Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 247

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! Ready to learn something new?

Fundraising isn’t just about asking — it’s about listening, storytelling, and showing up with clarity and care. This week’s articles dig into the nuances of communication, from writing text messages that sound like real people to knowing when not to speak on behalf of your donors. You’ll also find insights on building financial stability through better data systems, why your nonprofit needs an AI policy, and how to shift your messaging from selling to storytelling.

Enjoy!

You can receive the Fundraising Weekly newsletter each Tuesday by subscribing today!

Great Fundraising Posts

Crafting Conversational and Transparent Text Messages

Melanie Green (True Sense)

Text messaging is a relatively new but highly powerful tool in donor communications. Its immediacy and personal nature make it an effective channel, but it must be used thoughtfully to maintain donor trust and engagement. In this blog post, Melanie offers tips on how to craft conversational and transparent text messages for your donors.

Why Nonprofits Need an AI Policy

Kevin Barenblat (NonProfitPro)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the way nonprofits operate. From automating routine tasks to unlocking insights from mountains of data, AI offers new ways to amplify impact. But AI also introduces risks. This is why every nonprofit experimenting with AI needs a comprehensive, mission-aligned AI policy. In this blog post, Kevin shares the importance of having an AI policy, and how to create one.

You Are Not Your Donors’ Spokesperson

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

When it comes to your donors, you may be tempted to speak in broad strokes about certain groups. But the truth is, you are not your donors’ spokesperson. In this blog post, Jeff talks about the importance of not generalizing a group and why that matters in fundraising.

The Cornerstone of Financial Stability: Accounting System Setup and Data Health for Nonprofits

Andrew Horrow (The ENGAGE Blog)

For nonprofits, every dollar is mission-critical, and every decision impacts lives. The finance team shoulders immense responsibility to make sure funds are well-stewarded. Financial operations must be seamless, transparent, and trustworthy. When your accounting system is correctly configured and you can manage your data easily, you can make more confident and transparent decisions for your organization. In this blog post, Andrew offers steps on how to set that system up properly.

The Model That Knows When To Shut Up

Kevin Schulman (The Agitator)

Most donor models rely on assumptions. But, each donor is an individual, and they have their own idiosyncrasies that a standard model can’t account for. In this blog post, Kevin offers an alternative model to help you keep track of your donors’ patterns and improve your fundraising.

Creating Tension or Revealing Tension?

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

If your mission requires raising funds for needs of people experiencing certain hardships, you likely share those stories with donors. And those stories may make them uncomfortable. But that discomfort doesn’t mean you should change your strategy. In this blog post, Steven talks about the distinction between “creating” or “revealing” tension, and how that idea should impact your fundraising appeals.

How to Raise More Money? Less Sell and More Tell

Hands On Fundraising (Hands On Fundraising)

If your donors have enabled you to make impressive strides towards fulfilling your mission, you may be tempted to include lots of statistics in your appeals, showing that success. But our brains are wired for stories, not data. This blog post talks about the importance of telling, rather than selling, in your fundraising appeals.

Your Donors Aren’t Thinking About Tax Breaks — And Neither Should You (At First)

Claire Axelrad (Clairification)

Tax day in the United States just passed. Was that an exciting day? Did you and your family mark it with a celebration? Likely not! In fact, many people dread tax day and don’t like talking about taxes at all… So why do nonprofit organizations mention them so much? In this blog post, Claire talks about the tax talk trap that many nonprofit organizations fall into, and what you can do instead.