Get off the Couch - Wayne Elsey's Blog

Soles4Souls Rockstar Donor Claire Frances Baker is AWESOME. She began her shoe-collecting journey in February of  2010. She was still astounded at the devastation from the earthquake in Haiti and felt burdened for the people there. She knew that kids could not go to school without a pair of shoes (Continue reading…)

Elizabeth Ortiz’s recently wrote a piece for the Chronicle of Philanthropy that gives the nonprofit leader some tips on coping with the slow recovery of the economy. Ortiz’s common sense reminders reflect some business practices that I know to work in the nonprofit sector. Her points were dead on, and (Continue reading…)

From time to time young leaders come to me for advice. They want to know what I wish I had known early on, what made the difference for me, and what I would change. Here are a few practical things that I think are important for young leaders to know. (Continue reading…)

Last month on Mashable, Neil Patel recalled Robert Cialdini’s book Influence in a post detailing 6 practical ways organizations can be more persuasive with consumers on social media. Here are Cialdini’s six points with some practical application for the nonprofit leader. Reciprocation. Donors want to see where their money is (Continue reading…)

Soles4Souls has much to be thankful for. In 2011: We received the “Organizing Excellence in Community Service Award” from the National Association of Professional Organizers. We added a new 300,000 square foot distribution facility in Alabama. We started an outreach program to college students through our University RV Tour. We (Continue reading…)

In Daniel Pink’s book, A Whole New Mind, he points out the importance of right-brain thinking in today’s world. One key point Pink highlights is the art of storytelling, which applies to every industry. This is a universal reality, not a creative or advertising function. Pink says, “the backstories of (Continue reading…)

Andy Rooney died earlier this month at the age of 92. For 33 years he was featured on 60 minutes during the segment, “A Few Minutes with Andy Rooney.” Rooney collected a slew of Emmy awards throughout his career and wrote fifteen books. Though at times controversial, Rooney had a (Continue reading…)

ReseachSense highlights 15 points for maximizing the potential for the nonprofit year-end appeal. Here are five that I know are key: 65% of your donors look at your website before they write the check or donate online-Is your website ready? Typography, layout, and visual appeal–these are details that matter. A (Continue reading…)

I tend to think that leaders get bored with methods way before the engaged donor and supporter does. We’ve been thinking, planning, and doing the same things for so long we’re no longer thinking creatively or achieving breakthrough results. In reality, we’re tired of the “tried and true” methods and (Continue reading…)

Cutting budgets is all the rage in the nonprofit landscape. My fear is that nonprofit leaders are setting themselves up for failure while trying to win the affections of a few, noisy dissenters. I recognize that I have a little different perspective because I come from a business background. That (Continue reading…)