I have been asked, when talking about how our support ticket management strategy is set up, what sort of tier structure we use.

For those of you who don’t know, ticket management usually has some sort of “tiering structure” where a ticket starts at Tier 1, and then may get escalated to Tier 2, Tier 3 and so on, depending on how complex the issue is.  Three or four tiers are typical - but I’ve heard of structures as large as ten tiers.

If a ticket comes in, and the Tier 1 agent isn’t able to address it, she will escalate it to Tier 2, and so on.

Do you find your nonprofit getting a request for a refund of a donation? If so, beware that there is a scam afoot that targets nonprofits, as reported by IATS.

A baddie contacts you posing as a donor and asks for a refund. They say they meant to donate less. They say they used the wrong card. They say that some horrible thing just happened to them and they need the money back for expenses related to said horrible thing. In fact, they could say a lot of things.

To effectively raise money and build an engaged group of supporters, your organization needs more than just a donate page on its website. You need strategies and tools like online petition software that move people from casual visitor to recurring donor and dedicated supporter – all while minimizing overhead.

Online petitions are an effective tool to capture the casual visitor and active donor alike, and move them down the engagement path - even if yours isn't an advocacy organization. In today's advocacy world, online petition software can ensure your organization is making meaningful connections with your supporters in a way that delivers on your mission.

Here are nine reasons why your nonprofit should consider using online petition software.

Online petitions can be an effective way for your nonprofit to build support around an issue while expanding your mailing list - even if your not primarily an advocacy organization.

Done right, and with the right service, petitions can be an outstanding addition to a complete engagement path that cultivates more donations and supporters for your nonprofit.

But how do you know if the service you are considering is the right service? Here are ten questions every nonprofit should ask when considering an online petition tool.