Email or print donor newsletter? Smart nonprofits utilize both to keep their donors close.  But only print donor newsletters have the “sticky” quality that leads to greater donor loyalty — and the greatest gift of all, the bequest gift. Leading international fundraising copywriter, Lisa Sargent, calls print donor newsletters your “retention engines.” And, when your newsletter is done according to the simple, but reliable formula outlined in Simple Development Systems, it has the potential to become one of your mission’s best drivers of revenue. Take it from Jody-Joy O’Keefe of Bethany H ..read more

Recruiting and retaining staff can feel like scaling a mountain. Even when you think you’ve gotten closer to the summit, you most likely still have one or two more positions to fill or may even face staff turnover. Recruitment challenges have been listed as one of the upcoming trends to look out for in 2024. This is no surprise as recruiting talented staff involves making your organization stand out in a competitive market and maintaining clear expectations, which is an area of improvement for many hiring organizations. One of the best ways to attract talent is by creating a culture that enco ..read more

Closeup Woman hand using Laptop pc with email icon, Email concept Creating your nonprofit’s digital strategy comes with its own set of challenges, from creating engaging campaigns to standing out in donors’ inboxes. But the good news is that nonprofits benefit from higher open rates compared to regular marketing emails. Your real test lies in converting these opens into donations. To improve your nonprofit email marketing, focus on sending relevant messages to your donors at the appropriate times. Looking for inspiration? Check out nine nonprofit email marketing examples every nonprofit shou ..read more

Every day you sit down to begin working on a project. Perhaps it’s your first donor newsletter. Or an invitation to your organization’s latest event. Or maybe you’ve finally decided to work on your email welcome series. Only to be interrupted by a notification on your phone for a new *free* webinar promising the latest in fundraising innovation (probably something AI-related). As you’re about to get back to work, a board member stops in to tell you about a new grant *opportunity.* All day long your goals are hijacked. Another day goes by, and once again, your most important goals are put on h ..read more

Your nonprofit invests significant time, energy, and money into bettering the lives of those you serve. However, you can’t do it all on your own. Building relationships with donors, volunteers, and advocates ensures that you have a reliable source of support to power your mission year after year. Thanks to modern technology, the world is more interconnected than ever. This means that there are more opportunities to tell your nonprofit’s story, spread awareness of your cause, and connect with donors around the world. A holistic nonprofit digital marketing plan involves weaving together multipl ..read more

Valentine’s Day, a celebration of love and affection, has a rich and varied history dating back centuries. Over time, the holiday evolved into a Christian celebration honoring Saint Valentine, a martyr who defied Emperor Claudius II’s ban on marriages for young soldiers. Legend has it that Valentine performed marriages in secret, leading to his eventual martyrdom. By the Middle Ages, Valentine’s Day had become associated with romantic love, with the exchange of handwritten notes or tokens of affection becoming customary. Today, it is celebrated worldwide with gifts, cards, and gestures of lov ..read more

Did you ever stop to consider that storytelling is your organization’s currency? After all, this ancient art form has the power to literally move your audience to give, support and share the important work you do with the world. If you don’t know where to start in finding your best stories, this Lessons from MotivateMonday is your roadmap! Pulling from her world as a professional counselor and filmmaker, Kristin Sukraw will walk you through how to craft a purposeful storyteller list, conduct insightful discovery interviews, and ultimately choose the best storyteller for your next initiative ..read more

With the overall decline in both donors and dollars, smart nonprofits are recognizing the importance of monthly giving programs. But monthly giving won’t transform your organization — unless you first figure out the most important element of your monthly giving program. No, it’s not the theme you decide upon. It’s not even how compelling your offer is, or your mailing list. The most important factor of your organization’s monthly giving program is your back-end. What policies and procedures does your organization have in place to ensure that donors who have made that extra commitment to ..read more

If yours is a smart nonprofit and you put your digital focus on email marketing, buckle up because changes are on the horizon from Google and Yahoo, and we’ve got the scoop. It’s estimated that Gmail and Yahoo represent 32.2% of all emails opened. Your numbers may be higher. Within my clients’ email lists, I typically find that Gmail and Yahoo users represent at least 50% of all emails on a list. Starting in February 2024, Google and Yahoo are throwing down three rules you need to know: Authenticated Email Domains: Make sure your emails come from legit sources. Easy-to-Unsubscribe Links: Let ..read more

The past five years have seen tremendous change in the world — and in the nonprofit sector. We faced a global pandemic, resulting in oftentimes disastrous fundraising. Organizations relying on event-driven fundraising suffered. And one of the biggest event-driven fundraising models shuttered their doors. Then, once nonprofits recovered their wits and resumed asking, fundraising initially rebounded big time. Only to decline again in the uncertainty of 2023. But what we’ve found is that when you implement what works, your donors will always come through for you. After all, they love you and wan ..read more