Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 300

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers!

After an event ends, an auction closes, or a campaign wraps, the real opportunity often begins in the follow-up. This week’s roundup explores how thoughtful next steps can turn one-time activity into lasting support. Below, you’ll find practical ideas for thanking donors after fundraising events, increasing engagement at charity auctions, and understanding what truly makes a donor valuable over time.

Hope you enjoy!

You can receive the Fundraising Weekly newsletter each Tuesday by subscribing today!

Great Fundraising Posts

How to Thank Donors After a Fundraising Event: A Follow-Up Playbook

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

The moment your fundraising event ends, the next one begins. What you do in the 48 hours after an event is one of the strongest predictors of whether a donor gives again next year. To make sure you thank donors properly, check out this playbook which covers the full post-event follow-up sequence: who to thank, when, how, and what to say at each stage.

Rethinking What Makes a Donor Truly Valuable

Melanie Green (True Sense)

Although every donor is valuable, not all donor value is created equal. It’s time to challenge some long-held assumptions about donor value. In this blog post, Melanie unravels three recurring myths and reveals truths that can help you focus on the donors who genuinely make a difference.

So You Want More Active Donors and More Income…

Mary Cahalane (Hands on Fundraising)

Individual donors are the backbone of a good fundraising program. Not just for the money they bring to your mission. But more people who care about your mission means more opportunities to grow. In this blog post, Mary offers tips on how to engage your donors so they will be more active and help your organization fund your mission.

100% Board Giving: How to Get Your Nonprofit Board Members to Give

Sandy Rees (Get Fully Funded)

Your advisory board can serve a lot of different roles in helping your organization be successful. And one of those roles should be donating to your organization! If you aren’t sure how to get your board members to give, check out this blog post that offers tips on how to reach 100% board giving.

How to Increase Bidding at a Charity Auction: 10 Proven Tactics

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

Most charity auctions leave money on the table. Not because the items weren't good or the crowd wasn't generous, but because the bidding experience got in the way. There are many problems that can impact your guests’ bidding experience—but luckily they are all avoidable. This blog post features 10 tactics grounded in what actually moves bid counts and final prices at nonprofit auctions.

What a Capital Campaign Feasibility Study Actually Reveals

Gail Perry (Gail Perry Group)

Are you considering embarking on a capital campaign? Are you planning to do a feasibility study? Before you do, make sure you know how to interpret the data properly. This blog post highlights what a capital campaign feasibility study actually reveals, and what it can’t tell you.

Transactional Donors

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

Have you ever heard someone say (or maybe even said yourself) that you don’t want “transactional donors”? That may sound good in theory, but that belief is actually limiting the growth of your organization. In this blog post, Steven explains how you can actually leverage transactional donors for more success at your organization.

3 Ways a Board Member Can Help Raise More Money (Without Making the Ask Yourself)

Marc Pitman (The ENGAGE Blog)

Board members should be helping the nonprofit organizations they serve raise more money. But if they’re not fundraising professionals (which they likely aren’t), then asking directly can be challenging! This blog post offers tips on three ways a board member can help raise money without making the ask directly.

Break Free From a Boring Nonprofit Newsletter

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

In an ideal world, a newsletter is a great way to engage with your donors. In the real world, that doesn’t often happen because most donor newsletters are boring! A newsletter is an important part of the ask, thank, report, repeat formula and you can’t just go on autopilot. If you want to create a better, engaging newsletter your donors will want to read and won’t put them to sleep, check out this blog post.