Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 17

It's been another busy week in fundraising world, and with GivingTuesday next week, we're all about to turn the dial up even more. Hang in there folks. Talk a long virtual walk with me along the beach in California. Just for a quick relaxing moment.

Luckily, our community has been stepping up to the challenge, and there's been some great content you can use to put some last-minute touches on your call-to-action campaigns. So when you're back from your virtual beach walk, join me for another round of fundraising knowledge!

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Great Fundraising Posts

9 Must-Have Features for Your Nonprofit’s Online Donation Page

Tim Forbes (Soapbox Engage)

Not all online donation pages are created equal… trust us, we’ve seen quite a few of them. Before we get into the year-end fundraising rush, Soapbox Engage wants to help you do a quick check-up on your donation page to make sure it has all the essential features for success. Give this blog a read to see how your donation page measures up!

5 Best Practices for Writing Emails To Major and Legacy Donor Prospects

Greg Warner (Market Smart)

Short and straight to the point (like every busy development professional needs), this blog offers some essential guidelines on how to communicate with major and legacy donors. They’re people just like everyone else, but it’s important to consider their unique questions and concerns as you create your fundraising content.

Donors Love to Achieve Impact (Don’t Waste Their Money!)

Richard Perry (Veritus Group)

Have your donors ever expressed concern that your organization has a lot of activity but little or no impact? Your supporters want their money to work hard and make a difference! That’s why it’s critical to write and say everything very carefully to ensure you’re getting to the point and answering their “so what” questions. This blog will help you do just that! Be sure to give it a read before you print your year-end giving appeal letter!

Is the Donor Missing From Your Messaging?

Kevin Schulman (The Agitator)

Do you know how to write a fundraising message that has the right formula of donor, brand, and issue? This blog post from the fundraising expert, Kevin Schulman, offers a simple formula and an explanation for why it’s important to feature your donor in your fundraising writing.

10 Things you Should Avoid Doing This Year-End Giving Season

Robin Cabral (NonProfit PRO)

Do you ever fear your appeal letters, emails, and other fundraising content just gets lost in a pile with loads of other nonprofits? To stand out from the crowd and have the most successful year-end fundraising season as possible, it’s critical to avoid these 10 giving season mistakes that are all-too-prevelant. Keep reading to make sure your organization steers clear of them!

Three Steps To Raise Unrestricted Revenue While Motivating Donors With Specific Offers

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

This is no surprise to seasoned development professionals, but fundraising tends to be more successful when you offer one thing a donor can solve or accomplish when they give a financial gift. This feels very challenging when you’re trying to raise unrestricted funds that your nonprofit can use at your discretion. This blog has some insight and wisdom about how you can go about fundraising unrestricted funds more effectively.

Socially Distant Fundraising Strategies

Dathan Montes (Greater Giving)

Fundraising events might look a little different for a while longer, thanks to COVID-19. It’s wise for nonprofits to plan safe, socially distanced (or virtual) fundraising events for the foreseeable future. This blog has 10 outdoor fundraising events to consider as you plan your spring and summer fundraising calendar.

This Shouldn’t Be The Usual #GivingTuesday

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

2020 has not been a normal year by any stretch of the imagination. They way you approach #GivingTuesday shouldn’t be “business as usual” this year. You can’t run the same fundraising campaings you did last year and expect similarly fantastic results. In her latest blog post, Ann Green shares how you should adjust your 2020 #GivingTuesday strategy.

The Easiest Thing You Can Do Every Day To Raise More Money

Amy Eisenstein (Amy Eisenstein)

Did you know that the easiest way to raise money is to phone a donor? Yep. There’s no “silver bullet” in fundraising. Yet, so few development professionals actually pick up the phone and make the call. This blog has everything you need to prepare for and make effective fundraising phone calls to current and potential donors.