Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 269

Happy Tuesday, fundraisers!

This week’s Fundraising Weekly is packed with practical strategies to help you engage donors and maximize your impact. From hosting safe and successful fundraising events to crafting appeals that truly resonate, we’ve got tips to sharpen every part of your fundraising approach. Read on!

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Great Fundraising Posts

How to Put On a Safe Fundraising Event: 5 Key Steps

Soapbox Engage (Soapbox Engage)

Events are one of the most effective ways to engage your community and raise support for your cause. But ensuring everyone’s safety, from guests to volunteers, adds a crucially important layer of planning.Creating a thoughtful safety strategy for your event means considering all the possible risks, developing strategies to prevent as many as you can, and having a plan ready in the event of emergencies. In this guide, we’ll cover five key steps your nonprofit should take to prioritize safety at its next event.

How to Create a Fundraising Appeal That Will Help You Raise More Money

Ann Green (Ann Green’s Nonprofit Blog)

September is here, which brings the start of fall as well as the start of the busiest time of the year for nonprofit organizations, especially if you’re doing a year-end appeal. Even though you may not launch your campaign until later in the fall, you should get started on your appeal letter now. In this blog post, Ann offers tips on how to craft a fundraising appeal that will help you raise more money.

Focus Donor Attention on the Near Future

Steven Screen (The Better Fundraising Co.)

A lot of times when it comes to fundraising appeals, nonprofit organizations tend to focus on the past—sharing stories of people they’ve already helped. In this blog post, Steven argues that you will get more done by focusing on the near future, and explains why this is more effective.

How Much Fundraising Mail is Too Much?

Jeff Brooks (Future Fundraising Now)

How much direct mail is too much is a question that plagues many fundraisers. Is there an amount that will cause a mass exodus of donors? At what point is it too costly for the organization? In this blog post, Jeff explains how to actually answer the question of how much mail is too much for your nonprofit.

What’s Driving Recurring Giving — and What’s Still in the Way

Erica Waasdorp (NonProfitPro)

You’ve heard it before—recurring giving is an effective way for your organization to have reliable income. However, some organizations still haven’t gone all in on a monthly giving program, or are finding it isn’t returning like they anticipated. In this blog post, Erica breaks down what is holding back recurring giving.

How to Create and Use a Nonprofit Editorial Calendar

Sandy Rees (Get Fully Funded)

If you run a nonprofit, you know that consistent communication is the heartbeat of fundraising. It keeps current donors engaged, attracts new supporters, and reminds your community why your mission matters. But it can feel overwhelming to decide what to share, when to share it, and how to keep it organized. That’s where a nonprofit editorial calendar comes in. In this blog post, Sandy explains the importance of an editorial calendar and how to create one for your organization.

12 Proven Strategies to Raise More Money Before Year’s End

Claire Axelrad (Clairification)

As we prepare to enter the last quarter of the year, your stress around meeting your year-end goals may be rising. But don’t panic! There are plenty of things you can do that will pack a big punch. In this blog post, Claire offers 12 different strategies to help you raise more money before the year is over.

The Power of Precision: Why Accurate Endowment Allocations Matter

Susan Smith (The ENGAGE Blog)

When it comes to successful endowment management, accurate allocation of investment earnings and fees is incredibly important. When organizations invest in the right tools and processes, they save time, minimize risk, and build lasting trust with donors and stakeholders. In this blog post, Susan explores how precise allocations transform your endowment—and why getting it right is essential for your mission.

The First Commandment of Advancement: Show Don’t Tell

Jim Langley (Market Smart)

There is a lot of communicating to be done in the world of fundraising. But when trying to inspire someone to make a donation, one of the most important rules is “show, don’t tell.” In this blog post, Jim explains why that is so important and offers examples of what that looks like.