Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
What will you do to spring forth and meet the moment? I’m counting on you – each of you — to use some of the insights you glean in this week’s issue of the Clairity Click-it to be better, do better, and help others do the same. I hope, as you dig through this hand-curated content from across the web, it will make your job easier, and more fulfilling.
I pick every resource thoughtfully (no AI used here) specifically to bring you the big ideas and useful tools you need to make our world a better place. It is my sincere pleasure and honor to help you find the ideas, strategies, templates and tools you need to succeed.
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 the critically important social benefit sector.
You’ve got this!
Thank you for doing your vital work, with gratitude,
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. Mostly, this is a labor of love. So, if you value these resources, please consider enrolling so I can keep this train chugging along. Your support is MUCH APPRECIATED!
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
ARTICLES
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Stop Saying ‘Nonprofit’: Reframing Your Social Benefit for Stronger Fundraising. Why do we define ourselves by what we are not? No other sector does this. “Nonprofit” doesn’t communicate purpose. It doesn’t express value. It doesn’t explain why anyone should care. In this Nonprofit Pro article, I share my thoughts for rethinking some of the language and assumptions we’ve long taken for granted. Here are several reframes that can transform how your organization communicates its value and invites people to participate.
Click-it: A Step-by-Step Guide to Monthly Donor Onboarding That Works (With Templates!). The true magic of monthly giving programs — and their long-term success — lies in how you onboard and nurture these loyal givers to improve your donor retention rate. 4aGoodCause explains how to do this, with lots of specifics and actionable tips. If you follow this blueprint, you will definitely succeed.
Click-it: Does Humor Work in Fundraising?. Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now, says “no.” And he explains why using a terrific example that will leave you laughing (be sure to watch the video)!
Boards
Click-it: How to Build an Engaged, Productive Nonprofit Board (Without Burnout, Micromanaging, or Constant Frustration). Do you have a Working Board or a Useless Board? Sandy Reese, Get Fully Funded, walks you through the differences between them, and suggests how to tell which one you have. The article also outlines the most common Board-building mistakes that leave leaders doing everything alone. Plus, she offers five practical steps to build a Board that gives, leads, and gets results.
Events
Click-it: Aim High for Event Sponsorships. In my own experience, sponsorships can mean the difference between an event that loses money or breaks even and an event that nets a good profit. Which is why the event experts at Auctria wrote this article – to help you cover your costs so everything you raise from tickets and auction sales is pure profit.
Click-it: Sweepstakes vs. Raffle: Which Is Right for Your Nonprofit Fundraiser? In many states, per this useful article from Eventgroove, raffles are considered gambling – and therefor illegal. But there are ways you can get around this. You’ll find a full side-by-side sweepstakes vs. raffle cheat sheet you can download, plus a state by state raffle law guide.
Major, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Bequest Fundraising Is a Very Big Deal. Learn why, plus how to actively recruit potential bequests, in this article from Jeff Brooks at Moceanic.
Strategy, Planning, Management and Leadership
Click-it: How to Create a Nonprofit Budget That Supports Your Mission. This guide from Soapbox Engage explains the basics of a nonprofit budget — creating and monitoring a plan for where and how your nonprofit will direct its resources throughout the fiscal year. It should not be a set-and-forget document.
Click-it: Nonprofit ROI: How “Measuring the Good” Can Help Nonprofits Justify Investments. Expanding what “return on investment” means to your nonprofit — beyond just money — can help provide a clearer idea of how you’re helping your community and serving your mission goals. This Blue Avocado article suggests three areas in which nonprofits might perform cost-benefit analyses: Programming; Training, and Work Culture.
Click-it: The Two Speeds of Nonprofit Work (And Why Both Are Necessary). Marc A. Pitman, the Fundraising Coach, notes nonprofit work actually runs at two very different speeds. And most leaders, teams, and supervisors only talk about one of them. Learn what they are, and how you can conduct a “two-speed audit.”
Technology as Tool
Click-it: Augmented IQ And The New Human Advantage Are you using AI to just tinker around the edges, essentially doing the same old things while cutting expenses? A “productivity patch around legacy thinking?” Or, are you using it to innovate and achieve greater things? Here, Brian Solis draws a line between automated intelligence and augmented intelligence. One is simple iteration; the other is innovation. The latter helps you see farther, think better, challenge assumptions, surface blind spots, and create outcomes previously impractical or impossible. One optimizes the present. The other expands the future. This is a thought-provoking read – and a topic I will likely write more about in the future.
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!
Annual (Year-Round) Fundraising
Click-it: Learn the Donor Flow Framework and how to influence donors from awareness to action [Register for free training, 4-1-2026]. Want to learn why donors say “yes?” Maryanne Dersch shares her Donor Flow Framework to help supporters move from first discovering your mission to becoming committed donors. Find out why donors sometimes stall between stages, and what you can do to prevent this.
Click-it: Engaging DAF Donors in 2026 [Register to watch free, on-demand webinar from Chronicle of Philanthropy]. Get smart insights and advice from three insiders: a community foundation that sponsors hundreds of donor-advised funds and two nonprofits that recently ramped up fundraising from DAFs, with impressive results. You’ll also get key dos and don’ts for reaching out and getting on the radar of donors.
Content Marketing
Click-it: Create a Nonprofit Content Calendar That Actually Works [Listen to the free, on-demand presentation — or read as an article]. Lydia Varesco Racoma and Charity How-To provide a practical guide to building a nonprofit content calendar that improves consistency, efficiency, and impact. First, define the role your content plays in advancing your mission. Then, (1) identify key content channels; (2) plan a posting cadence; (3) connect your campaigns, and (4) repurpose content to maximize impact.
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Podcast On Demand: The Secret to Major Gifts Success is Making Time for Donor Conversations. Amy Eisenstein and Andrea Kihlstedt, Capital Campaign Pro, discuss why – and how — organizations that prioritize real conversations with major donors outperform those that try to outsource or avoid them.
Online Marketing and Fundraising
Click-it: The State of Nonprofit Fundraising in 2026 [Register for free webinar + live discussion, 3-31-2026]. Nathan Hill has been digging into the data from the new Avid+Wiland benchmarks, and he’s calling out a massive shift in the primary new source of donors in the last 3 years. But especially so in the past 12 months when the nonprofit fundraising pendulum officially swung from offline-first to digital-first. 65% of new donors now come from online sources — up from 51% last year. This requires rethinking your strategy, and even what your fundraising and marketing teams look like.
Click-it: Nonprofit PR Done Right [Listen to on-demand, free podcast]. In this episode of the Nonprofit Hub Podcast, Rhiannon Hendrickson, founder and senior strategist at Orapin, unpacks the often-overlooked role of public relations in a nonprofit’s communication strategy. You’ll get practical guidance for earning meaningful media coverage, as well as information about crisis communications. Learn why “no comment” can do more harm than good, and how transparency builds trust.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, PAPERS, TEMPLATES & OTHER RESOURCES
Donor Retention
Click-it: Reignite Donor Relationships: The Playbook for Winning Back Lapsed Supporters [Download free guide]. This playbook from Virtuous equips your team with practical, data-driven strategies to: (1) Understand why donors stop giving and how to respond with empathy; (2) Develop multichannel reactivation campaigns powered by automation; (3) Personalize outreach through storytelling, segmentation, and timing, and (4) Measure success with clear metrics that drive long-term retention.
Major, Mid-Level, Capital and Legacy Giving
Click-it: Donor Engagement Plan [Download free case management checklist template]. The major gift experts at the Veritus Group have provided a printable checklist that walks you through what you should be doing — and when — so your caseload doesn’t quietly drift off track while you’re busy putting out fires. If you ever feel like you’re in the weeds and need a reset, keep this one close.
Click-it: Major Gifts Made Simple: Unlocking Transformational Giving [Download free eBook]. Learn the storytelling secret — called “The Fix” — developed by Better Fundraising Company co-Founder Jim Shapiro and refined over 30 years of helping organizations unlock their major donors’ best gifts. It’s packed with real examples and step-by-step strategies.
NEXT STEPS: If you want to become a master of major gift fundraising I highly recommend this Veritus Group course: Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. You’ll receive a certification, rack up CFRE points, and set yourself up for excellence for the rest of your career. If you’re the executive or manager, there’s also a companion course for you! After completion you’ll become a member of the prestigious Veritus Scholars. This is the best thing you can do to supercharge your fundraising for the coming year – and beyond! And you can grab an exclusive Clairification Community discount – a whopping 35% off – using this code: CLAIRE35. The next cohort begins June 8th – just in time for your year-end fundraising push.
Technology as Tool
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.
🔍 4 Strategies to Listen so Others Will Talk
🚫 I’m not selling you any tea today.
💌Overcome Donor Resistance Using Empathy
❤️From Objections to Opportunities: Winning Over Donors
😖 Avoid these Key Obstacles to Successful Major Gift Asks
🎯 Proven Strategies to Take Charge of Major Donor Asks
💡 Fresh Nonprofit Marketing Ideas: Be Patient. Be Strategic. Be Funded.
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: How to Encourage Group Bidding on Expensive Nonprofit Auction Items?
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. MARCH and APRIL TIPS are live. Your support is much appreciated, and helps me to support you. Thank you!
And now, let’s take a look at some trees and flowers springing forth in my neck of the woods!
“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson
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