That wine and cheese tasting is pretty bland, if you think about it.

If you’re a nonprofit pro trying to get donors interested—really, truly interested—in what you’re doing, you need to aim a little higher, argues Network for Good’s Liz Ragland. Speaking to Alexis Lux of the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City, Ragland highlights what’s needed to create meaningful experiences for donors.

“These experiences should bring a donation to life,” Lux tells Ragland. “You want this experience to feel priceless to them, but it shouldn’t really cost you much. It creates a closer connection to the nonprofit.”

Lux suggests getting people directly involved in the programs they’re supporting—so if it’s a summer camp, for example, have the donor take part.

Hop over to the Nonprofit Marketing Blog for more tips.

Smart Minds Meet

Thx for the interview @kikilitalien! Looking at Y: An Interview with Sarah Sladek, XYZ University http://t.co/lSOXNn4IzR #assnchat @Aptify

— Sarah Sladek (@SarahSladek) July 28, 2014

Have 20 minutes and some change? If you’ve got a set of headphones, be sure to listen to Kiki L’Italien’s interview with generational mastermind Sarah Sladek, founder and CEO of XYZ University. Chatting as part of Aptify’s Association Mavens podcast series (albeit without the usual video component), the pair talk about Sladek’s new book, Knowing Y.

Sladek, by the way, will be leading a learning lab on the topic of millennials at ASAE’s 2014 Annual Meeting & Exposition next month.

Other good reads

On the occasion of the merger of two of the biggest dollar-store brands, Money magazine discusses the economics of a surprisingly versatile business model. There’s a reason Dollar Tree bought Family Dollar for $8.5 billion—which, not coincidentally, would get you a lot of stuff at Dollar Tree.

Could Facebook be making an enterprise play? CMS Wire has the scoop on a rumored service called “FB@Work.”

Be less boring when networking. LifeHacker writer Alan Henry has a few ideas to help you get a grasp on the whole “interesting” thing.

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