Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 130

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! Lately we’ve had some rainy weather in DC, which has encouraged me to rest up in the new year. I hope you’ve been doing the same!

Are you considering adding fundraising software to your nonprofit strategy in 2023? If so, might I invite you to an introductory webinar at the top of next month? Introduction to Soapbox Engage will walk you through a suite of apps that offers solutions to any nonprofit’s online engagement needs, from fundraising, to events management, to classes, directories, and forms of any variety.

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

Many schools rely on fundraising to support clubs, sports teams, field trips, and other fun activities. But since these activities persist year after year, certain fundraising ideas can become boring after being repeatedly used.

But school fundraisers don’t have to be boring or “been there, done that.” When done right, they can be great community building activities.

Issue 129

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers! What are your fundraising resolutions for 2023? Maybe it’s time to look into creative fundraising strategies to expand your support— whether that’s using popups to drive site traffic to your donation pages or starting a corporate matching gifts program.

Scroll on down for some great fundraising ideas to get the juices flowing!

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

Issue 128

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! This week’s newsletter is packed with great content relating to fundraising SEO, goal assessment, donor appreciation, and nonprofit fundraising trends for 2023. Dig in!

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

When scrolling on the internet, you’ve definitely encountered popups. Some people may view popups as annoying or distracting. And yet, they’re still widely used. Why is that? Because they work! Using a compelling popup is one great way to engage your website visitors. And it can be a very effective tool for fundraising.

Of course, popups are not always well executed, which is why people may sometimes find them frustrating. Luckily, we’ve got tips for you to ensure that you are using popups the right way, in order to boost fundraising, increase subscribers, and grow registrations. And with the Soapbox Engage Popups app, you’ll be able to design popups that help you meet your goals with data driven strategies.

Hosting a nonprofit event allows you to deepen relationships with supporters and raise valuable funds to drive your mission forward. But, in order to generate the large turnout needed to achieve a successful event, you need to be diligent about creating personalized and targeted outreach.

Whether you’re hosting an in-person gala or a series of livestreamed raffles, adopting a data-driven marketing strategy can help you reach your goals. In this guide, we'll walk through three event marketing tips powered by actionable metrics.

If you’ve read anything about marketing, you’ve heard about SEO. SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is an essential tool for nonprofit organizations. SEO is the process of optimizing your website to increase visibility when people search for events, education, fundraising campaigns, volunteer opportunities, or other happenings surrounding your mission.

If you feel overwhelmed by the process of optimizing your website for visibility, read on! We’ve got you covered.

As a nonprofit professional, you understand the importance of creating messages with meaning. Whether you’re promoting a fundraiser or an awareness campaign, adding impact to your nonprofit content will convert a casual reader to an active supporter of your cause. Plus, impactful content will help your nonprofit market itself and stand out from the inundation of messages your audience encounters on a daily basis.

Let’s review different types of nonprofit content before exploring how you can add significance to your messages.

Issue 127

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! And WELCOME to 2023!

I am so excited for what this year has in store for this community and the greater fundraising and nonprofit communities! At Soapbox Engage, we plan to bring you even more value through our blog, free resources and guides, and events. If you have any content requests or ideas for how we can add more value to this weekly newsletter, please let us know!

Whether you are a resolutions person or not, I hope you have much to look forward to and work toward in this New Year! Onward!

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

Issue 125

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! I hope you’re staying warm and cozy this season. Tomorrow is the winter solstice, marking the first official day of winter. BUT it also means that after tomorrow, we get a little bit of sunlight back each day— those of us in the Northern Hemisphere at least. That’s certainly something to look forward to!

Scroll on down for this week’s selection of top fundraising content. We have tips relating to donor conversations, SEO keywords, and advocacy campaigns. Enjoy!

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

At the start of this month, we were able to gather in person again for another NPSP Day— this time, in San Francisco! I was fortunate enough to once again facilitate the event alongside Katie McFadden from Common Voyage. It was another exciting day, filled with collaboration and new connections!

The purpose of an NPSP Day is for nonprofit staff, consultants, and Salesforce admin to come together to share knowledge, pose questions, and solve problems to benefit the nonprofit and education sectors' use of the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack. And no better setting for NPSP Day than the Salesforce Tower in downtown San Francisco!

Issue 124

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers!

Did you know that 31% of annual giving occurs in December, and 12% in just the last three days of the year? We’re in the final stretch— and the most important one! Here are our top tips for year-end fundraising success.

Scroll on down for this week’s selection of top fundraising content. We have tips relating to year-end donors, communication calendars, and engaging board members. Enjoy!

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

It’s the happiest season of all for fundraisers and a time for celebrating as all the hard work of the past year comes to fruition. Individuals gave more than $324 billion in 2021, and 30% of all donations come in during December, this means over $97 billion is headed your collective way in the next few weeks. That’s something to celebrate!

Issue 123

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers— and Happy December!

If you’re looking for some tips to finish the fundraising year strong (and start the new year even stronger), check out this guide! You’ll learn how to solicit end-of-year donations in the final three days of the year, tips for evaluating your software toolkit, and the best ways to share mission and fundraising updates!

Scroll on down for this week’s selection of top fundraising content. We have tips relating to year-end emails, text-to-give, and Giving Tuesday followup. Enjoy!

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

Issue 122

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! Here we are on the other side of Giving Tuesday. I hope your campaigns were even more successful than you dreamed.

As you’re running your year-end fundraising campaigns, remember to keep donor followup and retention on your mind. Fostering relationships with donors is important not just for funding your mission, but for creating a community! Last year, we shared 6 practical strategies for donor retention after Giving Tuesday. Give them a look!

Scroll on down for this week’s selection of top fundraising content. We have fundraising tips relating to year-end giving, sharing impact, and nonprofit boards. Enjoy!

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

Issue 121

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! This time next week, we will be upon the biggest fundraising day of the year, Giving Tuesday! I’m so excited for you all to witness the payoff of your hard work. I know your Giving Tuesday campaigns are simply fantastic!

In the meantime, scroll on down for this week’s selection of top fundraising content. We have fundraising tips relating to awareness campaigns, donor thank you letters, Google grants, and starting a nonprofit. Enjoy!

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

Your nonprofit’s major donors weren’t always major donors. They may have started as low-level donors when they first started contributing to your cause, or maybe they jumped in as mid-tier supporters. But even before that, they had to hear about your mission to get inspired to give. They were drawn to your organization because of the cause you represent.

Awareness campaigns help your nonprofit spread the word about your cause, acquire new supporters, and expand your reach even further. However, these campaigns can be very challenging.

Issue 120

Happy Tuesday, Fundraisers! The countdown continues. Can you believe Giving Tuesday is now two weeks away?

As we get closer and closer to the big day, don’t forget to check in with yourself. It’s a hectic time of year, which is all the more reason to take moments throughout the day to slow down. I know you all have great fundraising campaigns planned, and I hope they are even more successful than you anticipate. Take some time to sit back and admire your own work!

Scroll on down for some fundraising tips relating to virtual events, board member giving, and young donors. Here’s to another great week with this fundraising community!

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

Fundraising and nonprofit development is not easy. Luckily, there are many great blogs out there providing excellent information to help you learn more about fundraising. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite blogs that will help you grow your skills, get more donations, strengthen your organization, and keep up with the latest news!

Remember early 2020, when we were meticulously planning our in-person events (only we didn’t call them “in-person” events at that time), only to have every plan entirely derailed by the pandemic? Terms like “new normal” and “in-person” became infamous. Event planners were forced to think outside the box and creatively figure out ways to bring the event to people at home.

But as they say, “necessity is the mother of invention,” and providing virtual opportunities for events became very successful, allowing nonprofits to reach a broader geographic range while maintaining high levels of engagement.

Now, we use the advantages of virtual events intentionally. Maximize your next virtual event with these five best practices.