Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
There is more than one way to beat a flood. And when the problem at hand is a flood of ideas, products, strategies and what-not, it helps to have a way to focus and make decisions. And I know no better help-mate than the inimitable Seth Godin.
“Soap is 85 cents a bar or two for a dollar. Which should you buy?
It depends. It depends on how much space you have, whether you like this brand, how full your cart is and whether or not you’re sure if the person who sent you to the market wants you to buy two.
It’s easy to focus on these sorts of low-value decisions.
There are organizations that spend far more time discussing a new logo than analyzing where to place the new office. One is filled with emotion and no economic importance, the other is fuzzy, complicated and incredibly expensive.
Perhaps you’ve seen someone spend emotion and focus figuring out a tip to the penny, but impulsively use credit card debt to go on a fancy vacation.
Marketers have pushed us to spend as little time as possible thinking about things like long-term debt, the implications of going to a famous college or the lifetime emissions of buying a certain kind of car or house. But we end up spending countless cycles on the trivial choices that make us feel like we have control over the world around us.
We may believe that if one takes care of the little things, the big ones won’t matter. Or the opposite.
It turns out that staring at an uncomfortable big decision might pay for a thousand of the little ones.”
— Seth Godin
What big decisions are you avoiding right now? Maybe it’s because they seem too uncomplicated? Too labor intensive? Too costly? Too, too… something?
If this is you, why not find something in this biweekly newsletter to lift you out of your torpor? My hope is some of the free resources I’ve collected and curated for you will energize and enthuse you as you work towards guiding others on the pathway to passionate philanthropy. As always, a big thank you to my Clairity Click-it 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 as you navigate the pathway to passionate philanthropy.
Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,
Claire
P.S. Your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ means a lot, and I am deeply appreciative. It is my honor to deliver original articles direct to your in-box every week, give you access to all my webinars, and offer up exclusive monthly tips, bonuses and more!
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: Forecast for Nonprofit Social Media in 2023
In recent issues of this newsletter, I shared some thoughts on the future of Twitter and how nonprofits might adapt. Today I share more on the subject, but also of TikTok, LinkedIn,
Click-it: What’s Next for Nonprofits and Social Media? (Part 1: Listen or Read). Julia Campbell, nonprofit digital media guru, shares her thoughts regarding social media trends and what they mean for you and your nonprofit. Consider: (1) how to use TikTok; (2) whether to leave Twitter; (3), getting on LinkedIn; (4), gravitating to smaller apps (e.g., “Be Real;” “Mastodon”), and (5) using more social media fundraising features.
Click-it: #TwitterMigration? How to download your data from Twitter if you’re making the switch. Here’s an article published in USA Today. It’s got everything you need, including links to how to deactivate your Twitter (and other social media) accounts plus information on some of the newer apps like Mastodon and Be Real.
Click-it: Social Media During Upheaval. This article on the National Council of Nonprofits blog discusses a range of factors to consider prior to making any changes.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Please Don’t “Continue To”. I just love the point being made in this article from The Better Fundraising Co. This is probably something your written materials are replete with – and you really should STOP.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Nonprofit Gratitude Strategies. I’ve got a lot of tested and true strategies that work like gangbusters for donor retention, and I write about them on the Bloomerang blog. The best time to channel gratitude is when the gift is still fresh in your donor’s mind. For year-end givers, that time is now!
Click-it: Socratic fundraising in bulk: Donor surveys that work. Important to upgrading and retention is meeting with donors and getting to know what floats their boat. Major and legacy gift expert, Dr. Russell James, knows this well yet acknowledges you can’t always meet every donor face-to-face. In such a case, a survey can be a remarkable engagement tool. I highly recommend this thorough primer on the survey process.
Digital and Multi-channel Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Why I’m Obsessed with this Nonprofit. Lisa Greer, Philanthropy 451, explains from a donor perspective why this particular campaign worked for her. Her analysis of the organization’s website is spot-on, and you’ll absolutely love this if you’re a fan of Gilbert & Sullivan.
Click-it: 13 Tips for Optimizing Digital Donations. Rachel Kribbs tips on NonProfitPRO are really good, including how to better use email, social media and your website.
Click-it: The Top 41 Compelling Email Marketing Statistics for 2023. Is email dead? Not at all. Here is the freshest data, curated by Neal Schaffer. It pertains to all email, not just nonprofit. But the way people use email pertains across the board.
Major and Legacy Gifts
Click-it: 5 Fundamentals for Your Planned Giving Program in the New Year. If one of your new year’s resolutions is to do more to ramp up your legacy giving program, look no further than this article from the planned giving experts at Stelter to map out your plan. This year, really, really, really do at least #2. Seriously, I consider it fundraising malpractice not to.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: Why Your Fundraisers Will Leave You. Fundraiser turnover is not inevitable. You have more control than you think. Richard Perry, the Veritus Group, offers up a spot-on list of 10 reasons your staff will leave, and suggests ways to mitigate against this.
Click-it: 71 Charitable Giving Statistics You Must Know For 2023. DealAid has put together a list of vital statistics, compiling data from a variety of resources. Here’s just one graph included in this report: 
Volunteers
Click-it: How to Prevent Volunteer Burnout: 6 Helpful Strategies. Volunteers are your representatives out in the world. If they’re worn-out or unenthused about the work they’re doing, this is likely how the people they encounter will feel about your nonprofit too. To prevent this from happening, grab six ways to re-engage your volunteer team in this article from Eventgroove.
YOU
Click-it: The Best Greater Good Articles of 2022, These “best of the year” from the Greater Good Science Center blog aren’t about fundraising or nonprofits per se, but you’ll find them useful in both your personal and professional life. I like #9!
WEBINARS, PODCASTS, COURSES & 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!
Join me and Josh Kligman of Yearly for a live, 15-minute crash course!
Want to get rid of your “dry as dust” annual report? Ready to invest in a report that will yield a positive return on investment(ROI)? Transform Annual Reports into Gratitude Reports for the Best ROI! We’ll be chatting Tuesday, January 24th, at 11 a.m. PT/2:00 p.m. ET. You’ll be able to submit questions during the chat. If you can’t attend live, be sure to register to get access to the recording.
Cryptocurrency
Click-it: Cryptocurrency & Philanthropy 101: [Register for free webinar, 1-25-2023]. Planned Giving Design Center hosts Alexis Miller from Endaoment, to learn the basics, debunk some myths and answer any questions you have about crypto, NFTs, etc.
Digital Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: A Look Inside Testing & Optimization at charity: water [Listen to podcast or read transcript]. I’m a long-time fan of Charity: water’s online fundraising. They’ve always been a digitally-focused organization; since the digital landscape is so tumultuous currently, they’re taking some time to better understand performance and diversify their media plan. Towards this end, they’ve been testing and shared some findings with NextAfter – who generously share it here for all to see. It’s about using a hero image and headline focused on helping an individual child on a donation form versus a hero image focused on the general water crisis. Super interesting stuff!
Click-it: Fundraising and AI: what you should know, do, and avoid right now [Watch/listen to on-demand webinar]. Julie and Brett Cooper, FundraisingWriting.com, have distilled their research on AI into this 20-minute primer, complete with definitions, examples, cautionary advice and trends. Bottom line: It’s got a lot to offer, but must be paired with human evaluation and expertise. “It’s a preview of progress.”
Events
Click-it: A Brand New Event Experience for Nonprofits [Register for free webinar, 1-17-2023. The Qgiv experts explain how your organization can put your best foot forward with fully customizable event landing pages and features designed to help you save time, increase registrations, boost attendance, and streamline check-in.
Legacy Giving
Click-it: Online Will Planning: The Good, Bad and Ugly [Register for free webinar, 1-18-2023]. Over the last several years there has been a proliferation of online will-planning tools. The folks at plannedgiving.com have enlisted the help of five industry experts to explore the online will planning trend, and ask the tough questions. You’ll leave the presentation armed with all the facts and plenty of strong opinions, both of which will help you make the right decision for your organization. This is a “don’t miss it” opportunity to get your questions answered.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: Five Things You Need to Be Successful in Management [Listen to quick, on-demand video], Brief, and incredibly wise. From Richard Perry at the Veritus Group. He also points you to a number of free white papers with lots more detail.
Click-it: Innovating for Dramatically More Scale and Social Impact [Watch on-demand webinar]. This presentation by Steve Nagai-Ma, sponsored by Top Nonprofits, is all about innovating to move the needle and make an impact. If you’re curious about Lean Startup or Lean Impact, Human Centered Design, and other innovation strategies and/or you have ambitious social change goals and want support on how to achieve them, watch this presentation.
Click-it: Nonprofit Trends of 2023 [Register for free webinar, 1-18-2023]. Join Givebutter as they host Lynne Wester, the Donor Relations Guru, to walk through the best things your nonprofit can do this year, and the tactics you can leave behind in 2022.
Click-it: 7th Annual Best Free One-Hour Cybersecurity Awareness Training Ever! [Register for free session, 1-26-2023]. RoundTable Technology, a managed IT and cybersecurity services organization focusing on the nonprofit sector, reviews the exact steps required to secure and protect your nonprofit IT in the New Year.
Website
Click-it: Convert Supporters with Powerful Landing Pages [Register for free webinar, 1-17-2023]. You won’t want to miss this what Firespring has learned from studying hundreds of nonprofits and their landing page designs. Miserable donation landing pages short-circuit more donations than you might imagine. This means all your hard work as a fundraiser can be for naught. Ask your marketing or IT person to attend with you!
Click-it: How to Optimize Your Website’s Content Like an SEO Pro [Register for free webinar, 1-19-2023]. Jazzmin Ramirez, SEO specialist at Community Boost, joins Rally Corp for this workshop to help you increase your rankings and drive more traffic. You’ll learn about key words, content optimization and free and paid tools you can use to be more effective.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, WHITE PAPERS & OTHER RESOURCES
Culture
Click-it: The Future of Customer Care: What Brands Should Focus On in 2023 and Beyond [Download free e-book].The digital landscape and technology are constantly changing, and so is customer care. You are competing against consumer expectations across the entire landscape (whether for- or non-profit), and success will depend on meeting your customers where they are and striking a correct equilibrium between adapting the technology, personalization, and seizing the right opportunities. This guide from industry experts at Convince and Convert lays it all out.
Did You Miss My Newest Articles?
Here are links to the most recent articles on the Clairification blog. You can see I really don’t want you to squander the good feelings you’re triggering during this season of giving! The 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.
- 5 Ways Effective Annual Reporting Drives Donations
- Do You Have the Write Stuff? Top 5 Nonprofit Attention-Grabbers.
- 10 Most Popular 2022 Clairification Articles: Any You Missed?
- Why Donor Wooing Requires WOWing
- Fundraising Don’ts vs. Do’s: Mailed Fundraising Appeal Strategy
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 To Pay For Capital Campaign Fundraising Expenses.
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. JANUARY tips are live! If you’re not yet an enrolled student, you can get in on the fun here!
I get so much out of your postings on e-mail! I have been in the development world for 25 years and always find ideas I can use in your writing. Thanks for doing such a great job and keep ’em coming in the future!
–Kathleen Pasley, Director of Development, Dacor Bacon
Claire is a philanthropy guru, and I am a fan and proud follower. Her blog posts are timely, informative, engaging, helpful and easy to understand.
— Wendy Rothenberg, director of development, JVS
That she is willing to share her considerable knowledge and can write in the same clear, to-the-point way that mirrors what we should all be doing when we reach out to our donors is a real boon.
— Janice Prudhomme, executive director, NCJW, San Francisco Section
My motto is: “If I know it, I want you to know it.” Don’t miss out.
Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below). The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable because of their generosity.
