Soapbox Engage Blog

Christmas is nine months away (at the time of publication), and now is the perfect time to plan your holiday fundraising events. You're probably thinking, "but I just did that!" And, that's a fair argument--but, hear us out: it's always a great time to start planning early.

When most development professionals think of winter fundraising, their minds go directly to year-end giving drives and holiday-themed fundraising events. While those are significant parts of fundraising during that time of year, there are many other opportunities to fundraise successfully throughout the winter season, not just during the holidays.

In fact, the months after the holidays can be quieter (as far as events and distractions go), leaving more space for your nonprofit's events to garner attention from current and potential donors.

We know the challenge of fundraising during winter. Before the holidays, your team is deep into year-end giving campaigns. After the holidays, you're ready to take a break. Here are some fun and easy fundraising events that will help you build on your year-end giving momentum and make the cold winter months a hot fundraising season for your nonprofit.

Issue 33

Wandering into Joshua Tree National Park, deep in the deserts of California, you feel like you've walked right into a Dr Seuss book. I decided to explore with an experimental bag of "Trader Joe's Grainless Cassava & Coconut Tortilla Chips" (which yes, are actually amazing, and no, I don't know how they make them), and saw all sorts of new sights.

It's easy to get turned around, confused, and within inches of pain for something that you swear looked like a harmless, cotton-like bush (that's a cactus, Ryan). That seems to hit a bit close to home for the accidental techies in our fundraising world. One moment, "wow, look at that amazing new fundraising tool features", next moment, "so, you're saying I accidentally deleted what again?".

For those of you wandering the magical online fundraising world alongside me, here's another great week of tips and ideas to help you navigate without bouncing into a prickly plant.

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Fall is such a wonderful time of year. The crisp autumn air, beautiful turning leaves, snuggly blankets and sweaters, and of course pumpkin spice and apple cider! Whether it’s gathering your donors around a football tailgate party or bringing families together for a pumpkin carving party, this time of year is filled with opportunities to gather, make memories, and celebrate. As a development professional, you can capitalize on how much people love the autumn season for your fundraising efforts!

Even though you and your team might be distracted by the ramp-up to year-end fundraising, don’t overlook the potential of fall fundraising events and opportunities leading into the holidays. If you’re a bit stumped on some unique and effective fall fundraising ideas, have no fear! We’ve rounded up some tried and tested ideas for you!

As a nonprofit professional, you’ve seen how organizations rely on the benevolence of their donors for most of their funding. After all, fundraising is how you’re able to pay your staff and drive your mission forward.

Nonprofit fundraising campaigns are more than just raising cash for your cause. They’re also about helping your organization form relationships with donors, secure recurring support, and recognize the generous members of your community. This increased visibility can lend itself to even greater fundraising opportunities as time goes on.

As a nonprofit professional, you’re constantly on the lookout for new ways to maximize your fundraising capacity and make a bigger impact on your mission. One way to boost your potential is to offer continuing education and training opportunities to your volunteers, staff, and board members.

Trainings should include initial onboarding sessions when an individual first becomes involved with your organization, as well as ongoing development opportunities. Historically, you may have had in-person training sessions and introductory activities to bring new team members up to speed, but now this process likely occurs digitally.

As you refine your virtual training process for the rest of 2021, consider whether your current approach is satisfying your nonprofit’s needs. An effective virtual training program should inform and empower all stakeholders at your organization to drive your work forward.

Issue 32

Happy Tuesday! We’re just about a year into various states of lockdown and I hope you’re all hanging in there. We were blessed with some sunshine in Washington DC today and a little it of vitamin D will turn the day around!

We have a lot of awesome content for you this week in the Fundraising Weekly. If you have any spring fundraisers coming up, get ready to draw some inspiration!

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

Summer has begun! Your donors are likely dreaming more about long days at the beach and less about another zoom meeting.

Is that a problem for your fundraising goals? Not one bit! While summer is not commonly thought of as a banner fundraising season, we think we’ve unlocked some tips and tricks to get people to attend your fundraising events and start donating.

Food is powerful. Eating is a very social activity that brings people together, helps people make fond memories, and so much more. And, everyone has to eat. So, fundraisers that involve food are usually very popular and successful.

Whether you're into pie-eating contests or fancy dinner parties, there's a food fundraiser for every type of audience! Since the Girl Scouts seem to hold the lion's share of the cookie fundraising market, we rounded up some great food-oriented fundraising ideas that any nonprofit can host.

Nonprofit organizations provide invaluable support and services, address social and environmental issues, and pave the way to celebrate, aid, and unite communities. For all of their incredible contributions, mission driven organizations often struggle to find the resources, funding, and technology they need to maintain and grow their work.

Just last week, Microsoft announced the arrival of Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit, an accessible tech solution that strives to support and simplify the transformative work of nonprofit organizations. This cloud-based solution aligns the capabilities of Microsoft 365, Power Platform, Dynamics 365, Azure and LinkedIn to address many common nonprofit scenarios. It connects nonprofits to Microsoft cloud offerings while utilizing the Common Data Model to unite their organizational data on a single platform.

And...this solution will be available in the second half of 2021. So, what do you need to know about Microsoft Cloud for Nonprofit to prepare for its release? This blog will walk you through the basics and help you determine if this solution is right for your organization.

Issue 31

As the calendar turns to March, it's hard to not say, "wait, you again?" A year ago today feels so distant, as we all just went about our days maskless. Now just watching a movie scene that includes a crowd makes me cringe.

We seem to be turning a corner in the fight against COVID-19, and it just might be time to think about a post-pandemic future. Fundraising in-person. Galas. Dinners...inside!

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, let's keep our eyes focused on the road ahead, and soak in some great fundraising community knowledge.

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

Issue 2

Hello Soapbox Engage partners!

February went by so fast, I feel like I blinked and it was gone. As we head into March, I’m looking forward to the seasons changing here on the East Coast. Every extra hour of daylight we get feels like liquid sunshine running through my veins, giving me more energy.

Like the changing of seasons, we have some changes of our own happening over here at Soapbox Engage! With mission in mind, we strive to continue moving forward, growing, and improving the tools we offer to the nonprofit community.

Spring is a time of newness, rebirth, and hope. People often feel more energized and full of life as we come out of the dark, dull, cold winter months and into warmer, brighter spring days. And you can take advantage of this as fundraisers!

Even though end-of-year fundraising tends to be the most profitable overall, spring brings some key events that nonprofits can leverage in your fundraising efforts, too. Plus, people have cabin-fever and are itching to get out and about.

Holidays like Easter, Purim, Passover, Mother's Day, and Nowruz can elicit a season of generosity. People who practice Lent often incorporate acts of service, generosity, and charity. Those who get big tax returns might have a wad of cash burning a hole in their pockets.

With these things in mind, we rounded up some fun and effective fundraising ideas that any nonprofit can incorporate into their spring fundraising plans.

Updated March 2026. Originally published February 2021.

The right auction items can transform a modest fundraising night into one your donors talk about for years. The wrong ones sit at their minimum bids all evening and go home unclaimed.

We've put together 60+ silent auction item ideas organized by category, with notes on what tends to perform best and why. Whether you're filling out a full gala program or planning a smaller community event, this list gives you a strong starting point.

Issue 30

We’re wrapping up February, then spring will be just around the corner! I'm sure my fellow northern hemisphere friends are as excited as I am. What are your spring fundraising goals? Do you have any special events planned — virtual or in person? Am I getting ahead of myself?

With spring on the way, I feel a renewed sense of hope. And it’s not just the thought of warmer weather and some leaves back on the trees. I’m hopeful that this season will renew some strength in the nonprofit community and nudge us just a little closer to the “normal” we all miss. For now, bundle up!

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

A quick assessment of your community will likely reveal dozens or hundreds of needs. When it comes to service projects, sometimes the challenge isn't figuring out what to do; it's knowing where to start!

Every year millions of people donate countless hours to local, national, and international causes. We're here to offer some benefits of participating in community service and volunteer projects and some excellent community service and fundraising ideas to get you started!

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you a global pandemic, you get creative with your summer camp fundraising. Summer camps like yours will provide a much-needed service as soon as it's safe. Parents all over the country are eager for some calm and quiet, and kids are anxious to get back to socializing, having fun, and exploring the world.

Between alumni, families, staff, and volunteers, you have a vast network of people who can clearly picture the value of giving a scholarship to a family or improving the camp amenities. All you have to do is tap into that network with some creative fundraising. We're here to give you some practical fundraising ideas for summer camps so you can provide much-needed scholarships, maintain your facilities, hire new staff, or cover other costs.

Happy 20th anniversary, PICnet!

Writing that makes my mind bounce between "that can't be true" and "heck yeah, that feels about right".

On one hand, it feels like it was only yesterday when Grey Frandsen and I were in Tirana, Albania. Way back in 1999, sitting on the top of the Piramida, we discussed ways we could help the relief groups we saw on the frontlines of refugee camps during the Kosovo War. Later that year, back in Los Angeles, we'd walk across the UCLA campus spinning ideas that we thought might lead to a business to solve these challenges, without any concept of what building a business meant.

Active duty military members, veterans, and their families sacrifice a lot for our country. Some need a little financial help along the way to cover costs associated with moving or returning from deployment. Many veterans are thankful for help covering medical expenses. Some veterans benefit from service animals, or other forms of support.

There are countless worthy reasons to fundraise on behalf of military service members, veterans, and their families. Often, the challenge isn't finding a great cause to help; it's finding the right fundraiser for the cause! Have no fear; we've gathered some tried-and-tested fundraising strategies to raise money for veterans and military service members.

Issue 29

It’s a very special day for PICnet, the company behind Soapbox Engage… It’s our 20th anniversary! We’ve spent the last two decades advancing the world of nonprofit tech and serving the nonprofit community we deeply cherish. We’ve grown and evolved a lot over the years and it hasn’t always been easy, but we’ve loved every moment.

Thank you for being a part of this community. This newsletter and each subscriber is another reminder of why we love what we do. So, while we celebrate ourselves today and reminisce about laying ethernet cables in 2001, please know we are also celebrating you!

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