Did you know organizations in the UK, Canada, and Australia raise more money with bequests than we do in the US? Fundraising expert Tom Ahern believes that the answer may be as simple as not having a marketing plan to ask for those bequests. A simple plan might include: Writing a vision statement that lets donors…
I love writing email appeals — diving deep into an issue, learning about the inspiring work that nonprofits do, and weaving words that inspire generosity. When I teach others how to write email appeals — through webinars, trainings and consulting work — I get peppered with questions. Some about content, but a lot about mechanics. A good…
How do you handle calendar year-end (November-December) communications when your nonprofit’s fiscal year actually ends June 30? That question came up today during our Sharing Your Progress Accelerator program. Here’s the conundrum: If you try to talk about your accomplishments from the last 12 months in December, you are technically in the middle of your…
December is coming. DECEMBER IS COMING! For a lot of nonprofits, that means the biggest online fundraising campaign of the year is right around the corner. Are you ready? The first thing I always recommend in year-end fundraising planning? Have a brainstorm. What should you cover? Here are 6 elements to discuss and decide…
Yep, it’s that time of year already. Year-End Fundraising Season. But you aren’t going to wait til the last minute to plan your campaigns this year. This year, you will have all your ducks in a row before you flip the calendar to November. This year you will OWN year-end fundraising. Here are some resources…
Looking for some inspiration for your peer-to-peer fundraising campaign? Rob Wu, CEO of CauseVox, has some great examples and advice for you in today’s post. ~Kristina Guest Post by Rob Wu of CauseVox Enjoying a successful peer-to-peer fundraising campaign can take some trial and error. The best way to shortcut some of that experimentation is…
Photo Credit: https://flic.kr/p/79pL7r Want to squeeze more mileage from a great fundraising or advocacy email? Send it again. Sending a fundraising or advocacy email again to non-responders — subscribers who did not open, click, donate or take action the first time — can sometimes raise as much, or produce as many actions, as the original send.…
“Sharing Your Progress” season is coming up fast. That’s when you talk about the highlights and victories of your year, and thank donors for helping you make it happen. We usually see these communications start in mid-November, peaking around Thanksgiving, and then leading into year-end appeals. Regardless of the format that your communications take, you’ll…
Are you getting ready for Giving Tuesday? A little lost on where to start? The good news is, so many organizations want to help you succeed (and, let’s face it, use their product, too), that there’s no shortage of help for beginners. From case studies to campaign planners, webinars to checklists, there’s a lot of free…
We often talk about how your thank yous may be the most important communication you send. Below you’ll find some of the most common errors you make when thanking donors who gave online. ~Kristina Guest Post by Gretchen Barry of NonprofitEasy Online fundraising may no longer be the wild west of the nonprofit community, but…
Your reaction when your Executive Director says, “This looks TOO nice.” via GIPHY Heard this one before? The theory is that donors will think you wasted their money if any of your communications look like they cost you cash money to produce them. This theory holds that all of that money should be going to programs…
I hear comments like these all the time — and these are real comments from our recent survey . . . I spend too much time doing things that aren’t important and don’t have time left for what really matters. My “do this eventually” list is growing and out of control. I am…
