Is Your Nonprofit Storytelling Missing This Key Ingredient?

July 11, 2023

Introduction: Effective storytelling has the power to captivate audiences, but there’s one key ingredient that many nonprofit fundraisers struggle with — and even rebel against. Because when it comes to engaging your readers or listeners, statistics alone won’t cut it. In this blog post, we’ll explore the importance of emotional storytelling and how it can […]

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What’s In My Inbox | Your Holiday “Away” Message

July 6, 2023

Summertime And the livin’ is easy… It’s the time of long nights, lemonade, relaxation, and quality time, with friends and family. It’s also the time when inboxes are crammed with “Away” messages. Before you set out for your well-deserved break, it’s crucial to inform your colleagues, clients, and contacts about your absence. Composing an “Away” […]

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Nonprofit Email: The Rules of Engagement

June 28, 2023

Are you tired of feeling like a wee fish in the vast ocean of social media? Well, I’ve got some eye-opening stats that might make you reconsider where to channel your communication efforts. It’s time to shift gears and give email the attention it truly deserves. The numbers don’t lie! According to a recent study […]

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Pledges vs. Donations: Understanding the Difference

June 14, 2023

Organizations that rely on donations to continue serving their communities or participants, whether they are nonprofits, schools, or sports teams, must focus on providing high-quality donor experiences. When you deliver an experience that makes donors feel good about contributing to your cause, you could see a significant increase in retention rates. Prioritizing donor retention will […]

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5 Tips for Recruiting More Peer-to-Peer Fundraisers

May 25, 2023

Whether you’re planning a 5k fundraiser, dance-a-thon, or social media campaign, you know a lot goes into preparing for a peer-to-peer fundraising initiative. You may have to secure an event venue, recruit sponsors, and spin up a marketing strategy.  But one of the most challenging aspects of peer-to-peer event planning is recruiting supporters who will […]

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What’s in My Inbox | Every Day’s a Reason to Celebrate: Leveraging Holidays for Nonprofit Marketing

May 10, 2023

When it comes to marketing, holidays have long been recognized as powerful tools for for-profit businesses to engage with their target audience. Holidays like Christmas, Easter, and Halloween offer excellent opportunities for building comprehensive marketing campaigns that appeal to a broad audience. Nonprofits have a terrific opportunity, too, to leverage the spirit of holidays to […]

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The Numbers Are in and They Ain’t Good. Will Nonprofits Continue to Turn a Blind Eye?

April 29, 2023

The latest numbers are out and it’s not looking good. According to the latest data from the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, nonprofits continue to face a concerning decline in donors and donations. Their latest report showed the number of donors dropping by full 10% in 2022. And new donor contributions decreased by 8.7% overall. Nonprofits struggled […]

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Power of Nonprofit Storytelling | The Power of Emotion in This Super Bowl Ad

April 5, 2023

The winner in this year’s Super Bowl Commercial contest? Hands down it was The Farmer’s Dog‘s ad. If you’re a dog owner, you know. You want them to live forever. To provide their unconditional love. Forever. The commercial “tells the story of a human, Ava, and her Labrador retriever, Bear, as they grow up. In […]

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How to Make a Graceful Exit from Your Nonprofit Job

March 1, 2023

If you’re considering quitting your nonprofit job, you’re not alone. GiveButter reports that burnout is affecting more than half of all nonprofit employees. And a recent study found that the average tenure for new development directors was roughly 16 months. There’s nothing better than finding the right fit for you. Some of my favorite readers […]

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Make it Monthly! | The Key to Building a Robust Monthly Giving Program

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 […]

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What’s in My Inbox | How are you celebrating your donors on Valentine’s Day?

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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Lessons From MotivateMonday | The Secrets Behind the Best Nonprofit Development Plan

January 22, 2023

Did you know that the odds of increased revenue are 148% higher when your nonprofit has a written plan in place? Nothing will get you further faster than making a plan. Unless it’s implementing that plan! In this MotivateMonday session from January 16, Fundraiser extraordinaire, T. Clay Buck, CFRE led us through the eye-opening session, […]

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What’s in My Inbox | We don’t need more AI. We need more human.

January 3, 2023

The other day I saw a video about an AI app that writes fundraising letters for you. How cool. Can you believe it? Sad to say, the app appeared to feature letters cribbed from a godawful book I remember from the 90s, “101 Fundraising Letters.” Or something like that. It was left behind on a […]

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What’s in My Mailbox | Dr. Suess says “Thank You!”

December 14, 2022

Long-time reader Cindy Timmerman is in a very special fundraising league. She not only makes the time to learn, but she also does the work. And then she goes forth and implements! Who doesn’t love Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas? Answering a call for great donor stewardship, Cindy, who is the Development Manager […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | 5 Things You Can Do to Start the New Year Strong

December 1, 2022

We’re winding down the year. Hopefully, you have all your plans completed between now and the end of the year. But, what do you do when the holiday’s are over? In this week’s MotivateMonday, Jeff Schreifels, Principal of the Veritus Group, shared five tips that as a fundraiser will help you start your new year strong. […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | 16 Last Minute #GivingTuesday Tips

November 27, 2022

It’s the day before #GivingTuesday. Have you done everything you could possibly do to maximize impact on the biggest giving day of the year? Carve out 30 minutes to watch 16 Last Minute #GivingTuesday Tips featuring one of the US’ leading digital fundraisers, and author of the guide for small nonprofits, The Digital Fundraising Blueprint: How to […]

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Lessons From MotivateMonday | Does a development plan lead to fundraising success?

November 9, 2022

Does a development plan lead to fundraising success? That was the question Barbara O’Reilly wanted answered. So, together with Dr. Adrian Sargeant and The Institute for Sustainable Philanthropy, they embarked on the first study of its kind to examine just how fundraising planning is undertaken — and what the impact on revenue raised really is. […]

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Lessons from MotivateMonday | Changing the Racial Composition and Culture of Your Board with Christal Cherry

October 26, 2022

When you reflect back on the best board you ever worked with, what comes to mind? Of course, boards are wonderful. They’re a group of people who are giving unselfishly of their time and talents. But we all know how frustrating boards can be. So when I think back to the most effective — and, […]

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Nonprofit Financial Statements: An Overview + Top Insights

October 19, 2022

Accounting can vary widely based on industry, and nonprofit accounting is one of the most unique approaches to the subject. Instead of focusing on generating a profit for the organization, the core of nonprofit accounting is accountability toward supporters and toward the mission. Nonprofits track the amount of funding allocated to different programs, projects, and […]

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