Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 243

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

Just a reminder that we have a webinar happening in a couple days that covers strategies and tools for effective online advocacy. Join us this Thursday as we share ways you can mobilize your community through calls to action, target elected officials and federal agencies with demands, and organize your supporters to amplify your collective voice. Find more details and the registration link here.

Keep scrolling to learn something new about donor data analytics, donor retention, and nonprofit grants. Have a great week!

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Great Fundraising Posts

The Role of Board Members in Capital Campaign Success

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

Your board members should have regular duties that help your organization fulfill its mission. But when you embark on a capital campaign, those duties will increase. They’ll need to provide active buy-in, leadership, influence, and commitment to help your nonprofit push the campaign over the finish line. This blog post explores four ways that board members should take an active role in your capital campaign and strategies you can apply to encourage their engagement.

Donor Data Analytics: Don’t Be Mean. Be Median.

Sari McConnell (Donor Boom)

When you’re analyzing your donor data, instead of relying on the mean average, you should look at the median average. This video explains the difference between mean and median in nonprofit data, why median often gives a clearer picture of your donor base, and how accurate forecasting helps you set realistic fundraising goals.

Is Your Donor Engagement Actually Engaging?

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

You may think you’re practicing donor engagement by sending thank you letters and newsletters, but is the content actually engaging? Often, nonprofits create something formulaic and just downright dull. In this blog post, Ann offers a few suggestions to help you improve your donor communication to make it more engaging.

How to Increase Retention by Creating a Sense of Belonging for Your Donors

George Crankovic (NonProfitPro)

Like all of humanity, donors want to belong and feel like they are a part of something. But donating is often a solitary activity. This blog post offers ideas for how you can create a sense of belonging for your donors, which will ultimately improve your fundraising.

The “Magic Ingredient” for Successful Donor Journeys

Jeff Brooks (Moceanic)

From a fundraiser’s perspective, every donor is going on a journey with us. But it likely feels different from the donor’s point of view. In this blog post, Jeff talks about the truth about donor journeys and the best way to be a part of them.

Webinar Recap: Recent Soapbox Engage Updates and Enhancements

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

Soapbox Engage recently hosted a virtual fireside chat for our community, in an effort to provide an insightful look into the latest updates and improvements across our suite of nonprofit online engagement apps. Check out this webinar and blog post for some key highlights.

Cracking the Code: How to Make Sure Donors See Themselves in Your Appeals

Kevin Schulman (The Agitator)

Most fundraising messages follow the same pattern: heavily focusing on who you are as an organization and what you do, while leaving the part where the donor’s personal story should be, empty. In this blog post, Kevin breaks down how to craft a message that your donors can see themselves in.

Types of Grants That Every Nonprofit Should Know

Carrie Watkins (The ENGAGE Blog)

Grants are a great way for your nonprofit to meet its funding goals. But there is a lot more to grant funding than “free money.” Before you start applying for grants, you need to understand where the funding is coming from and the expectations from that organization. Knowing the different types of grants available for nonprofit organizations will help you choose the ones that make the most sense for your organization. In this blog post, Carrie breaks down different types of grants.

Crafting Authentic Nonprofit Stories: 4 Strategies for Success

Joshua Layton (Care 2)

Storytelling helps your nonprofit increase awareness of your mission, encourage action from your community, or reflect on your organization’s accomplishments. Research suggests that stories are up to 22 times more memorable than facts alone! When you’re relaying true stories about real people in your communications, ensuring authenticity in every aspect of your storytelling is essential. This post discusses four strategies for telling nonprofit stories that inspire your audience while remaining true to your mission and work.