Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 32

Happy Tuesday! We’re just about a year into various states of lockdown and I hope you’re all hanging in there. We were blessed with some sunshine in Washington DC today and a little it of vitamin D will turn the day around!

We have a lot of awesome content for you this week in the Fundraising Weekly. If you have any spring fundraisers coming up, get ready to draw some inspiration!

You can receive the Fundraising Weekly newsletter each Tuesday by subscribing today!

Great Fundraising Posts

5 Tasty and Effective Food Fundraisers for Nonprofits

Tim Forbes (Soapbox Engage)

Food is powerful--in everyday life and in fundraising! Whether you’re into pie-eating contest or fancy dinner parties, there’s a food fundraiser for every type of audience and nonprofit. Whether you’re looking for in-person or virtual fundraising ideas, his blog outlines some great food fundraising events to spice up your fundraising event calendar this year.

Fundraising Copywriters, Let Your Copy Cool Before Serving

Richard DeVeau (Heroic Fundraising)

Fundraising copywriters are essential workers in the nonprofit world. You use words to help organizations touch lives and change the world through captivating stories and persuasive details. But, don’t go and hit “send” as soon as you’ve finished writing--even if it’s just to the rest of your team! In this blog, Richard strongly suggests you let your writing cool before you send it!

How to Get Millennial-Aged Donors to Respond

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

Development professionals have been trying to figure out how to attract Millennial donors. In this brief blog, Jeff argues that as your fundraising grows more respecting of all your donors--becoming more results-oriented, transparent, and donor-focused--you attract more donors from every demographic! Keep reading this blog to hear why Jeff feels that marketing differently to specific generations isn’t a helpful approach to fundraising.

4 Silent Auction Ideas to Help You Increase Your Event Revenue

Joe Garecht (Joe Garecht Fundraising)

Some people think silent-auction fundraisers are old-fashioned and a waste of valuable time and energy. Other development professionals see these events as highly effective ways to raise money. In this blog, Joe argues that the truth lies somewhere in the middle and, if you’re thinking of holding an auction fundraiser, consider using the four auction items he suggests to help you raise more money from the event.

The Mystery of Accountability

Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels (Veritus Group)

The saying “there is wisdom in counsel--only fools despise wisdom and instruction” is the root of this blog post. Richard and Jeff share the wisdom of accountability and mentorship. They remind us that everything and everyone is part of a whole and part of a bigger story. Head over to this blog to get some insight and wisdom about why you should seek out accountability.

How to Move Facebook Followers to Your Nonprofit Email List

Sandy Rees (Get Fully Funded)

Facebook is a powerful networking tool for nonprofits of all sizes, but email is actually a more reliable way to reach donors and build relationships. While 69% of American adults report that they use Facebook, more than two thirds say email is the communication form they check first in the morning. In this blog, Sandy shares how you can move your Facebook followers onto your email list so you can connect with your audience in a more intimate and impactful way.

Tell Them “Why”--Insights from the Global Online Fundraising Scorecard

Alison Turmelle (Good Works)

When small children ask “why” incessantly, they’re learning and expanding their understanding of the world. But, unlike most donors, two-year-olds naturally ask “why” questions. As fundraisers, it’s critical to answer “why” questions clearly and repeatedly in our communications before the donors even ask! Head over to this blog to learn why and how to boost your donor communications by answering those “why” questions.

How Changing Your Mindset Will Help You Attract New Donors

Mary Cahalane (Hands-On Fundraising)

When marketing can bring your mission and fundraising efforts together, the process becomes far less stressful for busy development professionals. When this alignment happens, marketing becomes exciting and it expands your nonprofit’s impact in visible and powerful ways--because your marketing is serving your donors and your mission at the same time!

Telling Stories

Simone Joyaux (Joyaux Associates)

Life is a series of stories. We share our life experiences and moments through narrative and story. The same can be true for fundraising. Impactful fundraisers tell stories about the mission to communicate the emotional content that connects people together. Head over to this blog to get more insights about why storytelling is so powerful in fundraising.

Here’s Why Your Donors Are Ghosting You

Shad Hanselman (Ruffalo Noel Levitz)

Have you been watching the “pick-up” rates drop during your phone calling campaigns over the last few years? There are many potential explanations here, but for all the frustration and debate around why people aren’t answering the phone when nonprofits call, the answer could simply be that they don’t know who’s calling! It’s very likely that donors just don’t trust phone calls anymore--nonprofits didn’t do anything wrong, the technology just changed and fundraising practices didn’t adapt. Head over to this blog to gain valuable insights into how to make your phone calls more effective and steps you can take to help donors answer your calls.