Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 212

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! We’re nearing the end of August, which means we are just under 3 months away from Giving Tuesday 2024.

If you are wondering what that means or what you can be doing now to position your nonprofit for maximum success, you can check out this helpful blog post. This post will take you through 10 FAQs when it comes to Giving Tuesday. Things like “When should organizations begin planning a Giving Tuesday campaign?” and “Is online giving critical for Giving Tuesday success?” Plus some helpful insights around peer-to-peer campaigns, recurring gifts, campaign timelines and hashtags. Much to consider!

Scroll on down for the latest fundraising ideas and strategies relating to newsletter headlines, donor communication, and board relationships!

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Great Fundraising Posts

Newsletter Headlines That Work

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

Newsletters can be a great way to engage with your community members—if people actually read them. A big part of a successful newsletter is crafting a good headline. In this blog post, Steven shares what makes a newsletter headline effective.

Looking for New Donors? 5 Things to Think About

Hands On Fundraising (Hands On Fundraising)

Continuously looking for new donors is a key piece of every fundraiser’s workload. If you are currently on that journey, check out this blog post from Hands On Fundraising that offers five things to think about when searching for new donors.

Fundraising Results on the Decline? It’s Time to Examine Your Paradigm

Diana Frazier (Veritus Group)

Many nonprofit organizations are reporting that their fundraising results are on the decline. Is that true for your organization as well? If so, check out this blog post in which Diana explains how and why you need to look at your paradigm.

Creating a Thank You Plan Will Help You Let Your Donors Know How Much You Appreciate Them

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

Thanking your donors is just as important, if not more important than fundraising. Yet many organizations spend a lot of time putting together a fundraising campaign and then treat thanking their donors as an afterthought. In this blog post, Ann lays out why creating a thank you plan is essential, and how to go about it.

Where’s the Emotion in Your Fundraising Offer?

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

Of course, it’s important to be factual when you are writing a fundraising appeal. But facts alone are unlikely to motivate someone to donate. You need emotion! In this blog post, Jeff discusses the need for emotions in fundraising, and how to incorporate them.

Guide to Building a Healthy Relationship with Your Board

Nonprofit Hub (Nonprofit Hub)

Board members are key players in facilitating your nonprofit’s operations and upholding your mission. To maximize your board’s effectiveness, you need to build a solid, healthy foundation for your relationship with board members so they will be more productive and work in tandem with your nonprofit’s staff to make a difference. This blog post offers tips for forging a relationship with your board based on mutual respect, trust, and understanding.

Are Nonprofits Driving Gift Officers to do Fundraising Activities That Don’t Work?

Greg Warner (Market Smart)

As a gift officer, do you sometimes feel like your administrators and leaders are directing you to perform fundraising activities that don’t actually seem to produce much revenue or donor lifetime value? Many nonprofit organizations direct their energy to the wrong activities. In this blog post, Greg shares six fundraising activities to stop doing, and what to do instead.

Persistence is the Key to Effective Donor Communication

Jeff Schriefels (NonProfitPro)

Sometimes, you may feel like you are very close to securing an important gift for your organization and suddenly the donor pulls back. This can be very frustrating. But don’t get discouraged! This blog post explains the need for persistence in your donor communication, even when things get rough.

Ready to Launch a Capital Campaign? The Volunteer Leadership Assessment Checklist

Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group)

Capital campaigns are very exciting, with the power to majorly transform your organization. You need everyone to be performing at their best, even down to volunteer leaders. This blog post offers a checklist to make sure your volunteer leaders are ready for your capital campaign.