Nonprofit Answers: Nonprofit Fundraising, Marketing, Monthly Giving

039 - How Do I Choose an Email Service Provider?

An email service provider (ESP) is a company that enables organizations to send out mass emails.  If you've ever signed up for a newsletter or clicked "subscribe" to receive updates from a website, chances are you've used an ESP. In the fundraising world, ESPs are commonly used to send out donor communications, like appeals and stewardship reports. 

There are a lot of ESPs on the market, which can make it difficult to decide which one is right for your organization. In this podcast, we'll break down what you should look for in an ESP and provide step by step instructions for how to select the right email service provider. By the end, you'll have a good sense of what's available and be armed with the knowledge you need to choose an ESP that's a perfect fit for your organization.  

038 - Effective Calls to Action

We’ve talked at great length about the principles of good fundraising, from timing your appeal right to telling great fundraising stories. This advice will have a significant impact on your fundraising.

Unfortunately, we often overlook one sentence in your appeal or on your landing page: your call-to-action.

In this episode, Jeremy Reis explores how to write an effective call to action in your appeals, website, anywhere you're asking the reader to do something. You'll learn the secrets of compelling your reader to take action. Craft a great call-to-action in your next appeal!

037 - 5 Great Year-End Fundraising Campaigns

The holidays are on their way, and it's time to start thinking about the year end fundraising. Whether you want to increase your donations, get new donors involved or create some buzz around your organization with a campaign that will last until the end of the year, there are plenty of ideas that will work for you. Here are five great ones!

In this episode of Nonprofit Answers, Jeremy Reis shares five great campaigns to create more success at your year-end. You'll learn:

1. How to create a year end match
2. Using gratitude to increase your revenue
3. Why telling impact stories is important
4. How you should be using video
5. Mobilizing your best supporters to take action beyond giving

As you prepare your year-end fundraising strategy, listen to these great tips to amplify your nonprofit's fundraising.

036 - 10 Tips for Successful Year End Fundraising

For many nonprofits, the last two months of the year are the most vital time for fundraising. In this episode, Jeremy provides ten tips to make your year end fundraising a huge success! Learn everything from planning to follow up in this episode. Learn how to get a major donor to create a matching challenge fund. Learn a suggested amount of email appeals at year end. If you want to excel with your year end fundraising at your charity or non-profit, this episode is for you.

035 - How Do We Communicate with Major Donors in a Time of Crisis?

As we work through this time of crisis, it's vital to be in constant communication with major and mid-level donors. But what do you communicate? Do you ask for money? How to build relationship? How do you work with major donors when you can't visit them in person? In this episode of the Nonprofit Answers podcast, Jeremy Reis is joined by Tim Smith and Mike Meyers. Both have decades of fundraising experience and are considered experts in the field of major and mid-level donors. This episode is a foundation for how to communicate well with major donors.

034 - How Do We Use an Email Welcome Series to Reduce Donor Attrition?

A key to success for your fundraising efforts is to decrease donor attrition - the percentage of people who give and then stop giving - and get multiple gifts after you acquire a new donor. You need to build relationships with donors, have them feel valued and appreciated for their donations, and demonstrate impact. You can accomplish these things with a new donor email welcome series.

In this episode, you will learn a four part email series that will help retain more donors and get that second gift.

033 - How Will the Election Season Impact Fundraising?

The election season is upon us in the US. How will this impact fundraising? 

There are a couple of factors to consider during the election season. First, donors will be distracted. There will be uncertainty and likely half the population will be upset about whoever is elected. There will be debates and rallies that will draw the donor's attention away from what we're doing. Second, there is a lot of money that will be given to candidates, parties, and other entities and this will impact nonprofit giving.

We have a bit to worry about. Let's explore what to do about the election season.

032 - Should We Move All of Our Communications Into the Digital Channel?

Digital marketing has been a boon for many nonprofits. Digital communications offers many benefits: easy to communicate with people, reach a massive (and potentially new) audience, testing, quick access to results. There can also be some lack of clarity about the best uses for digital and whether or not you should abandon other channels and move certain communications to digital-only. Learn about which communications make sense for digital and how other channels still have a place in your communications plan.

031 - Setting Annual Fundraising Goals to Meet Your Strategy

Your nonprofit organization’s strategy determines the direction of where your organization is headed and the scope of what you’ll do. It is the thing that determines what your limited resources will accomplish for your beneficiaries, donors, and other stakeholders. A simple definition of strategy is “defining how we’re going to win in the period ahead.” In this episode, Kevin asks about how to set his goals and develop a strategy to contribute to the corporate strategy for 2022. We explore creating your goals, what to do if you don't have an organizational strategy, and how to get your team focused on these goals.

030 - How to Say Thanks to Your Donors

Demonstrating gratitude to your donors may be your most important job as a fundraiser. Why? A happy donor gives a second, third, and fourth time. A well thanked donor tells their friends. A donor that feels appreciated happily continues to support your organization, your cause, and the people you serve. If nothing else, say thanks because without your donor, your nonprofit ceases to exist. 

Donor acquisition is expensive and thanking donors has shown to increase the chance they stick around. In this episode, you'll learn creative ways to thank your donors.