Asking for donated goods and services can feel a little awkward, right? Like, you're running a mission-driven organization, not a yard sale. But here's the thing: in-kind donations are genuinely one of the most underrated tools in a nonprofit's fundraising toolkit , and when you promote them the right way, they attract enthusiastic partners instead…
What Wealth Screening Actually Tells You You ran a wealth screening. Now what? If you're staring at a spreadsheet full of capacity scores and wondering how to actually do something useful with them, you're not alone. The data is only as good as what you do with it , and translating those numbers into outreach…
Most nonprofit teams treat their CRM like a digital filing cabinet. Donor names go in, donation amounts go in, maybe some event attendance, and then… it just sits there collecting virtual dust. Sound familiar? Here's the thing, though: what's actually living inside that system is a surprisingly complete picture of what your marketing is doing,…
Every nonprofit works hard to earn a donor's trust, and that trust can be won or lost in a single tap. Your mobile donation form is often the moment it all comes together, or falls apart. In this post, we're doing a deep dive into how to brand your mobile donation form so it actually…
Asking for donated goods and services can feel a little awkward, right? Like, you're running a mission-driven organization, not a yard sale. But here's the thing: in-kind donations are genuinely one of the most underrated tools in a nonprofit's fundraising toolkit , and when you promote them the right way, they attract enthusiastic partners instead…
What Wealth Screening Actually Tells You You ran a wealth screening. Now what? If you're staring at a spreadsheet full of capacity scores and wondering how to actually do something useful with them, you're not alone. The data is only as good as what you do with it , and translating those numbers into outreach…
Most nonprofit teams treat their CRM like a digital filing cabinet. Donor names go in, donation amounts go in, maybe some event attendance, and then… it just sits there collecting virtual dust. Sound familiar? Here's the thing, though: what's actually living inside that system is a surprisingly complete picture of what your marketing is doing,…
If you've ever struggled to explain how your nonprofit changes lives in a board meeting or grant proposal, you're not alone. Sure, numbers are easy. Served 500 families, raised $200K. But what about the mom who finally felt heard? The teen who discovered their voice? Those transformative moments are your real mission impact, and they…
Looking to make sense of your donor data without drowning in spreadsheets? Here's the thing: most nonprofit leaders get buried in numbers that don't actually tell them much. But when you track the right metrics, you'll finally understand what's working, which donors are sticking around, and where your next big opportunity lives. In this guide,…
If you're running a nonprofit with a small team, you've probably felt that familiar tension between wanting to do more good and drowning in spreadsheets. Here's the thing: data doesn't have to be overwhelming or reserved for organizations with fancy analytics departments . In our experience, the right approach to data actually reduces burnout while…
Asking for donated goods and services can feel a little awkward, right? Like, you're running a mission-driven organization, not a yard sale. But here's the thing: in-kind donations are genuinely one of the most underrated tools in a nonprofit's fundraising toolkit , and when you promote them the right way, they attract enthusiastic partners instead…
What Wealth Screening Actually Tells You You ran a wealth screening. Now what? If you're staring at a spreadsheet full of capacity scores and wondering how to actually do something useful with them, you're not alone. The data is only as good as what you do with it , and translating those numbers into outreach…
Most nonprofit teams treat their CRM like a digital filing cabinet. Donor names go in, donation amounts go in, maybe some event attendance, and then… it just sits there collecting virtual dust. Sound familiar? Here's the thing, though: what's actually living inside that system is a surprisingly complete picture of what your marketing is doing,…
Look, we get it. You're trying to figure out why some donors give once and disappear while others stick around month after month. It's not just about the money (though that's obviously important). It's about understanding what's actually going through people's heads when they decide to support your cause. We've spent over a decade working…
Writing thank-you letters well can make or break your donor relationships. Here's the thing: when you're working with a small team and wearing seventeen different hats, it's easy to let gratitude slip down your to-do list. But in our experience, these letters aren't just nice to have. They're one of the most powerful retention tools…
Looking to keep your donors around for the long haul? You're in the right place. Donor retention is honestly the secret sauce of sustainable fundraising , but here's the thing: most nonprofits are way better at finding new supporters than keeping the ones they've got. In our experience working with small nonprofit teams, smart retention…
Finding the right email frequency for your nonprofit can feel like you're constantly second-guessing yourself. Send too many, and you risk annoying your supporters. Send too few, and they might forget you're out there doing amazing work. Here's the thing: there's no one-size-fits-all answer. Expert recommendations range from 1-2 emails per month to 3-5 per…
Look, if you've ever fired off a fundraising email at 2 PM on a Tuesday and hoped for the best, you're in good company. For years, we've all relied on gut instinct, basic demographics, and sheer determination to figure out who to email and when. But here's the thing: what if your CRM could actually…
Look, we're all a little tired of treating email like it's only for December panic mode, right? Here's the thing: email marketing has quietly become the workhorse of nonprofit fundraising, delivering an average ROI of 4200% (yep, that's $42 back for every dollar spent) (Funraise). But the real challenge isn't just sending emails. It's building…
Summer fundraising is one of those things that sounds fun in theory but can feel genuinely tough when you're actually living it. Donors are in vacation mode, inboxes are quieter than usual, and that big year-end energy is still months away. It's a season that sneaks up on a lot of nonprofit teams, and we…
Look, here's the thing that probably keeps you up at night: you're working so hard to bring in new donors, and then… they just disappear. Never give again. Never respond to emails. It's like throwing a party where everyone shows up once and ghosts you forever. But what if the problem isn't that you need…
Look, if you're running a nonprofit with a small team, you've probably felt that ache of wanting to do more but wondering where the budget's going to come from. Grassroots fundraising is basically your secret weapon here. We're talking about mobilizing everyday supporters through scrappy, creative tactics like community events, peer-to-peer campaigns, and local partnerships.…
Small nonprofit teams are basically superheroes without capes, right? You're juggling fundraising, strategy, communications, and about seventeen other roles while trying to change the world. Here's the thing: you don't need a bigger team or budget to multiply your impact. You just need smarter systems that work as hard as you do. In this guide,…
Volunteer management can be the secret sauce that amplifies your nonprofit's impact, or it can become one more exhausting thing on your already overflowing plate. We've worked with enough nonprofits at Funraise to spot the patterns that lead to high turnover, frustrated volunteers, and staff burnout on both sides of the equation. So let's walk…
Working in nonprofits means you're carrying others' pain alongside your own already-full workload. Look, it's a beautiful calling, but here's the thing: there's a real cost. Compassion fatigue is what happens when prolonged exposure to others' suffering drains you emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It hits nonprofit workers particularly hard through what's called secondary trauma. In…
Figuring out where your nonprofit stands with its marketing can feel a bit like trying to read a map without knowing your starting point. You know you want to grow, you know you want to reach more donors and deepen community connections, but it's hard to know which direction to head if you're not sure…
Netflix cracked a code that most subscription businesses (and honestly, most nonprofits) are still trying to figure out: when you make it genuinely easy for people to leave, they tend to stick around longer. Wild, right? That counterintuitive idea sits at the heart of what we're digging into today. In this post, we're borrowing a…
If you're leading nonprofit marketing on a small team, you've felt the pressure: post daily, email constantly, launch campaign after campaign. But here's the thing: that frantic pace is breaking us, and it's time for a different approach. Enter slow marketing: a deliberate, relationship-focused strategy that prioritizes quality over quantity. For U.S. nonprofits stretched thin,…
Naming a campaign probably isn't the first thing on your to-do list when you're already juggling a million other tasks. But here's the thing: a catchy campaign name can be your secret weapon. It's not just about sounding clever. The right title sparks donor excitement, boosts social shares, and makes your cause stick in people's…
If you've ever stared at a spreadsheet of campaign metrics wondering why donors aren't responding the way you hoped, you're not alone. We get it. In our experience working with nonprofits, there's this constant pull toward data because it feels safe, measurable, and board-meeting-friendly. But here's the thing: character-driven stories cut through the noise by…
Look, we've all seen those nonprofit stories that make us a little uncomfortable, right? The ones where everyone's either completely helpless or miraculously "saved" by a generous organization. There's a better way. Ethical storytelling puts the people you serve front and center as the heroes of their own journeys. It's about honoring their dignity and…
What's Already Happening: AI in Nonprofit Outreach Today AI isn't some far-off concept for nonprofits. It's already driving real results. Organizations using AI-powered CRMs are getting a clearer, more complete view of donor behavior across channels, and that visibility is improving retention through predictive scoring. Tools like Funraise AI are already generating peer-to-peer appeals, personalized…
Okay, real talk: AI has officially jumped the shark in terms of buzzword saturation. It's everywhere, promising everything, and if you're leading a nonprofit, you've probably felt the pressure to "do something with AI" without a clear sense of what that actually means for your donor relationships. Sound familiar? Here's what we've found after working…
If you're running a nonprofit with a small team and an even smaller budget, you already know the feeling: there's never quite enough time, and copywriting somehow always ends up at the bottom of the list. AI writing tools have become a genuine lifeline for organizations like yours, helping squeeze more out of every hour…