Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 81

I hope you all are enjoying the aftermath of Superbowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day festivities! This Fundraising Weekly is coming at you loaded with helpful tips and trends. Check out the top fundraising trends to watch in 2022, online fundraising tips you may not know about, and how to improve your donor communication. And don’t forget to take a look at that last post— yes, even fundraisers need to make time for vacation!

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Great Fundraising Posts

7 Nonprofit Fundraising Trends to Watch in 2022

Tim Forbes (Soapbox Engage)

While we can't predict what will happen in 2022, paying attention to nonprofit trends can set your nonprofit up for greater fundraising success and a bigger overall impact. This blog offers seven nonprofit industry trends to pay attention to as you plan your fundraising strategies.

Online Fundraising Tips for Nonprofits

Michael Seiler (Salesforce)

The world was becoming more digital before the pandemic–but the shifts we all made over the last two years have really accelerated digital adoption for the impact sector. Now is the time to embrace digital strategies to raise more money with less effort. Check out this blog for some successful online fundraising strategies.

When to Give Your Donors What You Want

Lindsay Thibault (Good Works)

There are often exceptions to rules–even the rule about listening to donors. That's right… there's actually a time when listening to your donors can actually backfire and do more harm than good. Lindsay offers some specific examples of when it's not always in your best interest to listen to your supporters, especially with regards to strategy decisions. Instead, base your program on what you know works and what you see in your results.

This is Your Brain on Stories

Mary Cahalane (Hands-On Fundraising)

Stories are the best teachers and they're a brain-driven reward system. They actually create oxytocin! And Character-driven stories consistently cause oxytocin synthesis. Stories build trust and enhance empathy. Budgets, numbers, and statistics trigger our analytical part of the brain, not the emotional part. Take a dive into why stories are so critical for effective fundraising and how to tell good stories that will open people's hearts.

The Dreaded SASA LELE!

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Company)

"SASA LELE" refers to any time internal people write or design a message that doesn't communicate well beyond the "inner circle." It's easy to cause confusion with an unclear message, lowering your fundraising results. Check out this blog for some very real examples of common "SASA LELE" communication mishaps in the nonprofit world.

Three Things Donors Should Know BEFORE Your Next Fundraising Event (WEBINAR)

Lori Jacobwith (Ignited Fundraising)

Fundraising events take so much time to plan and execute and it's easy to get sucked into taking care of all the small details. Unfortunately, most of your guests don't care much about what color napkins you chose or other small details (though they do matter). Your donors care about understanding critical things like what it will take to fully fund your mission, why are you fundraising at this moment, and who will benefit when they make a contribution. It's the job of fundraisers to make these complex details easy to understand. This 3-part webinar series kicks off Feb 24 and includes expert insights in how to engage donors before your next fundraising event.

How You Can Improve Your Donor Communication

Ann Green (Ann Green)

While there is definitely space for both donor-centered and community-centered communication in effective communication, organization-centered communication is no longer effective. You can't communicate with your donors without focusing on them. This blog offers some specific improvements you can make to your donor communications to make it more donor or community-centered.

(Major Gifts #2) Finding and Discovering New Major Gift Prospects

Gail Perry (Fired-Up Fundraising)

It does take time to develop donor relationships for major gift fundraising. You don't want to rush an as; but is there a way to save time and still not make your donor feel rushed? The easiest answer to that is to just ask your donor how they feel and what they think. Check out this blog for some practical advice about how to cultivate major donor prospects in a time-efficient but respectful way.

Fundraisers Must Take Time Off From Work— Here’s How

Sandy Rees (Get Fully Funded)

Fundraising can have a sense of round-the-clock, 24/7 urgency and pressure to always be planning the next campaign or sending the next letter. And while there IS a lot to do, but it's just as essential to take time off to rest and give your brain a chance to reset adn recharge. This is essential to avoiding burnout and staying productive. This article will help you take time off without adding stress to your life.