2024

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Focus on Generosity and Building Relationships on Giving Tuesday

Ann Green's Nonprofit

Your email inbox can look downright scary these days. This was especially true during the long U.S. election season. Soon we’ll be bombarded with Cyber Monday and Black Friday ads. And then there’s Giving Tuesday. All of this can be too much, too much, and many of these messages look like spam. In an ideal world Giving Tuesday wouldn’t be associated with political emails and Cyber Monday ads.

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Last Minute Strategic Year-End Email Appeal Tips

Clairification

Studies show one-fourth of all charitable giving happens in December. For some organizations (maybe yours?), it’s as much as one-third. Year-end fundraising is not chopped chicken liver! While you absolutely should be using multiple fundraising channels to get best results, right now whatever you’ve got planned for offline is pretty much cooked.

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Give Yourself a Strong Foundation: Fill Out the Project Innovator Form

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

The grant innovator form is a simple document I use to organize an agency as it seeks grants. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with this surprisingly valuable document by checking out the link at the end of this article. By asking your colleagues to fill it out, you will tactfully motivate them to help you get grant funding. The form also subtly calls upon you and your associates to think through why a program is needed by your clients in the first place.

Grants 299
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Reach Your Target Audience: 5 Effective Segmentation Tips

Pamela Grow

Recent nonprofit trends show that giving is on the decline, decreasing by 2.1% between 2022 and 2023. To keep donors around and retain their support, organizations have to grab supporters’ attention and make their communications stand out from the thousands of messages their audience receives each day. The best way to accomplish this feat is through segmentation: the process of grouping your supporters based on their similarities and sending them targeted messages they’re more likely to respond

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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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Your work or a life: a painful choice no one should have to make

Hands-On Fundraising

Feeling stressed? In the United States, recent polls found that 70 percent of American workers consider their workplace a significant source of stress, whereas 51 percent report job stress reduces their productivity. (via PsychCentral) Do we have to choose? A while back, I read this article in the New York Times by Anne-Marie Slaughter about […] The post Your work or a life: a painful choice no one should have to make appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising.

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How to Raise More Money for Smaller Non-Profits

Joe Garecht Fundraising

If you're working for a small non-profit… one that is raising less than $1 million per year… then I have some bad news and some good news for you. First, let me give you the bad news: much of the information that is available online on how to raise more money does NOT apply for your organization. If you've taken webinars and classes and read e-books and thought to yourself, “We could never do that – we would have to hire 3 more fundraisers or spend $100,000 more on devel

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Nonprofit Radio for October 28, 2024: Your Strategic Partnerships

Tony Martignetti

Mark Lillis: Your Strategic Partnerships Local nonprofits, companies, government officials and agencies, business leaders, and others can improve your outcomes in ways you cannot imagine. Taking the time to build relationships with potential partners—before you need them—makes a smart investment in your mission and programs. Mark Lillis from Leaven Kids shares his experience and … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for October 28, 2024: Your Strategic Partnerships → Mark Lillis: Your

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How Long Does It Take to Get Grant Money?

Millionaire Grant Lady

Current and potential MGL clients often ask me, “ If we are selected, how long will it take to get the grant money? ” I can empathize with their impatience and frustration, especially after completing such a long application preparation process. They have important work to do in the world, and their programs need funds to operate successfully, so what’s the hold up?

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10 November Small Business Grants for Entrepreneurs

GrantNews

GrantWatch is proud to bring you 10 November small business grants for entrepreneurs! As autumn leaves blanket the ground and November ushers in the holiday season, it might feel tempting to slow down and savor the cozy warmth of the holiday season. But now is the perfect time to focus on growing your business! While the economy is gradually recovering from the challenges of recent years, high inflation, rising interest rates, and systemic barriers still pose obstacles for entrepreneurs.

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How to Increase Attendance at an Event: Strategies to Try Now!

Wild Apricot

Want more event attendees? Who doesn't? Here are common reasons for low attendance and tactics you can use to boost it starting today.

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Creating a Thank You Plan Will Help You Let Your Donors Know How Much You Appreciate Them

Ann Green's Nonprofit

Thanking your donors is just as important, if not more important than fundraising. Yet many organizations spend a lot of time putting together a fundraising campaign and then treat thanking their donors as an afterthought. Donor retention continues to be a problem. One of many reasons is because people don’t feel appreciated. Prioritizing gratitude and donor relations will help.

Donation 296
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Facilitate Means to Make Easy

Clairification

But it’s not easy for you. It’s hard work. Because, inside the mind of a potential donor, many things are working against you. I don’t know enough about you. I can’t make a real difference. I don’t think of myself as a philanthropist. I don’t know how to evaluate one charity against another. I don’t know how much to give. I don’t have time for this.

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How Many Times Do You Need to Repeat Your Message?

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CA – How often do you need to repeat your message? A lot… One of the most sobering things about running a non-profit charity is to realize how hard it is to get out the charity’s name and message. Large corporations manage to buy visibility for their brands by purchasing large print ads, riveting video ads, and radio spots.

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Launching Your Planned Giving Program

Pamela Grow

Giving by bequests accounted for $42.68 billion, or approximately 5% of the total philanthropic pie in 2023. Are you getting your share? Contrary to what you may have heard, incorporating planned giving into your fundraising doesn’t have to be complex. Quite the opposite, you can use what you already have in place. In this MotivateMonday session, we’re joined by Christopher McGown of Peak9860.

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Looking for new donors? 5 things to think about

Hands-On Fundraising

Looking for new donors? 5 things to think about So you’re looking for a few good (new) donors, are you? (Isn’t everyone?) Before you start pushing mail out the door or emailing wildly, there are some steps you should take. 1. Before you start: are you caring for your current donors? If you’re not already […] The post Looking for new donors?

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The 4 Critical Steps to an Effective Grant Research Strategy

RBW Strategy

The 4 Critical Steps to an Effective Grant Research Strategy “It doesn’t hurt to just apply.

Grants 260
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Bill Clinton Explains Why Philanthropy Fills His Post-Presidential Life in New Book

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

The former president discusses the Clinton Global Initiative, his efforts to raise money after disasters like Hurricane Katrina, and the need for continued aid to Haiti. By Glenn Gamboa, Associated Press AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File Former president Bill Clinton’s new book, “Citizen,” details his philanthropic work since leaving the White House. The former president discusses the Clinton Global Initiative, his efforts to raise money after disasters like Hurricane Katrina, and the need for conti

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Nonprofit Radio for November 11, 2024: Accepting Cryptocurrency Gifts

Tony Martignetti

Pat Duffy: Accepting Cryptocurrency Gifts Code. Blockchain. Proofs. Wallets. Exchanges. Coins. If foreign words like these keep you from accepting a gift that tens of millions of Gen Z and Millennials invest in and gift, Pat Duffy will set your mind at ease. He defines the terms in plain language and explains why crypto giving belongs … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for November 11, 2024: Accepting Cryptocurrency Gifts → Pat Duffy: Accepting Cryptocurrency Gifts Code.

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Success and wellness tips for Black fundraisers

Candid

For the last 20 years, I have held the title of “fundraiser”—to be more exact, a Black and Indigenous woman fundraiser. The stakes are high; securing funds means supporting the needs of my own community. Recently, the challenges of the work, like race and gender biases, imbalanced power structures, and increasing political polarization have left me exhausted.

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10 Grants for Women-Led Businesses!

GrantNews

Let’s talk about women-led businesses. Did you know there are over 13 million female-led businesses in the U.S.? That accounts for 42% of all businesses in the country! Together, they generate over $3.9 trillion in annual revenue. And the number of women-led businesses continues to grow each day! Now, let’s focus on grants for women-led businesses.

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How to Get Funding for a Nonprofit: Tips on Tapping into 12 Top Funding Sources

Wild Apricot

Knowing how to get funding for a nonprofit is the first step towards success! Discover the pros & cons of the most common nonprofit funding sources.

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Is Your Nonprofit Newsletter Engaging or Boring?

Ann Green's Nonprofit

In theory, a newsletter can be a great way to engage with your donors. In reality, that doesn’t often happen because most donor newsletters can be used as a cure for insomnia. They’re too long and filled with boring articles that brag about how wonderful the organization is. A newsletter is a vital part of the ask, thank report, repeat formula and you can’t just go through the motions.

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Two Ways Nonprofits Get Donor-Centered Fundraising Wrong

Clairification

I find a widespread misunderstanding about the notion of what constitutes being donor-centered. It derives from two misconceptions: Assuming people don’t want to be asked. Spending all your time on cultivation, assuming folks don’t need an ask and will simply give spontaneously as a result of being wooed. Both of these rationales short-change your would-be donors.

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How to Teach Your Team to Improvise with Power

Lightning Fast Grant Writing

Parallel to the improvisation you do yourself as a grant writer, it is also important to know tools for helping your grant writing team improvise as well. Too often a lack of creative energy can be traced to the fact that various team members may be afraid of failing. With this motivation, they may be more creative in inventing reasons for giving up than coming up with solutions that will make it happen.

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GivingUSA 2024 | What Small Nonprofits Need to Know

Pamela Grow

The latest GivingUSA report on charitable giving in the United States is out. What do smart fundraisers, particularly those heading up “one-person” development shops, need to know? Charitable giving in the U.S. declined by 2.1% in 2023 after adjusting for inflation. Nonprofits have been concerned about the decreasing number of American donors for years, and the 2023 report reinforces these worries.

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Empathy: the key to better fundraising

Hands-On Fundraising

Empathy – the feeling that you understand and share another person’s experiences and emotions: the ability to share someone else’s feelings While sympathy is compassion for someone else’s situation, empathy is feeling their pain. Sympathy keeps its distance. Empathy is a powerful connection to someone else. We’ve evolved to feel empathy because it’s useful in understanding […] The post Empathy: the key to better fundraising appeared first on Hands-On Fundraisi

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Adapting to Change: Navigating Challenges in the Non-Profit Sector

RBW Strategy

Adapting to Change: Navigating Challenges in the Non-Profit Sector In the dynamic landscape of the non-profit sector, organizations face a myriad of challenges that demand adaptability and resilience.

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Civil Rights Are Under Siege. DEI 2.0 Is the Answer

The Chronicle of Philanthropy

Philanthropy needs to emerge from its defensive crouch and unleash a bold and creative response to DEI attacks. By Gara LaMarche Amy Elting, Unsplash Philanthropy needs to emerge from its defensive crouch and unleash a bold and creative response to DEI attacks.

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Nonprofit Radio for February 19, 2024: Frustrations & Opportunities With Jay Frost

Tony Martignetti

Jay Frost: Frustrations & Opportunities With Jay Frost Jay returns to share his reflections on four decades in the nonprofit community. There are things he’d like to see us doing better, that the sector has been talking about for many years. But they haven’t changed much. Yet he remains optimistic, so he recognizes the brighter … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for February 19, 2024: Frustrations & Opportunities With Jay Frost → Jay Frost: Frustrations & Opportunities Wit

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Donor’s Lament: You Didn’t Thank Me Properly

Clairification

Everything I learned about saying “thank you” I learned from: My mother. Miss Manners. Penelope Burk. According to Burk’s research from Donor-Centered Fundraising , more than 80% of thank you letters start with “ Thank you for your generous gift of …” or “ On behalf of the Board of Directors, thank you for your generous gift of …” Y A W N Want to stand out?

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Top 5 Strategies to Prepare for Fall Fundraising NOW

Clairification

You’ve got one month before fall fundraising season begins in earnest. What will you do with it? I’VE GOT 10 TOP STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU GET ALL YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW! We’ll start with the first five today. Clean up Data Purge Mailing Lists Review Staff, Vendors and Freelancers Set Priority Objectives Based on Last Year’s Results Solidify a Multi-Channel Marketing Campaign Next week we’ll look at: Send Impact Reports to Set the Stage Stock Up on Compelling, Relevant Stories and Photos Connect with

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How to Improve Your Communication for Better Donor Engagement

Ann Green's Nonprofit

In my last post, I wrote about potential missed opportunities for donor engagement. You may think you’re practicing donor engagement by sending thank you letters and an e-newsletter, but is the content actually engaging? It’s often formulaic and just downright dull. Many nonprofits send all their donors the same appeal and thank you letters. In these letters, they never thank a donor for their past support or acknowledge they’re a monthly donor.

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4 Tips for Uncovering Your Donors’ Giving Motivations

Ann Green's Nonprofit

Donor motivations are the “why” that drives their support of your nonprofit. Learn how to uncover those motivations and inspire more support in this guide. By Ryan Carpenter For the last several years, nonprofits have struggled to make ends meet due to falling revenue, rising inflation, and an increase in community needs. Charitable giving saw a 2.1% decrease in 2023 after inflation, showing how challenging it is for donors and nonprofits to keep up with inflation rates.

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