Have you significantly updated your nonprofit’s website in the past two years? If not, it may already be outdated—research shows that the average website lifespan for top marketing brands is just two years and one month.

Whether you’ve fallen behind on regular website maintenance or outgrown your original build, upgrading your nonprofit site is critical to increase online fundraising and improve donor engagement.

This guide walks through the essential steps of completing a nonprofit website optimization to ensure your website’s tech and online fundraising tools are functioning properly. By the end, you’ll have a solid foundation for carrying out a productive website overhaul and setting your site up for ongoing success. Let’s dive in!

Expansion is a major undertaking for any nonprofit. From launching new programs to bringing on additional team members, there are a lot of moving parts to manage as your organization grows.

However, the most important aspect of nonprofit growth is ensuring a solid financial foundation. Of course, you’ll need to raise more revenue and allocate or invest it strategically to fund your expansion. Growth also requires some risk-taking, meaning you’ll need to have enough resources to keep your nonprofit afloat whether those risks lead to rewards or don’t turn out as planned.

We no longer live in times when direct mail advertising and word of mouth is enough to inform people about your organization. We’re in a digital era, meaning there are many other channels of communication that we need to master. According to websiterating.com, people are 4 times more likely to click ads on Google than on other advertising networks.

However, spending a lot of money on ads might not be feasible for your budget. Luckily, Google Ad Grants is a virtually free advertising program that can help your nonprofit acquire website users while furthering your organization’s impact. Unlike most grants, Google Ad Grants also has a very simple application process.

In today's global and digital world, digital marketing isn't an option for nonprofits–it's a necessity for success! People rely on phones, laptops, and other devices for everything from work and shopping to social gatherings.

As a nonprofit fundraiser, it's critical to ensure you're reaching your supporters in the spaces they use most frequently–both digitally and in real life.

It’s no secret that nonprofit fundraising has a lot of moving parts. Typically your organization will start by setting goals for a specific campaign or fundraising event and then spend months planning out your strategy. Once you have a solid plan in place, you’re finally ready to spread the word about your campaign.

That’s where marketing comes in. After all, half the battle for successful fundraising is promoting the campaign to your support base and letting them know about new opportunities to give.

Despite all the changes and the rapid rise of social media over the years, nonprofit newsletters remain one of the best ways to stay in touch with your donors. While the purpose of nonprofit newsletters hasn’t really changed over the years, delivery methods and best practices have evolved. Most nonprofits now rely primarily on e-newsletters to interact with their donors regularly.

Email still dominates as a reliable form of communication across all age categories, and it’s actually a tremendous complementary strategy to your social media presence. In short, even if you still send a print newsletter, it’s essential to have a solid nonprofit email newsletter.

It’s the digital age, and practically everyone has a smartphone now. Mobile giving is definitely here to stay. If you want to remain competitive and relevant, it’s time to expand your fundraising strategies to include a wide range of mobile giving tactics, from peer-to-peer fundraising to mobile email and everything in between.

Have no fear! We’re here to help you understand why mobile giving is so important and explore some of the most popular mobile giving strategies and tools!

When most development professionals think of fundraising sources, they primarily list individual donors and grants. But there's another revenue source--corporate giving! Though it only adds up to a small fraction of fundraising efforts, receiving corporate gifts can also bring other benefits!

According to Giving USA and other sources, corporate giving is on the rise, motivated by a mix of altruism and a desire to attract employees that value working for socially responsible companies. Nonprofits can undoubtedly take advantage of this trend to increase funding and even create great partnerships.

Stories are a cornerstone of our everyday lives. Whether we acknowledge it or not, we love the stories of Olympic athletes’ journeys to athletic greatness or lose ourselves in the pages of a great book (fiction or nonfiction). Stories help us understand complex issues and can even deepen our connection with each other.

If we love getting swept up in stories, why do so many nonprofits leave them out of the biggest storytelling project of the year?! Telling the right stories can showcase your impact, empower your donors to celebrate your collective accomplishment, and equip them to share about your organization with others.

Putting storytelling at the core of your annual report can make it an irresistible read and assure your donors they made a strong investment.

Some people may say that business plans are a thing of the past--outdated, unnecessary, and a waste of time. Other nonprofits consider business plans something to create just for the sake of donors who demand it.

These opinions could not be further from the truth! Even for the modern nonprofit, a business plan can be an invaluable tool to help you maintain a strong purpose statement and clear messaging. Nonprofits who don't have a purpose statement often have a hard time getting loans, grants, or even corporate donors. Business plans can also help you attract quality board members.

Needless to say, business plans are definitely not a thing of the past and shouldn't be glossed over. Still, it can feel daunting or be challenging to know exactly how to write an effective nonprofit business plan. Have no fear! This blog will walk you through the basic steps to creating your own helpful business plan for your nonprofit.