Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Let’s begin with this week’s bit of wisdom…
A gift doesn’t diminish the giver. Sharing creates connection, possibility and energy.
And the magic of gratitude is that it improves everything it touches, especially the person who offered it in the first place.
So, what holds us back?
Fear. Fear of connection, of change, of seeing what is possible. It might feel safer to focus on scarcity.
Generosity and gratitude often go together. They light a path on the way to better.
— Seth Godin
Of course, I led with that sage advice because now is the time for channeling as much gratitude as you can muster. All those year-end donations you received? If you want them to be repeated in the coming year, there’s nothing more important you can do than deliver a prompt, personal thank you focused on the impact the donor’s gift will make. Don’t make this one about you, all your accomplishments, and all the need that still exists. Simply be thankful.
This last Clairity Click-it of 2024 is filled with a mix of topics to help you begin the coming year thoughtfully. I encourage you to dig through this curated content from across the web and pick one or more doable strategies. Approach this with a learning mindset, vowing to find at least one thing you’ll do a bit differently (if not today, then tomorrow; save the idea and put it on your calendar so you’re sure to revisit it at the appropriate time).
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. Truly, if I know it I want you to know it!]
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: Ways to Reframe Your Approach
I often find immense power in simply reframing my approach to things. Especially when it comes to relationships. Relationships with donors. Relationships with colleagues. Relationships with friends and family. These are both powerful, interesting articles. Try to find some time to give them a read.
Click-it: The Critical Theory of Love: Reconceptualizing Love for Social Justice. You’ve no doubt heard all the reasons why developing an organization-wide culture of philanthropy (or gratitude, or abundance) is critical to your organization’s success. Here’s another take from author Durryle Brooks in the Nonprofit Quarterly magazine. It reframes the concept as an overarching critical theory of love (with a 6-part framework) that’s a radical, transformative force fueling collective healing and movements for social justice.
Click-it: The Top 10 Insights from the “Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2024. This article from the Greater Good Science Center is filled with provocative findings from the past year, each of which have potential to make your life better. Here’s hoping they inspire you to reach out to others and model the kind of goodness you hope to see in the world.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: How additional value proposition copy affects donor conversion [A/B test results]. This experiment from NextAfter is a good check against the concept of “long copy vs. short copy”—the most important concept is to get the right copy, regardless of length.
Click-it: You can put more heart into your fundraising today, This message from Mary Cahalane, Hands-on Fundraising, is a terrific one to take into the new year. There’s so much good advice in this post that will help you develop stronger donor relationships year-round. Take a minute to savor it, and take it to heart
Click-it: How To Involve Young People In Your Nonprofit. People ask me this question all the time, so I was happy to see this article from Eventgroove with six ways to attract and retain Gen Z as volunteers and supporters.
Corporate Philanthropy
Click-it: 4 Ways Small Nonprofits Can Leverage Corporate Philanthropy. Don’t let your small size dissuade you from pursuing corporate support. This Wild Apricot post outlines four different ways to tap businesses for support. Each is a way to begin building a relationship that will hopefully grow over time.
Donor Advised Funds
Click-it: Why prioritize DAFs? How to make the case to your team. DAFs represent a massive funding opportunity for nonprofits, but you’ll likely only realize these gifts if you go after them proactively. Learn more in this guest post by Patrick Schmitt, co-CEO of FreeWill on Gravyty
Events
Click-it: Recording Nonprofit Auction Funds: 3 Best Practices. Auctria walks you through three best practices for recording the funds your nonprofit brings in from auction fundraising events. This may include ticket sales, auction purchases, additional contributions, sponsorships, in-kind donations and more. Learn how to categorize event revenue by source, and also how to accurately account for expenses.
Major and Legacy Gifts
Click-it: How-To: Seamless Planned Giving Experiences & User Journeys. Planned giving donors are among the most dedicated and connected to your causes. If anyone warrants special attention and care, it’s them. Alas, too many nonprofits pretty much ignore these folks after they make a legacy commitment. It’s a huge mistake, and one the team at Momentum are dedicated to helping you avoid. Read this to develop a more thoughtful experience for these donors.
Click-it: 3 Little Words that Make a Big Difference in Donor Conversations. This comes from the planned giving experts at Stelter, and it’s such great advice for just about every conversation you ever have – at least when you want to build a relationship. So simple. So powerful.
Click-it: 5 Effective Strategies for Cultivating Major Donors. This is solid advice from Tammy Zonker of Fundraising Transformed. First she outlines common challenges. Next she suggests five tried-and-true ways to address them. Read for some actionable take-aways.
Online and Digital Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it:. Email housekeeping: 4 areas of focus for nonprofits. Here are some supremely important email best practices from RKD Group. Tuck them away for January when you begin your 2025 planning. There are some new email requirements from Google and Yahoo of which you must be aware. Plus some great advice on segmentation, valuable content and testing.
Technology as Tool
Click-it:. Attribution Gone Wild: How $100 Becomes $400. A tool is only useful if deployed correctly. Here Kevin Schulman, Agitator-DonorVoice blog, lays out exactly what happens when you count the same transaction multiple times. Learn how to give credit where it’s really due.
Volunteers
Click-it: 11 Ways to Attract More Donors Through Volunteer Opportunities. While firsthand experience can reframe your mission as a shared vision with your volunteers, it won’t usually happen without you doing something proactive to build the relationship. The Blackbaud Giving Fund shares some terrific ideas for leveraging volunteer activities to attract more donors. And to also keep them!
Website and Landing Pages
Click-it: Building an Effective Online Donation Process: Expert Tips. If you’re like most nonprofits, you spend a lot of time driving people to your website donation page and very little trying to keep them there long enough to make a gift. Sandy Rees explains on the Get Fully Funded blog how to combat this problem, from beginning to end, starting with your donation page and finishing with your donor stewardship process.
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: 2024 Grant Trends and What to Expect for 2025 [Register for free webinar, 12-16-2024]. Join the Nonprofit Learning Lab to explore the latest trends in grant funding and provide you with the knowledge and tools you need to secure the resources that will propel your nonprofit forward. Understanding grant trends is crucial for maximizing your nonprofit’s capacity and ensuring the best return on investment. Learn how to avoid the pitfalls of cold applications and instead, through diligent research and strategic relationships, send tailored proposals to the right funders.
Major and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Three Legacy Acts [Watch free podcast]. Jen Love, storyteller extraordinaire with Agents of Good, talks about leaning into legacy giving at your nonprofit. You’ll learn practical strategies to reach out and develop leads;, cultivate, and steward donors. Plus, you’ll hear some compelling stories. This is about combining the “head” and “heart” of legacy giving.
Online, Digital, Social Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Social Media Boot Camp [Register for free two-day session, 1-7 & 8, 2025]. Believe it our not, this two-day offering from the experts at Firespring is free! They’ve combined their Social Media 101, 102 topics, and added more resources for you to elevate your social media presence. Attendees will receive a Social Media Boot Camp Workbook and get additional Q&A time with their experts each day. You’ll find this super practical, and will walk away with action items you can use right away.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Content Marketing
Click-it: Top 4 most engaging digital reports of 2024 and what they did right. Sometimes the best way to figure out how to do things is to look at examples from other folks who got it right. Here, the folks at Storyraise show you four impact reports that knock it out of the park. You can click on each one and go straight to that organization’s website to see the finished product.
Corporate Matching Gifts
Click-it: Become an Expert:Access the Ultimate Guide to Marketing Matching Gifts [Download free resource]. Did you know only 1.31% of individual contributions are matched at the average nonprofit organization, despite approximately 10% being eligible for corporate matches? Sadly, per Double the Donation, $4 – $7 billion in matching gift funds is estimated to go unclaimed per year. Some of this money could be yours! Unfortunately, only 8% of donors know their company has a program, know they’re eligible, and understand how to submit their matching gift request. You need to help them with this, and that’s where automating this process can really help. This is something you seriously need to consider; it’s almost malpractice not to.
Major and Legacy Gifts
Click-it: Removing Obstacles to Major Gift Fundraising [Download free paper]. You will not find more thorough and practical resources on major gift fundraising anywhere. The Veritus Group experts work with hundreds of nonprofits and speak from real world experience. Plus, they’re patient and pragmatic. Want to have someone tell it to you straight? Read this, and the year ahead will finally be the year of no more excuses!
NOTE: If you want to really become a master of major gift fundraising – a highly valued skill – this might be a great time to consider exploring certification. I highly recommend this fully revamped course from the Veritus Group: Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. If you’re the executive or manager, there’s a companion course for you! The next cohort begins February 10th, and runs through May 9th, and after completion you’ll become a member of the prestigious Veritus Scholars. If you have any questions, just reply to this email and I’ll be happy to discuss whether this course may be right for you. I promise to be honest. USE MY CODE, CA5, FOR A DISCOUNT.
Mobile Marketing and Fundraising
Click-it: Your Nonprofit Text Messaging Playbook: Everything You Need to Get Started [Download free guide]. Rally Corp gives you strategy, scripts, templates, videos, graphics, and more. How about 52 weeks of social media posts? 12 months of text messages? It’s everything you need to get results.
Trends
Click-it: Generational Giving Report, Volume 2 [Download free report]. Bloomerang and Qgiv surveyed 1,000 donors to help you tailor approaches to align with generational preferences. Why? To optimize the giving experience, build stronger relationships with supporters, and maximize donor loyalty. There are all sorts of take-aways here – too many to call out. You’ll want to download this and think carefully about what these findings portend for you and your constituents.
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.
Key Strategies to Give Meaningful Nonprofit Work Feedback
Choose Your Tuesday: Greed or Goodwill?
Psychology of Securing Lasting Nonprofit Donor Commitments
Will Your Nonprofit’s Donors Decide to Leave You? Emphatically yes,
Top Strategy to Get 100% of Nonprofit Board to Give Passionately
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: How Important Is It To Promptly Acknowledge Receipt Of A Supporter’s Input?
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. DECEMBER tips are still live!!! The JANUARY tips have also arrived — and they’re jam-packed. 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 a BONUS! There’s never been a better time to enroll.
And now, some colorful museum art from a selection of local and international artists who showed at my local museums and made me happy. May your year ahead be filled with all the colors of the rainbow!
Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below). The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable, because of their generosity.
