What’s in My Inbox | How are you “warming up” your donors?

July 13, 2022

The “warm-up” piece prior to your end-of-year campaign (or any campaign really) serves as a method of “priming” your donors for your next ask. It was derived from Robert Cialdini’s book, Pre-Suasion: A Revolutionary Way to Influence and Persuade. It’s a way to make your donors feel important, appreciated, and selfishly fulfilled. And who doesn’t want […]

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5 Tips for Planning an Advocacy Campaign 5K Fundraiser

July 13, 2022

Connecting with your advocacy campaign’s target audience will require your nonprofit to leverage several strategies. From digital advocacy efforts to canvassing and in-person rallies, spreading awareness about your campaign is essential for generating support and raising funds. One way you can connect with your community is through popular fundraising events, like a 5K. 5K fundraisers […]

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What’s in My Inbox | User-Generated-Content for the Win!

July 6, 2022

Do you wish your social media posts were more engaging? Do you know that you need to communicate more with your supporters…but you just don’t have the time to create all that content? If you’re the executive director or development director of a small nonprofit, chances are good that in addition to your job title, […]

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Power of Nonprofit Storytelling | Sharing Your Supporters’ Stories

June 30, 2022

One of the smartest things to do for your fundraising during times of crisis is to revisit your nonprofit’s storytelling. And one of the best ways to do that is to go directly to those individuals who know and love you. What are their stories? This email, from Planned Parenthood, seeks stories from their community […]

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Text-to-Donate: 4 Strategies for Successful Mobile Campaigns

May 26, 2022

Text-to-donate is a powerful fundraising tool that thousands of nonprofits are using to overcome the physical distance between them and their donors. In 2019, mobile giving accounted for 33% of online donation transactions, and three years later, this number is continuing to rise thanks to convenient giving methods like text donations. If you’re looking to […]

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Power of Nonprofit Storytelling | How are you building community with your supporters?

May 24, 2022

When your donors became involved with your mission, their support was more than likely inspired by a story. Have you considered asking for your supporters’ stories? My client, EmbraceRace, for the win with this email honoring the anniversary of the murder of George Floyd and requesting supporters’ stories. The message shares signs of hope and […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Creative Deviations Book Launch

May 18, 2022

Direct mail fundraising has always played a major role in the Simple Development Systems’ “Ask/Thank/Report/Repeat” model of building your solid individual giving program. That’s why, when my friend, John Lepp of Agents for Good, asked me to take a look at his new book late last year, I was thrilled. In typical John fashion, he […]

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5 Types of Data Your Nonprofit Should Be Collecting

May 4, 2022

You spend countless hours and put so much effort into creating fundraising campaigns, communicating with donors, and simply running your nonprofit. But do you actually know if your efforts are effective? If you’re not tracking data, you can’t know if your methods are aligning with your donors’ needs or how you should improve going forward. […]

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Nonprofit Marketing Ideas For Connecting With Your Audience

May 4, 2022

Marketing your nonprofit is essential to keeping your organization well-funded and able to pursue your mission. However, continually coming up with new and effective marketing ideas can be a challenge, especially for nonprofits with limited resources. Fortunately, there’s a variety of marketing methods nonprofits can take advantage of to grow their audience, while also being […]

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Turnover in Nonprofit Staffing: Make a Plan

May 4, 2022

We’ve been talking about it forever. Or at the very least, since 2013. That’s when Underdeveloped:  A National Study of Challenges Facing Nonprofit Fundraising, came out from CompassPoint and the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund. The report reflected a dismal state of affairs in the field of fundraising, including heavy turnover and vacancies in development director […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Raise More Money Through Email with Storytelling

April 28, 2022

Nonprofits know that email is a powerful direct response tool for online fundraising. But it can be hard to write emails that stand out and bring in donations for your cause. In this 30-minute flash training, Vanessa Chase Lockshin, founder of The Storytelling Nonprofit, will show you how to harness the power of storytelling to […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | The Power of Nostalgia in Fundraising

April 19, 2022

You already know the power of emotion in fundraising. Have you ever thought about the potential power of nostalgia in your fundraising? In a study from the Journal of Consumer Research, inc. published in the Chicago Journal, researchers found evidence that: Nostalgia increases empathy toward those in need, which, in turn, increases charitable intentions and […]

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What’s in My Inbox | Template for an Email Ask

April 14, 2022

Your best email asks will always be simple and straightforward, with one focus. This email, from Appleseed Ministry Group, fits the bill. Appleseed Ministry training, a faith-based nonprofit, provides training in several nations for planters of simple churches Starting with a must-open subject line, “rats in the drinking water – final request to help,” this […]

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Why We Love Donor Surveys (And You Should Too!)

April 13, 2022

“Over 70% of people that we recruit into organizations never come back and make another gift, so we’re caught on this treadmill where we have to spend lots of money on acquisition which most nonprofits lose money on anyway, just to stand still.” – Dr. Adrian Sargeant Quick! What’s the easiest, least expensive way to raise […]

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Nonprofit Fundraising | Making Your First 100 Days Count

April 6, 2022

FDR, coming into office in the midst of the desperate years of the Great Depression, set the standard. What you accomplish in your first 100 days counts. Chances are, if you’re coming on board as a nonprofit development director in today’s climate, you, too, may be facing a time of great instability. We’ve all been […]

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What’s in My Inbox | Cryptocurrency and Your Nonprofit

March 31, 2022

What is cryptocurrency and what does your nonprofit need to know? According to Wikipedia: A cryptocurrency, crypto-currency, or crypto is a digital currency designed to work as a medium of exchange through a computer network that is not reliant on any central authority, such as a government or bank, to uphold or maintain it. Cryptocurrency […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | The Power of Personalized Thank You Videos

March 30, 2022

We’re always trying to stand out among the sea of nonprofits vying for your donors’ attention. And if a picture is worth 1,000 words, how much is a video worth? Nothing connects with your donors quite like the personal touch of a thank you video. Video acknowledgments make donors feel appreciated in a special way […]

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Creating a Transformational Nonprofit Fundraising Plan

March 29, 2022

For your fundraising success, make a plan. Work the plan. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? And yet a lack of clarity is one of the biggest causes of waste and procrastination in the nonprofit sector. The writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry noted that “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” If you don’t know […]

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Secure Your Database – Secure Your Future: Some Simple Guidelines

March 26, 2022

Nonprofit organizations most often start from the vision of the founder.   Whether that vision is a neighborhood without violence, the elimination of hunger, or an appropriate education for one’s special needs child, the founder drives the train and others are inspired to jump on board because they support that vision. The desire to achieve […]

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What the World Needs Now: More Thank You’s Not Less

March 25, 2022

It was one of those face-melting, mid-August days and I was riding the bus in downtown Philadelphia. Now normally, I’d be walking the two miles home from my job. But you know cities. All that concrete makes summer seem even hotter. I didn’t know it yet, but I was pregnant with my second daughter and […]

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