It was a spring day in Florida – already hot, sun shining, air hanging with more than a hint of humidity. If I were older than 10 at the time I’m pretty sure I would have complaining about the humidity’s effect on my hair. My brother and I were standing under the palm tree that graced our front yard. Then Frits, my fifteen year old brother, asked me how it felt to run. Click here to read more.

When’s the last time you shared your organization’s story in a way that compelled people to want to know more? If you’re not sure how to start, call up 5 of your long-term donors and ask them why they give. It’s a great way to connect with your supporters – and you might learn something interesting.

Here’s a summary of recent articles and blogs related to fundraising and nonprofit organizations. As always, please forward this to others who might benefit from the information. Thanks again for reading!

FUNDRAISING

• College Dance Marathons Break Records – bit.ly/eFzWKe The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• Magic of fundraising: connecting donors to a cause most will never experience in person. http://bit.ly/hLqpb3 Future Fundraising Now
• Donor Retention Survey: 62% didn’t excite a second gift out of even 4 in 10 new donors. | bit.ly/hEHpO2 The Agitator
• 5 Simple Ways to Thank Donors and Raise More Money | http://bit.ly/iceDc0 “With”isms from Lori Jacobwith
• The 10 reasons you’re not getting gifts: A mini-manifesto – bit.ly/h9A5Mv Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog
• Tips For Winning Back Your Lapsed Donors – bit.ly/etdBWA The NonProfit Times
• Great tips: An ABC of direct response | bit.ly/fJCgcC SOFII

GIVING TRENDS

• Healthcare Fundraising Shows Signs of Life – bit.ly/eCmfig HealthLeaders Media
• Americans Gave a Lot Less in the Recession Than Experts Predicted – bit.ly/eDRZp3 The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• Federal Drive Sees Slight Drop in Giving – bit.ly/fQE5aR The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• Latest Blackbaud Index Report Shows Slight Rise in Overall Giving | bit.ly/h1F6Wd eJewish Philanthropy
• Foundation Growth and Giving Estimates, 2011 Edition – bit.ly/ibZ5mc PhilanTopic
• Economic Recovery Lifts Charitable Gift Fund – bit.ly/dWoGYw The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• Philanthropy in China – bit.ly/gMqyif RE:Philanthropy

TECHNOLOGY/SOCIAL MEDIA

• 100 More Online Tools for Non-Profits – bit.ly/dX7liW Wild Apricot Blog
• How Social CRM “Friend Discovery” will Revolutionize the Way Organizations Collaborate | bit.ly/fG5ZNg Beth’s Blog
• Online Donors Walls: could this work for you? | bit.ly/fR5LXj Low Hanging Fruit Communications
• Three Cheap Tools to Measure Blogs and Social Media – bit.ly/ef6vSB frogloop
• Mobile giving? There’s an app for that! bit.ly/dGQXkf Fundraising Coach.com
• More nonprofits are getting results from Facebook – bit.ly/hyutL6 socialbrite
• 4 ways to encourage supporters to use social media for social good – bit.ly/eeH8Mz Katya’s Non-Profit Marketing Blog

COMMUNICATIONS

• Your Media Relations Can Make or Break Your Charity – It’s that Simple – bit.ly/fjqX1J Joanne Fritz’ Nonprofits Blog
• It is Official: Postage Costs More – bit.ly/gihQvQ The NonProfit Times
• The story-reality gap: You’ll never rally the troops with small dreams. bit.ly/guz6Ai Sasha Dichter’s Blog
• Nonprofits Nominated for ‘Webby’ Awards – http://bit.ly/fvAdba The Chronicle of Philanthropy

LEADERSHIP

• Why Your Board Needs Term Limits | http://t.co/ljcwvCO Gailperry.com
• Salary Surveys From The NonProfit Times bit.ly/htKyMq The NonProfit Times
• LikeMinded: A new platform to connect leaders with ideas for local change bit.ly/hNzg7q
• Outlook for Nonprofit Staffing Improving in 2011, Study Finds – bit.ly/hCOyxa The Chronicle of Philanthropy

OTHER

• Cleveland-Area Nonprofits Merge to Reduce Costs | pnnonline.org/cleveland-area… PNNOnline.org
• 2,300 Small Charities May Be Victims of Identify Theft – http://bit.ly/go3Ew9 The Chronicle of Philanthropy
• New Website Launches to Help Philanthropists Make Better Decisions | bit.ly/hQVxCJ eJewish Philanthropy
• One month after the Japan disaster, U.S. charities have raised $246.9-million http://ow.ly/4ywDy
• Challenging the Status Quo: Next Gen Civic Engagement Through Philanthropy – bit.ly/h2vxhe RE:Philanthropy