Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 20

Welcome to the final two weeks of the fundraising season! I know it's a hurried dash from this point forward, so let's get right to the point and dive into some fundraising community knowledge sharing...maybe with a side of egg nog.

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Great Fundraising Posts

The Online Fundraising Software Buyer’s Guide

Tim Forbes (Soapbox Engage)

Are you thinking of upgrading your fundraising software in the near future? Perhaps you’ve been going through this year-end fundraising season realizing your current software leaves much to be desired. But where to begin? There are so many options out there! This blog post includes three easy steps to help you figure out what online fundraising software, apps, platforms, or widgets will fit your organization’s current and future needs and wants.

3 Quick Ways to Double Your Online Fundraising Revenue

Garrett Hall (The Fundraising Authority)

This blog post includes three easy tactics you can implement in your online fundraising strategies that could easily double your revenue in the coming year (along with a brief explanation of how each tactic will help your nonprofit)! We’ll give you a hint, one action is to appoint someone (or a team) to be in charge of your social media presence (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)!

The ‘Stay Interview’: How an HR Practice Can Help Nonprofits Engage Their Supporters

Mitch Nauffts (PhilanTopic)

You’ve probably heard of an exit interview that many human resources departments use. But have you heard of a “stay interview”? This can actually be a really helpful tool for development professionals who want to improve relationships with donors. Stay interviews are active, present-tense, and create space and opportunity for donors to share the reasons they love supporting your organization. Head over to this blog to learn how to add the “stay interview” to your internal and fundraising practices!

How You Feel About Death Is Impacting Your Fundraising

Lindsay Thibault (Good Works Fundraising)

It’s quite logical that your personal relationship with money (as a fundraiser) will impact your fundraising. The same goes for death--that is, your beliefs around death will impact your success with legacy fundraising. Read this blog to learn why this is true and how you can boost your legacy fundraising efforts.

Watch Your Weenie Words

Mary Cahalane (Hands On Fundraising)

Do you use bold words when you’re writing? Or do you qualify your statements, use “hedges” and other ways to dial back the strength and impact of your writing. Asking someone to make a financial donation (or thanking them for their contributions) is no place to beat around the bush or use weak words that undercut your own message. In this blog, Mary helps us understand how to write more boldly for greater fundraising impact!

Transform Your Corporate Giving Strategy

Bill Crouch (NonProfitPRO)

Do you have an effective corporate giving strategy? Many nonprofits struggle to build and leverage their portfolio of corporate partners. This blog includes a powerful interview with Mary J. Monusky, a former director with American Express who is now a business development consultant. Read this blog to learn how to develop an effective corporate giving strategy in 2021.

12 Quick Strategies to Boost Year-End Fundraising

Claire Axelrad (Clairification)

Is your year-end fundraising campaign feeling a little stale or lacking? Have no fear! This blog has 12 ideas to add a bit of spice to your year-end fundraising efforts. None of them require much time. Instead, they’re little additions that can make a big difference.

How To Write Better By Writing Every Day

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraiser Now)

If you want to be a better writer, most writing experts say you should write more frequently--but finding time to write every day is a lot more challenging than it seems (especially for busy development professionals). This blog post has some tips and tricks for how to fit some writing time into your busy schedule.

A Crisis of Confidence

Richard Perry (Veritus Group)

This is an excellent blog post in which Richard and Jeff discuss their observation that so many major gift officers and development professionals are experiencing a “crisis of confidence” in their skills and abilities. This is contributing to a high turnover rate in the nonprofit fundraising industry and even a lack of trust from donors! Keep reading to learn more about this crisis and what you can do to prevent it in your own nonprofit.