Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 75

Welcome to the new year, fundraisers! It feels good to be starting fresh, even if our first big snowstorm of the season has slowed things down a bit over here in DC. But a gentle start to the year may just be the best way in.

I hope you were able to rest and enjoy the holidays, and I hope you’ve been staying healthy and safe as we navigate another wave of illness. My thoughts are with you all.

Scroll down for some awesome fundraising content to get your minds turning with ideas for 2022!

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Great Fundraising Posts

6 New Years Resolution Ideas for Nonprofits

Tim Forbes (Soapbox Engage)

New Years Resolutions. Some people love them and some despise the practice. Even if you're not into resolutions, the first of the year is still an excellent opportunity to do a "systems check" for your nonprofit. It's an ideal time to ensure you're on the right track and progressing toward the right goals at the start of the new year. This blog has some resolutions and assessment areas your nonprofit can use to set the best trajectory for 2022.

How to Measure Missing Money from Donors

Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels (Veritus Group)

Donor attrition is an important detail for nonprofits to pay attention to. But donor attrition rates only tell part of the story. Jeff proposes that a better question is, "What happened with the donors on your caseload who gave last year and this year, and how did their giving change?" Check out this blog where Jeff unpacks how to measure missing money from donors.

Top Fundraising Articles of 2021

Sandy Rees (Get Fully Funded)

Check out this blog post where Sandy presents the top blog posts from 2021 that readers loved. These are some info-packed fundraising articles that you can implement as we head into 2022. They're definitely worth reading (or re-reading) to boost your fundraising strategies in the new year.

Keep Former Nonprofit Board Members Engaged

Claire Axelrad (Clairification)

Former board members are of incredible value to your nonprofit. Every communication with former board members should reinforce that you know who they are and value what they gave your nonprofit. This blog offers eight strategies to help you cultivate healthy, long-lasting relationships with former board members.

Are You Doing “segmentation” or Segmentation?

Roger Craver (Agitator)

Donor segmentation is not only fundamental for development professionals but awareness of the techniques involved is essential to avoid costly mistakes and unrealistic expectations. This is a unique blog post as it includes an initial blog about donor segmentation and a response from a different fundraising expert who weighs in with a different perspective.

Top 10 Fundraising Trends for 2022

Jenn Shefcik (Fired-Up Fundraising)

2021 probably wasn't what we envisioned. It brought more disruption and change–which brought opportunities to innovate and adapt. Check out this blog for an insightful look at opportunities and trends for nonprofits in 2022. It covers everything from giving trends to hybrid and virtual fundraising event strategies.

Week of Freebies 2021, Day 5: Newsletter Ideas for 2022

Kristina Leroux (Nonprofit Marketing Guide)

Do you struggle with writer's block when you sit down to write your monthly newsletter? This blog post has some information and ideas to help you create your January newsletters and keep your content fresh.

9 Nonprofit Website Trends for 2022

Janelle Levesque (TechSoup)

Is your website updated and ready for everything that 2022 will bring? It's important to have a website that inspires action adn change. It's more important than ever to keep up with trends and leverage them in your website planning, functionality, design, and strategy. Check out this blog to learn about nine specific website trends you should be aware of for your nonprofit.

Your Caseload Donor Stops Giving – What Now?

Richard Perry and Jeff Schreifels (Veritus Group)

If we're not careful, it can be easy to miss when a donor in your caseload stops giving until quite a lot of time has passed. Old, outdated CRM systems or donor software systems can compound the problem. Once you've acknowledged that a donor stopped giving, what do you do? Richard and Jeff offer wisdom about how to navigate the situation in a way that continues to build trust with your lapsed donor.