Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
This week’s borrowed wisdom:
“Boundaries are levers
And assertions are maps.
Which means that:
Budgets
Timelines
Plans
Decision trees
and projections
are nothing to be afraid of. They’re a gift. They give us the chance to act as if, to describe a possible future and then to lean against them as we work to create the place we seek to be.”
— Seth Godin
My wish is this issue of the Clairity Click-it helps you find one or more resources to help you define some boundaries you can use as levers in your work to create a better world. Set aside a little time to explore, and see what you find. I’ve sorted everything by category, and included a range of materials for a range of adult learning styles.
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. I’ve got a lot of great stuff for you this week, so let’s get right to it!
Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,
Claire
P.S. Please consider getting access to all my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts, bonuses and other content via enrollment in ‘Clairification School.’ I am deeply appreciative for your support!
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: Major Gift Fundraising
Each of these articles was written by me to offer practical advice about before, during and after major donor meetings.
Click-it: 9 Amazing Secrets You Need to Get a Major Donor Meeting.
Click-it: A Fundraiser Walked into a Room, and… . More what to do after the meeting to follow up
Click-it: Avoid these Key Obstacles to Successful Major Gift Asks. Also speaks to viability of virtual meetings.
Click-it: How To Close Gifts Via Strategic Zoom Or Telephone Fundraising Appeals. This is one I published during the pandemic on the Bloomerang blog. It turns out this was a transformational period for many industries, including fundraising.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: 4 Missed Opportunities to Ask for a Donation. Here are some simple effective tips from Silent Partner Software for making sure you don’t leave easy money on the table.
Click-it: How to appeal like a Girl Scout. Another great article from Mary Cahalane, Hands-on-Fundraising. As always, she cuts to the heart of what makes a compelling fundraising offer and a sustainable donor promise.
Annual Reports
Click-it: 2023 Annual Report Design for Nonprofits: The Ultimate Guide [with Examples!]. An effective annual report, which inspires, educates, and connects with stakeholders needs to be designed well. Get some practical tips from the experts at Yearly.
Business Support
Click-it: How To Build Nonprofit Corporate Partnerships With Email: [Templates] That Get Sponsors to Say “YES”. Grab this invaluable article from the experts at Beeline. It will help you approach businesses from the perspective of how you can help them, rather than how they can help you. Seriously useful stuff, and you’ll get a lot more wins this way.
Capital Campaigns
Click-it: Starting a Capital Campaign: 13 Steps Your Org Should Take. Read this comprehensive (more like an eBook) article from Donor Search to assure you don’t miss a single essential step on the road toward a successful campaign.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Donor Cultivation: 5 Data-Driven Strategies to Boost Your Retention Rate. NextAfter partnered with Kindful to research the best online cultivation strategies out there. The winners are outlined here, and they’re eminently doable. They’re all terrific, but begin with #1 because it’s a necessary culture changer. Once your team is on board with this, everything else falls into line.
Mobile Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: The New Role SMS Is Playing in Fundraising. Learn why you should consider incorporating texting into your fundraising plan in this article from Windmill Hill Consulting. SMS vs. MMS? P2P vs. Broadcast? Where to put your CTA? How to optimize for mobile? It’s all here in an easy-to-understand format.
Online Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: 11 Email Marketing Newsletter Best Practices (with Examples). This meaty article from Neal Schaffer is written for businesses of all stripes, including nonprofits. He explains the paradox of customers not liking intrusions, but loving e-mail marketing, suggesting how to leverage your communication strategies for maximum impact. There are super practical tips too!
Trends
Click-it: Is AI Creative?. Kevin Shulman of the Agitator-DonorVoice offers important food for thought.
ONLINE CONFERENCE OR COURSE
Content Marketing
Click-it: Tell Your Story: Reach Donors Using Your Free Candid Profile [Register for free, on-demand e-course]. Learn directly from the folks at Candid how to claim your nonprofit’s Candid profile and earn Seals of Transparency to amplify your nonprofit’s work and connect with potential supporters.
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: Do the right things drive your board members? [Listen to free, on-demand podcast]. Nonprofit Hub interviews Andy Davis of BoardSource. They talk about everything from board members asking for a “pass” on their duties to the goal of developing purpose-driven board leadership.
Click-it: My Foolproof Team-Building Icebreaker for Nonprofits [Listen to free podcast]. Joan Garry shares her best, tried-and-true icebreaker. It’s actually a homework assignment you give, in advance, to retreat participants. If you get your E.D. and Board President to promote this, Joan says you’ll get 100% participation.
Digital Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: 5 New Experiments to Challenge How You Think About Your Digital Fundraising [Watch free, on-demand webinar or download transcript]. The folks at NextAfter are the gurus of experimentation, and generously share what they learn! From copy to design, emails to donation pages, advertising, and more – you’ll walk away with new, concrete ideas you can put to the test in your own digital fundraising to generate more names, donors, and dollars.
Donor Advised Funds
Click-it: Donor-Advised Funds: A Deep Dive on Philanthropy’s Hottest Trend [Register for free webinar, 5-3-2023]. Grab the latest insights on DAF growth and giving, as well as steps fundraisers should take to secure more of these gifts, from Patrick Schmitt, co-CEO of FreeWill. He’ll even share some advanced strategies.
Events
Click-it: Tried & True Components of a Successful Event [Register for free webinar, 4-26-23]. Successful event should raise funds and connect attendees to the organization’s mission. Want a framework for creating a meaningful showcase of your work that encourages long-term relationships with donors? Join Firespring for this session with Laura Kruisenga.
Major Gifts
Click-it: How to Get More Major Donor Meetings [Register for free workshop, 4-25-23]. Join Julie Ordonez to learn why donors may be ghosting you, and what you can do to secure more meetings with them.
Storytelling
Click-it: Digital Storytelling: How to Engage and Activate Your Supporters Online [Sign up for on-demand training]. Candid is offering this 4-session, self-paced course to help you learn how to use a simple storytelling framework to enhance the clarity of your organization’s digital communications. You’ll also learn to identify and use the best social media platforms for your storytelling and fundraising.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: A Beginner’s Guide to Lobbying for Nonprofits. Did you know lobbying is legal for nonprofits, as long as you follow the rules? Learn what they are, when you should do it, and how to do so effectively in this article from the Blue Avocado blog. Consider this: even when legislation doesn’t affect your clients, it may affect your employees. So, perhaps you shouldn’t sit on the sidelines?
Technology
Click-it: How AI Will Impact Your Nonprofit Download free on-demand webinar]. Explore the proliferation of AI tools and how they could impact nonprofits with the experts at Rally Corp. They’ll also share examples of AI tools, including sentiment analysis of texts and insights to help you better understand your audience.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, WHITE PAPERS & OTHER RESOURCES
Events
Click-it: The Outlook for Fundraisers & Events in 2023 [Download free report]. Eventgroove helps with hundreds of nonprofit events, and here they’ve compiled the data so you can learn what others are doing in the current environment. Among the take-aways, learn the keys to successful in-person and hybrid events
Major and Legacy Gifts
Click-it: Donor Engagement Plan [Download free template]. This resource from the Veritus Group is an invaluable basic tool you can use to set giving goals for each individual prospect, develop a plan of communications and touch points, and identify opportunities for those who may be ready to give.
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.
- How Do You Keep Former Nonprofit Board Members Engaged?
- 4 Types of ‘PERSONAL’ Your Nonprofit Must Adopt Today
- 6 Top Reasons To Use Handwriting
- How Community Based Fundraising is a Branding Opportunity
- Try These Nonprofit Donor Retention Tweaks with BIG, Happy Outcomes
- Are You Treating Your Donors Like Gumballs?
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 Assess When a Major Donor is Ready (or Not Ready) to Be Asked.
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. APRIL tips are live! If you’re not yet an enrolled student, and don’t have access to ALL my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts and much more, you can get in on the fun here!
And now, just for fun, my “discovered” tree of the week.
Spring blossoming tree, Golden Gate Park. San Francisco
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