Highlights from this week’s show:

• Kivi and Claire discuss the importance of saying Thank You in the nonprofit sector and how to customize your thank you notes to donors.
• We talked about including photos in your thank you notes, and what makes a good photo and good video for the press, too.
• Wake County SPCA made the news by linking their mission to big headlines — they reported an increase in people turning over their pets to higher costs of living like gas and food prices, as well as the mortgage crisis.
• Kirt from Land Choices asked about sending out membership renewal letters soon after a special appeal. Should he not send the renewal to those who just gave? Or count their special appeal gift as their membership too? See what Kivi and Claire said.

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Highlights from this week’s show:

Kivi and Claire talked about why writing in the nonprofit sector is so bad and some tips on how to fix it.

We talked about getting the jargon out (and when it’s OK to leave it in), keeping your writing short and sweet, and showing your personality.

We also talked about what to do when your boss or co-workers are really bad writers.

Claire shared a story about how the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger and Homelessness got some good coverage by piggybacking on a story about how the California legislature was debating a bill that would punish people who steal recyclables. While the bill would be considered an environmental story by many, the Coalition was able to turn it into a story about the impact on the people they serve, since many homeless Californians rely on recycling to make money.

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During our first show, Claire and Kivi covered several common Nonprofit Marketing 101 questions.

We explained what the Magic Keys are, talked about how to create a short annual report, and why you always have to keep your audience in mind.

We also analyzed two news stories featuring nonprofit organizations, including Right to Hike, which was created to honor a slain hiker. In addition to looking at that particular story, we also talked about some of the communications challenges a new organization like that may face in the future. The other story we examined was about the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s donation of hearing aids to Minneapolis residents.

We wrapped up the show by answering a caller’s question. Linda in California is starting a new group called WHOLE Ministries to provide life coaching to women after devastating events in their lives and wanted our tips on how to get the message out.

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I can’t tell you how excited I am to launch Magic Keys Radio & Podcast with Claire! If you’ve followed my weekly webinar series at Nonprofit Marketing Guide.com, you know that Claire is a veteran news gal, with lots of experience in radio. She also shares a passion of mine: to help nonprofits get their messages out in creative and compelling ways. We both firmly believe that anyone — anyone — with a passion for their cause and a little know-how can get great publicity and support. You don’t need a huge staff or a massive budget, or the magic keys that lots of consultants will try to sell you.

We are starting off slowly with just a few broadcasts this summer. We’ll pick up the pace this fall. We are currently thinking about a half-hour broadcast on Fridays. Of course, it will immediately be available as a podcast, so you can listen on your own schedule. We’ll provide more details later in the summer when we make some final decisions.