Soapbox Engage Blog

[Last updated May 2022]

As we continue updating this article, our nonprofit community still faces plenty of uncertainty. It's certainly been a tumultuous several months since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that your own nonprofit has found stable ground to continue fundraising and engaging donors. Many organizations have already found great success with virtual fundraising ideas, and donors are still eager to show their support for the causes they love.

However, social distancing guidelines and economic disruption will continue to impact the nonprofit sector for the foreseeable future.  

If you haven't yet pivoted your plans and explored new virtual fundraising strategies, now is definitely the time. With the year-end giving season approaching, having a solid online fundraising and engagement strategy in place is more essential than ever before.

We've compiled a comprehensive list of our favorite virtual fundraising ideas, campaigns, and events to help you keep revenue flowing while we continue navigating today's challenges.

Issue 008

I've been catching up on sunset watching this weekend, which felt right considering the increase in anxiety and concern we're seeing here in the US. Peaceful, yet powerful. Full of beauty.

As the world seems to spin faster these days, it's continued to be helpful to have a moment of peace and tranquility. For many of us, there's even higher levels of urgency to dig deeper into the work we do every day. If you're one of those folks, I hope you have an opportunity for a moment of calm to recharge. Even if for a moment.

Then, fire up those engines, because the world needs your passion now more than ever. Here's another round of fundraising knowledge to help keep you prepared for the future!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Issue 007

In an effort to do my part to keep social distancing maximized, I've made my way to a strip of land flung into the Atlantic Ocean. Ah yes, changing seasons, beautiful sunsets, fast Internet, and all the Dunkin' Donuts coffee I can possibly consume. Thank you, Massachusetts!

While I try to determine some quick ways to dress appropriately for the unexpectedly quick change to fall weather making its way through the region (I packed wishfully thinking summer would never end), here's another week of hand-curated community knowledge goodness!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Issue 006

When you get a chance to drive across the country, you get a lot of thinking time. As I took to the highway this weekend, I played catch-up on podcasts while saying to myself, "ah, that's what's making those circles I see while flying!"

A favorite podcast I enjoyed was Marketing School, which is like a never-ending buffet of snack-sized bits of knowledge that had me pausing and going into creative brainstorming mode for hours. It's definitely worth taking a listen if you're the one tackling online marketing in your organization.

Meanwhile, it was great to end the trip, and see all the great actionable content our own fundraising community has been cranking out. Without further ado, here's another week of hand-curated community knowledge goodness!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday morning by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Issue 005

Things don't seem to change faster than afternoon weather in high desert of New Mexico. One moment, the bluest skies you've ever seen. The next moment...well, something like this.

I've been lucky to escape the humidity Washington DC for the past month, and set up a temporary home in the American southwest. It's pretty incredible to see life flourish in a place where drastic change can seem to arrive at any moment.

That feels pretty similar to our fundraising world these days, doesn't it? As this newsletter continues to grow (welcome new Salesforce community friends!), my hope is that we can keep finding those nuggets of knowledge you need to stay strong through approaching monsoons. We're going to get through this fundraising season together, as a community. I've got your back.

So, without further ado, let's dive into this week's fundraising community contributions and gear up!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday morning by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Issue 004

These days, life can feel especially overwhelming. Now, pile on the beginning of the end-of-year fundraising preparation season, and it's no wonder why many of in the fundraising world are trying to take a little extra time this summer to recharge our batteries.

For me, I've been lucky enough to get some headspace in the desert of the southwest. It's pretty incredible what getting outside of the city does for my soul. More time to think, read, and learn, which is why this week's newsletter is filled to the brim with some great information from our fundraising community.

So, grab a cozy chair, and take a tour with me of the latest fundraising community knowledge!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday morning by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Issue 003

When there's this much good stuff to read from the fundraising community, grab the largest cup of coffee, and get ready to dive into the shared knowledge of our non-profit world!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday morning by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Issue 002

As our fundraiser community finds itself moving towards virtual everything these days, it can be a bit hard to adjust. There's so many new technologies, not to mention the actual changing of our work to organize events in a virtual space.

This week's Fundraising Weekly curates articles highlighting the things our organizations need to keep in mind as we move to virtual events. Sure, many of us are working from home these days, but how does that translate to the virtual gala and online fundraising events that keep our communities engage?

Let's dive into that and other topics in this week's Fundraising Weekly.

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday morning by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Issue 001

Is it just more, or does it feel like days are turning into weeks, and weeks into months? As we muster all our collective strength as fundraisers to push forward into the unknown of a pandemic fundraising season.

Deep breath, everyone.

While you're taking that deep breath, grab a refresh round of knowledge from your fundraising community colleagues here in this weekly review!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday morning by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Countless nonprofits rally athletes all over the world to run, bike, swim, row, or do any other sport in the name of philanthropy. Running, walking, and cycling fundraisers are some of the most popular athletic charity events.

Though COVID-19 forced many development professionals to move many events online, we’re noticing that some virtual fundraisers are even more even successful than the in-person version! Bicycling events just might be one of those events.

We put together a quick guide to help you plan a virtual bike fundraiser for your nonprofit. Cyclists have a long history of pedaling for great causes, so it’s definitely worth the effort to mobilize the cyclists in your community to support your cause.

The Coronavirus pandemic continues to change the way most of us are living (at least when it comes to gatherings of more than 10 people). But that doesn’t mean development professionals and fundraisers need to toss their fundraising plans and start from scratch!

Surprisingly, you can turn a lot of events into successful virtual fundraisers, including charity runs! Hey, if the Boston Marathon can go virtual this year, we can, too! In fact, hosting a virtual charity run might be easier in some ways than an in-person run fundraiser!

Here’s a practical guide to help you move your run fundraiser to a virtual platform instead of scrapping it!

It takes a lot of work to start a new nonprofit organization or launch a new charitable project in your community.

At Soapbox Engage, we've seen firsthand the difference that the right tools can make for growing organizations. But with a tight (or nonexistent!) budget, how do you get up and running with the right nonprofit software?

Thankfully, there's a wide range of free nonprofit software and apps on the market designed specifically for small organizations.

So you've decided to start a nonprofit organization. That's awesome! The world needs more passionate leaders putting their missions into action.

This is especially true today, as the COVID-19 pandemic, its broader economic impacts, and ongoing social justice movements have rocked communities at all levels. 

Starting a nonprofit is hard but rewarding work. It takes considerable time, attention, and resources to get a new organization up and running. Before you can begin creating a fundraising plan, recruiting volunteers, and making change in the world, there are a few fundamentals you'll need to handle.

Taking the time to learn how to start a nonprofit the right way is essential for preventing unnecessary complications down the line.

Growing nonprofit organizations ready to dive into online fundraising are faced with one immediate question: How will we accept and process online donations from supporters?

As organizations of all sizes rely more than ever on online fundraising and virtual engagement to generate support for their work, this is an increasingly important question.

When looking for a first donation tool, many organizations think of PayPal, a familiar name in online payment processing. Venmo is another increasingly popular option for quick transactions through mobile devices. While these solutions are great choices for many sectors that do business online, it's definitely worth putting some extra thought and strategy into this decision. 

Nonprofit payment processing plays a direct role in determining how effectively you can fundraise online, and without the right nonprofit-specific tools, you can unknowingly hold yourself back.

Do you use donation tiers in your online forms and other requests for donations? The ability to add suggested giving levels is a relatively common feature of most online donation forms (including Soapbox Engage's Donations app).

But how do you decide what donation amounts to suggest? Do you set the bar low and hope people give more? Do you aim high and risk scaring away people who can't give that much? Development professionals and fundraisers rightfully have a lot of questions about how to create donation tiers that drive donations instead of scaring away their donors.

The very short answer is, setting donation tiers is both an art and a science… but it definitely doesn't require a crystal ball or pulling random numbers out of a hat. Here's an essential guide to help you create donation tiers in five (relatively) easy steps. (We promise, the steps aren't that hard, but they do require a little research.)

Development professionals have a lot on their plates these days. From reaching fundraising goals to managing communication with donors, it can be hard to stay on top of the to-do list in normal times.

Now that many of us are working remotely, juggling family and work under COVID-19 pandemic conditions, it’s more challenging than ever to get everything done and stay connected with your team. Have no fear! We rounded up some of the best free or inexpensive software tools to help fundraisers and development professionals conquer their regular tasks.

To start fundraising online and operating as a new nonprofit organization, you'll need the right tools on your side!

With the ever-growing necessity of online fundraising and donor engagement, having the right technology to support your strategies is critical. From donate buttons to donation processing software and email marketing tools, software is essential for organizations of all sizes. Inexpensive and free fundraising software has made it easier than ever for growing organizations to start securing support.

But how do you know where to start your search? We've got you covered.

Donate buttons are one of the most direct ways to start fundraising online. They're effective whether you're an organization or an individual raising money for a project, campaign, or general support.

With social distancing guidelines in place, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for everyone, particularly for organizations. In-person fundraising events are longer an option for many, making it difficult to secure revenue and sustain operations. But you need to stay connected with donors to maintain your relationships!

Virtual fundraising is the answer. Many nonprofits, schools, churches, and others are turning to donation buttons and online campaigns for the first time.

Training for and completing a feat of endurance is challenging and rewarding, especially when you can do it to raise money for your favorite nonprofit. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the kibosh on most in-person athletic events, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your supporters moving and raising money with virtual fitness fundraisers!

Even before the coronavirus, nonprofits were using virtual fitness tracking apps to raise money. Many people appreciate being able to use physical fitness to make a difference in the world. Whether they want to use exercises they already do, or they want to get in shape and support your charity at the same time, virtual exercise fundraisers are an excellent option for any nonprofit.

More people are using fitness trackers than ever. Why not leverage that to help them make a difference in the world? We gathered some of the best, most creative, most effective virtual fitness tracking fundraisers.

In recent years, peer-to-peer fundraising (also known as P2P fundraising) has become more diverse, creative, and efficient than ever. Nonprofits are learning how to incorporate P2P fundraising throughout the year instead of creating one or two large campaigns. This new, diversified strategy keeps audiences more engaged and often generates higher margins.

What if we could combine virtual fundraising with peer-to-peer fundraising to create a campaign that fits the new mold of this coronavirus era?

We gathered some of the best tips from peer-to-peer fundraising experts to help you build a virtual peer-to-peer fundraising campaign that drives more donor engagement without leaving your office...or your donors' homes!