Shanon Doolittle

For no other reason but to make you smile, I give you this adorable (and seriously photogenic) baby sloth.

You know that frustrating, OMGRRR!!feeling you get when you reset your password and the robot says “you can’t use that one because you’ve used it a gazillion times already”?That’s how donors feel when they get your basically the same thank you letter for the umpteenth time too.

Zhushed up an appeal for a fave nonprofit today, and when I sent it back, I reminded the fundraising team that conversational is the new professional. Don't get me wrong, formal writing has its place. Buuuut, relatability wins the day when donor connection is where we play.

This is more a reminder for me, but if you’re feeling the same, then it’s absolutely for you too.

I've spent hours every day this week writing and recording mini gratitude messages to donors for multiple nonprofits. Do I cut and paste? No. Do I recycle content? No. Do I give the same amount of love and thought to every darn one? Yes. Donors aren't herds, they're hearts.

Me: 😲. We need to Bob the Builder and fix that pronto!

Hosting a webinar for @NPStoryConf at the top of the hour today (10am PT/1pm ET) with special guest and super smartie, @Markyphillips. He's sharing his latest and greatest research on donor giving attitudes during the pandemic. Join us or grab the replay! nonprofitstorytellingconfere…

Ladies, gents, fantastical human beans...today's the day! Our beloved @johnhaydon's wonderfully wonderful book on donor care is out. If you knew John, you knew how much he cared about people and he pours that love into this book on donors. Snag it now! amzn.to/2IJgLwn

My world, our world, is forever changed. You are loved, you are light, and you are legendary, @johnhaydon. Thank you for being everything right and good in this world. Rest easy, my beautiful friend.

What he said. Times a million. Grateful to @AstraZeneca for putting people before profits today. Especially this extraordinary person.

I can’t puffy heart this anymore than I already do. ⚾️ #thankyouichiro #nextstopcooperstown

As I head out of Nebraska, I want to give the highest of high fives to the @causecamp team! You’ve built an amazing experience and I’m so thankful to have finally experienced it. You deserve all the thumbs up. Way. Up. #causethechange #grateful

Weave calls to action into your stories. (The same action. Many times.) @JuliaCSocial @causecamp #causethechange

Stop thinking of storytelling as as a megaphone or billboard. Think of storytelling as a way to build community, create value, and share insight. Think of storytelling as a gift to your supporters. @JuliaCSocial @causecamp #causethechange #gifgamestrong

From Las Vegas to Lincoln, Nebraska, I can’t escape @markyphillips. (Like I’d ever want to though since the man and this Venn diagram is brilliant.) @causecamp @JuliaCSocial #causethechange #mclovin

Stories are the DNA of your organization. They help connect the dots [from gift to impact] for your supporters. @JuliaCSocial @causecamp #causethechange

That one time you made @StevenShattuck wear a banana costume and paired him with the one of shiniest unicorns you know in the world @JuliaCSocial. @causecamp #stepripeup #peelingpunny

Doing the first row fan girl thang at @causecamp. I see you, @BrandenHarvey! (Psst...if you don’t know this amazing human, click your way over to @goodgoodgood.)

Dang it, now we both need to get up. Kidding, #CauseCamp! There is truly no better way to make Monday a fun day than hanging with hundreds of universe denters in historical Lincoln, Nebraska. Let’s go(od)!

Me knowing I’m on my way to #CauseCamp. Is it Monday yet, @NPhub? Can’t wait to go to there! #lizlemonismyspiritanimal

All the 🤦🏻‍♀️. No one says it better than @RepCummings, fundraising fam, ‘We are better than this!’ #googleisyourfriend