Nonprofit Investment Management Blog

How to Plan a Successful Feasibility Study: 5 Steps

Posted by James Barnard on Oct 16, 2024 11:30:00 AM

Major campaigns, like capital or comprehensive campaigns, are no small feat. Before you can successfully engage your community and guide your organization to new fundraising heights, you must ensure your stakeholders are ready for such a monumental undertaking. 

That’s where feasibility studies, also known as campaign planning studies, come into play. In this guide, we’ll walk through five fundamental steps your nonprofit must take to plan and carry out a successful feasibility study.

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Topics: Risk Management & Compliance, Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

5 Tips Nonprofits Should Know When Making Gift Range Charts

Posted by Jay Love on Sep 13, 2024 11:30:00 AM

When hosting a capital campaign, year-end campaign, or other significant fundraising initiative, it’s crucial to be strategic about the fundraising process. While smaller campaigns and fundraising efforts should still entail thoughtful planning, larger endeavors with lofty fundraising goals require more attention to the giving process and the specific donations you’re expecting.

That’s where gift range charts come in. These resources help set major campaigns up for success. The tips in this guide will help your team build an effective gift range chart that steers your campaign in the right direction.

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Topics: Nonprofit, Major & Planned Giving, Fundraising & Donor Retention

How to Build Donor Relationships Through Prospect Research

Posted by Sarah Tedesco on Jul 24, 2024 7:30:00 AM

If your nonprofit has ever fundraised for major or planned gifts, you likely know that developing donor relationships is essential for successfully securing these types of donations. Most donors are only willing to commit a significant amount of money to organizations where they feel valued as an integral part of furthering their missions. 

You may have also conducted prospect research to gather data that helped you identify potential high-impact donors. This information can provide useful insights for reaching out to and building relationships with prospects! 

In this guide, we’ll discuss some of the best strategies for incorporating prospect research into your efforts to cultivate donors. No matter what cause or campaign you’re fundraising for, these tips can help you make tailored donation requests, boost donor lifetime values, and increase supporters’ loyalty to your organization. Let’s get started!

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

3 Communication Tips to Bolster Your Donor Stewardship Plan

Posted by Aly Sterling on Jun 12, 2024 7:00:00 AM

According to 360MatchPro, nonprofits raise an average of $287 per monthly donor each year. When comparing that figure to the average annual revenue per one-time donor of $192, it’s clear that recurring donors can significantly boost your donation revenue. 

However, major and recurring donors don't just show up out of the blue (most of the time). The most successful nonprofits don’t just solicit donations and then forget about their donors. Instead, they build long-lasting relationships with donors through dedicated donor stewardship plans. 

In this guide, we’ll review three communication tips you can implement to improve your existing endowment and major donor stewardship strategy. As a result, you’ll fine-tune your approach and form even stronger bonds with your supporters.

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

How to Reduce Friction in the Donor Journey

Posted by Megan Lencoski on May 29, 2024 10:00:00 AM

Are hidden friction points in your donor journey causing you to lose valuable supporters? 

In today’s fast-paced world, people are constantly bombarded with distractions and have little patience for complicated processes. Any friction in your donor journey—whether it’s before, during, or after making a donation—could deter potential donors from completing their contributions, leading to missed opportunities for your nonprofit. 

That’s where donor journey optimization comes in. This strategy involves analyzing and improving each step of the donor's journey, from initial awareness to post-donation follow-up.

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

From Lost to Found: Turning Lapsed Donors into Loyal Supporters

Posted by Megan Lencoski on Feb 29, 2024 2:23:27 PM

From Lost to Found: Turning Lapsed Donors into Loyal Supporters

Why do 57% of donors decide not to donate after their first contribution?

As somebody who worked in fundraising, this statistic stopped me in my tracks.

I remember how hard it was to attract and convert new donors. All the time creating content, crafting appeals, developing relationships, going to lunches, presenting to new audiences - just for them to give once and then ghost your organization? It makes me cringe!

In the world of fundraising, it can be disheartening to see once-dedicated contributors slip away. But fear not, because there is hope! With the right strategies and a well-executed plan, you can transform those lost donors into enthusiastic advocates for your cause.

In this article, we will explore proven techniques for rekindling the relationship with lapsed donors and getting them back on board. From personalized communication to compelling storytelling, we will uncover the secrets to reignite their passion and commitment.

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

How to Get Ready for Giving Tuesday When You’re Feeling Behind

Posted by Megan Lencoski on Nov 16, 2023 2:06:46 PM

 

Do you struggle to stand out on Giving Tuesday?  
Are you worried about donor fatigue at year-end?  
Are limited resources and technology hurdles holding your campaign back? 

As the Nonprofit Development Specialist at Carnegie Investment Counsel, I often hear these concerns. So when NXUnite reached out to me to be a panelist on their webinar, "The Final Push: Preparing for Giving Tuesday," I jumped at the opportunity!  

It was a great event where we shared strategies, trends, and innovative approaches that can help set your Giving Tuesday efforts up for success. I was joined by some seasoned development professionals who have been around the Giving Tuesday block many times: Laurie Hochman, Marketing Director from Auctria, and Kel Haney, Senior Consultant at Donorly. Along with our moderator, Colleen Carol from Nexus Marketing, we shared insights and ideas you can adapt to fit your campaign, including: 

  • Effective Giving Tuesday campaign strategies. 
  • Tech and tools to support your Giving Tuesday efforts. 
  • How to measure impact and success after the day. 

But don’t worry if you missed it. You can watch the recording here or read on. In this article, I’ll share our insights so you can be ready for Giving Tuesday! 

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

5 Ways Your Nonprofit Can Prepare for the Great Wealth Transfer

Posted by Megan Lencoski on Dec 20, 2022 2:00:00 PM

In our last post, we discussed what the great wealth transfer is and why your nonprofit should start preparing now. Here are five ways to prepare for the great wealth transfer so you can maximize your potential donations.

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

Why Your Nonprofit Should Prepare for the Great Wealth Transfer

Posted by Megan Lencoski on Dec 13, 2022 2:00:00 PM

In the upcoming decades, older generations are expected to pass on the largest amount of wealth in history. This wealth will be left to younger generations, taxes and nonprofits, changing the landscape of philanthropy in more ways than one. If your nonprofit isn’t prepared for this shift in paradigm, you will find it more difficult to raise the funds you need. In this article, we discuss what the great wealth transfer is and why you should begin preparing now.

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention

How to Leverage Giving Tuesday to Promote your Nonprofit Endowment

Posted by Megan Lencoski on Oct 20, 2022 10:30:00 AM

Growing your nonprofit endowment is important for the long-term success of your organization. By providing sustainable funding, an endowment allows you to spend less time worrying about finances and more time accomplishing your mission.

Many organizations make the mistake of not utilizing their current fundraising campaigns to increase their nonprofit investment. Every special event, giving day, and year-end appeal should be used as a chance to increase the impact of your endowment.

Giving Tuesday is a great opportunity to educate and inspire your donors. They need to know they have the opportunity to give a gift now that will live on into perpetuity. No need to do all the work of a special endowment campaign! Here are a few tactics you can use to leverage Giving Tuesday to promote your nonprofit endowment.

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Topics: Nonprofit, Fundraising & Donor Retention, Endowments & Quasi-Endowments

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