Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
This week, before we get to all the resources I’ve curated to help you do great work, these questions from the always sage Seth Godin bear your consideration.
Direct questions worth answering
For everyone on the team…
Do you care enough to do great work?
Can we agree on what great work looks like?
When the world changes, do we have a process to redefine great work?
Do you have the tools you need to reach your goals?
How could we create a system where great work is easier to do?
— Seth Godin
Think about it, okay? If you really dig into these questions, both as an individual and as a team, you may be surprised by some of the answers.
Here’s the deal: If you can’t define the problem, you can’t arrive at a solution. Alas, we work on the wrong problems all the time. They aren’t the ones that really matter. At least not to most of the people. Maybe not even to you. Maybe they should matter, but there’s no way to figure that out unless you stop to think, ponder and explore.
Here’s my challenge to you: Will you calendar some time to ask and answer these questions within the next 45 days? Ideally, do it with some team members. Find out what’s holding you back from doing truly great work. Then endeavor to find some strategies to move yourselves onward and upward.
Okay – on to this week’s issue!
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 [NOTE: If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: 4 Common Recurring Gift Bloopers. This is one of those articles about what happens when the right hand doesn’t know what the left is doing. Erica Waasdorp highlights some recurring giving mistakes in this article for NonProfitPRO.
Click-it: What Does The New Phone Etiquette Mean for Your Donor Calls? Technology keeps changing how folks communicate. You, too, may need to change your strategies to adapt to the times. This piece by Diana Frazier for the Veritus Group makes a strong case for why you should at least think about it. And, for fundraising purposes, phone calls are not dead.
Boards
Click-it: Top 6 Reasons for Your Nonprofit to Have a Board Retreat this Year. Check out what Amy Eisenstein has to say on why, and how, you should plan for a board retreat this year.
Content Marketing
Click-it: How removing images on an email newsletter impacts click through rates. Next time you feel too lazy to find and insert an image into your emailed message, you may want to think again. Check out this A/B test shared by the team at NextAfter. While you’re at it, subscribe to their free Winston Knows to monitor your own experiments.
Donor Retention
Click-it: You CAN write a great thank you. Here’s another lovely piece about the purpose of a thank you letter, and why you can’t afford to cut corners here. From Mary Cahalane at Hands-On Fundraising. She also directs you to great posts on the topic by experts Lisa Sargent and Pamela Grow. This is a must click and open.
Click-it: Don’t Let Your DAF Donors Fall through the Cracks of Your Thanking Process! I love this article by Sarah Lundberg on the Better Fundraising Co. blog because, alas, this happens all the time. It’s time to learn to do a better job of thanking and stewarding donors when they give through their DAF.
Click-it: My Essay on Why I Stopped Donating Went Viral. Here’s What I’ve Learned Since. “I don’t think many fundraisers fully understand the donor experience.” So writes Theodore C. Wagenaar in this thoughtful piece for the Chronicle of Philanthropy based on his own experience as a donor. See what you think, and how you measure up.
Events
Click-it: In Person vs. Virtual Fundraising Events–Key Considerations. This guest post from Roger Devine on Dennis Fischman’s blog lays out cost and other considerations, including: Audience; Budget and Resources; Event Goals; Content; Timeline, and Flexibility.
Major, Capital and Legacy Gift Fundraising
Click-it: Let’s Talk Donor Love: The 5 Love Languages and Planned Giving. What a terrific paradigm to help you build nurturing relationships with donors! Thanks to the Stelter Co. for coming up with this model you can really use.
Click-it: What Unrestricted Funds and Phone Booths Have in Common. Learn why it makes sense to pitch restricted giving opportunities that resonate with donor passions, rather than beating folks over the head to give to your general fund. Jim Langley explains on the Market Smart blog how today’s donors are issues driven; you need to give them some major-gift-worthy ideas to fund.
Online and Mobile Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: How to Grow Your Email List and Raise More Online. James Herlihy of Moceanic makes the case email is decidedly not then. He then suggests ways to grow your email list.
Click-it: Why Nonprofit Text Messaging Has Evolved Beyond Text-to-Give in 2024. You likely need to learn more about the who, what, when, where, why and how of text messaging your donors. This article by Mike Snusz in NonProfitPRO fits the bill nicely.
Strategy, Management and Planning
Click-it: 5 Proven Ways to Make Your Fundraising Life Easier. I love these tips from the folks at Moceanic. You might call them simple hacks, but they make a remarkable difference in focusing you on the things that are important. The things that draw everything else together and make them work. Give one or two, at least, a try.
Click-it: Changing our Mindset to “And”. Lisa Greer, Philanthropy 451, answers a number of important questions related to which strategies you should prioritize – and why.
Technology: AI & SEO
Click-it: Your Guide to AI & Fundraising: Everything You Need to Know. AI can level up a nonprofit’s fundraising program by taking on some of the tedious, time-consuming administrative tasks that bog down your day-to-day. But it doesn’t stop there. AI can also help analyze and predict donor behavior, generate content, and identify high-priority donors. Learn more about the extraordinary changes coming to fundraising in this article by the AI fundraising experts at Momentum.
Click-it: Five Highlights From My New Speech on AI. Mark Schaefer is a big thinker, and someone whose take on the big issues of our time I always enjoy. This is a quick read, and may have a calming influence.
Click-it: SEO for Nonprofits – Actionable Tips + Strategies. This article by Eventgroove is stuffed with useful tips. Learn how to optimize search results using things like image descriptions, alt tags, longtail keywords, titles, meta-descriptions and more.
Other Learning Opportunities
ONLINE CONFERENCE OR COURSE
Click-it::Fundraising Strategies for Any Size Gift [Sign up for free series, 2-26 thru 2-29-2024]. Bloomerang has invited Rachel Bearbower, Sandy Rees and Cherian Koshy to each offer a 30-minute session on different aspects of major gifts. Rachel Muir hosts, and all four will come together on leap day for a fuller panel discussion. PLUS… there will be prizes for attendees!
Click-it: The Nonprofit Marketing Summit: The Unthinkable [Register for free virtual three-day conference, 3-5 to 3-7, 2024]. It’s billed as “a 3-day journey into The Unthinkable, turning your boldest impact dreams into reality. Break free from conventional marketing, embrace fresh strategies, and propel your nonprofit toward mission success at the world’s largest conference (and all virtual) for nonprofit marketers.” How about 75+ high impact sessions? Speakers like Dan Palotta, Beth Kanter, Vu Le, Nathan Chapell, Julia Campbell, Tammy Zonker, Floyd Jones and so many more? Believe it or not, this won’t cost you a dime. From organic and paid social to AI and activating the next generation of change-makers, get ready to explore a diverse range of topics related to nonprofit marketing from your favorite speakers in the sector! Thanks to Community Boost for being the lead sponsor.
WEBINARS, PODCASTS, CONFERENCES & 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!
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Decoding Donor Desire: The Next Frontier in Donor Motivation [Listen to on-demand webinar]. Neon One hosts Cherian Koshy of iWave for this incredibly insightful session that delves into the evolving landscape of donor psychology. You’ll come to better understand donor motivations and learn to translate this into influencing desired behaviors. It’s worth taking the time for!
Online and Mobile Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Text to Donate: A Case Study Webinar With My360Project [Register for free webinar, 3-7-2024]. If you’d like to hear a real-life example of an organization having success with text-to-donate, you’ll want to sign up for this session hosted by Rally Corp with one of their clients.
Strategy, Management and Planning
Click-it: Use Donor Stewardship to Maintain Your Audience and Grow Their Support [Register for free webinar, 2-27-2024]. Learn 5 tips to boost donor retention, 7 ways you may be unknowingly driving donors away, why you need a new donor welcome series, and much more – all in this session with Kiersten Hill, a great presenter, with Firespring.
Technology
Click-it: How to grow your revenue with smart payment solutions [Register for free webinar, 2-27-2024]. Join 4aGoodCause Founder, Ronald Pruitt, to learn how you can benefit from smart payment solutions like Authorize.net. If you want to improve cart conversion and reduce abandonment, while also reducing costs, preventing fraud and enhancing your customer experience, this is for you.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Branding
Click-it: Discovering Your Nonprofit’s Unique Value Proposition [Download free guide]. I’m a big fan of spending time to differentiate yourself from other nonprofits doing similar, but different, things. It helps you be the most persuasive you can possibly be in advocating for your organization’s raison d’etre. So, I was delighted to come across this new step-by-step guide from the folks at Allegiance Group. Your Unique Value Proposition (UVP) is the secret sauce that sets you apart, attracting the right audience and cultivating unwavering support.
Events
Click-it: Auction Timelines & Checklists & User Training PDFs [Download free resources]. The generous folks at Auctria are making a variety of timelines and checklists available to make sure you don’t miss a single thing next time you host a general event or an auction, whether online, in person, or some combination thereof.
Online Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Definitive Guide to Online Fundraising [Download free handbook]. The folks at Soapbox Engage believe in three pillars of effective fundraising: (1) storytelling; (2) relationships, and (3) optimization. Here they’ve broken out some best practices and general considerations, but have also offered specific examples they encourage you to borrow and customize for your own strategy. This is super comprehensive, so a thoughtful read is recommended.
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.
Let’s take as GIANT a LEAP forward as possible this month!
The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Major Gift Fundraising
Fundraiser Job Tips: How to Hire/Get Hired + Top Interview Questions
Borrow From Old MacDonald’s Farm to Interview for a Fundraising Job
What Does Early Spring Mean for Nonprofit Communications Strategies?
Which Song from Fiddler on the Roof Describes a Nonprofit Fundraiser’s Job?
10 Strategies to Celebrate Nonprofit Donors on Valentine’s Day
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 Top Tips To Retain First-Time Donors?
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. FEBRUARY TIPS are live! MARCH TIPS are coming! 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! Your support helps me to support you.
And now, some February trees… also in the “leaping” and blossoming business!
Blossoming Magnolia, San Francisco February
Cherry blossoms. Or plum? San Francisco February.
Golden Gate Park San Francisco — Springing forth in February with red blooms!
Take some leaps! It’s the perfect year for it. May you blossom and grow as you reach for the light.
And please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below). The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable, because of their generosity.
