Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 268

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers!

This week’s newsletter is all about keeping donors engaged and your fundraising running smoothly. From reducing donation abandonment rates to launching a reliable monthly giving program, check out these practical strategies you can put to work right away!

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Great Fundraising Posts

How to Reduce Donation Abandonment Rates for Your Nonprofit

Melanie Green (True Sense)

Something all nonprofits experience: a potential donor clicks on the “Donate” button but never completes the process. Why? This is usually due to the experience they have on your website. From mobile optimization to reducing friction in form completion, optimizing your donation process can significantly improve conversion rates and donor retention. Melanie provides tips on how to do so in this blog post.

How To Irritate Good Donors

Jim Langley (MarketSmart)

When it comes to fundraising, you likely have different events and programs that a donation at a certain amount or at a certain time grants donors access to. In this blog post, Jim argues that when it comes to donors giving large donations, you have to let the restrictions go. He explains why a big gift should be a big pass.

Emergency Decision-Making for Nonprofit Boards: What Really Matters Now

Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group)

Nonprofit boards in 2025 are under extraordinary pressure. Disastrous funding cuts are forcing leaders into emergency decision-making. The choices that boards and leadership make today will determine whether their organizations merely survive – or whether they emerge stronger, more resilient, and better positioned for the future. This blog post discusses the opportunities for strategic revenue growth that many nonprofit boards are considering during this time, in order to emerge stronger.

Launching a Monthly Giving Program: Your Key to More Reliable Revenue

Steph McCluskey (The ENGAGE Blog)

As a fundraiser, have you ever experienced the leadership of your organization expecting a large increase in annual revenue? That can be very daunting, especially when the expectation is that it will be reliable from year to year. In this blog post, Steph explains how monthly giving helped her reach that lofty goal, and offers a step-by-step guide to launching your own monthly giving program.

‘But We Don’t Actually Do the Work’

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

When it comes to fundraising, it’s best to tell your donors what their donation makes possible, as opposed to how your organization does its work. However, if you are a “middle man” organization that raises funds primarily to help other organizations, that can be challenging! In this blog post, Steven explains how to overcome that challenge.

How Scarcity Focuses Your Donors on Your Fundraising

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

Scarcity is compelling. It focuses the mind. When utilized correctly, scarcity can power your fundraising. In this blog post, Jeff talks about the two qualities needed to use scarcity in your fundraising successfully.

6 Ways Nonprofits Can Avoid Website Security Risks

Amanda L. Cole (NonProfitPro)

As a nonprofit, you have access to a lot of private information from a lot of different people. That makes you a target for cyberattacks—in fact, nonprofits are now the second most targeted industry for cybersecurity attacks. In this blog post, Amanda offers six ways to strengthen your website defenses and avoid security risks.

How to Write the Perfect Donor Appeal Letter to Boost Individual Giving

Hands On Fundraising (Hands On Fundraising)

A fundraising appeal letter is a timeless aspect of a successful campaign. But it can be hard to know what to say and how to say it to encourage giving. This blog post offers tips to write a brilliant letter that engages donors and raises more money.

How to Turn a Single Direct Mail Appeal into a Full Campaign

Jeff Brooks (Moceanic)

One of the top reasons donors don’t respond to a fundraising message is they simply failed to notice it. That’s why one of the best ways to boost the impact of an appeal is to make it into a multi-part integrated fundraising campaign. In this blog post, Jeff offers a plan for doing that, focusing on email.