Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 187

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

Anyone planning anything special for Leap Day this Thursday? Seems like as good an excuse as any to gather some friends for a meal or a fun game!

And if you’re itching to grow your fundraising knowledge this Leap Day, we have a webinar for you :) - come join us Thursday at 3pm ET to learn how the Soapbox Engage Donations app can help you collect more one-time and recurring donations to fuel your mission.

Scroll on down for expert fundraising takes on volunteers, email marketing, and post-event engagement!

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Great Fundraising Posts

Top Classy Alternative for Nonprofit Fundraising

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

Classy is a popular fundraising platform but it isn't without its drawbacks, including cost. Soapbox Engage is an affordable alternative to Classy that not only addresses budget constraints but also boasts a range of features not available in Classy.

Discover the Power of Inclusive Fundraising for ALL Donors

Jeff Brooks (Moceanic)

If you make your fundraising work for everyone, regardless of their visual acuity, reading ability, attention, or knowledge and expertise — you make it better for everyone else too. In this blog post, Jeff shares about how to make your fundraising truly inclusive by embracing Universal Design principles.

Are You Following the Ask, Thank, Report, Repeat Formula?

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

When it comes to fundraising, many organizations just ask, ask, and ask some more. However, that’s unlikely to help you meet your goals. In this blog post, Ann breaks down the “Ask, Thank, Report, Repeat” formula.

Testing for Fundraising Campaigns: How to Get Results You Can Rely On

Alison Turmelle (Good Works Co)

It doesn’t matter what I like, what you like, or what your Executive Director likes. What matters is what donors respond to—and the answer may surprise you! You can only know the answer if you test in your fundraising, which Alison makes the case for in this blog post.

Why Most Fundraising Is Ineffective

Richard Perry (Veritus Group)

Donor retention is, on average, 50-60%—which is far less than ideal. And value retention is just as low. Why is so much fundraising falling right now? In this blog post, Richard offers six major reasons to answer that question.

If Less Than 80% of Your Volunteers Are Giving, Something is Wrong

Jim Langley (MarketSmart)

One of the most important vital signs that indicates an organization’s future success is the size of the volunteer community and the percentage of that community that gives each year. They are the cohort most likely to give. If that’s not true for your organization, that means there’s something wrong. This blog post helps you identify what that might be.

4 Techniques to Improve Nonprofit Email Response

Cait Abernethy (NonProfitPro)

Emails are a great tool for fundraising—if they are getting opened and read. There are many common best practices to improve your email response rate, but some that get overlooked. In this blog post, Cait offers four often overlooked techniques to improve nonprofit email response.

Post-Gala: Keeping Engagement After the Event

Jill Boyer (Greater Giving)

It takes a lot of work to pull off a great gala. And for your team, that work doesn’t end when the last guests have left. Some of the most important work is engaging your guests after the gala. This blog post from Greater Giving offers some tips on how to keep that sparkle alive.

4 Weird Copywriting Cheats for Fundraising Writers

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

Copywriting may not be what you expected when you joined your nonprofit organization. But if you’re fundraising, it’s an essential part of the job. In this blog post, Jeff offers four weird tips for copywriting fundraising appeals that you may not have thought about.