By Stephanie Hannah, YMCA of Silicon Valley

What a difference a few hours of your time can make.  I’ll admit I wasn’t thrilled about the 7:30 a.m. meeting time that I had for this project, but all of that was forgotten once I realized what an impact we made in woman’s life.  I originally joined this project as a way to get more involved in NAYDO; little did I realize how much fun it would end up being and the friends I would make from it.

NAYDO participants partnered with Paint Your Heart Out Anaheim, a non-profit organization that paints the houses of seniors and disabled people.  Once we got there we were lucky enough to meet the owner of the house, Dorothy, a spunky 90 year old lady who just wanted us to know how thankful she was that we were there.

We taped windows, painted, dug trenches, trimmed plants, and washed plastic ducts, all while signing songs, laughing and bonding as a group.  By noon, the 28 YMCA staff who had volunteered their time were tired, but proud of how the house looked.

I recommend everyone who has the opportunity to attend NAYDO next year take the time out and volunteer with Philanthropy Live.  

By Bruce Berglund, Donor By Design Group

NAYDO is in full swing and the Anaheim Marriott has been besieged by some of the best people I know … Y folk!  Y volunteers and staff are just the best.

I have noticed some new faces, in fact lots of new faces.  Many of them are engaged and networking while others seem to be auditing the conference.  Some have grown up in the Y … others have come from “outside” the Y.

I would challenge each of us to find a new sandbox this year. Seek out folks you don’t know.  Attend sessions that intrigue and stretch your fundraising knowledge.  Make it a goal to expand your professional and personal network.

Old friends are amazing … I will be reconnecting with several over the next few days (yes, I have pictures of the kids).

Take up my challenge and seek out a new sandbox or two … you just might find a new old friend and resource!

By Lora Dow, Donor By Design Group

Nonprofit organizations spend so much time and energy planning fundraising campaigns. They hire counsel. They recruit committed volunteers. They create wonderful videos and brochures outlining their plans.

But they ignore one critical thing – their website.

Your website is the front door to your organization. People may hear about you elsewhere, but they go to your website to learn more about you. Your site tells them not just facts about your organization but gives the viewer a feel for who you are.

Potential donors are making unconscious evaluations about how sincere you are, how trustworthy you are, based on your website. Will you be a good steward of their donation? Are you really able to effect the change that you’ve promised?

What is your website saying about you? Is your site a welcoming front door to your organization? And, if not, what are you going to do about it?

For our Y clients attending NAYDO, please stop by iNAYDO to learn about a new product to help you quickly and easily enhance your own website, or create a campaign-specific microsite! For the rest of you, look for information about that new product on our website in May!