The scale of capital campaigns means that they shouldn’t be undertaken casually. They are major investments of an organization’s time and resources. You must be prepared for a capital campaign before formally launching one.
Otherwise, your fundraising ultimately won’t be sustainable. You’ll open your organization to risks—wasted time and money, damaged relationships, strategic drift, loss of energy and motivation among donors and staff, and more.
This is why evaluating campaign readiness is the most critical pre-planning step you can take.
During this process, you’ll closely evaluate your organization’s current state and plans. You’ll define concrete objectives and a preliminary fundraising goal for the campaign. The goal is to gain a complete view of whether your nonprofit is currently equipped to accomplish the campaign plans.
And in many cases, the answer may be that your organization is not ready for a capital campaign, or at least not the one that you’ve planned so far.
So what do you do? How do you move forward productively? Can your vision for a campaign be salvaged?
Pre-Campaign Planning to Assess Campaign Readiness
It’s a common misconception that a feasibility study is the primary driver of whether an organization is ready for a capital campaign or not. After all, it does have “feasible” in the name.
The truth is that properly preparing for a feasibility studyshould alert you to reasons why your organization isn’t ready for a campaign.
You absolutely do not want to get in front of your strongest supporters and stakeholders without all of your ducks in a row.
While a feasibility study ostensibly is about testing your goal and case for support, pre-campaign planning is where the rubber hits the road in terms of campaign readiness.
These are bad and good reasons to hold off on a capital campaign:
Bad reasons to delay a campaign. These issues usually come down to nervousness or misconceptions about what makes a campaign successful.
Your board isn’t wealthy
You’re uneasy about external headwinds (economy, politics, etc.).
You’ve never done a campaign before.
You think the annual fund will suffer.
You think you’re too small.
Good reasons to delay a campaign. These issues are more fundamental, and, in many cases, moving forward in spite of them will sap your campaign of its direction and effectiveness.
You have little-to-no philanthropic annual support.
You can’t identify a lead donor and/or at least 20 leadership-level givers
You don’t have enough staff for the campaign.
You don’t have a clear plan or vision for the campaign.
Your team is in deep disagreement about the plan.
You have no buy-in from organizational leadership.
Remember, every campaign has its issues to overcome. Conducting a readiness assessment and getting serious about pre-campaign planning will help you identify them as early as possible, giving you a chance to pause and evaluate. Realistically consider the depth of the problems you find and whether addressing them would be feasible.
Capital Campaign Pro offers a free readiness assessment that you and your team can take to see if you’re ready for a capital campaign.
Choosing to hold off on your campaign is not a bad thing—it just means you’re not quite ready. Take it as a sign that the best investments you can make in your organization right now are more structural. Moving forward in this direction is still forward movement!
1. Strengthen your organization internally.
So you’ve decided to hold off on a campaign. What next?
You should now take steps to bolster your organization internally, focusing on its capacity, productivity, fundraising abilities, and more. Action items to consider include:
Audit and evaluate your resources. How deeply do you understand the current state of your operations and capacity? A comprehensive audit of your finances, technology, and human resources will give you a much clearer picture of where you can and should improve to strengthen your organization. This is a worthwhile exercise regardless of whether a campaign is near the horizon.
Address and fill strategic gaps. Does your organization have a formal strategic plan that defines its long-term goals and outlines how you’ll pursue them? Are you continually constrained by the size of your staff? Growth takes people power, and while you shouldn’t hire in an unsustainable way, expanding your nonprofit’s team may give you the extra hands and work hours you need to focus on improvements rather than just day-to-day necessities.
Invest in training. What kind of learning curve would your organization have faced if you had moved ahead with a campaign? Are you already aware of big gaps in your shared know-how that you’ve been neglecting in order to get on with business as normal? Address them! Nonprofit teams need effective management, financial, prospect research, and relationship-building skills to grow sustainably (regardless of whether a campaign is coming in the near future or not).
Boost your board and governance practices. How well does your nonprofit run on a logistical level? Do you have all the necessary policies and internal practices in place for smooth operations? Capital campaigns and the growth they fuel bring complexity—a lot of it. Address governance and logistical hindrances now. Also, consider the makeup and culture of your board. Unfortunately, disengaged or ineffective boards are common stumbling blocks for growing nonprofits. Refreshing your board and building a more engaged culture will pay dividends later.
2. Build and engage your donor base.
Aside from internal capacity, the size and depth of your nonprofit’s donor base are the other major limiting factors for growth and campaign readiness. Both building and engaging your community of supporters should be a top priority.
Practices to implement or improve include:
Create dedicated development workflows. Many smaller organizations might treat fundraising haphazardly, starting from scratch with each campaign. Understanding the complete donor lifecycle, from identification to cultivation, solicitation, and long-term stewardship, gives you a more intentional structure for growth.
Double down on prospect research. Researching donors’ abilities and inclinations to give larger gifts keeps your insights fresh and ensures you’ll have an accurate picture of your fundraising capacity at any given time. Research prospecting best practices and invest in a new tool if needed.
Prioritize engagement and retention. Donor retention is the key to sustained growth. How well do you currently retain donors from one campaign or year to the next? Learn more about why your repeat donors choose to give. Create more engagement opportunities, such as simple membership programs, events, volunteer opportunities, and surveys. Actively track engagement touchpoints as they occur and study the trends.
Diversify your fundraising methods and outreach. Do you host the same types of campaigns and events over and over? Has your outreach grown stale? Try something new by identifying a segment of high-impact donors and carefully considering what kinds of campaigns and messages would interest them. Consider the fundraising methods you offer as well. High-impact donors are increasingly interested in non-cash and planned giving options that can unlock growth once you learn how to suggest them.
3. Develop a strategic fundraising plan.
How intentionally does your organization fundraise? Sure, you likely set goals and lay out plans for each individual campaign or project, but how do these efforts all add up to a bigger picture? Many nonprofits struggle to kickstart growth because they lack a unified vision for what all that work will accomplish as a whole.
If you know that a key goal will be to reach a state of readiness for a capital campaign, try developing a strategic fundraising plan around it.
Based on what you learned during pre-campaign planning, define what will constitute “readiness” for you. Set a timeframe to reach it. Then, delve into specific areas where you need to improve to reach those readiness thresholds. These might include:
Building your overall base of active donors
Increasing the size and volume of your donor development pipeline for larger gifts
Implementing upgraded technology to support fundraising
But by blocking out your journey into discrete, addressable chunks, each structured with clear goals, strategies, and timeframes, you’ll make progress. Gradually grow your nonprofit’s fundraising capacity through internal improvements and by expanding your donor base. Prioritize your most urgent needs, communicate the big-picture plan to your team, and get started.
4. Seek outside support.
Finally, remember that you’re not alone before, during, and after a capital campaign. Tons of resources exist that can help you better prepare your organization and team for this kind of undertaking.
You might take these steps:
Invest in specialized consulting as needed. You’ve identified specific issues or limiting factors holding you back from a campaign; consider whether professional consulting and expert-led training would be a wise investment for any or multiple of them. Third-party consultants can help you lay a stronger foundation in terms of fundraising, communications, logistics, finances, internal culture, and more.
Keep learning about capital campaigns. Chances are you want to reach readiness for your very first capital campaign. Don’t lose sight of the fact that these are the biggest fundraising and logistical undertakings that most nonprofits ever tackle. Even if you’re not quite ready to launch, you can and should keep learning about how these campaigns work, the strategies that drive success, and more.
Find a capital campaign mentor. Depending on how close you are to campaign readiness, you might find a coach or mentor who can help you navigate the process and better prepare your organization. Professional campaign coaching services or even trusted peer organizations with successful campaign track records can be helpful resources at this stage to keep you accountable and your preparations on track.
Find modern campaign resources. Traditional capital campaign consulting services typically have relatively high barriers to entry and involve paying an expert a lot of money to come in, help plan, and then execute a campaign plan once you’ve already reached readiness. Other approaches might be more helpful for your organization, especially in the earliest pre-stages of your campaign. Providers like Capital Campaign Pro offer training, practice, and community to help nonprofits take a more hands-on route, building the skills and experience they’ll need once it’s time to campaign in earnest.
Deciding to postpone a capital campaign isn’t the end of the world—it’s an opportunity to regroup and generally strengthen your organization. As the steward of your nonprofit’s resources, delaying a campaign is also often the most responsible choice you can make. Remember, this outcome is infinitely better than the alternative—rushing into an overwhelming campaign plan before you’re ready.
If you hold off on a campaign, seize your chance to push your organization in other ways. Understand what’s holding you back, grow your community, develop a roadmap to readiness, and get the help you need. Soon you’ll be closer than ever to launching your nonprofit’s most transformative project yet.
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Marketing researchers have found that it takes an average of eight touchpoints for a sales prospect to consider a purchase. This principle holds true in both the for- and nonprofit sectors, meaning your organization needs to reach your supporters where they are over and over again to inspire support.
Contacting supporters across multiple channels is called multi-channel marketing, and it’s often the key to acquiring new donors. To strengthen and diversify your digital outreach strategy, we’ll explore why multi-channel marketing works and how your nonprofit can leverage it.
Why does multi-channel marketing matter?
Multi-channel marketing is the practice of promoting your nonprofit across multiple communication platforms. For instance, let’s say your nonprofit creates a blog post promoting matching gifts. Then, you reformat that content and post it to Facebook, turn it into a fundraising letter, and create a truncated text message version.
This is multi-channel marketing, and it accomplishes two things for nonprofits:
Reach a wide audience. The more platforms your nonprofit markets on, the more prospective supporters will see your content. Multi-channel marketing allows you to cast a wide net and connect with a range of audiences.
Build brand recognition. Brand recognition works. When supporters are considering which nonprofits to give to, they’ll likely gravitate toward organizations they’ve heard of before. By getting your nonprofit’s marketing materials in front of the same supporters repeatedly, they’ll come to know and trust your organization.
Whether a donor prospect sees your outreach for the first or tenth time, each view is an opportunity to engage with your organization. By making repeated calls to action across multiple platforms, you increase the chances that a supporter will act on them.
Multi-Channel vs. Omni-Channel
Multi-channel marketing is closely related to another type of donor outreach: omni-channel marketing. Kwala’s guide to donor communications explains how these concepts work: “With multi-channel [marketing], you spread the same message across multiple platforms, whereas in omni-channel [marketing], each message builds on the one that came before it.”
Essentially, omni-channel marketing is targeted to specific donors to move them through their giving journey. For example, you might send a donation request via direct mail, thank the supporter with an emailed eCard, and send them a text message inviting them to engage with your latest blog content and follow you on social media.
Both approaches are useful and can be used in tandem. When you’re looking to reach a wide audience and connect with new supporters, take a multi-channel approach. When you’re ready to deepen those relationships, switch to omni-channel.
Marketing Channels
A multi-channel marketing approach can span across a wide variety of platforms. Select your outreach methods of choice based on what channels your audience uses and how confident your nonprofit is in its ability to maintain an active presence on that platform.
A few top channels to consider include:
Search ads
Google processes over 8 billion searches every day. This means the search engine commands a massive audience, and nonprofits can tap into that through search ads. These ads appear at the top of search results for websites related to the user’s query. For example, here’s a search ad for a nonprofit organization that explains the organization’s mission to combat adolescent depression and promotes multiple landing pages for learning more and getting involved:
Paid advertisements can get expensive quickly, but fortunately, Google provides nonprofits with credits to spend on search ads through the Google Ad Grants program. Getting Attention’s guide on the subject explains further:
The Google Ad Grant program is a free version of Google Ads for select charitable organizations. While regular Google Ad accounts have to pay per ad click, Google Grant participants can display their advertisements for free… The grant gives eligible nonprofits $10,000 in free monthly advertising credits. As long as the organization complies with the program’s rules, the grant will automatically renew each month. Organizations can use their grant money to bid on different keywords and promote specific pages on their website through text-based ads on the SERPs for those keywords.
Essentially, your nonprofit can create free Google Ads promoting your site content. To supplement your paid strategy, consider how you can also improve your SEO strategy.
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s the practice of creating content that is likely to rank well on search engine results. If content is optimized for search, it may rank highly on the results pages for relevant keywords, driving more traffic to your website.
By combining SEO and paid search, your nonprofit can maximize its reach on search engines.
Email
Overall, email has seen diminishing returns for nonprofits in the past few years. In 2023, nonprofits made $76 for every 1,000 emails they sent, a 20% decrease from 2022. Other metrics are also down, including overall revenue and response rates.
However, that doesn’t mean nonprofits should abandon email. While numbers are down, email is still a core way for nonprofits to request donations, provide project updates, and educate supporters on your mission.
You can improve your email strategy by:
Improving subject lines. Subject lines determine whether an email gets opened or scrolled past. Be conscious of screen sizes, and create subject lines of 70 characters or less to avoid getting cut off.
Issuing just one call to action. Ensure every email is focused by including a single call to action. Emails that ask donors to take multiple actions like donating, volunteering, and subscribing to your newsletter may confuse recipients.
Conducting an email append. If your emails have a high bounce rate, that means your subscribers list is out of date. Fortunately, an email append service provider can fill in missing emails and correct defunct ones.
While fewer donations can be sourced directly to email, that doesn’t mean email no longer drives donations. In a multi-channel strategy, many touchpoints before a conversion can’t be directly accounted for but are still essential for driving the donor journey forward.
Social media
Chances are that most of your supporters use some form of social media. However, deciding which platforms to focus on may be tricky. Here’s a brief overview of how nonprofits can leverage popular social media platforms:
Facebook. Facebook commands a massive audience, and while it doesn’t offer free or discounted advertising for nonprofits, its audience targeting tools can allow you to direct your ads to high-value prospects.
Instagram. If your nonprofit’s mission lends itself to eye-catching photographs, an Instagram account can be fruitful. For example, the animal shelter Perry’s Place went viral for its “Naughty & Nice Cat of the Week” marketing campaign.
X (Formerly Twitter). X has historically seen minimal returns for nonprofits, and many organizations have rolled back their advertising on this platform. Consider maintaining an X account but be cautious about paying for promotion. Additionally, keep an eye out for upcoming competitors like Threads and BlueSky.
TikTok. Nonprofits have flocked to TikTok in the past few years. However, the future of TikTok in the United States is currently in question due to recent legislation. If your nonprofit still decides to pursue a TikTok strategy, consider signing up for TikTok for Good, which provides nonprofits with free marketing tools like donation stickers and fundraising livestreams.
When it comes to social media, only create accounts if you know your organization will be able to maintain them. Even if your nonprofit is active elsewhere, abandoned accounts can make supporters question the health of your organization.
Text message
Text messages connect you with your audience almost immediately, making it an effective platform for quick updates and urgent messages. However, while text messaging can be a powerful part of your multi-channel strategy, be aware that it’s also the easiest to overuse.
Many people always keep their phones within arms reach, meaning they are likely to see your nonprofit’s messages quickly. While this is convenient for getting your message seen, it also means supporters will be extra aware of how often you message them. During busy times of the year for marketing, like the end of the year or during election season, it’s easy for your supporters to get overwhelmed with text messages.
As such, to retain donors, use text messages sparingly and only when an immediate alert to your audience is appropriate.
Direct mail
While much of modern nonprofit communication is digital, there’s still a place for direct mail. In fact, receiving a letter in the mail can feel special and make your nonprofit stand out. When your nonprofit does something memorable, like sending a letter, supporters are more likely to take notice of your messages in other places, like on search engines and social media.
To build brand recognition, ensure your direct mail communication has the same branding as your online marketing materials. This creates a consistent experience across platforms and presents your nonprofit as a cohesive, professional organization.
Create a nonprofit style guide that includes guidelines for direct mail. This might include directions for font sizes, letterheads, signatures, and other specifics.
By sharing your nonprofit’s messages on multiple channels, your organization can reach new supporters and reinforce your brand identity among current ones. Choose which channels you’ll expand to by assessing your audience’s interests, your nonprofit’s resources, and each platform’s outreach potential.
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To maintain this momentum and secure more major gifts for your organization, it’s critical to target the right prospects and get to know them personally. After all, prospects need to trust your organization before they’ll consider giving, and this trust goes both ways. In this quick guide, we’ll explore a few tips you can use to cultivate relationships with major donors that inspire giving and loyal support.
1. Analyze your prospect research findings.
If you’re ready to cultivate a major donor prospect, then presumably you’ve already conducted thorough prospect research to verify their capacity (wealth), affinity (warmth), and propensity (habits)to contribute a major gift. Whether you outsourced this process to a consultant or researched internally, you should have a variety of data points for each prospect.
Analyzing these findings will help you get to know major giving prospects before you even reach out to them, providing you with a solid foundation for your cultivation efforts.
In particular, pay attention to the following information you glean from prospect research:
Giving and involvement history: A prospect’s past donations and engagement with your own nonprofit tell you which cause areas, types of campaigns, and involvement activities they prefer.
Affinity for certain causes: If you discovered that your prospect contributes to other organizations and/or political campaigns related to a certain aspect of your cause, you can zero in on this part of your work to solicit their support.
Philanthropic habits: Note not only which nonprofits prospects donate to, but also how they give. Do they typically give large one-time gifts? Annual donations? Gradually increasing gift sizes?
Affiliations with local businesses and community leaders: Analyzing prospects’ connections can provide insight into their priorities and point out mutual connections your nonprofit can leverage in the cultivation process.
Of course, you should consider all of this analysis alongside the capacity data you gleaned from your initial wealth screen to get an accurate picture of the prospect’s giving potential. Focus on those who you know have the means to donate at the level your organization needs.
2. Meet with prospects regularly.
Face-to-face interactions are the best way to build relationships. As you create major donor cultivation plans and schedule outreach cadences, prioritize in-person meetings as much as possible to better connect with prospects. Plan several types of meetings, such as lunches, meetings for coffee, conversations at events, phone calls, etc.
Every time you meet with a prospect, take detailed notes in your nonprofit’s CRM. Record both large and small tidbits of information, such as:
Personal details: This includes anything from the names of important family members to details about their career and philanthropic history.
Opportunities they seem interested in: Observe their reactions to different projects, programs, and campaigns you discuss to discover which they might want to support in the future.
Stated preferences: Your prospect might casually mention that they like receiving direct mail or dislike auctions, and adhering to these preferences in the future will show you were paying attention.
Topics to bring up again: Note anything you want to check back up on, from their upcoming vacations to any concerns they mentioned about one of your projects.
These details will help you understand the prospect better and deepen your relationship with them. You might also pick up on their preferences for donor recognition, which will be important for the stewardship stage of the major gift fundraising cycle. According to Fundraising Letters, recognition should be as personal and relevant to the donor as possible for maximum impact on donor retention.
3. Discuss their philanthropic priorities.
Getting to know personal details about your prospect helps you build rapport and find common ground, but don’t forget to explore their charitable interests, too. After all, you’re ultimately trying to acquire a major donation, and you need to know exactly what initiatives or programs the prospect would like to support.
In your face-to-face meetings, check-in calls, and discussions with prospects, focus on discovering each prospect’s giving priorities. Gradually collect information to answer questions like:
What aspects of your organization’s mission mean the most to them?
How did they become interested in certain causes?
What organizations and causes have they supported in the past, and why?
Which upcoming projects, campaigns, and programs are they most excited about?
Are they interested in non-traditional forms of giving, like cryptocurrency?
These answers will help you tailor the giving and involvement opportunities you share with prospects down the line. For example, if you find out that a prospect named Shelly thinks the scholarships your organization gives to underprivileged high school students are life-changing, you might dive deeper into this topic and ultimately ask for a major gift to your scholarship program.
4. Send personalized invitations to other involvement opportunities.
Remember that keeping major donors involved in activities beyond giving is also a crucial part of donor stewardship and retention. The more you learn about prospects’ involvement preferences now, the better you’ll be able to steward them after they give.
Use the information you’ve gleaned so far to send tailored invitations to prospects. Donorly’s major gift fundraising guide suggests inviting prospects to fundraising events, volunteering opportunities, personal tours of program sites, or dinners with board members, depending on their individual interests. Each of these opportunities will help prospects connect more deeply with your organization and learn more about why they should support your work.
Plus, any in-person involvement activity gives you a valuable opportunity to get to know the prospect better by seeing them interact with your mission up close. Pay attention to how they engage with others, what questions they ask, and when their eyes light up to learn more about their interests and giving motivations.
Getting to know major donor prospects is only a small part of the full fundraising process. If your organization wants expert advice or support identifying, cultivating, soliciting, or stewarding major donors, don’t be afraid to reach out to a fundraising consultant. These professionals can help you improve your major giving strategy in both the short and long term to boost fundraising revenue.
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Administrative tasks are the foundation upon which your nonprofit’s accomplishments are built. When your organization t operates efficiently, you can spend less time worrying about internal tasks and more time fulfilling your mission.
Administrative tasks aren’t strictly limited to organizing donor data or handling cash and non-cash donations. Recording financial transactions so that you can produce a financial scorecard monthly is just as important to long-term sustainability.
Payroll is one of the largest expenses a nonprofit incurs. Therefore, preparing it is an essential administrative process that often can be streamlined while still ensuring that your organization complies with legal obligations and compensates its hard-working employees. In this guide, we’ll explore three ways to streamline payroll.
1. Partner With a Professional Employer Organization (PEO)
When it comes to managing your nonprofit’s finances, you’ve likely considered outsourcing accounting to an experienced professional. But have you considered outsourcing your employment practices as well?
Professional employer organizations (PEOs) provide expert resources in payroll, human resources, tax compliance, and more. This enables your nonprofit to:
Lower the cost of benefits through economies of scale:Chazin & Company explains that PEOs leverage the collective bargaining power of multiple organizations to negotiate lower rates for health insurance and other employee benefits. As a result, your nonprofit can offer competitive benefits packages without financial strain and can even reallocate its savings toward your organization’s mission.
Reduce the risk of legal complications and financial penalties: PEOs are familiar with federal and state compliance requirements related to hiring and employment practices. Partnering with a PEO provides access to their expertise, often backed by years of experience and specialized knowledge.
Eliminate the need for an in-house HR department: Instead of developing an in-house HR department to hire candidates with adequate qualifications and conduct staff training, partnering with a PEO allows your nonprofit to access personnel support without needing to fund an entirely new department.
If your organization decides to work with a PEO, look for experienced and knowledgeable professionals with certifications in HR and payroll management. Certifications such as Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) indicate that the PEO’s staff bring reliable expertise to the table.
2. Simplify Your Payroll Process
There are a lot of moving parts in a nonprofit’s payroll process. For example, you’ll withhold money from employees’ paychecks to pay certain taxes, but not from contractors’ paychecks since they pay their own taxes. Volunteers, on the other hand, shouldn’t be compensated at all, aside from non-monetary thank-you gifts.
Be sure to properly classify everyone who works for you to keep your records accurate. Also, track essential employee information, such as:
Social Security numbers
Withholdings
Benefits
Overtime
Bonuses
Along with keeping your records organized, compensation practices impact your nonprofit’s overall cash flow. As Double the Donation explains, a healthy nonprofit operating reserve should be sufficient to cover one full payroll cycle, including taxes. This means you’ll need data on each employee’s overtime pay and bonuses to accurately calculate your payroll obligations.
To make tracking compensation easier, establish a standard pay schedule for every employee. Standardizing pay periods reduces the amount of time spent tracking each employee’s pay. Plus, your team will know exactly when to expect their paychecks, fostering trust in your organization.
3. Maintain Compliance
As a nonprofit leader, you’re likely no stranger to the compliance requirements necessary for maintaining tax-exempt status. These regulations extend to payroll processes, as well, and can lead to significant financial penalties if not followed.
Specific regulations include:
Tax exemption: Just because your nonprofit has tax-exempt status doesn’t mean it’s exempt from paying all taxes. Organizations must withhold and file Federal Income Taxes (FITW) and Social Security and Medicare Taxes (FICA) on behalf of their employees. Additionally, most employers must match and remit FICA taxes withheld.
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): According to the Department of Labor, The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) establishes minimum wage, overtime pay, recordkeeping, and youth employment standards affecting employees in the private sector and in Federal, State, and local governments. Non-profit charitable organizations are not covered enterprises under the FLSA unless they engage in ordinary commercial activities that result in sales made or business done, such as operating a merchandise shop or providing veterinary services for a fee. If your nonprofit is engaged in activities subject to the FLSA, you’ll likely need to familiarize yourself with this act’s provisions.
Wage requirements: Nonprofits must follow federal and state wage laws that require employers to pay minimum wage. When paying more than minimum wage, compensation must be reasonable but not excessive. To familiarize yourself with appropriate compensation amounts and potential overtime requirements, review your state’s laws and industry standards.
Unemployment compensation: While 501(c)(3) nonprofits are exempt from filing Federal Unemployment Taxes (FUTA), they must still adhere to their state’s unemployment program requirements. This means either contributing to the state’s unemployment program or annually reimbursing the state for paid unemployment benefits.
Compensation laws and regulations may change, meaning your nonprofit must check in regularly to determine whether there have been any updates. To check for changes, the IRS website is a great resource. Additionally, local and state government websites also lay out tax laws that vary by municipality.
You can also brush up on nonprofit accounting basics to learn more about compliance standards your payroll (and other financial) processes must follow. Also, consulting a CPA can help you access the professional insight needed to ensure your finances are in order.
Along with the benefits your nonprofit can realize from a streamlined payroll process, your employees will also appreciate their employer maintaining an organized approach to compensation. With the right practices in place, your nonprofit won’t just retain employees and boost team morale—you’ll do the right thing by taking care of the team that makes your mission possible.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Chazin-Company_NXUnite_How-to-Streamline-Your-Nonprofits-Payroll-Process.jpg311819alden.lissehttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgalden.lisse2024-10-02 08:27:032024-10-02 08:28:12How to Streamline Your Nonprofit’s Payroll Process: 3 Tips
Selecting the perfect event venue is a critical step in the planning process that can significantly influence your event’s success. The venue sets the stage for the entire experience, from its atmosphere and accessibility to the resources available for your attendees.
A well-chosen venue can enhance engagement, support your event’s objectives, and reflect your organization’s values. This guide outlines key considerations for finding a venue that aligns with your event goals and creates a seamless and memorable experience for everyone involved.
1. The Purpose of Your Event
Before exploring venue options, it’s essential to clearly understand your event’s purpose and objectives. Whether you’re hosting a conference or a fundraising gala, your venue should support and enhance the event’s primary goals.
Consider the following when defining your event’s purpose:
Event Goals: Are you aiming to educate, inspire, or connect attendees? Understanding the primary goal will help you choose a venue that facilitates the desired interactions and activities.
Audience Engagement: Consider the type of experience you want to create for attendees. For example, a venue with flexible spaces can accommodate both formal presentations and informal networking sessions.
Event Format: Think about the structure of your event. Will there be breakout sessions, panel discussions, or hands-on workshops? The venue should be versatile enough to adapt to different formats and schedules.
By aligning your venue with your event’s purpose, you set the stage for a successful and impactful experience.
2. Location and Accessibility
Selecting a venue with the right location and accessibility is key to maximizing attendance and ensuring a positive experience for all participants. A centrally located venue makes it easier for attendees to reach the event, especially if they are traveling from different regions.
When assessing potential venues, consider:
Proximity to public transportation, highways, and airports to accommodate both local and out-of-town guests.
Parking availability and/or shuttle services if space is limited.
Additionally, ensure the venue complies with ADA guidelines by providing accessible entrances, restrooms, and seating for attendees.
3. Venue Capacity and Layout
The size and layout of your chosen venue can significantly affect the comfort of your attendees and facilitate the flow of your event. A venue that is too small can feel cramped and chaotic, while one that is too large may seem empty and disengaging.
Aligning the venue with your event’s format and attendance expectations is essential. When evaluating a venue for capacity and layout, consider these key points:
Capacity Requirements: Match the venue capacity to your expected attendance, accounting for different areas such as main sessions, breakout rooms, and networking spaces. Ensure there is enough space for everyone to move around comfortably.
Flexible Layout Options: Look for venues that offer a variety of room configurations to suit your event’s needs. For example, classrooms for workshops, theater setups for presentations, and open areas for networking or exhibitions.
Flow and Accessibility: The venue should support a smooth flow of movement. Attendees should be able to navigate easily between different event areas, such as check-in, main sessions, and breakouts.
Additional Space Needs: Determine if you need extra space for exhibitors, sponsors, or interactive activities. A venue with versatile spaces can help you incorporate these elements without disrupting the main event.
Choosing a venue with the right capacity and layout ensures that your event runs smoothly and creates a comfortable and engaging environment for all participants.
4. Technology and AV Capabilities
In today’s digital age, robust technology and audio-visual (AV) capabilities are essential for delivering a seamless and engaging event experience. From event check-in kiosks to live streaming to interactive sessions, the right tech setup can elevate your event and ensure that all attendees, whether in-person or virtual, can fully participate.
When assessing a venue’s technology and AV capabilities, consider these options:
Internet Connectivity: Reliable, high-speed internet is a must, especially for hybrid events or those requiring live streaming. Check for Wi-Fi availability and any associated costs for access.
AV Equipment Availability: Check if the venue provides essential equipment such as projectors, screens, microphones, and speakers. Verify the quality and compatibility of these tools with your presentation requirements.
Technical Support: Look for venues that offer on-site technical support during your event. Having a dedicated AV team can quickly resolve any issues, minimizing disruptions and ensuring a smooth experience.
Selecting a venue with strong technology and AV capabilities ensures you can keep your audience engaged and prevent unexpected issues from popping up during your event.
5. Ambiance and Brand Alignment
The ambiance of your chosen venue plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall experience of your event and reinforcing your organization’s brand identity. When evaluating venues, consider how the style, decor, and atmosphere of the space will resonate with your attendees and reflect your organization’s values.
A venue that aligns with your event’s brand can make your event feel more cohesive and memorable. For example, a modern, minimalist venue might suit a forward-thinking, tech-focused event, while a historic or elegant location could be ideal for a more formal, traditional gathering.
Ultimately, choosing a venue that matches the tone and spirit of your event will create a more engaging experience for attendees and help communicate your brand’s story effectively.
6. Catering and Refreshments
The right catering can enhance your event’s atmosphere, keep attendees energized, and even serve as opportunities for networking. When choosing a venue, consider how you’ll handle catering and refreshments to meet the needs of your guests.
Here are some key considerations:
In-House vs. External Catering: Find out if the venue has in-house catering or if you need to hire external vendors. In-house catering can be more convenient and cost-effective, but external vendors may offer more customization.
Menu Variety and Dietary Accommodations: Include diverse options in your menu to cater to different dietary needs, such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and allergy considerations. A flexible menu can make all attendees feel welcome and included.
Service Style and Timing: Decide whether you prefer a formal sit-down meal, buffet, or casual food stations. Align the service style with the event’s format and schedule to ensure smooth transitions between activities.
Budget and Package Options: Review the catering costs and what’s included in the package. Look for venues that offer customizable packages to fit your budget, including options for coffee breaks, snacks, and meal service.
Well-planned catering and refreshments will contribute to a positive attendee experience, helping your event run smoothly and keeping participants engaged throughout the day.
7. Contract Flexibility and Terms
The terms of your venue contract can significantly influence your event planning process. Having a clear, flexible, and fair contract is essential for protecting your organization and facilitating a smooth planning experience.
One of the primary aspects to consider is the cancellation policy. Ensure you understand the terms, including deadlines and penalties, if your event needs to be postponed or canceled. Knowing these details upfront allows you to mitigate financial risks and make informed decisions should unforeseen circumstances arise.
Another important element is the flexibility to change dates. Look for a venue that allows for date adjustments with minimal fees, which can be a lifesaver if unexpected changes occur in your event timeline.
It’s also vital to confirm that the contract includes force majeure clauses, which protect both parties in the event of uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster. These clauses provide a legal safeguard and help avoid disputes in situations beyond your control.
8. On-Site Support and Services
A venue’s on-site support and services can significantly impact your event’s success. Having a dedicated team to assist with logistics, technology, and attendee needs ensures a smooth and professional experience for everyone involved.
Keep an eye out for the following:
Event Coordinators: Look for venues that provide an on-site event coordinator to help manage logistics before and during your event. They can serve as your primary point of contact, helping to address any issues quickly.
Technical and AV Support: Ensure there is a dedicated technical team available to handle any AV or tech-related problems that may arise. This support is crucial for keeping presentations and activities on schedule.
Logistical Support: Assess the availability of additional services such as security, parking attendants, or setup and teardown assistance. These services can significantly reduce the burden on your team.
Extra Services and Amenities: Some venues offer additional services like marketing support, integration with event management tools, or access to vendor networks. These can enhance your event’s reach and impact.
Having robust on-site support helps your team focus on delivering a successful event without getting bogged down by logistical challenges.
Choosing the perfect event venue requires careful consideration of numerous factors, from location and capacity to technology and contract terms. By taking the time to align your venue choice with your event’s goals and your organization’s values, you can create a memorable and impactful experience for your attendees and a profitable event for your organization.
Remember, the right venue not only supports the logistical needs of your event but also enhances its overall success by providing a welcoming and engaging environment for guests. With thoughtful planning and attention to detail, you can ensure that your next event is not only well-organized but also truly unforgettable.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/A2Z_NXUnite_8-Considerations-for-Choosing-the-Perfect-Event-Venue_Feature.png7201890wpenginehttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgwpengine2024-10-01 12:48:532024-10-01 12:48:548 Considerations for Choosing the Perfect Event Venue
As a children’s ministry leader, you know that volunteers are the backbone of your program’s environment. They lead fun activities, build relationships with the kids, and ultimately take charge of the hands-on tasks needed to run your ministry.
But it isn’t simply enough to recruit volunteers and thank them when their work is done; it’s your responsibility to equip them for this essential role with the training and resources they need to excel.
A dedicated volunteer training program supports the spiritual growth of the kids in your ministry and the volunteers who serve them. In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of volunteer training and how to start an effective program for your volunteer team.
Importance of a Training Program for Volunteers
It’s no mystery that volunteers need some background information before they start serving your children’s ministry. For instance, what roles will volunteers fill? What teaching materials can they use, and how should they answer kids’ questions about the content?
While it may seem like these questions could be answered in a quick orientation session or a new volunteer handbook, a dedicated training program offers consistent and comprehensive instruction for all volunteers. As a result, your volunteer team will gain:
Coaching: As Wonder Ink explains, your children’s church curriculum should offer user-friendly tools to prepare volunteers for upcoming lessons. A training program standardizes coaching for logistics such as this, including how to use teaching tools.
Community: Training alongside other volunteers and under the guidance of your ministry’s leaders will cultivate a supportive culture. Plus, volunteers will gain more from the experience when they find community in your ministry.
Confidence: In a structured program, volunteers can learn to exercise authority and become more comfortable in their roles. This will give them the confidence needed to handle any situation that comes their way.
Plus, a dedicated program provides fundamental training that applies to various ministry activities. Whether you’re kicking off vacation Bible school or hosting a fundraiser, volunteers will be prepared to work with the kids in your program and represent your children’s ministry well.
How to Start a Children’s Ministry Volunteer Training Program
Follow these steps to create a solid volunteer training program for your children’s ministry.
1. Develop a training plan.
First and foremost, you’ll need to define your training program’s goals. What is most important for your volunteers to learn, and how will you teach them?
Here are some key elements your training plan should include:
Details about the curriculum: Familiarize volunteers with your curriculum’s scope to ensure they understand the core values being taught and the schedule your teaching will follow.
Volunteer responsibilities: Your training program will center on volunteers’ specific responsibilities. Identify your ministry’s expectations for these roles and plan to provide tips on how to meet these expectations.
Your ministry’s mission: Ensure volunteers align with your ministry’s overall mission by discussing your vision, statement of belief, and any other key background information. If your ministry has a website, you can use your About page as a guide for choosing the most important information to highlight.
Once you’ve determined which objectives are top priorities for your training program, break it down into structured modules covering essential topics. For example, you may plan for one training day to cover the curriculum’s basics, while a few days are needed to explain age-appropriate teaching methods.
2. Recruit experienced trainers.
Next, select experienced individuals in your church or ministry to train incoming volunteers. These could include individuals with lengthy experience volunteering for your ministry or leaders who understand your ministry’s needs.
Also, consider recruiting trainers who specialize in different aspects of your ministry. For example, one trainer may have been involved in choosing your curriculum. This individual would be best equipped to help volunteers navigate the curriculum and its features, while another trainer with counseling experience might be able to teach conflict resolution.
3. Host a new volunteer orientation day.
Once you’ve created a team of experienced trainers, it’s time to start the training process! Host an orientation session that covers the top priorities you defined in your training plan, including your ministry’s mission, curriculum’s scope, and specific volunteer responsibilities.
To guarantee a positive experience and encourage volunteers to come back, eCardWidget recommends following up after the orientation session with a library of training resources, such as:
Mentoring
Roleplaying activities
Interactive quizzes
Q&A sessions
Remember to make these resources accessible to volunteers throughout their time serving your ministry in case they forget anything that was discussed in training. For example, periodic Q&A sessions can help refresh volunteers’ memories of teaching techniques they should employ.
4. Evaluate and improve the program.
Your training program shouldn’t end once volunteers start their roles in your ministry. In fact, you can take significant strides toward an improved training program after volunteer training is complete!
Gather feedback to evaluate what your training program did well and where it could improve. As you collect this data, you’ll be able to make adjustments to your training program accordingly. You can encourage volunteers to provide their feedback through:
Surveys
One-on-one discussions with trainers
Group meetings
For example, did volunteers feel adequately prepared to teach the lessons from your curriculum? Did their values align with the lessons they taught? You may need to adjust your training program to better prepare volunteers for your curriculum’s content. Or, perhaps you need to search for a children’s Bible curriculum that more fully reflects the theological values of your ministry.
Make adjustments according to your volunteers’ feedback to encourage them to continue volunteering and improve the experience for future volunteers.
A dedicated training program is necessary to set your children’s ministry volunteers up for success. It’s the key to going beyond simply recruiting volunteers and assigning tasks—a training program allows you to cultivate relationships with like-minded believers who will have a significant impact on the kids in your ministry. Take the time to develop a program that will equip them for this role and encourage them to stay connected with your ministry in the long run.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Wonder-Ink_NXUnite_A-Guide-to-Childrens-Ministry-Volunteer-Training-Programs_Feature.jpg311819wpenginehttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgwpengine2024-09-18 10:45:312024-09-18 10:48:40A Guide to Children’s Ministry Volunteer Training Programs
30% of volunteers state that one of the main reasons they volunteer is because they have the time available to do so. Conversely, 49% of individuals state that their work commitments are their biggest obstacle to volunteering.
Fortunately, some of your volunteers make time to volunteer with volunteer time off (VTO). VTO helps nonprofits earn more volunteers, meaning more hands available to run your programs, raise funds, and spread awareness of your cause.
To get your nonprofit up to speed on VTO, this quick guide will go over how VTO works, how it helps nonprofits, and what your organization can do to leverage these programs.
Volunteer time off is a benefit some companies offer their employees where they can take paid time off to volunteer. This is different from voluntary time off, which is when a company allows employees to take unpaid time off but remain employed.
VTO is widespread, and many top companies offer some form of program where employees can request time off to volunteer. The majority of these companies offer employees between two and three VTO days per year, though some businesses offer as much as two weeks.
What are the benefits of volunteer time off?
Here’s how VTO programs benefit everyone involved:
Companies offer VTO as a business decision. When employees take time off to volunteer, they’ll be more engaged, think of their employer as socially responsible, and feel increased loyalty to their employer. Plus, having their employees volunteer in the local community can improve the business’s reputation.
Nonprofits earn extra volunteers from VTO programs. After all, if supporters have time off specifically to volunteer, then they are more likely to volunteer. Nonprofits can also earn highly skilled volunteers from professional and specialized companies that provide VTO.
Employees get extra days off and the freedom to support the causes they care about. As such, VTO can be a major draw for job candidates looking for socially conscious workplaces.
While everyone benefits from VTO, these programs are underused. This is why it falls on nonprofits to make their supporters aware of VTO, create positive volunteer experiences that encourage supporters to spend their VTO with their organization, and show appreciation for all volunteers.
Common Volunteer Time Off Guidelines
Different companies have varying VTO policies, and employee volunteers should check in with their employers to ensure they follow the right procedures for requesting VTO. That being said, most VTO programs focus their guidelines on the following criteria:
Employee status. Some companies only offer VTO to specific employees. For example, a multinational department store chain might provide VTO for its executive employees but not its retail workers. Or, a company might provide VTO to full-time but not part-time employees.
Hours accrued. How employees earn VTO hours differs across companies. For example, one business might provide a set amount of VTO hours at the beginning of its fiscal year, whereas another might have employees accrue hours throughout the year. Additionally, some businesses may allow unused VTO hours to roll over from the previous year, whereas others may operate on a “use-it-or-lose-it” basis.
Nonprofit eligibility. To prevent employees from misusing VTO on activities that should be covered by regular PTO, businesses often specify what types of nonprofits and activities are eligible. Commonly, most types of nonprofits, excluding political and religious organizations, are valid.
Let’s look at a breakdown of a sample VTO request form:
VTO requests are like regular PTO requests with one key exception: some companies may require employees to provide details about your nonprofit. Most information will be fairly straightforward, such as your nonprofit’s name and address. However, some companies might request the volunteer supervisor’s contact information or details about the activities the employee will perform.
How to Educate Supporters About Volunteer Time Off
VTO programs are increasing in popularity. Around 65% of companies offer paid volunteer time off. However, the average participation rate is only 33%. This means there’s a good chance your nonprofit has several supporters who are eligible for VTO but aren’t taking advantage of this benefit.
You can earn more volunteers for your cause by promoting VTO to your supporters. A few ways you can spread the word include:
Add information to your volunteer page. On your volunteer page, add information about the different ways supporters can volunteer or supplement their volunteer efforts. This might include information about volunteer grants, team volunteering, and VTO.
Include details in your regular messaging. If your nonprofit regularly posts on social media, sends an email newsletter, or updates its blog, consider creating content about VTO. For example, you might highlight a story about a supporter who made a difference by using their VTO, share research on unclaimed VTO, or call for volunteers and mention VTO.
Invest in a corporate giving database. You can help your volunteers discover if they’re eligible for VTO by investing in a searchable corporate giving database. Since every VTO program is different, corporate giving databases compile company data on various employee giving and volunteer programs into one place. Your supporters can then enter their employers’ names to see what corporate giving programs they qualify for and how to apply for them.
Additionally, be sure to educate your volunteer managers on VTO. This way they can answer supporters’ questions and encourage them to look into VTO, earning your organization more dedicated volunteers.
More Volunteering Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.
Volunteer Grants: Get More Out of Your Volunteer Program – Volunteer grant programs are another corporate volunteerism program that benefits nonprofits. Learn how to tap into these opportunities and generate revenue from your volunteer program.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/volunteer-time-off_feature.png7301600jennifer.grayhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgjennifer.gray2024-09-17 09:51:592024-09-17 09:52:01Volunteer Time Off (VTO) – Nonprofit Catalog
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days—and for good reason. Many believe it to be the future of all technology-based operations and activities.
For nonprofits, this is great news. Many such organizations struggle with managing workflow and allocating resources efficiently, especially when it comes to recruiting new talent (which is already an overshadowed area of nonprofit management).
Leveraged correctly, however, hiring software with AI-powered features can change your hiring process for the better. In this guide, we’ll review different ways to integrate AI into your workflows so you can secure the right talent to achieve your mission.
1. Automate routine tasks.
Perhaps the greatest use of AI for nonprofits is to streamline or eliminate mundane tasks entirely. According to Jobvite, here are some areas of hiring that AI can take care of:
Candidate communication. Individually notifying each applicant that their application was submitted successfully, they advanced to the next phase, or you made a hiring decision can be cumbersome. However, AI can send out messages when certain conditions are met or triggered so nothing ever slips through the cracks.
Interview scheduling. Between your programs and your applicants’ busy schedules, it can be challenging to find a mutually beneficial time for you both to meet. However, AI can instantly find the best open slots for both applicants and your hiring team—simply ask your applicants to provide their availability and it’ll fill in the gaps.
Manage candidate profiles. AI can quickly and easily organize important candidate data, such as demographics and certifications, into digital profiles in your database. This way, you can easily access the information you need without manually creating and updating each profile.
These are just a few of the possible ways AI can help your organization advance your hiring process. To learn even more about functionalities for specific software solutions, schedule demos, reach out to product experts, and read unbiased third-party reviews.
2. Enhance resume screening.
A foundational part of the hiring process is reviewing each candidate’s resume. This helps you make educated decisions about who might be a good fit and who likely isn’t. However, poring over resumes, while important, can be time-consuming and inaccurate—but AI can streamline and improve the process. It can do this by:
Blocking hiring bias. Companies are increasingly prioritizing hiring people of diverse backgrounds to improve innovation and unlock new perspectives. However, identifying factors can trigger hiring professionals’ implicit biases and prevent diverse hiring decisions. AI can remove these identifying factors for you so your team is presented with what matters most: a candidate’s skills, experiences, and ideas.
Creating talent pools. Your hiring team might be faced with a tough decision to let a qualified candidate go because they aren’t the right fit for your needs at this time. However, AI can help you maintain that connection in case they become a better fit down the line with talent pools. These are databases of candidates that you can filter by qualifications, experience, and other categories—and when the time comes, AI can pinpoint the best people to engage with.
Eliminating unqualified candidates. If there are any must-have qualifications for your role posting, AI can identify exactly which candidates can be in the running. For instance, let’s say you’re a nonprofit professional looking for a new fundraising coordinator with at least five years of experience. AI can comb through all resumes provided and present you with only the most qualified options.
For resume screening to function at its full potential, you’ll need to ensure your AI-powered software is fed the right data. NXUnite suggests incorporating various data hygiene standards into your workflow, such as standardizing data entry and disregarding irrelevant data that can bog down your software.
3. Matching candidates.
A challenge talent acquisition specialists might face is ensuring candidates are the best match for certain roles. After all, matching the right applicants with the right roles is key for reducing turnover rates and the cost of hiring.
AI can help by providing razor-sharp insights about who would be best suited for each open role based on qualitative and quantitative data. If you have multiple roles open, AI can suggest moving candidates to different talent pools that are more relevant to their traits. Let’s look at a hypothetical example from the perspective of a nonprofit hiring professional:
The hypothetical nonprofit is looking for a new fundraising manager with at least five years of experience in the nonprofit world and two years of experience fundraising.
Down the line, the nonprofit wants to hire an in-house marketing coordinator for its fundraising initiatives.
An applicant with a degree in marketing applies for the fundraising role. Their experience is tangentially related to fundraising via creating fundraising campaign marketing materials.
AI reads this candidate’s resume and automatically determines that they’d be a better fit for the marketing role, not the fundraising role.
It’s important to remember that this process still requires human oversight in case there are further nuances to your hiring approach that AI doesn’t know. However, AI can at least provide suggestions for which people to move to different talent pools.
4. Scoring candidates at the end of the process
Remember, talent acquisition is never black and white—rather, it’s a strategic process that requires long-term planning and relationship building. However, using an objective scoring system at the end of your hiring process can give you quantitative data to rely on. You might include the following qualifications in your scoring rubric:
Does the candidate have certain qualifications?
Does the candidate have the relevant type and extent of experience?
Has the candidate performed well in interviews?
Does the candidate have any recommendations from respected industry professionals?
Does this candidate mesh well with other employees, and do we expect them to contribute to our employee engagement initiatives?
AI can help come up with the credentials and score candidates accordingly. All you need to do is configure your hiring software appropriately, work with your team to pinpoint the most relevant criteria, and stay on top of updating the information.
Paying attention to these essentials early in the hiring cycle helps you find the best candidates for your organization, improving long-term employee retention in stride. Ensure that you’re keeping tabs on AI advancements throughout this process—there are new updates to consider every day.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Jobvite-NXUnite-How-to-Streamline-Hiring-with-Artificial-Intelligence-feature.jpg360945Adam Weingerhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgAdam Weinger2024-09-16 09:56:172024-09-16 09:56:17How to Streamline Hiring with Artificial Intelligence
You’ve likely heard about workplace giving and its potential to transform your company’s reputation, culture, and employee engagement for the better. By becoming an industry leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR), you can stand out from competitors and enact lasting change in your community.
However, launching a successful workplace giving program requires thoughtful planning and implementation. After all, you need to ensure that your employees are aware of the opportunities you create and consider how you’ll maintain transparency when reporting your social impact.
If your company is looking to join the ranks of other mission-driven businesses by starting a workplace giving program, explore these frequently asked questions to establish a strong foundation for success.
1. Why should companies start a workplace giving program?
Your business already has many priorities to focus on, from managing customer relationships to meeting project deadlines. While implementing a workplace giving program requires some initial investment, the benefits you reap will be well worth the effort. According to Uncommon Giving’s workplace giving guide, many companies experience:
Improved talent acquisition. 81% of employees believe that it’s important to work for a company that integrates CSR into its business practices. Providing workplace giving opportunities can help your business catch the attention of talented job seekers who want to make a difference in the world.
Higher employee engagement. Of the 51% of companies that measure the connection, 96% find that employees who volunteer are more engaged than those who don’t. A workplace giving program makes it easy for your employees to find a sense of purpose, belonging, and connection in their day-to-day responsibilities.
Better employee retention. Companies see a 52% lower turnover rate among newer employees who participate in corporate philanthropy programs. When employees can make an impact through your business, they’re more likely to feel fulfilled in their roles. Plus, social opportunities such as team volunteering events allow them to develop closer friendships with their colleagues.
Enhanced brand reputation. 76% of companies use CSR reports to boost their reputation. Beyond producing stellar products and services, many consumers expect your business to act as a force for social good within its community. A workplace giving program demonstrates that you’re committed to more than just earning high profits.
Any business, regardless of its size or resources, can set up a workplace giving program tailored to its needs, goals, and employee preferences. You don’t need to go all out to begin tapping into the benefits of your improved CSR—start with a low-lift, reasonable approach and expand gradually from there.
2. What are common types of workplace giving?
Depending on your company’s priorities and resources, there are several types of workplace giving that you can include in your program. The most common ones are:
Matching gifts. Your company can match the donations that employees make to nonprofits, typically at a 1:1 ratio. Through matching gifts, employees have the opportunity to double or even triple the impact of their donations.
Volunteer grants. When an employee volunteers regularly with a nonprofit, they can submit a volunteer grant request to your company after contributing a minimum number of hours. Then, your company will donate to that organization, with the amount depending on the hours served.
Corporate volunteering. Your company can encourage employees to provide pro bono skills and services to nonprofits by hosting team-wide volunteering events throughout the year. Additionally, you can promote upcoming volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits through your internal channels.
Payroll deductions. Some employees are looking for an easy and consistent way to support the charitable causes they care about. Through payroll deductions, they can automatically deduct a portion of their paycheck to donate to nonprofits.
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your workplace giving campaigns to find the ones that appeal most to your employees. For example, Double the Donation shares several engaging ideas to get you inspired, such as auctions, nonprofit sponsorships, and back-to-school drives. To manage it all, simply look for a workplace giving platform that can handle a variety of initiatives all in one place.
3. What should you look for in workplace giving software?
As with any nonprofit software, when building out your CSR technology toolkit, it’s important to first conduct thorough research into your options. Doing so ensures that you find a platform that fits your specific budget and needs.
The top workplace giving solutions should:
Be user-friendly and come with extensive support resources.
Allow you to make grants to nonprofits.
Automate the matching gift process.
Streamline volunteer grant requests and processing.
Integrate with your payroll system to facilitate automatic deductions.
Provide real-time reporting dashboards on social impact and employee participation.
Explore workplace giving platform product pages and read their reviews to compile a list of top choices for your business. You can even reach out to connections at other companies in your industry to ask if they have any recommendations. Then, request demos to get a firsthand understanding of how each platform works and make your final decision.
4. How can you encourage participation in workplace giving?
Ultimately, the success of your workplace giving program depends on the participation of your employees. Use the following tips to maximize engagement and make it easy for employees to get involved:
Promote your workplace giving program. Take the time to inform employees about all the workplace giving opportunities they can participate in. When you first launch your program, send out a company-wide announcement, incorporate it into your onboarding materials, and organize Q&A sessions for employees who want to learn more. Then, share updates through internal channels and social media.
Set broader criteria for participation. Some companies only allow full-time employees to take part in workplace giving. To power more impact, however, you can consider extending participation to their spouses and part-time employees. Additionally, you could set a low minimum gift match amount or volunteer hour requirement to encourage more people to engage with matching gifts or volunteer grants.
Recognize employees for their workplace giving participation. Recognition is a highly effective way to reinforce your company’s values and make employees feel acknowledged for their efforts. Express your appreciation when employees join your workplace giving initiatives by sending personalized eCards, shouting them out on social media, or hosting a celebration event for everyone to enjoy.
With your workplace giving software, you should be able to generate real-time reports on impact, employee participation, fundraising progress, and volunteer hours contributed. As you test out new strategies to encourage engagement in your workplace giving program, use this data to evaluate your success.
Launching a workplace giving program is a pivotal step toward improving your CSR and establishing your company as a powerful champion of social good within your community. To design opportunities and criteria that align with your purpose and employee values, send out regular surveys to collect their direct feedback. Use their responses to identify ways you can improve your program and amplify your impact in the long run.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Uncommon-Giving_NXUnite_Answering-4-FAQs-About-Starting-a-Workplace-Giving-Program_Feature.jpg360945wpenginehttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgwpengine2024-08-19 11:46:052024-08-19 11:46:07Answering 4 FAQs About Starting a Workplace Giving Program
Acquiring donors can be an uphill battle. It takes a lot of work to identify prospects, learn more about them, introduce them to your organization, and ultimately make the ask. However, once you’ve acquired a donor, keeping them around is a whole separate challenge.
To build a sustainable base of support for your organization, you have to focus not only on gaining new donors but also on retaining existing supporters and building strong relationships with them.
One of the best ways to do so is through proper donor stewardship. In this guide, we’ll help you retain your supporters by introducing you to the concept of donor stewardship, how you can practice it, and specific questions you can ask your donors to dig deeper into their preferences and create a well-informed stewardship plan.
What is donor stewardship?
Donor stewardship refers to the process of building lasting relationships with donors after they contribute to your nonprofit.
No donor wants to feel like their relationship with your organization is purely transactional. By prioritizing donor stewardship, you can get to know your donors, provide them with relevant engagement opportunities, and create a community of advocates for your cause.
While your donors receive a more personalized, engaging experience, your nonprofit increases the chances that these individuals will continue contributing to your organization, setting you up for long-term success.
How does donor stewardship relate to donor retention?
Donor retention measures how many donors continue giving to your organization after their initial gift. You can calculate your donor retention rate by dividing the number of donors who gave again this year by the number of donors who contributed last year.
The average one-year retention rate for 2023 was 44%, meaning that over half of donors who contributed in 2022 didn’t contribute again in 2023. Many organizations struggle to keep donors returning and put abundant time, energy, and resources toward donor acquisition.
When you focus on donor stewardship, you can retain donors, saving your nonprofit the costs of donor acquisition. A dedicated donor stewardship plan helps you stay in contact with donors, update them on your work, and show your appreciation to retain their support.
How can my nonprofit practice donor stewardship?
The best way to practice donor stewardship is to develop a comprehensive strategy or plan. To ensure your plan covers all your bases, follow these steps:
Develop a stewardship team. To kick off your stewardship efforts, assemble team members who can drive your strategy forward. This team may consist of people like your director of donor relations, major gifts officer, board members, and volunteers.
Create a communication cadence. Determine how you’ll move donors through the stewardship process with an underlying communication cadence. Your first communications with donors should give them background information about your organization whereas subsequent messages should aim to deepen your relationship with them.
Segment your donors. To target your donors more effectively, segment them into relevant groups once you get to know them better. Bloomerang’s donor management software guide recommends creating donor profiles within your database and organizing them into segments, such as ones for first-time donors and monthly contributors.
Demonstrate donors’ impact. Donors want to know that you’re using their gifts as you intended. Assure them that their contributions are being put to good use and making an impact. For example, if you run an in-kind donation drive to collect school supplies for underfunded schools, send an update about how many students now have the items they need to succeed.
One of the most practical ways to steward donors is to ask them for their feedback. When you show donors that you’re open to hearing and implementing their suggestions, they’re more likely to feel appreciated and stick around. Read on for some questions you may ask your donors to steward them properly, organized into relevant categories.
Questions to Ask to Strengthen Your Donor Stewardship
Use the questions below in email surveys, phone calls, in-person check-in meetings, or any other instances in which you’re directly interacting with donors.
Communication Preferences
One of the keys to donor stewardship is communicating with donors on their own terms. To personalize your donor communications, ask them the following questions:
How do you prefer to hear from us? Communicate with donors through their preferred channels, such as email, direct mail, text messages, or calls, to increase the chances they’ll see your messages.
How often would you like to hear from us? Donors may prefer to hear from your nonprofit weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.
Are there any areas of our work you’d like to learn more about? For example, United Way may ask its supporters whether they’d like to explore the organization’s education, economic mobility, or health efforts.
What content are you most interested in? Some donors may want to receive educational blog posts, beneficiary success stories, or cause-related news in their inboxes.
Giving Preferences
Help donors contribute to your organization in the ways they prefer by asking them:
How do you prefer to make donations? Maximize donations by offering as many giving methods as possible, such as online, in-person, direct mail, and text-to-give.
How often do you prefer to make donations? Finding out whether donors intend to give one-time, monthly, quarterly, or annually can help you segment them accordingly.
Are there any specific programs or projects you’d like to support? Discover which programs or projects your donors are passionate about so you can contact them with targeted appeals.
Are you interested in learning about different ways to give? For instance, you may ask donors if they’re interested in participating in matching gifts. If your supporters work for matching gift-eligible companies, you can seize the opportunity to connect with these businesses and form mutually beneficial partnerships.
Engagement
Keeping donors engaged ensures they’ll continue supporting your nonprofit. Use these engagement-related questions in your next donor stewardship survey:
Are there any engagement opportunities you’d be interested in beyond donating? Show donors that you appreciate all forms of support, including volunteering, attending events, and participating in advocacy work.
If you’ve attended any of our events, what was your experience like? You may also ask more event-specific questions, such as how attendees felt about your latest auction items or the venue for your annual gala.
What types of events are you most likely to attend in the future? Ask donors whether they’re most interested in galas, auctions, walkathons, 5Ks, and more, and store these insights in your event management software for future reference.
Do you have any feedback on past volunteer experiences you’ve had with our nonprofit? Use donors’ feedback to improve your volunteer program.
Personal Connection
Build a deeper relationship with donors by exploring their personal connections to your cause:
What does our cause mean to you? Learn why donors support your cause so you can get to know them better and send them more heartfelt communications.
Do you have a particular story that illustrates your connection to our mission? Storytelling is a powerful way to connect with your donors and show prospective supporters what your organization is about. Qgiv recommends incorporating stories into your donation page to motivate donors to give. With donors’ permission, you can share their stories for greater authenticity.
Is there a specific area or aspect of our work that resonates with you? For instance, a donor who supports a local children’s hospital may note that they’re particularly interested in childhood cancer research after losing a child to leukemia.
Building strong relationships with donors through stewardship hinges on centering the donor experience and incorporating their input. Store any valuable insights you gain in your constituent relationship management (CRM) system to drive your future fundraising, marketing, and engagement efforts. Additionally, remember to thank donors for their input, and consider offering a gift or other incentive for their time.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Bloomerang-NXUnite-15-Questions-to-Ask-to-Strengthen-Your-Donor-Stewardship-Feature.jpg7201896wpenginehttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgwpengine2024-07-17 11:58:472024-07-17 11:58:4915 Questions to Ask to Strengthen Your Donor Stewardship
So, You’re Not Ready for a Capital Campaign: What to Do Next
The scale of capital campaigns means that they shouldn’t be undertaken casually. They are major investments of an organization’s time and resources. You must be prepared for a capital campaign before formally launching one.
Otherwise, your fundraising ultimately won’t be sustainable. You’ll open your organization to risks—wasted time and money, damaged relationships, strategic drift, loss of energy and motivation among donors and staff, and more.
This is why evaluating campaign readiness is the most critical pre-planning step you can take.
During this process, you’ll closely evaluate your organization’s current state and plans. You’ll define concrete objectives and a preliminary fundraising goal for the campaign. The goal is to gain a complete view of whether your nonprofit is currently equipped to accomplish the campaign plans.
And in many cases, the answer may be that your organization is not ready for a capital campaign, or at least not the one that you’ve planned so far.
So what do you do? How do you move forward productively? Can your vision for a campaign be salvaged?
Pre-Campaign Planning to Assess Campaign Readiness
It’s a common misconception that a feasibility study is the primary driver of whether an organization is ready for a capital campaign or not. After all, it does have “feasible” in the name.
The truth is that properly preparing for a feasibility study should alert you to reasons why your organization isn’t ready for a campaign.
You absolutely do not want to get in front of your strongest supporters and stakeholders without all of your ducks in a row.
While a feasibility study ostensibly is about testing your goal and case for support, pre-campaign planning is where the rubber hits the road in terms of campaign readiness.
These are bad and good reasons to hold off on a capital campaign:
Remember, every campaign has its issues to overcome. Conducting a readiness assessment and getting serious about pre-campaign planning will help you identify them as early as possible, giving you a chance to pause and evaluate. Realistically consider the depth of the problems you find and whether addressing them would be feasible.
Capital Campaign Pro offers a free readiness assessment that you and your team can take to see if you’re ready for a capital campaign.
Choosing to hold off on your campaign is not a bad thing—it just means you’re not quite ready. Take it as a sign that the best investments you can make in your organization right now are more structural. Moving forward in this direction is still forward movement!
1. Strengthen your organization internally.
So you’ve decided to hold off on a campaign. What next?
You should now take steps to bolster your organization internally, focusing on its capacity, productivity, fundraising abilities, and more. Action items to consider include:
2. Build and engage your donor base.
Aside from internal capacity, the size and depth of your nonprofit’s donor base are the other major limiting factors for growth and campaign readiness. Both building and engaging your community of supporters should be a top priority.
Practices to implement or improve include:
3. Develop a strategic fundraising plan.
How intentionally does your organization fundraise? Sure, you likely set goals and lay out plans for each individual campaign or project, but how do these efforts all add up to a bigger picture? Many nonprofits struggle to kickstart growth because they lack a unified vision for what all that work will accomplish as a whole.
If you know that a key goal will be to reach a state of readiness for a capital campaign, try developing a strategic fundraising plan around it.
Based on what you learned during pre-campaign planning, define what will constitute “readiness” for you. Set a timeframe to reach it. Then, delve into specific areas where you need to improve to reach those readiness thresholds. These might include:
Remember, capital campaign plans are long. The preparation process can be winding and messy.
But by blocking out your journey into discrete, addressable chunks, each structured with clear goals, strategies, and timeframes, you’ll make progress. Gradually grow your nonprofit’s fundraising capacity through internal improvements and by expanding your donor base. Prioritize your most urgent needs, communicate the big-picture plan to your team, and get started.
4. Seek outside support.
Finally, remember that you’re not alone before, during, and after a capital campaign. Tons of resources exist that can help you better prepare your organization and team for this kind of undertaking.
You might take these steps:
Deciding to postpone a capital campaign isn’t the end of the world—it’s an opportunity to regroup and generally strengthen your organization. As the steward of your nonprofit’s resources, delaying a campaign is also often the most responsible choice you can make. Remember, this outcome is infinitely better than the alternative—rushing into an overwhelming campaign plan before you’re ready.
If you hold off on a campaign, seize your chance to push your organization in other ways. Understand what’s holding you back, grow your community, develop a roadmap to readiness, and get the help you need. Soon you’ll be closer than ever to launching your nonprofit’s most transformative project yet.
Multi-Channel Marketing: The Key to Reaching Supporters
Marketing researchers have found that it takes an average of eight touchpoints for a sales prospect to consider a purchase. This principle holds true in both the for- and nonprofit sectors, meaning your organization needs to reach your supporters where they are over and over again to inspire support.
Contacting supporters across multiple channels is called multi-channel marketing, and it’s often the key to acquiring new donors. To strengthen and diversify your digital outreach strategy, we’ll explore why multi-channel marketing works and how your nonprofit can leverage it.
Why does multi-channel marketing matter?
Multi-channel marketing is the practice of promoting your nonprofit across multiple communication platforms. For instance, let’s say your nonprofit creates a blog post promoting matching gifts. Then, you reformat that content and post it to Facebook, turn it into a fundraising letter, and create a truncated text message version.
This is multi-channel marketing, and it accomplishes two things for nonprofits:
Whether a donor prospect sees your outreach for the first or tenth time, each view is an opportunity to engage with your organization. By making repeated calls to action across multiple platforms, you increase the chances that a supporter will act on them.
Multi-Channel vs. Omni-Channel
Multi-channel marketing is closely related to another type of donor outreach: omni-channel marketing. Kwala’s guide to donor communications explains how these concepts work: “With multi-channel [marketing], you spread the same message across multiple platforms, whereas in omni-channel [marketing], each message builds on the one that came before it.”
Essentially, omni-channel marketing is targeted to specific donors to move them through their giving journey. For example, you might send a donation request via direct mail, thank the supporter with an emailed eCard, and send them a text message inviting them to engage with your latest blog content and follow you on social media.
Both approaches are useful and can be used in tandem. When you’re looking to reach a wide audience and connect with new supporters, take a multi-channel approach. When you’re ready to deepen those relationships, switch to omni-channel.
Marketing Channels
A multi-channel marketing approach can span across a wide variety of platforms. Select your outreach methods of choice based on what channels your audience uses and how confident your nonprofit is in its ability to maintain an active presence on that platform.
A few top channels to consider include:
Search ads
Google processes over 8 billion searches every day. This means the search engine commands a massive audience, and nonprofits can tap into that through search ads. These ads appear at the top of search results for websites related to the user’s query. For example, here’s a search ad for a nonprofit organization that explains the organization’s mission to combat adolescent depression and promotes multiple landing pages for learning more and getting involved:
Paid advertisements can get expensive quickly, but fortunately, Google provides nonprofits with credits to spend on search ads through the Google Ad Grants program. Getting Attention’s guide on the subject explains further:
The Google Ad Grant program is a free version of Google Ads for select charitable organizations. While regular Google Ad accounts have to pay per ad click, Google Grant participants can display their advertisements for free… The grant gives eligible nonprofits $10,000 in free monthly advertising credits. As long as the organization complies with the program’s rules, the grant will automatically renew each month. Organizations can use their grant money to bid on different keywords and promote specific pages on their website through text-based ads on the SERPs for those keywords.
Essentially, your nonprofit can create free Google Ads promoting your site content. To supplement your paid strategy, consider how you can also improve your SEO strategy.
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it’s the practice of creating content that is likely to rank well on search engine results. If content is optimized for search, it may rank highly on the results pages for relevant keywords, driving more traffic to your website.
By combining SEO and paid search, your nonprofit can maximize its reach on search engines.
Email
Overall, email has seen diminishing returns for nonprofits in the past few years. In 2023, nonprofits made $76 for every 1,000 emails they sent, a 20% decrease from 2022. Other metrics are also down, including overall revenue and response rates.
However, that doesn’t mean nonprofits should abandon email. While numbers are down, email is still a core way for nonprofits to request donations, provide project updates, and educate supporters on your mission.
You can improve your email strategy by:
While fewer donations can be sourced directly to email, that doesn’t mean email no longer drives donations. In a multi-channel strategy, many touchpoints before a conversion can’t be directly accounted for but are still essential for driving the donor journey forward.
Social media
Chances are that most of your supporters use some form of social media. However, deciding which platforms to focus on may be tricky. Here’s a brief overview of how nonprofits can leverage popular social media platforms:
When it comes to social media, only create accounts if you know your organization will be able to maintain them. Even if your nonprofit is active elsewhere, abandoned accounts can make supporters question the health of your organization.
Text message
Text messages connect you with your audience almost immediately, making it an effective platform for quick updates and urgent messages. However, while text messaging can be a powerful part of your multi-channel strategy, be aware that it’s also the easiest to overuse.
Many people always keep their phones within arms reach, meaning they are likely to see your nonprofit’s messages quickly. While this is convenient for getting your message seen, it also means supporters will be extra aware of how often you message them. During busy times of the year for marketing, like the end of the year or during election season, it’s easy for your supporters to get overwhelmed with text messages.
As such, to retain donors, use text messages sparingly and only when an immediate alert to your audience is appropriate.
Direct mail
While much of modern nonprofit communication is digital, there’s still a place for direct mail. In fact, receiving a letter in the mail can feel special and make your nonprofit stand out. When your nonprofit does something memorable, like sending a letter, supporters are more likely to take notice of your messages in other places, like on search engines and social media.
To build brand recognition, ensure your direct mail communication has the same branding as your online marketing materials. This creates a consistent experience across platforms and presents your nonprofit as a cohesive, professional organization.
Create a nonprofit style guide that includes guidelines for direct mail. This might include directions for font sizes, letterheads, signatures, and other specifics.
By sharing your nonprofit’s messages on multiple channels, your organization can reach new supporters and reinforce your brand identity among current ones. Choose which channels you’ll expand to by assessing your audience’s interests, your nonprofit’s resources, and each platform’s outreach potential.
4 Tips for Getting to Know Your Major Donor Prospects
Major gifts continue to sustain nonprofits, representing almost 75% of total fundraising dollars in the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project report.
To maintain this momentum and secure more major gifts for your organization, it’s critical to target the right prospects and get to know them personally. After all, prospects need to trust your organization before they’ll consider giving, and this trust goes both ways. In this quick guide, we’ll explore a few tips you can use to cultivate relationships with major donors that inspire giving and loyal support.
1. Analyze your prospect research findings.
If you’re ready to cultivate a major donor prospect, then presumably you’ve already conducted thorough prospect research to verify their capacity (wealth), affinity (warmth), and propensity (habits) to contribute a major gift. Whether you outsourced this process to a consultant or researched internally, you should have a variety of data points for each prospect.
Analyzing these findings will help you get to know major giving prospects before you even reach out to them, providing you with a solid foundation for your cultivation efforts.
In particular, pay attention to the following information you glean from prospect research:
Of course, you should consider all of this analysis alongside the capacity data you gleaned from your initial wealth screen to get an accurate picture of the prospect’s giving potential. Focus on those who you know have the means to donate at the level your organization needs.
2. Meet with prospects regularly.
Face-to-face interactions are the best way to build relationships. As you create major donor cultivation plans and schedule outreach cadences, prioritize in-person meetings as much as possible to better connect with prospects. Plan several types of meetings, such as lunches, meetings for coffee, conversations at events, phone calls, etc.
Every time you meet with a prospect, take detailed notes in your nonprofit’s CRM. Record both large and small tidbits of information, such as:
These details will help you understand the prospect better and deepen your relationship with them. You might also pick up on their preferences for donor recognition, which will be important for the stewardship stage of the major gift fundraising cycle. According to Fundraising Letters, recognition should be as personal and relevant to the donor as possible for maximum impact on donor retention.
3. Discuss their philanthropic priorities.
Getting to know personal details about your prospect helps you build rapport and find common ground, but don’t forget to explore their charitable interests, too. After all, you’re ultimately trying to acquire a major donation, and you need to know exactly what initiatives or programs the prospect would like to support.
In your face-to-face meetings, check-in calls, and discussions with prospects, focus on discovering each prospect’s giving priorities. Gradually collect information to answer questions like:
These answers will help you tailor the giving and involvement opportunities you share with prospects down the line. For example, if you find out that a prospect named Shelly thinks the scholarships your organization gives to underprivileged high school students are life-changing, you might dive deeper into this topic and ultimately ask for a major gift to your scholarship program.
4. Send personalized invitations to other involvement opportunities.
Remember that keeping major donors involved in activities beyond giving is also a crucial part of donor stewardship and retention. The more you learn about prospects’ involvement preferences now, the better you’ll be able to steward them after they give.
Use the information you’ve gleaned so far to send tailored invitations to prospects. Donorly’s major gift fundraising guide suggests inviting prospects to fundraising events, volunteering opportunities, personal tours of program sites, or dinners with board members, depending on their individual interests. Each of these opportunities will help prospects connect more deeply with your organization and learn more about why they should support your work.
Plus, any in-person involvement activity gives you a valuable opportunity to get to know the prospect better by seeing them interact with your mission up close. Pay attention to how they engage with others, what questions they ask, and when their eyes light up to learn more about their interests and giving motivations.
Getting to know major donor prospects is only a small part of the full fundraising process. If your organization wants expert advice or support identifying, cultivating, soliciting, or stewarding major donors, don’t be afraid to reach out to a fundraising consultant. These professionals can help you improve your major giving strategy in both the short and long term to boost fundraising revenue.
How to Streamline Your Nonprofit’s Payroll Process: 3 Tips
Administrative tasks are the foundation upon which your nonprofit’s accomplishments are built. When your organization t operates efficiently, you can spend less time worrying about internal tasks and more time fulfilling your mission.
Administrative tasks aren’t strictly limited to organizing donor data or handling cash and non-cash donations. Recording financial transactions so that you can produce a financial scorecard monthly is just as important to long-term sustainability.
Payroll is one of the largest expenses a nonprofit incurs. Therefore, preparing it is an essential administrative process that often can be streamlined while still ensuring that your organization complies with legal obligations and compensates its hard-working employees. In this guide, we’ll explore three ways to streamline payroll.
1. Partner With a Professional Employer Organization (PEO)
When it comes to managing your nonprofit’s finances, you’ve likely considered outsourcing accounting to an experienced professional. But have you considered outsourcing your employment practices as well?
Professional employer organizations (PEOs) provide expert resources in payroll, human resources, tax compliance, and more. This enables your nonprofit to:
If your organization decides to work with a PEO, look for experienced and knowledgeable professionals with certifications in HR and payroll management. Certifications such as Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR), Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), and Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) indicate that the PEO’s staff bring reliable expertise to the table.
2. Simplify Your Payroll Process
There are a lot of moving parts in a nonprofit’s payroll process. For example, you’ll withhold money from employees’ paychecks to pay certain taxes, but not from contractors’ paychecks since they pay their own taxes. Volunteers, on the other hand, shouldn’t be compensated at all, aside from non-monetary thank-you gifts.
Be sure to properly classify everyone who works for you to keep your records accurate. Also, track essential employee information, such as:
Along with keeping your records organized, compensation practices impact your nonprofit’s overall cash flow. As Double the Donation explains, a healthy nonprofit operating reserve should be sufficient to cover one full payroll cycle, including taxes. This means you’ll need data on each employee’s overtime pay and bonuses to accurately calculate your payroll obligations.
To make tracking compensation easier, establish a standard pay schedule for every employee. Standardizing pay periods reduces the amount of time spent tracking each employee’s pay. Plus, your team will know exactly when to expect their paychecks, fostering trust in your organization.
3. Maintain Compliance
As a nonprofit leader, you’re likely no stranger to the compliance requirements necessary for maintaining tax-exempt status. These regulations extend to payroll processes, as well, and can lead to significant financial penalties if not followed.
Specific regulations include:
Compensation laws and regulations may change, meaning your nonprofit must check in regularly to determine whether there have been any updates. To check for changes, the IRS website is a great resource. Additionally, local and state government websites also lay out tax laws that vary by municipality.
You can also brush up on nonprofit accounting basics to learn more about compliance standards your payroll (and other financial) processes must follow. Also, consulting a CPA can help you access the professional insight needed to ensure your finances are in order.
Along with the benefits your nonprofit can realize from a streamlined payroll process, your employees will also appreciate their employer maintaining an organized approach to compensation. With the right practices in place, your nonprofit won’t just retain employees and boost team morale—you’ll do the right thing by taking care of the team that makes your mission possible.
8 Considerations for Choosing the Perfect Event Venue
Selecting the perfect event venue is a critical step in the planning process that can significantly influence your event’s success. The venue sets the stage for the entire experience, from its atmosphere and accessibility to the resources available for your attendees.
A well-chosen venue can enhance engagement, support your event’s objectives, and reflect your organization’s values. This guide outlines key considerations for finding a venue that aligns with your event goals and creates a seamless and memorable experience for everyone involved.
1. The Purpose of Your Event
Before exploring venue options, it’s essential to clearly understand your event’s purpose and objectives. Whether you’re hosting a conference or a fundraising gala, your venue should support and enhance the event’s primary goals.
Consider the following when defining your event’s purpose:
By aligning your venue with your event’s purpose, you set the stage for a successful and impactful experience.
2. Location and Accessibility
Selecting a venue with the right location and accessibility is key to maximizing attendance and ensuring a positive experience for all participants. A centrally located venue makes it easier for attendees to reach the event, especially if they are traveling from different regions.
When assessing potential venues, consider:
Additionally, ensure the venue complies with ADA guidelines by providing accessible entrances, restrooms, and seating for attendees.
3. Venue Capacity and Layout
The size and layout of your chosen venue can significantly affect the comfort of your attendees and facilitate the flow of your event. A venue that is too small can feel cramped and chaotic, while one that is too large may seem empty and disengaging.
Aligning the venue with your event’s format and attendance expectations is essential. When evaluating a venue for capacity and layout, consider these key points:
Choosing a venue with the right capacity and layout ensures that your event runs smoothly and creates a comfortable and engaging environment for all participants.
4. Technology and AV Capabilities
In today’s digital age, robust technology and audio-visual (AV) capabilities are essential for delivering a seamless and engaging event experience. From event check-in kiosks to live streaming to interactive sessions, the right tech setup can elevate your event and ensure that all attendees, whether in-person or virtual, can fully participate.
When assessing a venue’s technology and AV capabilities, consider these options:
Selecting a venue with strong technology and AV capabilities ensures you can keep your audience engaged and prevent unexpected issues from popping up during your event.
5. Ambiance and Brand Alignment
The ambiance of your chosen venue plays a pivotal role in shaping the overall experience of your event and reinforcing your organization’s brand identity. When evaluating venues, consider how the style, decor, and atmosphere of the space will resonate with your attendees and reflect your organization’s values.
A venue that aligns with your event’s brand can make your event feel more cohesive and memorable. For example, a modern, minimalist venue might suit a forward-thinking, tech-focused event, while a historic or elegant location could be ideal for a more formal, traditional gathering.
Ultimately, choosing a venue that matches the tone and spirit of your event will create a more engaging experience for attendees and help communicate your brand’s story effectively.
6. Catering and Refreshments
The right catering can enhance your event’s atmosphere, keep attendees energized, and even serve as opportunities for networking. When choosing a venue, consider how you’ll handle catering and refreshments to meet the needs of your guests.
Here are some key considerations:
Well-planned catering and refreshments will contribute to a positive attendee experience, helping your event run smoothly and keeping participants engaged throughout the day.
7. Contract Flexibility and Terms
The terms of your venue contract can significantly influence your event planning process. Having a clear, flexible, and fair contract is essential for protecting your organization and facilitating a smooth planning experience.
One of the primary aspects to consider is the cancellation policy. Ensure you understand the terms, including deadlines and penalties, if your event needs to be postponed or canceled. Knowing these details upfront allows you to mitigate financial risks and make informed decisions should unforeseen circumstances arise.
Another important element is the flexibility to change dates. Look for a venue that allows for date adjustments with minimal fees, which can be a lifesaver if unexpected changes occur in your event timeline.
It’s also vital to confirm that the contract includes force majeure clauses, which protect both parties in the event of uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster. These clauses provide a legal safeguard and help avoid disputes in situations beyond your control.
8. On-Site Support and Services
A venue’s on-site support and services can significantly impact your event’s success. Having a dedicated team to assist with logistics, technology, and attendee needs ensures a smooth and professional experience for everyone involved.
Keep an eye out for the following:
Having robust on-site support helps your team focus on delivering a successful event without getting bogged down by logistical challenges.
Choosing the perfect event venue requires careful consideration of numerous factors, from location and capacity to technology and contract terms. By taking the time to align your venue choice with your event’s goals and your organization’s values, you can create a memorable and impactful experience for your attendees and a profitable event for your organization.
Remember, the right venue not only supports the logistical needs of your event but also enhances its overall success by providing a welcoming and engaging environment for guests. With thoughtful planning and attention to detail, you can ensure that your next event is not only well-organized but also truly unforgettable.
A Guide to Children’s Ministry Volunteer Training Programs
As a children’s ministry leader, you know that volunteers are the backbone of your program’s environment. They lead fun activities, build relationships with the kids, and ultimately take charge of the hands-on tasks needed to run your ministry.
But it isn’t simply enough to recruit volunteers and thank them when their work is done; it’s your responsibility to equip them for this essential role with the training and resources they need to excel.
A dedicated volunteer training program supports the spiritual growth of the kids in your ministry and the volunteers who serve them. In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of volunteer training and how to start an effective program for your volunteer team.
Importance of a Training Program for Volunteers
It’s no mystery that volunteers need some background information before they start serving your children’s ministry. For instance, what roles will volunteers fill? What teaching materials can they use, and how should they answer kids’ questions about the content?
While it may seem like these questions could be answered in a quick orientation session or a new volunteer handbook, a dedicated training program offers consistent and comprehensive instruction for all volunteers. As a result, your volunteer team will gain:
Plus, a dedicated program provides fundamental training that applies to various ministry activities. Whether you’re kicking off vacation Bible school or hosting a fundraiser, volunteers will be prepared to work with the kids in your program and represent your children’s ministry well.
How to Start a Children’s Ministry Volunteer Training Program
Follow these steps to create a solid volunteer training program for your children’s ministry.
1. Develop a training plan.
First and foremost, you’ll need to define your training program’s goals. What is most important for your volunteers to learn, and how will you teach them?
Here are some key elements your training plan should include:
Once you’ve determined which objectives are top priorities for your training program, break it down into structured modules covering essential topics. For example, you may plan for one training day to cover the curriculum’s basics, while a few days are needed to explain age-appropriate teaching methods.
2. Recruit experienced trainers.
Next, select experienced individuals in your church or ministry to train incoming volunteers. These could include individuals with lengthy experience volunteering for your ministry or leaders who understand your ministry’s needs.
Also, consider recruiting trainers who specialize in different aspects of your ministry. For example, one trainer may have been involved in choosing your curriculum. This individual would be best equipped to help volunteers navigate the curriculum and its features, while another trainer with counseling experience might be able to teach conflict resolution.
3. Host a new volunteer orientation day.
Once you’ve created a team of experienced trainers, it’s time to start the training process! Host an orientation session that covers the top priorities you defined in your training plan, including your ministry’s mission, curriculum’s scope, and specific volunteer responsibilities.
To guarantee a positive experience and encourage volunteers to come back, eCardWidget recommends following up after the orientation session with a library of training resources, such as:
Remember to make these resources accessible to volunteers throughout their time serving your ministry in case they forget anything that was discussed in training. For example, periodic Q&A sessions can help refresh volunteers’ memories of teaching techniques they should employ.
4. Evaluate and improve the program.
Your training program shouldn’t end once volunteers start their roles in your ministry. In fact, you can take significant strides toward an improved training program after volunteer training is complete!
Gather feedback to evaluate what your training program did well and where it could improve. As you collect this data, you’ll be able to make adjustments to your training program accordingly. You can encourage volunteers to provide their feedback through:
For example, did volunteers feel adequately prepared to teach the lessons from your curriculum? Did their values align with the lessons they taught? You may need to adjust your training program to better prepare volunteers for your curriculum’s content. Or, perhaps you need to search for a children’s Bible curriculum that more fully reflects the theological values of your ministry.
Make adjustments according to your volunteers’ feedback to encourage them to continue volunteering and improve the experience for future volunteers.
A dedicated training program is necessary to set your children’s ministry volunteers up for success. It’s the key to going beyond simply recruiting volunteers and assigning tasks—a training program allows you to cultivate relationships with like-minded believers who will have a significant impact on the kids in your ministry. Take the time to develop a program that will equip them for this role and encourage them to stay connected with your ministry in the long run.
Volunteer Time Off (VTO) – Nonprofit Catalog
30% of volunteers state that one of the main reasons they volunteer is because they have the time available to do so. Conversely, 49% of individuals state that their work commitments are their biggest obstacle to volunteering.
Fortunately, some of your volunteers make time to volunteer with volunteer time off (VTO). VTO helps nonprofits earn more volunteers, meaning more hands available to run your programs, raise funds, and spread awareness of your cause.
To get your nonprofit up to speed on VTO, this quick guide will go over how VTO works, how it helps nonprofits, and what your organization can do to leverage these programs.
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What is volunteer time off?
Volunteer time off is a benefit some companies offer their employees where they can take paid time off to volunteer. This is different from voluntary time off, which is when a company allows employees to take unpaid time off but remain employed.
VTO is widespread, and many top companies offer some form of program where employees can request time off to volunteer. The majority of these companies offer employees between two and three VTO days per year, though some businesses offer as much as two weeks.
What are the benefits of volunteer time off?
Here’s how VTO programs benefit everyone involved:
While everyone benefits from VTO, these programs are underused. This is why it falls on nonprofits to make their supporters aware of VTO, create positive volunteer experiences that encourage supporters to spend their VTO with their organization, and show appreciation for all volunteers.
Common Volunteer Time Off Guidelines
Different companies have varying VTO policies, and employee volunteers should check in with their employers to ensure they follow the right procedures for requesting VTO. That being said, most VTO programs focus their guidelines on the following criteria:
Let’s look at a breakdown of a sample VTO request form:
VTO requests are like regular PTO requests with one key exception: some companies may require employees to provide details about your nonprofit. Most information will be fairly straightforward, such as your nonprofit’s name and address. However, some companies might request the volunteer supervisor’s contact information or details about the activities the employee will perform.
How to Educate Supporters About Volunteer Time Off
VTO programs are increasing in popularity. Around 65% of companies offer paid volunteer time off. However, the average participation rate is only 33%. This means there’s a good chance your nonprofit has several supporters who are eligible for VTO but aren’t taking advantage of this benefit.
You can earn more volunteers for your cause by promoting VTO to your supporters. A few ways you can spread the word include:
Additionally, be sure to educate your volunteer managers on VTO. This way they can answer supporters’ questions and encourage them to look into VTO, earning your organization more dedicated volunteers.
More Volunteering Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.
Volunteer Grants: Get More Out of Your Volunteer Program – Volunteer grant programs are another corporate volunteerism program that benefits nonprofits. Learn how to tap into these opportunities and generate revenue from your volunteer program.
Employee Volunteer Incentive Programs: Get Your Team Active – Some companies offer programs to incentivize their employees to volunteer. Discover common volunteer incentives and what these mean for nonprofits.
How to Streamline Hiring with Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days—and for good reason. Many believe it to be the future of all technology-based operations and activities.
For nonprofits, this is great news. Many such organizations struggle with managing workflow and allocating resources efficiently, especially when it comes to recruiting new talent (which is already an overshadowed area of nonprofit management).
Leveraged correctly, however, hiring software with AI-powered features can change your hiring process for the better. In this guide, we’ll review different ways to integrate AI into your workflows so you can secure the right talent to achieve your mission.
1. Automate routine tasks.
Perhaps the greatest use of AI for nonprofits is to streamline or eliminate mundane tasks entirely. According to Jobvite, here are some areas of hiring that AI can take care of:
These are just a few of the possible ways AI can help your organization advance your hiring process. To learn even more about functionalities for specific software solutions, schedule demos, reach out to product experts, and read unbiased third-party reviews.
2. Enhance resume screening.
A foundational part of the hiring process is reviewing each candidate’s resume. This helps you make educated decisions about who might be a good fit and who likely isn’t. However, poring over resumes, while important, can be time-consuming and inaccurate—but AI can streamline and improve the process. It can do this by:
For resume screening to function at its full potential, you’ll need to ensure your AI-powered software is fed the right data. NXUnite suggests incorporating various data hygiene standards into your workflow, such as standardizing data entry and disregarding irrelevant data that can bog down your software.
3. Matching candidates.
A challenge talent acquisition specialists might face is ensuring candidates are the best match for certain roles. After all, matching the right applicants with the right roles is key for reducing turnover rates and the cost of hiring.
AI can help by providing razor-sharp insights about who would be best suited for each open role based on qualitative and quantitative data. If you have multiple roles open, AI can suggest moving candidates to different talent pools that are more relevant to their traits. Let’s look at a hypothetical example from the perspective of a nonprofit hiring professional:
It’s important to remember that this process still requires human oversight in case there are further nuances to your hiring approach that AI doesn’t know. However, AI can at least provide suggestions for which people to move to different talent pools.
4. Scoring candidates at the end of the process
Remember, talent acquisition is never black and white—rather, it’s a strategic process that requires long-term planning and relationship building. However, using an objective scoring system at the end of your hiring process can give you quantitative data to rely on. You might include the following qualifications in your scoring rubric:
AI can help come up with the credentials and score candidates accordingly. All you need to do is configure your hiring software appropriately, work with your team to pinpoint the most relevant criteria, and stay on top of updating the information.
Paying attention to these essentials early in the hiring cycle helps you find the best candidates for your organization, improving long-term employee retention in stride. Ensure that you’re keeping tabs on AI advancements throughout this process—there are new updates to consider every day.
Answering 4 FAQs About Starting a Workplace Giving Program
You’ve likely heard about workplace giving and its potential to transform your company’s reputation, culture, and employee engagement for the better. By becoming an industry leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR), you can stand out from competitors and enact lasting change in your community.
However, launching a successful workplace giving program requires thoughtful planning and implementation. After all, you need to ensure that your employees are aware of the opportunities you create and consider how you’ll maintain transparency when reporting your social impact.
If your company is looking to join the ranks of other mission-driven businesses by starting a workplace giving program, explore these frequently asked questions to establish a strong foundation for success.
1. Why should companies start a workplace giving program?
Your business already has many priorities to focus on, from managing customer relationships to meeting project deadlines. While implementing a workplace giving program requires some initial investment, the benefits you reap will be well worth the effort. According to Uncommon Giving’s workplace giving guide, many companies experience:
Any business, regardless of its size or resources, can set up a workplace giving program tailored to its needs, goals, and employee preferences. You don’t need to go all out to begin tapping into the benefits of your improved CSR—start with a low-lift, reasonable approach and expand gradually from there.
2. What are common types of workplace giving?
Depending on your company’s priorities and resources, there are several types of workplace giving that you can include in your program. The most common ones are:
Don’t be afraid to get creative with your workplace giving campaigns to find the ones that appeal most to your employees. For example, Double the Donation shares several engaging ideas to get you inspired, such as auctions, nonprofit sponsorships, and back-to-school drives. To manage it all, simply look for a workplace giving platform that can handle a variety of initiatives all in one place.
3. What should you look for in workplace giving software?
As with any nonprofit software, when building out your CSR technology toolkit, it’s important to first conduct thorough research into your options. Doing so ensures that you find a platform that fits your specific budget and needs.
The top workplace giving solutions should:
Explore workplace giving platform product pages and read their reviews to compile a list of top choices for your business. You can even reach out to connections at other companies in your industry to ask if they have any recommendations. Then, request demos to get a firsthand understanding of how each platform works and make your final decision.
4. How can you encourage participation in workplace giving?
Ultimately, the success of your workplace giving program depends on the participation of your employees. Use the following tips to maximize engagement and make it easy for employees to get involved:
With your workplace giving software, you should be able to generate real-time reports on impact, employee participation, fundraising progress, and volunteer hours contributed. As you test out new strategies to encourage engagement in your workplace giving program, use this data to evaluate your success.
Launching a workplace giving program is a pivotal step toward improving your CSR and establishing your company as a powerful champion of social good within your community. To design opportunities and criteria that align with your purpose and employee values, send out regular surveys to collect their direct feedback. Use their responses to identify ways you can improve your program and amplify your impact in the long run.
15 Questions to Ask to Strengthen Your Donor Stewardship
Acquiring donors can be an uphill battle. It takes a lot of work to identify prospects, learn more about them, introduce them to your organization, and ultimately make the ask. However, once you’ve acquired a donor, keeping them around is a whole separate challenge.
To build a sustainable base of support for your organization, you have to focus not only on gaining new donors but also on retaining existing supporters and building strong relationships with them.
One of the best ways to do so is through proper donor stewardship. In this guide, we’ll help you retain your supporters by introducing you to the concept of donor stewardship, how you can practice it, and specific questions you can ask your donors to dig deeper into their preferences and create a well-informed stewardship plan.
What is donor stewardship?
Donor stewardship refers to the process of building lasting relationships with donors after they contribute to your nonprofit.
No donor wants to feel like their relationship with your organization is purely transactional. By prioritizing donor stewardship, you can get to know your donors, provide them with relevant engagement opportunities, and create a community of advocates for your cause.
While your donors receive a more personalized, engaging experience, your nonprofit increases the chances that these individuals will continue contributing to your organization, setting you up for long-term success.
How does donor stewardship relate to donor retention?
Donor retention measures how many donors continue giving to your organization after their initial gift. You can calculate your donor retention rate by dividing the number of donors who gave again this year by the number of donors who contributed last year.
The average one-year retention rate for 2023 was 44%, meaning that over half of donors who contributed in 2022 didn’t contribute again in 2023. Many organizations struggle to keep donors returning and put abundant time, energy, and resources toward donor acquisition.
When you focus on donor stewardship, you can retain donors, saving your nonprofit the costs of donor acquisition. A dedicated donor stewardship plan helps you stay in contact with donors, update them on your work, and show your appreciation to retain their support.
How can my nonprofit practice donor stewardship?
The best way to practice donor stewardship is to develop a comprehensive strategy or plan. To ensure your plan covers all your bases, follow these steps:
One of the most practical ways to steward donors is to ask them for their feedback. When you show donors that you’re open to hearing and implementing their suggestions, they’re more likely to feel appreciated and stick around. Read on for some questions you may ask your donors to steward them properly, organized into relevant categories.
Questions to Ask to Strengthen Your Donor Stewardship
Use the questions below in email surveys, phone calls, in-person check-in meetings, or any other instances in which you’re directly interacting with donors.
Communication Preferences
One of the keys to donor stewardship is communicating with donors on their own terms. To personalize your donor communications, ask them the following questions:
Giving Preferences
Help donors contribute to your organization in the ways they prefer by asking them:
Engagement
Keeping donors engaged ensures they’ll continue supporting your nonprofit. Use these engagement-related questions in your next donor stewardship survey:
Personal Connection
Build a deeper relationship with donors by exploring their personal connections to your cause:
Building strong relationships with donors through stewardship hinges on centering the donor experience and incorporating their input. Store any valuable insights you gain in your constituent relationship management (CRM) system to drive your future fundraising, marketing, and engagement efforts. Additionally, remember to thank donors for their input, and consider offering a gift or other incentive for their time.