Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 295

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers!

If you’ve ever second-guessed an ask, overthought a donor message, or wondered if your “engagement” is actually… engaging, this week’s roundup is for you. A lot of these pieces get back to the core of fundraising: clear communication, real connection, and a bit more confidence in the value you’re offering.

Below, you’ll find ideas for strengthening major gifts programs, improving donor engagement, and reaching new supporters through social media. Enjoy!

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Great Fundraising Posts

How to Avoid Common Pitfalls in Managing In-Kind Donations

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

In-kind donations can present many benefits for your nonprofit organization. They allow you to reallocate the funds you'd typically spend on these donated offerings to other areas of your budget while still obtaining the resources your nonprofit needs to grow and execute its mission. This guide will help you apply the principles of proper nonprofit financial management to maximize your use of in-kind donations.

How to Ensure That Your Donor Engagement is Actually Engaging

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

Is your donor engagement actually engaging? You may think so, but often those thank you letters and newsletters are formulaic and just downright dull. If your donor engagement isn’t doing what it’s supposed to do, it’s time for you to move away from generic and impersonal communication. In this blog post, Ann offers a few suggestions to help you improve your donor communication to make it more engaging.

How to Build a Major Gifts Program That Actually Performs

Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group)

What do you think is the most common reason major gift programs stall? The wrong donors? A bad strategy? This blog post asserts that it is actually because your fundraising staff is not able to use their time for what matters most. Check out the post for practices on how to protect time for cultivation.

I’m Not Selling You Any Tea Today

Claire Axelrad (Clairification)

When you email your community, are you leading with an ask? Or are you inviting them into a narrative? That can be the difference between your reader feeling engaged and like they want to help sustain your organization versus immediately deleting the email without finishing it. In this blog post, Claire shares an email she received that delighted her and how it can be a great model to follow.

Donor Acquisition: 5 Effective Strategies for Social Media

Julia Claire Campbell (Marketing for the Modern Nonprofit)

According to recent industry data, 29% of donors say social media is the channel that most inspires them to give. However, inspiration only leads to acquisition when you intentionally create clear donor pathways and form genuine connections. To turn followers into donors, move beyond generic posts and lean into radical transparency and authentic storytelling. This article provides five tactical donor acquisition strategies to help your nonprofit stay savvy and attuned in a mobile-first world.

Nervous about Bequest Conversations? Here’s How to Start

Christiana Stergiou (Moceanic)

Are you nervous about talking to donors about bequest giving? That’s understandable. It can feel like an awkward conversation, especially if you don’t have practice. Luckily, in this blog post Christina highlights the “4-S” method for talking to donors about bequest giving. Check out this method to go from a shy fundraiser to a bequest superstar.

Nonprofits Risk Eroding Trust as AI Adoption Expands Without Oversight, Research Shows

NonProfitPro (NonProfitPro)

Nonprofit leaders are turning to artificial intelligence (AI) to address funding constraints, rising service demand, and growing expectations for measurable impact. Yet many AI initiatives lack coordinated governance and clear accountability. Disconnected pilot initiatives and unclear accountability structures are limiting mission impact and undermining stakeholder trust. This blog post offers recommendations for how to define responsible AI principles as you move forward.

A Beginner’s Guide to Choosing Nonprofit Accounting Software

re:charity (re:charity)

As a new nonprofit leader, your attention is divided between program operations, finding and stewarding new donors, recruiting volunteers, and building your team. And then on top of all of that, you have to figure out the many nuances of nonprofit financial management. The good news is that there are tools for nonprofit accounting giving you the support you need to maximize your organization’s impact. This guide walks you through the uses of accounting software for nonprofits and how to select the right tool for you.

Asking Is Not Begging. It’s a Mutual Exchange of Value

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

Do you struggle with making asks in fundraising? If so, it may be because you have the wrong mindset about what you’re doing when you ask people to donate. In this blog post, Jeff clarifies what you’re really asking for when you ask for a donation.