Donor Relations Group’s Post

Dear Google, You got it wrong. I love the Olympics. I’ve been watching it nonstop on the Peacock app. But far too frequently, I’ve had to suffer through your “Dear Sydney” commercial. Every time I see it, it makes my heart hurt. I’m sure your marketing folks thought it would be a brilliant example of your Artificial Intelligence technologies. But it has failed. As a donor relations professional, it makes me nauseous. What was supposed to be an inspirational story about a dad and daughter has turned into a huge lesson about what not to do in advertising. Apparently, I’m not the only one who was more than miffed by the advertisement. There are many new articles panning it and one look on ‘X’ will tell you all about the backlash. You even turned off the comments section on YouTube! Here's what I found wrong as well as how it applies to donor relations. Ever since AI became mainstreamed, I’ve heard all about how it can replace the sometimes more mundane fundraising tasks—such as emails to donors and thank you letters. And folks, I’m here to tell you it cannot. Nor should it! Part of our profession is practicing the act of gratitude, not just replacing tasks. This same thing is what’s wrong with the commercial, it suggests that instead of the young person physically sitting down with her dad and writing a letter, she should just let AI do that for her. Ugh. Yeah, no. It suggests that using a simply worded prompt is better than using the girl’s own feelings. The fact that this is compounded by suggesting that this black family is unable to do it themselves is even worse. Imagine having our donors feel the same way. Imagine our donors receiving an artificially generated, supposed sentiment of emotion in the place of true heartfelt gratitude. I say “no thanks” to that. Let’s teach our fundraising professionals how and why gratitude is an important sentiment, and not something to be farmed out to AI. This ire I feel was personified in this commercial – it’s clear that Google’s marketing department doesn’t grasp how people really feel about AI. The goal is for AI to help us enhance and grow our skills, not replace them altogether. For my fellow donor relations professionals, remember this the next time you see a post from a vendor that says they just ran a 100% AI fundraising campaign. They’re missing the point. Fundraising isn’t just a series of tasks, it’s about human relationships and emotion. Make sure you, your fundraising, and your marketing team understand this when you’re working on your next communication to donors. AI can enhance, but it should not replace our work. And to Google, I hope you’ve learned the same lesson from all this backlash: AI can enhance, but it should not eliminate our ability to uniquely express ourselves. Cheers, Lynne https://lnkd.in/gYHjs3Pq

I had a different post planned for today . . . (along the lines of, my goodness!, if my LinkedIn feed is to be believed it is a miracle any #nonprofit anywhere actually gets any mission work done because, really, is everything as awful as everyone trying to sell/promote stuff on this app makes it seem to be?!?) . . . but my bestie co-host Lynne Wester, as usual, nails it . . . Now, Lynne & I do see AI a little differently. Blinking Cursor Syndrome causes me a fair amount of angst and the advent of a lot of these tools has been a big help to me, and others I know, to break through writer's block, help with productivity, and be an added resource to the tools I already use. What certain tools can do with data analysis are incredible. But like any tool, AI is not the silver bullet to fix #fundraising. Like any tool, if it isn't implemented thoughtfully, carefully, and intentionally it's going to be another thing sitting in the corner collecting dust while we continue to scramble to make meaningful connections. I'm a big fan and champion of integrating "AI" into our toolset. We have people in our sector building tools thoughtfully, ethically, and appropriately. But let's stop offloading the real work of #fundraising as mundane chores that can be pushed off to automation and focus intently on what it means to invite and involve caring, generous, wonderful humans into our missions.

Listen to Lynne! Bulls-eye! 🎯 🎯 My favorite part: "For my fellow donor relations professionals, remember this the next time you see a post from a vendor that says they just ran a 100% AI fundraising campaign. They’re missing the point. Fundraising isn’t just a series of tasks, it’s about human relationships and emotion. Make sure you, your fundraising, and your marketing team understand this when you’re working on your next communication to donors. AI can enhance, but it should not replace our work."

🚀 Hired 5 talented Google Ads Specialists on board, setting a personal best for me in a single day! 🌟 But why the "over-hiring," you ask? Well, it's all part of the master plan! 💡 Over the next 3 months, these incredible individuals are in for an exhilarating journey under my guidance. 🏁 They'll have the chance to learn, grow, and level up both personally and professionally. 📈 It's like they've entered the Formula One of career development - no speed limits, just endless opportunities for success! 🏎️💨 As their mentor and guide, I'm here to ensure they have everything they need to thrive. From changing tires to removing hurdles, I've got their backs every step of the way. 🛠️ And you know what else? I'll be their biggest cheerleader! 📣 So, to my new team members: Go ahead, express yourselves! Show the world what you're made of - because you've got this! 💪 #TeamSpirit #CareerGrowth #GoogleAds 🚀

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My 'I left Google' story is probably not quite what you think. I didn't come from money, so I figured out how much I'd be able to accumulate if I could survive at Google 25 years and actively reinvest the cash / shares with the rate of success I'd seen prior. It was very clearly enough. I did not leave thinking "I'll be able to do better than this on my own". Quite the contrary. When I saw the number, my thought process was "This is what it's going to cost to work on something important." I've been asked why I haven't gone to work on 'smarter' problems. My view is this - marketing represents $340B+ in economic activity. It's a massive sum dedicated to solving the single hardest problem in business: How do you grow one? Wasted marketing dollars should be saved, and that money should be reinvested - In your business, in your customers, and in your community. I'm happy to be working on that.

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🎁 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙭 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙜𝙡𝙚: 𝙀𝙭𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙎𝙬𝙖𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙢! Hey everyone! Ever wondered how to score some of those exclusive Google swags and goodies? Today, I'm excited to share some insider tips on how you can get your hands on these sought-after items. From lesser-known Google products to niche programs that few people are aware of, there's a treasure trove of goodies waiting for you! I've compiled an updated list of these programs and opportunities, and I'm eager to share it with you all this Sunday. But here's the challenge: if this post reaches 𝟱𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 by Sunday, I'll reveal the full list on my profile! Let's make this happen—spread the word, like, comment, and share this post! It's a win-win; not only do you get the inside scoop, but you also help others discover these hidden gems. Stay tuned, and let's hit that target together! #GoodiesxGoogle #ExclusiveSwags #GoogleProducts #InsiderTips #LinkedInChallenge #StayTuned #LikeCommentShare

Remember when Google went down in 2013, and then y'all stopped Googling things and using GMail from that day on? Exactly. 😏 Yet every marketer, biz coach, and a gang of scammers all sent out emails saying "ditch social media right now and start email marketing (and buy my course that teaches you how to do that 🙃)" because Meta went down yesterday. Running a business (or two) is hard, and things happen in business everyday. But if people were expected to boycott a company everytime they messed up, nobody would have a business anymore. Imagine if we all stopped using Google when it went down in 2013 (and 2014, 2018, 2020, and 2022 😐). Are you picking up what I'm putting down? Let what happened yesterday be a reminder to yourself that nothing in business is perfect, and you can succeed anyway.