Although I have been quiet on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog for a few weeks, I have been busy.
First, thanks to those who are following and receiving my posts by email, direct to your inboxes. I appreciate your interest. As you know, you can sign up for emailings in the margin of Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog. I do not share my email list with others, so your email is secure on WordPress.
In terms of the blog, I started a new page with items that are, “Older Articles But Good Ones.” It amazes me that I have been on WordPress since 2011. Times and techniques have changed in some respects. But I think there is still good information to be found in this group of articles, even though they no longer appear in the main menu. They are still searchable, however, via my blog’s “search” box.
This summer, I have given my entire website a good cleaning, and have been updating and adding new links. One special focus page has been updated to center entirely on digital assets. Since the start, I have included a page of links to articles by others that my readers might find of interest. Over the years, I honed it down to more narrowly defined topics. Today, I think digital assets – formerly called cryptocurrencies on my blog – are something that all nonprofits need to consider. They have a huge impact on nonprofit fundraising and funding. Despite market volatility, digital assets are a force to be reckoned with, especially in the nonprofit sector.
In “real life,” I am helping a nonprofit ramp-up and prepare for major gift fundraising. This process has taken a year and a half, and runs the gamut from confirming and updating the organization’s IRS letter with federal and state agencies, confirming and updating the nonprofit’s physical address with Google Maps and other entities, updating a twenty year old website, claiming and updating to the goal seal level their Candid GuideStar profile, launching a monthly e-newsletter to both share the nonprofit’s story and bind its community more closely together, creating a YouTube channel with a slate of meaningful videos to tell the nonprofit’s story visually, creating both email and USPS mailing address lists, moving all key documents into the cloud, conducting prospect research and a case for support document, and requesting meetings in advance of applications for funding, and more.
These tasks take thought and time. Summer is perfect for this kind of work. Central Texas has experienced record-breaking heat this summer – up to 106 degrees so far – and my quiet home office in the air conditioning is the perfect place to settle-in and get a lot of detailed work done.
Among the tools I am using are Microsoft Word and Excel, Google (Gmail, Contacts, Google Drive, and YouTube), Candid GuideStar, GreatNonprofits, Adobe Creative Cloud, Facebook, MailChimp, SurveyMonkey and ISSUU. I have been taking an “offline” nonprofit into the digital realm, but not excessively so. We are doing just enough to meet our needs for e-communication and security.
I look forward to speaking briefly about this on September 7 in Tyler, Texas during the Northeast Texas Regional Preservation Summit hosted by Preservation Texas. Earlier this year – having witnessed first hand the outstanding commitment of the nonprofit’s volunteers – I nominated them for a volunteer award. And on September 7 they will join other organizations in receiving a 2023 Honor Award. Follow the link to read more and join us, if you’d like.
But all this is to say, nonprofit organizations should not start asking for major gifts before laying the groundwork for fundraising in today’s competitive environment. During major gift campaigns especially, you must anticipate being asked many pointed questions by both donors and their professional advisors. My mental framework is geared toward anticipating as many questions as possible, and by putting myself in the shoes of donors to better understand their perspectives. I do not enjoy being caught off guard, and you should not, either. Professionalism, honesty, and transparency are key to successful fundraising of all kinds, especially if you want your investors to “aim high” when it comes to making meaningful gifts. And as many studies have now shown, our donors and professional advisors like using digital media, and they are checking nonprofits out online constantly.
Looking back to a presentation I gave during the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference hosted by NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network, I recall my small conference room packed to the brim (with a line streaming down the hall), wanting to hear me speak about major gift donors and their use of “new” media. I had a few naysayers in the audience! Back then, social media was viewed as a young person’s form of communication, and many young people liked that idea and did not necessarily want to see “older adults” engaging on digital platforms.
Some thirteen years later, my findings from that early presentation have been born out. In fact, a recent Facebook ad I ran for my current nonprofit uncovered that most all people viewing the ad were Boomer and older adults, and almost all of them were using mobile devices. Go figure.
I hope you have a successful fall with your fundraising. And if you haven’t considered some of the digital tools I reference in this article, check them out. And as you know, Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog shares a wealth of experiences and resources to help you succeed. Come back and visit often.
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