Clairification

FEBRUARY 2, 2023

Did you ever wonder if there is a foolproof way to communicate with donors? Actually, there is! And it’s not about process. It’s about another ‘P’ word. Can you guess? I’ll give you a hint. It relates to the secret business your nonprofit is in. You may think you’re in (arts, healthcare, human services, environment, social justice, animal rescue, education or whatever) but, fundamentally, your core business is something else.

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Tony Martignetti

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

Eric Saperston: Mr. Wake Up Excited, Go To Bed Fulfilled, Returns I had to have Eric Saperston back. After the October 17, 2022 show with him, I got more positive comments than I remember for any guest. This time around, he shares how important nonprofit volunteering has been in his life, the joy he gets … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for February 6, 2023: Mr.

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Nonprofit 244

Pamela Grow

FEBRUARY 15, 2023

Monthly giving programs are crucial for nonprofit organizations to establish a reliable, consistent revenue stream. They provide predictable cash flow that helps with budgeting and planning for the future. And these programs also offer an opportunity to enhance donor retention, as they encourage long-term investment in the organization’s mission and programs, creating a more engaged donor base.

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The Chronicle of Philanthropy

FEBRUARY 28, 2023

By Drew Lindsay Expanding its work on disability rights and inclusion, the Ford Foundation Tuesday announced a first-of-its-kind national fund targeting discrimination in technology against people with disabilities.

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This prompt guide for ChatGPT contains 20+ tested ChatGPT prompts, along with tips on how to use this tool the best way. Nonprofits can engage with ChatGPT to brainstorm ideas, refine project plans, and craft compelling narratives for grant proposals.

ChatGPT

Get Fully Funded

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Writing a thank you letter should be the easiest task on your to-do list. There are just two simple words: thank you. And these two simple words are so powerful, showing gratitude and making the donor feel valued. Yet, it can feel hard sometimes to write a good thank you letter. Maybe you don’t know what to write. Or where to start. You want your letter to sound sincere, not like a form letter.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 9, 2023

You-Shaped Hole Sometimes the world feels inhospitable. You feel all the ways that you and it don’t fit. You see what’s missing, how it all could be different. You feel as if you weren’t meant for the world, or the world wasn’t meant for you, as if the world is “the way it is” and your discomfort with it a problem. So you get timid. You get quiet about what you see.

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Lightning Fast Grant Writing

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Due to the spread of COVID-19 those of us with jobs and businesses spent a lot more time working from home. For some, this was a great triumph. I have a friend who told me he thinks this is a harbinger of a brave new world where almost all of us have given up commuting and instead work from the comfort of our dining room table. As he said, “It makes no sense to drive one hour just to go from one computer screen to another computer screen.” Despite my friend’s common-sense obser

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Tony Martignetti

FEBRUARY 19, 2023

Preeta Nayak & Lindsey Waldron: Talent Development With a few practices, you can turn your talent development process into an employee retention tool, a leadership pipeline and a step toward greater inclusivity. Preeta Nayak and Lindsey Waldron, both from The Bridgespan Group, talk through their article, “How Nonprofit Leadership Development Sustains Organizations and Their Teams.” … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for February 20, 2023: Talent Development → Preeta Nayak & Lin

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Pamela Grow

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

Valentine’s Day. Over the years, February 14th has become a cultural and commercial celebration of romance and love throughout the world. Valentine’s Day is also the ideal day to celebrate your donors. See how these nonprofits have remembered their donors: Palmetto Animal League Who could resist opening an email with the subject line “Handsome Hunk Seeks Soulmate?

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Donation Nonprofit IT Fundraising 130

The Fundraising Coach

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

One of the biggest red-herrings I see nonprofit boards pursue is a pipe dream of “self sufficiency” for their nonprofit. Rather than pursuing their mission, the board directs the executive director to look at selling things and renting things in a quixotic attempt to be financially independent. It’s as though they see fundraising as a “stop gap” solution.

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NonProfit PRO

FEBRUARY 6, 2023

Oftentimes, donors are not giving what they could because you are not presenting them with a donor offer that motivates them to give more. Here’s the reason why.

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Management 130

Clairification

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Today a friend, who serves on the board of a struggling local arts organization, asked me what they can do to increase their fundraising. I asked her a few questions; then answered simply: “Have more conversations with people; make more friends.” You see, they have people who know about them but they’re just not giving. They have donors, but they’re not giving enough.

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DH Leonard Consulting & Grant Writing Services

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

One of the things I love about the grant profession so much is the diversity of backgrounds that bring people to the field of writing grants. If you talk to five different grant writers/grant professionals, you will hear five different stories of the paths that brought them to the work they do today. It isn’t as clear as an undergraduate major that is the “usual” track for people to enter this work.

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Tony Martignetti

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Brooke Richie Babbach: Inflection Points As Your Nonprofit Grows There’s a nonprofit life cycle with recognizable stages. At each point, you need to align your goals, plans and actions with the stage you’re in. Brooke Richie Babbage, CEO at Bending Arc, puts it all together. Listen to the podcast Get Nonprofit Radio insider … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for February 13, 2023: Inflection Points As Your Nonprofit Grows → Brooke Richie Babbach: Inflection Points As Your Nonprofit

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Ignited Fundraising

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

Whoa. That’s a question that feels complicated and even uncomfortable, right? Is our storytelling ethical? And what does it mean to tell stories that are ethical? This isn’t a topic for a single blog post. So, expect more from me in the weeks and months ahead. First, let’s define some terminology. Storytelling /ˈstôrēˌteliNG/ the activity of writing, telling, or reading stories Ethical /ˈeTHəkəl/ relating to beliefs about what is morally right and wrong As a self-titled master storyteller, I’ve

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The Chronicle of Philanthropy

FEBRUARY 14, 2023

By Leslie Lenkowsky Recent surveys showing a decrease in volunteering largely blame the pandemic, but the problem isn’t new. Nonprofits need to figure out how to turn Americans’ desire to lend a hand to neighbors into more formal commitments to help their communities.

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Nonprofit 120

NonProfit PRO

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

When a nonprofit is young, it may have few to no full-time employees. In that case, the board may have to be involved in operations. However, that’s not ideal as the organization grows. Here are 10 ways to ensure that your board is properly educated and empowered in its role and that it stays out of daily operations.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

I generally counsel nonprofits to call and thank their donors. It’s personal, unexpected and just plain nice. We could all use a little more “nice” in our lives. But there’s a right and wrong way to express gratitude One is authentic and meaningful. The other is robotic and meaningless. Maybe even off-putting. A Thank You Phone Call/Message Gone Awry Here’s a transcription of a voicemail left for me last week from a well-known national charity with local branches: The post Don’t Leave a Voicema

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Candid

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

Your nonprofit’s digital presence makes a huge difference in how well you’re able to engage supporters. This is where an effective nonprofit homepage becomes especially important; it’s not only the first landing page supporters see. It also solidifies their first impression of your organization and influences whether they’re interested in further exploring and supporting your cause.

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Veritus Group

FEBRUARY 8, 2023

The more we work collaboratively and lean on our collective skills, the better we can connect donors to our mission in meaningful ways. The post Why Fundraising Needs to Embrace a More Collective Culture appeared first on Veritus Group.

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Fundraising 118

Get Fully Funded

FEBRUARY 20, 2023

Every nonprofit has a Board of Directors. Yet most people don’t understand exactly what the Board’s job is. And this is a problem. You see, it means that hundreds of people are sitting on nonprofit Boards and have NO IDEA what they said “yes” to. It’s surprising. And concerning. Unfortunately, there’s no “Board School” to send people to when they join a Board, so new members just do the best they can, following the lead of seasoned Board members.

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The Chronicle of Philanthropy

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

By Emily Haynes Getty Images Millennial donors turbocharged their giving over the past six years, according to a new report by Giving USA and the fundraising firm Dunham+Company.

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Fundraising 118

NonProfit PRO

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

In part one, I described the difficulties nonprofits are facing trying to comply with the Stop WOKE Act. Now let’s take a deeper look into what complying with this law means for nonprofits with employees doing business in the state — discussing everything from human resources to donor relations.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 16, 2023

Taking the time to look at your fundraising message with a critical eye can help you raise a lot more money. You see, there are right and wrong ways to talk with prospective donors. You’ve likely read a lot on this topic (I know I’ve certainly written a lot on this topic – for starters see here ), yet it bears repeating. If you fail to put your best foot forward, you’re going to end up shooting yourself in that foot!

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Candid

FEBRUARY 1, 2023

In the previous blog of this two-part series, we introduced our jillionaire friend, Bob, and his love of animals in his hometown to help illustrate what DAFs are all about. We also explored how he arrived at the decision to give his money to nonprofits that support his favorite animals in perpetuity through his own donor-advised fund. Well, this is all well and good for Bob.

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Veritus Group

FEBRUARY 6, 2023

A donor relationship should feel like a partnership, but often, donors sense that they're only valued for how much they give. The post Why Your Donor May Be Confused About Their Relationship With You appeared first on Veritus Group.

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Get Fully Funded

FEBRUARY 6, 2023

Nonprofit strategic planning often gets a bad rap, but time spent mapping out your organization’s future can save you from spinning your wheels, being busy but not effective. When running a nonprofit, there’s so much to do and you’re on the go from morning ’til night. But without a clear idea of where you’re going, all that activity may not actually move you forward toward your goals.

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The Chronicle of Philanthropy

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

By Emily Haynes Phil Ashley, Getty Images Despite the year-over-year decrease in the value of gifts of $10 million or more, the number of those gifts actually increased 3 percent from 2021 to 2022.

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NonProfit PRO

FEBRUARY 21, 2023

Are you afraid that ChatGPT is coming for your job? After talking to multiple copywriters who share the fear of losing their jobs to artificial intelligence, I put ChatGPT to the task of writing a fundraising letter. Here is what happened.

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Clairification

FEBRUARY 23, 2023

It’s been pretty cold in my neck of the woods, so let’s warm up with a cup of cocoa, coffee or tea and some good reads. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it! The Clairity Click-it exists to bring you a range of voices from across the nonprofit world so you can resource, learn and digest at your own pace, coming to your own decisions.

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IT Nonprofit 167

Tony Martignetti

FEBRUARY 26, 2023

Ted Bilich: Resilience & Lean Risk Management Ted Bilich wants you to develop a risk management cycle and incorporate lean principles, so you confront negative risks and exploit positive risks. He’s the author of the book, “Managing Your Nonprofit for Resilience.” Listen to the podcast Get Nonprofit Radio insider alerts! … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for February 27, 2023: Resilience & Lean Risk Management → Ted Bilich: Resilience & Lean Risk Management Ted Bili

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Management Nonprofit 106

Veritus Group

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

Becoming an effective leader requires letting go of the need to control and trusting others to get things done. Here's how. The post How Leaders Can Let Go of Control appeared first on Veritus Group.

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Management 111

Candid

FEBRUARY 22, 2023

At Candid, we recognize that nonprofit leaders and fundraising professionals, particularly those working at small or under-resourced organizations, need access to the nonprofit training and resources that equip them to do good. As Candid moves to more proactively promote equity in the broader social sector, we also continue to reflect on what our own role might be in supporting that effort.

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