Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 4

Hello Soapbox Engage partners!

The temperature is rising here in DC and I’m ready for all the hiking, kayaking, and camping that summer has to offer. It's a busy time of year, but I hope you have the chance to take a break and get outside, curl up with a good book, or simply pause and take a breath.

You've made the decision to start using Microsoft Dynamics 365 for your organization, but you don't know where to start. We know it can be daunting wading through the Microsoft ecosystem, so we're here to hand you a map and compass to get you started in the right direction.

This guide gives you commonly asked questions for new organizations that are just getting started with Microsoft Dynamics, and are looking for the first steps they'll need to take. We've put this post together in a frequently asked questions format because we keep hearing the same questions being asked and wonder "isn't there a place where all these questions are being answered?"

We couldn't find one, so we figured we'd roll up our sleeves and get to work. We'll keep updating this over time as community questions keep coming in.

Let's dive in!

Issue 39

Greetings from Tampa, Florida, where the weather is warm, the food delicious, and you can glimpse a dolphin or two swimming mere feet away! I’m here working remotely for the week and I gotta say, you Floridians are onto something. It’s been a wonderful change of scenery.

If the pandemic has taught us one thing in the work sphere, it’s that we don’t always have to be in the office to be our most productive (though I do miss all the coworker interactions)! It just so happens that the folks over at Veritus Group wrote an article on this very subject that we have featured in today’s newsletter. How fitting! We’ve got lots of other great content for you this week as well. So dig in to learn more about topics like building a fundraising calendar, analyzing the origins of your donations, and how to center and utilize community in your fundraising efforts. Enjoy!

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

Have you ever been looking over your fundraising calendar and thought, "Man, we need some fresh fundraising events here!" Or have you found yourself on the brink of starting a new fundraising campaign and wanted some unusual fundraising event ideas to get things started?

We get it. Sometimes you get into a fundraising rut, and you just need some ideas to get those creative juices flowing, add a little spark of excitement, or rally people to reach your fundraising goal. That's why we rounded up some great fundraising event ideas that you can add to your fundraising calendar.

They say, "failing to plan is planning to fail." The same is true with fundraising, and experienced development professionals understand that successful fundraising demands strategy, organization, and a plan.

It can feel difficult--even overwhelming--to manage the entire fundraising process day in and day out. Things can get even more complicated when you're working with a fundraising team.

Creating a fundraising calendar can be an excellent recipe for year-round fundraising success! The great news is that you can develop and implement a fundraising calendar any day of the year. We've consulted with some fundraising and nonprofit experts to gather the best tips, tricks, and strategies to help you build a great fundraising calendar.

Giving days have risen in popularity and effectiveness in recent years. As I’m sure you guessed, the most popular giving day is #GivingTuesday. By now, most nonprofits and charities have some kind of Giving Tuesday plan and strategy. Still, there’s always room for a bit of growth and improvement.

Social media can be an excellent way to reach new audiences and raise awareness about your cause on Giving Tuesday. After all, giving days are practically designed for social media campaigns. But there’s a lot of “noise” as everyone is vying for attention around that day.

Have no fear! We’ve rounded up some tips and tricks to help you boost your #GivingTuesday social media campaign so you can enjoy greater engagement and more donations.

Issue 38

I've got lots of great content for you in this edition of the Fundraising Weekly! Today, I'm featuring tips to make your messaging stand out, ways to improve your newsletters and donor relations, and a look into the hybrid fundraising event model. And that’s only about half the content. I'm also highlighting an article that asks us to challenge the urgency in our communications and work style. It may seem unusual with so much emphasis placed on motivation, work ethic, deliverability, and deadlines. But slowing down is important, not just for peace of mind but also for quality of work.

Speaking of urgency and slowing down, today is as good a day as ever to take a moment to cherish the little moments. Call a family member or friend to check in. Appreciate the changing of the seasons (I’m noticing all kinds of flowers in DC!). Spend a little quiet time with yourself. Or slow down in whatever way is best for you!

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

The burning question that is always on a development professional's mind is, "How do I get more donations?" Especially when the economy is looking a little suspect or your current donations take a bit of a dip.

It's more challenging to attract new donors because people are busier, and there's more "noise" to cut through to grab their attention. But don't get discouraged! Many nonprofits are using a mix of old and new strategies to keep the donations coming in.

We rounded up some of the best, proven ways you can connect with current and potential supporters and get people to donate to your cause.

Issue 37

Even as a long-time nerd, I don’t think I ever expected to see an analogy between nonprofit fundraising and The Avengers! But that’s the beauty of this community, right? There is always so much information circulating about fundraising— be it strategies and tips, case studies, trend predictions, you name it. Some fundraising content may be hyper specific to a type of organization or the community they serve. Some content or principles might be broad enough to apply to an org of any size or mission. Some strategies may seem ancient and enduring, some cutting edge.

But no matter the material, there are always new (often fun!) ways of looking at things. On a personal note, I have found in my life that shifting perspective, especially when confronting a question or issue, is always valuable and often is what yields a solution. It’s fun to shift perspective for the sake of practice or curiosity, as well as necessity. This week’s newsletter content has reminded me of just that!

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

It can be hard to keep up with everything in the news, but here’s a key announcement: GoFundMe Charity will be merging with GoFundMe.com. That means charity fundraising and individual crowdfunding campaigns will all be mixed together.

The premise of this change is to help donors and fundraisers find each other more easily across the globe. Unfortunately, this move will also leave many nonprofits without a donation page, and recurring donations and fundraising campaigns will close down.

Perhaps even more concerning, the end of GoFundMe Charity will also mean losing critical integrations with Eventbrite, Salesforce, and MailChimp (among others), which could damage some nonprofit’s fundraising strategies.

But we’re not here to just be the bearer of bad news. At Soapbox Engage, we pride ourselves on being problem-solvers! So, we wanted to take a moment to outline how you can take back control of your fundraising and actually get more out of your hard work!

Issue 36

As more people across the world gain access to Covid-19 vaccines, there’s a glimmer of hope that we will be able to return to in-person fundraising events. But keep in mind that virtual fundraising will always be a relevant and useful skill for any nonprofit! This week on the Fundraising Weekly, we have blog posts covering all kinds of skills— from building donation pages, to writing fundraising letters, to leveraging social media, and more!

And, if I may share, we have some very exciting news over at Soapbox Engage! Our Donations app is now the first tool of its kind to integrate with Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement, Microsoft’s free, open source fundraising application built for nonprofits. The Soapbox Engage Donations app can send data to Fundraising & Engagement in real-time so donor and transaction information is instantly available with no manual entry. We’re just a little bit stoked!

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

Some people may say that business plans are a thing of the past--outdated, unnecessary, and a waste of time. Other nonprofits consider business plans something to create just for the sake of donors who demand it.

These opinions could not be further from the truth! Even for the modern nonprofit, a business plan can be an invaluable tool to help you maintain a strong purpose statement and clear messaging. Nonprofits who don't have a purpose statement often have a hard time getting loans, grants, or even corporate donors. Business plans can also help you attract quality board members.

Needless to say, business plans are definitely not a thing of the past and shouldn't be glossed over. Still, it can feel daunting or be challenging to know exactly how to write an effective nonprofit business plan. Have no fear! This blog will walk you through the basic steps to creating your own helpful business plan for your nonprofit.

A good event description is critical to attracting people to your fundraisers and other events. Let's face it, most of us are a pretty tough sell when it comes to saying, "That event looks fun! We should go!" We want to know it will be worth giving up a little of our spare time to attend an event--even if it's for a great cause!

Writing an event description that sells is both a science and an art (but it doesn't need to involve the dark arts). With a bit of understanding of your ideal audience and what details to highlight, you'll be able to write an event description that has people lined up out the doors for your next fundraiser!

Issue 3

Hello Soapbox Engage partners!

Welcome to spring in the northern hemisphere! I hope you’ve had a chance to breathe some fresh air, take a walk (or run / bike / roll), and maybe enjoy some sunshine. Over here at Soapbox Engage, it was a busy month. We’ve been working on all sorts of new things, like some sweet integrations and filters. Keep reading to see what’s the latest and greatest in Soapbox Engage land.

SEO, analytics, advertisements, email campaigns, direct mailers, social media, blogs, TikTok... oh my! There are a lot of marketing options and avenues available to promote your fundraising events. Perhaps you're feeling a bit overwhelmed?

A marketing tool is only as good as how you use it. The key to using it effectively is to have a plan.

Ok, that was a little obvious. But we're here to let you know that event promotion doesn't require anything complicated, just a little bit of forethought and planning to get the show going. Since the most overwhelming place is always, "where do I start?", we made this guide for you!

Issue 35

Happy Tuesday, everyone! I think Tuesdays are sort of underrated. Monday kicks off the week, Wednesday is hump day, Thursday is Friday lite, and Friday is the fun, final push for the week. But Tuesdays need a bit more love. For me, Tuesdays are for weekly all staff meetings and, of course, the Fundraising Weekly— and those two reasons make them the best.

This week, we have a bit of everything: social media marketing, donor cultivation, campaign planning, social justice engagement, fundraising appeals, and more! Dig in to this wealth of knowledge, then pass the Fundraising Weekly along to a friend!

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

Soapbox Engage has been providing nonprofit organizations with powerful, affordable online engagement solutions for more than 20 years. During this time, we’ve integrated with trusted platforms to amplify the missions of organizations that provide invaluable support, programming, education, resources, advocacy, and more. We’re excited to announce our newest integration with Microsoft Fundraising and Engagement.

The Soapbox Engage Donations app is the first solution of its kind to integrate with the new Microsoft Fundraising & Engagement. The Donations app sends data to Fundraising & Engagement in real-time so donor and transaction information is instantly available in Microsoft Fundraising & Engagement with no manual entry, duct-taped integrations, or laborious imports.

Facebook remains the top social media platform. Its popularity has made it a great place to advertise upcoming events and activities without paying an arm and a leg for marketing.

More than 700 million people use Facebook to market their events each month. At least 35 million people view those public events each day. That’s a lot of traffic and potential visibility! Then again, it’s also easy to get lost in the sheer volume of events on Facebook.

Have no fear! You can do a few things to stand out and make your event more visible and attractive on Facebook. Just like Google, Facebook has an algorithm that you can use to your advantage. We rounded up some Facebook event marketing tips and tricks to help you get greater visibility for your next fundraising event!

Issue 34

Well, we’re officially on the other side of the Spring Equinox. That along with the continued rollout of vaccines to communities around the world has me feeling pretty optimistic for the coming months. I don’t think I’m alone in that feeling either.

Studies have shown that hope and positive moods can increase helping behaviors, like volunteering, assisting coworkers, and donating! Ride this positivity into your next fundraising campaign! Take some free knowledge from your community of fundraising professionals, and dive headfirst into the week with me.

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