Lessons from MotivateMonday | The latest from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project

March 11, 2021

The dust from a year of upheaval is starting to settle. How did the nonprofit sector’s donors respond? Join us for a few surprises as Steven Shattuck, Chief Engagement Officer of Bloomerang, explores the latest donor retention statistics from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project. Download the slides from this presentation by clicking here.

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The Ultimate Nonprofit Email Newsletter How To

March 10, 2021

In the Simple Development Systems’ donor communications model, we’ve always recommended both a print and an e-newsletter. And there’s a reason for that. Your print newsletter serves as a stewardship device, one where you share your donor’s impact and simply make them feel good about their support. When done well, your print newsletter can be […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | What does transformation look like for your nonprofit?

March 3, 2021

A time of crisis is not just a time of anxiety and worry. It gives a chance, an opportunity, to choose well or to choose badly. -Desmond Tutu Have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, the uncertainty and turmoil of the past year have presented you with unique opportunities? That maybe, once we fight […]

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Power of Storytelling | Orbis shows donor love on Valentine’s Day

February 17, 2021

Monthly giving is vital. If you’ve been following me for even a short time, you know how important I know it is. Did you know… “Sixty percent of donors under 35 give monthly.” “The average monthly gift is $24, or $288 a year.” “Monthly donor retention rates: 90 percent and up (double the average donor […]

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What’s in My Inbox | Knowing and honoring donor preferences

February 11, 2021

If you’ve ever donated to a political candidate, you know the pain of having your phone blow up from text messages you don’t quite recall ever having signed up for. In Seinfeld language, I have man hands. I do not like texting, nor do I care to receive text messages from anyone other than friends […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Why monthly giving is more important now than ever

January 28, 2021

In 2020 there was an astonishing increase of 76.8% in new recurring donors compared to 2019! If you’ve been waffling on making monthly giving the priority it needs to be, what are you waiting for? Carve out 30 minutes to watch our latest MotivateMonday session as Neon One’s Tim Sarrantonio shares research from the largest […]

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Why and how to rewrite your nonprofit’s email Welcome message

January 18, 2021

Sarah writes: Our organization is overdue for creating a welcome email to send after someone joins our mailing list. Right now it’s just the standard message that comes with our email service provider (ConstantContact). What else should it include? I do so many things in this job (grants, donor comms, events, etc.) that I don’t […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | Random Thoughts on EOY Direct Mail

December 16, 2020

Following an initial drop-off in direct mail after our country’s lockdown, my mailbox started filling up again. Here are a few random observations from the past 6 weeks of mailings in an exceptional year… Bright yellow “URGENT” envelopes seemed to be the order of the day. A tactic that probably worked well initially, but I […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Thriving During Change

December 16, 2020

How did your nonprofit adapt to the changes the past year has brought about? In this episode of MotivateMonday, speaker, change agent, and learning leader, Keisha A. Rivers joined us to reveal how, in the midst of change, you’ve got a brilliant opportunity to create your “next” normal and move beyond reacting to creating sustainable […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Converting Your New #GivingTuesday Donors to Monthly Donors

December 8, 2020

GivingTuesday donors gave an astonishing $808 million online and $2.47 billion overall in 2020. And a fair share of those donors was brand new! In this session of MotivateMonday, monthly giving guru and dear friend Erica Waasdorp shares her plan for converting your GivingTuesday to monthly supporters. Consider how you’ll be focusing on monthly giving […]

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What’s in my Inbox | What you can learn about solid, empathetic storytelling from an email

December 2, 2020

I owe a fond debt of gratitude to a woman I met when I was only 22. We knew each other only briefly, but she inspired in me a lifelong love of fitness. And she shared a story one night that would forever alter my beliefs on reproductive freedom. Years earlier, my friend, who was […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Establishing Your Grant Calendar

December 2, 2020

Is your organization’s grant strategy a practice of “spray and pray?” Once you’ve determined that, yes, it does make sense for your nonprofit to seek grant funding, you’ll need to hone your game plan. If you’re a small shop fundraiser who’s handling everything from data entry to major gifts to annual giving to event planning, […]

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How Are You Making #GivingTuesday Uniquely YOU?

November 18, 2020

It’s that time of year again. The time when #GivingTuesday is just around the bend. The time when my inbox looks like this once again. The time when nonprofits, many of whom I haven’t heard from all year long, begin their relentless email assault. But my mom said it to me. I said it to my […]

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Power of Storytelling | This wrongfully convicted father wants to see his kids vote

November 5, 2020

The Innocence Project is a nonprofit legal organization founded at Yeshiva University’s Cardozo School of Law in the early 90s. They’re committed to exonerating those who have been wrongly convicted and reforming the criminal justice system to prevent further injustices.  Though I’ve spotlighted them within this blog space before, I do often find their communication […]

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Quick Guide to writing Nonprofit Privacy and Legal Notice Webpage

November 3, 2020

If you are a typical nonprofit organization, you are likely to collect a large chunk of confidential information from your users, albeit in the form of IP addresses collected by your website’s statistics package. With the many updates on Facebook and the billions of users whose data was potentially compromised, online users are becoming more […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | A swipeable lift note to repurpose for donor communications

October 28, 2020

I recently became a monthly donor to the World Wildlife Fund. I appreciate their mission of wilderness preservation. Their efforts to conserve the planet and the life living on it are especially vital right now. The thank you letter I received isn’t worth sharing. And I was taken aback by the immediate request to become […]

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Power of Storytelling | An update on @Blackmainlinespeaks

October 21, 2020

If you saw this post, it most likely stuck with you. As @blackmainlinespeaks gained traction on Instagram, it received coverage from news outlets, both local and international. The account sought to expose racism lurking within private schools on the Main Line (and throughout Philadelphia) through personal stories of former (and sometimes current) students. These testimonies […]

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Power of Storytelling | This corporate campaign tells the story of the underdog

October 21, 2020

October 22nd marks Subaru’s 2nd annual National #MakeADogsDay. Since the beginning of the month, Subaru has been not only debunking myths that prevent shelter dogs with special needs from being adopted but framing them as reasons to adopt right now. The social media campaign is called “31 Days of Underdog Facts” and has been running […]

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What’s in My Inbox | Making your supporters feel like partners

October 21, 2020

Ottawa-based nonprofit Ten Oaks Project provides a safe space for youth from 2SLGBTQ+ identities, families. Thanks to TOP, these kids not only connect with each other but have the opportunity to engage with programs suited to their needs, too. TOP has been spotlighted on this blog before. I’m a donor and I love their donor […]

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