Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Do you know what’s in your donors’ backpacks?
A powerful metaphor from a long hike:
Every hiker is intimately aware of their backpack. They picked it out, choosing from dozens of options. They know which straps are loose and which are digging into their skin. They can tell you if it’s lopsided, and what is in each pocket.
And yet…
Even after days on the trail, they probably couldn’t tell you a thing about anyone else’s backpack. Except, perhaps, that everyone else has one.”
That’s the first step toward empathy: Realizing that everyone else has a backpack, and that it’s different from yours.
— Seth Godin
When you engage with donors, do you ask yourself what matters to them? What do you do to try to find out? If you don’t know, empathy becomes impossible. And empathy is one of the prime ways we connect with others. Donors included.
Consider that your supporters are all on a journey. Backpacks strapped on. Waiting for you to be their empathic guide.This issue of the Clairity Click-it is filled with a mix of topics to help you engage more effectively with all sorts of people. To inspire others to enact their values. To lead. To amplify. To create abundance. It’s arranged by category, to help you locate the pieces of curated content that most intrigue you and/or meet your needs of the moment.
Approach this with a learning mindset, vowing to find at least one thing you’ll do a bit differently (if not today, then tomorrow; save the idea and put it on your calendar so you’re sure to revisit it at the appropriate time).
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 eclectic resources I believe will best meet the needs of the diverse range of folks who comprise our critically important social benefit sector.
You’ve got this!
Thank you for doing your vital work, with gratitude,
Claire
P.S. If you’re an enrolled Clairification School student, your NOVEMBER TIPS are live. If you’re not yet enrolled, what are you waiting for? [The enrollment fee just covers my costs, but if it is a hardship, please email me and we’ll work it out. My motto: “If I know it I want you to know it!”]
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: News You Can Use
Click-it: What to Do When the President Calls You ‘Corrupt’. The public’s trust in nonprofits is being eroded as people are being told waste, fraud and abuse are rampant in the sector. Will donors believe this and pull back on giving? This topic is explored in this article for the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
Click-it: Who Can Rescue Democracy? Local Funders Have the Edge. This Chronicle of Philanthropy article makes a strong case for the power of community foundations. Why? Because they are accountable to, and inseparable from, the communities they serve. This means they can develop and deploy intangible assets that national funders, for all their resources, cannot replicate. Give it a read. And consider partnering more with your local community foundation.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Donors are counting on you: start the tax reform conversation today. In this article for Bloomerang, I looked at what nonprofit fundraisers need to understand about significant changes to the tax code under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). Donors will have questions about how these changes affect their giving, and this is a moment for you – as a philanthropy facilitator – to step forward as a trusted source of clarity. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen donor trust! You can find Part 1 of this two-parter here.
Click-it: Matching Funds: Getting the Fund Is Easier than You Might Think. If you’ve struggled with securing a matching gift as a challenge to other donors, check out this post from Jeff Brooks on the Moceanic blog. Learn how to go out and get them!
Click-it: People are More Important than Platforms. This savvy, pithy post from Steven Screen should give you clarity and focus. Knowing about people is what will assure your success in the coming decade.
Click-it: Stop panicking about your fundraising goal (there’s a formula for that). Learn about the power of a Gift Range Calculator from Marc Pitman, The Fundraising Coach.
Cause Marketing
Click-it: Event Cause Marketing: Benefits, Strategies & Best Practices. Here’s everything you wanted to know about cause marketing, but were too clueless to ask! The experts at Eventgroove lay out all the benefits; then, they explain how to secure partners who’ll be a natural fit for your cause.
Click-it:. Corporate Giving vs Cause Marketing. Cause marketing guru Joe Waters, Selfish Giving, shares why the latter raises more money for your cause. Instead of companies cutting checks to reach your audience, you partner to reach theirs.
Events
Click-it: A Day in the Life of a Nonprofit Event Planner + Takeaways. In this article on The Fundraising Coach blog, you’ll step into the life of a nonprofit event planner in the weeks leading up to an event. From morning planning sessions to evening wrap-ups, you’ll see how passion, organization, and creativity come together to make every event a success.
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: How to Use Program Data to Personalize Major Gift Asks. Want to make more personalized asks that truly resonate with your prospective major gift donors? You must learn to use donor data strategically. The folks at Virtuous/Momentum help you narrow down the metrics you should focus on. Once you’ve matched the right data to the right donors, use it to create standout pitch materials — individualized pitches that clearly communicate both the story and the numbers behind your work. That’s how the most compelling proposals are created.
Click-it: Introducing the Staff Position You Never Knew You Needed That Can Boost Major Gifts Efficiency and Reduce Turnover. Greg Warner, Market Smart, suggests employing a Lead Outreach Associate to enable major gift officers to focus more intently on what they do best – donor-facing tasks. This will reduce gift officer turnover by supporting their work and taking care of the smaller but vital tasks associated with major donor qualification, cultivation, outreach, and stewardship.
Click-it: Fundraising from the affluent. This post from Jim Eskin on the Bloomerang blog takes a deep dive into Bank of America and Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy’s “2025 Bank of America Study of Philanthropy: Charitable Giving by Affluent Households.” It is followed by 10 recommendations for developing effective approaches for discovery, cultivation, solicitation and stewardship of this elite circle of high wealth individuals.
Storytelling
Click-it: 5 Storytelling Secrets: How to Boost Donor Engagement in 2025. To genuinely increase donor engagement and drive giving behavior, you must stop talking to the donor’s brain and start touching directly to their heart. In this article on the GiveCentral blog, you’ll learn how effective nonprofit storytelling doesn’t just ask for a donation, it creates an irresistible urge to donate.
Click-it: The Fundraising Story Is A Mirror, Not An Exhibit. Kevin Shulman, the Agitator-DonorVoice, writes about how to tell a complete story. One that fully connects with donor emotion, and empowers them to see, feel and enact their values. Plus, the article includes invaluable tips for interviewing people and for framing narratives according to the “Big 5” personality model.
Strategy, Planning, Management and Leadership
Click-it: More than a megaphone: Why nonprofit communicators need a seat at the table. This article from Big Duck describes why it’s important to integrate the fundraising and marketing functions. No more siloes!
YOU
Click-it: On Listening. Bernadette Jiwa explores what true listening looks and feels like. This is extraordinarily useful advice – for every part of your life.
Click-it: What to Do When Your Boss Is a Bully. You can’t change everything, but nothing can be changed until you face it. This article from Crucial Learning suggests ways to reframe your approach to difficult situations, in lieu of leading with negativity and judgement.
ONLINE CONFERENCE
Click-it: 2025 Nonprofit Social Media Summit [Register for free live sessions, 11-18 & 19, 2025]. Grab over 20 sessions from a range of experts hosted by nonprofit social media guru Julia Campbell and sponsored by NeonOne. Each session will build on the next and add to your final product – a Digital Community Building Strategy that you can take with you into Giving Tuesday, year-end giving, and beyond.
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: Working in Recurring Giving: How to generate more monthly donors than ever [Register for free webinar, 11-19-2025]. Nonprofit Hub hosts NextAfter to share the key trends shaping recurring giving this year. Plus, you’ll hear about tested tactics to acquire and retain monthly donors.
Grants
Click-it: Introduction to Proposal Writing [Register for free webinar, 11-13-2025]. This is one of Candid’s most popular offerings – and it’s gratis! Learn the basic elements of a grant proposal; grab a model outline of essential components; get some “do’s” and “don’ts,” and learn methods for building a relationship — from initial outreach to follow-up and reporting.
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Campaign Conversations [Join free live event, 11-11-2025]. Getting ready for a capital campaign and not sure what to do next? Join Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt of Capital Campaign Pro for timely sector updates, motivation, encouragement and a chance to get your questions answered.
Strategy, Management and Planning
Click-it: Is Starting a Nonprofit Right for You? [Register for free webinar, 11-20-2025]. In this session from Candid, you’ll learn the legal and logistical elements necessary to start a successful nonprofit. You’ll also learn about possible alternatives to starting your own nonprofit that you may not have considered. Finally, you’ll be introduced to a tool that will help you assess your own readiness to move forward.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: Work Smarter, Not Just Faster with AI: Using AI to Augment Our Human Brains with Beth Kanter [Register for free webinar, 11-18-2025]. Fundraising AI is bringing one of their top-rated sessions from this year’s Global Summit to help you find the right balance between human insight and machine support. Join Beth for a thoughtful and practical session on how to use AI to strengthen – not weaken – your critical thinking.
Click-it: Finding Your Perfect Match: How to Choose the Right CRM for Your Nonprofit [Register for free webinar, 11-18-2025]. Join this fast-paced, no-pitch session from Charity Engine to learn how to find a system that actually fits your nonprofit. You’ll walk away with a clear strategy, a free checklist, and the confidence to lead a successful CRM search
Click-it: How Nonprofit Professionals Can AI-Proof Their Careers [Register for free mini webinar, 12-3-2025]. Early adopter marketing and fundraising professionals are experimenting with generative AI, but as we speed towards achieving artificial general intelligence (AGI), working with predictive and agentic AI are also must-have skills of the future. Learn from Heather Mansfield, Nonprofit Tech for Good, how to become AI-literate in the concepts most immediately to impact your career so you can start the process of upskilling now and thrive in your career for years to come.
Year-End Giving
Click-it: Keep the giving going: Social media strategies to maximize year-end donations [Register for free webinar, 11-13-2025]. Join GiveButter hosting Julia Campbell to turn post–Giving Tuesday engagement into lasting generosity through smart storytelling. You’ll get tips to simplify your social strategy with quick, creative ways to do more with what you already have. Plus, you’ll leave with a ready-to-use year-end content calendar to guide your December social posts.
Click-it: Other Ways to Give: How Digital DAFs and Non-Cash Gifts Can Boost Your Giving Season [Register for free webinar, 11-17-2025]. Many donors want to give from their wealth, not just their wallets—but most nonprofits aren’t set up to receive these types of gifts. This session from GiveWise Foundation Canada and TechSoup will show you how to make it simple.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: 2025 Recurring Giving Benchmark Study [Download free report]. NextAfter analyzed 138 national nonprofit programs across eight different verticals to see what’s really working when it comes to acquiring, converting, and retaining recurring donors. They conducted this study using two donor personas: a donor making a recurring gift initially, and a donor who made a single gift and later upgraded to a recurring donor 1 month later. Want to see what they found?
Click-it: Sticky Sustainers: Using Technology to Power Monthly Giving [Download free guide]. This resource provided by Charity Engine and the Chronicle of Philanthropy will teach you how to: Build a sustainer strategy that drives predictable revenue; Use data to personalize and automate enrollment; Keep donors engaged with simple, repeatable touchpoints, and lower costs by growing long-term loyalty.
Events
Click-it: Procurement Basics for Success [Read article + download free templates]. Want to fill your auction catalog with items that will make bids soar? Donation request letters should be short and sweet. Lead with the mission, provide details on how to donate and always include a call to action. Auctria wrote sample procurement letters! Plus, they share how to find items that meet your bidding audience.
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Removing Obstacles to Major Gift Fundraising. Learn from the major gift experts at the Veritus Group about the five avoidable issues harming your major gift fundraising. Find out where leadership can focus to overcome these obstacles, and strategies you can use to build sustainable relationships.
AND EVEN MORE HERE: 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. After completion you’ll become a member of the prestigious Veritus Scholars. Check it out – it is game-changing!
Strategy, Planning, Management and Leadership
Click-it:. The Forward-Thinking Nonprofit: Leading Through Change [Download free e-book]. This collection from Blackbaud brings together insightful essays from 19 experts across the global social impact sector. Whether you are navigating fundraising hurdles and reduced funding, or exploring new technologies, this collection provides practical insights, data-driven strategies, and creative ideas to help your mission grow and adapt in a rapidly evolving world.
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.
❤️Top Proven Strategies to Tell Donor-Centered Fundraising Stories
🎯 Top Strategies to Use Donor Data to Appeal to Donor Identity
📈Surprising Psychology Behind Why Fundraising Thermometers Still Work + Helpful AI Boost
🌟Top 10 Strategies to Elegantly Transform Reluctant Fundraisers into Ready Philanthropy Facilitators
💡Reframe Fundraising: Responsibility, Privilege and Opportunity
💖Tip Your Nonprofit Donors: The Secret to Keeping Them Close
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: Foolproof Secrets To Raising Unrestricted Nonprofit Funding?
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, and don’t have direct, immediate access to ALL my blog articles, monthly tips, webinars, podcasts and much more, you can get in on the fun here — and grab your BONUS! Don’t miss out. Please.
And now, some things that made me smile over the past couple of weeks.
A garage door to make you smile.
A ducked out truck hood to get you quacking.
A ducky garage door!
Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below). The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable, because of their generosity.
