Soapbox Engage Blog

Issue 001

Is it just more, or does it feel like days are turning into weeks, and weeks into months? As we muster all our collective strength as fundraisers to push forward into the unknown of a pandemic fundraising season.

Deep breath, everyone.

While you're taking that deep breath, grab a refresh round of knowledge from your fundraising community colleagues here in this weekly review!

Don't forget, you can have the goodness of the Fundraising Weekly delivered into your inbox each Tuesday morning by subscribing to the Fundraising Weekly today!

Countless nonprofits rally athletes all over the world to run, bike, swim, row, or do any other sport in the name of philanthropy. Running, walking, and cycling fundraisers are some of the most popular athletic charity events.

Though COVID-19 forced many development professionals to move many events online, we’re noticing that some virtual fundraisers are even more even successful than the in-person version! Bicycling events just might be one of those events.

We put together a quick guide to help you plan a virtual bike fundraiser for your nonprofit. Cyclists have a long history of pedaling for great causes, so it’s definitely worth the effort to mobilize the cyclists in your community to support your cause.

The Coronavirus pandemic continues to change the way most of us are living (at least when it comes to gatherings of more than 10 people). But that doesn’t mean development professionals and fundraisers need to toss their fundraising plans and start from scratch!

Surprisingly, you can turn a lot of events into successful virtual fundraisers, including charity runs! Hey, if the Boston Marathon can go virtual this year, we can, too! In fact, hosting a virtual charity run might be easier in some ways than an in-person run fundraiser!

Here’s a practical guide to help you move your run fundraiser to a virtual platform instead of scrapping it!

It takes a lot of work to start a new nonprofit organization or launch a new charitable project in your community.

At Soapbox Engage, we've seen firsthand the difference that the right tools can make for growing organizations. But with a tight (or nonexistent!) budget, how do you get up and running with the right nonprofit software?

Thankfully, there's a wide range of free nonprofit software and apps on the market designed specifically for small organizations.

So you've decided to start a nonprofit organization. That's awesome! The world needs more passionate leaders putting their missions into action.

This is especially true today, as the COVID-19 pandemic, its broader economic impacts, and ongoing social justice movements have rocked communities at all levels. 

Starting a nonprofit is hard but rewarding work. It takes considerable time, attention, and resources to get a new organization up and running. Before you can begin creating a fundraising plan, recruiting volunteers, and making change in the world, there are a few fundamentals you'll need to handle.

Taking the time to learn how to start a nonprofit the right way is essential for preventing unnecessary complications down the line.

Growing nonprofit organizations ready to dive into online fundraising are faced with one immediate question: How will we accept and process online donations from supporters?

As organizations of all sizes rely more than ever on online fundraising and virtual engagement to generate support for their work, this is an increasingly important question.

When looking for a first donation tool, many organizations think of PayPal, a familiar name in online payment processing. Venmo is another increasingly popular option for quick transactions through mobile devices. While these solutions are great choices for many sectors that do business online, it's definitely worth putting some extra thought and strategy into this decision. 

Nonprofit payment processing plays a direct role in determining how effectively you can fundraise online, and without the right nonprofit-specific tools, you can unknowingly hold yourself back.

Do you use donation tiers in your online forms and other requests for donations? The ability to add suggested giving levels is a relatively common feature of most online donation forms (including Soapbox Engage's Donations app).

But how do you decide what donation amounts to suggest? Do you set the bar low and hope people give more? Do you aim high and risk scaring away people who can't give that much? Development professionals and fundraisers rightfully have a lot of questions about how to create donation tiers that drive donations instead of scaring away their donors.

The very short answer is, setting donation tiers is both an art and a science… but it definitely doesn't require a crystal ball or pulling random numbers out of a hat. Here's an essential guide to help you create donation tiers in five (relatively) easy steps. (We promise, the steps aren't that hard, but they do require a little research.)

Development professionals have a lot on their plates these days. From reaching fundraising goals to managing communication with donors, it can be hard to stay on top of the to-do list in normal times.

Now that many of us are working remotely, juggling family and work under COVID-19 pandemic conditions, it’s more challenging than ever to get everything done and stay connected with your team. Have no fear! We rounded up some of the best free or inexpensive software tools to help fundraisers and development professionals conquer their regular tasks.

To start fundraising online and operating as a new nonprofit organization, you'll need the right tools on your side!

With the ever-growing necessity of online fundraising and donor engagement, having the right technology to support your strategies is critical. From donate buttons to donation processing software and email marketing tools, software is essential for organizations of all sizes. Inexpensive and free fundraising software has made it easier than ever for growing organizations to start securing support.

But how do you know where to start your search? We've got you covered.

Donate buttons are one of the most direct ways to start fundraising online. They're effective whether you're an organization or an individual raising money for a project, campaign, or general support.

With social distancing guidelines in place, the COVID-19 pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for everyone, particularly for organizations. In-person fundraising events are longer an option for many, making it difficult to secure revenue and sustain operations. But you need to stay connected with donors to maintain your relationships!

Virtual fundraising is the answer. Many nonprofits, schools, churches, and others are turning to donation buttons and online campaigns for the first time.

Training for and completing a feat of endurance is challenging and rewarding, especially when you can do it to raise money for your favorite nonprofit. The COVID-19 pandemic has put the kibosh on most in-person athletic events, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your supporters moving and raising money with virtual fitness fundraisers!

Even before the coronavirus, nonprofits were using virtual fitness tracking apps to raise money. Many people appreciate being able to use physical fitness to make a difference in the world. Whether they want to use exercises they already do, or they want to get in shape and support your charity at the same time, virtual exercise fundraisers are an excellent option for any nonprofit.

More people are using fitness trackers than ever. Why not leverage that to help them make a difference in the world? We gathered some of the best, most creative, most effective virtual fitness tracking fundraisers.

In recent years, peer-to-peer fundraising (also known as P2P fundraising) has become more diverse, creative, and efficient than ever. Nonprofits are learning how to incorporate P2P fundraising throughout the year instead of creating one or two large campaigns. This new, diversified strategy keeps audiences more engaged and often generates higher margins.

What if we could combine virtual fundraising with peer-to-peer fundraising to create a campaign that fits the new mold of this coronavirus era?

We gathered some of the best tips from peer-to-peer fundraising experts to help you build a virtual peer-to-peer fundraising campaign that drives more donor engagement without leaving your office...or your donors' homes!

Virtual walks and runs were gaining popularity before the COVID-19 pandemic. Many organizations were using these types of events to raise money. For example, virtual Strides raised over $82,000 for charitable causes in 2015.

Now that large gatherings are unsafe because of the Coronavirus, many popular runs and walks are going virtual and people are flocking to them in the absence of in-person races. Even the famed IRONMAN triathlon series is offering virtual races and attracting tens of thousands of participants each week during the Coronavirus pandemic. They’re also raising money for their "Ironman Foundation" which provides relief aid worldwide.

Virtual charity runs and walks start on the internet but take place wherever participants want to complete the distance. People who sign up for virtual charity runs and walks register online and complete the mileage at their own convenience and wherever they live. Once they finish the "race," participants upload their results online.

There are many benefits to hosting a virtual run/walk, and they’re relatively easy to organize. Even small nonprofits can put on a successful virtual charity walk with the right preparation! We gathered some of the best tips, tricks, and resources to help you organize your first charity run/walk to raise money for your organization.

COVID-19 is forcing local and national governments to restrict in-person events. Businesses, nonprofits, clubs, and organizations all over the world are trying to figure out how to host virtual fundraising events.

Even large companies like Salesforce are pivoting to virtual events! So, you’re not alone in this adventure. And, the good news is that there are some easy and practical ways to make your virtual fundraising event effective and successful.

We gathered some of the tips and tricks from top businesses and nonprofits to help you confidently take your next fundraising event online.

"Soft skills" are a hot topic of discussion in recent years, especially in the business world. Many companies are beginning to prioritize hiring candidates with these interpersonal attributes because it’s easy to teach someone how to do a task. It’s much harder to teach people communication, problem-solving, and relational skills. Nonprofits are no exception.

"Soft skills" are the unquantifiable abilities that help you build healthy relationships, communicate effectively, and make you an excellent fundraiser. Lacking these attributes could cause you to miss or misunderstand important things in conversations with current and potential donors (and your staff).

Because so much fundraising happens online now (via websites, social media, and the telephone), it’s easy to assume that these soft skills are less valuable. On the contrary, they’re actually more important because every interaction carries more weight. We rounded up three soft skills every development professional should cultivate to boost your online fundraising.

Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Nonprofits is a name you're likely to hear very frequently in the nonprofit tech space over the next several years.

As Microsoft's own cloud-based CRM platform, Dynamics for Nonprofits offers a new technology option for organizations of all sizes. If you're already using a range of Microsoft products (or have heard of Microsoft's generous Tech for Social Impact initiative) but haven't yet heard of Dynamics, you're definitely going to want to have it on your radar.

It’s October, and we’re just over a month away from Giving Tuesday 2023. November 28th will be this year’s biggest celebration of generosity. GivingTuesday was created in 2012 as a day to encourage people to do good. In 2022, organizations received $3.1 billion in donations on GivingTuesday, a 15% increase from the year before! It’s an incredibly important day for nonprofit organizations to participate in fundraising.

We're here to help make sure your nonprofit is ready to take full advantage of this fundraising opportunity. Here is a checklist of things you can do to improve your organization's likelihood of success.

Nonprofits often overlook one fundraising goldmine hidden right under their noses: the office place! With the rise of corporate social responsibility, many companies actually want to fundraise for charities and causes they value.

Studies link charitable giving and other corporate social responsibility actions with better employee engagement and satisfaction. Employees want to work for companies that focus on community, people, and the planet, not just on profit.

Don’t assume that this value of corporate social responsibility is limited to a line-item in budgets for charitable giving. Businesses also value getting their employees involved in philanthropic activities!

Employees are often eager to make donations to nonprofits through workplace fundraisers, especially if the organization supports someone in the employee’s life, or if someone they know invites them to donate. Employees are also likely to give when they see a personal story of someone the nonprofit is helping.

Is your organization excited for the opportunity of a #GivingTuesdayNow worldwide event on May 5, 2020, to bring in much needed fundraising this year, but also dealing with a sea of change from the coronavirus' impact on our nonprofit community?

Not sure how to make sure you don't miss the boat on this new version of #GivingTuesday while also needing to move fast to prepare for it while tackling too many other things right now?

Giving Tuesday Now (or #GivingTuesdayNow depending on your love of hashtags) is the first day of giving organized by the same people who created #GivingTuesday, with a focus on boosting fundraising and support for the nonprofit community that so often works behind the scenes during crises such as COVID-19.

With more than $2 billion raised by organizations during #GivingTuesday 2019, it's likely that #GivingTuesdayNow will give a much-needed boost to participating nonprofit organizations.

This first attempt at a unique off-cycle #GivingTuesday event will happen on May 5, 2020, and will be a global event with participation from organizations around the globe.

If you're already burning the candle at both ends and need help with lift-off for #GivingTuesdayNow fundraising ideas, you're in the right place.

As the saying goes, "Failing to plan is planning to fail." Healthy nonprofits of every shape and size need a fundraising plan.

It's tempting to think that you can just "plan to ask as many people to donate as possible." But that's not really a plan. It might result in a quick influx of cash (which gives the illusion of successful fundraising), but then what? What happens after you've exhausted your network? How do you expand your fundraising efforts?

So, you're probably asking yourself, "How do I write a fundraising plan?".

In short, a fundraising plan is made up of six key elements.

1. Decide who should write it
2. Set your fundraising goals
3. Align your goals with your mission
4. Develop a plan of action
5. Organize a fundraising timeline
6. Outline your case for support

Feel better? Yeah, it's a bit overwhelming, but we'll get through this together, step-by-step.

Set your nonprofit up for long term financial stability by putting in the effort to create a fundraising plan. We promise it will be well worth the time, energy, and resources (and your development professionals will be eternally grateful).

Here's an essential guide to help you create a fundraising plan for your nonprofit.