2023

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Surprisingly Simple Strategy to Magically Transform How You Work

Clairification

The single most important lesson I ever learned. Begin with the why. Always. If you don’t, you’re likely to work very hard and not achieve much of value. Why? Because you didn’t begin your endeavor by asking yourself: “What’s the value in this work upon which I’m about to embark?” “Why am I doing this?” This may be the most powerful strategy in your entire toolbox.

IT 326
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Why You Need to Segment Your Donors

Ann Green's Nonprofit

I’ve been emphasizing the importance of personalizing your communication lately. One way to do that is to segment your donors. Your donors are not the same. Some donors have given for at least five years (these donors should get a lot of attention). Some are monthly donors. Yet, nonprofit organizations fail to recognize that and send everyone the same messages.

CRM 311
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Nonprofit Radio for September 11, 2023: Donor Retention

Tony Martignetti

Dennis Fois: Donor Retention The challenges are real and widespread: Aging donors; smaller gifts; and abysmal retention rates. Dennis Fois brings strategies and tactics to raise your consciousness and turn things around. Let’s talk about emotional connections, multithreading, and multichannel, just for starters. He’s CEO of Bloomerang. Listen to the podcast Get Nonprofit … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for September 11, 2023: Donor Retention → Dennis Fois: Donor Retention The ch

Nonprofit 309
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We Are Thankful for You

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

We want to take a moment to let you know how thankful we are to have customers like you. We wish you and your family the best this Thanksgiving and throughout the holiday season. Feel free to contact us anytime you have grant writing questions or concerns. Sincerely, John & Trish Drew Lightning Fast Grant Writing john.drew@lightningfastgrantwriting.

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AI for Grant Writing: 20+ ChatGPT Prompts You Can Use

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.

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Arts fundraising – why donor experiences are your superpower

Hands-On Fundraising

Art – in all its forms – is meant to move us. And it’s meant to be experienced – to create a reaction that is body and soul deep. Donor experience matters – a lot – to every nonprofit that needs donors. But arts fundraisers have an advantage. Their mission is an experience. If yours […] The post Arts fundraising – why donor experiences are your superpower appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising.

More Trending

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Summertime Projects | Ways to Reach Out to Your Donors NOW

Pamela Grow

Summertime… and the livin’ is easy Fish are jumpin’…and the cotton is high We all know that staying connected with your donors throughout the year is critical. How else to foster a sense of engagement and commitment that goes beyond a one-time donation? And summer offers a unique opportunity for you to rekindle connections with your donors.

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99 Ways To Get New Members For Your Organization

Wild Apricot

The post 99 Ways To Get New Members For Your Organization appeared first on WildApricot.

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How a Debate Over Vaping Might Derail the War on Tobacco

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Anti-smoking groups aren't just fighting big tobacco. They're fighting amongst themselves. By Marc Gunther Anti-smoking groups aren't just fighting big tobacco. They're fighting amongst themselves.

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How to turn a grant rejection into an acceptance

Professional Grant Writers

We preach that grant writing is a process, a long-term investment in the financial stability of your nonprofit. Grant rejections can be common. The post How to turn a grant rejection into an acceptance appeared first on Professional Grant Writer.

Grants 142
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TikTok, Reels, and Shorts: Candid’s big swing at short-form video 

Candid

By now you’ve probably heard that short-form video on social media is an important tool for reaching new and younger audiences. This is not groundbreaking news, yet many nonprofit organizations (Candid included) have hesitated to jump in for a variety of reasons. Despite the real and perceived challenges of creating short-form video, there are compelling and research-backed reasons to consider incorporating it into your social media strategy: 88% of people say they’ve been convinced to buy a pr

Media 139
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Evolving Top Nonprofit Storytelling Practices

Clairification

Everyone knows storytelling = good. Humans wired for stories. We want to enter into them … become part of them… see ourselves, in some way, expressively reflected in the characters, plot and struggle. Everyone responds, all ears, to “Shall I tell you a story?” Yet there’s been a brouhaha of late around so-called “donor-as-hero” stories. I’ve long been a proponent of encouraging donors to jump right into the narrative to give it a happy ending.

Ethics 317
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How You Can Plan a Multichannel Fundraising Campaign

Ann Green's Nonprofit

Year-end fundraising season is starting to get underway. I’m already seeing appeal letters in my mailbox and this is just the beginning. Speaking of appeal letters, you should plan to send one by mail. I know email is easier and less expensive, but people respond better to mail and it’s well worth the investment. However, if you just send one fundraising letter and wait for the donations to come in, prepare to be disappointed.

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Nonprofit Radio for October 2, 2023: Fundraising For Introverts

Tony Martignetti

Brian Saber: Fundraising For Introverts That’s the title of Brian Saber’s new book. He returns with uplifting news for those who prefer quiet time over party time: You can be a great fundraiser! Brian knows. He’s been a successful introverted fundraiser for nearly 40 years. He’s also president of Asking Matters. Listen to the … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for October 2, 2023: Fundraising For Introverts → Brian Saber: Fundraising For Introverts That’s the title of Brian Saber’s

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May Your Holidays Be Merry and Bright

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

Mele Kalikimaka! We wish you a Merry Christmas in Hawaiian because we are in Honolulu tonight enjoying the warm, rainy weather. We welcome a chance to recall the best of 2023. Surprisingly, neither of us native Californians had ever visited Death Valley, despite the fact it is only a four-hour drive away. In February, however, we took a tour of it and tasted the exceptionally pure salt at Badwater Basin, a salt flat located 282 feet below sea level.

IT 279
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What you’ll want to know about fundraising for introverts

Hands-On Fundraising

A while back, I wrote about fundraising and introverts. And a while before that, I gave a presentation about the same topic. Of course, that’s because I am an introvert. Are you? Do you work with people who are? Then I’ve got a deeper dive into the topic for you! Brian Saber recently released a […] The post What you’ll want to know about fundraising for introverts appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising.

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Embracing Gratitude: A Journey of Appreciation

RBW Strategy

Embracing Gratitude: A Journey of Appreciation At RBW Strategy, we often find ourselves immersed in the world of data, strategy, and consulting, working diligently to help our clients achieve their…

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Nonprofit Year-End Fundraising | The Free Checklist

Pamela Grow

We’re in the dog days of summer… And that can only mean one thing — year-end fundraising season is upon us! The numbers are down, but you’ve still got plenty of time to end the year ahead — far ahead — of your goals. Why end-of-year fundraising? Let the numbers guide you… 12% of all giving happens in the last three days of the year Nearly one-third of all annual giving occurs in December 28% of nonprofits raise between 26-50% of their annual fund via their year-end ask Volunteers are twice as li

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Instagram For Nonprofits: The Ultimate Guide

Wild Apricot

The post Instagram For Nonprofits: The Ultimate Guide appeared first on WildApricot.

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Education Cannot Wait Commits $500 Million to Serve Refugee Students and Teachers

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

By M.J. Prest Save the Children Bangladesh The Education Cannot Wait grant aims to continue the education of up to 5 million school-age refugee children worldwide, including Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Also, the Lilly Endowment gave almost $146 million to six colleges and universities in Indiana for community-development projects, and the U. of Massachusetts at Boston received $10 million to establish the New Balance Institute for Innovative Leadership in Sport.

Education 145
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Do You Know How to Use AI for Your Nonprofit?

Clairification

Have you been struggling with whether – and how – to incorporate generative artificial intelligence (AI; ChatGPT) into your work? Or perhaps you’ve been worrying your job will soon be obsolete? You’re not alone. Honestly, the whole AI thing scares the you-know-what out of me on most days. But, let’s consider the encouraging present rather than worry so much about the possibility of a bleak future (as in destruction of humanity?!).

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Top Secret Strategy to Communicate with Nonprofit Donors

Clairification

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.

Nonprofit 313
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Do a Stellar Job of Thanking Your Donors

Ann Green's Nonprofit

Year-end fundraising season is underway. You may have started working on your appeal, which is great. But don’t stop there. It’s just as important, if not more important, to plan how you’ll thank your donors. I highly recommend creating a thank you plan , which will help you show gratitude before, during, and after a campaign. Your donors deserve a stellar thank you.

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Plan ‘Random(ish) Acts’ of Nonprofit Donor Kindness, Especially Now

Clairification

Getting in the spirit of acts of kindness It’s been a rough decade thus far, beginning with a pandemic out there killing people. And then the hurricanes, fires, floods and earthquakes killing people. Not to mention the genocides, autocracies, global and domestic terrorists killing people. The list, unfortunately, goes inexorably on. What can your nonprofit organization do to offer a remedy?

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Nonprofit Radio for October 23, 2023: The Surprising Gift Of Doubt

Tony Martignetti

Marc Pitman: The Surprising Gift Of Doubt That’s Marc Pitman’s book. It’s stuffed with strategies to help leaders—and future leaders—lead better. Marc is founder of Concord Leadership Group. (This originally aired on August 2, 2021.) Listen to the podcast Get Nonprofit Radio insider alerts! I love our sponsor! Donorbox: Powerful fundraising features made refreshingly … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for October 23, 2023: The Surprising Gift Of Doubt → Marc Pitman: The Surprising

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4 Strategies to Use LinkedIn to Give Nonprofit Donors a Reason to Connect

Clairification

When You Can’t Get Up Close And Personal, How Do You Build Relationships With Folks Online? Are you Linking In? If not, it’s time to take a new look at this social platform to appreciate it for the beneficial research and relationship-building strategy it can be for you. I find it to be a highly under-utilized tool when it comes to building your nonprofit brand, establishing authority and credibility, researching and recruiting new volunteers, donors and employees, and building stronger relation

Utilities 293
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3 Tips for Marketing Your Organization on a Limited Budget

Ann Green's Nonprofit

Marketing your organization on a budget is easy when you know the right strategies and tools to use. Explore these top tips to step up your marketing strategy. B y Olivia Mode-Cater Picture this: your organization is about to host another fundraising event. You’ve assembled a fundraising team, booked a venue, and put together the perfect program agenda.

Budget 286
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Top Strategies to Leverage Your Nonprofit’s Secret Advantage -2

Clairification

As explored in Part 1 of this 2-part series, small to mid-sized organizations are uniquely capable of creating a sense of community, even family. This is what people yearn for. And it gives you a secret advantage when it comes to nurturing the relationships essential to developing and sustaining a strong mid-level and major gifts program. You’re never too small to generate major gifts!

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Should you ask nonprofit donors to cover gift transaction fees?

Clairification

I’ve written about this before. But since I continue to get questions, I’m writing about it again. Fundraisers wonder about the upsides and downsides in asking donors to cover credit card and other gift transaction fees. Hmmn… First, let me be upfront in letting you know my gut emotional response to doing this is “no.” Why? Because it puts too much focus on the monetary transaction, making would-be donors think about money rather than impact.

Metrics 278
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Show Some Appreciation to Your Donors During the Gratitude Season

Ann Green's Nonprofit

Year-end fundraising coincides with the gratitude season, which includes Thanksgiving in the U.S. and the December holidays. This is appropriate since thanking your donors is part of the fundraising equation, even though many nonprofits don’t seem to realize this. Now is a great opportunity to show some gratitude to your donors. You could hold a thankathon , especially if you haven’t launched your appeal yet.

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Top Strategies to Use Donor Data to Appeal to Donor Identity

Clairification

You likely collect a lot of data in your donor database, but is it really valuable to you? It’s not if you just let it sit there, rarely look at it, and never run reports based on data that will help you with meaningful donor segmentation for appeals. And by that, I mean meaningful from the donor’s perspective. I’m not talking about the most basic segments, like donor vs. non-donor or small donor vs. large donor.

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8 BOO BOO’s! Are You SCARING Nonprofit Donors Away?

Clairification

Is this how you’re making your donor feel?!?! BOO! Halloween is creeping up on us, so I’ve got some really scary stuff for you! Don’t get too spooked. There are also a few treats. In fact, you’ll get eight delicious goodies — in the form of “to-do’s.” But first… the bad news. No bones about it, you’re frightening folks away if you’re committing any of these 8 boo-boo’s !

Nonprofit 278
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Top 10 Fundraising Appeal Writing Tips

Clairification

The job of the smart fundraiser is inspiring passionate philanthropy to make people’s lives better. I know you’re smart, because you’re reading this article! But none of us is born with a fundraising gene. And no one ever really teaches us how to write a smart fundraising appeal. We copy from our predecessors. Or maybe read an article or two online or attend a webinar on the subject.

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The True Meaning of Giving Tuesday

Clairification

This year Giving Tuesday is November 28 th. So, soon. If you’ve not done so already, now is a good time to think about whether or not you want to jump on the bandwagon and, if so, how. There is more than one way to slice this particular piece of pie. And, really, that’s what Giving Tuesday is – just one piece of your total annual fundraising strategy.