Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
As we enter the season of light, and you move into full-steam-ahead year-end fundraising mode, there’s something I want to remind you about your messaging.
Oh, by the way, it’s not about you.
The biggest mistake you can make is thinking your organization is the story. People aren’t buying your organization. When someone asks: “What do you do?” they’re not interested in your organization so much as what your organization accomplishes.
Imagine you’re at a dinner party and someone asks “What do you do?” Are you going to tell them your entire life story? Every aspect, from job to education to family to hobbies? No, of course not! You’ll tell them one thing about yourself. Why? Because they don’t know you. They’re not yet that interested in you. First, you have to intrigue them.
The same holds true with your nonprofit. Whenever someone asks the “What do you do?” question, whether explicitly or implicitly, your job is simply this: tell them about ONE thing you accomplish.
“If you write what you yourself sincerely think and feel and are interested in,” Rachel Carson wrote as she contemplated the loneliness of creative work after her unexampled books about the sea made her one of the most beloved writers of her time, “you will interest other people.”
– Maria Popova, The Marginalian
Now is a good time to personally re-connect with your organization’s mission. What really jazzes you about the work your efforts make possible? If you’re not excited, don’t expect others to get excited. Philanthropy is a passion business!
Okay! It’s biweekly newsletter time again, and my hope is some of the free resources I’ve collected and curated for you will help you share your passions and guide others on the pathway to passionate philanthropy. This issue is filled with a mix of topics to help you engage more effectively with all sorts of people. I pick every resource thoughtfully (no AI used here), specifically to bring you the big ideas and useful tools you need to inspire others to enact their values. 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.
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: Trends
Click-it: The new era of generosity: Trends in individual giving. There’s been a lot of noise in the sector about declining generosity. Lori Miller, the RKD Group, begs to differ. Looking at longitudinal research studies, such as RKD’s Giving Barometer and those by the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, she has identified current trends in individual giving. Giving to churches is way down. But not so much for other causes. Yet people are giving differently. Some give directly to beneficiaries through online fundraisers. Some give through giving circles. A big factor is wealth distribution. Simply put, fewer people have extra money to give.
Click-it: This Giving Season, Nonprofits Should Address the Chill in the Air The threat to civil society generally doesn’t make headlines. Yet this Nonprofit Quarterly article makes the case this threat exists. With the increased contact this most generous time of the year brings, comes the opportunity to highlight how important a vibrant and independent civil society is for our democracy. Grab some resources here to help you navigate the current landscape.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Top 5 Matching Gift Mistakes to Avoid at Your Nonprofit. Did you know you could be doubling the value of many of your donors’ contributions? This article from Fundraising IP shows you how to get the corporate matching gifts to which you, and your donors, are entitled. Stop leaving this money on the table!
Donor Retention
Click-it: How to Re-Engage Lapsed Donors with Mobile Touchpoints. Nonprofit Hub offers a comprehensive blueprint for reconnecting with lapsed donors. They advise organizing these folks into three groups to plan your approach. Plus they suggest ways to update mobile contact info; create easy asks, and design a re-engagement cadence.
Click-it: Your Donor Pipeline Playlist: How to Find the Right Rhythm for Upgrading. Windmill Hill Consulting uses a helpful metaphor to help you make beautiful music with your donors. It’s about composing an experience that builds naturally. Don’t let the music stop.
Events
Click-it: Wine Walls: A Fun, Flexible Way to Boost Fundraising and Delight Your Guests. Want to add a little fun and entertainment to your next event, while simultaneously increasing your fundraising yield? Auctria has a great idea for you, and here they explain everything you need to know – from selecting and sourcing the items, to setting the ticket price, to choosing an exciting high-energy selection method, and even adding in sponsorships and gamification.
Click-it: Fundraising Ideas for the Winter Solstice. The event pros at Eventgroove have collected celebratory ideas focusing on community, conviviality, connection, and contemplation. Grab some of these great ideas for bringing your crowd together. You’re sure to find at least one option that suits your fancy. Many are inexpensive and relatively easy to pull off..
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: How AI Can Help Your Nonprofit Secure More Major Gifts. The folks at Virtuous/Momentum are experts in leveraging AI to help nonprofits generate more major gifts. Learn how it can free you up administratively, giving you more human time to spend with actual humans. Your donors will appreciate it, and you’ll feel more fulfilled. Win/win.
Click-it: Why A Gift Officer’s Actual Job Is NOT to Raise Money. Helping begins at home. If you want folks to give to you, you have to give to them. This article from Greg Warner, MarketSmart, helps you figure out all the value you have to offer.
NOTE: If you want to 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 Veritus Group course: Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. If you’re the executive or manager, there’s also a companion course for you! The next cohort begins February 9th – just in time for your new year strategic planning. Why not plan ahead to make next year your best ever?! After completion you’ll become a member of the prestigious Veritus Scholars. Check it out – it is game-changing! And you still have time to grab the Early Bird discount.
Online Social Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: 4 Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Lessons We’ve Learned This Year. Here’s what you need to know, from Re:Charity, about how to reach new audiences and engage communities through P2P fundraising campaigns.
Psychology of Giving
Click-it: What Happens When AI Trains on the Good Stuff? The “good stuff,” per Kevin Shulman of the Agitator/DonorVoice, is that which motivates human giving. He offers an important perspective. “If you want an AI model that outperforms humans, give it the right raw material.”
Click-it: The Real Reason People Give (Revealed by My Kids). Tim Sarrantonio, currently chair of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project, wrote this thought-provoking post on LinkedIn. It’s filled with the bottom line inspirers of generosity, including how people feel when they give. Fundamentally, people give because of who they are. You can invite them in, but you can’t make them give through education or cute appeals. This is a worth-your-time read.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: Seven Essential Questions Nonprofits Should Ask Any Software Provider. Before signing a contract or moving fundraising online, here are the most important questions every nonprofit should ask. The most critical question may surprise you, but I’ve known nonprofits who’ve been unpleasantly surprised. Check out this article from Bloomerang.
YOU
Click-it: How Altruists Can Consistently Share Resources Generously With Three Easy Daily Habits. This article from Dayspire shares ways to keep generosity flowing – for yourself. It’s a good reminder to be mindful of our own blessings, plus a way to enter into the mindset of your supporters. Just like you, they get busy and out of touch with their best natures. Your job is to get in touch with yours first – then share and pay it forward. [‘Lest you think this is unrelated to social benefit sector work, note they cite one of my articles at the bottom. We’re all in this world together!]
Click-it: Six Career Insights Every Fundraising Pro Should Keep in Mind. True Sense Marketing wants you to have a meaningful, rewarding career. After four decades in the field, here are their valuable insights.
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!
Donor Retention
Click-it: How to Write and Raise Money with Your Donor Receipt Package [Watch quick video]. Steven Screen, the Better Fundraising Co., walks you through a simple formula to write customized receipts that make people feel so good, they’ll sometimes make an additional gift. Plus, you set up your next connection with the donor. That way, when you follow through, you establish trust – the foundation of all lasting relationships.
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: The Science Behind Major Gifts: A New Framework for Fundraising [Listen to free, on-demand podcast]. Bill Crouch, CEO of BrightDot, explores a scientific and psychologically informed approach to major gift fundraising. It’s built around understanding emotional intelligence and the balance of left-brain and right-brain thinking in fundraising.
Click-it: The Autobiographical Interview [Register for free, on-demand webinar]. Over 90% of legacy donors will give through a simple will. Yet too many nonprofits focus on complex giving vehicles and legacy society invitations that miss the mark. Stelter hosts Jim Langley, President of Langley Innovations, to share the simple but powerful approach of The Autobiographical Interview—including what to ask, what to listen for and what to do with the information shared.
Strategy, Planning and Management
Click-it: How the smartest fundraisers are preparing for 2026 success [Register for free webinar, 12-9-2025]. FreeWill hosts four nonprofit panelists who will share their biggest lessons from 2025 and the strategies they’re implementing now to raise more in 2026.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: The AI readiness path: Overcoming barriers to greater impact [Register for free webinar, 12-11-2025]. Join Bonterra for data-driven insights into what’s slowing AI progress and how to overcome it. You’ll learn about the barriers to adoption; security concerns; managing resource constraints, and building team confidence.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, WHITE PAPERS & OTHER RESOURCES
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Removing Obstacles to Major Gift Fundraising [Download free paper]. Learn how to overcome five common, and avoidable, issues holding back your fundraising. You can’t fix the problem until you define it. From the Veritus Group.
Psychology of Giving
Click-it: The Behavioral Economics Nonprofit Playbook [Download free eBook]. Discover 32 behavioral concepts, each unpacked with clarity and backed by real-world examples and experiments, tailor-made for the nonprofit landscape. From the folks at NextAfter.
Year-End
Click-it: Your Board Is Your Secret Weapon for Year-End Fundraising. Check out my article for NonProfitPRO about helping board members see they have a unique role to play. No matter their personality or comfort level with fundraising, you can help them relax by matching their personality to an assignment tailored just for them.
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.
💸 Giving Tuesday: Don’t Take the Money and Run
🧁Piece of Cake Strategic Year-End Fundraising Ingredients You May Not Be Thinking About
🥧Easy-as-Pie Year-End Nonprofit Email Series
✨The True Meaning of Giving Tuesday
💡 Underused Year-End Fundraising Tweak Pops Up!
❤️Top Proven Strategies to Tell Donor-Centered Fundraising Stories
Plus… get tons of great information all year long in the Feedspot Top 100 Nonprofit Blogs. Bookmark this page, and subscribe to your favorites! You’ll find me at #10. 😊
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’s the best way to acknowledge gifts if you hope to use them to build donor relationships?
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 live! If you’re not yet an enrolled student, you can get in on the fun here!
You are having a ripple effect in the many nonprofits you inspire through folks like me – and I hope you experience the joy in that every day. Thank you for sending out such great resources. I look forward to your regular emails and the helpful content you deliver.
– Jennifer M. Standen, Development Manager, Bethany Christian Services
I just wanted to reach out to you to say that your post today about interviewing for a fundraising job really hit home with me…I read it twice! Thank you for writing such an inspiring article as it really hit the nail on the head about feeling not ready due to my inner critic. I particularly loved this passage and will print it out to keep me motivated as I move forward in trying to secure a major gifts position.
— Kelly Pearson, Director of Donor Management & Strategy, Regis Jesuit high school
Claire is a superb professional, deep thinker and creative spirit in the service of philanthropy. I have worked with her in a variety of roles for nearly two decades, and have admired and supported her work. She is a person of utmost integrity, and a brilliant mind.
– Kay Grace, Principal, Transforming Philanthropy
My motto is: “If I know it, I want you to know it.” Don’t miss out.
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