Soapbox Engage Blog

There are plenty of experts offering reliable advice, countless podcasts, blogs, and websites about nonprofit fundraising. Which sites do you spend your valuable time and energy reading? Which ones will keep you updated on the latest trends, data, and resources?

We curated a list of some of the best, most trustworthy blogs about fundraising for nonprofits. Each one is full of strategies, tactics, and tips that you can implement in your organization.

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3 reasons to read blogs regularly

Blogs and podcasts are like live, constantly-updating books. Reading for knowledge is essential, no matter what industry you're in. Still, some topics lend themselves to blogging and podcasts--like fundraising.

Blogs are regularly updated to reflect current information

Fundraising has many core principles that will probably remain true for all of time (the importance of thanking your donors, for example). Many aspects of fundraising are continually changing (like best practices for using social media).

Unlike books that might include outdated content before it even goes to print, useful blogs are continually updating to include current trends, regulations, and information.

Blogs provide different views and opinions

Blogs allow you to learn about a topic from a variety of perspectives and opinions. It takes a lot of time and energy to read multiple books on one issue, but you can easily consume a few blog posts or podcasts throughout the week. Reading blogs from different people on the same subject provides different views, philosophies, ideas, and opinions.

People think differently about everything. It's helpful to learn from and be challenged by a variety of philosophies and viewpoints. When we surround ourselves with homogenous content and opinions, it can stifle our creativity and prevent us from learning, growing, and trying new things.

Reading well-written blogs makes you a better communicator

Have you heard the phrase, "the best writers are readers first"? It's true. The most successful and impactful writers throughout history were avid readers first. We write and practice what we know. This is true in fundraising as well.

What we put into our minds is what will most likely come out in our actions. Creating space to consume positive, informative, and helpful content about fundraising will help you become a better fundraiser.

Fundraising should include a lot of storytelling. You become a better storyteller by reading and listening to well-told stories.

5 Fundraising Blogs We Recommend

In no particular order, here are five fundraising blogs we Soapbox Engage penguins enjoy.

Fired Up Fundraising

Fired Up Fundraising is the business of Gail Perry, an international fundraising consultant, speaker, and trainer. Gail and her team make the fundraising process approachable and inject a healthy dose of fun and positivity into their blog content. With large clients like The YMCA and the San Diego Zoo and small local nonprofits, their content is relatable to organizations of all sizes and shapes.

Fired Up Fundraising focuses more heavily on cultivating major donors and capital campaign fundraising, but their blog covers a wide range of topics, from "How to Appreciate Your Fundraising Team" to key fundraising trends to watch. They also have a wealth of content about building successful fundraising boards.

Not Your Father's Charity

Not Your Father's Charity is chock-full of fundraising and nonprofit leadership advice--with a twist. Wayne Elsey is a founder of several nonprofits, including Funds2Orgs, a leading shoe drive fundraising company in the United States (yes, you read that correctly). Wayne is a public speaker and expert on topics like leadership, branding, philanthropy, and charity.

Wayne's blog isn't exclusively about fundraising for nonprofits. Still, his insights into topics like "Nonprofit video storytelling" and recurring giving for nonprofits are helpful for any organization. He also touches on subjects like leadership, marketing, and personal development, which are all valuable subjects for anyone in the nonprofit world.

Wayne has a refreshingly practical, down-to-earth way of communicating about topics that tend to get technical and boring. His attitude seems to be, "I know your time is short and valuable, so here's a quick run-down of what you need to know."

Communicate!

Dennis Fischman is an expert in donor cultivation and communication. He shares his wealth of experience on his blog, appropriately named "Communicate!" Dennis covers a wide array of topics about communicating with donors, from how to make your direct mail envelope stand out in the mail to how to write the ideal thank-you letter.

Dennis's organization and blog focus on raising more money through cultivating healthy relationships with your donors. If you're looking for a blog about donor care (and let's face it, we all have room to grow in this area), this one's for you!

The Fundraising Coach

Marc Pitman is an international leadership coach, fundraising trainer, and founder of The Fundraising Coach. Most of the topics on his blog are broad and geared toward leaders and decision-makers within the nonprofit. Pitman also covers many fundraising strategies, challenges, and questions that pertain to everyone who works in the nonprofit world.

Though Pitman writes most of the blogs himself, he invites other experts to guest-post occasionally, making this a great blog to follow if you want a well-curated resource from a veritable "who's who" in the fundraising world.

In addition to excellent blog content, The Fundraising Coach offers many articles and long-form pieces on a variety of topics, from social media for nonprofit fundraisers to corporate philanthropy during a recession.

Selfish Giving

Joe Waters specializes in helping nonprofits, and for-profit businesses fundraise through cause marketing. His blog, Selfish Giving, is one of the leading blogs about cause marketing on the internet!

Joe brings 20 years of experience as a fundraiser to the table, as well as quick wit and "wicked Boston accent." He has entertaining topics like "You Should Adopt This Creepy Phone Tactic From Wayfair," and he writes about everything from the humorous ("5 Halloween Costumes for Cause Marketers") to the very practical ("How to Warm Up Cold Email Subscribers").

We encourage you to subscribe to Joe's blog to keep up with some of the latest trends in cause marketing and corporate sponsorships. His humor and liberal use of emojis are bonuses.

Soapbox Engage

We don’t mean to toot our own horn, but the Soapbox Engage blog addresses all kinds of fundraising topics, from email fundraising best practices to establishing a monthly giving program.

Our goal is to cover a wide range of topics and provide practical resources to make your fundraising efforts more effective and efficient. Most blog posts include practical next steps and action items that will help you implement the practices instead of just knowing about them.

Do you want to kick your fundraising into high gear this quarter? In addition to reading some great blogs about fundraising, here are three practical resources to help you take the next step.

• 5 Easy Steps To Create A Monthly Giving Program: One of the best ways to improve your fundraising is by starting a monthly giving program. Here's a quick how-to guide to help you begin (or upgrade) your monthly giving program.
• Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: What You Should Know and A Quick-Start Guide: Peer-to-Peer fundraising is an excellent way to mobilize your donors and volunteers to raise money for your organization. Learn how it works and how to launch your first Peer-to-Peer campaign.
• 5 Must-Have Features of Nonprofit Event Registration Software: Many organizations fundraise at events and programs. It's essential to have an event-registration software that gives your guests a great experience and helps improve your fundraising efforts. Learn what to look for as you choose an event registration software.