Preparing for #GivingTuesday | Resources for You

October 19, 2021

#GivingTuesday, Should Your Nonprofit Bother? Making the decision to participate. In GivingTuesday is a day, not a strategy, Mary Cahalane notes that “Because it’s GivingTuesday” is not a reason for someone to give. How to Ask for an Extra Gift From Your Monthly Donors, and A monthly giving how to: Should you ask for monthly gifts at […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | What You Need to Know About Donor-Advised Funds

October 15, 2021

Donor-Advised Funds (DAFs) are playing an increasing –and sometimes controversial—role in philanthropy. Unfortunately, too many nonprofits are unaware of both the enormous opportunities and the potential downsides of DAF’s. DAFs have been criticized, and legislation has been introduced (but not yet enacted) to regulate them. One criticism is that while donors receive the tax deduction […]

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Nonprofit Monthly Giving: Examples, Best Practices, Micro-Lesson Webinars, and More

October 12, 2021

According to NeonCRM, in 2020 there was an astonishing increase of 76.8% in new recurring donors compared to 2019. Monthly giving plays a crucial role in your nonprofit’s Ask/Thank/Report “lifetime donor attraction systems.” And now, in the midst of unstable times, growing monthly giving should be a high priority for the small and community-based nonprofit. […]

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A Facebook Parable

October 6, 2021

Picture if you will, you’ve opened a new small retail shop in a big indoor mall… On the first day, your shop opened the doors you had customers coming in the doors in droves. As they say, “business was good.” There’s something wonderful about throwing open your doors and knowing that you’ll get a certain […]

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Making Online Donations Seamless for Donors

October 4, 2021

After all of the social media, direct mail, and search engine optimization campaigns that it takes to turn a casual searcher into a potential donor, the last thing your organization wants is to lose that support right at the donation page. Fail to engage online donors and facilitate a positive donation experience, and you might […]

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Nonprofit Accounting for Small Orgs: 4 Tips

September 29, 2021

When it comes to maintaining the growth and success of nonprofit organizations, effective accounting practices are the unsung heroes of the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit accounting consists of the practices necessary for the organization to analyze and act upon critical financial data, such as fundraising revenue, donation data, and the allocation of funds throughout your organization. […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Smarter Nonprofit Events — It’s Possible!

September 22, 2021

I think we’ve all got love/hate feelings about nonprofit events. After all, they can be an enormous amount of fun. A wonderful opportunity to connect with donors and gain awareness for your mission. And, as I noted in this post, events can and do raise money. Yet it’s rare that event ROI analysis methods factor […]

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5 Virtual Fundraising Ideas Any Nonprofit Can Plan

September 20, 2021

This year, the keynote at the annual Raise Event Fundraising Conference 2021 talked about how we are living in a VUCA world. That stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Chaotic, and Ambiguous. Yep, that sounds about right for not only life but fundraising these days! With uncertainty still surrounding the pandemic, many nonprofits and supporters are taking […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | Inspire & Your Delight Donors!

September 16, 2021

Direct mail is still the most popular medium for year-end fundraising. And we know that multichannel fundraising is the most effective. NextAfter notes that donors who give offline AND online are three times more valuable to your organization than those who only give offline. But what does that mean? Think of your own beautiful direct […]

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Nonprofit Website Design: 4 Elements to Include

September 1, 2021

Your nonprofit’s website is one of the most important outreach tools you have at your disposal. It’s at the center of a strong marketing strategy—supporters who hear about your organization through other channels will probably go to your website to learn more.  Your website also provides convenient opportunities for visitors to get involved with your […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Make a Plan for Board Engagement with Sabrina Walker Hernandez

September 1, 2021

Do your board members say “I’ll do anything, just don’t make me fundraise!” Sabrina Walker Hernandez knows your pain. And in this engaging and thoughtful MotivateMonday session from earlier this year, you’ll discover ways to take the reins and transform your board into enthusiastic ambassadors. You’ll discover: How to understand the role of the board […]

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What’s in My Inbox | Growing Monthly Giving With Email

August 25, 2021

Your monthly giving program is the best thing since sliced bread! But it’s not a case of if you build it, they will come. Nope, you’ve got to work it. What we recommend in Simple Development Systems and Basics & More is a relentless focus on growing monthly giving. How? For clients and students, that […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Monthly Giving Made Easy (Yes, Really!)

August 18, 2021

When it comes to monthly giving, no one knows better than monthly giving guru, and author of the new book, Monthly Giving Made Easy, than Erica Waasdorp. Monthly giving plays a crucial role in your nonprofit’s Ask/Thank/Report “donor attraction systems.” And it’s more important than ever now, in the midst of unstable times. The key […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | Extra Special Donor Stewardship

August 4, 2021

The Fistula Foundation works to end the suffering caused by obstetric fistula because they believe “no woman should endure a life of misery, simply for trying to bring a child into the world.” It is a transformative mission. Since 2009, they’ve provided surgeries in 33 countries in Africa and Asia. And the Fistula Foundation enjoys […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | This Nonprofit Gratitude Report Shines

July 28, 2021

It’s been said that “victory comes from finding opportunities in problems” (Sun Tzu) And in no instance could that be more true than in the nonprofit sector’s relationship with the annual report. They’re not required by law, but annual reports give your organization legitimacy that an IRS Form 990 can’t quite touch. They let the […]

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What’s in My Inbox | Time and Resource-Strapped? User-Generated Content to the Rescue!

July 27, 2021

Are you spending your days posting on social media to the point of exhaustion…with little to show for it? Relief is at hand! Consider leveraging user-generated content to lighten your load. Presented for your approval: the weekly enews, A Dose of Desert Joy. Published by the Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, a nonprofit whose mission […]

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Power of Storytelling | Keep it short, keep it simple. A nonprofit newsletter that works.

July 13, 2021

What happens when you age out of foster care? Family & Youth Initiative, a DC-based nonprofit, supports “older teens in foster care who would otherwise have no caring adults in their lives.” In other words, young adults who might otherwise have nowhere else to turn. At only ten years old, Family Young Initiative has seen […]

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Best Nonprofit Resources

July 7, 2021

Agents of Good Canadian direct response agency, Agents of Good has a terrific blog highlighting some of their best work. Don’t miss the brilliant 26 direct mail ideas you can steal from one pack. The Agitator Blog Brought to you by Donor Voice. The latest in using the insights behind your donor’s giving motivations. Bloomerang […]

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GROW Your Individual Giving With These 12 Tips!

June 30, 2021

Smart fundraisers know. Growing a strong base of individual funding support will guide your mission through any crisis. GivingUSA, the barometer of charitable giving in the United States, regularly reveals that roughly 80% of philanthropic giving comes from individuals (factoring in bequest giving). Growing your individual giving takes strategy, commitment, and a bit of creativity. […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | What Can You Learn From This Legacy Pack?

June 29, 2021

I like to joke that I receive a lot of legacy packs in the mail these days. Not because of any personal connection to the mission, but for the simple fact that I am now officially old AF. But when this self-mailer from Mother Jones, a reader-supported investigative news organization, landed in my mailbox recently, […]

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