Are you having trouble with your donor engagement? If you answered yes, it may be because your communication is well, just meh. The remedy I like to recommend is the 5 C’s of good nonprofit communication. Keep these in mind when you’re writing a fundraising appeal, thank you letter, update, or any type of donor communication.   Is it Clear? What is your intention? What message are you sending to your donors? Are you asking for a donation, thanking them, or sharing an update?  Whatever it is, make sure your message is clear. If you have a call to action, that needs to be clear ..read more

It’s summer! I hope you’ll get a chance to take a vacation or just some time off. It may be quieter at your nonprofit, but you don’t want to be too quiet and ignore your donors. Summer is a great time to do some relationship building.  You should communicate with your donors at least once a month and that includes the summer months. Don’t make the mistake of taking a vacation from your donor communication. Continuing to stay in touch with your donors will help you when you launch your fall fundraising campaign.  Maybe this sounds impossible, especially if you’re a small organization ..read more

Over the years I’ve realized the importance of keeping things simple. We have so many ways to fill our time (many of them involving screens), but I often find pleasure in simple things such as taking a walk, reading, and doing yoga. Keeping it simple doesn’t have to mean a bare-bones existence. There’s a Swedish term called lagom meaning everything in moderation or not too much, not too little. Or think of Goldilocks and choose what’s “just right.” This can apply to how much information we take in about everything that’s going on in the world – politics, war, the economy, inequality, climate ..read more

Believe it or not, we’re halfway through 2024. The midpoint of the year is always a good time to see if you’re meeting your fundraising and communications goals. For this post, I’m assuming your fiscal year is the same as the calendar year. If you’re on a different fiscal cycle, you can make the appropriate time adjustments. Your fundraising revenue may be down. We’re still in an uncertain economy, but that doesn’t mean you should stop fundraising. Never stop fundraising! Donors will give if they can. You may need to make some changes to your fundraising plan and other goals. And, if you neve ..read more

Segmenting your donors allows you to send personalized messages that resonate with them and increase engagement. Check out these donor segmentation strategies. By Gabrielle Perham With so much information available at their fingertips, it can be overwhelming and difficult for your supporters to fully absorb it all. Among the thousands of brands, businesses, and other charitable organizations out there, your nonprofit has to figure out how to cut through the clutter and stand out to current and potential donors. One of the top ways to grab donors’ attention is segmentation. By grouping donors ..read more

What kind of experience are you giving your donors when they interact with your organization? Is it good, bad, or somewhere in between? It’s important for you to look at things from their perspective, not yours. Let’s examine some of the different aspects of fundraising and donor communication to see what kind of experience you’re giving your donors. The Fundraising Appeal Experience Your donor receives an appeal from you. At least one appeal per campaign should come by mail because your donor will be more likely to see it and take action. It’s also a more personal way to connect. D ..read more

I believe one of the most important aspects of communication (written and verbal) is to make sure your audience understands you. There are many reasons this doesn’t happen. In nonprofit communication, organizations will overcomplicate things or use jargon and other language donors don’t understand. Some people like to show off their big vocabulary or only think about things from their perspective. The problem is if your audience doesn’t understand you, you can’t connect with them. You may have trouble convincing them to take action, such as making a donation. Remember, you are not your audien ..read more

Partnerships with organizations that share your values can yield much-needed support for your nonprofit. Learn how to find a like-minded partner in this guide. By Casey Dorman In 2022, 360MatchPro reports that companies donated $21 billion to nonprofits, and 88% of all public companies have Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives. Clearly, giving back is important to many businesses and their stakeholders. So, nonprofit organizations like yours should capitalize on this trend by building relationships with like-minded businesses and nonprofits. When you look for a community pa ..read more

People used to send postcards when they went on vacation, especially back in the days before we had email and social media. Now people are more likely to post pictures on social media, sometimes posting more than you want to see.  We don’t use postal mail as much anymore and many nonprofits are a part of that group. This is a mistake. Direct mail is more personal and your donors are more likely to see something they receive in the mail, as opposed to any type of electronic message you send. Plus, people never get nearly as much mail as they do email and social media messages. Electronic ..read more

In most instances, nonprofit giving declined again in 2023. If you’re interested in the numbers, here are the latest results from M + R Benchmarks. If your giving has gone down, you may have cut back on some expenses. While that’s understandable on one level, you need to be careful before you nix something you think you can’t afford. It may be something you should be investing in. Instead of going on autopilot and saying “We can’t afford this,” think about how you can make wise investments. Stay away from the scarcity mindset. It’s often not helpful. Here are a few areas you should be investi ..read more