Soapbox Engage Blog

Happy Monday, Trailblazers!

This week’s edition of the newsletter is particularly rich! With the long-awaited arrival of Spring ’24, many instances of community-generated knowledge, and fantastic opportunities on the horizon, there is sure to be something here for everyone.

Enjoy!

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Issue 184

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

Planning on hosting any virtual events this year? Consider choosing an event software that integrates with virtual meeting platforms like Zoom. Check out this webinar to learn how to make virtual events more accessible to your community and successful for your organization.

Scroll on down for curated fundraising content related to donor engagement, AI fundraising, and matching gifts!

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

Happy Monday, Trailblazers!

This year is shaping up to be a truly eventful one! I’m grateful to be heading to DC this week to see the Soapbox Engage team in person. It’s always wonderful (and a small miracle :)) to have the whole team in one place. But it’s great for morale and our continued commitment to enriching the nonprofit community. If you want to catch us in March at the 2024 Soapbox User Summit, you can register here— we just extended early bird pricing through the end of this month!

Scroll on down for the latest questions, ideas, and resources from the Salesforce Trailblazer community. Cheers!

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While we are still in the thick of winter, it’s actually time for the Spring 2024 Salesforce Release. Each year, Salesforce releases three seasonal updates that provide enhancements and key upgrades to their product offerings. This next one is sure to promise exciting developments that can significantly benefit nonprofit organizations. Read on to learn some of the highlights of Spring ‘24.

As a nonprofit professional, you might not consider public speaking to be one of your primary job responsibilities. However, many of your daily activities probably fall under the umbrella of public speaking. Interacting with donors, grant funders, board members, and other stakeholders requires clear, concise communication.

That’s why it’s important to build strong presentation skills. When you can effectively communicate your organization’s mission to a variety of audiences, you can secure more committed, long-lasting support for your cause.

In the nonprofit world, the average donor retention rate, or the percentage of donors who continue to give year after year, has been in a steady decline. According to AFP’s Fundraising Effectiveness Project, the average donor retention rate was 30.7% percent in the third quarter of 2023. For context, the average donor retention just three years earlier in 2020 was 43.6%.

While donor retention varies year to year and from organization to organization, such a steep drop in retention should serve as a sign that your nonprofit needs to stay on top of its relationship-building efforts in order to secure funding for its mission.

Issue 183

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

Wondering how you can boost nonprofit donations by using popups? Attend this free webinar on February 15 to learn how to drive traffic to your donations pages, encourage site visitors to subscribe to your newsletters, and more!

Scroll on down for curated fundraising content related to AI fundraising, recurring donations, and nonprofit industry trends!

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

Happy Monday, Trailblazers!

It’s hard to believe we’re wrapping up the first week of 2024. This year is already flying by! No matter how quickly time moves, it’s always a pleasure to slow down each Monday and peruse the Trailblazer community for the latest conversations and resources. Scroll on down to see what PUB Crawl 434 is all about!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the PUB Crawl delivered into your inbox each Monday morning by subscribing today!

Issue 181

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

Are you looking to plan some engaging fundraising events in 2024? Do you have events management software that fits your needs? Join us this Thursday to learn about the incredible features of the Soapbox Engage Events app, including a new release that allows event attendees and registrants to view and manage their own reservations via a user portal! Register for the webinar here.

Scroll on down for curated fundraising content related to major gifts, recurring donations, and digital products!

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

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been bubbling under the surface for awhile, but it has exploded in popularity in the last two years. It is being integrated into all industries—and nonprofit organizations are no exception. There are a large variety of ways that AI can be used by nonprofit organizations to enhance their fundraising, and ultimately better fulfill their mission.

Salesforce, the number one CRM technology, has introduced Einstein for Nonprofits, which brings the power of Salesforce’s Einstein AI to nonprofit organizations like yours. Keep reading to learn what Einstein for Nonprofits can do for your organization.

Happy Monday, Trailblazers!

We’re putting our 2024 calendar together and I’m curious: What conferences and events are you attending this year? There are so many wonderful networking and educational opportunities out there, and we’d love to catch you in person if we get the chance to this year! Feel free to respond directly to this email with your plans!

Scroll on down for the latest and greatest from the Trailblazer community!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the PUB Crawl delivered into your inbox each Monday morning by subscribing today!

By now, you’re likely aware of the vast benefits of e-commerce. E-commerce continues to grow across all industries. In the third quarter of 2023, e-commerce accounted for 15.6% of all total sales! Using e-commerce stores has been a major adaptation of nonprofit organizations over the past few years. Selling items through a shop is a great way for your organization to add another income stream to help you meet your funding goals and support your mission.

But… What should you sell? For some nonprofit organizations, it might be easy to come up with a physical product to sell that is relevant to your mission. But that’s certainly not true for all of them. Not to mention, it takes money to create a product, and it can be hard to know how much demand there will be for something when you haven’t tried it yet.

Recurring, monthly donations are becoming increasingly popular in the fundraising world—and with good reason. In today’s subscription based world, where people can pay a monthly fee for their entertainment, groceries, and more, many want to apply the same ease to their charitable giving. And it’s not only great for your donors, but for your organization as well!

We all want to secure consistent, reliable revenue that we can count on to support our missions, even as other giving trends change throughout the year. Data shows that online giving revenue grew by over 40% as recurring donation options become increasingly popular with online donors. A monthly giving program is a win-win for your donors and your organization.

Issue 181

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

Looking for improved fundraising and engagement solutions for your nonprofit this year? Consider joining us in March at the Soapbox User Summit— a two-day event where you will deepen your knowledge of Soapbox Engage tools, connect with peers, and leave inspired to take your nonprofit to new heights. Register now for early bird prices!

Scroll on down for curated fundraising content related to fundraising calendars, nonprofit websites, and recurring giving programs!

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

Happy Monday and Happy June! Lately we’ve had a lot of sunshine and high temperatures in DC, which is really putting me in the summer spirit. So this weekend I decided to spend a little time outdoors in a community garden harvesting some radishes and peas. Nothing like some early summer crops to signal the changing of seasons!

In non-vegetable related news, we have some great posts from the Trailblazer Community for you this week! Hub Heroes are returning, folks are sharing tips on grants management, and a couple excellent peer-learning opportunities are about to get off the ground. So in the spirit of fresh produce, dig in!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the PUB Crawl delivered into your inbox each Monday morning by subscribing today!

Issue 180

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! I hope the first week of 2024 set a good tone for the rest of your year!

As a little aside to start the year… our Soapbox Engage team is hiring! Looking to launch your nonprofit online engagement career? Want to challenge yourself with puzzling CRM questions? Our Customer Support Specialist role might just be a perfect starting point for you or someone you know! Check out the job listing here.

Scroll on down for some excellent fundraising tips related to AI fundraising, donor thank you letters, and capital campaigns.

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

Launching a capital campaign can be an intensive yet rewarding endeavor. Whether you’re looking to construct a new building, invest in new technology, or start a new program, a well-executed campaign can be pivotal to your nonprofit’s growth, sustainability, and long-term success. Consequently, it’s important to build a solid foundation for your fundraising efforts by crafting a compelling capital campaign case statement.

Happy Monday, Trailblazers! I hope this first week has set a good tone for the rest of your 2024!

As a little aside to start the year… our Soapbox Engage team is hiring! Looking to launch your nonprofit online engagement career? Want to challenge yourself with puzzling Salesforce questions? Our Customer Support Specialist role might just be a perfect starting point for you or someone you know! Check out the job listing here.

Scroll on down for the latest solutions, questions, and ideas from the Trailblazer community!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the PUB Crawl delivered into your inbox each Monday morning by subscribing today!

With the rise of AI tools, it’s no surprise that software providers have developed AI solutions to make the fundraising process more efficient for nonprofits. If your nonprofit has started researching these tools, you need to know how to balance AI fundraising tools and donor trust.

Issue 179

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! And Happy New Year!

I know there’s a lot of emphasis on goal-setting at this time of the year. But I hope you take just as much time to reflect and celebrate all the hard work you put into 2023. It’s okay to ease into this next year. Looking forward to how this community continues to grow in 2024!

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