Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
The dog days of summer (in the northern hemisphere) bring with them a bit of time for reflection. As you laze on a beach (or visit one in a reverie, watching kids make sandcastles and dodge waves), take a bit of time for personal reflection. Breathe. Relax. Ask yourself: What’s really important?
Which brings me to this week’s bit of wisdom…
“Is that the most important thing?”
“If you want to have an argument, to raise tempers or to distract, the easiest thing to do is start bringing up things that are easy to argue about.
Not the things that are important.
Because the important things require nuance, patience and understanding. They require an understanding of goals, of the way the world works and our mutual respect.
If someone keeps coming back to an irrelevant, urgent or provocative point instead, they’re signaling that they’d rather not talk about the important thing.
Which is precisely what we need to talk about.”
— Seth Godin
This may resonate on both a meta and micro level. For today, I’d like you to think about this in terms of the people with whom you work. Probe for what’s most important. Don’t get sidetracked by the complaint about the messy desk, bathtub ring, toothpaste tube or whatever type of distraction is raised. What’s really at the bottom of the other person’s argument?
It’s only when you dig, thoughtfully, that you’ll be able to make sense of what might otherwise appear irrational. Always consider: Where might this person (e.g., your boss, board member, co-worker, direct report, donor, volunteer) being coming from?
You’ll find lots more wisdom and actionable tips in this issue of the Clairity Click-it. 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.
Thank you for doing your vital work, and making our world a better place,
Claire
P.S. Please scroll down to see all my Clairification School sponsors who enable me to offer enrollment in ‘Clairification School at an affordable price. For a modest $100/year donation you get all my new blog articles, monthly tips (July’s are now live!), bonus tips, templates and worksheets, course and product discounts, and access to archived posts, webinars, and podcasts. I am deeply appreciative for your support! [If the enrollment fee is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out.]
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Asking your donors the right way – six tips to build relationships and giving. George Crankovic lays out the fundamentals on the SOFII blog. This is gold!
Click-it: Why I Stopped Donating to Your Organization. This is also gold! Please read this opinion piece in the Chronicle of Philanthropy written by a baby boomer who vividly describes all the ways nonprofits “blow it” when they fail to treat their donors with common courtesy, respect, interest and gratitude.
Click-it: A New Nonprofit Donor Paradigm: First-Time And Habitual Gifts. For years we’ve thought about donors as “small,” “medium” and “large” (or “new,” “mid-level” and “major”), trying to march them up a linear ladder or pyramid. It’s time to switch to a more dynamic way of thinking, better aligned with our digitally revolutionized marketplace. See my take in the Bloomerang blog.
Boards
Click-it: How to Make Your Board Meetings Suck Less. This comes from Joan Garry, an expert on this subject. First, learn all the signs of a bad board meeting. Share the checklist with your board. Next, learn what to do about it.
Content Marketing
Click-it: 13 Content Distribution Strategies That Work in 2023. The marketplace for attention is crowded. Your content has 37 seconds to capture folks’ attention, so that means you need to be in more places. The Neal Schaffer blog offers a great overview of where to focus your attention.
Donor Retention
Click-it: A New Nonprofit Donor Paradigm: First-Time And Habitual Gifts. Instead of categorizing donors as “small,” “medium” and “large” (or “new,” “mid-level” and “major”), let’s switch to a new way of thinking. In this article for the Bloomerang blog, I advocate retiring the old donor pyramid in favor of a dynamic energy vortex.
Events
Click-it: Kickstart the School Year: Top Back-to-School Event Ideas. If you’re a school, it’s that time of year when folks are excited to connect with your community. The team at Eventgroove has your back, with several fun event ideas (I like the last one) and a slew of event tips.
Major and Legacy Gifts
Click-it: A Major Donor’s Perspective on What Makes a Great First Meeting. Read about Veritus Group Jeff Schreifel’s experience being in the major donor’s shoes, rather than the fundraising practitioner or coach. It’s a great first-person account of what works from a donor perspective.
Online and Mobile Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: 5 Key Strategies from For-Profit Innovators to Boost Your Online Fundraising. Grab this font of information, with plentiful links to other useful free webinars and e-guides, from the generous folks at NextAfter.
Click-it: How to Write Texts: Start With Pre-Written Templates. Learn the four different types of text messages, grab 10 tips for text messaging, and get some specific examples you can build upon in this article from Rally Corp.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: The Overhead Myth, and the Pie Chart Solution. I really want you to try this strategy, from Sean Triner at Moceanic, in your next annual report to donors.
Technology
Click-it: 7 Characteristics of a User-Friendly Website With Happy Supporters. You will leave a surprising amount of money on the table if your website isn’t user-friendly, both on desktop and mobile. So, if you’re the fundraiser, don’t leave this to chance or somebody else. Check out the tips in this article from Wired Impact.
Volunteers
Click-it: How to Create a Volunteer Recruitment Plan in 2023. This article from Yearly covers everything you need to know about volunteer recruitment, including tips, tricks, and strategies for overcoming the obstacles in the way of building and sustaining a program that meets everyone’s needs – yours, your clients and your volunteers.
Writing
Click-it: Get behind me, Satan! Fundraising writers are often tempted to commit great sins. Mary Cahalane, Hands-On Fundraising, cautions you not to succumb. Each of these five tips is gold!
Click-it: Lessons from a “Heat Map”. Here’s an important truth to share with any “powers that be” who refuse to let you write a fundraising appeal. Your job is to explain this truth, so you can move forward with your important work in a manner designed to raise the most money. From Steven Screen, the Better Fundraising Co.
YOU
Click-it: 12 Ways to Become a Better Listener and Raise Larger Gifts. Read these helpful reminders from Amy Eisenstein. Useful for major gift fundraising, of course, but also a useful life skill.
Click-it: 15 Rules for Negotiating a Job Offer. This is a great article from the Harvard Business Review (hat tip to the Veritus Group for recently sharing it) Tuck it away for when you need it. Also, if you happen to be in the role of interviewer, this will help you better frame your questions.
ONLINE CONFERENCE OR COURSE
Click-it: NIO Summit 2023, September 20-21 [Register for free access to the Live Stream]. If you can’t make it to Dallas in person, this year the generous folks at NextAfter are making the Live Stream available – at no charge! Grab this amazing opportunity to learn from 16+ live speakers and engage in live chat with other attendees. Learn the latest in digital fundraising, and much more.
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!
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Maximizing Fundraising Impact: Supercharge Your Efforts with Matching Gifts [Join free webinar, 8-15-2023]. Learn how you can effectively market these opportunities to donors and drive their matches to completion. Join the matching gift experts from Double the Donation in this session hosted by NX Unite.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Donor Appreciation 101: Acknowledging and Stewarding Your Supporters [Register for free webinar, 8-16-2023]. Join Jarret Ransom, self-proclaimed Nonprofit Nerd, as she delves into the art of donor appreciation and teaches you how to effectively acknowledge and steward your valued supporters. It should be fun!
Events
Click-it: Tuesday Tips [Register for free session, 8-22-2023]. If you’ve ever wondered about the benefits of hiring a professional auctioneer for your fundraiser, you’ll want to tune into this session with Kilbreath Events, hosted by Auctria. Did you know auction professionals will meet with you, strategize with you, and come up with ideas to make you even more money? Learn more by attending.
Online Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: You’ve Got Mail: Timely Email Insights & Trends [Download free, on-demand webinar]. The most important thing is to get your email opened. After that, make it both compelling, and easy, to act. Learn all the ins and outs of effective emails in this session from Stelter.
Website
Click-it: Developing a Website That Tells Your Story [Register for free webinar, 8-15-2023]. Your website is the center of your marketing universe and home base of your brand. Does your website effectively communicate your story or is it merely an online brochure with a few photos and mission statement? If you’re the fundraiser, trying to draw prospective donors into your story, this is something you need to care about! Learn what you can do in this webinar from Firespring.
YOU
Click-it: How Improv Makes You More Confident and Less Anxious [Listen to free Podcast]. Here’s a great life skill for you to use both professionally and personally. And it comes from my favorite folks at the Greater Good Science Center. Learn how a few minutes of improv theater can foster creativity and confidence, and help with anxiety, depression, and your ability to tolerate uncertainty.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Donor Acquisition
Click-it: A Guide to Finding New Donors: Getting the Ungettable Get [Download free e-guide]. There are a few simple steps to incorporate into your everyday work that will lead you to your future donors. Use the methodology outlined in this Network for Good guide to identify new donors, tailor your outreach to attract them to your nonprofit, and retain them for years to come.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Solid Gold: The Nonprofit Marketer’s Guide to Trust [Download free e-book].Grab this from the RKD Group to learn what donors in their research study did/did not cause them to trust nonprofits. Trust provides a strong, essential foundation for fundraising, yet it’s also fragile. Don’t take it for granted.
Events
Click-it: Gala Theme Goldmine [Download free book]. This fun and interactive resource from the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference includes a treasure-trove of themes will make your fundraising events and galas unforgettable. You’ll also get free toolkits to help you engage both board members and sponsors. What are you waiting for?!
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.
- 10 Tools to Give You and Your Nonprofit Donor Space to Co-Create — and Change the World
- Online Will Planners: Should Your Nonprofit Have One?
- You want change. They want to be change agents. Your job is to make a match!
- 10 Reasons Your Nonprofit Needs to Be Texting
- Fundraising Do’s vs. Don’ts: Campaign Thank You Strategy
- Top 12 Strategies to Fight Overload
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 are two new ones:
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. JULY/AUGUST 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 grab your time-limited special 10th ANNIVERSARY BONUS! There’s never been a better time to enroll.
And now, what I found on my walks this week.
A 2-D tree.
A re-purposed pinata.
Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below). The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable, because of their generosity.
