Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 289

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

This week’s roundup leans into clarity and connection. You’ll find guidance on crafting powerful thank-you messages, avoiding information overload in your appeals, and making better use of the donor data you’re already collecting. We hope you find something useful for your fundraising endeavors!

PS - if you’re near New York and using Salesforce, consider checking out NPSP Fundraising Day—a community-powered event focused on leveraging Salesforce to strengthen fundraising practice and peer learning. We'd love to have you there!

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Great Fundraising Posts

Fundraising When Your Mission Is Not Tied to a National Crisis

Tracy Vanderneck (NonProfitPRO)

We are in a moment (and have experienced many in recent years) in which a national emergency is taking place in certain parts of the country. When an emergency occurs, a lot of people donate money to do all they can to help those impacted. So how do you fundraise if your mission is not related to the crisis? Tracy answers that question in this blog post.

6 Tips for Powerful Thank-You Messages

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

Good thank-you letters are very important. A proper thank-you can go a long way to keeping a donor with you through the years. In this blog post, Jeff offers six tips for powerful thank-you messages.

Rethinking Strategic Planning

Janet Levine (Janet Levine Consulting)

When in doubt, many nonprofit organizations turn to strategic planning. It takes a lot of work to do strategic planning well, in a way that will strengthen your organization. Are you sure that it’s the right move? Check out this blog post for some thoughts on if strategic planning is what your organization needs.

Is Your Fundraising Guilty of TMI?

Jim Langley (MarketSmart)

There is no singular formula for the fundraising process. However, we do have sense of how people like to make decisions, and what leads them to decide to donate to an organization. When we look at what we know, it’s clear that some nonprofits may be guilty of TMI in their fundraising—and that acronym has more than one meaning. Check out this blog post to learn more about whether this is something your organization is guilty of.

10 Strategies to Celebrate Nonprofit Donors on Valentine’s Day

Claire Axelrad (Clairification)

Do you think Valentine’s Day is only to celebrate your loved ones? Think again! It’s always a good idea to find time to appreciate your donors, and valentine’s day is a great time to do so. In this blog post, Claire offers ten strategies to help you do that.

How Confidence Drives A Fundraising Team’s Success

Tamara Varner (Greater Giving)

Confident fundraising teams raise more money. When your fundraising team is confident: volunteers engage donors more naturally, staff make smarter decisions, and donors feel reassured and give more generously. In this blog post, Tamara identifies the three confidence pillars of high-performing fundraising teams.

Script for Getting Matching Funds

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

Matching funds from a donor during a fundraising appeal can often help you cross the finish line to meet your goal. But how do you secure those funds? In this blog post, Steven provides a practical script on how to approach a donor about matching funds.

Are You Using Donor Data or Just Storing It? 5 Warning Signs

fundraisingIP (fundraisingIP)

It’s no secret that data empowers informed decisions and strengthens nonprofit fundraising strategies. However, many organizations may think they’re using donor data properly when they’re really just storing it. This blog post explores warning signs that you’re not using donor data to its fullest potential and offers tips to better use this valuable information.

Are You Letting Your Donors Know How Much You Appreciate Them?

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

Everyone likes to feel appreciated and that includes your donors. Thanking your donors is not just something you do after you receive a donation and then do nothing for a while. You need to show gratitude all year round. In this blog post, Ann offers some advice on how you can show your appreciation this month.