February 14, 2019
3 ways to make your recurring donors feel special
When a donor chooses to provide regular, ongoing support to your organization with a recurring gift, they’re committing to your mission and stating, “Your work matters to me.” You can make your recurring donors feel special and honor their investment in your organization by giving…
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January 29, 2019
5 ways to set your volunteers up for success this year
Engaged volunteers can augment your organization’s work and help expand your network of supporters. By following these five simple tips, you can set your volunteers up for success this year. Create job descriptions for your volunteers A clear volunteer job description helps potential volunteers determine…
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January 10, 2019
4 key metrics to evaluate your fundraising appeal
A lot of planning goes into a fundraising appeal, and it’s worth investing that same level of careful thought once your appeal winds down. You can glean a lot of helpful information from an appeal evaluation, which will guide you on what to repeat and…
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December 18, 2018
How to create year-end tax statements more easily
Sending year-end tax statements provides donors with a convenient summary of their charitable contributions and offers an additional opportunity to express your appreciation. Knowing you've been working hard on your year-end fundraising appeal, we put together these simple guidelines and an example to help you…
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December 5, 2018
Learn the fundamentals of gift entry
Strong gift entry practices are the gateway to a strong fundraising program, and learning and mastering the fundamentals of proper gift entry are essential. No two fundraising programs are alike. One organization might achieve its fundraising goals through an annual gala, a planned giving program,…
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November 15, 2018
How to delight donors with your nonprofit newsletter
I’m always interested in what various nonprofit organizations are up to and what information they’re sharing in their newsletters. So it was unusual when I started reading a local organization's newsletter and lost interest on the first page. The story was an explanation of why…
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November 1, 2018
Are you ready to survey your donors effectively?
How well do you know your donors? The more you understand the reasons your existing donors support your organization, the better you’ll be able to steward them and implement strategies to attract new donors. You won’t know unless you ask, and surveys can be an…
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October 17, 2018
Why your nonprofit needs a gift acceptance policy
Implementing a gift acceptance policy is essential to protecting the interests of your organization and preserving relationships with donors. Consider this example to understand why. Imagine you’re the curator of a small art museum whose mission is to preserve and celebrate the work of local…
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October 3, 2018
How to create a development dashboard for yourself
Fundraisers typically use development dashboards to share fundraising activities and progress toward goals with board members and development committee members. Common information tracked on monthly development dashboards can include donor retention, number of new donors, grant applications submitted and percentage approved, and year-to-date amounts raised…
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September 19, 2018
5 ways to say thanks on #GivingTuesday
#GivingTuesday is designed to encourage online gifts on the first Tuesday after Thanksgiving, but there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to this annual online giving event. Everyone can determine how best to incorporate #GivingTuesday into their existing year-end appeal efforts. You can even augment your fundraising efforts…
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