Faithful readers, we mark a milestone today. One year ago, I started this blog.
Like many eager bloggers, I began with zero audience and experience. I wanted to engage with others who were interested in corporate giving and sustainability. These topics helped spur 12 months of trial and error.
58 posts later, I’ve learned a lot from you. After reviewing my most-read and least-read posts, I observed:
People seem to like grantwriting tips.
Especially my top post: 8 tell-tale signs of a grantwriting rookie. (Not counting my homepage views, this post generated 30% of all traffic to my blog last year.)
My posts on readability statistics are also high on the list, including How readable is your grant proposal? and For your grantwriting tool kit.
Controversy lurks in strange places.
I never expected readability statistics to cause a stir. Much to my surprise, people voiced vehement disapproval of these tools in LinkedIn discussion groups. It was an interesting dialogue on a subject I thought would be rather benign.
Perhaps other utilities — such as dental floss and tire pressure gauges — are also sparking debate somewhere. I understand some people won’t use them, but I’m shocked that others find them harmful. Live and learn.
Nonprofit profiles are a mixed bag.
Nonprofits do great work, and I love sharing their stories. A few profiles rank among my most-read posts, while others have attracted fewer than 10 views in months.
Sometimes, the nonprofit will boost readership. Educare, for example, shared a link to my post (Educare in the suburbs) on its website.
Other posts succeed because they offer advice that can easily transfer to other nonprofits. Examples include a powerful thank you note in Straight to the heart and a clever use of seed money in Grants that grow.
Sustainability posts do better on Tellabs’ blog
Corporate responsibility and giving are related fields, but this blog’s audience appears to prefer my posts on giving.
What’s next?
I’ll keep hunting for the brightest nonprofit insights. I’ll share book reviews, case studies, and tips from the funder’s point of view.
My job at Tellabs is also changing. I now have a larger role with social media and content marketing. I hope to build my skills in these areas and share what I learn here.
Your interests continue to intrigue me, and they help me grow as a blogger. Tell me — what would you like to see more of (or less of) here?
Meredith Hilt's Blog 
Posted on June 30, 2012
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