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…
Articles
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Suggested Donation Amount: 9 Best Guidelines + How to Use AI. Fundraising appeals may seem simple, but there’s a lot of thought that goes into deciding the right suggested donation amount to include. This Virtuous article runs through nine guidelines — what actually works, and where donor data and AI now do a lot of that thinking for you.
Click-it: 13 Quick tips for your next fundraising appeal. Grab these great tips from Mary Cahalane, Hands-On Fundraising. I tried to pick a favorite, but they’re all good!
Click-it: The Shocking New Realities of Direct Mail Fundraising. Before you give up on direct mail donor acquisition – because it’s so expensive – take a look at this article by Jeff Brooks on the Moceanic blog. You need to think about your upfront investment differently. Hint: think bequests.
Click-it: Goal Reached? Keep Going! Steven Screen, the Better Fundraising Co., offers his reasoning. Just in case you need an argument to share with your “powers that be.”
Donor Retention
Click-it: When Expenses Keep Rising But Donations Don’t. If you lose donors every year – and every nonprofit does – read this article from Sandy Rees, Get Fully Funded. It’s a template both for keeping and upgrading current givers, as well as replenishing your database with new supporters.
Events
Click-it: From Paddles to Profits: A Guide to Hosting a Stellar Live Auction Event. The experts at Auctria spell out benefits, step-by-step “‘how-to’s,” and three stages of event planning, implementation and follow-up.
Click-it: How to Plan a Great Benefit Concert. The Eventgroove team outlines seven steps (along with lots of tips) to execute a life performance event to help you reach your goals. Whether you’re filling a 200-seat local hall or livestreaming to supporters across the country, the work is the same: lock in a venue and lineup, build an easy way to sell tickets and take donations, and give people a reason to show up (or tune in).
Major Giving
Click-it: Why Your Board Won’t Fundraise — And How to Fix It. You’ve no doubt heard it said: “People give to people.” Guess what? You’ve got to treat your board members as PEOPLE too! Per this article from the Gail Perry Group, this means sitting down with them one-to-one to help them do what they want to do – help! – and do it exceedingly well. With your support.
Click-it: How to Write an Email That Lands Your First Prospect Meeting. Graham-Pelton offers seven tips for drafting messages that secure meetings with your most valuable donor prospects. Of note: “Often, especially when planning introductory meetings in another state, you will need to send 30 or 40 emails to secure an average of three meetings per day.”
Click-it: Ask High: A proven major gift fundraising tip to reach your goal faster. Marc Pitman, the Fundraising Coach, offers a perspective on the amount you should ask for. He also provides a link to an interactive Gift Range Chart Calculator.
WANT TO PUT IT ALL TOGETHER INTO A FOOL-PROOF SYSTEM? Just in time for year-end fundraising, a new cohort of the certification courses in Major Gifts & Mid-Level Fundraising begins August 24th! There’s also a companion course – the Certification Course for Fundraising Managers and Executives — so everyone can get on the same page. 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. Only enrolling one? Take advantage of my exclusive Clairification Community discount code – CA5 — to save $100. And if you have any problems enrolling – email me directly at claire@clairification.com. I respond personally to every email.
Capital Campaign
Click-it: Campaign Leadership: The Surprising Truth About Capital Campaign Chairs. Steven Shattuck, Capital Campaign Pro, explains – based on benchmark research — why successful campaigns need strong volunteer leadership, but not necessarily one person with the title of campaign chair. He also explores alternatives like co-chairs, leadership teams, honorary chairs, and using your feasibility study to identify the right leaders as your campaign develops.
Psychology of Giving
Click-it: Reframing Philanthropy for Fundraising That Actually Lasts. Abysmal donor retention is a fundraising killer. The best way to stop scampering on the hamster wheel is to reframe your overall approach. My article for NonProfitPro offers a new framework: Think. Brainstorm ideas. Act.
Click-it: Goldilocks principle. This article from Agents for Good will help you increase your income using the simple tactic of highlighting the “just right” ask amount.
Research
Click-it: What is Prospect Research and How Does It Benefit Nonprofits? If you’re new to prospect research, this Nonprofit Hub article will help you find new donors as well as provide further insights about current donors.
Storytelling
Click-it: Protecting the Integrity of Donor Stories in an AI World. This article from Stelter is about how to preserve authentic storytelling – uniquely human work – with so many AI tools at our disposal.
Strategy, Planning, Management and Leadership
Click-it: You Fixed the Metric but the Problem Moved. The next time a metric improves, delay the victory lap long enough to ask where the missing problem went. Per Kevin Shulman, the Agitator/DonorVoice, what we assume caused the change isn’t always correct. Learn all about “leakage” in this article.
Click-it: How to start fundraising when you have no formal training or professional experience. New to fundraising? Bonterra explains all the fundamentals and what you need to do to get started. Your 90-day plan is here!
Technology as Tool
Click-it: Why Your Nonprofit’s Definition of AI is Only Partially Complete. We’ve moved from “predictive” to “generative” to “agentic” uses, explains Nathan Chappell of Virtuous. Today, adoption is high; meaningful impact is rare. Learn why, what you can do to make beneficial use of today’s tools, and how to avoid the most common risk.
Click-it: AI Fundraising: Mastering the Future Fundraising Landscape Scott Rosenkranz put together this manual for EverTrue about different ways nonprofits are using AI – with an emphasis on fundraising. Learn about available tools, best case uses, benefits, drawbacks, and more. There are plenty of internal links leading you to other resources, including templates and a step-by-step guide to choosing and implementing new software.
Writing
Click-it: Should You Really Use AI to Write That First Draft? (And What to Do Instead). Nick Mediati, on Tech Soup, says “no.” Because “writing is thinking,” and research supports this. If you want unique, human output that connects with other humans, start with yourself. Formulaic, derivative content doesn’t tend to capture attention in the same way as original, thoughtful prose. When everyone is doing it, you don’t stand out. Particularly with your audience. Yet there are some useful ways to use AI – all outlined here.
Other Learning Opportunities
ONLINE CONFERENCE, WEBINAR SERIES OR COURSE
Click-it: Tips for Year-End Giving. [Register for free Fundraiser Focus Week, 8-17 to 20, 2026]. Bloomerang hosts Alice Ferris, Vanessa Chase Lockshin and Gail Perry for four sessions that will give you a year-end readiness check; do’s and don’ts; ways to maximize digital engagement, and more. There will be time for questions.
Click-it: 2026 Year-End Corporate Fundraising Summit [Register for free virtual conference, 9-16 to 17, 2026]. Don’t miss this event from Double the Donation, specifically designed to help nonprofits and schools capture the massive influx of corporate giving that happens every December. Learn how to integrate corporate philanthropy into your year-end appeals, and get plenty of specific take-aways.
Click-it: Nonprofit Social Media Summit [Register for free online 2-day event, 11-17 & 18, 2026]. Julia Campbell brings nonprofit communicators and fundraisers together for two days of practical strategy, all action, no fluff. Live Q&As, in-session chat, polls, games, whiteboard and brainstorming sessions are all part of the fun.
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!
Major, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Ready or Not, Here It Comes: A Fundraiser’s Guide to Campaign, Research & Internal Capacity Readiness [Register for free webinar, 8-19-2026]. “Readiness” gets used a lot in fundraising. But readiness from a campaign level looks different from readiness around research/data, and both are different from having the internal capacity to act on what you learn. In this Kindsight session, prospect development veteran Regina Alhassan breaks down what readiness actually means across all three dimensions.
Year-End
Click-it: Beat the Rush: Building Your Donor Audience Before Year-End [Register for free webinar, 8-19-2026]. Join Nonprofit Hub to learn how to set up your nonprofit for a stronger GivingTuesday and year-end season through smart, early digital marketing moves.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: The Ultimate Guide to Attracting Monthly Donors Online. 4aGoodCause published this as a blog post, but it’s so comprehensive I’m including it here with guides. It takes you step-by-step through all the things you must put in place to enroll – and keep – more recurring donors. This means driving online traffic your way, optimizing your website so it’s easy to give, impactful messaging, and more. Know this: Overall, monthly givers give more; they also renew at a significantly higher rate than one-time donors. This should become a priority for you!
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.
🎯 Time to Reframe How You Do Nonprofit Fundraising
💡 Proven Strategies to Make Monthly Giving the Natural Choice
🌳Top Strategic Mindset That Miraculously Transforms Philanthropic Giving: Legacy
🗣️Key Strategies to Give Meaningful Nonprofit Work Feedback
👆Is Your Finger on the Nonprofit Appeal Trigger?
❤️Give Major Donors Something They Actually Want to Fund
💡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 To Budget For Major Donor Cultivation And Stewardship?
Clairification Members: Log in to your “My Clairification/Subscriber Dashboard/Monthly Tips” to grab your exclusive, timely tips for each month. AUGUST TIPS are live. Your support is much appreciated, and helps me to support you. Thank you!
And now… a few pics that tickled my fancy over the past couple of weeks.
Princess tree backed by eucalyptus forest.
Classic car upgrade?
El Camino Royal — path of the Spanish missionaries in California was marked by these bells.
Street sign. We’re all in this together.
Namaste.
May your weeks ahead be filled with happy surprises.
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