Clairification
MAY 13, 2024
In Part 1 we looked at establishing event goals and objectives; then determining if an event was the most efficient and effective way to achieve desired outcomes. In Part 2 we reviewed 4 top event planning tips. In this last article of a three-part series on event planning we’ll look specifically at how to make the event “stick” emotionally. 1.
Ann Green's Nonprofit
APRIL 11, 2024
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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Lightning Fast Grant Writing
JANUARY 10, 2024
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.
Tony Martignetti
FEBRUARY 11, 2024
Laurie Krauz: Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking We’d rather face death or the dentist. We’d rather talk about money or sex, than have to speak to an audience. Even a small one. Laurie Krauz can help you overcome your anxiety around talking in public, with her preparation strategies. She’s a presentation skills coach, who … Continue reading Nonprofit Radio for February 12, 2024: Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking → Laurie Krauz: Overcome Your Fear Of Public Speaking We’d rath
Hands-On Fundraising
APRIL 23, 2024
Are arts organizations different? I spent the better part of my nonprofit career at arts organizations. My love of theater brought me into the nonprofit world. So I know more than a little about raising money for an arts organization. Let me tell you a little story. One day I was talking with people at […] The post How to raise money for an arts organization appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising.
Wild Apricot
APRIL 8, 2024
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.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
MARCH 5, 2024
By Maria Di Mento and Jim Rendon Calla Kessler, The New York Times, Redux Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg contributed $3 billion last year to support the arts, education, environment, public health, and programs aimed at improving city governments around the world. The 50 donors gave a median of $100 million and a total of $11.9 billion.
Grants & Fundraising Brief brings together the best content for grants & fundraising professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Candid
MAY 16, 2024
What’s the demographic composition of the U.S. nonprofit sector—in terms of race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and disability status? Are staff, leaders, and board members equally diverse? How does leadership diversity vary by organization size, revenue, subsector, and state? How do majority BIPOC-led (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) nonprofits fare compared with majority white-led ones?
Critical Fundraising
JANUARY 31, 2024
In the face of a “generational time bomb”, the recent ‘Tomorrow’s Donor, Today’ research challenges fundraising norms and advocates for radical changes. However, Giles Pegram takes issue with the research’s fundamental assumption, and asks if it risks becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy. There couldn’t be a more significant and existential issue faced by all fundraisers as how will donors act and behave in the future.
Gail Perry Group
APRIL 30, 2024
Written by Chuck Davis , Senior Consultant at The Gail Perry Group. All successful capital campaigns have one basic thing in common: They have donors of means who are willing to invest in the campaign. Campaigns of every size will rise (or fall) based on the right number of lovely people with a passion for your cause and a pocketbook to support it. How can we ensure that this basic factor is in place?
Clairification
APRIL 8, 2024
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.
Ann Green's Nonprofit
MARCH 21, 2024
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.
Lightning Fast Grant Writing
JANUARY 10, 2024
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.
The NonProfit Times
MAY 13, 2024
The Boy Scouts of America (BSA), which in recent years has been rocked by declining participation, a coronavirus pandemic that limited in-person gatherings, sexual abuse litigation and Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring for the national organization, is being rebranded. As of February 8, 2025, the Irving, Texas-based national organization will be known as Scouting America.
Hands-On Fundraising
JANUARY 16, 2024
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
Get Fully Funded
APRIL 4, 2024
The past couple of years have represented a challenging time for nonprofit fundraising. Individual giving declined in 2022 , and 70% of nonprofits expect giving to continue to decrease or remain flat. In difficult circumstances, it’s helpful to return to the fundraising basics to ensure you’re making the most of tried and true strategies to boost your nonprofit’s donation revenue.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
FEBRUARY 27, 2024
From unfulfilled racial-justice pledges to unionizing nonprofits, the pressures on woman leaders like me aren’t letting up. Donors need to recognize that and invest in our physical and mental health. By Sayu Bhojwani From unfulfilled racial justice pledges to unionizing nonprofits, the pressures on woman leaders like me aren’t letting up. Donors need to recognize that and invest in our physical and mental health.
GrantNews
MAY 15, 2024
Why are grants a good idea? Excellent question. As a nonprofit or small business, funding programs and projects can be a challenge. You may have heard of grants before, but maybe you’re not sure why the use of grant funding is a good idea for your organization to consider. In addition, you may wonder where you can find grants. Many organizations that search for grants use a grant search database.
Candid
FEBRUARY 27, 2024
Nonprofit organizations are always looking for ways to increase the impact of their work. One way to serve your clients more effectively is to gather feedback from participants, then use what you learn to improve services and support organizational change initiatives. At Listen4Good (L4G), we call this process a “client feedback loop.” This includes asking questions such as: “To what extent have we met your needs?
Veritus Group
MAY 1, 2024
Shifting your attitude about your work shifts how you feel about it, which opens up space for more flow and creativity. The post Do You Need an Attitude Adjustment? appeared first on Veritus Group.
Gail Perry Group
MARCH 28, 2024
Board meetings are wildly important because they are your board members’ principal point of contact with your organization. You want the meetings to be great experiences for your board members. Are the meetings boring? If so, it’s time to liven things up. Use these tips to create a meeting worth attending - one that will engage your board members’ enthusiasm and deepen their commitment!
Clairification
APRIL 22, 2024
Get on the Pathway to Passionate Philanthropy, Not Forgettable Fundraising Philanthropy is a mindset. An embracing culture. A noble value. Fundraising is a means towards that end. Servant to philanthropy. Philanthropy, not fundraising. This has been the tagline for my business and blog since I began Clairification in 2011. It grew naturally out of my experiences working as a frontline development director for 30 years.
Ann Green's Nonprofit
MARCH 28, 2024
It’s spring here in the Northern Hemisphere, although in the Boston area it doesn’t feel like it right now. A lot of people use this time of the year to do some spring cleaning. I envy the people who do that because usually I’m not one of them. I know I should do more. As much as I dislike cleaning and organizing, I’m happy once it gets done. Often getting started is the hardest part.
Capital Campaign Pro
MARCH 18, 2024
The following is a guest post written by Mark Cole, Vice President of Strategy at Parisleaf, a company that specializes in branding capital and comprehensive campaigns. In the realm of fundraising, few endeavors hold as much potential for transformative impact as a capital campaign. Whether aiming to construct a new building, renovate an existing space, […] The post Building Bridges: The Art of Branding a Capital Campaign appeared first on Capital Campaign Pro.
The NonProfit Times
APRIL 23, 2024
The value of a volunteer hour in the United States during 2023 was $33.49, up $4.95 from 2020. It’s a 5.3% increase from 2022. The value is estimated from data collected in 2023, the figure illustrates the valuable and significant contributions volunteers make every day to support our communities and nation. In a state-by-state comparison and including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, Massachusetts had the highest volunteer value at $40.97 per hour, followed closely by Washington
Hands-On Fundraising
APRIL 9, 2024
A lapsed donor is a donor who hasn’t given in a while. (And of course, that’s insider talk. But you’re an insider, so we’ll use the term here.) But how do you define that period? How long do you consider a donor active? Experts tell us that after a first gift, you need to thank […] The post Please don’t go! 5 ways to win donor hearts again. appeared first on Hands-On Fundraising.
AmpliFund
MARCH 20, 2024
In our recent webinar, I shared tips and best practices on how to report on the performance of your grant programs in a way that drives impact and demonstrates results. After seeing the number of attendees and questions during the session, I felt it would be beneficial to post here, in our blog, some of the key insights I covered. I also encourage you to view the recording as I explain these and other best practices in more detail.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy
MAY 9, 2024
The voter-registration group once promoted by Taylor Swift has been wracked by resignations, layoffs, and regulatory lapses. Former employees blame the CEO. By Jim Rendon Jeff Kowalsky/AFP via Getty Images The voter-registration group once promoted by Taylor Swift has been wracked by resignations, layoffs, and regulatory lapses. Former employees think the CEO is to blame.
GrantNews
APRIL 10, 2024
We live in a world where diversity is increasingly celebrated and recognized. So, it stands to reason that the voices of neurodiversity deserve to be heard and recognized as well. Neurodiversity encompasses a spectrum of neurological variations, including autism, ADHD, dyslexia, and more. Rather than viewing these differences as deficits to be remedied, they should be embraced and celebrated as integral aspects of human variation.
Candid
MAY 2, 2024
Since 2020, we’ve seen a greater sense of urgency to address racial inequities in the social sector—especially around access to power and resources. As the largest source of nonprofit demographic data, at Candid we’re often asked whether this push has resulted in actual change. Are more people of color serving in nonprofit leadership roles? Have we closed the racial leadership gap?
GiveSmart
APRIL 17, 2024
Achieving financial sustainability as a nonprofit is no easy task. With financial obstacles like high interest rates, inflation, and unpredictable donors, finding sustainability can feel like an uphill battle. That’s why it’s imperative that nonprofits diversify their income sources. Find out how your nonprofit can work toward strategic sustainability.
Gail Perry Group
APRIL 18, 2024
“How do I know our campaign’s lead prospect is ready to be asked?” As capital campaign consultants, we frequently get that question from our clients. Why is this a pain point for so many development teams? A lot is on the line—a lead gift is hanging in the balance. Success hinges on the donor saying yes. What is the best way to prepare for a big “ask” in a capital campaign?
Clairification
MARCH 18, 2024
That’s right. Loyalty. Not wealth. Not money. Not even attention. Because merely grabbing the attention of someone with either capacity or inclination to give is no guarantee philanthropy will follow. Today I’d like to illuminate: Truths about what drives philanthropy, Challenges nonprofits have developing and implementing strategies that take these truths into account, and Suggestions for moving forward with a new paradigm to generate increased philanthropy.
Ann Green's Nonprofit
JANUARY 11, 2024
Donor stories and testimonials help show appreciation for supporters and encourage others to get involved. Use these tips to write better donor stories. By Anne Stefanyk Donors want to know that their contributions matter to your nonprofit. According to Double the Donation’s donor retention guide , not receiving a proper thank-you is one of the top reasons donors stop giving.
Qgiv
FEBRUARY 6, 2024
As technology advances, the fundraising landscape becomes more and more focused on digital solutions to reach wider audiences. However, these convenient fundraising options come with a risk many in the nonprofit world aren’t very familiar with—cybersecurity. The importance of cybersecurity for nonprofits can’t be overstated, and your organization is not immune to the constantly evolving cyber threats that come with sharing information through the internet.
The NonProfit Times
MAY 6, 2024
By Olga Moshinsky Woltman “The growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.” – Carol Dweck It is a truth universally acknowledged that employees who are motivated to continuously learn and grow will be the ones to take on new challenges, innovate, and problem-solve. The concept of growth mindset, developed by psychologist Carol Dweck, is described as a belief that our abilities and intelligence can be developed and impro
NonProfit PRO
APRIL 11, 2024
If you’re always looking externally for your next major gift prospect, you may overlook a loyal supporter already in your database. Here are seven types of donors your nonprofit can locate internally.
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