Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 94

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers! I’m happy to see this community continue to grow, so I wanted to say, “Welcome!!” to our newcomers and, “Thanks for sticking around!!” to our loyal subscribers. We are thrilled to continue spreading knowledge around fundraising, philanthropy, and nonprofit success with you all.

In the spirit of sharing knowledge, I’d like to highlight this awesome free guide to online fundraising. This is one of our greatest guides to date. Check it out to learn all about the three key elements of effective fundraising— storytelling, relationships, and optimization. Enjoy!

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Great Fundraising Posts

Online Directory Software Essentials for Nonprofits

Tim Forbes (Soapbox Engage)

An online directory software allows you to work smarter, not harder. It allows you to build and manage any online directory or listing website. Choosing the right online directory software can feel like a monumental task. No all products are the same, and many options require retrofitting to meet your unique needs. This blog offers valuable tips and insights to help you choose the right online directory software for your nonprofit.

Major Gift Fundraising Mistakes That Can Ruin Everything

Jenn Shefcik (Fired-Up Fundraising)

There are many misunderstandings and common mistakes about the major gift fundraising process. Many managers of major gift teams push for some popular strategies that actually take you in the wrong direction. Check out this blog where Jenn unpacks five major fundraising mistakes and how to avoid them.

“Trust, then Give” or “Give, then Trust”?

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Company)

When acquiring new donors, the mindset is usually, "We need someone to know and trust our nonprofit before they give a donation." This is true when nonprofits are getting started. But the difficulty with this approach is that it doesn't scale well. If you want to acquire more donors, it's a better use of time and money to learn to be effective at "just asking potential donors to give a gift" than it is to "get to know people and then ask for a gift." Keep reading to learn more about this approach.

An Easy Email Welcome Series to You Keep Your Donors

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

The quickest way to lse a new donor is to go silent after they make their first gift. It's best to have a plan for communication after someone donates. Check out this blog for an easy five-part email welcome series for online donors!

The 4 Types of Legacy Gift Asks (Solicitations)

Greg Warner (MarketSmart)

Death is one thing that is inevitable about life. And when a person with even moderate wealth dies, something has to happen to their money. There are four types of legacy gift asks. Which one you use depends on the quality and depth of your relationship with the donor. The more you know them, the more direct you can be in bringing up the idea of leaving a gift to your nonprofit in their will. Check out the four types of legacy asks and when to use each one.

Stop Telling Fundraisers Their Goal is “More”

Marc A. Pitman (The Fundraising Coach)

Nonprofit fundraisers need to set actual fundraising goals. Unfortunately, many development professionals rarely do that. Rather than setting a clear goal, leaders pressure fundraisers to just "raise more." But "more" is vague and immeasurable. "More" grinds even the best development professionals to the ground. It's helpful to have a clear and measurable goal and an understanding of what "done" looks like for the year. Keep reading to learn why and how you can achieve this.

A Guide to Donor Segmentation

Mary Cahalane (Hands-On Fundraising)

As a development professional you don't have time to meet with every donor in-person or write thousands of handwritten thank-you letters. It's best to give each donor the treatment THEY want to receive. Each donor gives, communicates, and behaves in unique ways. For that reason, it's critical to create donor segments that group together people with similar characteristics. Check out this blog for three popular methods of donor segmentation!

The Best Way I Know to Raise More Money for Your Non-Profit

Joe Garecht (Joe Garecht Fundraising)

There are seemingly endless lists of resources for fundraising to sift through. From classes to webinars, conferences, books, and blogs. Every nonprofit and development professional is coming from a different place with different skillsets, experience levels, and more. Check out this blog for Joe's recommendation of the 7 best fundraising books for nonprofits of all sizes.

How to Write a Superb Case Statement

Laurence Pagnoni (NonProfit PRO)

A case statement inspires your donors to invest in your future and become a participant in the mission. A stellar case study communicates to your donors why money is urgently needed and why charitable support makes sense. Since many people will only read the first page of a case study, it's critical to communicate these things in the first page. Check out this blog for some strategies to help you write, and present, a top-notch case statement.