Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
When a client, a boss or an employee makes a special request, it’s okay to get a little bent out of shape. It might cost you extra time or money, it might be a hassle, it might not be deserved.
And then you can say no.
But if you say yes, then it pays to be in it. 100%.
If you’re not, your yes was worthless. It ceases to be a favor if it comes with grumbling.
Holding a grudge means that our hands are too full to do our best work.
— Seth Godin
Are you holding a grudge that gets in the way of your best work? If your plate is too full, make some time this week to consider what you can say “no” to. And when you’re saying “yes,” be sure you have the resources to put your best foot forward.
There are plenty of resources here for you to use to help you rethink the way you do things. Rather than saying “yes” and never getting around to it (which makes you feel bad), take some time to sort out the wheat from the chaff. If you feel inspired to do something, learn to do it the right way. You don’t need to re-invent the wheel! You do need to stay tuned… pay attention… commit to learning… and evolve to working smart, not just hard.
This newsletter is designed to help you. I give you a taste of what’s working/not working for businesses and causes of all stripes. Sometimes it’s tactical advice. Sometimes it’s theory and science underlying the tactics. And sometimes it’s about adjusting approaches to the work in ways that can make a significant difference.
It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to make our world a better place. Thanks again to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, who have stood with me and you throughout these rapidly changing times.
Thank you for doing such vital work,
Claire
P.S. Want to resolve to be an active learner next year? Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ enables me to deliver original articles direct to your in-box. Plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: TRENDS
Click-it: 2021 Shows Largest Increase in Giving Since 2012. Roger Craver, the Agitator-DonorVoice, summarizes findings from the Blackbaud Institute Indexes (you can access the most recent report free here) and suggests how you might use this benchmarking for your own purposes.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: What’s The Best Way To Share Tax Information With Donors? You don’t need to be a tax lawyer to do this job effectively. My article on Bloomerang discusses a number of simple things you can do to alert donors to the tax benefits that come from donating to your nonprofit or the ways they may be able to make gifts that are larger than they may have thought possible, simply by taking into consideration potential benefits of which they may not be aware. I also share examples of nonprofits who do this effectively.
Click-it: How to Invoke Sad Without Saying “Sad”. The editors at the Agitator-DonorVoice. have this exactly right. Show and tell means both of these things. Don’t just tell. Use more emotion actions that conjure images. Crying conjures sad, for example. Get more action words for various emotions here.
Boards
Click-it: Powerhouse Boards: Tips to Achieving Long-Term Success. Here’s a useful “Nonprofit Boards 101” piece from Stephanie Minor in Nonprofit Pro. Grab these five strategies to get, and keep, a dynamic cohort of board leaders.
Business Sponsors
Click-it: What Nonprofits Need to Know About Corporate Partnerships [Register for free webinar, 3-8-2022]. Are you always meaning to get around to seeking out more business partners, but don’t know quite where to start? This Firespring-hosted webinar will answer your questions — from creating your ideal partner persona, to evaluating your nonprofit’s revenue growth potential, to reviewing practical inbound and outbound strategies, Brittany will walk you through what you need to know to take your prospecting efforts to the next level in 2022
Major and Legacy Giving
Click-it: 5 Reality Checks: Is Your Board Onboard with Planned Giving?. Too often organizations don’t invest in planned giving because their board doesn’t understand it or think it’s important. This article from the experts at Stelter debunks the myths, and includes a link to an on-demand webinar you can share with your board.
Storytelling
Click-it: Where are all my stories hiding? To-the-point advice, as always, from Mary Cahalane, Hands On Fundraising. Follow these suggestions to win over more hearts in the coming year(s).
Strategy and Management
Click-it: Setting and Reaching Fundraising Goals in 2022. Are your tools up to snuff when it comes to helping you reach your goals? This article from DonorPerfect tells you how to assess where you are and set a course for realistic improvement.
Click-it: Stop the sabotage: Why Millennials like us must add chairs at the table for Gen Z There’s a whole new generation ready to become philanthropic. Are you welcoming them, or doing the opposite? Check out this post on the Community Centric Fundraising blog.
Website
Click-it: Nonprofit Website Design: 13 Best Practices for Killer Sites. Check out this comprehensive article about nonprofit website design from Abby Jarvis at Qgiv. You’ll get eight important tips plus five best practices to capture and keep attention and motivate visitors to take the actions you most desire.
Writing
Click-it: Are F-bombs acceptable for your fundraising?. Check out this food for thought from Ephraim Gopin, 1832 Communications, on the SOFII blog. You’ll find actual examples of campaigns that successfully used swear words to capture attention and raise more money. Sometimes channeling people’s collective range works. Might it work for you?
Click-it: LIST of what to “repeat” to save time and raise more money. Steven Screen, The Better Fundraising Co, is here to save you some valuable time. He is absolutely on point with all of this. You need to understand your constituents don’t live and breathe your copy and design the way you do. You may be tired of it, but they’re not.
WEBINARS, PODCASTS, COURSES & ON-DEMAND AUDIO RESOURCES
If you can’t attend live, or are interested in sessions happening at overlapping times (I’m looking at you February 24th!), note many are available via recording – but ONLY if you REGISTER!
Other Learning Opportunities
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!
Boards
Click-it: Nonprofit Board Essentials [Register for free 3-session certificate program]. Interested in joining a nonprofit board? Need a fantastic onboarding tool for new board members? These free courses from NonprofitReady.org will help anyone understand the key board roles and responsibilities and serve more effectively.
Events
Click-it: How to Create an Event Experience to Maximize Donations [Register for session 3-9-2022]. An event is a terrible thing to waste! If you’re going to all the trouble, be sure you plan ahead to incorporate all the elements necessary to build lasting relationships with your attendees. Here are suggestions from Rally Corp, which specializes in creating memorable experiences that draw in and activate a passionate audience, whether they’re in-person or virtual. They’re offering this as part of the Nonprofit Marketing Summit: Capture MOMENTUM – and it’s all free!
Click-it: Overcoming “In the Room” Reluctance with Technology-Driven Risk Reduction Protocols and Broad Thinking [Register for free webinar, 3-8-2022]. In this session hosted by Turnkey, join Bridgitte Harmon, American Heart Association, her technology partner, and even her auctioneer to get the low down on . new best practices for auctions and galas in today’s uncertain environment. How do you get 600 people registered for an auction, bidding, and paid-up fast while allowing them to maintain their comfortable distance? How do you flip to virtual without additional expense if necessary? Find out!
Leadership
Click-it: Answering Your Questions About Leadership and Toxic Workplaces [Register for free webinar, 3-9-2022]. The non-profit sector has a big problem. Fundraisers are leaving at alarming rates, and the pandemic has launched a “fundraiser exodus.” Join the experts at the Veritus Group for frank talk about what to do
Major and Legacy Gifts
Click-it: Do You Need a Legacy Society? {Listen to free, on-demand podcast]. Bob Shafis, Director of Planned Giving Services at Veritus, talks about what to consider when setting up a legacy giving society to ensure your success. You’ll learn about (1) measurable benefits; (2) different options for different donors; (3) creating a recognition plan with member benefits; (4) charter membership drives and (5) keeping a long-term view.
Online Marketing and Fundraising
Click-it: 9 Simple Steps to Write More Effective Email Appeals [Watch free on-demand webinar]. Nobody has more datapoints than NextAfter, as they’ve built a library of 3,000+ online fundraising experiments. If you’re too small to do your own research, check out all they’ve learned, including: (1) Choosing the right sender; (2) Optimizing your email subject line & preview text; (3) Structuring your donation appeal copy, and (4) Crafting a call-to-action to increase donations.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: Nonprofits, Leadership, and the Great Resignation [Watch brief on-demand video]. Wondering how to retain good people? Channel organizational psychologist and author Daniel Pink, and Joan Garry, Nonprofits are Messy, with this great advice.
Technology
Click-it: Taking Control of Your Nonprofit Technology [Listen to free podcast or read transcript]. The American Chestnut Foundation, like many national charities, has local chapters. To make grantwriting easier for their members, their own Samantha Bowers created this useful guide with an outline and sample language. Might you want to create something similar?
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, WHITE PAPERS & OTHER RESOURCES
Annual (Year-Round) Giving
Click-it: New Donors: You Need Them More than They Need You [Download free white paper], If your donor acknowledgement and cultivation program is running largely on auto-pilot, please read this paper from the experts at Merkel. Too many nonprofits are not able to justify the time or expense it takes to properly welcome and acknowledge a new donor. But compared to the initial acquisition investment, this is a nominal expense. And it’s super important to your long-term success.
Storytelling
Click-it: Boring2Brilliant: Finding & Sharing Stories that Cause People to Take Action {Download free e-book]. When you do, you’ll have a mini step-by-step guide that includes: storytelling criteria for brilliant stories, helpful checklists and easy-to-use templates. All from Lori Jacobwith who runs Ignited Fundraising.
Did You Miss My Newest Articles?
- Are You Accountable? Or do You Suffer from Akrasia?
- How to Stop Leaving Money on the Table
- How to Spread the Word about Your Nonprofit Case for Legacy Giving
- How to Write a Foolproof Nonprofit Grant Proposal
- How to Craft a Nonprofit Board Orientation Strategy
- How to Leverage Philanthropic Giving Circle Grants
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!
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. Catch your MARCH tips now! If you’re not yet an enrolled student, you can get in on the fun here!
As always, your content is superlative, Claire — it’s just loaded with actionable advice. You are at the top of my list of NPO advisors/consultants. The $100 you charge for Clairification is a bargain, so thank you for being so very reasonable in helping NPOs accomplish their missions!
–Craig Cline, NPO Advisor
I read your article on ‘how not to ask for a major gift’ yesterday. It totally changed my approach to donor communications, and has already made a difference – thank you!
The best article we have ever read about inspiring individuals to give. It brought such clarity!
— Thelma Rowens, United Community Center
My motto is: “If I know it, I want you to know it.” Don’t miss out.
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