Last Sunday’s New York Times Magazine cover story “Are Your Friends Making Your Fat?,” posed some intriguing ideas for social marketing campaigns.

The crux of the social contagion theory: friends and even friends of friends can have an enormous influence over your health habits and other behaviors. So why not, for example, combat obesity by urging people to diet with their close friends?

Easier said than done. But there are promising applications of this theory in the works, according to reporter Clive Thomson, who describes an effort by researchers at the Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies to develop a Facebook app for people trying to quit smoking. The app allows them to publicly post how long they’ve gone without smoking and how much money they’ve saved.

By going public, the theory goes, you’ll inspire and influence others to quit smoking, too.

Going public also creates…

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The Wall Street Journal recently reported on a study that shows wealthy women give nearly twice as much as wealthy men.

The study  confirms what communications and development directors who engage women know from experience: women often seek a multiple opinions before they make a funding decision. They also like to work collaboratively. This due diligence can stretch the process, but it also means once they sign the check, they’re “all in” with their support.

Here are some quick tips for engaging major (female) donors:

1. Engage early. Who doesn’t like to be there on the ground floor where it all began? If you’ve got a great idea, bring her in early to get her excited and invested. Tap her knowledge and perspective as a major donor to cultivate other donors.

2. Be open. Be proactive about offering people she may want to talk to about your work, whether…

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