Great information on all popular nonprofit topics written by experts in the field!

Blog Post by Julia Campbell The seasons are changing, summer is waning, fall is approaching and that can only mean one thing – year-end charitable giving season is about to descend upon us! For many nonprofits, year-end giving season is kicked off by the global giving movement #GivingTuesday. #GivingTuesday was created in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation as a response to the consumerism that often marks year-end. Americans have a day of giving thanks (Thanksgiving). This is followed by two days of giving and getting deals (Black Friday, Cyber Monday) – so why not a full day for giving back? This year #GivingTuesday is on December 3, and expectations are sky high....

Blog Post by CharityHowTo Expert Diane H. Leonard, GPC

Blog post by Erica Waasdorp, Charity How to Presenter, Author, Blogger and Nonprofit Library Contributor I grew up with and in direct mail. I was fortunate to work at Reader’s Digest (RD) in Amsterdam right after college and it really shaped the rest of my career. I’ve always loved direct mail because you can measure results, but nothing beats seeing the boxes and boxes filled with responses coming back. I was ‘hooked’ on direct mail and all of us direct mail ‘nerds’ at RD loved recieving the latest direct mail samples sent to us from countries like the U.S. Australia, Canada etc. The general rule of thumb was that if direct mail packs worked in those countries, they’d most likely also...

Instagram is a marketing powerhouse for brands, companies, and nonprofits alike. If you want to target a younger demographic, Instagram could be for you, with 59% of online adults ages 18-29 active on the network. More than 500 million people have Instagram accounts, more than 300 million of which use it daily!

What To Look For (And What to Avoid) In Grant Writing Training For Nonprofit Organizations Blog Post by CharityHowTo Expert Diane H. Leonard, GPC

Blog post by Erica Waasdorp

This blog post is by CharityHowTo Expert AJ Steinberg Does Your Nonprofit Event Need a Psychologist? Many organizations spend an enormous amount of time and resources on nonprofit events, only to have them fall short of their goals. They may try changing venues and changing themes, but still, the events fail to meet expectations. What these organizations should be changing instead is their own mindsets and figuring out how to fix their events’ psychology! As a 20-year veteran nonprofit event planner, I deeply understand the psychology of fundraising through nonprofit events and how the choices we make during the event planning process will impact, positively or negatively, a guest’s...

Blog post by Mike Brand Let’s talk about advocacy. Many nonprofit organizations regularly engage in advocacy to advance a particular cause. Some organizations’ primary function is to advocate for change. There are also countless organizations that do not engage in advocacy, or at least think that they don’t. And they are missing out! If your organization falls into that last category keep reading! I’m going to tell you how your organization can benefit from advocacy and how you can move your nonprofit ambassadors from knowledge to action. What is Advocacy? When people hear the term advocacy they often think of a major protest or perhaps an organization like the ACLU pops to mind. But we are...

Blog post by Erica Waasdorp Setting up a successful monthly giving program doesn’t have to be difficult, as long as you keep these key components in mind. Let me share the top 5 with you: Commitment Accountability Preparedness Detail orientation Persistence For a successful monthly giving program these apply to the person who’s interested and willing to grow the program as well as to the program itself. Let’s take them one by one.

Blog post by Erica Waasdorp

This past week I heard this expression several times, so I wanted to explain why it’s especially important when it comes to monthly giving. Let me start with the Wikipedia definition: “Drinking the Kool-Aid” is an expression commonly used in the United States that refers to a person who believes in a possibly doomed or dangerous idea because of perceived potential high rewards.”

Blog post by Erica Waasdorp

Blog Post by Julia Campbell Getting sick of Twitter? Are you considering joining the #DeleteFacebook movement? Have you considered using Instagram for nonprofits? Even though it’s owned by Facebook, building an engaged community of supporters on Instagram may be a viable social media alternative for your nonprofit. Here are some Instagram statistics from the Pew Research Center 2018 Social Media Report: 35% of U.S. adults now say they use Instagram (an increase from 28% last year); 71% of Americans ages 18-24 use Instagram, with 81% of this group going on the platform daily! Even if you have been on Instagram for years now, or if you are a complete novice, there are a few tried-and-true...

Blog Post by Julia Campbell What if Instagram Stories could help your nonprofit reach its’ audience? The social media struggle, especially for nonprofits and social causes, is real. Organic reach is plummeting on Facebook. Twitter is removing millions of fake followers from users’ accounts. 500 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute. Every day it seems to get harder to reach the people who care, let alone get new people into the fold and excited about your cause. But, there is hope… enter Instagram Stories. Instagram Stories have been exploding in popularity – and not just for early adopters and celebrities like Busy Philipps (even though her Stories are a must-watch)....

Blog post by Diane H. Leonard, GPC Letter writing may seem like a lost art, but done well, it has the potential to open doors for funding opportunities. Specifically, a well written letter of inquiry can open to the door for you to submit a full proposal to a grantmaker to support your organization. Many grantmakers have implemented the process of letters of inquiry from potential grant seekers as a way to learn more about your agency, understand your ideas, and determine if it is a good fit with their mission. Letters of inquiry can serve multiple purposes including saving time for both funders and grant seekers and building relationships. With the increased utilization of online grant...

Plus: How to be Submit Competitive Applications Blog Post by CharityHowTo Expert Diane H. Leonard, GPC Your organization may have a successful grant seeking strategy. You may have great relationships with foundation and perhaps even state agency grantmakers. You may be managing your funding and reporting requirements well. But as your Board of Directors or fundraising team look at how to grow the organization further or diversify your revenue, it is likely that the question of federal grant support eventually arises. So how do you know if federal grants for nonprofits are a good fit for you? And if your organization is prepared to take on the 100+ hour process of applying for an average...

Blog post by Erica Waasdorp

This blog post is by CharityHowTo Expert AJ Steinberg

Does your organization have a social media calendar? As a nonprofit marketer for a small organization, I am positive that you wear many hats. Between answering emails, making phone calls to supporters, editing the annual appeal letter and coordinating fundraising events, who has time to maintain more than one social media account?

Do you ever wonder how your USPS direct mail gets to your donor’s mailbox? And how you can use best practices to save money on all of your nonprofit USPS direct mail campaigns? Have you ever been to the National Postal Museum in Washington, DC? It’s located right next to Union Station and access is FREE. The museum shows in interactive ways how it all began. You’ll see how people literally risked their lives to make sure that the mail got delivered. From horse to stage coach to trains to planes…

Blog post by Brian Saber We all know that asking doesn’t just happen out of nowhere. Your organization and staff have to embrace asking for donations clear across the board in order for you to develop a strong culture of asking. Think of what it would mean if you did have a culture of asking for donations. First and foremost, fundraising would stop being a dirty word! We all know that as soon as we mention the word fundraising most people cringe. Well, that isn’t going to get us anywhere, is it? Here are seven ways to shape a culture of asking and a strong fundraising future at your organization. 1) View capital campaigns as the standard During a capital campaign we invest a tremendous...

Blog post by A.J. Steinberg

This is a post by Diane H. Leonard, GPC Grantmaker relationships are a critical element of a successful grant seeking strategy, but you may be wondering how you can best build on those relationships once you get your first grant from a funder? How can you authentically build long-term funding relationships and partnerships? It boils down to the key question: “How can you express next-level gratitude for your grantmakers of all sizes and types (in a way that aligns with your own capacity and other grant-related responsibilities)?” Here are four ways that you can engage in more authentic grantmaker relationships as a way to express next-level gratitude: 1. Ask About and Respect Their...

This post is by Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA When it comes to volunteer recruitment for your nonprofit, understanding human nature and psychology is key. Why? Because our brains determine everything we do. By better understanding what triggers humans to act, nonprofit staff can become better influencers and, ultimately, better marketers. One of the most powerful and enduring psychological phenomenon is that of social proof. Over the millennia, our species has survived because of our ability to mold our behavior to that of our clan. Those who did not conform risked banishment and extinction. We have learned subconsciously that social conformity is linked to our very survival. The power of the tribe...

This is a guest post by Brian Saber Most fundraising professionals would prefer to do just about anything than ask someone for money face-to-face. Even for those who find it somewhat “easy,” it can be awkward and anxiety-inducing to ask for money, regardless of how good your cause is. Yet, deep down, we know asking for donations face to face for your nonprofit will end up making a huge impact… and the facts back that up. Asking in-person is proven to have the highest rate of success among all methods. Kent Dove of the Indiana University Foundation analyzed different ways of giving. Direct mail has the lowest success rate of the traditional fundraising methods –just 1-2%. Phone calls – not...

This is a guest post by Julia Campbell Welcome to the wonderful world of Facebook advertising! Facebook Ads for nonprofits, when created and launched strategically, can have powerful results for organizations looking to expand their online communities and raise more revenue. With over 1 billion daily active users sharing 4.75 billion pieces of content every day on the social network, launching a Facebook Ad campaign can set you apart and help you reach a targeted audience. This post is a simple guide to help you plan, create, launch, and measure a wildly successful Facebook Ads campaign to achieve your nonprofit’s objective, whether it be spreading awareness or raising money. Let’s jump...

This is a guest post by Erica Waasdorp

This is a guest post by Joseph Scarano Does your nonprofit’s current accounting software allow you to create separate financial statements by fund? How about generate budgets by grant, fund or program? The needs of a nonprofit are different from that of a commercial business, and that goes for accounting needs, too! This article will help you understand the needs of your organization and help you select the most effective software for your nonprofit. Evaluate Your Organization’s Needs First, list and prioritize your organization’s requirements to establish the most important elements required in a new system. The factors to consider are: Funding Sources and Budget for your Organization –...

This is a guest post by Simon Scriver Are you looking to bring on more large sponsors for your nonprofit? Great! Once you’ve identified the partners that you’d like to ask to for a corporate sponsorship, it’s time to consider how to provide great value in return for your ask. Before reaching out to the company, ask yourself… what does this company really want? Below is a list of ways you can create a win-win situation for corporate partners. Feel Good Factor Show them what will they achieve (not what your organization is doing…but what will be achieved because of them). They should feel part of the winning team. Connect them directly to your beneficiaries and your work through meetings,...

This a guest blog post by John Hayden

This a guest blog post by Jeff Brooks A “donor newsletter” is a newsletter for and about donors. Its message: Your giving to our organization is making the world a better place. You are accomplishing what you meant to accomplish when you gave! A donor newsletter is not an education piece – rather, it’s about what our donors have accomplished through us. And it’s not meant to be a chronicle of our successes. It tells the stories of success… and gives the donor the credit for helping make it possible. So, does your nonprofit need to produce a donor newsletter? When you produce a donor newsletter and send it to your donors, here’s what you can expect: A donor newsletter will increase...

This a guest blog post by Julia Campbell When looking for great online content to share with your target audience on your nonprofit’s social media channels, always think back to their passions and their interests. What gets them up in the morning? What keeps them awake at night? When you have a clear picture of who you are creating content for using online platforms such as your website, blog, email, and social media, you will be able to quickly brainstorm a list of content ideas and places to look. When you begin looking for content to share on your nonprofit social media channels, keep in mind that content comes in a variety of forms! This can range from videos, to photos, to current...

This a guest blog post by Julia Campbell, originally posted on Wild Apricot’s Blog

Originally posted in Wild Apricot´s Blog

Are fewer people attending your events these days? Are you hoping to dramatically increase attendance at your big conference this year? Rather than relying mostly on email blasts, word-of-mouth, and social media posts, many organizations are turning to Facebook ads to fill up their events. Advertising on Facebook works well for event promotion for two reasons: You can have your ad pop up in the Facebook feeds of everyone in your network. You can promote your event to new audiences that wouldn’t be possible through other channels. If you’re new to creating Facebook ads, here are the five best practices for boosting event attendance. 1) Why You Need to Crunch the Numbers? The biggest mistake...

This is a Guest Blog Post by Tobi Johnson, originally posted in Wild Apricot’s Blog Does your digital member newsletter have low engagement? If so, you’re not alone. Creating a newsletter that people want to read isn’t easy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not possible. In fact, many organizations I know write newsletters that their members actually look forward to. In this post, I’m going to cover the root cause of low newsletter engagement and practical tips to create a newsletter your members want to read. The first thing we need to acknowledge is that simply communicating online through things like digital newsletters tends to cause people to feel disconnected. Researchers call this the...

This is a Guest Blog Post by Julia Campbell, originally in Wild Apricot’s Blog

This is a guest blog post by Brian Saber, Cofounder of Asking Matters. If we think we can send board members out to fundraise without giving them tools, we might need some analysis. What are we thinking?! It’s a license for complete failure, and the proof is in the pudding. Time and again our board members fail to partner successfully with staff to develop the organization’s resources because we never show them how or provide the training. But They’re So Successful! Yes, we ask people to join our boards because we think highly of them. They might be successful businesspeople or impassioned community activists or enthusiastic volunteers. They might be articulate believers or prominent...

This is a guest blog post by Julia Campbell

This is a guest blog post by Erica Waasdorp How long does it typically take to set up a monthly donor program? From soup to nuts. At a recent webinar, I was asked the above question. The answer is: if you focus on it, you should be able to be up and running within a week. I realize that development people in small to mid-size organizations especially are always pulled in multiple directions and distractions are easy. That’s why I recommend you don’t launch the program until you have thought through and put in place the basics. But with a little bit of focus that can be done in a few days. You most likely have the systems already in place. Brainstorming about a name for a program can be done...

This post was a collaborative piece written by John Haydon, A.j. Steinberg, and Jeff Brooks.

This is a guest blog post by Tobi Johnson, MA, CVA Volunteer appreciation events can be wonderful opportunities to recognize the hard work and achievements of your board members and volunteers with authentic, heartfelt and generous acknowledgment. Too often though, overworked nonprofit organizers resort to the same breakfast, luncheon, or happy hour formula year after year. After a while, the event loses its glam and becomes a little worn and tired. Whether you are looking for ways to refresh your annual volunteer and board appreciation events, or you are kicking off a new event, you can incorporate more meaning into these celebrations. Here’s how: Chose Your Event Site or Location...

This a guest blog post by Kathie Kramer Ryan, founder of Arroyo Fundraising Would you ask someone to marry you on your first date? Chances are, no way! It’s just as unlikely that you—as a development professional—would ask a prospect to make a major gift to your organization during your first meeting. If you are planning or implementing a major gifts program, it’s a great time to review these 4 Steps to Fundraising Success. Step #1: Identify First, you’ll want to identify prospects who have the potential to become donors to your organization. Prospects may include friends and colleagues of your current donors, board members, committee members and other stakeholders. Consider former board...

By Julia Campbell In my work with nonprofits, I often hear the same refrain about nonprofit marketing and communications: People are feeling very overwhelmed and stressed out by their never-shrinking to do lists. With so many digital marketing and online fundraising tools out there, how can a small nonprofit choose what to focus on, and how can they manage their time and resources effectively? There are constantly emails to send out, a website to update, a Facebook page and Twitter feed to manage, Instagram and Snapchat to explore, plus phone calls and meetings… how can a small nonprofit get it all done? The answer? You don’t have to do it all! Creating a Strategic Online Nonprofit...

Corporations invest in social responsibility programs and activities to support their triple bottom line: people, profits, and the planet. Companies are smart to be concerned about corporate social responsibility (CSR), both because CSR is a driver among consumer groups and because some labels— think “organic,” “recycled,” “smaller carbon footprint”— are generally more costly for companies to attain, thereby reducing shareholder profitability. A corporation’s long-term success is based on its ability to balance the vision against the interests of key stakeholder groups. As a for-profit company, my company–JustWrite Solutions–considers these questions all the time. We have a formal CSR...