People often wonder how important the Twitter Bio is for Nonprofits –after all it is only 160 characters long – why would it be that important?

According to an article written by John Haydon and published on Razoo this week , your Nonprofit Twitter bio is important for the following reasons:

- It will set the expectations of what you will be tweeting about

- It will set you apart from the others

- It makes it easier for others to find you and add you to Twitter lists

So it is VITAL to make each of those 160 characters count!

John also shared his 7 tips on how to make your Nonprofit bio stand out from the 

crowd:

1. Keep it simple – make sure that it is easy for everyone to understand

2. Make it searchable – use keywords that are relevant to what you focus on

3. Tell them your names – people like to talk to people, so make sure that the names of the people who will be tweeting are included

4. Include extra links – you can add extra links here – remember to use http:// in front of the links, so that they are clickable

5. Use UTM tags – this helps you measure traffic from links in your bio

6. Make your bio remarkable – have it stand out from the norm that other Nonprofits use

7. Ask for feedback – ask people what they think and take what they have to say seriously – it’s a great way to fine-tune your message.

To read John Haydon’s article in full click here

”Cause Marketing – according to Wikipedia – refers to a type of marketing that involves the cooperative efforts of a “for profit” company with a Nonprofit organization for mutual benefit. “

With this in mind and with the many opportunities that abound in all aspects of our lives to take part in cause marketing  programmes -  on-line, through cell phone sms-ing,  while buying your movie ticket to name a few, I thought that it would be beneficial to share the Network for Good free eBook titled “ 5 Cause Marketing Trends”.

The eBook gives some really sound advice on how to avoid cause marketing mishaps and looks in detail at the 5 trend shaping digital consumer engagement in 2012.

If you are considering creating a Cause Marketing programme the knowledge gained from this eBook, can support you in ensuring start with an authentic partnership where you set meaningful social impact and business goals, create a compelling call-to-action and engage with your consumers through your social media, keeping them informed about the outcome of the impact of the programme.

To access the report 

AND here are some links to some inspired Cause Marketing ideas:

http://nonprofit.about.com/b/2011/09/26/five-cause-marketing-ideas-from-joe-waters.htm

http://www.ehow.com/way_5407518_cause-marketing-ideas.html

http://www.inc.com/janine-popick/cause-marketing-do-a-good-deed-to-get-a-good-deed.html

http://www.fundraisers.com/ideas/causemarketing.html

Recently Serenic hosted a webcast, along with SS&G on the topic of Financial Statements, Analysis and the Budget Process.

The webcast shared real-world examples of how to effectively communicate a Nonprofit’s financial position. 

The importance of producing financial statements that others can understand, along with how to make sure that your Nonprofit budget process is smooth, accurate and easily maintained was also discussed.

Some of the budget process tips that were discussed include:

1. Provide organization-wide budget information

2. Be realistic – make reasonable assumptions based on the current year’s operations and from that build reasonable projections

3. Clarify who is responsible for monitoring the budget and how oftenReview and approve the budget with the board and then share the approved budget with others

To view this webcast on financial statements and budgeting for Nonprofits and any of the other on-demand webcasts offered by Serenic click here.

Send It South is a leading partner for Serenic in Africa.  To discuss Serenic in more detail, contact José Fernandes on +27 82 529 5922 or at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it