Winter Wonderland Clairity Click-it: Nonprofit Links, Free Resources
Last Monday would have been Dr. Martin Luther King’s 92nd birthday. He challenged us to recognize the privilege of being part of the struggle for goodness to prevail. While he did not live to get to the promised’ land, he saw it from the mountain top. Today, we are all on that mountain top.
Look from your vantage point to 2021 – and beyond. I dream this is year will be the one in which your organization will move:
- Beyond defining yourself by what you’re not (nonprofit); to what you are (social benefit).
- Beyond an attitude of taking and hitting people up (aka “fundraising”) to a mindset of giving and lifting people up (aka “philanthropy”).
- Beyond enacting transactions (money) to enabling transformation (meaning).
Fundraising is merely servant to philanthropy. Through your fundraising practice, you become a “philanthropy facilitator.” Your job is to invite others to be a part of the struggle for goodness to prevail.
What a noble job you have!
My Clairification tagline is “philanthropy, not fundraising.” I encourage you to adopt this as a framework for your own practice. It will help you overcome the fear and distaste conjured up by the loathed “F” word. You see, for most people, ‘fundraising’ conjures up the taboo subject of ‘money.’ While ‘philanthropy’ means, literally, ‘love of humanity.’
Love your donors as you would have them love you. In fact, love all your stakeholders – internal and external – this way. Embrace a culture of abundance, not scarcity. Embrace a culture of unity, not division. Ask not what your donors, volunteers and staff can do for you, but what you can do for them.
When you come from a place of love, you’ll find it will transform your work. As my mentor, and founder of ‘The Fundraising School’ Hank Rosso used to say: Fundraising is the gentle art of teaching the joy of giving.
Here are some collected resources to help you with your important work. Once again, I want to thank my sponsor, Bloomerang, for making it possible to offer this biweekly newsletter to you for free.
With gratitude for all you do to make our world a better place,
Claire
P.S. If you find value in Clairification, your support via enrollment in ‘Clairification School’ is a blessing. You’ll be able to read every single article I’ve ever written, plus you’ll get access to all my webinars, monthly tips, bonuses and more. I promise to pay it back, and continue to offer lots of specific advice to help you raise greater awareness, more volunteerism and passionate philanthropy.
Clairity Click-it, Your Nonprofit Ticket to…
SPECIAL CATEGORY: Tips for Not-So-Normal Times
ARTICLES
Annual Fundraising
Click-it: 10 Strategies to Supercharge Annual Fundraising Success in 2021. Whew! Last year was challenging. This year promises to be a real transition. What will you hang onto that worked last year, and what will you add to improve results in the year ahead? If you could use some help with priorities, here are my takes on the Bloomerang blog.
Events, Virtual
Click-it:How to Host a Fun, Socially-Distant Fundraising Event. Here’s a bunch of creative ideas for you from Abby Jarvis at Qgiv. She shares real life examples too, from a staggered race to an auction to a supply drive to a streaming performance… and more!
Strategy and Management
Click-it: The Best Ways Leaders Promote Happiness. Promoting well-being, always important, is hugely so in the times we’re in. Yet too often employers leave this to chance. This article by Lolly Daskal shows you how to be proactive in creating a happier work environment. Research shows this pays off.
WEBINARS, ROUNDTABLES & ON-DEMAND AUDIO RESOURCES
If you can’t attend live, note that many are available via recording – but only if you register!
Content Marketing
Click-it: Effective and Ethical Creative Roundtable [Register to join live conversation, 1-26-2021]. M+R staff and some special guests will be discussing how to develop a creative approach that is not only effective but ethical. Topics include how to change both processes and creative products that: Perpetuate racist, misogynist, ableist, and otherwise inequitable structures; Reinforce stereotypes and prejudice; Exploit suffering; Undermine the power of communities to advocate for themselves and create change; Consolidate power among the already powerful, and create distance between causes, the people who support them, and the people they serve.
Donor Retention
Click-it:The Pandemic’s Lasting Effects on Customer Experience [Register for free webinar 1-28-2021]. I often like to borrow from other disciplines to inform nonprofit work. This webinar from the expert marketers at Merkle centers on ‘customer experience’ in for-profit businesses, but these folks are the same people who are your donors. How they experience you – and how what they expect from you may be different than ten months ago – will have a lot to do with your success moving forward. So why not borrow some tips from the folks who have the resources to research, analyze and evaluate?
Major Gifts
Click-it: Raising Major Gifts of Assets During a Pandemic [Register for free webinar, 2-2-2021]. There’s amazing research showing nonprofits who promote and accept gifts of assets raise significantly more than those who accept cash only. Dr. Russell James will explain it all to you on this webinar with the folks at Stelter. You will leave with practical examples of new conversation scripts and new planning techniques that work in today’s environment.
Trends and Food for Thought
Click-it: “It’s Philanthropy, not Fundraising [View on-demand video podcast]” I was on the Nonprofit Show yesterday talking about overcoming fundraising fear by reframing your approach as we enter a new year. Consider ‘giving’ over ‘taking;’ abundance over scarcity. Co-hosts Julia C. Patrick and Jarrett Ransom of The Nonprofit Show [Register to watch live, or tune in to on-demand videos] can be counted on for lively discussion! You can check out all sorts of 30-minute videos with a broad range of experts. It’s daily M – F at 9:30 a.m. eastern.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES
Events, Virtual
Click-it: 9 Virtual Fundraising Event Resources for Nonprofits [Check out free downloads]. Nonprofit Tech for Good has put together a ton of resources, mostly downloadable, to give you great ideas and tactics for 2021. I dare you not to find something useful here.
Other Articles: The Beat Goes On
Annual Fundraising
Click-it: How nonprofit entitlement mentality destroys organizations. Are you focused on winning your donors over by offering them something they want, not something you need? If not, you may be in bigger trouble than you know. So says Jeff Brooks of Future Fundraising Now.
Click-it: Matching Gifts: What You Need to Know to Double Your Donations. Did you know research shows mentioning matching gifts in fundraising actually causes a 51% increase in average donation amount? Are you aware of resources available to you using integration tools from Double the Donation? The folks at Fundraise Up explain exactly how you can leverage the power of matching gifts directly from your website. Check it out, as this is easy money you’re leaving on the table.
Click-it: Converting Emotional Donors to Monthly Donors. This is a terrific article on sgENGAGE from the amazing Katrina VanHuss and Otis Fulton of Turnkey. It’s about something you should really commit to doing this year. Because monthly donors give more money. They stick with you longer. And, because they offer a steady source of predictable income, you can actually plan ahead because of them.
Donor Retention
Click-it: Nonprofit Gratitude Strategies. Your year-end fundraising blitz is over. Now what? Do not simply take the money and run. Now is the time to seriously consider the power of gratitude, while the gift is still fresh in your donor’s mind. See what I suggest in this article on the Bloomerang blog.
Click-it: Ask A Behavioral Scientist. If you’re wondering about the benefit of sending post-gift premiums, the folks at the Agitator-DonorVoice blog provide some answers.
Click-it: 3 components of great welcome emails. How you treat your donor after they make a gift will hugely influence whether they make a next gift. Ronald Pruitt at 4aGoodCause explain how to set up an automated series of thank you emails triggered by different actions. It’s great stuff!
Grants
Click-it: 12 Quick Tips for Better Grant Writing. Kelly Medwick of shares an article on the Firespring blog replete with strategies to help you put your best foot forward with potential funders. I’m particularly fond of #s 2, 6, 7 and 9. #8 is super-important too!
Online Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Creating a Digital Marketing Strategy and Setting Yourself Up to Succeed. If the past year was one of scrambling to invent digital strategies on the fly, this should be the year you do so according to a smart, strategic plan. The folks at FlipCause are here to help with this article and downloadable e-guide with a framework, strategies and tactics.
Strategy and Management
Click-it: Fundraising Climate Change [Register for free webinar, 2-3-2021]. Greg Warner of Market Smart argues the world of fundraising is facing a climate change. Before you can take action, you must understand the problem. Here’s your opportunity! The webinar is packed with insights derived from data and research.
Other Learning Opportunities
WEBINARS & ON-DEMAND AUDIO RESOURCES
If you can’t attend live, note that many are available via recording – but only if you register!
Boards
Click-it: Strengthening Your Board of Director’s Capacity [Register for free webinar, 1-26-2021]. Wild Apricot presents Dr. Bev Browning for this session covering the importance of a board member recruitment matrix, board job descriptions, how to make board member assignments and delegate to subcommittees, the executive director’s role and much more.
Database
Click-it: Digital Planning for the New Year: [Register for free webinar, 1-26-2021]. Having clean, accurate, up-to-date data is hugely important to your fundraising success, and it’s too often given short shrift. The folks at Salsa are offering this deep dive into best practices, no matter what software you’re currently using.
Major and Mid-Level Gifts
Click-it: Is Mid-Level Fundraising Worth It? [Register for free webinar, 1-28-2021].Do you leave donors with growing giving patterns in the same old direct response program, until they reach ‘major donor level’ (hope springs eternal!) all by themselves? This is a huge mistake! Learn from the Veritus Group experts how much it pays to give these “mid-level” donors more individual attention. You’ll both increase the value of your mid-level donors today and fill your major gift pipeline for tomorrow.
Online Fundraising
Click-it: The Best New Online Fundraising Research to Grow Your Revenue This Year [Register for free webinar, 1-27-2021]. The folks at NextAfter are brilliant about collecting lots of A/B experiments and sharing the results. If you’re too small to do your own research, or even if you’re big enough, you’re sure to benefit from the examples that will be showcased here. You’re in for a real treat.
DOWNLOADABLE GUIDES, WHITE PAPERS & OTHER RESOURCES
Donor Retention
Click-it: The First 60 Days: A Step-By-Step Plan To Cultivating New Donors [Download free e-Book]. Did you know donor retention rates sank in 2020? Here’s a 60-day plan from CauseVox to get you started down the road to improving donor retention and safeguarding your investment in acquisition.
Major Gifts
Click-it: Creating Strategic Plans and Goals for Every Major Donor [Download free White Paper]. Now is an excellent time of year to build your major donor cultivation and solicitation plan so by the time next January rolls around you can celebrate your successes! I’ve recently been exhorting you to build or enhance your major gifts program – it’s hands-down the most cost-effective form of fundraising – and you will get oodles of practical tips from the experts at Veritus Group in this paper. If you like what you see, you might even consider enrolling in the Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers. It’s the bomb! (Next course starts Monday the 25th, but if you’re interested in the one that starts in April email me and I’ll send you an exclusive Clairification School discount code).
Online Fundraising and Marketing
Click-it: Grow Your Revenue in 2021 by Nixing These 5 Fundraising Trends [Download free e-Book]. Human behavior changes with the times, and you need to adapt if you don’t want to fall behind. The folks at NextAfter work with thousands of nonprofits and are on top of the current pulse of things. They know all about email templates, website pages, A/B tests and more. So… get this book!
Last day reminder: If you want to develop valuable new career skills, today’s your last day to register for the 8-module online Certification Course for Major Gift Fundraisers that begins Monday, January 25th. Use Coupon Code: CA5 to grab a last-minute discount: register here.
Did You Miss My Newest Articles?
Speaking of coming from a place of LOVE… I am pleased to welcome my first grandson, Sebastian, to the world!
Here are links to the most recent articles on the Clairification blog. I think you’ll find these either thought-provoking, practical or both. Hope so!
- Do You Want More Major Donors? Read This!
- Leading Your Nonprofit with Hope, Not Optimism
- The Giant Mid-Level Fundraising Opportunity Your Nonprofit’s Missing
- How to Supercharge Your Nonprofit Major Gift Fundraising Strategy: 10 FAQs
- Top 10 Countdown: Most Popular Clairification Articles of 2020
- 7 Things Nonprofit Major Gifts Programs Need to Succeed
Finally… if you have a question, any question…
Check out my free fundraising advice column on the Bloomerang blog! Ask your question here.
Please support my extraordinary sponsors (see below). The Clairity Click-it content is free, and Clairification School is affordable because of their generosity.
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. January’s tips are posted! If you’re not yet an enrolled student, you can get in on the fun here!
My motto is: “If I know it, I want you to know it.” Don’t miss out.
