nonprofit Trend: The Virtual CFO
    ​
    How to Make Your Nonprofit Recession-Proof

    What Nonprofits Need to Know About the New Overtime Ruling

    Double-entry Accounting Made Easy - Essential Desktop Guide, Free Download

    Blue Fox CEO Named
    As Keynote Speaker for Nonprofit Hub's Cause Camp 2020
      
      

    5 Steps to Solving Complex Workflow Problems

    The Hidden Cost of Wearing Too Many Hats

    The Key to Workplace Success - Investments in Professional Development

    Accounts Payable Made Easy - The Marriage of Bill.com and QuickBooks Online

    Nonprofits - It's Time to Automate Your Back Office


    ​How to Engage Your Board of Directors in Financial Conversations

    How to Join the Social Enterprise Movement
    ​

    Kindness Leads to More Profit & Productivity
    ​

    Don’t Ignore This Nonprofit Management Advice

    ​Building Blocks for A More Just, Equitable, and Inclusive Work Environment

    QB Tip of the Month: How to Use Classes for Painless Grant Writing
    ​
    Nonprofit Leaders - Talk Finance and Empower Your Staff 

    When to Hire An Accountant for Your Social Impact Org

    Why Outsource Your Accounting?

    ​That Time I Went to Cause Camp 

    Impact Investments in Yourself
    ​

    Are You Paying Too Much for Payroll?

    Financial Dashboards - Capture Attention, Create Conversations, Drive Results!

    Don't Let FinTech Scare You - Our Top 4 Back Office Tech 

    The Wonderful World of Micro-Donating!

    The Case for Kindness in Business

    How Nonprofits Build Donor Trust: Be Transparent 
     

    5 New Year’s Resolutions for Sustainable Nonprofits  

    Why We’re on a Mission to Help Conservation Organizations  

    Money Matters - So Why Aren’t More Nonprofits Talking About It?  

    Tips to Get You A Clean Audit Every Year

    Company News

    Blue Fox Teams Up With Bloomerang to Develop Nonprofit Resources

    Blue Fox Earns Better Business Bureau Accreditation

    Blue Fox Launches Protected By Logo
    ​
    Blue Fox - The Origin Story
     

    Categories

    All
    Blue Fox Foundation
    Company News
    For Individuals
    For Nonprofits
    For Social Enterprises
    Press Announcements

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018

    RSS Feed

Home

About

Services

Subscribe

Contact


Financial Planning Association Member
QuickBooks Certified ProAdvisor
Picture
Certified Financial Planner
NTEN Nonprofit Technology Network Member
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture

BLUE FOX
Phone:
(321) 233-3311, Email: hello@yourbluefox.com
Mailing Address: 2263 W New Haven Ave #339, Melbourne, Florida 32904
Copyright © 2021 - All Rights Reserved
  • Home
  • Services
    • Tax Services
  • About
    • Our Founder
    • Our Team
    • Our Philosophy
    • 10 Reasons to Outsource Your Nonprofit Accounting
    • Our Clients
    • Technology Solutions
    • Testimonials
    • FAQs
    • Join the Team - Bookkeeper
  • Blog
  • Freebies
  • Contact
  • Subscribe