Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 41

Happy Tuesday fundraising superstars! This past weekend I had the chance to trek up to New York City, and it almost felt normal. It made me daydream about the days in-person fundraising can resume at the scale it once was. I'm not sure about you, but I'm eagerly awaiting the days we can gather together in person again!

But until then (and, if we’re being honest, even after), virtual land is the place to be! This week’s newsletter highlights a blog article about how to build and sustain an online community, with tips like leaning into peer-to-peer fundraising, recruiting ambassadors, and upgrading your social media presence. We’ve got a lot of other great stuff for you too— so dig in for tips on fundraising letters, volunteer handbooks, and more!

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Great Fundraising Posts

How to Write an Excellent Fundraising Letter

Tim Forbes (Soapbox Engage)

Despite all the technology and communication changes, fundraising letters remain a critical part of the development professional’s job. They help you connect with current and potential donors in a broad audience. This blog includes some tips, tricks, and recommendations to help you improve the overall quality of your next fundraising letter.

How to Build an Online Community: 4 Ways to Get Started

Julia Claire Campbell (Marketing for the Modern Nonprofit)

Over the last 16 months, the nonprofit world proved the true value of having strong connections with donors, volunteers, constituents, stakeholders, and other communities. As we’ve navigated everything from social distancing regulations to reduced budgets, the organizations that had strong community connections before the pandemic had a much stronger foundation to work with, but it’s never too late to start fostering a strong sense of community and connection with your nonprofit. Head over to this blog to get some tips and tricks on steps you can take to build and encourage those relationships online.

8 Ways to Inspire Your Board to Fundraise

Bill Crouch (The BrightDot)

Do you ever find it difficult to motivate your board of directors to help with the fundraising process? The great news is that even the most challenging board can be inspired to fundraise… it just takes the right tools and resources. Bill offers his top eight strategies to get your board members excited and motivated to participate in your next fundraising campaign.

Stop Writing Unconscious: Secrets to Inspire Action on Your Nonprofit Appeal

Claire Axelrad (Clairification)

An unfortunate reality is that whatever you’re feeling when you sit down to write a fundraising letter is likely what your readers will feel when they read your letter. That’s why it’s important to connect with your passion for your mission before you write any content for your donors. After all, passion is contagious. Claire shares details about becoming a conscious writer in this helpful blog post.

Some Important Investments that Can Help You Raise More Money

Ann Green (Ann Green)

Many nonprofits cut some expenses and tightened the belt loops (so to speak) over the last year. Especially small nonprofits tend to operate with a “scarcity mentality” when times get tough. But it can be tough to identify what you actually can’t afford and what you should actually be investing in. In this blog, Ann offers some insights into areas you should actually be investing resources, even when things get a little tight.

Do You Qualify Mid-Level Donors?

Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels (Veritus Group)

Do you and your team know the difference between mid-level and major donors? Can you identify the differences between the two and do you have a way of qualifying mid-level donors for your fundraising program? Do you have a program to help your mid-level donors understand and embrace the reality that their relationship with you is changing from an impersonal to a more personal connection? These are all critical to helping you grow your mid-level donor category! Head over to this blog to glean some wisdom on how to qualify and grow your mid-level donors.

Don’t Hide Behind Polish

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Company)

When you write something to your donors, do you feel that whatever you send needs to reach a certain level of perfection or polish? Unfortunately, that mentality is a form of sabotage that can result in a lot less money coming in--but not for the reasons you might think. Steven offers some sage advice to small nonprofits about how to have an appropriate level of emphasis on excellence and polish in your donor communications.

How to Create a Volunteer Handbook Your Volunteers Will Use

Sandy Rees (Get Fully Funded)

If your nonprofit relies on volunteers in any capacity, you probably need a quality volunteer handbook that clearly communicates your mission, standards, expectations, policies, and relevant procedures. A good volunteer handbook can help people feel more connected to the mission and confident in their role. Sandy offers some great insights about why you should invest in developing a volunteer handbook and some insights about what to include.

Baking a Big Data Cake!

Phil Downs (Good Works Fundraising)

This is a fun, creative little blog that takes an unusual perspective on writing a direct mail campaign. Using a baking metaphor, Phil prioritizes the “ingredients” of a great fundraising direct mail campaign. We’ll give you a hint--the “data” you include is the equivalent of the baking soda in a cake recipe. It’s not glamorous and there’s usually just a small amount, but it’s essential to make the cake rise.