Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 266

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to the first September 2025 edition of the Fundraising Weekly! That’s right, year-end fundraising prep is upon us and you can expect the rest of the year to be a blur from here. But take a deep breath! This community has your back.

Scroll on down for the latest fundraising ideas and strategies related to volunteer recruitment, major gifts, and building relationships!

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Great Fundraising Posts

5 Dos & Don’ts of Effective Volunteer Recruitment

Timothy Sarazen (The Fundraising Coach)

Your volunteer recruitment strategy can inspire someone to become a dedicated, recurring volunteer… or it can discourage would-be volunteers from applying at all. Effective recruitment nourishes a healthy volunteer management lifecycle. This blog post explores the dos and don’ts of volunteer recruitment so you’re aware of the most valuable strategies to implement and common mistakes to avoid as you develop your approach.

The Power of Calm Leadership: Why Desperation Deters Progress

Jim Langley (Market Smart)

Your nonprofit mission is likely something that has an important impact on people. And with that kind of responsibility, sometimes the need to raise funds to support your mission can make you feel desperate. However, desperation will not lead to strong fundraising outcomes. Jim explains why in this blog post, and offers alternative suggestions for your leadership.

How to Engage High-Dollar Donors for a Challenge Match

fundraisingIP (fundraisingIP)

When running a challenge match campaign, one of the most crucial factors in determining success is securing the right donor to provide the matching funds. High-dollar donors are essential for driving the success of challenge grants. But how do you effectively engage and attract these major contributors? This blog post explores strategies to identify high-value donors, create personalized outreach plans, and empower them to lead challenge match campaigns.

The Biggest Pain Point of All: Missing Your Major Gift Potential

Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group)

What’s the worst miss you can make in fundraising? A bad event? A campaign that doesn’t take off? In this blog post, they argue that it’s when we don’t focus on likely sources of major gifts. That means potentially leaving hundreds of thousands or even millions on the table! If you don’t want to make that same mistake, check out this blog post which offers advice on centering major gift fundraising.

Understanding (and Asking for) Stock Donations

Karen Houghton (NonProfitPro)

In the evolving landscape of nonprofit fundraising, stock donations have emerged as a powerful yet underutilized tool. Many organizations overlook the substantial benefits that non-cash donations such as stocks can offer. By embracing stock donations, nonprofits can unlock new avenues for funding, enhance donor engagement and promote long-term financial sustainability. This blog post offers explains stock donations and offers advice on how to get them.

Who Is Shining?

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

Fundraising is all about relationships. And that means that a lot of great fundraising advice is actually just great advice about connecting with people. In this blog post, Steven offers a great relational tip that he learned from a game designer that can transform your fundraising.

Nonprofits and the Power of Impact: Tracking Success in a Changing World

Aga Siuda (The ENGAGE Blog)

Nonprofit work can be very busy, as you juggle meaningful programming, fundraising, events, and more. Amidst it all, it can feel hard to keep track of the impact all that work is having. But by measuring and sharing your impact in thoughtful, genuine ways, you can strengthen connections with donors, sharpen your programs, and amplify your mission. In this blog post, Aga shares why impact tracking matters and how to do it at your organization.

Boost Your Year-End Fundraising: 4 Financial Management Tips

Mary Cahalane (Hands On Fundraising)

September is here, meaning we are now very close to entering one of the most important fundraising windows on the calendar. Many donors make their most significant gifts during the final week of the year. But you probably know that already! If you’re looking to make the most of 2025’s year-end fundraising and boost your impact, check out this blog post with four financial management tips to support you.

Your Guide to Winning with the 80/20 Rule

Jeff Brooks (Moceanic)

You’ve likely heard the adage “spend more to make more.” But that can be hard when you don’t have more to spend! In this blog post, Jeff explains how to utilize the 80/20 rule (where 20% of your donors give 80% of the revenue) to manage your spending and ultimately raise more funds.