Blog

See what’s inspiring us in the nonprofit world—and get the latest news and updates from Sanky

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Jan 11, 2024 | By Michelle Simons and Skyler Simons

The Cookie Crumbles: Preparing for the End of Third-Party Cookies

As of January 4th, 2024, sites will no longer have access to third-party cookies for 1% of Google Chrome users. This is a big step towards third-party cookie deprecation, expected to be fully implemented by the end of this year. According to Google, this change is being implemented to meet rising user expectations for privacy and rapidly evolving regulatory restrictions. So, what does this mean for nonprofits?

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Aug 14, 2023 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight: Kristy Cantú

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our team of trailblazing fundraisers — who are not just invested in what fundraising looks like today but what it could look like tomorrow. This month, our spotlight is on Kristy Cantú, Director of Data Insights.

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Aug 10, 2023 | By Ankitha Donepudi

A Summer Spent at Sanky!

I am absolutely thrilled and filled with gratitude for the incredible opportunity I had to serve as a Paid Media Intern at Sanky this past summer. Allow me to introduce myself formally and share a bit about my journey that led me to this experience.

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Jul 27, 2023 | By Megan Ziemann and Emily Harms

GA4: The Nonprofit Guide to Google's Newest Analytics Tool

GA4 is the newest analytics service from Google that enables you to measure traffic and engagement across your websites and apps. The GA4 platform was first launched in October 2020. With the official sunsetting of Universal Analytics on July 1, 2023, expect the GA4 platform to continue to receive updates and improvements on a regular basis.

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Jul 24, 2023 | By Ellie Boroughs

We're 2x runners-up at the DMFAs!

We love doing good and we love when our fundraising peers recognize the work we’re doing! Two of our campaigns were just honored at the DMFA Awards. We were runner up in the Direct Mail Mid-Level category for our work on Planned Parenthood of Greater New York’s Annual Fall Mid-Level Appeal and runner up in the Multichannel category for our work on Episcopal Relief & Development’s Ukraine Rapid Response.

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Jun 26, 2023 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight: Tim Dlugos

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our team of trailblazing fundraisers, and to celebrate Pride Month, we’re turning the spotlight on Tim Dlugos, Sanky’s former creative director and a celebrated poet, best known for the poems he wrote during the AIDS crisis.

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May 12, 2023 | By Ellie Boroughs

We Brought Home Three More IAC Trophies!

What’s the icing on the cake when it comes to helping nonprofits do good? Taking home awards for our efforts! We just added three trophies to our shelf from the IAC Awards, which are annually given to the best online advertising campaigns across 96 countries, and judged in nine online formats. We won Best Nonprofit Interactive Application for The Hunger Project’s High Touch campaign landing page, Best Nonprofit Email for Citymeals on Wheels’ Pop Cultivation email, and Best Nonprofit Social Media Campaign for GLAAD’s Holiday/Year-End campaign.

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May 5, 2023 | By Laura Cole

Benchmark Recap: What the heck happened in 2022?

As with many in the industry, we’ve spent the past few months diving deep into industry trends to understand the factors that produced a rollercoaster 2022 fundraising year. With the release of new benchmark reports, conversations with colleagues around the industry, and the wrapping up of results for clients through December 31, 2022, we now have an expansive view of shifts and changes impacting the industry and our clients.

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Apr 17, 2023 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight: Alexis Sachdev

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our team of trailblazing fundraisers — who are not just invested in what fundraising looks like today but what it could look like tomorrow. This month, our spotlight is on Senior Copywriter Alexis Sachdev.

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Mar 29, 2023 | By Kate Greenhouse and Alexis Sachdev

Fundraising is Female: The History of American Women in Nonprofits

Generally speaking, fundraising is a female-dominated profession… and it has been for centuries. In fact, women laid the groundwork for American philanthropy. Join us as we dig into fundraising’s inextricable ties to women, the barriers to equality women still face today, and where we go from here.

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Mar 15, 2023 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight — Women’s History Month Edition: Sanky Perlowin and Judy Maneval

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our team of trailblazing fundraisers, and to celebrate Women’s History Month, we’re turning the spotlight on the women who blazed the trail for all of us today: our eponymous founder, Sanky Perlowin, and former President Judy Maneval.

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Feb 21, 2023 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight: Lian Petrie

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our team of trailblazing fundraisers — who are not just invested in what fundraising looks like today but what it could look like tomorrow. This month, our spotlight is on Paid Media Manager Lian Petrie.

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Dec 20, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight: Kiesha Jenkins

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our team of trailblazing fundraisers — who are not just invested in what fundraising looks like today but what it could look like tomorrow. This month, our spotlight is on Associate Account Executive Kiesha Jenkins.

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Oct 31, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight: Kira Dunleavy

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our team of trailblazing fundraisers — who are not just invested in what fundraising looks like today but what it could look like tomorrow. This month, our spotlight is on Designer Kira Dunleavy.

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Oct 21, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky All-Staff Retreat: A Lesson in Transformation

When the pandemic hit in March 2020, Sanky — like most companies — went temporarily fully remote. Fast forward two and a half years, and we’re now permanently fully remote with staff all over the country. Until our recent retreat, a lot of us hadn’t ever met each other in person. Spending time and sharing space with each other was a big reason for the retreat, but as a company, we also had some questions we needed to answer.

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Sep 26, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

Sanky Spotlight: Carline Czaja

Welcome to the Sanky Spotlight, where we shine a light on the talent we have at Sanky. For over 45 years, we have succeeded because of our staff of trailblazing fundraisers — who are not just invested in what fundraising looks like today but what it could look like tomorrow. This month, our spotlight is on Account Executive Carline Czaja.

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Aug 31, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

Tips for Surviving Busy Season

Sanky has been around for over 45 years, which means we are pros when it comes to the busy season, but that doesn’t mean we don’t feel the stress! Here are our best tips for making it through this stressful time as gracefully as possible.

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Aug 24, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

Man Versus Machine: African Wildlife Foundation Spring Campaign

At Sanky, we spend a lot of time discussing what makes great creative. Is it inspired strategy? Is it clever copy? Is it beautiful design? All of those things are necessary building blocks for great creative, but more important than all of that is that it is made by us. Great creative is great because it is made by people. For our clients, their work is personal, which means our work needs to be personal too. But what happens when you take humanity out of creative? What would a fundraising campaign created by AIs look like? We’re about to find out.

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Jul 28, 2022 | By Alexis Sachdev and Kate Greenhouse

Community-Centric Fundraising: An Equitable Approach to Philanthropy

Traditional fundraising centers the donor — and while this approach certainly has its benefits, it’s not without criticism. In this post, we’ll explore its counter-argument, community-centric fundraising, and several methods to implement CCF principles in your development strategy.

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Jun 29, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

We Won Best Digital Campaign at the 2022 DMFA Awards!

To quote the iconic DJ Khaled: Another one! Sanky is adding yet another trophy to our shelf. We were just awarded Best Digital Campaign at the 2022 DMFA Awards for our work on San Francisco SPCA’s Giving Tuesday campaign.

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Jun 24, 2022 | By Ellie Boroughs

We Brought Home Another IAC Trophy!

What do we like more than helping nonprofits do good? Taking home awards for our efforts. We just took home the 2022 IAC win for Best Nonprofit Online Campaign for our work on Episcopal Relief and Development’s Gifts For Life microsite!

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Mar 21, 2022 | By Julie Ziff Sint

Come see Sanky at the 2022 NTC!

Join Sanky staff at 3 sessions at the Nonprofit Technology Conference this year:

  • Bringing Direct Mail Donors Online: From Appends to QRs
  • Workshop: Capturing the (Ethical) Story
  • How AWF Reactivated 108,000 Lost Emails with One Strategy Change

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Jun 21, 2021 | By Ellie Boroughs

We won big at the DMFA Awards!

Last year was, well… different, to say the least. Despite 2020’s unique challenges, the Sanky team banded together to produce some stunning work for our clients and ensure they got the funds they needed to help others survive the pandemic. Two of these campaigns were recognized by DMFA, including a win for "Best Multi-Channel Campaign!"

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May 17, 2021 | By Shefali Rao

We secured two more spots in the IAC winners circle!

Last year, the Sanky team faced its fair share of challenges (we're going to avoid saying "unprecedented" because, well, you know). And yet, despite it all, we banded together to produce some stunning work for our clients. Two of these outstanding campaigns were recognized by the IAC, including a win for "Best in Show!"

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Feb 17, 2021 | By Megan McDonell

Congratulations, Harry!

Sanky’s CEO will begin a two-year term as the chair of the AFP U.S. Foundation for Philanthropy. He says, “It’s such an honor to take this role and lead this amazing team. Our mission is so critical – and so fitting – for this moment in time.”

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Jul 31, 2020 | By Kate Sederstrom

Another Big Win for Sanky at the IAC Awards

Every year, the IAC Awards are given to the best online advertising across 96 countries, judged in nine online formats. In other words, it’s a big deal — which is why we’re thrilled to announce that Sanky Communications has secured a spot in the winners circle in the 2020 competition!

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Apr 17, 2020 | By Harry Lynch

COVID-19 is changing everything - or is it?

Our world has been turned on its head. In an instant, the pandemic has transformed every aspect of our lives. But it’s important to not lose sight of what you already know — it could help you navigate this difficult moment.

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Oct 15, 2019 | By Hillary Maltz and Jimmy Grissman

When Harry Met Sanky

Our agency was built on a framework of passion and innovation that continues to drive our work today. But what do we know about the woman who started it all? Learn the story behind Sanky's namesake, Sanky Perlowin, in a special interview with current CEO Harry Lynch.

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Jun 4, 2019 | By Jamie Diamond

Employee Spotlight: Jamie Diamond

Through her incredible Hanger Project, Jamie Diamond has raised over $6,400 to help women in the U.S. access safe, quality reproductive healthcare.

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Apr 16, 2019 | By Maria Keasey

Employee Spotlight: Maria Keasey

A couple years ago, Maria Keasey’s family helped develop food, water, agriculture and sanitation projects in Zimbabwe. Read about them in Sanky’s latest employee spotlight!

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Feb 22, 2019 | By Domo

Almost time for NTC!

The annual Non Profit Technology Conference (NTC) is just around the corner and Sanky will be there in full force! Learn about our sessions, panels and even yoga offerings. Then, stay tuned as we report live from the conference in Portland, Oregon, March 13-15.

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Dec 27, 2018 | By Julie Ziff Sint

While everyone else is on their holiday vacation...

During this giving season’s final push, a volatile stock market, a government shutdown, a blue wave in the House, tax reform — and even a tsunami — are all playing their part in shifting traditional giving trends. We break it down for you.

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Jun 18, 2018 | By Sanky Communications, Inc.

Case Study: African Wildlife Foundation and Quantcast

Sanky partnered with Quantcast in an effort to reach African Wildlife Foundation's donors in as many channels as possible during the 2017 holiday season. Check out our case study that explores how this partnership led to a 300+% return on display ad investment.

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Apr 18, 2018 | By Domobot

Sanky Takes Home Three IAC Awards!

We are so excited to announce that Sanky recently won three Internet Advertising Competition (IAC) awards, including Best Of Show Email Message Campaign, Best Non-profit Online Campaign and Outstanding Website –– and we couldn’t be prouder!

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Mar 27, 2018 | By Colleen Hodgetts and Adrian Frandle

Almost time for NTC!

The annual Non Profit Technology Conference (NTC) is just around the corner and Sanky will be there in full force! Learn about our sessions, panels and even yoga offerings. Then, stay tuned as we report live from the conference in New Orleans April 10-13.

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Feb 16, 2018 | By Mona Le Roy

Thank You Sanky!

Sometimes you get lucky… and we at Sanky were lucky enough to have Mona Le Roy on our tech team during her year internship. Read her farewell message and get to know both her and Sanky a little more!

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Feb 14, 2018 | By Laura Cole

Sanky at #DCNP18!

On Thursday February 22, Sanky will be leading a session on rapid response planning at the 2018 DMA Washington Nonprofit Conference. Come learn how to develop a rapid response plan and gain insight into how to successfully navigate rapid response situations.

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Jan 22, 2018 | By Michelle Defaz

Don’t Lose Your Google Ad Grant!

The Google Ad Grant program has made some major changes effective as of January 1, 2018. Find out everything your nonprofit needs to know about it here.

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Dec 4, 2017 | By Claire Thomas

Harry Lynch Awarded DMFA Marketer of the Year

The Direct Marketing Fundraising Association named our own Harry Lynch as the winner of this year's prestigious Marketer of the Year Award. Given his exceptional contributions to the field the recognition is much deserved. Read on…

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Oct 25, 2017 | By Joe Coakley and Michelle Defaz

Google Analytics… help!!

Google Analytics… where do you even begin? Don’t worry! We’ve put together some recommendations for improving your organization’s Google Analytics set up and configuration. From here, you’ll be able to take a closer look at your data in order to make strategic decisions.

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Oct 3, 2017 | By Ana Suarez

What is a Welcome Series?

Do you need one? Who does it go to? And when?! Ultimately the goal is to grow your list and cultivate relationships with new subscribers, but how do you begin? Let’s answer some hard-hitting questions on welcome series and strategies for success.

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Sep 29, 2017 | By Jessica Murray

My Summer at Sanky

Summer vacation is a time of relaxation, exploration, and hopefully education and growth. When I decided to spend part of this precious time working for Sanky Communications, I decided to invest my time in something that would hopefully lead to that growth.

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Sep 26, 2017 | By Jeanie Kyle

Getting into shape for Holiday season

As the schedule gets more and more packed with projects, it’s easy to pretend that fitness is one of things to knock off the calendar so you can churn out just a couple more deliverables. But the benefits of working out extend far past the superficial and physical. All of this translates into your end-of-year projects!

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Sep 21, 2017 | By Micah Banner

Tips for a Successful Nonprofit Merger

Institutional mergers present tremendous fundraising opportunities, but also great risks if certain elements of the transition are not addressed in a timely and optimal manner. We’ve outlined several points to help your nonprofit succeed!

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Sep 8, 2017 | By Julie Ziff Sint

What’s your Rapid Response Plan?

Our tried-and-true perspective on how to handle rapid response at your organization –– and get your message out as quickly and effectively as possible.

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Sep 7, 2017 | By Laura Cole and Megan Quellhorst

Matching Gift Campaign Success Stories

Are you thinking about a matching gift campaign for your nonprofit? Matching gift campaigns help donors feel their gift has a bigger impact while adding urgency through clear deadlines. Check out some examples from our amazing clients!

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Aug 29, 2017 | By Harry Lynch

Hurricane Harvey

Every time there is a natural disaster, Sanky's team stands ready to act. Learn about how we are helping clients like Habitat for Horses and Episcopal Relief Development on the ground.

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Aug 25, 2017 | By Clay Baucom

8 Things I Love About Drupal 8

We’ve now launched two websites in Drupal 8, so it’s time for a little wrap up from the technology team at Sanky. Clay Baucom takes us through his 8 favorite things.

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Aug 22, 2017 | By Yivan Zhong and Moriah Shtull

Introducing the new CovenantHouse.org on Drupal 8!

We are proud to introduce the new *drumroll please* covenanthouse.org! This is our second website redesign launch on Drupal 8 this year and Sanky’s own Yivan Zhong and Moriah Shtull are here to walk you through some of the site’s awesome new features.

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Aug 21, 2017 | By Paul Habig and Harry Lynch

Truth or Consequences: Online Fundraising

Earlier this month, we traveled to Washington, D.C. to lead the session “Truth or Consequences - What’s New Online that Truly Works,” at the Bridge Conference 2017. Were you there? If not, that’s okay! We’ll give you a quick wrap up.

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Aug 9, 2017 | By Moriah Shtull

Social Media 101

If you work for a nonprofit, chances are you’re often working with a board that doesn’t quite understand what social media is and how successful campaigns can increase charitable contributions. Here are some tips and tricks for communicating with them about social media.

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Jul 27, 2017 | By Moriah Shtull and Amy Adsley

Join Sanky at Bridge Conference 2017!

Heading to Maryland for Bridge Conference on August 2nd? We are too! Check out our session on Thursday, August 2nd at 11:15 am for Truth or Consequences - What’s New Online that Truly Works. It’s gonna be great!

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Jul 20, 2017 | By Jessica Murray

A day in the life of a Sanky intern

I decided to spend my Summer at Sanky. And then, I decided to write about it. Here’s a look at what a typical day is like as the Social/SEM/Data intern!

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Jul 5, 2017 | By Moriah Shtull

A new website for Citymeals

This fall, we helped Citymeals on Wheels launch a brand new website! Have you seen it? Here’s a quick rundown of some MAJORLY AWESOME updates we’ve implemented. We’re proud to work with such a great organization!

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Jun 26, 2017 | By Laura Cole

Sanky/AWF Case Study

After African Wildlife Foundation engaged Sanky to advise and manage the migration to a new eCRM, they saw remarkable online revenue growth including a 137% growth in sustainer giving. Check out our case study that explores how the solution we recommended – powered by Jackson River's Springboard platform, Salesforce, and IBM Watson Campaign Automation – helps build donor relationships and saves Africa's wildlife.

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Jun 22, 2017 | By Regina Ryan

Give them something to remember you by

You can’t cultivate donors if they don’t care about your cause. Sanky brings you creative and technology driven tips on how to capture the supporters you want — from concept to execution.

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Jun 20, 2017 | By Christen Buckley

Getting to know you: personalization for your nonprofit

The goal of personalization is to use data to make it easier for customers to find and consume what they want, how and when they want. As personalization becomes more pervasive across all sectors, Sanky has the break down for your nonprofit.

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Jun 13, 2017 | By Melinda Frimpong

Increasing your ROI with Care2

Many nonprofits debate the merits of email acquisition because the return on investment can be fairly low. But, when the right strategy, platform, issues, and audience come together, the impact can transform an email list – just as it did for Habitat for Horses. 

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May 23, 2017 | By Karl Smudski

Abraham Lincoln, a Direct Mail Mastermind

8 score and 6 years ago, Lincoln wrote a letter to his ‘lazy’ step-brother to share some wisdom and make an exciting new offer. Find out how this lesser-known story from history might also be helpful in your next matching gift campaign.

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May 15, 2017 | By Adrian Frandle

The Great Open Rate Debate

Are open rates the best way to determine an email's success? Or is it a useless metric that tells little about engagement and donor behavior? The debate rages on, and as is often the case, the answer lies somewhere between useful and useless. 

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May 10, 2017 | By Claire Thomas

Not Raking it in Like The ACLU? Here’s Why.

Tired of hearing questions like: “Why aren’t we raising as much money as the ACLU?” We got you. Check out this Vox article that explains why your revenue isn’t piling up the way it is for a lucky few.

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May 4, 2017 | By Domo

Welcome President Trump

The President is making his first New York City appearance today aboard the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum — located just across from our offices. 

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May 1, 2017 | By Hillary Maltz

We raised ALL the money! Now what?

Following the results of the 2016 presidential election, many nonprofits reached incredible new levels of support. But once swells of donations like this come in — how can an organization best utilize them for long-term success? Here are some next steps to think about.

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Apr 17, 2017 | By Adrian Frandle and Megan McDonell

Our NTC Takeaways + New Penguin Friend

We went to the 2017 Nonprofit Technology Conference and we got awesome inflatable penguins –– and learned so much from industry colleagues and the nonprofit community. We are VERY excited about both!

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Mar 30, 2017 | By Moriah Shtull

Sanky wins SIX IAC Awards

Sanky wins six Internet Advertising Competition Awards! We are proud of our work but even more proud to work with clients who do amazing work. Join us in celebrating Classroom Africa, African Wildlife Foundation, Covenant House, Rainforest Alliance and Drug Policy Action, the advocacy and political arm of the Drug Policy Alliance.

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Mar 27, 2017 | By Keith Gotcliffe

10 ways to stand out in a crowded inbox

With email marketers sending more and more messages every day, how do you stop people from scrolling past your emails? We look at ten successful ways to maintain open rates in a time of overflowing inboxes.

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Mar 27, 2017 | By Laura Cole

Best practices: donation forms

Does your donation form meet your needs? Associate Director of Account Services Laura Cole comes to your rescue with helpful tips for getting the form up to snuff.

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Feb 23, 2017 | By Domobot

Sanky at DMA’s 2017 Nonprofit Conference

Our own Paul Habig and Harry Lynch are speaking in DC this week – sharing their expertise on the latest online fundraising trends at Direct Marketing Association’s conference. Check it out!

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Jan 26, 2017 | By Domobot

Sanky Wins "Campaign of the Year"

We are excited to announce that Sanky recently took home the Gold Awards' "Campaign of the Year" for our work with Episcopal Relief & Development — as well as an award for our work with Drug Policy Alliance!

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Jan 17, 2017 | By Kevin Yu

My volunteer story: New York Center for Children

“We help you make our world better” is more than just a tagline at Sanky — we really believe it! We thought there was no better a time than right now to share our staff’s volunteer stories and hopefully inspire others to take action too.

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Jul 6, 2016 | By Kiesha Jenkins-Duffy

Making the most of your donation forms

It’s hard enough attracting potential supporters to your donation form. Be sure your nonprofit’s is one that will make a donor want to give. Here are 6 tips to optimize for the greatest results.

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May 4, 2016 | By Melinda Frimpong

Status update: Who are my online donors?

Social media is the latest tool to reach an audience. But do you really know what these potential donors want? Find out what your nonprofit can do to better understand your social media supporters—and make an online relationship that lasts!

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Apr 21, 2016 | By Cassie Coccaro

Changing the game in the fight against sex trafficking

What could Sunday football have to do with sex trafficking? You’d be surprised. While many spent that first weekend in February cheering on their team, we worked to help Covenant House prevent sex trafficking at major sporting events.

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