By Guest Contributor, Amy Morrisey, Artisan E-Learning Many nonprofits are interested in using e-learning to train staff members and volunteers. It can reach a larger number of people in a shorter amount of time than in-person training. Staff and volunteers can access the training anytime and anywhere. These seem like no-brainers. Why wouldn’t you just jump into e-learning as quickly as possible? The truth is, there are a ton of elements that go into effective nonprofit e-learning, and in order to make sure your e-learning is exactly what your team needs, you have to take some strategies into ..read more

In the United States, there are over 1.5 million nonprofits registered with the IRS. As with all other organizations, having a website is crucial for nonprofits: it gives them a place to organize and run nonprofit campaigns, promote their work, and find new volunteers. Yet running nonprofit websites is a difficult skill. Unlike in the corporate world, there are no large budgets to play with and, thus, fewer opportunities for you to take advantage of. Yet this doesn’t mean that nonprofit websites don’t have a hope when it comes to SEO optimization and digital marketing. They just need to be a l ..read more

For a nonprofit, mastering the art of storytelling helps to raise awareness of your mission, create community connection, and increase engagement with your organization. Time Magazine published an article back in 2017 by Jeffery Kluger about human behavior and how telling stories makes us human. The art of storytelling has been known for eras by many cultures from across the world. Let’s imagine that you are a member of the Agta hunter-gather community in The Philippines’ Isabela Province and you are trying to teach your child about the importance of empathy, cooperation, and equality. This is ..read more

There isn’t a template for growing (or even just sustaining) your organization during a global pandemic. Or if there is, it wasn’t one that was developed in the last century. Maybe that’s why so many organizations and their teams are having trouble digging their way forward in a digital world that has slowed, but not stopped. If you find yourself confused about what projects, investments, and ideas you should be moving forward with, you certainly aren’t alone. Want some answers? In this post, we’ll outline a few ways savvy marketers are navigating the COVID economy. They’re Paying Attention to ..read more

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many of us have had to move our in-person events to virtual to adhere to social distancing recommendations. Here are some tools and tips to consider when planning your virtual events.  During this time, the top two things nonprofits are focusing on are donor engagement and using creative techniques to recruit new supporters.  What is a Virtual Event?  This is a term that has become very familiar to people around the world, for both personal and professional reasons. A virtual event is an online-only event where attendees are able to connect remotely ..read more

During this bizarre time, it is important for all of us to keep calm and jump-start our creative juices. This is an opportunity for us all to come together as a community and look forward to creating a space for innovation in spite of the uncertainty we all are facing. As an individual working for a nonprofit organization, you may be in the position of having to rethink your upcoming events. We sat down and brainstormed some top tips to keep in mind. Get the Facts Straight  It is important to rely on information from The CDC, The World Health Organization and your local government to make sure ..read more

Your digital presence is more crucial than ever before. Please join us for our FREE WordPress for Nonprofits webinar on April 2 and April 3, 2020, at 11am CT. This 2-part webinar will cover all the essential WordPress components from hosting, plugins, design, and themes, to effective content management. Since 2018, ArcStone has been committed to helping our nonprofit friends learn more about how to engage their audiences through digital communications. This is why we’ve held so many successful in-person Crash Course events in the past. With COVID-19 keeping us all at home, we are bringing the ..read more

If there’s one thing that’s certain in marketing, it’s that things will change. There are always new ways to reach consumers, and for-profit marketers stay ahead of those trends. For nonprofits, though, the competition is no less fierce. In fact, it seems like every year there are more organizations vying for donors’ hard-earned dollars. In 2020, technology, particularly artificial intelligence, will continue to influence the way marketers structure their campaigns. As you plan upcoming marketing efforts, here are a few things you can do to make 2020 your best year ever. Use Video In ..read more

When we talk about content marketing, SEO is the first thing we need to cover. Optimizing our content for search engines is the basic skill every marketer needs to have under their belt. SEO has been around for years and we’ve learned so much about it in the past decade. But, there are still those who are not quite sure which SEO mistakes to avoid and how. If you need help in creating your content optimization tactics, just keep reading. This article will break down the most common SEO mistakes and tell you how to avoid making them. Let’s get started and break it down together. Find The ..read more

Imagine a world where a #GivingTuesday video went viral instead of the ubiquitous BlackFriday Walmart brawl over a big screen TV we see every year.  Who doesn’t love this idea?! Launched seven years ago in 2012, GivingTuesday uses technology and social media to encourage people around the globe to give to nonprofits throughout the holiday season. According to the official GivingTuesday website, the goal is to “create a massive wave of generosity that lasts well beyond that day, and touches every person on the planet.”  Falling on the calendar right after the two big consumer-friendly ..read more