Category Archives: Social Entrepreneurship

Now Available: New Independent Publishing Resources for Changemakers

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ebookLooking for a new way to attract and engage prospective donors, clients, or customers? Today’s audiences often bypass traditional fundraising or advertising. Instead, they want relevant and useful content that they can act on right away. Are you offering them that?

A book or e-book (maybe even a “free-mium”) is a great way to share your experience and insights, bring more visibility to your cause or organization, and establish yourself as a passionate and credible “author”-ity in your field.

Vital components of your overall marketing strategy, books and e-books can be recycled across many communication and fundraising channels (online and offline). You’ll make a winning impression when you can say: “We wrote the book on that topic!”

With e-books and books so easy to create these days, what’s holding you back? And how can you make them work for your organization?

My website now houses lots of great new resources for current and emerging self-publishers—especially leaders of social sector organizations:

Conference call: Independent Publishing for the Changemaker: Advice on how to use this ultimate marketing technique: what’s involved and how to get started (handout plus recording)

Webinar slides:

  • Publishing Your Ebook for Greater Business Impact
  • Thinking About Hiring an Independent Editor? Start Here!

Detailed handouts:

  • The right team for the indie publishing process
  • Where to find an independent editor: professional associations
  • Websites of interest to the indie writer/publisher

Download your copies HERE.

The Loving Tension between Writers and Designers

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[Dalya’s Note: This guest post was written by Nadia Khastagir who will be a Special Guest on the 3/5 Writing Wednesdays call. She is a co-owner/graphic designer at Design Action Collective.]

How many times has a copywriter bemoaned that designers always say there’s too much text? How many times does the designer want the editor to cut more text?

How can we come to a perfect harmony?

Graphic design should make your text sing. Good design should enhance the text, it is the supporting actor to the lead star, making sure that the lead role drives the plot and the story. It is the rhythm section to the leader singer. It is the choir to the diva. At the same time, if the story is dominated by the one star always taking the solo, the audience can lose interest, it starts to feel monotonous. This is why design can enhance the copywriting.

Functional graphic design shouldn’t overwhelm the reader to distraction but encourage the reader to read the this brochure, report, flyer, advertisement. Graphic design should show off the stars of the story.

Graphic design can transform your copy into an eyecatching piece:

nadia 1

Continue reading →

Maximize Your Organization’s Collaborations and Reap the Benefits

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partnership[Dalya’s Note: This is an excerpt from my award-winning book, Writing to Make a Difference: 25 Powerful Techniques to Boost Your Community Impact.]

Given the astronomical proliferation of values-driven organizations in the last few decades, many of our readers are wondering: “How come you all don’t just combine forces?”

Good question.

No one—investors, customers, clients, etc.—likes to see duplication of effort among barely distinguishable parties. It certainly makes marketing and branding a tougher job as well!

But we are so passionate and concerned about our own sub-issues, services, and products that we can neglect the potential allies out there. In fact, instead of finding ways to cooperate, we often adopt a competitive attitude.

Please don’t get me wrong. I am the first to agree that healthy competition keeps organizations on their toes. What I bemoan is the frequent tendency to allow narrow organizational interests (such as maintaining the status quo or protecting fragile egos) to take precedence over larger community interests. Continue reading →

“Ask Dalya”: Using Stories in Grant Proposals (Part 2 of 2)

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This “Ask Dalya” series covers 17 of your grantwriting questions. Get lots more Q & A, individual feedback, materials, etc. in the Grantwriter’s FastTrack Coaching Program.

(Note: You can see Part I of this article HERE.)

personally speaking  Q: Where in a grant proposal would you include a story?

A:  You can improve your proposals by using stories whenever possible. A few good places include:

  1. The problem/opportunity description
  2. Definition of your community of clients
  3. The evaluation section (see my upcoming webinar on this topic)
  4.  The history or track record of your organization
  5. The people behind your work (staff, volunteers, etc.)

Q: Can you give suggestions of what to do about telling stories when the project is new?

A: Storytelling can be a bit challenging in this instance. But you will find stories lurking in the problem you are addressing and the clients you are attracting. What is going on in your community that has inspired your project? How can you illustrate the reality of what people are facing and the challenges they are dealing with? Continue reading →

“Ask Dalya”: Using Stories in Grant Proposals (Part 1 of 2)

Leave a reply

This “Ask Dalya” series covers 17 of your grantwriting questions. Get lots more Q & A, individual feedback, materials, etc. in the Grantwriter’s FastTrack Coaching Program.

personally speaking Q: What can you tell me about the key role of storytelling in proposals?

A: By sharing stories with funders, you will render your messages personalized, catchy, and relevant. Feature your various constituents: clients, volunteers, members, donors, staff, board, and strategic partners. Slice-of-life word snapshots will help put a face and voice to your work in a way that goes far beyond mind-numbing statistics. Telling a brief account of someone’s story can crystallize your message in just a few words.

Ask yourself: How can you show that are you playing an important role in a community of particular concern to the grantmaker?

Think about some stories that might illustrate your answers. Every day, your organization improves people’s lives. And every time that happens, a potential story is born.

Often called “case studies,” these before-and-after stories illustrate how people have found the benefits or results they were seeking by working with you.

The last great novel you read or movie or television show you watched no doubt centered around its characters. Your organization also centers around its “characters”: your clients. Show how your characters’ lives improve as they work with you. Continue reading →