Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Once again, I’m inspired by the inimitable Seth Godin.
The biggest thing you bring to the project is forward
Forward motion is an asset, a skill and a job title.
Elevators used to need elevator operators. They didn’t go anywhere unless someone got on and announced they wanted to go somewhere.
Initiative, desire and being willing to take responsibility are powerful because most of us don’t care enough to bring them to the table.
Going forward requires skills, attitudes and belief. A rare combination.
— Seth Godin
Ask yourself: Am I moving forward? Let’s face it. Inertia is a real thing. And it’s deadening. It does no one any good, least of all you.
Which is why I’ve collected lots of resources over the past two weeks – all with the hope you’ll find something to help you develop the momentum to move forward. Need new ideas? Skills? Perspectives? They’re all here. Check them out! You’re guaranteed to find something that will shift your thinking.
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.P.S. If you’re an enrolled Clairification School student, your JUNE TIPS are live. If you’re not yet enrolled, there’s no better time.
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: Nonprofits in the Crosshairs
These continue to be extraordinary times, for nonprofits of all shapes and sizes, institutional funders and individual donors and volunteers. As various players grapple with what to do next, I will be sharing resources to help you figure out your own best strategy.
ARTICLES
Click-it: How to Fend Off Attacks on Nonprofits—Three Key Strategies.Aaron Dorfman, President of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy asserts in Nonprofit Quarterly: (1) Donors and foundations must step up with more resources; (2) Civil society leaders must stand their ground and act with courage, and (3) Organizations not directly targeted must stand in solidarity with those being attacked. Learn how you can step up and stand your ground.
Click-it: World-building at world’s end: Our responsibility at the precipice of catastrophe. This is a powerful thought piece from Alli Roll on the Community-Centric Fundraising blog. You may not be feeling despair this way, but many people are. While you may be fundraising for one organization, the world is bigger than that – in this moment and beyond. This article speaks to how you might ground yourself, re-imagine your purpose, and begin to use your skills to create new systems that empower a world you want to live in.
Click-it: Navigating Funding Uncertainty: What Nonprofits Can Do Right Now. If your organization is grappling with funding uncertainty, this Nonprofit Hub article includes: (1) key questions to consider; (2) messaging strategy; (3) best practices to strengthen your resilience, and (4) action steps to ensure long-term stability.
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: The Checkwriters are Dying. So Are We. This sobering critique of current direct mail practices comes from Roger Craver, the Agitator-DonorVoice. Demographics are changing. Technology is changing. Accordingly, donor behavior is changing. What will you do to adapt and thrive?
Click-it: How hard are you making it to give?. Your job, as a philanthropy facilitator, is to make giving EASY. Here Mary Cahalane, Hands-On Fundraising shares some all-too-common mistakes. Don’t make them!
Boards
Click-it: Use Experiential Learning To Transform Your Next Board Retreat. If you’re tired of same-old, consider this refreshing approach outlined by Tom Iselin on the Bloomerang blog. It’s a method engaging board members in real-world, mission-focused experiences that foster emotional connection, insight, and camaraderie. It’s about stepping out of the boardroom and into the heart of the organization’s mission—literally.
Click-it: We Say Goodbye. We Say Hello. Check out this smart advice from Emily Davis about ways to welcome new board members and ways to recognize and thank them when they leave board service. And don’t forget the exit interview!
Branding/ Content Marketing
Click-it: Why Leading Brands Are Hiring Journalists — And What It Means for Your Communications Strategy. This is a business-focused article from Driving Influence. It’s not about nonprofits per se, but the trends they describe are universal. Your nonprofit swims in the same stream. This may seem like advanced marketing to you, but… remember when a lot of other things that once seemed advanced now seem commonplace? For nonprofits wanting to be on the cutting edge, this is a thought-provoking read.
Click-it: How Content Marketing and Branding Work Together: Strategies to Strengthen Your Brand. Neil Schaffer, digital marketing expert, explains the two terms, how they differ, and how they can work in tandem. Although marketing via content and branding are often aligned, the two do not always coexist peacefully. Grab specific action strategies to make them happy campers.
Data Management
Click-it: Top 10 Donor Management Platforms for Nonprofits. Folks often ask me what the best donor databases and CRMs are, and there’s really no one right answer. Here MightyCause explains what to look for and rates 10 platforms (note Bloomerang and Qgiv are now one unified platform).
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Has Trump finally destroyed the mid-value donor? This is a fascinating take from Mark Phillips, QI and Bluefrog, about how the times we’re in are reshaping the way certain donors approach philanthropy. They want autonomy, and seek purpose and meaning. They don’t give casually.
Click-it: The Best Major Gift Ask Isn’t a Pitch. Here’s an article I wrote for NonProfitPRO about how to engage in a truly balanced dialogue where the donor is invited to offer as much input as the solicitor. It includes an example of how this turned what was intended as a $100,000 ask into a $1 million gift for one charity.
Click-it: Major Gift Fundraisers: Your Boss Doesn’t Understand What You Do. Marc Pitman, the Fundraising Coach, writes about the importance of getting Executive Directors on the same page with fundraisers when it comes to the process of developing major gifts. I agree/disagree when he notes: “While I firmly believe all nonprofit leaders should be seeking fundraising training, the odds are your boss isn’t going to become a fundraising expert.” It’s part of your job to encourage them to get this training – as painlessly and cost-effectively as possible.
HOW ABOUT THIS: Tell your boss you want them to take a course so they can hold you accountable. That ought to get their attention!This Veritus Group Certification Course for Fundraising Managers and Executives is specifically designed for staff who manage major gift officers. It runs in tandem with the certification courses in Major Gifts & Mid-Level Fundraising, so your entire team can learn the same language and implement a consistent system. Depending on your budget, you can sign up for the one course that most meets your needs. OR… take advantage of the generous 20% discount if you enroll three or more from your team. Email me for details on the group pricing. And make sure to use my exclusive Clairification Community discount code – CA5 — to save $100 no matter what you choose!
Strategy, Leadership and Management
Click-it: Navigating Economic Uncertainty: Smart Tips for Small Nonprofits. Sandy Rees, Get Fully Funded, offers up 10 steps you can take to plan ahead. Preparation is the foundation of resilience, and investing in your nonprofit’s adaptability today will pay dividends tomorrow.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: A Nonprofit Guide to Streamlining Content Creation with AI. Nonprofits, especially smaller ones, are often low on staff power, and AI acts as a virtual assistant to increase staff productivity and capacity. The experts at Momentum encourage you to think about your organization’s most routine, repetitive content creation tasks. Which of these tasks can easily be managed by an AI solution? You’ll learn what you can automate, what you can’t, and how to use AI solutions as a tactical tool rather than a complete replacement for all content creation.
Writing
Click-it: The fundraising AI that would wreck fundraising. Here’s a bit of a caution from Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now, about using AI to write your fundraising appeals. If you’re not going to let your fingers do the walking, be sure to let your brain do the talking. Caveat emptor.
YOU
Click-it: 10 leaders, 10 ideas for lowering stress. Amber Johnson in Smart Brief lays out workplace, physical and mental health options for leaders facing multiple career, family and personal challenges. This is sound, basic wisdom about how to take care of yourself when it feels like the world is conspiring against you.
Other Learning Opportunities
CONFERENCES
Click-it: The Future of Fundraising is Now: Responsive Nonprofit Summit [Register for free two-day event, 6-4 to 6-5, 2025]. You’ll have access to 25 sessions, 30 fundraising experts and more, all designed to help you ditch outdated tactics and scale personal connections. The Summit is sponsored by Virtuous in partnership with We are For Good. The co-creator of Charity: water, Viktoria Harrison, will keynote. Speakers include: Nathan Chappell, Founder at Fundraising.AI & SVP at DonorSearch; Tim Paris, Cofounder + CEO at Dataro; T. Clay Buck, Founder and Principal at Next River Fundraising Strategies; Gail Perry, President at Gail Perry Group; Cameron Ripley, CEO at Community Boost, and more.
WEBINARS, PODCASTS, & 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: The Most Important Ingredient in Donor Retention [Register for free webinar, 6-1-2025]. Despite the best practices you’ve heard about — sending thank you cards, making phone calls, investing in new technology, etc. – the average donor retention rate has been stuck around 45% for a decade. Why?!?! In a brand-new research endeavor analyzing both the donor retention performance and the donor experience of 212 nonprofit organizations, NextAfter has begun to uncover what may be the most important ingredient to keep donors around for the long term. I think they’re truly on to something transformational. So – register for this one!
Finance
Click-it: Empowering Nonprofits: The Financial Tech Advantage [Register for free webinar, 6-12-2025]. Nonprofits today are grappling with significant external pressures such as economic uncertainties, inflation, and staffing shortages. These challenges can impact ability to deliver on the mission. Financial technology can help. Join TechSoup to learn strategies for addressing common challenges in nonprofit finance; cutting-edge technologies transforming the finance function, and tips for setting up your operations to scale.
Marketing
Click-it: Marketing Trends Nonprofits Need to Know (and Embrace). Digital marketing, content marketing, social media marketing—each plays a role in a nonprofit’s strategy.
Join Kiersten Hill of Firespring to discuss the marketing trends that’ll shape your nonprofit’s future and grow your impact. You’ll learn about SEO, AI, how to build in automation, how to use influencer marketing and much more!
Strategy, Leadership and Management
Click-it: Finding Joy in Nonprofit Work During Uncertain Times [Listen to free, on-demand podcast]. Nonprofit Hub hosts Kimberly Bottom, Director of Community Engagement at Feathr for a session sharing why inaction during uncertain times poses the greatest risk to your organization’s future. She dives into the current challenging climate for nonprofits – from funding freezes to harmful rhetoric questioning the sector’s legitimacy – and how it’s an opportunity for you to transform criticism into connection. Strategic insight, plus an empowering perspective.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: Less Grind, More Shine: AI Tools to Spotlight Your Fundraiser [Register for free webinar, 6-4-2025]. Join Ala Falaki, founder of NixieSocial, a platform that helps businesses create and share personalized weekly content across social media, and Laurie Hochman of event planning site, Auctria, for this special session devoted to enabling you with tools to bring greater attention to your next fundraiser – with less effort. You’ll learn all about how to use free tools, like Meta.ai, Gemini, Claude and LeonardoAI to create a content calendar, generate images, and more.
YOU
Click-it: Fundraising, Friendship, Fun [Register for free Zoom Enrichment Panel, 6-4-2025]. Jim Eskin hosts veteran nonprofit leaders Kay Sprinkel Grace and Sally Bryant for this live panel discussion filled with the vision you need to inspire you and help you navigate challenging times.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Donor Acquisition
Click-it: The BEST Way to Find New Donors for Your Nonprofit [Read and watch]. Sandy Rees, Get Fully Funded, has put together a comprehensive resource filled with proven techniques for finding people who love your nonprofit’s work and want to see you succeed. Plus, here’s a downloadable Guide.
Events
Click-it: 30+ Creative Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofits [Get free on-demand guide]. The folks at Eventgroove have compiled proven fundraising strategies across every season, cause, and organization type – from quick last-minute campaigns to elaborate seasonal celebrations. It includes a “Quick Start Guide” to help you (1) build your timeline, (2) match your audience, and (3) consider your budget.
Major, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Removing Obstacles to Major Gift Fundraising [Download free paper]. What’s preventing your non-profit from seeing greater success in major gifts? In this paper, the Veritus Group shares some of the most common and avoidable issues they’ve seen. Plus, they suggest what you can do to remove the barriers.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: 2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Marketing & Fundraising Statistics for Nonprofits. There’s much to learn as our world rushes to adopt AI and make smart decisions regarding its use. Nonprofit Tech for Good has put together all sorts of data to jump start your conversations and thinking on this rapidly evolving technology. Warning: This is an overwhelming amount of information, but you can take a course from them: 2025 Certificate in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Marketing & Fundraising program (not free, but modestly priced).
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.
Curiosity Didn’t Kill These Fundraisers—It Made Them Unstoppable
Balancing Trick: You. Donor. Nonprofit.
How to Stay Relevant—Even If You’re Not Saving Lives
Fewer Donors Are Giving—Here’s How Your Nonprofit Can Respond and Rebuild
How 13 Nonprofit Donors Yields a $1 Million Philanthropic Legacy
Because They Care—Invite Donor Feedback to Deepen Your Relationship
Finally… if you have a question, any question…
Ask your question here. And check out my free fundraising advice column on the Bloomerang blog! You can bookmark the Ask an Expert page for any time you have a question. Here’s one: Should I still Use Direct Mail?
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. JUNE TIPS are live. Your support is much appreciated, and helps me to support you. Thank you!
Went to the Palace of the Legion of Honor in San Francisco last weekend to see a fascinating Wayne Thiebaud show: “Art Comes From Art.” Sharing. Enjoy!
Modeled on Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte’s image of shoes that are half-feet and, per Thiebaud, painted with a half smile and an eye-rolling grimace. I just like them because they’re fun!
Inspired by Edgar Degas’s “The Millinery Shop.” Circular hats on display stands are transformed into circular cakes on stands that also seem to hover in mid-air. Appealing confections offered for sale.
Thiebaud exercised his muscles by trying out other painters’ styles. This one, inspired by Georges Seurat’s Sunday in the Park is outright theft. I love it.
“Cubic Boxes” is a sly reference to cubism. Each box’s geometric patterns reference a different artist. The center top is Wassily Kandinsky. The top left and top right fronts are Roy Lichtenstein (exclamation points are a nod to his early comic strip paintings), and the bottom center, front references Frank Stella. The upper left, top side is Robert Delaunay.
Have to close with something iconic — at least if you’re a Thiebaud fan. I just LOVE these! He says gumballs were the most common penny candy — a sort of atomic particle of American consumer culture. Imagined ideal… to the pleasure of possession… to a state of diminishing returns… and, finally, to a sense of loss. Until the cycle begins again.
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