Soapbox Engage Blog

Think of everything you do on your phone each day. Ordering groceries or takeout, connecting with friends and family, listening to podcasts, depositing checks, and even paying at a store are now more easily done on smartphones. So, why shouldn’t donating at fundraising events take place on mobile phones as well?

With text-to-give, it’s easier than ever to incorporate mobile giving into your nonprofit event strategy. It’s a convenient way for event guests to donate and you can use it to drive engagement through the event.

Facebook remains the top player among social media platforms. Having a presence on Facebook is practically a necessity for nonprofits and organizations. In addition to being a powerful fundraising resource, Facebook can be a strategic tool to cultivate a close-knit and supportive community for people in your network.

Overall, Facebook offers many benefits to charities and nonprofits, but there are lots of options and settings to choose from. Two big questions when starting out are, "What's the difference between Facebook Pages and Facebook Groups?" and "Which option is best for nonprofits?"

Issue 81

I hope you all are enjoying the aftermath of Superbowl Sunday and Valentine’s Day festivities! This Fundraising Weekly is coming at you loaded with helpful tips and trends. Check out the top fundraising trends to watch in 2022, online fundraising tips you may not know about, and how to improve your donor communication. And don’t forget to take a look at that last post— yes, even fundraisers need to make time for vacation!

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

Marketing is an essential part of your nonprofit’s success. As a donation-reliant organization, properly spreading the word about your mission means that more donors will pitch in to lend their support, advocate for your cause, and attract more supporters as your organization gains traction.

As you can see, marketing makes a difference! And it’s changed over time. There were days when marketing consisted only of hanging flyers in local coffee shops and stuffing envelopes to send to every one of your supporters. But our reliance on the internet has brought this print-only era to an end. We still use print media as a part of our marketing strategy, but we lean more heavily on our digital outreach efforts nowadays.

Many analysts, experts, and nonprofit leaders are working hard to predict the trends that will dictate the nonprofit world in 2022. After two years of unpredictability and a sense of uncertainty, many are eager for some semblance of stability.

While we can't promise (or predict) that things will return to "normal" in 2022, paying attention to these nonprofit trends can set your organization up for greater fundraising and a bigger impact. Here are seven nonprofit industry trends we think you should pay attention to (in no particular order).

Issue 80

Happy Tuesday fundraisers! I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who tuned in to the start of the 2022 Winter Olympics this weekend! I caught a bit of the women’s hockey, speed skating, and skiathlon events. Do you have a favorite Winter Olympics sport? Please share. I’m sure we can find some way to relate it back to fundraising…

Keep scrolling for some great fundraising content from the social benefit sector. Revisit some virtual fundraiser tips, learn the essential elements of a major gift program, or review the legal requirements when it comes to giving. Dig in!

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

Issue 79

Happy February! And Happy Lunar New Year! If your January was busy, take this as an opportunity to check in and center yourself for the year to come. Luckily, we have new beginnings and new chances to set goals and reflect on growth all the time.

No shortage of inspiration in this edition of the Fundraising Weekly! Learn how to apply job interview skills to fundraising, measure the ROI of your nonprofit’s stories, or boost your online engagement with some digital advocacy. Enjoy!

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

Peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns have practically become a staple in the nonprofit fundraising strategy "playbook." We can thank the rise of social media for the shift toward peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising, but COVID-19 only solidified it as a top fundraising strategy for nonprofits.

Here's a quick summary of how it works: Peer-to-peer fundraising allows donors and supporters to raise money on your behalf with personalized online fundraising pages. These individual campaigns can take many forms, but the goal is to mobilize your supporters to fundraise from their friends and family.

A nonprofit can rely on three primary revenue streams when it comes to fundraising with events: sponsorships, ticket sales, and "add-on" revenue (like auctions, raffles, on-site donations, etc.). Many nonprofits rely on ticket sales to ensure they'll reach their minimum fundraising goal for a fundraising event.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many nonprofits shifted to more virtual or hybrid fundraising events. This raised the question, "How do you successfully sell tickets for fundraising events that might include virtual or hybrid options?"

While there are still many opportunities to experiment and learn, we gathered nine strategic steps to help you boost ticket sales for your next fundraising event–whether it's in-person, hybrid, or entirely virtual!

Major gifts are an important part of any basic fundraising strategy. They’re essential because they’re the largest contributions you receive from individual donors.

Many organizations refer to the 80-20 rule (or the Pareto principle) to discuss the importance of major donations. This principle dictates that 80% of a nonprofit’s funding is contributed by only the top 20% of their donors. Not every nonprofit fits perfectly into this model, but there’s no doubt that major gifts are an essential aspect of any nonprofit’s funding. 360MatchPro’s fundraising statistics show that over 5 years, major gifts of over $1,000 grew to 85% of the revenue generated at an average nonprofit.

Before the advent of online donations, monthly or recurring donations were quite a burden for both the donor and recipient. It involved convincing supporters to mail a check or call your organization to donate by credit card over the phone regularly.

Now online fundraising systems make recurring giving convenient and accessible for nonprofits and donors. No more writing and mailing checks or making donations over the phone. People appreciate scheduling automatic withdrawal donations like they enroll in automatic bill pay programs.

Recurring giving programs have practically become a necessary fundraising strategy to cultivate more stable year-round revenue streams. Now that it's become more accessible and practical, it's time for nonprofits of all shapes and sizes to add a recurring giving program to their fundraising strategy. Let's explore some of the top benefits of recurring giving programs for nonprofits!

Issue 77

Hello wonderful fundraisers! I hope 2022 has been filled with rest so far as we’ve just come off the busiest part of the fundraising cycle. I always find that rest is what allows me to clarify my goals and dreams at the start of a new year, season, or project!

Scroll down for some awesome fundraising content to peruse at your leisure. We’ve got some great ideas around digital overhauls, major gift pipelines, and donor plans— plus a webinar about landing gifts in today’s tumultuous nonprofit climate!

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

2022 seemed to come with a little less fanfare than usual due to the ongoing pandemic. In some ways, it might feel like a continuation of 2020 and 2021. You might be feeling tired and worn or refreshed and energized, confused, hopeful, or even optimistic about 2022.

No matter how you're entering this year, having a solid strategy for personal and fundraising success remains critical. We'd like to take the opportunity to offer some ideas and to help you refocus as the calendar resets.

Being prepared felt difficult over the last two years because of many unpredictable factors and variables. Still, there are a few areas where preparation (even for the unexpected) can be instrumental and lead to greater success overall.

Issue 75

Welcome to the new year, fundraisers! It feels good to be starting fresh, even if our first big snowstorm of the season has slowed things down a bit over here in DC. But a gentle start to the year may just be the best way in.

I hope you were able to rest and enjoy the holidays, and I hope you’ve been staying healthy and safe as we navigate another wave of illness. My thoughts are with you all.

Scroll down for some awesome fundraising content to get your minds turning with ideas for 2022!

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

Every year, my mother continues to give one member of our extended family a gift for the holidays. Why? Because this one cousin always sends my mother a thank-you note in return. Something about this exchange creates a transaction of value for both parties - Mum gets the warm fuzzies of dopamine, and my cousin gets gifts.

As the rush of holiday giving begins to slow, organizations will continue sending requests for donations. It's easy to get lost in this flood of calls-to-action and requests.

Well, it’s 2023. As we ease into this new year, now is the time that many of us are setting new year's resolutions, such as moving our bodies more or spending more time with loved ones. Setting new year resolutions doesn’t have to only apply to your personal life! This is a great time to do a “systems check” of your nonprofit. What’s worked well? What hasn’t? What happened in 2022, and what do you want to be different in 2023?

Keep reading for resolutions and assessment areas you can use to have the best 2023 possible for your organization.

Issue 73

Whew! Here we are, rounding the final quarter of 2021. I hope you have found some time to rest amidst holiday celebrations, year-end fundraising, and prep for 2022. We’re so close. Hoping you and your loved ones stay healthy, safe, and well-rested.

In our penultimate Fundraising Weekly of 2021, we dive into fundraising tips to end the year strong, major gift challenges for the year ahead, how to master monthly giving, and more. Dig in!

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

Over the last two years, there's been lots of talk about virtual fundraising amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of us shifted to online events and various virtual fundraising strategies (seemingly ages ago), while in-person gatherings weren't safe or feasible.

During the initial rush to incorporate virtual fundraising strategies, many people believed it was just a temporary shift. However, there are incredible benefits to this type of fundraising. From building stronger relationships with donors who live far away to diversifying your fundraising events and attracting more people, the advantages of virtual fundraisers are significant. Many experts indicate that virtual fundraising is here to stay, regardless of what happens next with the pandemic.

When it comes to school fundraising, creativity is vital. You need ideas that will raise sufficient funds to support after school programs, improve classrooms, and provide better course materials — all of which are vital for creating a more enriching learning environment for students. You also want ideas that keep your students interested and ready to participate.

Peer-to-peer fundraising strikes the perfect balance for raising money and keeping your community interested! It empowers schools to connect with wider audiences and give students hands-on responsibility. They’ll see firsthand how their hard work pays off.

As the fundraising year draws to a close, many nonprofits are preparing to make one last fundraising push. For some organizations, this might be hosting a big, year-end fundraising event, while others might try to make the most of their last initiative before it wraps up for the year. If your organization is taking either of these approaches and plans to recruit volunteers, you need to know if they should sign a waiver.

Waivers are a core part of many fundraising events’ registration process. When thinking about waivers, many nonprofit organizations first consider whether or not their guests should be signing one and may end up forgetting about their volunteers.