Soapbox Engage Blog

Thanksgiving is the unofficial start to the holiday season and year-end giving rush. About 50% of nonprofits receive most of their annual donations during the last three months of the year. In fact, 31% of all annual giving occurs during that year-end giving window!

It's critical to have a solid year-end fundraising plan, and what better time to kick that campaign off than with Thanksgiving. But who wants to host the same old fundraising events year after year! We rounded up some great Thanksgiving-centered fundraising ideas you can incorporate into your year-end giving campaign and some practical strategies to boost your overall fundraising efforts.

Issue 63

Mid October is here and I am sure you are already deep in the whirlwind that is year-end fundraising. Take a deep breath. You’re going to make it. I don’t usually point to resources that aren’t free to the nonprofit community…but I can’t in good conscience pass up the opportunity to tell you about one of our affordable solutions that can help lighten your workload through this busy season. :)

The Soapbox Engage Donations app allows you to build an unlimited number of beautiful, mobile-friendly donation forms to accept online gifts. Real-time donation form integration with your database also greatly cuts down on overhead, and stores critical donor data for easy relationships down the road. If this sounds like just the kind of tool you need, learn more here or start a free trial.

If it’s not in your budget? No fear! I’ll keep sending weekly fundraising content that will help you optimize your time and maximize your results! Happy fundraising!

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

When you spend time and energy writing an excellent fundraising email, don't overlook the power of a great email subject line. Subject lines set the tone for your email and can impact whether your readers open it and donate.

Most of us receive dozens or hundreds of emails each day. One study revealed that about 35% of email recipients choose which emails to open based on the email subject lines. That means it's more important than ever to write appeal email subject lines that stand out and draw readers in, especially during the busy year-end fundraising season.

Issue 62

Happy October to all you fundraising superstars! I know this final quarter of the calendar year tends to be the most packed and stressful, but I hope you’re able to slow down enough to enjoy the changing seasons, personal transitions, or whatever you may be experiencing in your life right now! I do love this time of year, and I am grateful to live in a geographic location that gets so colorful around this time— it certainly helps with the shorter and shorter days!

I’m excited for you to dive into this week’s newsletter. We’ve got loads of great content ready for you. Learn how to improve email deliverability, how to raise more money with less donors, or how to live a more balanced life in this high-stimulation, digital world. I hope you find something that aligns with your needs and interests. Have a wonderful week (and month)!

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

The e-commerce industry is worth about $2.3 trillion and growing. Many nonprofits are adding e-commerce stores as a secondary source of income and a strategy to reach more people in their network.

Selling products or services online that your followers and supporters want can help build your popularity, strengthen relationships, and even cultivate a sense of community around your cause while bringing in much-needed funding.

Issue 61

Greetings wonderful Fundraising Weekly subscribers! I hope you have eased into your work week and are perhaps enjoying some nice weather wherever you are located. It has finally started to cool off in Washington, DC!

When curating this newsletter each week, I try to select a wide range of content to appeal to fundraisers of all levels and needs. This week, we have everything from fundraising 101 to more focused content like building donor relationships through volunteering. But my question for you is: What content do you find most helpful? Are there subjects that you wish you’d see more of? Let’s make this the best newsletter for you!

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

According to CrowdCrux, in 2020, nonprofit crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns raised an average of $9,237, and the average donation was $66.

Understanding the difference between crowdfunding and peer-to-peer fundraising campaigns can be confusing. There tends to be a lot of overlap and similarities, but they are not one and the same. Have no fear! We'll unpack it for you and help you understand which one is right for you.

Issue 60

Happy Tuesday! Today happens to be one of my favorite days of the year, all because of an Earth, Wind & Fire song that goes, “Do you remember, 21st night of September?” I recommend giving “September” a listen to add a little groove to your day!

This week’s newsletter has loads of excellent content. Check out some creative ideas for your next gala fundraiser, learn how to make your fundraising appeal stand out, or organize a virtual scavenger hunt to raise funds or awareness for your cause.

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

Are you filling out your fall fundraising calendar and looking for something different to generate new excitement and enthusiasm from your supporters and donors? Or have you been tasked with growing your fundraising calendar by adding an autumn activity?

The fall is a great time for fundraising events, but it is essential to offer distinctive experiences to stand out from other fall activities and get onto your participant's calendars during such a busy season.

Whether you are looking to produce large events or to manage simpler, turnkey opportunities, you can switch up your fall fundraising with these unconventional ideas.

Nonprofits and organizations have been hosting fundraising galas for many generations. This classic fundraiser is typically geared toward corporate sponsors, major donors, board members, community leaders, and other "high-value" supporters.

Just because galas are a more traditional fundraising strategy doesn't mean they need to be archaic or outdated! You certainly can spice things up, get creative, and take your next fundraising gala to new heights. We've rounded up some clever ideas, tips, and insights to help you do just that!

At Soapbox Engage we have a great ecosystem of consultants that share our non-profit values and have expertise in Soapbox Engage solutions. Dryad Consulting is one of those amazing consultants that we’ve partnered with for over 3 years!

We recently caught up with Alexander Lapa at Dryad Consulting to learn more about what they offer, what kinds of organizations they work with, and what makes them unique. Get to know them better below!

Issue 59

One of my favorite things about the fundraising community is your endless creativity and commitment. Would I ever have personally used fishing as an allegory for fundraising? Nope! But does it make so much sense now that I’ve read Claire’s blog post? Absolutely!

I guess it makes sense. To be a good fundraiser, you need to understand how to keep campaigns fresh and engaging. And you probably have a good grasp of how giving is an essential part of human relationships— and relates to just about everything (not just nonprofits and year-end fundraising campaigns). All that to say, thank you for your continued inspiration! I hope you enjoy this week’s newsletter.

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

Giving Tuesday is a huge day for nonprofit fundraisers all over the board. You’re leveraging the holiday spirit and kicking off your year-end fundraising. Donors are excited to participate in this worldwide day of giving and make an impact on a cause they care about.

If you’re looking for ways to maximize your Giving Tuesday success this year, matching gifts might be just the solution you need. That’s why we’ve written this handy guide to help your nonprofit team prepare as Giving Tuesday approaches! In order to drive matching gift revenue, consider the following best practices:

Virtual events are likely here to stay, especially for the foreseeable future. They're convenient, low-cost, and, most importantly, effective. Yet, virtual fundraising events offer new opportunities and challenges for development professionals, event planners, and attendees.

One of the big questions is how to boost your attendance at virtual events and hold people's attention in a digitally distracted world? Physical events offer the benefit of gathering people in a common space, usually away from computers and other distractions at home. Virtual events and webinars don't have that luxury.

With nearly a third of all charitable giving coming in during the month of December, year-end giving is a critical time for most nonprofits for year-round financial stability. Year-end fundraising is probably one of the most demanding, exciting, exhausting, and engaging times of year for development professionals.

Add the ongoing COVID-19 global pandemic, and you've really got some added uncertainty this year! A practical year-end giving timeline can you stay organized, reduce stress, and improve your overall fundraising performance.

A successful year-end fundraising campaign takes months of planning and preparation. The great news is that it's never too late to create a timeline for your year-end fundraising. We'll help you get there!

Building and executing a successful fundraising campaign takes thought, strategy, and a lot of work. With Giving Tuesday and the year-end giving season fast approaching, now is the time to start putting together a top-notch Giving Tuesday website.

Whether you choose a simple landing page or a full-blown website, there are some practical things you can do to drive more visitors to your page and increase donations. This blog will help you build an effective Giving Tuesday landing page for your nonprofit.

Issue 8

Hey Soapbox Engage partners!

Welcome to September! I’m ready for the East Coast to cool down and for the leaves to change from vibrant greens to an array of yellows, oranges, and reds. I know I’m getting ahead of myself, but hey, Autumn is my favorite season! It’s a time for connection, gratitude, and transformation.

I’m glad we can connect so you stay up-to-date on the latest and greatest things happening at Soapbox Engage. Thanks to our amazing engineers, we’ve had some handy releases roll off the assembly line. Keep reading to learn more!

For those new to the nonprofit space, the difference between development and fundraising may seem unclear. Common definitions such as “asking for donations” and “asking for major donations” may seem like splitting hairs and cause some to wonder why the distinction is made in the first place.

However, there is a fundamental difference between the two, a difference that leads to happier, more connected donors and a happier, less-stressed fundraising team. To help explore that difference, this article will discuss:

Issue 57

As we say goodbye to August and welcome September, I have my mind on all my favorite soothing fall activities— be it apple picking or gathering around a campfire with friends. Here in DC, we get a colorful display of autumn leaves, and I’m already noticing a few of them starting to change.

Amidst these calming images, I know that the change of seasons also means it’s time to brace for the most hectic time of the fundraising year. If there is anything the Fundraising Weekly can do to support you in this four month dash to year-end giving, please drop me a line! I will happily take content requests or any other feedback. And remember, you’ve got this!

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

PayPal is a known and trusted giving platform that many donors feel comfortable using. Overall, it’s one of the best, most secure ways to send and receive donations because donors don’t have to reveal their credit card or bank information. In fact, 79% of donors reported they felt confident using PayPal on unfamiliar websites.

For all of its benefits, PayPal does come with some drawbacks and factors to consider for nonprofits. We’ve gathered some of the pros and things to consider so you can make a balanced, informed choice about whether to use PayPal as a payment processing platform for your nonprofit!