Tuesday, May 13, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

What Women Want

More and more women are making big gifts to charity, but nonprofit groups still struggle with how best to obtain donations and other support from women.

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?

Join a marketing expert and author who can help you answer these questions and improve your ability to raise money and effect change.

Tuesday, May 20, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

Marketing Nonprofit Causes

Throughout much of the 20th century, charities and businesses relied on "interruption marketing" to spread their messages. With few ways to reach donors, supporters, and consumers, organizations found that the best methods for spreading their messages were direct mail, telemarketing, and television and radio commercials. The goal was to blanket as many people as possible with a message — and hope that enough of them were wiling to donate or buy to support the cost.

That approach, however, has changed. Because of advances in technology and the growing number of information sources, interruption marketing isn't as effective as it once was. Some experts, in fact, believe charities and companies are more likely to see results if they get permission to market to potential donors and customers.

That permission comes in various forms, but it is most likely to be successful when an organization is able to make a deep emotional connection with people who are willing to spread its message for them. They must stand out and deliver results in ways that make potential donors and customers want to hear their message, experts say.

How can your charity make these connections? What can you do to help your organization stand out from the masses and compel others to spread your message for you? Join the marketing and communications expert Seth Godin to discuss these questions and whatever else you want to learn about marketing for charities.

Previous Discussions

Tuesday, May 6, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

Foundations and Diversity

American foundations are often criticized for failing to appoint leaders who reflect the diversity of the nation and for giving too little money to groups that serve minorities.

The concern has grown so intense that California is now considering a measure that would force big foundations to disclose more information about the ethnic and racial backgrounds of their leaders and grantees.

But the measure is controversial and has touched off a wider debate about whether foundations are doing a good job of keeping up with the changes in America's demographics.

Are these criticisms fair? How much attention should foundations pay to diversity?

Some of the nation's top foundation leaders will be available to answer your questions.

Read a transcript of the discussion.

The Future for Religious Charities

Religious organizations make up a major portion of the philanthropic landscape. But until recently, they had struggled to get recognition and support from government to help fulfill their missions and solve important social issues.

President Bush created the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives with the goal of bridging the gap between government and religious charities. But as Mr. Bush prepares to leave office, many people are asking how much this effort has accomplished and what course a new president will set.

Read a transcript of the discussion.

Tuesday, April 22, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

The Changing Face of America's Donors

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

Many charity leaders 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 us for a special online discussion about these crucial questions and find out how your organization can use demographic information to improve its fund raising.

Read a transcript of the discussion.

Tuesday, April 15, at 12 noon, U.S. Eastern time

Grant Making During Difficult Economic Times

As the economy's slump worsens, grant makers face increasing pressure to help charities weather the downturn.

Even before the stock market suffered its recent declines and caused foundation endowments to suffer, some of the nation's biggest grant makers were already planning to cut spending or increase awards by just a small percentage, according to The Chronicle's new survey of grant-making trends.

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?

Read a transcript of the discussion.