Online Outreach on a Budget - January Nonprofit Blog Carnival

This month we spent some time collecting posts about nonprofit communications on a budget. Below you'll find a combination of great resources that were submitted, and information I've found useful in my own research on online outreach. So bookmark this post and take the time to apply this knowledge to marketing and communications at your organization - it's cheap (or free) and has worked for others!

Webinar Recap: Connecting Advocacy to Fundraising

Thanks very much to Care2 and their presenters for sharing this webinar recording. Check out the slides for great case studies for online campaigns that work, as well as solid tips to building an advocacy program (and it can be done on a budget!!).

DIY strategic communications planning for nonprofits: Step 2—Key Audiences

Gayle of IMPACTMAX says that, "by the end of this exercise, you’ll have a list of most important categories of people who can advance your change agenda." A little planning goes a long way.

Guest Blog: Justine Yu on Social Media for Nonprofits

This post has great examples of how Journalists for Human Rights (where Justine is an intern) uses social media and creates online campaigns. She writes, "start a campaign that’ll give all of your supporters (regardless of age, profession, or location) a chance to actively engage in the process of whatever it is your organization is striving towards."

Presentation - Integrating Direct Mail & Online Marketing to Engage Constituents & Raise Funds

Already doing direct mail? Ignitus Strategies shares this great presentation for how to integrate mailings with free online techniques for reaching out to your fundraising audience.

6 Benefits of Using Twitter for Nonprofit

This guest post comes straight from a nonprofit think tank to Pamela's Grantwriting Blog. If "our limited communications budget means that we can’t pay a PR firm" sounds familiar, read this post. Especially if your organization produces research.

How to Engage Your Blog's Community

Blogs are one of the major (free) ways to communicate with constituents online. In his 31 Day Challenge, John Haydon gives some great tips on how to engage casual readers in real conversation.

API - Tweetatcongress.com

Thanks to @noah_cooper for this great free tool. Integrate it into your website to "give users a way to look up and tweet at their legislators." Neat idea!

Nonprofits e-mail free!

In this overview of free e-mail services, Maureen Carruthers from the Low Hanging Fruit blog explains "the free part." Besides, if your nonprofit holds events, she's got a sweet post about Nathan Fillion's style of promoting events on Twitter.

Q&A: PETA's "Gorilla" Marketing Tactics

With a quick free registration, you'll be able to read this interesting MarketingProfs interview with a PETA Marketing Manager on how this organization uses social media and word-of-mouth initiatives (already in 2007!).

Worksheet - The Online Fundraiser's Checklist
"Check the boxes on these six worksheets and if you don't score well, use the helpful (and free!) resources listed on the bottom of each page to improve your online fundraising practices."

Coming up: The February Carnival will be hosted by Katya Andresen at the Nonprofit Marketing Blog. The theme will be your best and/or worst moments as a nonprofit professional – and what you learned from them. Submit posts here.

"Pennies" image credit goes to Pdphoto.org - thanks!