Author: Virginia Davidson

Are you staring at an empty screen, trying to craft a compelling fundraising appeal letter? We’ve all been there! Check out our collection of resources to take you from blank page to rough draft to polished appeal letter, complete with remittance envelope and acknowledgment letter, too! Here’s a quick guide to writing a compelling appeal […]

Read More… from Your guide to writing a compelling appeal letter

As appeal season draws closer, there are some key takeaways from political campaigns you can incorporate into your appeal plan. Consider these two scenarios: Imagine it’s 5pm on a local election day. You get a call from a volunteer with candidate XYZ’s campaign, asking if their campaign can count on your vote. Candidate XYZ’s name […]

Read More… from Lessons from political campaigns for year-end appeals

Your organization’s financial statements offer a wealth of information that you can use to create a well-crafted and realistic fundraising plan. A fundraising plan is your guide to how much money you need to raise, why you need to raise it, and how you’ll raise it. You don’t have to pull your plan out of thin air, though. […]

Read More… from Use financial statements to create a stronger fundraising plan

Burnout can hit fundraisers hard under normal circumstances, and you may find this feeling is especially rampant as you work remotely during the Covid19 pandemic. Here are four ways you and your coworkers can help each other reduce stress and avoid burnout. Ration your video calls.  Zoom fatigue is real, as plenty of people can confirm. […]

Read More… from Helping your co-workers to avoid burnout during Covid19

  Non-profit financial statements can be intimidating. But you don’t need a degree in accounting to have a working understanding of them. By familiarizing yourself with four key financial statements, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of how your fundraising efforts fit into the organization’s overall financial picture. This in turn will give you a sense […]

Read More… from How to get familiar with four key non-profit financial statements

Organizations focus a lot of effort on conveying gratitude to financial donors. Sometimes the essential and important work of volunteers can appear invisible to other stakeholders. Why not showcase the impact of your volunteers, too? By creating an annual report for your volunteers, you can build a sense of community among volunteers, demonstrate the importance […]

Read More… from How to create an annual report for your volunteers

What tone do you strike with donors in the midst of a global pandemic? How do you support your coworkers and employees while working remotely? What should your board be doing? Will this crisis change philanthropy forever? We know you’re grappling with a lot of questions and hard decisions right now. We’ve sifted through countless […]

Read More… from 10 resources to help guide nonprofits amidst coronavirus

Any person who expresses interest in your organization could become important to your organization, whether as a volunteer, donor, or advocate. Unless they hear from you after the initial point of contact, though, it’s unlikely they’ll become involved. Are you missing out on potential supporters? Here are some common sources of names that may be […]

Read More… from Are your potential donors falling through the cracks?

If you hear the term “major donor” and feel that your organization is too small to steward major donors, think again. The word “major” is relative. Whatever your scale is, your organization probably already has the support of some major donors. By proactively stewarding them, you can build lasting and growing support for your organization. […]

Read More… from How small shop fundraisers can steward major donors