Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 276

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers!

Have you taken a look at our Year-End Fundraising Checklist yet? It’s time to position your nonprofit for end-of-year success. Since the vast majority of nonprofit donations come in the final months of the year, giving season can be a lot of pressure. We’re here with tips and tricks to alleviate that stress! You got this!

Keep reading for great fundraising tips on Giving Tuesday, fundraising letters, and endowment funds!

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Great Fundraising Posts

Optimize Your Donation Pages for Giving Tuesday Success

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

Giving Tuesday is one of the biggest opportunities of the year for nonprofits and community centers to inspire generosity and connect with supporters, and it’s right around the corner! You will be one of thousands of causes competing for attention, which means you need to make it as easy as possible for people to give. This blog post how to optimize your donation pages to do so.

How to Grow Your Email List

James Herlihy (Moceanic)

Your email list is very important for your organization. The bigger and more engaged your email list, the more income streams you can unlock: single gifts, monthly giving, peer-to-peer, even planned giving. In this blog post, James offers advice for growing your email list.

Debunking the Myths: Why Nonprofits Should Build an Endowment Fund

Rachel Cyrulnik (NonProfitPro)

Endowments are widely perceived as the most advanced, unapproachable, and intimidating type of fundraising. Due to that reputation and limited bandwidth, many perceive endowments as a back-burner luxury. But financial sustainability, program innovation, and preparedness for unpredictable situations are all key reasons to embark on endowment efforts. In this blog post, Rachel explains why your organization should build an endowment fund.

What Does a Successful Non-Profit Strategic Planning Process Look Like?

Joe Garecht (Garecht Fundraising Associates)

Does your organization have a strategic plan? A strategic plan outlines your organization’s vision for the near future (typically 3-5 years) and the key steps required to achieve that vision. Strategic plans are important to make sure your actions are aligned with your goals and mission, and yet many organizations don’t have one. In this blog post, Joe explains what a strategic planning process can look like so that you can make a plan within your nonprofit.

Art of the Ask: 10 Steps to a Yes

Liz Sobansky (The ENGAGE Blog)

Preparing to ask for a major gift requires thoughtful planning and an understanding of best practices in fundraising. Success depends on knowing what works, what doesn’t, and how to remain composed during the process. This blog post explores the essential lessons learned from effective major gift solicitations, such as overcoming nerves and determining the right amount to request.

The Predictive Power of the First Gift

Kyle Klempel (TrueSense)

What drives long-term donor value? How do you know what a future holds with any one donor? Analysis has shown that the first gift amount is the strongest indicator of a donor’s future potential. In this blog post, Kyle explains why that is and how to use a donor’s first give to guide your strategy.

Put Gratitude Front and Center During Your Year-End Fundraising Campaign

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

Year-end fundraising coincides with what we might call the gratitude season, which includes Thanksgiving in the U.S. and the December holidays. And that works out perfectly because thanking your donors should be a key part of the fundraising equation. In this blog post, Ann talks about the importance of putting gratitude front and center during your year-end fundraising campaign, and offers tips on how to do so.

What’s Your Strategy?

Kevin Gentry (MarketSmart)

The key differentiator between a failing and a flourishing development shop is its strategy. But the unfortunate thing is, many nonprofit fundraising teams simply do not have a strategy. In this blog post, Kevin explains the importance of strategy and how you can go about developing one for your nonprofit.

The 3 Biggest Mistakes that are Killing Your Fall Fundraising Letter

Marc A. Pitman (The Fundraising Coach)

There are mountains of data about what works for successful fundraising. And yet, many nonprofit organizations are repeatedly making the same mistakes. In this blog post, Marc identifies the three biggest mistakes you are likely making in your fundraising appeal letters, and what you should do instead.