Bloomerang

AUGUST 27, 2021

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on whether or not you have to ask for donor feedback in person. . Dear Charity Clairity, I recently read your advice about how to tactfully ask for donor feedback without making promises, and I appreciate what you had to say. I also received articles in the mail.

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Personal Advice Mail Survey 120

Bloomerang

MARCH 13, 2023

Practical advice: How often to message people? Provided you’re offering up content that’s relevant, useful, hopeful, and inspiring , mail as often as you can afford to do so (taking into account both human and financial resources). Layering on social media to reinforce the message in your mailing is generally a good idea.

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email Communication Mail Nonprofit 124

Connection Cafe

JUNE 19, 2017

Especially if you don’t have a deep pool of your own experiences to draw on, how can you benefit most from the advice that is so freely offered? Rather than ignore all advice or grow frustrated by the differing opinions, keep reading — it expands your mind—but create your own lens for evaluating advice. Were they hands’ on?

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Advice Evaluation Tips Create 39

Bloomerang

MARCH 22, 2024

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on whether they should hire a development consultant: Dear Charity Clairity, I’m a one-person development shop, wondering if I should hire a consultant to help with some of the work that’s not getting done. Develop a direct mail donor acquisition program.

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Consultant Develop Teach Problem 105

Bloomerang

FEBRUARY 2, 2024

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on how to persuade leadership to get donor thank-you letters out sooner: Dear Charity Clairity, I just took a new job and have discovered they don’t get thank you letters out for two weeks. Do you wait for the mail to arrive? Where does the mail go first?

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Donor Exercise Gift Charity 91

Bloomerang

DECEMBER 11, 2021

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on what would be considered a good new donor acquisition rate. Direct mail results hover around 0.5% (they were 2% when I began in this industry, but there’s just a lot more competition for donor dollars today). I know about donor retention rates, goals, etc.,

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Rate Donor Retention Mail 110

Pamela Grow

JANUARY 25, 2024

It’s not even how compelling your offer is, or your mailing list. A few years back, I asked donor retention expert and copywriter Lisa Sargent for her advice on stewarding monthly donors, and here is what she said: Some “best practices” I’d recommend based on direct experience and personal research: 1.)

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Donor Wiki Wikipedia Info 64

Bloomerang

MARCH 13, 2023

Practical advice: How often to message people? Provided you’re offering up content that’s relevant, useful, hopeful, and inspiring , mail as often as you can afford to do so (taking into account both human and financial resources). Layering on social media to reinforce the message in your mailing is generally a good idea.

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email Communication Mail Nonprofit 75

Connection Cafe

SEPTEMBER 1, 2013

Mentioned this week in the Agitator , SOFII has become the treasury of the Jerry Huntsinger’s direct mail fundraising advice. Take a gander at The Huntsinger Tutorials and get insight into everything you need to know about direct mail fundraising. How about you? Tell me about it on Twitter @MaddieTplease.

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Stats Advice email Websites 38

TechImpact

SEPTEMBER 9, 2013

Beyond the social sphere, nonprofits see less activity from mailing (i.e., direct mail and email). “Originally the annual appeal was sent by direct mail, then we saw a shift to email, but even now email is becoming less effective–spam filters are picking up more and people are growing numb to solicitations.”

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Challenge Technology Mail Files 140

Nonprofit Tech for Good

JUNE 23, 2020

The third post in this series, 10 Donation Page Best Practices for Nonprofits , provides detailed advice, but its worth reiterating that the first step in being successful in online fundraising is having well-designed, data-driven donation pages. Finally, be sure to list your monthly giving program on your “Ways to Give” page.

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Practice Online Fundraising Nonprofit 342

Bloomerang

DECEMBER 9, 2022

Today’s question come from a nonprofit employee who want advice on which year to count gifts that are made on or before December 31, but not received until January: . The donor mails the check via the USPS. Our Ask An Expert series features real questions answered by Claire Axelrad, J.D., This being said, there are exceptions.

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Gift Charity Mail Pledge 82

Kindful

JUNE 15, 2021

If your organization is interested in beginning the process of collecting donations online, keep reading to see our advice for navigating the technical world of online giving. Direct mail. Some people prefer to make a donation by mail. Online fundraising channels. Other online fundraising portfolio ideas.

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Online Donation Fundraising Mail 80

EveryAction

OCTOBER 7, 2015

Last week, I had the ear of a brilliant nonprofit guru and jumped on the chance to ask her for some advice. While I can't offer you more hours in the day or mail you a check, here are eight ways to "hack" EOY fundraising and save the precious resources you already have. Brilliant Nonprofit Guru: End-of-year fundraising.

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Money Ideas Time Fundraising 100

Allegiance Group

SEPTEMBER 16, 2022

At Allegiance Group, when we talk about fundraising writing, we focus primarily on direct mail and email appeals directed toward individual donors. Being in the business of improving direct mail and email fundraising campaigns for nonprofits, as I am, you start to see patterns of success and failure.

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email Effective Fundraising Language 52

Bloomerang

MAY 26, 2021

While some advice may suggest starting with determining a channel, the reality is, if you want the best results, you need to know who your audience is FIRST—and let that drive your decision about which channel you think they will respond to. . Options could include: Direct mail. Peer-to-peer fundraisers. Events (live or remote).

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Program Donor Tips Channel 120

Candid

APRIL 6, 2023

Promotional advice: 42% of donors giving is due in part to hearing a story from someone a nonprofit has helped. Take it a step further by creating templates and toolkits that fundraisers can use to share information about your campaign on key channels like mailings, social media, email, SMS messaging, and more. Leveraging direct mail.

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Campaign Fundraising Mail United States 91

Bloomerang

DECEMBER 2, 2022

Today’s question come from a nonprofit employee who want advice on whether suspense or emotion is a better hook in a fundraising appeal: . The message you call emotional might be your best bet for a more targeted mailing that speaks to those who share the values the successful campaign will allow to come to fruition.

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America Charity Mail Channel 94

Robert Weiner

MAY 15, 2017

They asked for advice on how to handle their existing recurring donations, and whether it’s possible to migrate those transactions to the new processor. Some of the best advice I’ve seen on this came from technology consultant TJ Griffin. Try to avoid losing or angering loyal donors.

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System Donor Advice Convio 113

3rd Sector Labs

JUNE 30, 2014

Next problem, the fundraising advice. A recent Third Sector Labs survey of fundraising advice showed us that 80% of expert advice focused on content, messaging and materials. Less than 5% of the advice focused on technology and/or data. Yet all fundraising appeals and campaigns start with data.

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Attention Data Donor Retention 157

Bloomerang

NOVEMBER 3, 2023

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on how to recognize and steward tribute donors: Dear Charity Clairity, Our small organization has been around for many years, but we have only just recently begun receiving donations “in memory of a loved one in lieu of flowers” for example.

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Donor Gift Charity Newsletter 93

Bloomerang

NOVEMBER 13, 2023

Step 3: Suggest varying gift amounts Use suggested gift amounts , also known as ask strings , in your direct mail appeal (and reply device) based on the donor’s last gift. I’m hoping you will help make this world a better place for kids by becoming Idaho Youth Ranch’s newest donor. Always do the math before you ask.

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Idaho Personal Money Raise 103

Blue Fox

OCTOBER 1, 2021

Is your staff prepared to make the asks, attend the events, mail the collateral and try some Facebook fundraising ads? In 2020, U.S. nonprofits raised $2.47 billion dollars. What was your piece of that ‘pumpkin’ pie? Let’s talk 2021! What about your board members… are they fired up for fundraising season?

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Ideas Fundraising Script Nonprofit 147

Bloomerang

JANUARY 13, 2022

You can even send a postcard in the mail with the same copy as your social media post. Have a link that goes right to the monthly donation page on your website, include the relevant information on the reply device in your direct mail piece, etc. Again, these don’t need to be complex or expensive or take up too much of your team’s time.

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Fundraising Gift Donor Social Media 125

Bloomerang

OCTOBER 30, 2023

As we’re preparing for our year-end appeals, can you offer some advice on how we can infuse our year-end appeals with the magic of the season? Provide multiple giving options , including email, QR codes, Apple Pay or Google Pay , text, mail, and phone, to accommodate different donor preferences. Throwing a gala?

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Lesson Effective Create Giving 85

Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media

FEBRUARY 23, 2017

I’m a huge fan of Joan Garry’s blog and podcast. I consider the “Dear Abby” of the nonprofit world, dispensing practical and brilliant advice to nonprofits with her wonderful sense of humor. She also provides advice about more common crisis such as a financial or staff layoffs and how to handle them.

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Review Leadership Guide Chapter 105

Twenty Hats

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020

Let’s say that every virtual volunteer was mailed a box with replicas of objects from the cart. There’s a price tag attached for creating the replicas and mailing the boxes, and it may be sizable. Email me to receive a handout about the principles and a next steps worksheet – and I’ll add you to the Twenty Hats mailing list.

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Roles Virtual Volunteer Demonstration 70

Bloomerang

JUNE 30, 2023

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on how to credit and acknowledge donor advised fund gifts in their donor database: Dear Charity Clairity, I’m unsure how to enter donor advised fund gifts in our database so they’re credited and acknowledged appropriately.

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Database Gift Fund Donor 117

Forum One

MARCH 20, 2023

We’ll have lots of goodies, helpful tips, and advice, and would love the opportunity to meet you and learn about your nonprofit communications activities. [Breakout Session] Increasing Your Nonprofit’s Impact with Service Design Wednesday, April 12th, 12:45 – 1:15 pm Now more than ever, people rely on technology. Stop by and say hello!

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Denver Colorado Social Media Info 58

Bloomerang

MARCH 10, 2023

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on whether it’s okay to apply for a corporate grant and sponsorship at the same time: Is it okay to make an ask for a sponsorship (say, for an event) from a corporation AND separately to that corporation’s independent charitable foundation? What’s your geographic reach.

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Grant Homeless Proposal Foundation 114

Bloomerang

OCTOBER 14, 2022

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on the best fundraising strategy for new nonprofits. . Our Ask An Expert series features real questions answered by Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE, our very own Fundraising Coach , also known as Charity Clairity.

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Place Fundraising Articulate Charity 90

Bloomerang

DECEMBER 4, 2021

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on what to do when you get notified of an estate gift of which you were previously unaware. . If you weren’t able to reach anyone by phone, go ahead and mail a form that includes all of the above.

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Gift Phone Charity Contact 104

sgEngage

SEPTEMBER 18, 2023

This post features advice from IT and grants management experts on how to streamline your tech solutions, create clear processes, and drive more external and internal impact. In years past, there was no online application, a clunky, manual database, and checks that had to be processed, printed, and mailed, said Tacker.

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Advice Tech Sharepoint Grant 82

Twenty Hats

DECEMBER 15, 2020

One of the wisest pieces of advice I ever received came from a supervisor of volunteers at my former workplace, a CASA program. Email me to receive a handout about the principles and a next steps worksheet – and I’ll add you to the Twenty Hats mailing list.

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Skills Practice Management Children 95

Neon CRM

AUGUST 25, 2023

They may appear on your website, in emails, at the end of social media posts, and even on direct mail materials! Our best advice: Try to boil down the motivation behind your cause into a few powerful words—something that would inspire anybody to make a difference. Nonprofit calls to action are what drive people to take the next step.

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Action Language Nonprofit Voice 98

NTEN

FEBRUARY 19, 2013

If you're still struggling to find the right method for integrating your fundraising, our advice is to keep it simple at first: take a common sense approach. Communicating with your audience via print media, radio, television, mail, phone, Internet and email is a regular part of most marketing plans.

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Channel Marketing Mail Method 82

Bloomerang

JUNE 7, 2024

Today’s question comes from a nonprofit employee who wants advice on whether a gift chart is appropriate to raise funds if not in a capital campaign: Dear Charity Clairity, We have an ambitious individual fundraising goal of $500,000 this year – almost 1.5 Our Ask An Expert series features real questions answered by Claire Axelrad, J.D.,

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Chart Gift Campaign Charity 73