What can a small handful of volunteers do to raise money for crumbling infrastructure and un-sexy needs as appealing as bags of concrete? Answer: work with what you've got.

Cooks Creek Ukrainian Catholic Church in a rural area of Manitoba enjoys a historical legacy of volunteer support, generations of loyal parishioners and a wondrous grotto built decades ago to recreate the famous site at Lourdes, France. Located in a sparsely populated area, it is an ongoing challenge to maintain. As a religious organization, the parish is not eligible for many of the corporate and foundation giving programs.

Someone had an "outside of the box" idea - to take advantage of the unique site, rural area considered horse country, and build an event around it. The parish has held three medieval festivals with one year breaks in between. Complete with costumes, childrens' activites, equestrian and traditional combat events, it attracts people who would not otherwise donate. The organizers are also smart about upsizing, offering graduated levels of tickets which come with added benefits. Bravo.

The biggest obstacle many of us involved in fundraising have to overcome is our own mindset. Since our ultimate objective is to GET THE MONEY we set ourselves up to communicate the exact opposite of what we should. So starting now, think of your job as giving people what they want and need rather than raising money...because starting with the “go get the money” mindset is a trap! You are a “go-giver” -- you give people meaningful opportunities to give time or money to something that reflects their most personal values and interests.

There are many simple things you can do, right now, without any formal training, strategy or large output of resources to adopt this mindset and put it into action:

o Be a leader - your job is to facilitate and inspire matches

o Sell to the “right” people - focus your attention on the people whose interests and values fit your organization

o Make it easy for others to spread the word - explain what you offer and how to get involved, clearly!

o Have a clear “ask” - be specific - what and how

o Invite feedback and use it!

o Say thank you!

These simple tips are do-able; use them as checkpoints to guide you.

Earlier this year I invited readers to participate in the 2008 tagline survey by Nancy Schwartz over at the Getting Attention! blog. The results are in. In Nancy's words, her report offers:

• The 10 Have-Tos for Successful Taglines. Put your nonprofit marketing into high gear.
• The 7 Deadly Sins. Examples of what not to do.
• What Makes a Winning Tagline. Winners of the 2008 Nonprofit Tagline Awards.
• Over 1,000 Nonprofit Tagline Examples. Put them to work for tagline brainstorming.

You'll have to wait until the entire report is released in September but in the meantime, Nancy has selected the following as outstanding taglines.

Arts & Culture: Where Actors Find Their Space —NYC Theatre Spaces

This clearinghouse for NYC rehearsal and performance spaces uses a double entendre to go beyond a description of its services and highlight the value of its work.

Civic Benefit: Stand Up for a Child —CASA of Southwest Missouri

CASA’s tagline provokes anger, compassion and a desire to help, in just five words.

Education: Stay Close...Go Far. —East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania

This simple yet distinctive tagline from East Stroudsburg cuts through the clutter. Its straightforward character mirrors that of the school.

Environment & Animals: Helping Preserve the Places You Cherish —LandChoices

LandChoices’ tagline thoroughly communicates the value of its work while evoking one’s most precious memories of walks in the woods, wildflower meadows and childhood camping trips. There’s a real emotional connection here.

Grantmaking: Make the most of your giving. —The Greater Cincinnati Foundation

This clear tagline articulates the value of the foundation for donors considering an alternative way to give.

Health & Sciences: Improving Life, One Breath at a Time —American Lung Association

This unexpected focus on the breath—a core element of life—gets attention, and understanding.

Human Services: When You Can't Do It Alone —Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Sarasota–Manatee, Inc.

This tagline tells the story succinctly and powerfully: It’s all about getting help when life becomes overwhelming. It makes a strong emotional connection.

International, Foreign Affairs & National Security: Whatever it takes to save a child —U.S. Fund for UNICEF

UNICEF engages hearts and minds with its passionate focus on helping children. Who could turn down a request for a donation?

Jobs & Workforce Development: All Building Starts With a Foundation —Building Future Builders

Voters enjoyed the word play here: It adds depth of understanding without being glib.

Religion & Spiritual Development: Grounded in tradition...Open to the Spirit —Memphis Theological Seminary (MTS)

MTS conveys the two equally important halves of its values and curriculum in a way that makes you think about the connection.

Other

• The Art of Active Aging —EngAGE

EngAGE surprises with the imagery of active aging and the use of the term “art” to describe the way it does its work.

• Because facts matter. —Oregon Center for Public Policy (OCPP)

This tagline introduces the nature of OCPP’s impact in Oregon and entices the reader or listener to find out more. Its value proposition—the truth—is particularly compelling at a time when facts are frequently disregarded in public debate.

In marketing terms, a value proposition is a clear statement of what a company or organization offers its clients. Like most things in life, simplicity is the key to clarity. The more focused the value proposition, the more effective the resulting communication.

The most powerful statement in the world will lead nowhere, however, if your value proposition is in direct contrast to your organization's core and culture. Nothing breeds disillusionment among your staff and volunteers (and your donors!) than the rank whiff of disconnect. An organization's culture, sometimes defined as how people behave when they think no one is looking, needs to be authentic and in tune to resonate. Inconsistency is the greatest demoralizer. Organizations that live their values are:

• authentic - act and do as they say they do
• receptive - actively interested in their donors' and staff needs and interests
• giving - focused on the needs of their clients first
• prosperous - attract supporters and partners

What I have come to realize over the past few years is that there is no longer any generalization in public relations and communications. Technology, market forces and demographics have transformed my profession. This signals that the tide has turned within the marketplace and all of its sectors.

What this means to organizations is that the old rules no longer apply. The trusted bag of communications tricks is no longer effective. One industry person commented at a seminar I attended recently that media releases (you may still be calling them news releases) are now considered the lowest life form of public relations. But this is the tool most organizations rely upon to get the word out.

If your communications efforts are at the lower end of the food chain, it's time to think about how you can avoid being gobbled up... more to follow. Watch this space.