Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Throwing shade or throwing light?
One takes a little more effort than the other.
While throwing shade might be more fun, it eventually runs out of energy. It’s designed to end conversations, not start them, to intimidate, not encourage.
Turning on lights helps everyone.
— Seth Godin
You are on a meaning-seeking journey. Through your work, you create positive change and make lives easier and better. One person, family, community, region at a time. Your donors seek the same.
Part of your job is to bring meaning, not just to the beneficiaries of your organization’s mission but also to the people who contribute towards your meaningful outcomes.
It turns out when you consider what brings meaning and value to philanthropists – donors and volunteers – you do a more effective job creating abundance all around.
Use some of the resources in this week’s issue of the Clairity Click-it to help you on your journey. And to help your supporters on theirs. Whatever your role, you’ll find something in this issue to nourish you. So, start digging through the curated content from across the web. I hope it will make your job easier, and more fulfilling. Get curious!
As always, a big thank you to my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the hours of time hunting, gathering and choosing the resources I believe will be most useful to you.
It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.
Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,
Claire
P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: Year-End
October through December is the biggest giving time of the year (approximately 50% of annual gifts are raised). By far. December is the hugest month (30% of annual giving). And the last three days of the year can make or break your fundraising for the entire year. So, take a little time to check out these resources. They’re filled with tips, tools and tricks to make this year your best year ever. I dare you not to find at least one new thing you hadn’t been thinking of.
ARTICLES
Click-it: How to Boost Year-End Giving With Text Messaging. Age-old marketing wisdom says it takes seven touches before a customer makes a purchasing decision. So, you need a multi-channel marketing approach to create multiple touchpoints with a potential donor. Texting should be a part of that strategy, because open rates beat any other channel. Learn everything you need to know in this article from the texting experts at Rally Corp.
Click-it: Q&A: Maximize donations during Giving Season 2024, There is a ton of good advice in this piece from Fundraise Up. You’ll note that as a company they happen to provide a slew of campaign resources. Other companies do this as well. The point is that you likely need one or more campaign tools, fundraising pages and email solutions to put your best foot forward. If you don’t have them, now’s the time to get them. Read this article to learn why.
Click-it: How to Structure Your Storytelling for Maximum Impact, Jeff Brooks is a terrific fundraising copywriter, so he’s an excellent resource as you craft your year-end (and year-round) fundraising appeals and impact reports. Here, on the Moceanic blog, he outlines how a good story is the backbone of a powerful fundraising message. But… you also have to integrate this story with the specific call to action, what makes it urgent, what connects it to the donor’s values, and what the gift will accomplish. There are so many practical tips in here; please read it.
Click-it: 12 Key Steps to Plan Your 4th Quarter Strategy. Julie Edwards, the Nonprofit Maven, outlines 12 key steps to set your nonprofit up for 4th quarter success. Whether it’s reaching out to donors, gathering mission stories, or securing a matching gift, she’s broken down the tips by month to help you stay on track. They’re all good, so it’s hard to pick favorites. But do consider #1 if you haven’t done so already. It can make a real difference given the way human psychology works. And also, don’t forget #8. Again, it can make a surprisingly big difference. And, if you’re into checklists, there’s a free one you can download.
Click-it: How to Finish Strong with Year-End Giving. OneCause experts share how your organization can exceed fundraising goals during the last few months of the year. From preparing a strategy to boosting awareness and measuring success, use this as an outline to prepare (or double check) your strategies.
AUDIO VISUAL
Click-it: Fundraising Summit: Maximize Impact on GivingTuesday and Year-End [Register for free, day-long online conference, 10-24-2024] Join the Fundraising Summit for a day dedicated to amplifying your fundraising results this GivingTuesday and Year-End. Discover strategies to unite donors, inspire action, and drive donations. Pick and choose among multiple presenters, all hosted by CauseVox.
Click-it: How to Have Your Best Year-End Ever [Watch free tactical session]. Join Jim Shapiro, the Better Fundraising Co., hosted by the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, for this useful session all about having your best year-end ever. Start with an impact calendar (November 5th through December 31st). Grab a challenge/matching gift (you’ll see donations soar). And plan ahead to get the best gift from each of your major donors!
GUIDES & RESOURCES
Click-it:. The 2024 Year-End Fundraising Benchmark Report [Download free report] Did you know adding a text message to an email appeal can increase donations by 27%? This is something you need to know so you can choose your strategies wisely. You’ll find much more useful data in the Report from NextAfter.
Click-it: Which Fundraising Tool will help you conquer year-end goals? This is awesome! Bloomerang has created a quiz to help you assess your unique needs and reveal which nonprofit tools hold the key to making your GivingTuesday and year-end campaigns sparkle and shine, turning your wishes into a dazzling reality! After completing the questionnaire, you’ll receive a map filled with a curated collection of resources specific to your needs. Useful, and… fun!
Click-it: This Simple Spreadsheet Will Help You Crush Your End of Year Fundraising! [Read and download free template]. This is an article and spreadsheet templates all rolled into one. If you don’t have fancy software, no worries. You can still track your progress and crush your year-end. Read what Patrick Kirby of DoGoodBetter has to say.
Click-it: A Nonprofit’s Guide to Year-End Giving [Download free guide]. Did you know 10% of all giving happens in the last three days of the year? Do you know which marketing channels do 72% of donors prefer? Grab this, data-informed year-end fundraising plan from Charity Engine, complete a comprehensive list of data-backed tools and steps to help you easily craft a successful end-of-year fundraising strategy.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Roger Craver, the Agitator-DonorVoice, cautions against using premiums like tote bags and address labels. He notes: “We can do better by remembering that true change happens when we engage our donors more deeply, not when we settle for the temporary highs better acquisition response rates, but lower retention and lifetime value rates.” It’s well worth a read as you think about what really bonds supporters to your organization over the long-term.
Click-it: Why fundraising communication is different. Mary Cahalane, Hands-On Fundraising, is one of my ‘go-to’ fundraising writers. Here, as always, she offers excellent advice. And one piece is that it’s not about your organization. She notes: “the most effective fundraising communication tightens the bond between donor and beneficiary. Your organization is simply the connector.” Love this.
Click-it: A Picture’s Worth. Per Ephraim Gopin, 1832 Communications, this is something every email appeal should include. Front and center.
Culture
Click-it: The Silo Syndrome. If you’re not familiar with the pithy Tom Fishburne, the Marketoonist, check him out. I love this one, because it’s all too true in nonprofits. Especially the separation between marketing and fundraising. See why this is problematic.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Effective Thank-You Strategies: Making Donors Feel Valued. You absolutely can increase your donor retention rates by following this roadmap laid out by Aly Sterling, Care2. So, what’s stopping you? Any of these things you’re not doing are depressing your fundraising results.
Events
Click-it: Event Page Essentials: Why You Need One & How to Perfect It. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. That’s why, per Eventgroove, you need an awesome event’s landing page. Learn why Facebook isn’t the best choice, how to create a great visual brand, how to use your event page to seamlessly sell tickets, how to optimize for SEO and mobile, how to track your results, and more.
Click-it: How to create an event recap that’s completely digital and interactive. An event without impact follow-up is like a tree falling in a forest with no one there. Big thud. To assure your event takes wing, and continues to build donor relationships long after the event, begin with a great, mission-focused recap. Learn how in this article from the folks at Storyraise. Remind folks what they learned and experienced. Show non-attendees what they miss. Thank them. Re-engage them. Repurpose your event content. Grab three examples of non-boring event recaps in this article.
Giving Tuesday
Click-it: Giving Tuesday Success: Writing Emails That Raise More Money [Register for free webinar, 10-23-2024]. Boardable hosts Vanessa Chase Lockshin to talk about how to stand out in people’s inboxes and then, of course, get them to make a gift to you during this most generous time of the year. You’ll get: (1) The 5 elements of effective fundraising writing; (2) How to write a better subject line, and (3) Strategies to optimize your call to action to get more clicks on the links in your emails.
In-Kind Donations
Click-it: 4 Social Media Strategies to Acquire More In-Kind Gifts. If it’s something you’d otherwise have to pay for, and you can secure it for free, it’s worth reaching out to folks who have what you need. Like anything else, you need a strategic plan. Learn what to do in this article from GreaterGiving.
Major, Capital and Legacy Gift Fundraising
Click-it: Gut Check: Everyone Needs to Do It. If you work with major donors, this is for you! It’s written by a senior executive at the Veritus Group who, like you, put in her time in the trenches. Here she shares what she did in her role as major gift officer at a university. She spent a day taking stock of her highest level contacts with her donor portfolio. And then she doubled down for the next 60 days. She notes no matter where you are in your career or with an organization, it is important to take a step back and evaluate. Ask the key questions she suggests here, and see how it informs your strategy for the coming months.
Click-it: What Is Cadence-Based Fundraising? At its core, cadence-based fundraising is about establishing a planned approach to donor communications and interactions. Learn the key elements, benefits, and typical touchpoints in this article from the mid-level and major donor experts at Momentum. Note: You won’t use the same cadence for every donor segment. And you can use AI to help you.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: From Fumbles to Forgiveness, Rebuilding Donor Trust . I once had a boss who taught me to “embrace your errors.” That’s exactly what Carolyn Bess does here, using her own embarassing moment examples to which we can all relate. See how she turned disaster into opportunity. And learn how you too can take thoughtful steps to make amends that can transform a potential loss into long-term loyalty.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: 10 Iterative ChatGPT Prompts I Use Everyday. I found this article by Margaret Efron on Medium. If you’ve ever tried ChatGPT and thought “uh, oh; try again,” this is for you. Here they are: (1) more examples; (2) more concise; (3) elaborate on #X; (4) tone more/less formal; (5) that doesn’t sound right/try again; (6) when I tried your solution, I got this error…, (7) can you give a simpler solution; (8) make the response less than X sentences; (9) turn this answer into a blog post/twitter post/memo, etc., and (10) simplify/explain like I’m 5 years old. Lots more detail in the article.
ONLINE CONFERENCE
Click-it: Build a Thriving Nonprofit Summit [Register for 3 Free Days: 11-6 to 8, 2024]. This online summit brings together 7 incredible speakers who will deliver powerful, actionable sessions covering topics like: Grant Readiness is a Thing; How to Engage the Right Board Members without Seeming Bossy; How to Raise More Online, and much more. Sabrina Walker Hernandez hosts, and speakers include Julia Campbell, Christal Cherry, Bryan Partee, Jess Campbell, Kate Kramer, and Kelly Stewart.
WEBINARS, PODCASTS, ROUNDTABLES & ON-DEMAND AUDIO RESOURCES
If you can’t attend live, or are interested in sessions happening at overlapping times, note many are available via recording – but ONLY if you REGISTER!
Grants
Click-it: Introduction to Proposal Writing [Register for free online course, 10-29-2024]. Learn how to craft strong and compelling proposals that help you win grants. David Holmes of Candid will share effective writing tips, the best way to follow up with funders, and how to showcase your nonprofit’s work in your proposal.
Storytelling
Click-it: Unlocking the Potential of Video for Your Organization: Hush Videos that turn into Donations [Register for webinar, 10-23-2024]. Auctria hosts Jason Ellinger of Beard & Bowler, a nonprofit video and storytelling production company, for this special session that will help you develop emotional content that moves your audience. He will share his 7 secrets, beginning with “What’s your problem?”
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Grants
Click-it: Grant Readiness Checklist [Download free resource]. Grab this simple, useful checklist from Grant Station to help you prepare all the supporting documentation you’ll need to submit most grant proposals.
Storytelling
Click-it: Why Storytelling Matters and Five Simple ways to get Started [Download free e-book]. This brand new resource from Firespring will help you identify your most compelling stories, unearth real-life anecdotes, embed storytelling in your culture, and much more. In short, it will make the storytelling process less painful and more fulfilling.
Did You Miss My Newest Articles?
Here are links to the most recent articles on the Clairification blog. Remember, your goal is not simply to squeeze money out of people. It’s to give donors a squeeze and a hug for being caring and generous. This will make them feel good, which will move them to continue sticking with you.
6 Strategies to Convey Your Most Emotional Fundraising Appeal Story
24 Secrets to Instantly Improve Your Annual Fundraising Appeal
5 Strategies to Get and Keep More Donors for Your Nonprofit
Boost Gift-Giving with These 5 Donation Page Improvements
Nonprofit Fundraising: WHY You Should Sweat the Small Stuff
Finally… if you have a question, any question…
Check out my free fundraising advice column on the Bloomerang blog! Ask your question here. And bookmark the Ask an Expert page for any time you have a question! Here’s one: What Are The Most Important Elements For A Year-End Appeal?
REMINDER for Clairification School students: Don’t forget to log in to your “My Clairification/Subscriber Dashboard/Monthly Tips” to grab your exclusive, timely tips for each month. OCTOBER tip is live! If you’re not yet an enrolled student, and don’t have direct, immediate access to ALL my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts and much more, you can get in on the fun here — and grab your BONUS! Don’t miss out. Please.
And now, some BOO-t-ful scenes I found on my walks. ‘Tis the BOO-t-ful season!
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