How can you design your Web site to appeal more effectively to female donors?

Lisa Witter, chief operating officer of Fenton Communications, in New York, and co-author of the book The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World — and How to Reach Them, — offered five suggestions in an online discussion today with Chronicle readers.

• “Feature real people. Stock photos look like stock photos. Try, as much as you can, to put up images of real people with real names.”

• “Get personal. Women want to go to a Web site and know that real people are behind it. In your ‘about us’ section list real people’s names that donors, volunteer, and activists can contact.”

• “Invite her input and help her connect. Remember that women seek opportunities to share their opinion and connect to others — that’s how they demonstrate their investment in things they care about.”

What makes a charity auction successful?

The marketing expert Seth Godin says the answer lies in the mindset of the bidders.

If they come to an auction looking for a bargain, the event will likely fall flat.

But if the event can get the bidders to want to overpay for items, it will likely exceed its target, Mr. Godin writes on Seth’s Blog.

Mr. Godin cites a recent auction by the Robin Hood Foundation in New York that raised more than $24-million for the organization as a prime example.

Fund raisers, of course, have to walk a tricky path to create an atmosphere in which bidders compete to overpay. But Mr. Godin says once that atmosphere exists, it tends to snowball.

“The challenge is to create social approval for what would otherwise be bad auction skills,” he writes. “Enlist a few stooges in the audience in advance, then start by auctioning off that $20 bill. When it goes ...

More and more women are making big gifts to charity, but many fund raisers struggle with how to best communicate with women donors.

What can your organization do to more effectively reach female donors and volunteers? What can charities learn from companies that promote products and services to female consumers? And how can this approach help your charity connect with men as well?

Lisa Witter, a marketing expert and author, will answer those and other questions today at noon Eastern time in a live discussion with Chronicle readers.

Ms. Witter is chief operating officer of Fenton Communications, in New York, and co-author of the book The She Spot: Why Women Are the Market for Changing the World — and How to Reach Them.

This discussion is open to everyone, not just Chronicle subscribers. You will have a chance to ask Ms. Witter questions from noon to 1 p.m. A full transcript of...

Why do so many fund-raising appeals fall short?

Jeff Brooks, a direct-marketing consultant, says part of the problem rests with the fact that fund-raising copy is often wooden and inhuman.

His advice: “Write like a human. Your donors will thank you for it.”

Have you seen examples of atrociously worded fund-raising appeals? If so, please feel free to share by clicking on the comments link below this post.

Religious charities have an advantage over other nonprofit groups during a recession, says William O’Keefe, senior director of advocacy at Catholic Relief Services, in Baltimore.

After all, Mr. O’Keefe said many of their key donors give “as a matter of faith, not wealth.”

Still, religious groups will eventually get hit.

During an online discussion today with Chronicle readers about the future of religious charities, Mr. O’Keefe offered the following tips to help religious groups maximize their fund raising during the downturn:

• Stay focused on major donors, since they are less likely to be affected by economic woes.

• Include messages in appeals that demonstrate a sensitivity to the state of the economy.

• Seek support from a diverse array of sources.

Read the full transcript of the discussion.

Many nonprofit groups have been anticipating a surge in donations since the landmark prediction by Boston College researchers that showed at least $41-trillion — including $6-trillion in charitable bequests — will change hands when members of the World War II and baby-boom generations die.

What they didn’t anticipate was the fact that the transfer would probably take decades.

The truth, says one prominent planned-giving expert, is that the number of bequests has dropped because of a sharp downturn in the death rate.

“There will always be some level of wealth transfer every year as people pass on. However, we are not seeing any significant increase in bequest revenue overall and have not seen much of an increase since 1999,” said John W. Jensen, a senior vice president at the Sharpe Group, a fund-raising consulting firm in Arlington, Va.

“The number of deaths in 2003 was lower...

Should you believe the hype about the predicted transfer of wealth as members of the World War II and baby-boom generations die?

Many fund raisers have been led to believe their organizations will soon be getting a massive influx of bequests and other gifts during this transfer. But what do the numbers really show? When will this population bubble begin to really affect charities? And how are donors from these age groups likely to pass on their money?

Join two top experts — John W. Jensen, a senior vice president with the Sharpe Group, a fund-raising consulting firm in Arlington, Va., and James Chung, the president of Reach Advisors in New York — for a live online discussion about these questions.

The discussion will be held at noon Eastern time on Tuesday and is open to everyone, not just Chronicle subscribers.

Jeff Brooks, creative director at the Merkle marketing consulting company, offers a tip for fund raisers who want to learn more about what matters to their donors.

Mr. Brooks, the author of the Donor Power Blog, says they should spend time reading contributors to the Web site The Elder Story Telling Place.

“You aren’t going to walk away with buckets of data every time you visit, but you will read genuine experiences and attitudes,” Mr. Brooks writes. “You’ll get a feel for how older people think, how they express themselves, and what matters to them. And it’s entertaining. Highly recommended.”

Do you know of other online gathering places that shed light on the mindset of donors? Post a comment to share your recommendation.

The blog Cause-Related Marketing says the downturn in the economy is offering an opportunity to nonprofit groups that want to improve their visibility.

Because many businesses are cutting back on their advertising expenses, a growing number of magazines are offering free ad space to charities.

As a result, well-prepared charities have an opportunity to make a free, mass-market appeals to potential donors. But they can’t be sloppy about it, says the blog’s author, Paul Jones, a marketing consultant at Alden Keene & Associates in Salt Lake City, Utah.

“Your ads will need a call to action, but you probably can’t get away with direct ask for donations,” Mr. Jones writes. “But check with the magazine first to see what they will and will not allow.”

Has your charity been able to get free advertising space in a newspaper or magazine? If so, what tips can you offer other organizations? ...

The economic downturn is pinching many charity fund-raising efforts while also driving up demand for services.

It is also pinching many of the foundations that support charities — as stock market declines are causing foundation endowments to suffer, The Chronicle of Philanthropy notes in its cover article summarizing its annual study of wealthy foundations.

What should foundations do to meet the needs of charities facing a potential drop in donations and government support? Should they — and can they — help charities meet rising demand for services?

Join the Chronicle this Tuesday at noon Eastern time for a live online discussion about these and other questions related to the foundation-charity relationship.

The experts answering questions will be Jennifer Leonard, executive director of the Rochester Area Community Foundation in Rochester, N.Y., and Joel J. Orosz, distinguished ...