Pamela Grow

MARCH 6, 2024

Every day you sit down to begin working on a project. Perhaps it’s your first donor newsletter. Or an invitation to your organization’s latest event. Or maybe you’ve finally decided to work on your email welcome series. Only to be interrupted by a notification on your phone for a new *free* webinar promising the latest in fundraising innovation (probably something AI-related).

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Pamela Grow

FEBRUARY 27, 2024

Your nonprofit invests significant time, energy, and money into bettering the lives of those you serve. However, you can’t do it all on your own. Building relationships with donors, volunteers, and advocates ensures that you have a reliable source of support to power your mission year after year. Thanks to modern technology, the world is more interconnected than ever.

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Pamela Grow

FEBRUARY 14, 2024

Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love and affection, has a rich and varied history dating back centuries. Over time, the holiday evolved into a Christian celebration honoring Saint Valentine, a martyr who defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriages for young soldiers. Legend has it that Valentine performed marriages in secret, leading to his eventual martyrdom.

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Pamela Grow

JANUARY 25, 2024

Did you ever stop to consider that storytelling is your organization’s currency? After all, this ancient art form has the power to literally move your audience to give, support and share the important work you do with the world. If you don’t know where to start in finding your best stories, this Lessons from MotivateMonday is your roadmap! Pulling from her world as a professional counselor and filmmaker, Kristin Sukraw will walk you through how to craft a purposeful storyteller list, conduct ins

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Pamela Grow

JANUARY 25, 2024

With the overall decline in both donors and dollars, smart nonprofits are recognizing the importance of monthly giving programs. But monthly giving won’t transform your organization — unless you first figure out the most important element of your monthly giving program. No, it’s not the theme you decide upon. It’s not even how compelling your offer is, or your mailing list.

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Pamela Grow

JANUARY 24, 2024

If yours is a smart nonprofit and you put your digital focus on email marketing, buckle up because changes are on the horizon from Google and Yahoo, and we’ve got the scoop. It’s estimated that Gmail and Yahoo represent 32.2% of all emails opened. Your numbers may be higher. Within my clients’ email lists, I typically find that Gmail and Yahoo users represent at least 50% of all emails on a list.

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Pamela Grow

JANUARY 14, 2024

I recently stumbled across this captivating rendition of John Mayer’s Grammy-winning “Waiting on the World to Change” via Dan Rather’s newsletter. What sets this apart is the collaboration of 100 artists from diverse countries, orchestrated by the Playing For Change Foundation. This musical masterpiece, created in partnership with COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, serves as a powerful call to action on the urgent issue of climate change.

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Pamela Grow

JANUARY 11, 2024

The past five years have seen tremendous change in the world — and in the nonprofit sector. We faced a global pandemic, resulting in oftentimes disastrous fundraising. Organizations relying on event-driven fundraising suffered. And one of the biggest event-driven fundraising models shuttered their doors. Then, once nonprofits recovered their wits and resumed asking, fundraising initially rebounded big time.

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Pamela Grow

DECEMBER 14, 2023

With the all-important year-end giving season here, nonprofit professionals like you are busy developing the right messaging that will drive donations. Let’s complete an exercise to help you get your creativity flowing. Compare the following nonprofit year-end fundraising appeals: Our year-end fundraising campaign is right around the corner. We need your help to save more stray dogs in the community.

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Pamela Grow

DECEMBER 6, 2023

You may have heard the buzz in the nonprofit sector around matching gifts, the corporate philanthropy program in which companies match donations that their employees make to nonprofits. But is it really an effective fundraising method? In other words, do donors actually care about matching gifts enough to request them? To find out, let’s do what all successful nonprofits do and look at the data.

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Pamela Grow

NOVEMBER 30, 2023

Breaking the rules can be one of the very best things you can do to increase response for your next nonprofit direct mail appeal. But how? John Lepp, author of the direct mail fundraising bible for nonprofit communicators, Creative Deviations: how you can infuse your storytelling, fundraising and direct response with more creativity , dropped by MotivateMonday this week to share some surprising ways you can use creativity in design, storytelling, strategy, and love to raise more for your nonprof

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Pamela Grow

SEPTEMBER 20, 2023

This guest post is brought to you by Murad Bushnaq Murad Bushnaq is the Founder and CEO of Morweb. Since its inception in 2014, Murad has acted as Creative Director and Chief Technologist to help nonprofits spread their vision online through engaging design, intuitive software, and strategic communication. Imagine this: a new site visitor passionate about your cause is looking for an organization to support and lands on your website.

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 3, 2023

Charitable giving declined by a whopping 10.5% in 2022. As we navigate the aftermath of this decline and the broader post-pandemic landscape, it’s crucial to understand the transformations in donor behavior and what you should be changing in your fundraising approaches. In this MotivateMonday webinar, Rob Wu, founder of CauseVox, shares the unexpected ways donors are currently prioritizing charitable giving, explores modern trends influencing charitable gifts, and provides actionable strat

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 4, 2023

Have you ever cringed in embarrassment after writing a fundraising appeal letter that fell flat? We’ve all been there. It’s a common challenge faced by many nonprofit organizations. Crafting compelling letters is an art, one that requires finesse and skill. Unfortunately, even an AI prompt is likely to bring up something like this… Dear Fill in Name, Now in existence for over insert number of years, fill in name of organization continues to strive to expand its programs and off

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 12, 2023

Break free from the biggest stereotype holding you back – the misguided belief that only extroverts can be successful fundraisers. Join Brian Saber, author of Fundraising for Introverts: Harnessing Our Powers for What Matters , to learn all the powerful attributes we introverts bring to fundraising, not only in individual giving programs, but in special events and across all fundraising.

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 14, 2023

I see crap like this every day. On LinkedIn. In my inbox. Articles with headlines like The Reality of Donor Fatigue and Strategies to Overcome It. Or Give Your Supporters A Break. Usually from platforms marketing to nonprofits. Sometimes from nonprofit professionals who don’t have a clue. And it pisses me off. Big time. Truth bomb. Donor fatigue is not a thing.

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 16, 2023

Just this month, Google made crucial changes to Gmail in an effort to combat spam and improve user experience. If your nonprofit engages in email fundraising, these are changes you’ll need to be aware of. Starting in February 2024, Google will be implementing new rules aimed at curbing the misuse of Gmail for mass promotions. While these changes primarily target spammers, they also have implications for legitimate nonprofit senders like you who use Gmail for email communications.

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 18, 2023

No time, staff, or resources when it comes to grant seeking? You are not alone. Fortunately, you now have access to hundreds of AI tools which can save you time. In fact, these tools can potentially save you hours when writing your next proposal. However, current AI tools cannot replace an effective grant writer. But they can be used as a well-trained assistant, which means you must understand AI’s strengths and weaknesses to maximize its value.

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 22, 2023

Are you a new development director or executive director and feeling a bit lost on how to learn exactly what motivates your donors? Or maybe you’re a new major gift officer and you’d like to set up as many donor meetings as possible. If these scenarios sound familiar, this blog post is tailor-made for you. Building strong relationships with donors is the backbone of successful fundraising.

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 25, 2023

Organizing a fundraising event can be daunting, and it might seem easier to leave sustainability out of the mix. And, with donations declining across the board for the first time in five years, organizations need to pay attention to the concerns of their donors now more than ever. But with the right tools, you can easily turn your events into a greener opportunity for everyone involved!

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 29, 2023

Food banks can operate on a large scale that requires expensive equipment and skilled management. Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group/Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images Telesilla Kotsi , The Ohio State University and Alfonso J. Pedraza Martinez , University of Notre Dame Most food banks, homeless shelters and other social services nonprofits constantly face hard decisions about how to use their limited funds.

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Pamela Grow

OCTOBER 30, 2023

According to the latest M+R Benchmarks Study , monthly giving increased by 11% in 2022, making up 28% of all online revenue. Even as overall giving slumps, this increase is significant because it means that more organizations are receiving reliable funding on a monthly basis. To take advantage of this trend toward recurring giving, your nonprofit will need to look inward at its donor data.

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Pamela Grow

NOVEMBER 6, 2023

As a nonprofit leader, you know the importance of donor data. It guides your fundraising efforts, drives marketing decisions, and largely impacts your ability to engage supporters. But your data collection contains sensitive information about your supporters, and they trust you to handle that data carefully. Thankfully, your nonprofit constituent relationship management (CRM) system can help keep donor data safe.

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Pamela Grow

NOVEMBER 8, 2023

How do you thank your nonprofit’s monthly donors? Monthly donors are a special breed of supporter. They’ve chosen to make a real commitment to your mission in the form of a recurring gift. How can you make them feel how special they are to you? Should you send a monthly thank you? You can, certainly. But if you do, make sure that you change it up periodically so your supporters aren’t getting the same thank you every month.

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Pamela Grow

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

As a nonprofit professional, fundraising is at the center of what you do. But along with fundraising comes the responsibility of engaging donors. After all, your fundraising efforts won’t be successful if you don’t turn community members, social media followers, and website visitors into donors. An easy donation process makes these prospects more willing to give, and the simplest way for people to donate is through online giving.

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Pamela Grow

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

I love Costco. After all, what’s not to love? You’ve got the rotisserie chicken. Large and meaty. Seasoned to perfection and slow-cooked on rotating skewers. For my small family of two, Costco’s rotisserie chicken is a real value for the money. The birds are big and the meat is tender and moist. That means that just one of their chickens translates into three meals.

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Pamela Grow

NOVEMBER 15, 2023

Sustainable fundraising is all about developing key, core practices within your organization that can be applied to several different events and initiatives so your team isn’t constantly feeling burned out and at capacity. For many nonprofits, auctions can often feel taxing—without the right tools or practices in place, they can become burdensome—making it anything but sustainable for both your team and organization.

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Pamela Grow

SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

What are the nonprofit fundraising and communications books you turn to, time and time again? Those books that may have brought about a shift in thinking or a new way of doing your work? These are the books that line my bookcase. What’s your favorite? And which books are missing from my shelf? (Note: contains affiliate links) Fundraising for Introverts by Brian Saber If you’re an introvert and you’ve ever felt overwhelmed or anxious about the prospect of raising money for nonprofits, Fundraisin

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Pamela Grow

SEPTEMBER 13, 2023

“Don’t think of introversion as something that needs to be cured.” These words, from Susan Cain’s book, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking , have always resonated with me. Because, as a fundraising professional, I never was one for the small talk of golf outings or galas. Instead, I preferred one-on-one conversations with donors, digging into data, connecting donors to their passions, and writing from my heart.

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Pamela Grow

SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

Donor stewardship and communications make up the most important component in growing your nonprofit’s general operating support — AKA individual giving. So it follows that as a nonprofit trainer, I “mystery shop” roughly 100 or so nonprofit organizations every year. I’m looking at: How easy is it to make a gift? How do they respond to a gift from a new donor?

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Pamela Grow

AUGUST 30, 2023

It’s the grant application question you always dread… How will your organization sustain this program when the grant is complete? But the real answers to the sustainability question start long before keying in the first word on a grant application. After all, without grants, you’d be hard-pressed to fund new infrastructure, increase staffing, or expand programs and services.

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Pamela Grow

AUGUST 15, 2023

The idea of permission marketing was popularized by Seth Godin, who wrote: Permission marketing is the privilege (not the right) of delivering anticipated, personal and relevant messages to people who actually want to get them. It recognizes the new power of the best consumers to ignore marketing. It realizes that treating people with respect is the best way to earn their attention.

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Pamela Grow

AUGUST 15, 2023

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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Pamela Grow

AUGUST 2, 2023

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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Pamela Grow

AUGUST 2, 2023

It’s been called Philanthropy’s Missing Trillions. We’re about to witness the largest wealth transfer in human history as the Baby Boomer generation passes its wealth on to the next generation. According to the Council of Nonprofits : Fewer than 6 percent of Americans include a charitable bequest in their will or estate plan— but one in three say they would consider doing so if asked.

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Pamela Grow

AUGUST 2, 2023

How does your nonprofit acknowledge memorial gifts? Thanking in-memoriam gift donors, and notifying the family of the deceased can be a tricky situation. Should you include gift amounts in the notification to the family? Can you solicit additional gifts from in-memoriam gift donors? For anyone who is confused about exactly how to steward these delicate gifts, Little Green Light’s Virginia Davidson came to the rescue with this thoughtful presentation.

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Donation Nonprofit Fundraising 130

Pamela Grow

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 organizational operations to show stakeholders that they’re using all revenue to further the mission.

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