Soapbox Engage Blog

It’s the digital age, and practically everyone has a smartphone now. Mobile giving is definitely here to stay. If you want to remain competitive and relevant, it’s time to expand your fundraising strategies to include a wide range of mobile giving tactics, from peer-to-peer fundraising to mobile email and everything in between.

Have no fear! We’re here to help you understand why mobile giving is so important and explore some of the most popular mobile giving strategies and tools!

Many nonprofits lean heavily on volunteers to accomplish all kinds of tasks and carry out their mission. In fact, many charitable nonprofits have no paid staff and are run exclusively by volunteers! They’re undoubtedly one of the most valuable resources for nonprofits of all shapes and sizes.

But how do you find these stellar volunteers who eagerly give of their time and talents? There are loads of recruitment strategies and methods out there, and some might be more appropriate for your organization than others.

Issue 50

When putting together the newsletter this week, I was excited to see that we have reached the benchmark of 50 editions of the Fundraising Weekly! Soon after, I realized something even more exciting: we are a mere 2 weeks away from our first ever anniversary. Where has all the time gone? Needless to say, I’ll be doing some joyful reflecting on this community.

So what’s cooking this week? A guide to making nonprofit taxes easy, warning signs that your capital campaign may be losing speed, how to utilize mobile apps in your fundraising. Oh, and don’t forget! Now is the time to start planning your year-end fundraiser.

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

Virtual fundraising is an integral part of all of the income that nonprofit organizations raise. Why? It’s convenient as donors can give on the go from their own devices. It’s also critical as we move through the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to the world moving online, virtual giving tools such as text-to-give, crowdfunding, and virtual fundraising platforms are not only safe but beneficial for pushing missions further than ever before.

No matter how your organization has been handling the shift to virtual campaigns, one thing remains constant: your online donation form on your website. If you want to take advantage of online donations, you must create a straightforward and effective online donation form.

A mission statement is a one-sentence summary that describes the reason your nonprofit or program exists. It's meant to tell people what you do and who or what you serve.

In short, your mission statement has both an internal and external purpose. Externally, it draws people in and makes them want to learn more about your nonprofit or cause. Internally, your mission statement should influence and guide your decisions around marketing, communication, and fundraising.

Virtual auctions offer nonprofits many benefits, making them a popular way to raise funds online. Beyond earning donations in the form of winning bids, nonprofits can use virtual auctions as a chance to connect with local businesses and supporters worldwide. Unlike in-person auctions, virtual auctions can last several days, giving guests more time to submit bids.

Whether in-person, virtual, or hybrid, auctions have lots of moving parts. Planning an online auction can quickly become a full time job for your event team unless you’re equipped with the necessary technology and knowledge.

Whether you've been fundraising for decades or you're just launching a new nonprofit and getting your feet wet, it's valuable to get back to the fundraising basics. Taking it all the way back to the building blocks can help ensure you're not leaving any money on the table and get the most out of your fundraising efforts.

This blog will help you understand the basics of fundraising to build a powerful strategy for your organization!

Issue 49

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! And to those of you who celebrated the Fourth of July, I hope you enjoyed some tasty food while sitting back to enjoy the fireworks. Personally, I devoured a Beyond burger, and WOW, I would never have known that it wasn’t meat. But I digress!

I’m happy to report that we’ve got another great haul of fundraising goodness for you this week. Learn how to rock text messaging appeals, make a plan to retain your new donors, or dive into the cryptocurrency frontier of fundraising!

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

Today we’re highlighting Wombat Works who has been a trusted Soapbox Engage partner for 6 years, a Salesforce solution provider for 15 years, and working in the nonprofit sector for over 25 years. To say they’re a knowledge powerhouse would be an understatement. In addition to Salesforce implementations, upgrades, and rebuilds, Wombat Works has loads of experience integrating Soapbox Engage apps. To learn more about their services, unique approach, and success, keep reading! If you’d like to connect with Wombat Works, email them at info[at-sign-here]wombatworks.org or fill out their contact form.

Issue 6

Hello Soapbox Engage partners!

Welcome to July! Summer is in full swing, the grass is vibrant, and the sun is shining in this part of the world. I hope you’re doing well, taking care of yourself, and getting some fresh air.

A new month means new Soapbox Engage releases! Our product team is constantly adding new features and fixes to ensure that our clients get the absolute best. Keep reading to see what’s happening in Soapbox Engage land!

Over the last few years, online petitions have become one of the most popular ways for nonprofits to rally supporters and grow their community of followers. It’s a great fundraising strategy to make yourself more visible online where it’s always busy, noisy, and crowded.

Great news! Petitions aren’t just limited to political campaigns or election cycles. You can run a petition campaign any time of year--even if your nonprofit isn’t at all engaged in political advocacy! This blog will help you leverage petitions for your own fundraising strategy.

Issue 48

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers! Today I wanted to take a moment to highlight an incredible resource we recently added to our website. Did you know that the three key components of effective fundraising are storytelling, relationships, and optimization? Did you know that we have a free guide that takes a deep dive into each of these components?

We're so excited to share our Guide to Online Fundraising in a fresh and more accessible way! Check it out to learn the basics, and much more. And of course, enjoy perusing the wonderful list of fundraising gems we’ve highlighted below.

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

When most development professionals think of fundraising sources, they primarily list individual donors and grants. But there's another revenue source--corporate giving! Though it only adds up to a small fraction of fundraising efforts, receiving corporate gifts can also bring other benefits!

According to Giving USA and other sources, corporate giving is on the rise, motivated by a mix of altruism and a desire to attract employees that value working for socially responsible companies. Nonprofits can undoubtedly take advantage of this trend to increase funding and even create great partnerships.

Issue 47

This morning, I came across a Socrates quote that seems to apply perfectly to the work of fundraisers (and nonprofits in general!). I wanted to share it with you all: “The secret to change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new.” With that wisdom, I bid you Happy Tuesday!

This weeks newsletter is packed with great stats, advice, and ideas. We’ve got content related to video marketing, major gifts, newsletter design, and more. Enjoy!

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

Tracking and using the right data to assess the performance of your fundraising strategies is essential for all development professionals. To improve your donor care, build relationships, boost your retention rate, and raise more money, you need to understand your donors!

Fortunately, with the correct data, you can get a good grasp of donor behavior and measure the success of your fundraising efforts. The key is to know which data points to pay attention to. Have no fear. We gathered the top metrics every nonprofit should track to understand your donors, care for them well, and ensure you’re getting the most out of your fundraising.

Issue 46

Another Tuesday, another newsletter packed with wisdom from some of our favorite nonprofit fundraising heroes. Sometimes the weekly pace is a wonderful thing, bringing full-circle another edition of community knowledge sharing.

This week, learn about how “boring” does not always equal “bad” when it comes to transforming your fundraising. Dive into the essentials of facilitating a product fundraiser. Or remind yourself to talk less when connecting with potential donors. We’ve got lots in here, so dig in and enjoy!

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

As a development professional, you probably need some quick fundraising ideas from time to time to get the ball rolling, spark some ideas, or just fill in a gap. Or perhaps you’re looking for some fresh new ideas to engage your supporters.

Whether you’re looking for in-person or virtual event options, we rounded up seven creative fundraising ideas to get you started or fill in those little gaps in your fundraising calendar!

When it comes to raising large sums of money, many nonprofits turn to fundraising events to meet financial goals for their nonprofit organizations. This strategy can generate significant funding for your cause or organization. Still, the preparation and planning process can feel a little overwhelming and can take a bit of time.

A successful fundraising event requires excellent planning and preparation. So we gathered some wisdom, tips, and tricks from event planners and fundraising professionals to create this event checklist and help you plan your next great fundraiser.

The United States celebrates National Nonprofit Day on August 17 each year to recognize and honor the positive impact nonprofits have on communities and causes around the world. While it might not be as popular as Giving Tuesday, National Nonprofit Day is an excellent opportunity to highlight charitable organizations' valuable work. It's also a chance to give credit to the countless staff and volunteers that work tirelessly to improve our communities and champion essential causes.

If you've never celebrated National Nonprofit Day before, have no fear! We've rounded up some great ways you can acknowledge the positive impacts nonprofits have worldwide and inspire people to get involved!

Issue 44

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but happy June, everyone! It’s so strange to already be at the 6 month mark of 2021. To those of you who enjoyed the government holiday here in the US on Monday, I hope you had a wonderful, relaxing long weekend. To those of you worked, I hope your week has been off to a smooth start.

Today’s Fundraising Weekly has some exciting gems. Read on for tips relating to ROI, solicitation emails, and donor incentives. Or learn why a virtual assistant may be the extra set of hands you need to launch a successful fundraising campaign.

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