Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Do you ever find yourself spending seemingly endless time worrying about the state of the world? The future of your organization? Family dynamics? Career prospects? Simply what you’re going to eat for lunch? The dog days of summer lead to this type of languid reflection. Sometimes it’s useful. But, it can also be enervating.
The inimitable Seth Godin puts it succinctly:
“Spend enough time inventing possible futures in your head and you won’t have any time to build the future we will all share.
Time to get to work.”
Sometimes it’s best to stop overthinking and start doing. Which is why I’ve collected a bunch of resources for you that will, hopefully, get your brain into action mode! 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.S. If you’re an enrolled Clairification School student, your AUGUST TIPS are live. If you’re not yet enrolled, there’s no better time.
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL FEATURE: News You Can Use
ARTICLES
Click-it: GoFundMe Enters the DAF Game: What It Means for Everyday Giving. The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports on the new development of “Giving Funds” that may have potential to lift DAF giving by reaching a new audience of folks looking to give – not simply invest in another financial services product. To get more money disbursed quickly, GoFundMe will suggest nonprofits people can support. And they will not charge fees for credit-card processing or administrative fees. Plus, their default will be openness (donors must opt in to anonymity), making it easier for nonprofits to steward these supporters. This could be a real boon to smaller nonprofits who may find DAFs confusing, but who are already using GoFundMe.
Click-it: Attacks on Journalists a Warning Sign for Civil Society. Whatever your political bent, attacks on the media portend a descent into darkness and half-truths. This article in Nonprofit Quarterly outlines the dangers we all face when the light-shiners and truth-tellers are silenced. If you’re a nonprofit that depends on journalists to uncover stories and document conditions you may not have the reach or capacity to cover, take heed.
Click-it: How Nonprofits Can Help Shape AI Governance. Civil society deserves a seat at the table when the values, norms, policies, and safeguards that comprise AI industry standards are being developed. This is imperative when AI has such a huge potential to influence or even change society, in ways anticipated and not. This article in Nonprofit Quarterly uncovers the key issues.
Articles
Data
Click-it: 5 Data Management Best Practices to Apply At Your Nonprofit. Without good data, you’re pretty much driving blind. This Greater Giving post explores five data management best practices your nonprofit can implement to run more efficient fundraisers, launch more impactful programs, and cultivate stronger donor relationships.
Donor Retention
Click-it: The Shortlist Strategies for Long-Term Donor Engagement. Don’t skim this; read it. And think about it. Every one of the strategies included in this article on the Auctria blog deserve your attention. Make sure you have a written plan for each of these seven areas.
Click-it: The Real Reason Donors Aren’t Coming Back. Lisa Greer, Philanthropy 451, weighs in on why donor retention has been so bad for so long. The solution? A shift in mindset.
Events
Click-it: 8 Event Ticket Marketing Strategies that Increase Sales. If you want to increase your ticket sales, look no further than this article from the experts at Eventgroove. There are some good ones here!
Click-it: Break the Event Cycle: Fundraising Strategies for Lasting Relationships. While nonprofits often rely on galas, auctions and other large events, these efforts may not be building long-term relationships. The experts at Firespring offer suggestions to reduce event frequency, piggyback off existing events, and maximize the ROI of your investment.
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: How AI Can Help Your Nonprofit Secure More Major Gifts. Especially for nonprofits with limited resources, artificial intelligence (AI) can provide extra help with a range of everyday activities, from creating donor outreach messages to compiling data to even providing advice for strategic decisions. This article from Sarah Tedesco on the Momentum blog explains a number of concrete ways to leverage AI to boost your major gift strategy.
Click-it: Forming Relationships with a LOA or Pledge form? YES! If you’ve never thought of a form as something that can help you build a deeper relationship with your donor, Marcy Heims, the Artful Asker, suggests you think again.
Click-it: The Most Important Philanthropic Ratio. Jim Langly writes on the Market Smart blog about who you really should be spending time with. Not the richest, but the most generous – within their means.
Click-it:
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 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!
NOTE: The next cohort begins August 25, 2025 – just in time to get you ready to ace year-end fundraising. Something to consider!
Online and Digital Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: 10 Automatic Text Message Sequences for Your Nonprofit. The texting experts at Rally Corp suggest ten ways to send a sequence of text messages, ringless voicemails, or emails to connect with donors, follow up with volunteers, or get event RSVPs.
Psychology of Giving
Click-it: Donor Trust 2025: The Alarming Data–and What Fundraisers Should Do Now. Plain and simple, if donors don’t trust you they aren’t going to give to you. Roger Craver, the Agitator-DonorVoice comments on the recently released 2025 Donor Trust Report from BBB Wise Giving Alliance. The news is not good. This article outlines a number of areas where donors’ antennae are raised. Privacy concerns, fear you’ll share their data, concerns about AI, antipathy toward “cookies,” and more. What do you do to reassure folks?
Click-it: Brain Science Misfires: 2 Copywriting Lessons on Clarity and Autonomy. If you’ve never read fundraising copywriter extraordinaire Lisa Sargent’s work, you’re in for a treat. She writes about cognitive bias, and how it can inadvertently wreak havoc with your carefully crafted appeal. Watch out for (1) the curse of knowledge and (2) reactance.
Strategy, Planning, Leadership and Management
Click-it: Is Your Charity ‘Age-aware’? Per fundraising guru Tom Ahern, writing on the Better Fundraising Co. blog, your organization is likely off-track if you’re chasing after younger donors. People age into prime giving years. Around age 55, those who are “philanthropically-inclined” can START to give more to their favorite charities. “Don’t trust anyone peddling a glib financial solution like, “We need younger donors.” Great article.
Click-it: Manage Your Time with the Matrix (Not THAT one!). Stop treating every task as equally important. When you do, you’ll never get everything done. And you may just find yourself spending most of your time on the strategies that yield the smallest bang for your buck. Instead, do what the Moceanic experts suggest here.
Technology as Tool
Click-it: Segmentation: The Five Rules and One Big Red Flag. Here’s smart advice from Kevin Shulman, the Agitator-DonorVoice (the 5th rule cracks me up!).
Click-it: 33 AI Marketing & Fundraising Tools for Nonprofits. Nonprofit Tech for Good has gathered together a terrific list of tools for you to try out. Use them for all kinds of writing, graphics, video, audio, website design, social media, search, just plain brainstorming, and more.
Click-it: Marketing Hacks for the AI Era: Tips, Tricks, and Prompts for Smarter Digital Marketing. This, from Convince and Convert, is a must read if you’re just starting out using AI. Jennifer’s expert AI POV is an essential piece of advice (from my humble experience). AI won’t do it for you, but can be a fun collaborator.
Writing
Click-it: Write scenes, not an article. Enjoy this useful advice from Julie Cooper on the Better Fundraising blog. And take it to heart the next time you write a fundraising appeal, gratitude report or newsletter article!
Click-it: What if you can’t afford a copywriter? Read this terrific, comprehensive piece from copywriter Mary Cahalane on how to approach writing a successful fundraising appeal.
Year-End
Click-it: 9 Year-End Giving Campaign Ideas. It’s time to plan now, and this article from Nathan Hill at NextAfter is a great blueprint. Make sure you’re thinking about all these things!
Other Learning Opportunities
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!
Year-End Giving
Click-it: Don’t Leave Money on the Table: Year-End Fundraising Made Smarter {Register for free webinar, 8-21-2025]. Join Double the Donation and Bonterra to identify and take advantage of untapped revenue at end of year. You’ll learn about the role of matching gifts at end of year; effective multi-channel engagement opportunities; data-driven fundraising insights and more.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Legacy Giving
Click-it: 10 Powerful Truths About Making a Will You Need to Know [Download free guide]. This comprehensive resource from plannedgiving.com includes everything you and your supporters need to know about creating a will. You don’t need to be rich, and it’s not just about money. And since August is National Make-a-Will Month, the timing is perfect.
Strategy, Planning, Management and Leadership
Click-it: Click-it: Meet the Hidden Majority of Nonprofits: The All-Volunteer Organization [Click to read comprehensive resource]. This is a fascinating piece from Jan Masaoka in Nonprofit Quarterly. I’m embarrassed I didn’t know 69% of nonprofits—nearly seven in 10—have budgets of less than $50,000. That means most of these nonprofits are all-volunteer organizations (AVOs). The article talks about why these organizations are so important, and also how different rules may apply (e.g., for registration, 990 filing, tax-deductibility and the like). She also talks about new frontiers for online AFOs (e.g., subreddits; Facebook groups).
Website
Click-it: 2025 Nonprofit Website Performance Report [Download free report]. Per the RKD Group’s latest findings (they looked at data from more than 2,500 nonprofit websites across the U.S.), 67% of nonprofit websites received a “poor” rating on mobile performance. If your site is slow, hard to use or lacking in technical basics, it creates friction—not just for donors, but for anyone trying to engage with your cause. That friction can cost you visibility in search and trust with your audience. Learn about speed, accessibility, SEO, best practices and backlink strength so you can move forward to seize the day!
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.
So You Want More Major Gifts This Year? Here’s the Secret!
Top 10 Tips to Passionate, Colorful Appeal Writing
The Last Luxury: Why Real Human Connection Still Matters in Fundraising
Your Online Nonprofit Fundraising Playbook Starts Here
Want to Raise More Unrestricted Dollars? Your Best Stories Can Lead the Way.
Smart Strategies to Raise Unrestricted Nonprofit Funding
💡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: How Do We Rally Support When Public Funding Disappears?
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. AUGUST TIPS are live (Just log in to your Member Dashboard). Your support is much appreciated, and helps me to support you. Thank you!
Here are a few artsy pics that tickled my fancy over the past couple of weeks — when I happened to be in Paris!
A lovely street painting I found adorning a Parisian postal drop box.
This giant stuffed bear was spied vending fruit and vegetables on the street! It was a bit drizzly, so he came with his umbrella!
I’m a sucker for bold colors! This is part of the David Hockney retrospective at the Louis Vuitton Foundation exhibit in Bois de Boulogne, Paris, 2025
It wouldn’t be Paris without a colorful window display of macarons.
It also wouldn’t be Paris without a view of a beautiful church interior. There are so many!
Found this droll street art on the side of a door. Made me smile. Every turn brings a surprise!
May your weeks ahead be filled with happy surprises.
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