Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 292

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers!

March is here, and this week’s roundup is a bit of a reality check (in the best way). We’re looking at the small things that quietly make or break fundraising: stories that actually move people, surveys that don’t annoy your donors, and making sure your whole organization aligned around major gifts.

Plenty here to spark ideas as we head into spring!

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Great Fundraising Posts

Best Nonprofit Auction Format: Virtual vs. Hybrid vs. In-Person (2026)

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

The pandemic forced nonprofits to rapidly pivot from traditional gala formats to virtual alternatives. Now organizations face a critical strategic question: Which auction format delivers the best results for our mission? Each format offers distinct advantages and challenges depending on your donor demographics, organizational capacity, and fundraising goals. This comprehensive comparison will help you make an informed decision that maximizes both revenue and donor engagement for your next auction.

Trust the Expertise

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

Everyone at a nonprofit organization needs to play a role in fundraising. But that doesn’t mean everyone has fundraising expertise. In this blog post, Steven talks about the importance of trusting a fundraiser to do their job, even if their ideas are new and out of the ordinary.

7 Mistakes That Can Sink Your Fundraising Stories

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

Stories are essential to successful fundraising. If you get them right, that is. There are mistakes you can make in storytelling that will ruin your chance at success. In this blog post, Jeff shares seven mistakes that may be sinking your fundraising stories.

We Said “Donor First.” The Budget Said “Same as Last Year.”

Kevin Schulman (The Agitator)

In fundraising, it is important to be malleable. You should review what you have done, identify what worked and what didn’t, and make changes for the future. Sometimes this happens in a fundraising department, but then isn’t reflected in the budget. In this blog post, Kevin talks about the importance of making sure your budget reflects what you actually plan to do, and what happens when it doesn’t.

Launching a Data-Driven Workplace Giving Program This Year

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

The shift toward corporate philanthropy and employee-directed giving has become a major cornerstone of sustainable nonprofit growth. Launching a data-driven workplace giving program is one of the most effective ways to ensure your team isn't leaving money on the table this year. This guide, written in partnership with Double the Donation, covers everything you need to know to build a program that runs on information rather than guesswork.

Hidden Gap #3: Your Organization Isn’t Fully Aligned Behind Major Gifts

Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group)

Major gifts are where the bulk of your revenue will come from. If you’re struggling to meet goals and don’t know why, there may be a hidden gap in your major gift strategy. In this blog post from the Gail Perry Group, they identify one of the most common and overlooked gaps in major gift programs across the country: misalignment amongst your organization.

How to Design Email and Text to Work Together in Digital Fundraising

Amanda L. Cole (NonProfitPRO)

Email and text are often evaluated side by side — open rates, click rates, and response times compared in search of which platform delivers the best results. However, the real performance gains come not from choosing a superior channel, but from designing a communication strategy that allows each to do what it does best. In this blog post, Amanda talks about the unique strengths of each platform and how to build a strategy that best supports your donor journeys.

Don’t Make These Donor Survey Mistakes

Jeff Brooks (Moceanic)

Sending a Supporter Connection Survey is a great tool to help you connect meaningfully with your donors in ways that will motivate them to give. But there are some things you shouldn't use that survey for, no matter how bad you may want to. In this blog post, Jeff identifies three common donor survey mistakes.

Build Better Connections Through Strength-Based Storytelling

Julie Miller (TrueSense)

Communicating about the people your organization serves is a great way to connect with donors. However, in this storytelling, you don’t want to simply highlight why they need support. Instead, it is important to build connections. In this blog post, Julie identifies how to build connections by focusing on the people at the center of your stories.