Nonprofit Answers

In this episode of Nonprofit Answers, we explore the Three Question Fundraising Framework to help fundraisers simplify their approach to creating a successful fundraising strategy. We dive deep into each of the three questions, including donor acquisition, donor retention, and lapsed donor reactivation, and provide practical tips and insights for each area. We discuss the importance of donor acquisition and calculating ROI, as well as specific channels for acquiring new donors, such as direct mail, radio, digital, and events. We explore key strategies for donor retention, including establishing a clear communication plan, showing appreciation for donors, and creating a culture of transparency and accountability. We also discuss the value of reactivating lapsed donors and specific strategies for doing so, such as targeted outreach campaigns, special incentives or promotions, and addressing any concerns or issues that may have led to the lapse. Additionally, we provide insights and tips on how to look back at your organization's history of donor acquisition to help inform your strategy moving forward. We also explore the importance of developing a fundraising calendar for the year, including how to identify key dates and events, set specific goals, and plan well-coordinated and integrated fundraising campaigns and events. Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or just starting out, this episode provides practical advice and insights for creating a successful fundraising strategy that enables you to raise more money to help more people.

In this episode of Nonprofit Answers, we explore the challenge of communicating a common message across multiple channels, such as mail, email, web, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and more. We provide eight expert tips for creating a message that resonates with your audience, including defining your target audience, starting with a clear message, tailoring your message to each channel, emphasizing the urgency, utilizing social proof, and monitoring and adjusting your message as needed. By following these tips, you'll be able to create a compelling and impactful nonprofit fundraising campaign that inspires your audience to take action in support of your cause. Don't miss this valuable episode for fundraising professionals who want to raise more money to help more people.

In this episode of Nonprofit Answers, listeners will learn about creative approaches to monthly giving for nonprofits, including storytelling, gamification, and peer-to-peer fundraising. The podcast covers various topics, such as how to encourage supporters to become monthly donors, how to thank and recognize monthly donors, how nonprofits can leverage technology to enhance their monthly giving programs, how to convert one-time donors into monthly donors, how storytelling can inspire and retain monthly donors, how to adapt monthly giving programs to fit the needs and preferences of different donor demographics, and how social media can be used to promote and grow monthly giving programs. Listeners will gain practical tips and strategies to improve their monthly giving programs and build stronger relationships with their supporters.

In this episode of Nonprofit Answers, we explore strategies for retaining monthly donors, including effective communication, personalized engagement, and creative recognition. We discuss the benefits of having a monthly giving program for both the nonprofit and the donor, and provide practical tips for making the process of becoming a monthly donor as easy and streamlined as possible. We also discuss how to ensure that monthly donors stay engaged and continue giving over time, how to segment and personalize communications for monthly donors, how to address donor churn, and how to maintain the trust and transparency necessary for successful monthly giving programs. Finally, we share how nonprofits can create a sense of community and connection among their monthly donors. Whether you're a seasoned fundraiser or just starting out, this episode provides valuable insights for anyone looking to improve their monthly giving program and build stronger relationships with their supporters.

In this episode, we discuss the importance of monthly giving for nonprofit fundraising, and provide practical guidance on how to start a successful monthly giving program. We cover topics such as determining the appropriate ask amount, best practices for creating and promoting the program, common obstacles to starting and growing a monthly giving program, and challenges that smaller nonprofits might face. Join us to learn how to create a reliable and sustainable source of funding for your nonprofit and build stronger relationships with your donors.

An email service provider (ESP) is a company that enables organizations to send out mass emails. If you've ever signed up for a newsletter or clicked "subscribe" to receive updates from a website, chances are you've used an ESP. In the fundraising world, ESPs are commonly used to send out donor communications, like appeals and stewardship reports. There are a lot of ESPs on the market, which can make it difficult to decide which one is right for your organization. In this podcast, we'll break down what you should look for in an ESP and provide step by step instructions for how to select the right email service provider. By the end, you'll have a good sense of what's available and be armed with the knowledge you need to choose an ESP that's a perfect fit for your organization.

We’ve talked at great length about the principles of good fundraising, from timing your appeal right to telling great fundraising stories. This advice will have a significant impact on your fundraising. Unfortunately, we often overlook one sentence in your appeal or on your landing page: your call-to-action. In this episode, Jeremy Reis explores how to write an effective call to action in your appeals, website, anywhere you're asking the reader to do something. You'll learn the secrets of compelling your reader to take action. Craft a great call-to-action in your next appeal!

The holidays are on their way, and it's time to start thinking about the year end fundraising. Whether you want to increase your donations, get new donors involved or create some buzz around your organization with a campaign that will last until the end of the year, there are plenty of ideas that will work for you. Here are five great ones! In this episode of Nonprofit Answers, Jeremy Reis shares five great campaigns to create more success at your year-end. You'll learn: As you prepare your year-end fundraising strategy, listen to these great tips to amplify your nonprofit's fundraising.

For many nonprofits, the last two months of the year are the most vital time for fundraising. In this episode, Jeremy provides ten tips to make your year end fundraising a huge success! Learn everything from planning to follow up in this episode. Learn how to get a major donor to create a matching challenge fund. Learn a suggested amount of email appeals at year end. If you want to excel with your year end fundraising at your charity or non-profit, this episode is for you.

As we work through this time of crisis, it's vital to be in constant communication with major and mid-level donors. But what do you communicate? Do you ask for money? How to build relationship? How do you work with major donors when you can't visit them in person? In this episode of the Nonprofit Answers podcast, Jeremy Reis is joined by Tim Smith and Mike Meyers. Both have decades of fundraising experience and are considered experts in the field of major and mid-level donors. This episode is a foundation for how to communicate well with major donors.

A key to success for your fundraising efforts is to decrease donor attrition - the percentage of people who give and then stop giving - and get multiple gifts after you acquire a new donor. You need to build relationships with donors, have them feel valued and appreciated for their donations, and demonstrate impact. You can accomplish these things with a new donor email welcome series. In this episode, you will learn a four part email series that will help retain more donors and get that second gift.

The election season is upon us in the US. How will this impact fundraising? There are a couple of factors to consider during the election season. First, donors will be distracted. There will be uncertainty and likely half the population will be upset about whoever is elected. There will be debates and rallies that will draw the donor's attention away from what we're doing. Second, there is a lot of money that will be given to candidates, parties, and other entities and this will impact nonprofit giving. We have a bit to worry about. Let's explore what to do about the election season.

Digital marketing has been a boon for many nonprofits. Digital communications offers many benefits: easy to communicate with people, reach a massive (and potentially new) audience, testing, quick access to results. There can also be some lack of clarity about the best uses for digital and whether or not you should abandon other channels and move certain communications to digital-only. Learn about which communications make sense for digital and how other channels still have a place in your communications plan.

Your nonprofit organization’s strategy determines the direction of where your organization is headed and the scope of what you’ll do. It is the thing that determines what your limited resources will accomplish for your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders. A simple definition of strategy is “defining how we’re going to win in the period ahead.” In this episode, Kevin asks about how to set his goals and develop a strategy to contribute to the corporate strategy for 2022. We explore creating your goals, what to do if you don't have an organizational strategy, and how to get your team focused on these goals.

Demonstrating gratitude to your donors may be your most important job as a fundraiser. Why? A happy donor gives a second, third, and fourth time. A well thanked donor tells their friends. A donor that feels appreciated happily continues to support your organization, your cause, and the people you serve. If nothing else, say thanks because without your donor, your nonprofit ceases to exist. Donor acquisition is expensive and thanking donors has shown to increase the chance they stick around. In this episode, you'll learn creative ways to thank your donors.

At Food for the Hungry, we acquire tens of thousands of monthly donors each year from events. In this episode, you'll learn how we structure a sponsored event for the best possible outcome: a new monthly donor. Learn the format for the event, how to do an effective fundraising, and how to integrate volunteers. If you're looking to increase event fundraising at your nonprofit, this is the episode for you

What do you do if the affinity the donor has isn't for your organization but for a staff member? In this really intriguing question, Karen has a long-time staff member who is connected to donors and she'd like to explore ways to move the donors from connecting to the employee to the nonprofit. This can happen with major donor reps, or even a donor connecting to a beneficiary and not to your organization. Learn how to identify donors who have an affinity for your organization or cause instead of the person and how to move them into supporting the organization in this episode of Nonprofit Answers.

You need healthy donor acquisition to maintain or grow your nonprofit's revenue. In this episode of Nonprofit Answers, Jeremy teaches how to turn social media followers into donors through the A+B+C+D formula for new donor acquisition. You'll learn how to define an audience, develop your lead generation asset (the bribe), capture a lead, and develop the lead into a donor.

The annual fundraising gala. For many nonprofits, this special event is a crucial part of their fundraising plan. If you do fundraising events, you know part of the struggle is getting the right people to show up. In this episode, Jeremy answers a question from a new Christian high school fundraiser. He is worried because only about the half the normal number of people have RSVPed to their annual fundraising dinner. Jeremy discusses how to find out if there is a problem, how you can find new people to attend, what changes you might want to make to the event, and how to ask past attendees for a commitment even if they aren't attending this year.

2019 may be the most impactful year yet for the fundraising industry. Many nonprofits haven't fully embraced technology and marketing techniques that are commonplace in corporate marketing - but that will change in 2019. In this episode, you'll learn 19 predictions Jeremy has for fundraising and nonprofit innovation in 2019.