Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
The fictional LA detective, Joe Friday, was famous for saying “Just the facts, Ma’am.”
Similarly, in the tech and business worlds, “show me the data” has become a common refrain.
As in, nothing really matters if there isn’t data to support it.
Well, that’s great if you’re a middle manager with a lot of boxes to tick.
But think back to the last time you saw a line go around the block, and ask yourself what the folks were waiting in line for.
Chances are, they weren’t in line to download a bunch of facts. They were in line to experience a story. Or a song. Or a preacher. Or a chef. Or a painter. They were in line to experience something unique and wonderful.
Data likely had Sweet-Fanny-Adams to do with any of it.
Russ Roberts talked about this on the Tim Ferris podcast back in August.
Yes, most of us are in business because we want to be successful. And yes, data in business is terribly important. But success requires more than just data. Success requires humanity as well. “Man does not live by bread alone” and all that.
–– Hugh MacLeod, The Gaping Void
All of the above holds true, big time, in fundraising. People are drawn to emotional stories, not logical data. As you move forward with year-end fundraising, bear this in mind. People don’t care about the how, what, when and where of what you do. They care about the who and the why. Please, please, please do a quick check of any mailed or online appeals you plan to send between now and December 31st to make sure they include a compelling story, an ask, and very little else.
Persuade, don’t lecture.
Okay! It’s biweekly newsletter time again, and my hope is some of the free resources I’ve collected and curated for you will give you the help you need to meet your greatest challenges. As always, a big thank you to my Clairity Click-it sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible for me to spend the time hunting and gathering.
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.
Thank you for doing your vital work, and helping make 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: Forecasting
Click-it: 8 major nonprofit fundraising trends as we close out 2022. The RKD Group summarizes recent findings, giving you a good idea where smart fundraisers will focus their efforts in the year(s) ahead to make the most of limited resources.
Click-it: 5 Ways Fundraisers Can Beat the Effects of Inflation [Listen to free, on-demand webinar]. In this webinar sponsored by Nonprofit Times, Michael Gorriarán discusses how leading nonprofits are mitigating the effects of inflation and the recession, including tools such as Behavioral Economics Modeling and advanced Artificial Intelligence Services to improve giving levels, sustain participation rates, and lower the cost per dollar raised.
Click-it: Fear of recession. Tom Fishburne, the Marketoonist, cuts through the clutter and suggests a way to reframe your thinking and adopt a balanced approach to cutting costs in some areas and investing in others.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Fundraising Tips to Appeal to Baby Boomers. Firespring explains the importance of generational marketing and how, if you’re relying only on digital marketing to Baby Boomers, you’re probably going to leave a lot of money on the table.
Click-it: 4 Design Mistakes to Avoid in Your Year-End Giving Letter. Here are some good tips from Mazarine Treyz. And they hold true no matter what time of year you send your appeals.
Click-it: 5 Things the BEST Nonprofits Do to Raise Money. It makes sense to emulate the folks who are successful, right? Towards this end, Patrick Kirby of Do Good Better Consulting has put together a strategic “Top 5” list. I can’t see success, personally, without ##2, 3 and 5.
Click-it: What does giving mean?. This is a lovely, inspiring read from Mary Cahalane, Hands On Fundraising. It may make you re-think how you treat smaller donors, in-kind donors and direct service volunteers. It made me decide to bake some cookies for neighbors!
Donor Acquisition
Click-it: How we evaluated the potential for email versus donor acquisition [View experiment]. Researchers posed a question for their client: which website offer (email vs. donor acquisition) will be more successful? The results were surprising, and dramatic. You can view the results of thousands more IRL A/B tests – for free – on the amazing NextAfter website. It’s a treasure trove!
Donor Retention
Click-it: 5 Strategies to Combat Donor Fatigue and Attract New Donors. The folks at Eventgroove have gathered advice from lots of fundraising pros to offer up five engagement strategies to keep your donors energized.
Events
Click-it: Salons – A Centuries-Old Tradition. Learn how to put on a friend-raising and/or solicitation house party from Lisa Greer, Philanthropy 451. Lisa is a donor and volunteer who brings a unique perspective to the task of introducing potential constituents to your nonprofit.
Giving Tuesday
Click-it: 33+ Giving Tuesday Ideas: Expert Tips and Campaigns to Try. It’s right around the corner. Here’s a plethora of ideas for you from Bloomerang. Whether you plan to do it up big or little, there’s no doubt something in here to help.
Click-it: Top Ten Tips & Examples for Giving Tuesday Social Media Posts. Among the tips you’ll find in this article from Rally Corp are that Giving Tuesday posts on social media should follow a dynamic routine that leverages different strengths of social media at different stages of the drive. Also, take advantage of what’s trending to gather awareness, then schedule countdown posts to draw in suspenseful engagement. Also, cause a scene with bold and simple donation posts on the day. There’s more!
Click-it: Meta to Match Recurring Donations Through Facebook for Giving Tuesday. If you use Facebook for fundraising, here’s something you may want to know. Thanks to NonprofitPRO for the heads up.
Major and Legacy Gifts
Click-it: How to Stay Calm When Donors Get Anxious or Demanding in Tough Economic Times. This critical advice from the Veritus Group notably meets the times we’re in. They make the point you can usually beat a slow economy by properly managing your major gift program. Buckle up, and be sure to read up on how to reframe your fundraising perspective to weather the bumps in the road.
Mission and Vision
Click-it: Guide to Creating Mission & Vision Statements [Download free worksheets]. Top Nonprofits created a free 4-page guide plus worksheets to help you develop inspiring mission and vision statements. They also give you tons of examples from which to borrow.
Website
Click-it: Digital First Impressions: Your Nonprofit’s Homepage. Your website homepage is important year-round, but never so much as at the end of the calendar year when people will visit with the intent of, perhaps, making a donation. Here’s what you should do to put your best foot forward. By Ira Horowitz on The Fundraising Coach blog.
Writing
Click-it: The Path to Hell is Paved With…Adverbs. This article from the Agitator-DonorVoice blog will help you write with greater impact the rest of your life. Once you become aware of this, you’ll never look back. [Of course, if you’re exceptional at the adverb game, as you’ll see Tom Ahern is in the comments, then that’s a different story.]
WEBINARS, PODCASTS, COURSES & ON-DEMAND AUDIO RESOURCES
I know you’re super busy right now, so I’ve only selected one webinar. This would be the one to take the time to listen to, because it will help you slow down and breathe.
YOU
Click-it: Mindful Productivity Tips for Nonprofit Professionals to Avoid Year-End Burnout [Register for free webinar, 12-1-2022]. It’s a stressful time of year. Luckily, the folks at Qgiv have your back! Join them and guest Meico Whitlock to learn about toxic productivity, how you can avoid it, and how to mindfully reach your year-end goals without sacrificing your mental or physical health.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, WHITE PAPERS & OTHER RESOURCES
Digital Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Text Fundraising Toolkit [Download free eGuide]. Text messages have a 98% open rate. So, wouldn’t you want to reach donors where they are on their mobile devices? Learn how in this guide, with templates, from Qgiv.
Click-it: Complete Guide to Online Donations [Download free e-guide]. Soapbox Engage has created this brand-new guide about tools and strategies for optimizing online donations. Grab some basics, some “how to’s,” and some new strategies to boost your online giving.
Membership
Click-it: Ultimate Membership Renewal Guide [Download free resource]. The folks at Wild Apricot have put together this comprehensive guide to help you spark passionate member loyalty and engagement. Want to renew more members? Check it out!
Did You Miss My Newest Articles?
Here are links to the most recent articles on the Clairification blog. I think you’ll find these practical and/or thought provoking. Hope so!
- Why Prompt, Personal Thank You’s are Nonprofit Donors’ Inalienable Right
- When Opportunity Knocks, Open the Door: Donor Acquisition
- A Fundraiser Walked into a Room…
- How to Make Donors Happy to Say YES to Your Fundraising Appeal
- 11 Phrases to Retire
- How Jargon Destroys Nonprofit Fundraising & Marketing
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 a new one: How Do You Use Psychological Appeal Persuasion Triggers So They Complement Each Other?
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. NOVEMBER 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
We regularly look to your blog for top insights.
– Taylor Gibbs, Double the Donation
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
My motto is: “If I know it, I want you to know it.” Don’t miss out.
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