Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 246

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

This week’s roundup is full of fresh insights to challenge your thinking, spark creativity, and strengthen your donor relationships. From uncovering the two deadliest words in fundraising (and what to say instead), to learning how small nonprofits can run successful capital campaigns, there’s something here for everyone looking to grow their impact.

Need a dose of heart? We’ve got ideas for meaningful donor stewardship. Want to shake up your communications strategy? You might want to rethink that newsletter…

Dive in!

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Great Fundraising Posts

The Two Deadliest Words in Fundraising

Jim Langley (MarketSmart)

In this blog post, Jim identifies what he sees as the two deadliest words in fundraising—and they are likely to surprise you! Fortunately, he also offers an alternative for how to navigate fundraising without using this (common, but deadly!) phrase.

How Your Small Nonprofit Can Succeed With a Capital Campaign

re:charity (re:charity)

Are you a small nonprofit organization that wants to renovate your facility or replace outdated equipment? Are you nervous about starting a capital campaign considering you’re a small organization? Don’t be! This blog post illuminates how smaller nonprofits can have successful capital campaigns and offers detailed steps to help you do so.

Stewardship With Heart: Creative Ways to Show Donors You Care

Courtney Pourciaux (RNL)

Any smart fundraiser knows that the key to successful fundraising is reciprocal relationship. That means your donors need to know that you care! In this blog post, Courtney reflects on a webinar from earlier this year and offers ideas on how to steward your donors with heart.

Top 10 Fundraising Video Ideas for Your Nonprofit Channel

Vish Vass (GiveCentral)

If you’ve been paying attention to social media trends in recent years, then you know video is one of the most popular mediums. If you haven’t already incorporated video into your fundraising, let this be your sign to do so! In this blog post, Vish offers ten great ideas to connect with your donors via video.

Does Cold Major Donor Outreach Really Work?

Joe Garecht (Garecht Fundraising Associates)

Like we said before, successful fundraising is all about relationships. And all relationships have to start somewhere! In this blog post, Joe talks about how to do cold major donor outreach the right way and get results.

It’s Time to Say Goodbye to Boring Nonprofit Newsletters

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

In an ideal world, a newsletter can be a great way to engage with your donors. In the real world, that doesn’t often happen because most donor newsletters are boring! A newsletter is a vital part of the ask, thank, report, repeat formula—but you can’t just write them on autopilot. In this blog post, Ann shares what you need to do to create a better, engaging newsletter your donors will want to read.

4 Scenarios Where a Major Gift May Be a One-Time Donation

Tracy Vanderneck (NonProfitPro)

Receiving the very first major gift from a donor or foundation is thrilling. You can do so much to fund your mission! And six months later, it can be tempting to start imagining getting that same amount next year. But what about when it’s just a one-time donation? In this blog post, Tracy identifies four scenarios where a major gift may be a one-time donation so that you can plan accordingly for your fund development.

Best Practice Is Just Peer Pressure in a Blazer

Kevin Schulman (The Agitator)

There are many things we might do in our fundraising because they are considered “best practice.” But best according to whom? Is it actually the most effective, or are we just assuming so? In this blog post, Kevin tests one such “best practice” to see if it really is best.

How Important Is That Awareness Campaign for Your Bottom Line?

Jeff Brooks (Moceanic)

You may be tempted to try a flashy “awareness campaign” to help improve your fundraising. But how successful will that be, really? In this blog post, Jeff reflects on his own experience with awareness campaigns and offers suggestions for what to do instead.