Someone made a gift to your organization. Hurrah! They’ve shown they care about your work, and want to support you. And, you have their money so your work is done, right? Wrong. As soon as a donor hits “submit gift,” your work as a fundraiser starts. While I’m a big fan of great (and timely!) thank you letters, hand-written notes, and phone calls, your stewardship can —and should —start with your automated email receipts.

If you use Amazon.com or support any local nonprofits, you know the call to action: use AmazonSmile when you shop online and a portion of your proceeds are automatically donated to the nonprofit of your choice. Easy, right?

Welcome to the End-of-Year Giving 5 Day Challenge! It’s that time of year when Giving Tuesday and End-of-Year campaigns loom over us all! So this year, we want to have some fun and create a kick-ass end-of-year campaign. In a week.

Do you wake up dreaming about consistent unrestricted revenue for your nonprofit, from donors that are fully invested in your work year after year?

Want to raise more money? Who doesn’t! Whether you’re hiring a new grant writer, launching a monthly giving program, or planning an end-of-year campaign, you want to know how much money to raise and how you’ll raise it.

Grants are great. They’re a significant source of income for many nonprofits. They can also be a stumbling block for organizations that think they need grants now for fundraising success. Securing grants is about more than hiring a grant writer and expecting them to work magic.

Was your most recent grant proposal declined? It probably wasn't the quality of your programs. It could be that your proposal left grant officers asking some key questions. And that's something you can fix!

Hey nonprofit folx, I don’t know how to watch our communities be oppressed, abused, and murdered while recognizing that this is the reality many of you live every day.

If you’re struggling to launch or grow your grants program and secure more funding from corporate and foundation funders, take the time to step back and build a strong foundation.

How do you know if your programs really work? That’s one of the most critical questions your grant proposals need to answer — and why every proposal needs to include an evaluation plan. This section of a grant needs to answer “how do you know if your program works,” and “what data do you have to show your impact?” Before you start writing and submitting any grants, make sure you have a plan for how you’ll evaluate your work.

No matter where you are on your journey — veteran fundraiser or solicitation newbie — the most powerful tool you have in your fundraising arsenal is one that is easy to access and 100% free. Perhaps the most powerful way to amplify your fundraising efforts is by sharing stories from your constituents and community.

“How can I help?” This is the question many of us are asking as we watch the impact of the coronavirus impact on our families and communities.

It’s safe to say right now that each and every one of us has been impacted by the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. For nonprofits, the global crisis has raised pressing — and sometimes scary –– messages. How do we continue our programs when we’re “social distancing” or in quarantine? How do we engage our donors when they are rightly concerned with their health and financial futures? And how do we continue to fundraise in a way that is sensitive, authentic, and successful?

If you are struggling to get grant funding, there’s a good chance the goals and objectives you include in your grant proposal are the reason.

Your grant proposal’s statement of need (also known as a need statement, need assessment, or problem statement) is the heart of your grant proposal. It answers the question “why care” about the work you are doing, and the impact it has on your community. It doesn’t get any more important than that!

A Valentine’s Day donor stewardship campaign is a fun and festive way to develop strong relationships with your donors (which in turn will turn into more frequent and larger gifts). It’s time to tap into our elementary school days and get ready to send some Valentine’s Day love!

Most nonprofits are laser-focused on getting donors. But what about keeping them? While it can be tempting to assume that once a donor gives, she’ll continue to make a donation year after year, data says otherwise. According to the AFP 2018 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey, the 2017 donor retention rate was only 45.5%. That means that, overall, one out of every two donors won’t make a second gift.

Do you know what you are going to say to your donors this month? In three months? At the end of the year? Far too often, donors are forgotten until it’s time to ask them for more money. You’re living and breathing your mission every day, but the only time your donors hear from you is when you want money.