According to an Independent Sector report, 48.5% of nonprofits increased their staff workloads to meet rising demands for services last year. Your nonprofit’s staff members have a lot on their plates. To continue making a difference, they must stay on top of fundraising initiatives, dedicate time to outreach, follow up with donors, and more.
As more community needs arise, it’s essential to equip your team with the tools, skills, and resources they need to streamline their roles and avoid burnout. One way to accomplish this is by creating a nonprofit staff training plan.
Having a deliberate training plan in place ensures that you stay on top of your staff’s learning needs and keep up with the latest best practices in the sector. Fortunately, there is a wealth of high-quality resources that you can offer to employees, from certification programs to online advice shared by nonprofit thought leaders. Let’s start by exploring exactly why staff training is so important to your nonprofit’s long-term success.
What are the benefits of nonprofit staff training?
Every member of your nonprofit’s team is a key contributor to your mission. Therefore, you need to hire and retain passionate, talented individuals who are capable of propelling you toward your goals. By investing in staff training, your organization can:
Attract top candidates. The world of nonprofits is fast-paced, which might seem overwhelming to newcomers. They may be concerned that they’ll be left to their own devices in their roles and forced to adapt with minimal help. Having a training plan that you can mention in job descriptions can assuage their worries and inspire more exceptional job seekers to join your nonprofit.
Improve employee engagement. Training your employees is an excellent way to demonstrate how much you value their contributions. As they learn and improve, they’ll feel more confident in their day-to-day responsibilities and proud of all that they accomplish for your nonprofit. The more competent they feel in their roles, the more likely they’ll be to stick around for the long term.
Boost operational efficiency. Your staff members need to leverage various tools and work as a team to fulfill your nonprofit’s purpose, whether they’re providing services to beneficiaries or putting together reports to inform your strategic planning efforts. Staff training can streamline their workflows, improve their efficiency, and empower them to build stronger relationships with stakeholders.
Increase its reputation. Developing a staff training plan demonstrates to your donors, volunteers, board of directors, and other community members that you’re committed to producing better outcomes for those you serve. This can increase your credibility and bring in more support for your cause.
Ultimately, the time and resources you devote to nonprofit staff training will shine through in the impact you make on your community.
How do you create a nonprofit staff training plan?
The specifics of a nonprofit staff training plan will differ depending on your mission, staff members, and priorities. For instance, you might be trying to promote more matching gifts and determine that you need to educate staff members on how to speak about these opportunities with donors. Or, you might have recently adopted a new software solution that you need to familiarize your employees with.
No matter what your priorities are, you can follow these four steps to put together an effective training plan of your own:
1. Identify staff training needs and topics.
Ensure that you’re directing your resources to the right areas by sending out a survey to your staff members upfront. Ask them to share which topics of knowledge or skills they would like to focus on to improve their performance in their roles. Additionally, consider creating assessments to evaluate your employees periodically and identify any gaps you need to address.
Think about the training needs of both your frontline staff members and managers. After all, your managers can significantly influence the productivity, motivation, and collaboration of your employees. To prepare them for managing effective teams, you may enroll them in a nonprofit management training program that covers best practices related to time management, communication, and delegation.
2. Promote staff training opportunities.
Use the insights you gather from your staff input and evaluations to provide a framework for the training resources you’ll offer. Then, promote several types of opportunities that appeal to a variety of learning preferences. Some employees may enjoy engaging with their peers in live, instructor-led classes while others may feel more comfortable with learning at their own pace.
Some popular staff training options include:
Cohort-based classes. Enrolling your staff in online, cohort-based learning can boost their engagement and strengthen their bonds with team members. These classes are a wonderful way to learn from the expertise of a dedicated instructor and the knowledge of other peers in the sector in a structured format.
Mentorships. Nurture a culture of learning at your nonprofit by creating a mentorship program. Pair newer hires with more experienced staff members so they can quickly develop the skills and best practices they need to thrive in their roles. Plus, these programs also help mentors refresh their knowledge and feel more confident in their leadership abilities.
Conferences. Nonprofit conferences are ideal opportunities for convening with other professionals across the sector and sharing ideas on how you can better fulfill your missions in the current landscape. With topics ranging from fundraising to leadership, there’s bound to be an event that suits your staff’s training needs.
Asynchronous courses. For employees who prefer a more flexible learning schedule, direct them to online courses that they can work through at their own speed. These courses are cost-effective and cover topics such as matching gifts and cybersecurity through educational videos, quizzes, and other activities. However, it may be more challenging for staff members to feel engaged when approaching training on their own.
Include a mixture of in-person and virtual training options to appeal to more of your employees’ needs and make it easy for them to participate.
3. Reach out to experts as needed.
If you’ve identified specific areas of your nonprofit’s operations in which your staff members need more in-depth, specialized training, consider approaching an expert for guidance. According to Laridae’s nonprofit consultants rundown, there are many professionals are committed to supporting nonprofits in a wide range of ways, including:
Strategic planning
Communications
Governance
Human resources (HR)
Fundraising
Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
Finance
Legal Support
Depending on their specialty, a nonprofit consultant can help your organization improve its training program or provide one-on-one coaching for individual contributors, such as your managers.
4. Recognize staff learning accomplishments.
While creating a thoughtful training plan is an important start, you can maximize staff participation and engagement by coming up with ways to recognize them for their learning accomplishments. eCardWidget’s employee recognition guide highlights the importance of acknowledging your staff members by pointing out that 92% of employees are likely to repeat a specific action if they’re recognized for it.
For example, when staff members complete a course or program, you could:
Send congratulatory eCards.
Post social media shout-outs.
Host a celebration event.
Present small gifts of branded merchandise.
Just as your nonprofit thanks its donors and volunteers for the role they play in your success, don’t forget to make your employees feel appreciated for the efforts they invest into fulfilling your mission.
As you implement your staff training plan, continue to collect feedback from your employees and conduct follow-up evaluations to identify ways you can improve moving forward. For example, you might determine that you need to share more podcasts if many of your staff members indicate that they prefer taking in information auditorily. By tailoring your training to your staff’s needs, you’ll ensure that they’ll get the most out of the resources you provide.
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https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svg00Colleenhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgColleen2024-02-08 10:52:362024-02-08 10:58:25The NXUnite Community Platform: Your Hub for Mission-Driven Networking and Learning
In a world filled with endless information and constant distractions, nonprofits face an uphill battle when it comes to capturing the attention of their supporters. Yet, there exists a time-tested and transformative tool that can cut through the noise: storytelling.
We believe that every nonprofit has an incredible story to tell, and we are here to help you bring that story to life. Whether you’re working to alleviate poverty, protect the environment, promote education, or champion another noble cause, these insights will help you craft stories that inspire meaningful change.
1. Personalize Outreach
According to Double the Donation, personalizing outreach helps you appeal to your supporters’ specific interests and preferences. This, in turn, enables you to build long-term relationships and secure financial support.
Take these steps to ensure that your stories appeal to each reader:
Segment your audience. Start by dividing your donor and supporter list into segments based on relevant criteria, such as giving history, engagement level, demographics, interests, or location. For example, you might create segments for first-time donors, long-time supporters, volunteers, and individuals who have shown a particular interest in a specific program or cause within your organization.
Craft personalized messages. After segmenting your audience, create tailored messages and content for each group. For instance, a first-time donor may receive an introductory letter that defines your mission and explains how they can get involved, while a long-time donor may receive regular updates on the impact of their gifts and recognition for their support.
It’s also important to pay attention to the timing of your outreach efforts. Consider when your audience is most receptive to communications. This might vary for different segments, so it’s essential to schedule your messages accordingly.
2. Create a Compelling Narrative Arc
Stories with a beginning, middle, and end have a natural narrative flow that helps maintain the audience’s interest. Let’s say your nonprofit’s mission is to end food insecurity and is hosting a virtual fundraising campaign to raise donations. Here are a few steps that you can take to build a narrative arc:
Start with a relatable problem or challenge. Grab the reader’s attention with a compelling lead like: “Have you ever gone to bed hungry or had to worry about where your next meal will come from? For 23% of our neighbors, this is a daily reality.”
Build tension by highlighting the stakes. Highlight the effects that malnutrition has on a person’s mental and physical health. For example, if left untreated, food insecurity can lead to malnutrition, chronic illness, and developmental issues. It can also perpetuate a cycle of poverty that hinders a person’s ability to achieve economic stability.
Introduce your nonprofit’s role as the solution. After creating a sense of urgency, position your nonprofit as the solution to the problem. Explain how your organization is actively working to alleviate food insecurity through food distribution programs and community gardens.
Conclude with a resolution or call to action. Use strong, actionable language to ask your audience to donate to provide meals for those in need. For example, you might end the appeal by saying, “Join us in the fight against hunger – your contribution can make a real difference in the lives of those struggling with food insecurity. Donate Now.”
For the best results, keep your narrative arcs concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or tangential information that may detract from the central message.
3. Showcase Success Stories
People are more likely to support a nonprofit when they see that its activities are effective. To build your case for support, share success stories that demonstrate the tangible results of your work, making sure to:
Be specific. Instead of vague statements like “we made a difference,” provide details and concrete numbers about the lives or communities you’ve impacted. For example, if you provide education to underprivileged families, you might mention how many children graduated or gained access to higher education as a result of your programs.
Feature personal testimonials. Share testimonials from beneficiaries, volunteers, donors, or staff members who have witnessed the positive outcomes firsthand. Personal narratives add authenticity and emotional depth to your success stories. Include direct quotes that express the emotions and gratitude of those involved.
Add context by sharing the journey that led to your successes. Explain the challenges faced, the strategies employed, and the dedication of your team or volunteers. This helps your audience understand your process and appreciate the effort behind the achievement.
4. Use Visual Content
According to Getting Attention’s guide to digital marketing, 91% of individuals prefer visual content to written content. Use visual elements to break up large blocks of text and make your stories more engaging and digestible.
Here are three types of visual media to use in storytelling:
Photos: High-quality photographs can capture the essence of your nonprofit’s work and the people it serves. Use them to illustrate “before-and-after” transformations, document events, showcase your programs in action, and highlight the challenges faced by the communities you serve.
Videos: Video content is highly engaging and provides a dynamic format for your stories. Consider filming short documentaries about your mission, testimonials from beneficiaries, and interviews with your team members. These can be shared on your website, social media platforms, in email newsletters, and during fundraising events.
Infographics: Infographics are effective for presenting statistical information in a clear and visually appealing manner. Use graphs, charts, and other graphic designs to illustrate key metrics, success rates, and other quantitative data.
Ensure that all visuals feature your nonprofit’s branding, including its logo, color scheme, and typography. Doing so will not only foster brand recognition but also build credibility, making it more likely that supporters engage with your nonprofit’s programs.
5. Take a Multichannel Approach to Outreach
If you want to share your stories with as many potential supporters as possible, take a multichannel approach to marketing. This refers to the process of disseminating a similar message across several communication channels—both online and offline.
Popular platforms for multichannel marketing include:
Social media: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn provide a dynamic and widespread audience for sharing stories, photos, videos, and updates. Use relevant hashtags and engage with your followers to amplify your reach.
Email: Sending out regular newsletters or email updates allows for more in-depth storytelling and the opportunity to deepen your connection with supporters. Make your subject lines eye-catching to improve open rates.
Website: Your nonprofit’s website serves as a central hub for your stories. Create a dedicated blog section where you can regularly publish in-depth narratives, success stories, and reports. Additionally, consider leveraging Google Grant funding to drive traffic to your website. This program provides eligible nonprofits with free advertising dollars on Google, helping you reach a wider audience and direct them to your content.
Direct mail: Despite the rising popularity of digital marketing, direct mail is still an effective way to share your nonprofit’s stories, especially with older or offline audiences. Format your messages into flyers, letters, or postcards and deliver them directly to your supporters.
Remember that a consistent message is key to multichannel marketing. When your core message is the same across various channels, it’s easier for your audience to understand and remember it.
As the landscape of nonprofit work and communication continues to evolve, so should your storytelling methods. Be open to new platforms, technologies, and approaches and your content will succeed as a result.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Getting-Attention_NXUnite_Storytelling-for-Change-5-Content-Strategies-for-Nonprofits_Feature.png7401400shannon.moranhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgshannon.moran2024-01-23 14:39:072024-01-23 14:39:07Storytelling for Change: 5 Content Strategies for Nonprofits
An increasing number of businesses now participate in corporate philanthropy. In fact, 94% of major US corporations plan to increase or maintain their corporate giving over the next few years. While this is great news for businesses, it’s crucial to think about how to empower your corporate partners to keep up their generosity
If you lead or own a running retail store, sports club, or company, corporate social responsibility can benefit your business. For instance, you can get paid for sneaker donations, which helps your community lower its carbon footprint. We all know that sustainability is a top priority for the global population.
In this guide, we’ll cover the benefits of CSR for businesses and the types of technology you should keep your eye out for to create a more cohesive and streamlined corporate giving experience.
The Benefits of CSR for Businesses
As a manager or leader, you’re probably already familiar with the benefits of CSR. Let’s refresh your memory on the main advantages:
Increased visibility. Your company can improve brand visibility through corporate giving programs such as matching gifts and payroll deductions.
Greater outreach. By connecting with local businesses, your organization gains access to its employees, customers, and greater network, resulting in heightened awareness of your company and its CSR efforts.
Elevated volunteerism. Partnering with other businesses or even nonprofits for CSR purposes may result in more fun volunteer projects your organization can do, which is a win for your team.
Networking with businesses. Corporations with CSR practices are more receptive to appeals for more significant support, such as sponsorships. For example, a local gym might be more inclined to donate gently used gym equipment to a community center nonprofit if they’ve established a connection through CSR.
There are several key things businesses gain from their generosity. According to 360MatchPro, CSR offers these four main advantages for businesses:
Employee engagement. A positive workplace culture motivates employees to work harder and stay engaged. CSR-focused events and initiatives provide excellent opportunities for employers to engage their team members with generosity.
Relationship-building. Aside from engaging employees, CSR events also allow employees and leadership to bond outside the office. It leads to stronger interpersonal relationships between employees and management, contributing to a more positive workplace culture.
Team member retention. More engaged employees are usually more satisfied with their work, making them less likely to seek employment elsewhere. CSR makes employees feel valued by their companies, as they’re able to give to the nonprofits they care about.
New talent recruitment. CSR initiatives add value to your compensation package to help businesses recruit new employees. Plus, with 71% of employees thinking that it’s essential to work at a company that gives back to the community, having CSR initiatives allows businesses to set themselves apart from competitors when it comes to hiring.
CSR Solutions for Businesses
As a general rule, the more convenient something is to do, the more likely it will get done. The same goes for CSR. Since your business stands to gain a lot from CSR initiatives, seek to encourage other local businesses and corporate partners to invest in CSR solutions together to make a greater impact.
CSR software refers to any business-oriented solution that enables for-profit organizations to participate in CSR activities. Here are a few types of CSR software solutions businesses should implement:
Employee giving tools. These tools are best paired with a matching gift program, where businesses choose to match donations made by their employees. Using employee-giving tools allows employees to check their matching gift eligibility and access applications so companies can easily approve applications for gift matches.
Volunteer matching solutions. For companies offering volunteer grant programs, volunteer matching software can greatly help. These tools may allow employees to track their volunteer hours, making it more convenient to see if they’ve fulfilled the grant’s requirements. Additionally, these software solutions can suggest volunteer opportunities to employees based on their volunteer history and interests, making them more likely to take advantage of the program.
Employee engagement platforms. One of the main benefits of CSR for businesses is increased employee engagement. That’s why employee engagement platforms that integrate with other CSR solutions can be a great help. With a comprehensive engagement tool, businesses can track employee engagement and satisfaction while encouraging employees to participate in their CSR programs and initiatives.
When looking into CSR solutions, focus on how these tools benefit your business and make CSR easier to administer. Emphasize how the right tools will make it more convenient for employees to take advantage of CSR initiatives by the business.
How Businesses Support CSR
Aside from investing in CSR software, companies can also support CSR initiatives in other ways. Consider the main types of corporate giving initiatives to get started.
Let’s take matching gift programs as an example. Your business could invest in matching gift software with auto-submission features to make it easier for employees to submit matching gift requests.
This feature will simply ask employees for their corporate email addresses. Then, the tool will collect all the data relevant to the donation and organization and transfer the information to the matching gift management software to send the match request automatically. This process takes the brunt of the effort off of employees, making it more likely that matching gifts will be requested and businesses can make a greater social impact.
Another way your business can support CSR is by promoting creative volunteer opportunities. Let’s say you’re taking Sneakers4Good’s recommendation and running a sneaker recycling program. Advertise this social good opportunity to employees, vendors, and other partners by emailing contacts and asking them to pass the message along to others. Additionally, you can also promote it as a volunteer opportunity, as you’ll need volunteers to coordinate the sneaker collection.
By investing in the right solutions, businesses can see greater brand awareness through CSR programs, taking their companies to new heights.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svg00amelia.baumannhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgamelia.baumann2024-01-16 16:38:392024-01-16 16:38:47Technology + CSR: How to Get The Most Out of Your Programs
To enhance its community outreach and make a greater impact, your church may support local nonprofit organizations. Together, your faith-based and charitable missions can help change lives in the community.
As a children’s ministry leader, you know the importance of engaging families, including your youngest churchgoers, in the church’s mission to reach the community. Kid-friendly fundraisers not only teach valuable lessons to children in your church, but they can also boost your efforts to support a nonprofit by getting entire families involved.
The right fundraising idea can raise much-needed support and put the “fun” back in “fundraising,” which is why we created this list! Here are 10 kid-friendly fundraising ideas that will help children understand their role in God’s kingdom as they empower nonprofits to help others.
1. Quiz show
According to Wonder Ink, increased biblical literacy can help kids recognize the Bible as the source of truth, whether they’re reading yet or not. Support children’s understanding of Scripture by testing their knowledge through a fun competition!
Host a “quiz show” where you challenge kids’ knowledge of the Bible. Have them compete to:
Locate a Bible verse first
Answer a question about a Bible passage
Recite a Bible verse
To reinforce biblical lessons, use Scripture from your children’s ministry program as the material for the quiz show. When you charge a small entry fee and sell tickets to those attending, you’ll further kids’ learning and raise money for nonprofit causes.
If you want to involve even more participants, turn your quiz show into a trivia game to test kids on their knowledge of your children’s ministry curriculum content. Create teams and prepare a list of trivia questions from your curriculum’s lessons and key takeaways.
Kids will study the curriculum and memorize Scripture to prepare for the competition. To incentivize participation, offer a prize to the winning team. For example, your church might match the amount raised for the nonprofit in honor of the winning team.
2. Talent show
The children in your church have active imaginations and big dreams. Give them a chance to be in the spotlight with a talent show!
To raise funds for this event, charge a small entry fee for participants and sell tickets for those attending. Prepare a short introduction to the show to explain the purpose of the fundraiser and how kids are helping those in need by performing.
3. Product fundraiser
Kids will get especially excited about fundraising when they see tangible results in return for their contribution. Raise donations by selling:
Food items: Tasty snacks like cookie dough and popcorn are enticing treats that kids can’t refuse! Keep them in the building or room where your children’s program meets so that they’re always available for purchase.
Branded merchandise: Items branded to your children’s ministry will likely be top sellers because kids and their parents will be eager to represent their involvement in your children’s program by sporting your merch.
Discount cards:Host a discount card fundraiser by selling coupons for goods or services from preferred merchants. These can help parents get discounts on family meals, school supplies, or other items or services.
In addition to selling products to people in your church, you can also encourage older kids to do the selling. Giving this responsibility helps kids become more directly involved in your church’s impact on nonprofit causes.
4. Bake sale
Invite kids and their families to bake tasty treats and sell them at a church-wide bake sale! This fun activity can encourage relationship-building between families as they spend time together baking and selling their baked goods. You’ll also engage the community if you choose to sell outside of your congregation, providing opportunities to minister to others and invite newcomers to your church.
Plus, this fundraiser maximizes the amount your church raises for nonprofits since parents and kids will donate their baked goods to your sale. That way, every dollar raised goes directly to nonprofits and their beneficiaries!
5. A-thon fundraiser
A-thon fundraisers collect donations for an activity completed by participants. When kids sign up for this challenge, their loved ones will donate based on the quantity of the activity completed. For example, a-thon activities often include:
Set an appropriate goal for each activity to make it achievable for kids. For example, collect donations for each page read in a read-a-thon to make the goal more achievable for early readers.
6. Campaign website
As children’s use of digital devices and social media increases, taking your fundraising efforts online is an engaging way for your church to raise nonprofit support. Older kids will enjoy helping you create a campaign page, through which your church can collect donations on behalf of the nonprofit.
Collect ideas from kids in your children’s program for the page’s design, layout, and interactive elements. While considering their input, remember to include the essential elements of a campaign website:
Social media sharing icons
Volunteer sign-up form
Your church’s branding
Explanation of mission and campaign
Donation form
Fundraising thermometer
After publishing the page, share the link with parents and other adult church members so they can donate and share the page with their friends. Provide fundraising updates with the kids in your children’s program and be sure to explain that their page design is helping to support an important cause.
7. Scavenger hunt
Create a scavenger hunt for your church’s kids with an enticing prize at the end. You can raise donations through a small entry fee for participating and by selling refreshments to parents as they wait.
You can make each clue a Bible verse reference that leads kids to the next one. For example, the first clue might be Matthew 6:19. When kids find the verse in their Bibles and read, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven,” they’ll be prompted to look for the next clue on the keys of the worship team’s piano.
8. Book club
While book clubs are often free, your church can turn this into a kid-friendly fundraiser by selling children’s books to participants. You can also sell candy and snacks during the book club’s meeting times or t-shirts displaying the book club’s name.
As the children’s ministry leader, you may choose to lead the club yourself or recruit ministry volunteers to lead it for you. Either way, have members of the club explore books that study Scripture or even correlate with lessons from your children’s curriculum.
For example, if kids are currently learning about how to Holy Spirit leads them, you could have the book club read The Go-and-Tell Storybook, which explores 30 biblical stories of the Holy Spirit coming. This will help your group remain focused on biblical topics while still raising support for nonprofit causes!
9. Parents’ night out
Give parents a break by allowing them to take a night for themselves. Recruit children’s ministry volunteers to host games and fun at the church, then charge a small fee for parents who drop their kids off.
Volunteers may spend the evening doing a service project for your nonprofit partner with the kids who are dropped off. Discuss how nonprofit support ties into your church’s mission and the calling as Christians to “love your neighbor.”
More fundraising ideas can be found on resources like BestFundraisingIdeas, which offers a comprehensive list of unique activities and events. No matter which fundraiser you choose to host, remember to emphasize the importance of kids’ involvement. Show your appreciation and explain how they’re helping others by participating.
Also, consider working with nonprofits that serve children. That way, the kids in your children’s program will feel more connected to the beneficiaries of their donations and resonate more with the cause.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Wonder-Ink_NXUnite_Kid-Friendly-Fundraisers-For-Churches-Helping-Nonprofits_Feature.jpg375700jenny.russhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgjenny.russ2024-01-12 16:22:292024-01-12 16:22:379 Kid-Friendly Fundraisers For Churches Helping Nonprofits
If your capital campaign is going to be successful, you will need generous contributions from your very top projects.
In fact, according to recent research by Capital Campaign Pro, most campaigns raise more than half their goal (71%, on average!) from fewer than 20 donors. So how you approach those 20 donors matters a great deal.
And if you’re like many people, you may fall into the “We had better be perfect” trap. It’s a natural mistake. Because those top donors are so important, and you worry that you might not get more than one opportunity to ask them for a big gift, it’s got to be right!
As a result, you may be tempted to put off those big donor visits until all of your plans and your materials are buttoned down and look super professional.
In fact, you might feel paralyzed by your commitment to perfection and put off those big donor visits far longer than you should.
Here’s the truth, though. The drive to be perfect before you talk to your big donors, while understandable, is actually the wrong approach. Not only will it delay your campaign, it’s likely to diminish the chances of your success.
Why?
Because the essence of getting those large gifts isn’t buttoning down every detail. The essence is quite the opposite. Your task isn’t to make a perfect presentation, it’s to involve those large donors early and often in the planning of your project long before you make your pitch and ask for a gift.
Here are three things you can do to make sure you don’t fall into the perfectionism trap with your next capital campaign.
1. Mark planning documents as drafts.
Alternatively, get in the habit of using the phrase “preliminary plan.” Make sure to date each version of every draft. You will likely go through several drafts that will shift, change, and improve with each version. Without dating the versions and renaming and dating subsequent documents like your case for support or gift range chart, you won’t be able to keep track of which is an earlier version and which one is current.
2. Share draft versions with your most important prospects early on in the planning process.
Don’t wait until your plans are finalized. Think about it this way: If you don’t approach that local politician or business owner until everything is buttoned down and perfect, then all you have to talk to them about is money.
But if you share your plans while they are still in the formative stage, you can have far more probing and exploratory conversations with them. Those conversations will help you benefit from their ideas and give you insights into their interests and philanthropic motivations.
3. Know that it’s easier and less stressful to talk with donors before you’ve perfected your plans.
The more time and energy you’ve put into making everything perfect, the more likely you’ll find yourself selling and then defending your plans rather than discussing them.
It turns out that not only does trying to be perfect often slow you down, but it’s actually a less powerful approach to engaging your donors. And it is well-documented that engaged donors give more and give more generously.
So, don’t fall into the perfectionism trap. Train yourself to share your plans before they are fully formed and enjoy the benefits of getting wisdom and advice from the people who can help you most.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Capital-Campaign-Pro-NXUnite-How-to-Avoid-Perfectionism-Paralysis-in-Capital-Campaigns_feature.jpg358942madalyn.gunnellhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgmadalyn.gunnell2024-01-10 09:00:422024-01-10 09:02:17How to Avoid Perfectionism Paralysis in Capital Campaigns
As a parent, teacher, or school administrator, you’re all too familiar with the challenges of school fundraising, including fatigue and burnout, disengaged students and parents, and a lack of communication. Unfortunately, these are problems that can lead to losses in potential fundraising revenue, and finding the right strategies to address these issues can feel like guesswork.
Choosing exciting fundraising ideas, engaging students, and creating targeted marketing campaigns can help you reach the right audience, but these things can be time and labor-intensive to do on your own. To quickly make impactful changes to your school’s approach to donor and community outreach, consider investing in specialized school fundraising software.
In this guide, we’ll explore these four ways the right technology will help you connect with your donors to foster deep, loyal relationships:
Better understanding of donor preferences.
More convenient donation methods.
Real-time, accurate data tracking.
Prompt donor communications.
To reach and resonate with those who are willing to give to your school, you first need to understand them. To get started, we’ll cover how to learn about potential supporters and use your findings to inspire donations.
1. Better understanding of donor preferences.
Fundraising software tracks different types of fundraising data, including valuable insights about donors’ preferences and giving behaviors. For example, let’s say your school is following 99Pledges’ guide to organizing a read-a-thon, which recommends each student receive a personal donation page where their friends and family can pledge donations. When a donor donates to your read-a-thon, you’ll know:
Their first and last name
Contact information, such as an email address
Their preferred payment method (e.g., ApplePay vs. credit card)
The amount they gave
Which student they have a connection with
When they donated
Using this information, your school can tailor how it interacts with donors in the future. Specifically, you could:
Choose fundraising ideas that align with student and donor interests
Create targeted marketing campaigns that acknowledge their giving motivations
Reach out through preferred communication channels (e.g., offering the option to be reached by text, email, or mail )
Make tailored fundraising appeals based on past giving behavior
By creating more personalized experiences for donors, you show that you see and value them as people rather than dollar signs.
2. More convenient donation methods.
Another way to leverage donor data is to optimize the giving process according to what is most convenient and familiar to your donors. For example, some donors may be most comfortable with writing a check or submitting cash to your school. However, many supporters find it easiest to give online, and fundraising software makes it easy to accept and track online giving.
Keep in mind that accepting digital payment methods will also make the logistical side of fundraising easier for your school. Financial data will flow into your records, allowing you to track progress in real-time. Additionally, if you’re looking to get students outside through a fundraiser like a walk-a-thon, you can nudge supporters to donate online ahead of time or on-site using QR codes so volunteers don’t have to handle cash and checks.
3. Real-time, accurate data tracking.
When your school accepts more online donations, you can quickly and accurately track your fundraiser’s progress. This not only streamlines your recordkeeping but also opens the door for new donor engagement strategies.
Here are a few ways to engage donors and student participants using data about your fundraising progress:
Fundraising thermometers: Fundraising thermometers visually display your campaign’s fundraising progress for donors. When donors can easily check in to see how much money you’ve raised, they may feel inspired to give to push you closer to your goal.
Countdowns: Consider adding a countdown to your fundraising thermometer to create urgency. Keep it simple by adding a headline that says something like “There are only 10 days left in the read-a-thon! Help us reach our goal by donating here.”
Gamification: This strategy involves adding gameplay elements to non-game scenarios. In a fundraiser, you might create a leaderboard that shows who the top donors are. Consider offering prizes or incentives to top contributors, such as recognition on your school’s website.
This can also help ensure that your school is on track to meet its fundraising goals. For example, maybe you’ve set a goal to raise $3,000 from your back-to-school fundraiser and know that you need to raise $1,000 per week to meet the goal. With up-to-date revenue data, you’ll know if your school can achieve its goal by the deadline.
4. Prompt donor communications.
Communication with your donors is critically important to building relationships with them and showing your appreciation for their support. As noted by eCardWidget’s guide to thanking donors, it’s best to send thank-you emails within 72 hours of receiving the donation. But, it can be difficult to stay on top of sending these messages while juggling all of your other responsibilities.
Rather than manually sending each message, you can automate the process with your fundraising software. This way, donors will receive donation receipts, thank-you messages, and pledge reminders on a much faster timeline without added stress.
Your donors will appreciate more tailored thank-you messages that show that your school truly values their contributions. If a donor gave to your sports team’s recent campaign, you’ll want to greet them by name, acknowledge which organization they donated to, recognize the amount they donated, and tell them about the impact that gift will have on your organization.
Donors are the lifeblood of any successful fundraiser. However, recruiting new ones to support each campaign comes at a much higher cost than simply engaging past donors. By leveraging fundraising technology, your school can foster deeper relationships with its donors to build a robust network of supporters and nurture sustainable revenue streams.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/99Pledges_NXUnite_4-Ways-Software-Bridges-the-Gap-Between-Schools-Donors_feature.jpg6421380bailey.cauthenhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgbailey.cauthen2024-01-09 17:44:442024-01-09 17:44:514 Ways Software Bridges the Gap Between Schools & Donors
Stories are at the heart of web design. For nonprofits, conveying inspiring stories is critical to securing the necessary support for powering social change.
With high stakes like these, first impressions matter. In today’s fast-paced world, it takes only 0.05 seconds for users to form an opinion about a website. Because of this, nonprofit web designers need to hone their skills to impress visitors and motivate them to get involved.
To help you round out your abilities, we’ll discuss five essential skills to develop and sharpen as a nonprofit web designer, including:
User Experience Design
Visual Design and Storytelling
Nonprofit Content Creation
Web Accessibility
Stakeholder Communication
An effective nonprofit website is a valuable tool for marketing, increasing brand recognition, and boosting conversions. Focus on the following skills to stay at the forefront of nonprofit web design and create stunning websites that supporters return to again and again.
1. User Experience Design
Seasoned nonprofit web designers are well-accustomed to approaching their projects from the user’s point of view. Visitors should be able to land on the website and immediately begin interacting freely with your nonprofit’s content. To improve the user experience (UX) of a website, follow these best practices:
Avoid pop-ups that block the main content and consider using sidebars instead.
Include plenty of white space around text and images to avoid overwhelming users.
Improve your website load speed by compressing images and enabling lazy loading.
Break up large chunks of text with bullet points and images.
Additionally, make it easy for users to take important actions on your website by incorporating clear, eye-catching calls to action (CTAs) across your pages. For example, according to 360MatchPro’s fundraising statistics, making a website’s “Donate” button stand out can result in a 190% increase in donations.
Incorporate high-contrast brand colors and choose urgent, specific language for your CTAs to compel users to click through. For example, a college website might feature CTAs like “Apply Now” or “Take a Virtual Tour” while an animal rescue nonprofit might encourage people to “Donate Now” or “Adopt a Stray.” These buttons will guide users from step to step in their interactions with your website.
2. Visual Design and Storytelling
If a picture can paint a thousand words, then your nonprofit website is full of opportunities to tell readers about your organization’s mission, beneficiaries, and impact. A nonprofit web designer should be able to use captivating visuals to enhance the user experience and weave together attention-grabbing graphic design materials such as:
Images
Infographics
eCards
Videos
Animations
Set your visual web design up for success by starting with a mood board. In this resource, you’ll compile aspects such as color palettes, icons, logos, illustrations, and typography to use for brainstorming and fine-tuning. Developing a mood board allows you to share your design approach, collect feedback, and make major changes before delving into the actual project itself.
Make your nonprofit website’s visuals stand out by experimenting with animated, interactive, or 3D elements. Keep up with the latest web design trends by moving away from art styles like Corporate Memphis and opting for more custom, textured illustrations that add more specific value to your content. However, the user experience should still be your number one priority when designing your visuals.
3. Nonprofit Content Strategy
A well-rounded nonprofit web designer looks at each website’s content strategy as a whole to determine how to attract and retain visitors. You should be well-versed with content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, and know how to leverage their tools to fill your website with engaging content. Kanopi’s WordPress for nonprofits guide offers these tips for refining your website’s content strategy:
Use simple language and avoid jargon.
Engage website visitors by using more second-person than first-person pronouns.
Follow SEO best practices, such as using logical heading structures and choosing specific keywords for each page.
Create a blog posting schedule for consistent content.
All of the content on your nonprofit website should reflect your organization’s voice and tone. For instance, a nonprofit that is trying to come across as more playful and approachable might use more contractions and add emojis throughout its content, while an organization that is aiming to be more serious might include no emojis and limit the use of exclamation points.
4. Web Accessibility
Whether you’re trying to encourage website visitors to sign up for an upcoming event, visit your donation page, or explore the blog roll, make sure that your content is accessible to everyone. This includes people using mobile devices, screen readers, and other assistive technologies.
Keep these considerations in mind to ensure that all visitors have an excellent experience on your website:
Add captions and alt text to every image and video.
Use a color contrast tool to ensure that your colors have sufficient contrast.
Avoid using all caps to improve readability.
Ensure that all of your content is mobile-responsive.
To identify further accessibility improvements, your website should undergo a basic audit at least every six months, or following any major changes.
5. Stakeholder Communication
While every well-designed website will share common strengths and features, it’s important to tailor each website to your nonprofit’s audience and brand. To do so, you’ll need to acquire an in-depth understanding of how your target users prefer to interact with a website and what they’re looking for in a high-quality website experience.
One effective way to do this is by creating three to five user personas containing information such as:
Age, location, and occupation
Technical proficiency
Goals or purpose for using your website
Potential barriers they might encounter
As you design your nonprofit website, reference these user personas to adjust your visual and content strategy to meet the specific expectations of your audience. Continue gathering user feedback through surveys and focus groups to stay on top of needs and priorities.
A strong nonprofit website provides a solid foundation for building relationships with donors, volunteers, and corporate partners in the community. Keep an eye on metrics such as time on site, landing page bounce rates, and number of pages visited to determine the effectiveness of your web design efforts. Use this information to make improvements, sharpen your skills, and boost your results over time.
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In a world driven by profit margins and bottom lines, a new breed of startups has emerged that seeks to make a difference beyond the balance sheet. These mission-driven companies place purpose at the heart of their business strategies.
They’re not just in it for profit; they’re on a mission to create positive societal change. From providing innovative fundraising software to insightful consulting services, mission-driven companies play a direct role in nonprofits’ ability to achieve their missions.
Since employees seek companies that give back, these types of businesses are becoming increasingly prominent. To illustrate just what these businesses are doing and why they matter, we’ll shed some light on mission-driven startups that focus on supporting nonprofits and associations. Our goal is to provide inspiration for your own mission-driven business and determine if impact investing can help fuel your company.
Now, join us in exploring some of the most inspiring mission-driven companies currently operating. Along the way, you’ll discover the incredible benefits of leading a business that is driven by a higher calling, one that extends its reach far beyond the boardroom and into the realm of social change.
Our Mission-Driven Company
We have an inside perspective on mission-driven companies, and that’s because we are one! At NXUnite by Nexus Marketing, we provide a platform where brands and organizations within the mission-driven sector can collaborate, learn, and grow.
We act as a hub for the nonprofit community by providing the following:
Engaging Panels: Audience members can immerse themselves in thought-provoking panel discussions led by industry experts and influencers. These digital events share insightful perspectives on pressing issues, innovative solutions, and emerging trends. Meanwhile, our guest speakers have the opportunity to expand their audience and connect with other thought leaders.
Insightful Webinars: Led by mission-driven professionals, our webinars cover a range of topics, empowering attendees to stay ahead of the curve. Our presenters lead discussions on their preferred topics and craft presentations to share their valuable knowledge, all while cultivating a new audience through NXUnite.
Interactive Demo Days: We shine the spotlight on other mission-driven companies that provide services and products to nonprofits with demo days. Attendees can get a closer look at cutting-edge products and services designed to streamline nonprofit operations and grow their impact, while businesses can talk directly with potential customers.
Helpful Resources: We’re constantly creating educational resources for the mission-driven sector. Explore trusted solutions, stay up-to-date on industry events, and discover nonprofit podcasts to add to your library.
We even offer a Cause Coins system for our community, which they can redeem for rewards like discounts on technology and event tickets. Our audience earns Cause Coins by attending webinars, sharing NXUnite with their networks, and more, getting more eyes on our mission-driven business partners while encouraging nonprofit professionals to broaden their knowledge.
How We Make It Happen
We couldn’t do it alone! We work with Foundry for Good to make our mission-driven business viable. They’re impact investors who help mission-driven startups make their mark in the social good sector.
Powered by a team that understands nonprofits and mission-driven businesses, Foundry for Good isn’t just a springboard for for-profit companies. They strive to invest in ideas that can make a true impact. Here’s what their team brings to the table:
An instant network of 500+ companies in the mission-driven space
Marketing and partnerships to connect their partners with pre-established organizations and scale quicker
A range of services from content and inbound strategy to ongoing PR opportunities
We recommend chatting with their team to learn how their expertise can help your startup business or idea come to life. With a powerful team, expansive network, and innovative marketing strategies, they’ll make sure your business’s impact is felt.
Mission-Driven Startups That Serve Nonprofits
The following mission-driven companies offer a wide range of services to nonprofits, covering areas such as technology, finance, governance, and marketing.
Double the Donation
Matching gifts are a powerful yet underutilized revenue source for nonprofits, and Double the Donation offers robust software to help nonprofits pinpoint match-eligible donors and drive matches to completion.
Backed by Double the Donation’s industry-leading software, 360MatchPro, nonprofits gain access to the largest and most up-to-date database of matching gift and volunteer grant information. Armed with the knowledge and tools to tap into matching gifts, nonprofits can break down giving barriers, determine donors’ eligibility, and raise more for their causes.
This mission-driven company provides customers with the following:
An embeddable employer search tool connected to a database of corporate giving guidelines from more than 24,000 companies
Automated email streams to encourage donors to check their eligibility and complete their match requests
Integrations with other mission-driven software to simplify match identification and outreach
Nonprofits that use Double the Donation’s product can rest assured that they’re receiving the most up-to-date corporate giving information. Foundry for Good also works with this company to get the product in front of nonprofits and schools that could benefit from the power of matching gifts.
eCardWidget
Digital greeting cards enable nonprofit organizations to connect with supporters and inspire action. eCardWidget recognizes this and provides a digital greeting card platform, empowering mission-driven organizations everywhere to raise money, spread awareness, and do more for their missions.
With their user-friendly eCard software, they offer the following to nonprofits:
Drag-and-drop design tools with customizable templates, graphics, and a variety of fonts and colors
Donation and selling capabilities, enabling organizations to sell charity eCards or offer them in exchange for donations
An address book, providing organizations with the email addresses supporters use to send and receive eCards
Scheduling capabilities to send eCards at the optimal time
As partners with Foundry for Good, eCardWidget is making a name for itself in the mission-driven sector. From thanking donors to raising money, eCards have so many uses for nonprofits. That’s why it’s easy to see why this mission-driven startup is making an impact.
Getting Attention
The Google Ad Grant is a great marketing resource for nonprofits. Getting Attention strives to help organizations make the most of the monthly advertising credits they receive through the program.
Getting Attention manages the Google Ad Grant from start to finish for their nonprofit clients. When a nonprofit partners with this mission-driven startup, they can tap into the following services:
Google Ad Grant applications to get up and running with the program
Ad creation backed by keyword research so nonprofits can connect with and inspire prospective supporters
Ongoing account maintenance to comply with Google Ad Grant rules and optimize performance
Google Grant reactivation if your account ever gets suspended
Getting Attention also works with Foundry for Good to spread awareness of the Google Ad Grant and connect with nonprofits who could benefit from their services.
BoardEffect
BoardEffect delivers board management software for leaders of nonprofits, higher education institutions, community healthcare organizations, and credit unions. The flexible tools empower board members to collaborate, whether they’re in a meeting or between them. The platform offers tools for agenda creation, document sharing, board member engagement, and secure communication, all aimed at enhancing governance processes.
This mission-driven company was founded by a team of developers who have worked with boards for years, so they understand that board work can be complex but also highly rewarding. Today, they serve over 2,500 clients.
TechSoup
TechSoup delivers discounted and donated software, hardware, and technology services from various technical companies to nonprofits. They offer a wide range of technology resources, including software licenses, cloud solutions, and training sessions. This allows nonprofit organizations to leverage technology for social good while saving costs.
This mission-driven company’s goal is to help nonprofits, NGOs, and social impact organizations improve their operations, increase efficiency, and better serve their communities. They strive to “build a dynamic bridge that leverages technology to enable connections and innovative solutions for a more equitable planet.”
Nonprofit Finance Fund
The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) provides financial consulting, loans, and advisory services to nonprofits to help them achieve financial sustainability. By strengthening nonprofits’ sustainability, NFF enables their clients to better serve their communities.
NFF provides financial expertise, tailored financial solutions, and a range of resources to improve nonprofits’ financial resilience. They contribute to a more equitable world by empowering mission-driven organizations to adapt and drive positive change.
Mission-Driven Startups That Serve Associations
Associations require unique technology and support to provide member benefits, manage events, offer educational programs, and more. Let’s explore several mission-driven companies that offer technology and resources to grow associations’ communities and deliver value.
ClubExpress
ClubExpress firmly believes that community organizations are integral to society and seeks to take the drudgery out of running a club or association. The company helps club leaders create, manage, and sustain strong, vibrant organizations more easily with their internet-based system. Their association management platform offers membership management, event planning, website hosting, and communication tools, so these organizations can streamline operations and fulfill their missions.
Web Scribble
Web Scribble offers job board and career center solutions for associations to help members find employment opportunities within their industries. Rated as the #1 association career center platform, their career hub has posted more than 1.3 million jobs. This mission-driven business’s goal is to provide additional value to associations beyond traditional member benefits.
MultiView
MultiView offers digital marketing and advertising solutions for associations to reach their audiences through online channels. This company understands that members look to associations to provide industry news, professional development opportunities, advocacy, and more. That’s why they offer services to keep up with those needs by boosting engagement, increasing visibility, and generating leads.
They’re powered by a team of editors who assist their clients by writing and curating relevant content for newsletters, sending event communications, and generally spreading the word about the associations that work with them. Trusted by more than 1,200 associations, this mission-driven company has made a name for itself.
Mission-Driven Companies That Provide Services
There’s more to powering nonprofits and associations than technology. Let’s explore some mission-driven companies that offer valuable services, expertise, and support to nonprofit organizations, helping them thrive, achieve their missions, and make a positive impact in their communities.
Nexus Marketing
Nexus Marketing is a different type of mission-driven company. They provide marketing solutions to brands powering social good and community impact. Through extensive SEO and content creation services, they connect businesses—whether they’re selling technology, consulting services, or something else—with the nonprofits they cater to.
Backed by a deep understanding of mission-driven audiences, Nexus knows what it takes to reach and inspire these businesses’ prospective clients. They help mission-driven startups grow brand recognition and gain a competitive edge through value-add services like:
SEO strategy, including conducting audits, keyword research, and ongoing website performance monitoring
Content creation, including creating keyword-optimized onsite content, guest posting opportunities, graphics, videos, and more
Lead generation and authority building, such as panels, presentations, and cross-promotional opportunities
Foundry for Good also powers this company, so clients gain direct access to a network of other mission-driven businesses, connecting them to nonprofits that need their services and technology.
BDO Nonprofit
BDO Nonprofit is a mission-driven startup specializing in audit, tax, and consulting services tailored to nonprofits. The company helps nonprofits navigate complex financial and regulatory landscapes, ensuring compliance and financial transparency. Their services assist nonprofits in managing money, enhancing governance practices, and optimizing operations.
BoardSource
BoardSource offers governance and board development services to nonprofit organizations. They provide training, resources, and consulting to help nonprofits strengthen their board leadership and governance practices.
BoardSource supports nonprofit organizations in achieving their missions, making it a mission-driven organization dedicated to social impact and positive change in the nonprofit community.
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
Nonprofit Marketing Guide is a training and coaching company that provides nonprofits with guidance and resources related to nonprofit marketing, donor communications, and content strategy. They offer tools and insights to help these organizations improve their marketing efforts and effectively communicate their impact to target audiences. This mission-driven startup puts nonprofits’ success at the center of their business model.
Wrapping Up The Discussion on Mission-Driven Companies
Mission-driven startups power the nonprofit sector. They prioritize supporting organizations with compelling missions to create positive change in addition to turning a profit.
If you need help bringing your company’s vision to life, we suggest working with impact investors like those at Foundry for Good. They can provide you with the capital and direction you need to make your impact felt.
Want to learn more about the mission-driven sector? Explore these curated resources:
Why Companies Should Have Employee Giving Programs: Mission-driven startups can take their impact further by offering workplace giving opportunities. Learn about the impact of these programs in this guide.
Starting a business that’s focused on social good is noble, but like almost all businesses, it requires financial support to flourish. Fortunately, there’s a growing group of investors who are passionate about more than just making money—they want to make a difference.
In a world where profit meets purpose, impact investors are reshaping the business landscape by investing capital into startups and small companies dedicated to making a positive difference.
If you’re a founder of a social good startup looking for investors who share your values, you’re in the right spot. In this article, we’ll introduce you to remarkable social good investors who are actively seeking out companies committed to positive change, including anything from fundraising technology vendors to Google Grants agencies. Here’s what we’ll cover:
If you’re a founder with a vision, these investors could be your key to success. As a company that’s powered by mission-driven investors, our team at NXUnite is excited to share our unique perspective and help you understand the role these groups are making.
Understanding Impact Investing
Before shining the spotlight on specific investors, let’s take a step back and start with the fundamentals of impact investing. We’ll walk through basic questions, so you can make an informed decision when choosing an investor for your business.
What is impact investing?
Impact investing is when a business or other entity invests in companies or organizations with the dual aim of achieving financial returns and positive impacts. Unlike traditional investments that focus primarily on financial gains, impact investing strongly emphasizes achieving measurable outcomes in social good areas like environmental sustainability, education, poverty, social justice, and healthcare.
Value Alignment: Social good investors seek investments that align with their values and social or environmental goals.
Measurable Impact: These investments are intended to produce quantifiable and positive societal or environmental outcomes. As such, investors use various metrics to assess their investments’ impact.
Financial Returns: While intended to create positive change, impact investing should still be financially viable and competitive with traditional investments.
Diverse Focus Areas: Impact investments cover a range of sectors, such as renewable energy, education, and affordable housing.
While these investments involve several moving parts, impact investing is essentially leveraging capital to create positive change, earn revenue, and drive innovation across the social good sector.
Does impact investing make a difference?
Yes, it does! Impact investing has gained momentum as individuals and businesses increasingly recognize their ability to address pressing global challenges while also earning financial benefits.
By directing capital into businesses and initiatives that aim to drive change, impact investing provides these benefits:
Scaling Social Innovation: Impact investing funds innovative and socially responsible startups and small businesses. This financial support helps recipients expand operations, reach more people, and accelerate impact.
Attracting More Capital: The success of impact investments can inspire other investors to allocate their capital toward socially and environmentally responsible initiatives. In other words, they create a snowball effect of positive change.
Aligning Values and Finance: Impact investing allows businesses to align their financial resources with their values and missions, ensuring their investments have a meaningful impact on the world.
Overall, impact investing enables investors to use their financial resources strategically to drive positive change, solve global challenges, and promote a more sustainable and equitable future. It demonstrates that financial returns and ESG impact can be mutually reinforcing.
How do I find social impact investors?
Browsing lists like this one is a good start. Consider following industry blogs or using online investment platforms like Toniic and the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Investor Directory. These platforms connect social impact entrepreneurs with potential investors.
You can also join impact investing conferences and networking events. These gatherings attract social impact investors, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. Attend these events and start conversations with potential funders for your business.
What’s the difference between impact investing and ESG investing?
While similar, these two types of investments have a key difference.
Impact investors focus on generating specific, measurable, and positive social or environmental impacts alongside financial returns. Meanwhile, environmental, social, or governance (ESG) investors incorporate ESG factors into the investment decision-making process.
ESG investors look for companies that meet specific ESG requirements, but the companies they invest in aren’t necessarily part of the social good sector. For example, an investor might use ESG standards to assess a for-profit clothing store’s supply chain practices. By integrating these non-financial factors into their investment strategies, they aim to mitigate risks and ensure they support businesses that will be sustainable long-term.
Our Recommended Impact Investor: Foundry for Good
Focus Area: Mission-Driven Businesses Such As Nonprofit Technology and Consulting Services
With a diverse background of investments, Foundry For Good knows how to take your social impact further. They won’t just invest capital; they’ll infuse your mission-driven startup with strategic marketing solutions.
Foundry for Good provides you with direct access to experts in philanthropy and change, like the changemakers here at NXUnite!
Content and Inbound Strategy: They’ll create content tailored to your brand, increase brand visibility with content on influential websites, help you stay ahead in search engine traffic via keyword research, and regularly audit your content. Essentially, they’ll elevate your content strategy both on and offsite.
Performance Reporting: Foundry for Good will conduct robust technical audits and rectify high-priority SEO issues to give your site the strongest foundation possible to attract potential customers. With detailed reports, they’ll keep you in the loop on inbound lead generation, keyword performance, and technical performance.
Mission-Driven PR with NXUnite: Join our community of like-minded businesses, leverage sponsored emails, be a part of panels, and lead exclusive webinars to generate leads and grow your business.
Backed by a passionate team, a network of mission-driven businesses, and cutting-edge marketing strategies, Foundry for Good will make sure your business’s impact is felt.
Notable Impact Investments
Foundry for Good has an evergrowing portfolio of social good investments. Some of their companies making a difference include:
NXUnite by Nexus Marketing offers our vibrant online community that brings brands and mission-driven professionals together through webinars, online directories, and educational content. It’s a place where we showcase our friends in the industry, help them forge new connections, and foster unity across the mission-driven sector.
Double the Donation is the leading provider of matching gift software to nonprofits and educational institutions. It provides access to the world’s most robust database of corporate matching gift program records, covering over 99% of match-eligible donors.
Nexus Marketing is the only digital marketing agency specializing in social good professionals and how they find the products, people, and services they need. We offer SEO and content marketing services for brands powering community impact.
eCardWidget provides adaptable eCard software, ideal for everything from nonprofits thanking donors to businesses inspiring employees. Thanks to its customizability, eCardWidget empowers users to create custom eCards branded to their cause or business within seconds.
Getting Attention provides Google Ad Grant services to nonprofits. Their global team helps nonprofits through every stage of the grant management process, including everything from applying for the grant to creating ads and maintaining eligibility. With their expert help, Getting Attention clients can make the most of their $10,000 in ad credits each month.
If you’re looking for a reliable impact investor, we can’t sing Foundry for Good’s praises enough! Chat with their team to see if they’re the right fit for your business.
Other Social Good Investors Making A Difference
We’ve used a variety of methods to evaluate these remaining investors, such as selecting ones with substantial assets under management (AUM), which is the total market value of investments they manage.
Whether you’re looking for nonprofit technology investors, consulting agency investors, or mission-driven investors in general, there’s something for every small business wanting to power their social impact initiative.
Actis
Focus Area: Sustainable Infrastructure
Actis is a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure. Since its inception in 2004, this impact investor has raised $24 billion to invest in a better tomorrow. They invest in energy infrastructure, long life infrastructure, digital infrastructure, real estate, and private equity.
Actis has a long history of building businesses. Today, it has 17 offices across the globe, enabling them to invest in meaningful opportunities wherever they may come from. They have an impressive portfolio of organizations they’ve invested in, including energy infrastructure companies like Atlas Renewable Energy, long life infrastructure companies like Emicool, and private equity firms like Upstream Systems.
Bain Capital
Focus Areas: Health and Wellness, Education and Workforce Development, and Sustainability
Established in 1984, Bain Capital is a private investment firm with approximately $180 billion in AUM.
While known for its traditional investment activities, Bain Capital has an impact investing arm called Bain Capital Double Impact. With this division of their firm, they invest in companies and initiatives that address social and environmental challenges, such as healthcare, education, sustainability, and social equality.
One example of their work is their recent partnership with Meteor Education. With Bain Capital’s support, they aim to expand Meteor Education into new markets and advance its mission to support educators in creating enriching learning experiences.
Bamboo Capital Partners
Focus Areas: Financial Inclusion, Access to Clean Energy, Access to Healthcare, and Agribusiness
Founded in 2007, Bamboo Capital Partners has a global presence in impact investing markets. Bamboo aims to improve the lives of marginalized communities while delivering financial returns. It employs a blended finance approach and works with partners (such as foundations and other impact investors) to jumpstart opportunities brought to them.
Bamboo specifically targets companies with products, services, or operations that lead to positive social and/or environmental changes. For example, that might mean a business that improves the quality of life or one that increases efficiencies to reduce expenses for target populations.
BlueOrchard Finance S.A.
Focus Areas: Financial Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation
With principal offices in Switzerland, BlueOrchard Financial operates in more than 100 emerging and frontier markets in various areas like Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe. It was founded as part of a United Nations initiative in 2001 as the first commercial manager of microfinance debt investment worldwide. That makes it an impact investment pioneer.
Now, BlueOrchard is majority-owned by asset management business, Schroders, and has a global reach of more than 280 million people. Schroders targets sophisticated investors and global initiatives that fight inequality and the effects of climate change. They have a presence in the microfinance, agriculture, renewable energy, healthcare, and education sectors.
One of BlueOrchard’s recent investments is ChargeZone, a fast-growing electric vehicle charging company located in India. BlueOrchard invested in the company to fund the roll-out of 286 charging stations, serving 1,130 electric buses.
Generation Investment Management
Focus Areas: Global Equity, Asia Equity, Growth Equity, and Private Equity
Founded by Al Gore and David Blood in 2004, Generation Investment Management has pioneered the development of sustainability and ESG investing. Known for its commitment to impact investing, this firm strives to deliver long-term financial returns while addressing global sustainability challenges like environmental degradation.
It employs a sustainable capitalistic approach, emphasizing that “sustainability factors have a material impact on companies’ returns over the long term.”
Hamilton Lane
Focus Areas: Professional Services, Renewable Energy, and Software
With 22 years of impact investing experience, Hamilton Lane is a leading, global investment manager providing private markets solutions. Since 2001, they’ve invested in mission-driven solutions and now have $3.1 billion in assets related to impact strategies. What’s more, they report on the impact of their investments to ensure they help companies drive social change. Examples of metrics include energy savings, water cleaned, and reduction in CO2 emissions.
In March 2022, Hamilton Lane released a Climate Policy Statement to communicate its dedication to the global search for climate-change solutions. They also pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Some of Hamilton Lane’s investments include:
Intersect Power, which develops large utility-scale renewable energy with a focus on solar and battery-storage projects.
TXO Systems, which provides B2B circular economy solutions for telecommunications and related industries through selling, reusing, repairing, and recycling equipment.
Neuroflow, which provides behavioral health software that uses digital features to reinforce in-person clinical care.
Meridiam Infrastructure
Focus Areas: Critical Public Services, Sustainable Mobility, and Innovative Low Carbon Solutions
Meridiam Infrastructure is driven by its mission to make the UN Sustainable Development Goals a reality. They translated these goals into their organization’s five strategic pillars:
Deliver resilient infrastructure and develop resilient cities.
Accelerate energy transition.
Avoid & reduce emissions.
Promote good work conditions, inclusion, diversity & gender equality.
Protect & enhance biodiversity.
Driven by these pillars, they strive to build resilient communities, tackle climate change, and protect the environment. They do so by supporting and accelerating the development of innovative, ambitious SMEs leading the ecological transition.
Meridiam Infrastructure currently manages more than 120 assets in the social good sector around the world. One investment example is Okamac, which is the European leader of Apple computer reconditioning. Meridiam Infrastructure invested in Okamac to participate in the decarbonization of the computing sector by supporting a global champion of computer reconditioning.
TPG
Focus Areas: Climate and Conservation, Education, Financial Inclusion, Food and Agriculture, Healthcare, and Impact Services
Launched in 1992, TPG is now a leading global alternative asset manager. They launched The Rise Fund in 2016, making them the first global alternative asset manager to develop an impact investing business with more than $1 billion in AUM. Today, they have more than $18 billion in AUM.
They believe that private enterprise is critical in addressing global societal changes, and their Impact platform helps drive competitive financial returns and measurable societal benefits. Here’s an overview of their investment funds:
The Rise Fund offers investment resources, business-building skills, and a global network to grow profitable businesses seeking to deliver positive and sustainable impact.
TPG Rise Climate is their dedicated climate impact investing product. This fund was created to address global climate change challenges and scale innovative businesses that can enable quantifiable carbon aversion.
Evercare is a healthcare fund that strives to provide affordable, high-quality healthcare.
Ideal for companies looking for a vast network, TPG has a substantial global network for raising capital and driving value in their investments. Some of their investments include Palmetto, which expands access to clean energy for homeowners and businesses, and Teachers of Tomorrow, which focuses on creating education leaders.
Turner Impact Capital
Focus Areas: Educational Facilities, Affordable Housing, and Healthcare Facilities
As one of the fastest-growing social impact investors, Turner Impact Capital specializes in investing in and developing real estate projects that positively influence society and generate financial returns. They work to address critical societal challenges, particularly in underserved communities, to help create positive change in communities where their investments can make a measurable difference.
For example, they invest in the development and improvement of affordable workforce housing and community healthcare centers in low-income areas.
Final Thoughts on These Social Good Investors
Impact investing isn’t just about dollars and cents; it’s about making a meaningful impact. Impact investing bridges the gap between profit-driven business and social good. For founders of startups and small social good companies, the right investor can be a game-changer.
Again, we recommend chatting with Foundry for Good, a social good investor who’s actively investing in businesses that cater to nonprofits.
As you continue along in your journey, explore these additional resources:
Why Companies Should Have Employee Giving Programs: You want your business’ impact to be felt, and a great way to accomplish that is through employee giving. Discover the power of these programs and how to establish workplace giving program.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Top-Impact-Investors_Feature.png7201890Erin Tolandhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgErin Toland2023-11-28 12:00:072023-12-13 16:24:25A Spotlight on 10 Top Impact Investors Driving Social Change
Nonprofit Staff Training: How to Create an Effective Plan
According to an Independent Sector report, 48.5% of nonprofits increased their staff workloads to meet rising demands for services last year. Your nonprofit’s staff members have a lot on their plates. To continue making a difference, they must stay on top of fundraising initiatives, dedicate time to outreach, follow up with donors, and more.
As more community needs arise, it’s essential to equip your team with the tools, skills, and resources they need to streamline their roles and avoid burnout. One way to accomplish this is by creating a nonprofit staff training plan.
Having a deliberate training plan in place ensures that you stay on top of your staff’s learning needs and keep up with the latest best practices in the sector. Fortunately, there is a wealth of high-quality resources that you can offer to employees, from certification programs to online advice shared by nonprofit thought leaders. Let’s start by exploring exactly why staff training is so important to your nonprofit’s long-term success.
What are the benefits of nonprofit staff training?
Every member of your nonprofit’s team is a key contributor to your mission. Therefore, you need to hire and retain passionate, talented individuals who are capable of propelling you toward your goals. By investing in staff training, your organization can:
Ultimately, the time and resources you devote to nonprofit staff training will shine through in the impact you make on your community.
How do you create a nonprofit staff training plan?
The specifics of a nonprofit staff training plan will differ depending on your mission, staff members, and priorities. For instance, you might be trying to promote more matching gifts and determine that you need to educate staff members on how to speak about these opportunities with donors. Or, you might have recently adopted a new software solution that you need to familiarize your employees with.
No matter what your priorities are, you can follow these four steps to put together an effective training plan of your own:
1. Identify staff training needs and topics.
Ensure that you’re directing your resources to the right areas by sending out a survey to your staff members upfront. Ask them to share which topics of knowledge or skills they would like to focus on to improve their performance in their roles. Additionally, consider creating assessments to evaluate your employees periodically and identify any gaps you need to address.
Think about the training needs of both your frontline staff members and managers. After all, your managers can significantly influence the productivity, motivation, and collaboration of your employees. To prepare them for managing effective teams, you may enroll them in a nonprofit management training program that covers best practices related to time management, communication, and delegation.
2. Promote staff training opportunities.
Use the insights you gather from your staff input and evaluations to provide a framework for the training resources you’ll offer. Then, promote several types of opportunities that appeal to a variety of learning preferences. Some employees may enjoy engaging with their peers in live, instructor-led classes while others may feel more comfortable with learning at their own pace.
Some popular staff training options include:
Include a mixture of in-person and virtual training options to appeal to more of your employees’ needs and make it easy for them to participate.
3. Reach out to experts as needed.
If you’ve identified specific areas of your nonprofit’s operations in which your staff members need more in-depth, specialized training, consider approaching an expert for guidance. According to Laridae’s nonprofit consultants rundown, there are many professionals are committed to supporting nonprofits in a wide range of ways, including:
Depending on their specialty, a nonprofit consultant can help your organization improve its training program or provide one-on-one coaching for individual contributors, such as your managers.
4. Recognize staff learning accomplishments.
While creating a thoughtful training plan is an important start, you can maximize staff participation and engagement by coming up with ways to recognize them for their learning accomplishments. eCardWidget’s employee recognition guide highlights the importance of acknowledging your staff members by pointing out that 92% of employees are likely to repeat a specific action if they’re recognized for it.
For example, when staff members complete a course or program, you could:
Just as your nonprofit thanks its donors and volunteers for the role they play in your success, don’t forget to make your employees feel appreciated for the efforts they invest into fulfilling your mission.
As you implement your staff training plan, continue to collect feedback from your employees and conduct follow-up evaluations to identify ways you can improve moving forward. For example, you might determine that you need to share more podcasts if many of your staff members indicate that they prefer taking in information auditorily. By tailoring your training to your staff’s needs, you’ll ensure that they’ll get the most out of the resources you provide.
The NXUnite Community Platform: Your Hub for Mission-Driven Networking and Learning
Storytelling for Change: 5 Content Strategies for Nonprofits
In a world filled with endless information and constant distractions, nonprofits face an uphill battle when it comes to capturing the attention of their supporters. Yet, there exists a time-tested and transformative tool that can cut through the noise: storytelling.
We believe that every nonprofit has an incredible story to tell, and we are here to help you bring that story to life. Whether you’re working to alleviate poverty, protect the environment, promote education, or champion another noble cause, these insights will help you craft stories that inspire meaningful change.
1. Personalize Outreach
According to Double the Donation, personalizing outreach helps you appeal to your supporters’ specific interests and preferences. This, in turn, enables you to build long-term relationships and secure financial support.
Take these steps to ensure that your stories appeal to each reader:
It’s also important to pay attention to the timing of your outreach efforts. Consider when your audience is most receptive to communications. This might vary for different segments, so it’s essential to schedule your messages accordingly.
2. Create a Compelling Narrative Arc
Stories with a beginning, middle, and end have a natural narrative flow that helps maintain the audience’s interest. Let’s say your nonprofit’s mission is to end food insecurity and is hosting a virtual fundraising campaign to raise donations. Here are a few steps that you can take to build a narrative arc:
For the best results, keep your narrative arcs concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or tangential information that may detract from the central message.
3. Showcase Success Stories
People are more likely to support a nonprofit when they see that its activities are effective. To build your case for support, share success stories that demonstrate the tangible results of your work, making sure to:
Add context by sharing the journey that led to your successes. Explain the challenges faced, the strategies employed, and the dedication of your team or volunteers. This helps your audience understand your process and appreciate the effort behind the achievement.
4. Use Visual Content
According to Getting Attention’s guide to digital marketing, 91% of individuals prefer visual content to written content. Use visual elements to break up large blocks of text and make your stories more engaging and digestible.
Here are three types of visual media to use in storytelling:
Ensure that all visuals feature your nonprofit’s branding, including its logo, color scheme, and typography. Doing so will not only foster brand recognition but also build credibility, making it more likely that supporters engage with your nonprofit’s programs.
5. Take a Multichannel Approach to Outreach
If you want to share your stories with as many potential supporters as possible, take a multichannel approach to marketing. This refers to the process of disseminating a similar message across several communication channels—both online and offline.
Popular platforms for multichannel marketing include:
Remember that a consistent message is key to multichannel marketing. When your core message is the same across various channels, it’s easier for your audience to understand and remember it.
As the landscape of nonprofit work and communication continues to evolve, so should your storytelling methods. Be open to new platforms, technologies, and approaches and your content will succeed as a result.
Technology + CSR: How to Get The Most Out of Your Programs
An increasing number of businesses now participate in corporate philanthropy. In fact, 94% of major US corporations plan to increase or maintain their corporate giving over the next few years. While this is great news for businesses, it’s crucial to think about how to empower your corporate partners to keep up their generosity
If you lead or own a running retail store, sports club, or company, corporate social responsibility can benefit your business. For instance, you can get paid for sneaker donations, which helps your community lower its carbon footprint. We all know that sustainability is a top priority for the global population.
In this guide, we’ll cover the benefits of CSR for businesses and the types of technology you should keep your eye out for to create a more cohesive and streamlined corporate giving experience.
The Benefits of CSR for Businesses
As a manager or leader, you’re probably already familiar with the benefits of CSR. Let’s refresh your memory on the main advantages:
There are several key things businesses gain from their generosity. According to 360MatchPro, CSR offers these four main advantages for businesses:
CSR Solutions for Businesses
As a general rule, the more convenient something is to do, the more likely it will get done. The same goes for CSR. Since your business stands to gain a lot from CSR initiatives, seek to encourage other local businesses and corporate partners to invest in CSR solutions together to make a greater impact.
CSR software refers to any business-oriented solution that enables for-profit organizations to participate in CSR activities. Here are a few types of CSR software solutions businesses should implement:
When looking into CSR solutions, focus on how these tools benefit your business and make CSR easier to administer. Emphasize how the right tools will make it more convenient for employees to take advantage of CSR initiatives by the business.
How Businesses Support CSR
Aside from investing in CSR software, companies can also support CSR initiatives in other ways. Consider the main types of corporate giving initiatives to get started.
Let’s take matching gift programs as an example. Your business could invest in matching gift software with auto-submission features to make it easier for employees to submit matching gift requests.
This feature will simply ask employees for their corporate email addresses. Then, the tool will collect all the data relevant to the donation and organization and transfer the information to the matching gift management software to send the match request automatically. This process takes the brunt of the effort off of employees, making it more likely that matching gifts will be requested and businesses can make a greater social impact.
Another way your business can support CSR is by promoting creative volunteer opportunities. Let’s say you’re taking Sneakers4Good’s recommendation and running a sneaker recycling program. Advertise this social good opportunity to employees, vendors, and other partners by emailing contacts and asking them to pass the message along to others. Additionally, you can also promote it as a volunteer opportunity, as you’ll need volunteers to coordinate the sneaker collection.
By investing in the right solutions, businesses can see greater brand awareness through CSR programs, taking their companies to new heights.
9 Kid-Friendly Fundraisers For Churches Helping Nonprofits
To enhance its community outreach and make a greater impact, your church may support local nonprofit organizations. Together, your faith-based and charitable missions can help change lives in the community.
As a children’s ministry leader, you know the importance of engaging families, including your youngest churchgoers, in the church’s mission to reach the community. Kid-friendly fundraisers not only teach valuable lessons to children in your church, but they can also boost your efforts to support a nonprofit by getting entire families involved.
The right fundraising idea can raise much-needed support and put the “fun” back in “fundraising,” which is why we created this list! Here are 10 kid-friendly fundraising ideas that will help children understand their role in God’s kingdom as they empower nonprofits to help others.
1. Quiz show
According to Wonder Ink, increased biblical literacy can help kids recognize the Bible as the source of truth, whether they’re reading yet or not. Support children’s understanding of Scripture by testing their knowledge through a fun competition!
Host a “quiz show” where you challenge kids’ knowledge of the Bible. Have them compete to:
To reinforce biblical lessons, use Scripture from your children’s ministry program as the material for the quiz show. When you charge a small entry fee and sell tickets to those attending, you’ll further kids’ learning and raise money for nonprofit causes.
If you want to involve even more participants, turn your quiz show into a trivia game to test kids on their knowledge of your children’s ministry curriculum content. Create teams and prepare a list of trivia questions from your curriculum’s lessons and key takeaways.
Kids will study the curriculum and memorize Scripture to prepare for the competition. To incentivize participation, offer a prize to the winning team. For example, your church might match the amount raised for the nonprofit in honor of the winning team.
2. Talent show
The children in your church have active imaginations and big dreams. Give them a chance to be in the spotlight with a talent show!
To raise funds for this event, charge a small entry fee for participants and sell tickets for those attending. Prepare a short introduction to the show to explain the purpose of the fundraiser and how kids are helping those in need by performing.
3. Product fundraiser
Kids will get especially excited about fundraising when they see tangible results in return for their contribution. Raise donations by selling:
In addition to selling products to people in your church, you can also encourage older kids to do the selling. Giving this responsibility helps kids become more directly involved in your church’s impact on nonprofit causes.
4. Bake sale
Invite kids and their families to bake tasty treats and sell them at a church-wide bake sale! This fun activity can encourage relationship-building between families as they spend time together baking and selling their baked goods. You’ll also engage the community if you choose to sell outside of your congregation, providing opportunities to minister to others and invite newcomers to your church.
Plus, this fundraiser maximizes the amount your church raises for nonprofits since parents and kids will donate their baked goods to your sale. That way, every dollar raised goes directly to nonprofits and their beneficiaries!
5. A-thon fundraiser
A-thon fundraisers collect donations for an activity completed by participants. When kids sign up for this challenge, their loved ones will donate based on the quantity of the activity completed. For example, a-thon activities often include:
Set an appropriate goal for each activity to make it achievable for kids. For example, collect donations for each page read in a read-a-thon to make the goal more achievable for early readers.
6. Campaign website
As children’s use of digital devices and social media increases, taking your fundraising efforts online is an engaging way for your church to raise nonprofit support. Older kids will enjoy helping you create a campaign page, through which your church can collect donations on behalf of the nonprofit.
Collect ideas from kids in your children’s program for the page’s design, layout, and interactive elements. While considering their input, remember to include the essential elements of a campaign website:
After publishing the page, share the link with parents and other adult church members so they can donate and share the page with their friends. Provide fundraising updates with the kids in your children’s program and be sure to explain that their page design is helping to support an important cause.
7. Scavenger hunt
Create a scavenger hunt for your church’s kids with an enticing prize at the end. You can raise donations through a small entry fee for participating and by selling refreshments to parents as they wait.
You can make each clue a Bible verse reference that leads kids to the next one. For example, the first clue might be Matthew 6:19. When kids find the verse in their Bibles and read, “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven,” they’ll be prompted to look for the next clue on the keys of the worship team’s piano.
8. Book club
While book clubs are often free, your church can turn this into a kid-friendly fundraiser by selling children’s books to participants. You can also sell candy and snacks during the book club’s meeting times or t-shirts displaying the book club’s name.
As the children’s ministry leader, you may choose to lead the club yourself or recruit ministry volunteers to lead it for you. Either way, have members of the club explore books that study Scripture or even correlate with lessons from your children’s curriculum.
For example, if kids are currently learning about how to Holy Spirit leads them, you could have the book club read The Go-and-Tell Storybook, which explores 30 biblical stories of the Holy Spirit coming. This will help your group remain focused on biblical topics while still raising support for nonprofit causes!
9. Parents’ night out
Give parents a break by allowing them to take a night for themselves. Recruit children’s ministry volunteers to host games and fun at the church, then charge a small fee for parents who drop their kids off.
Volunteers may spend the evening doing a service project for your nonprofit partner with the kids who are dropped off. Discuss how nonprofit support ties into your church’s mission and the calling as Christians to “love your neighbor.”
More fundraising ideas can be found on resources like BestFundraisingIdeas, which offers a comprehensive list of unique activities and events. No matter which fundraiser you choose to host, remember to emphasize the importance of kids’ involvement. Show your appreciation and explain how they’re helping others by participating.
Also, consider working with nonprofits that serve children. That way, the kids in your children’s program will feel more connected to the beneficiaries of their donations and resonate more with the cause.
How to Avoid Perfectionism Paralysis in Capital Campaigns
If your capital campaign is going to be successful, you will need generous contributions from your very top projects.
In fact, according to recent research by Capital Campaign Pro, most campaigns raise more than half their goal (71%, on average!) from fewer than 20 donors. So how you approach those 20 donors matters a great deal.
And if you’re like many people, you may fall into the “We had better be perfect” trap. It’s a natural mistake. Because those top donors are so important, and you worry that you might not get more than one opportunity to ask them for a big gift, it’s got to be right!
As a result, you may be tempted to put off those big donor visits until all of your plans and your materials are buttoned down and look super professional.
In fact, you might feel paralyzed by your commitment to perfection and put off those big donor visits far longer than you should.
Here’s the truth, though. The drive to be perfect before you talk to your big donors, while understandable, is actually the wrong approach. Not only will it delay your campaign, it’s likely to diminish the chances of your success.
Why?
Because the essence of getting those large gifts isn’t buttoning down every detail. The essence is quite the opposite. Your task isn’t to make a perfect presentation, it’s to involve those large donors early and often in the planning of your project long before you make your pitch and ask for a gift.
Here are three things you can do to make sure you don’t fall into the perfectionism trap with your next capital campaign.
1. Mark planning documents as drafts.
Alternatively, get in the habit of using the phrase “preliminary plan.” Make sure to date each version of every draft. You will likely go through several drafts that will shift, change, and improve with each version. Without dating the versions and renaming and dating subsequent documents like your case for support or gift range chart, you won’t be able to keep track of which is an earlier version and which one is current.
2. Share draft versions with your most important prospects early on in the planning process.
Don’t wait until your plans are finalized. Think about it this way: If you don’t approach that local politician or business owner until everything is buttoned down and perfect, then all you have to talk to them about is money.
But if you share your plans while they are still in the formative stage, you can have far more probing and exploratory conversations with them. Those conversations will help you benefit from their ideas and give you insights into their interests and philanthropic motivations.
3. Know that it’s easier and less stressful to talk with donors before you’ve perfected your plans.
The more time and energy you’ve put into making everything perfect, the more likely you’ll find yourself selling and then defending your plans rather than discussing them.
It turns out that not only does trying to be perfect often slow you down, but it’s actually a less powerful approach to engaging your donors. And it is well-documented that engaged donors give more and give more generously.
So, don’t fall into the perfectionism trap. Train yourself to share your plans before they are fully formed and enjoy the benefits of getting wisdom and advice from the people who can help you most.
4 Ways Software Bridges the Gap Between Schools & Donors
As a parent, teacher, or school administrator, you’re all too familiar with the challenges of school fundraising, including fatigue and burnout, disengaged students and parents, and a lack of communication. Unfortunately, these are problems that can lead to losses in potential fundraising revenue, and finding the right strategies to address these issues can feel like guesswork.
Choosing exciting fundraising ideas, engaging students, and creating targeted marketing campaigns can help you reach the right audience, but these things can be time and labor-intensive to do on your own. To quickly make impactful changes to your school’s approach to donor and community outreach, consider investing in specialized school fundraising software.
In this guide, we’ll explore these four ways the right technology will help you connect with your donors to foster deep, loyal relationships:
To reach and resonate with those who are willing to give to your school, you first need to understand them. To get started, we’ll cover how to learn about potential supporters and use your findings to inspire donations.
1. Better understanding of donor preferences.
Fundraising software tracks different types of fundraising data, including valuable insights about donors’ preferences and giving behaviors. For example, let’s say your school is following 99Pledges’ guide to organizing a read-a-thon, which recommends each student receive a personal donation page where their friends and family can pledge donations. When a donor donates to your read-a-thon, you’ll know:
Using this information, your school can tailor how it interacts with donors in the future. Specifically, you could:
By creating more personalized experiences for donors, you show that you see and value them as people rather than dollar signs.
2. More convenient donation methods.
Another way to leverage donor data is to optimize the giving process according to what is most convenient and familiar to your donors. For example, some donors may be most comfortable with writing a check or submitting cash to your school. However, many supporters find it easiest to give online, and fundraising software makes it easy to accept and track online giving.
When preparing for your next school fundraiser, make sure your software can accept popular online payment methods, including:
Keep in mind that accepting digital payment methods will also make the logistical side of fundraising easier for your school. Financial data will flow into your records, allowing you to track progress in real-time. Additionally, if you’re looking to get students outside through a fundraiser like a walk-a-thon, you can nudge supporters to donate online ahead of time or on-site using QR codes so volunteers don’t have to handle cash and checks.
3. Real-time, accurate data tracking.
When your school accepts more online donations, you can quickly and accurately track your fundraiser’s progress. This not only streamlines your recordkeeping but also opens the door for new donor engagement strategies.
Here are a few ways to engage donors and student participants using data about your fundraising progress:
This can also help ensure that your school is on track to meet its fundraising goals. For example, maybe you’ve set a goal to raise $3,000 from your back-to-school fundraiser and know that you need to raise $1,000 per week to meet the goal. With up-to-date revenue data, you’ll know if your school can achieve its goal by the deadline.
4. Prompt donor communications.
Communication with your donors is critically important to building relationships with them and showing your appreciation for their support. As noted by eCardWidget’s guide to thanking donors, it’s best to send thank-you emails within 72 hours of receiving the donation. But, it can be difficult to stay on top of sending these messages while juggling all of your other responsibilities.
Rather than manually sending each message, you can automate the process with your fundraising software. This way, donors will receive donation receipts, thank-you messages, and pledge reminders on a much faster timeline without added stress.
Your donors will appreciate more tailored thank-you messages that show that your school truly values their contributions. If a donor gave to your sports team’s recent campaign, you’ll want to greet them by name, acknowledge which organization they donated to, recognize the amount they donated, and tell them about the impact that gift will have on your organization.
Donors are the lifeblood of any successful fundraiser. However, recruiting new ones to support each campaign comes at a much higher cost than simply engaging past donors. By leveraging fundraising technology, your school can foster deeper relationships with its donors to build a robust network of supporters and nurture sustainable revenue streams.
5 Skills to Make You a Better Nonprofit Web Designer
Stories are at the heart of web design. For nonprofits, conveying inspiring stories is critical to securing the necessary support for powering social change.
With high stakes like these, first impressions matter. In today’s fast-paced world, it takes only 0.05 seconds for users to form an opinion about a website. Because of this, nonprofit web designers need to hone their skills to impress visitors and motivate them to get involved.
To help you round out your abilities, we’ll discuss five essential skills to develop and sharpen as a nonprofit web designer, including:
An effective nonprofit website is a valuable tool for marketing, increasing brand recognition, and boosting conversions. Focus on the following skills to stay at the forefront of nonprofit web design and create stunning websites that supporters return to again and again.
1. User Experience Design
Seasoned nonprofit web designers are well-accustomed to approaching their projects from the user’s point of view. Visitors should be able to land on the website and immediately begin interacting freely with your nonprofit’s content. To improve the user experience (UX) of a website, follow these best practices:
Additionally, make it easy for users to take important actions on your website by incorporating clear, eye-catching calls to action (CTAs) across your pages. For example, according to 360MatchPro’s fundraising statistics, making a website’s “Donate” button stand out can result in a 190% increase in donations.
Incorporate high-contrast brand colors and choose urgent, specific language for your CTAs to compel users to click through. For example, a college website might feature CTAs like “Apply Now” or “Take a Virtual Tour” while an animal rescue nonprofit might encourage people to “Donate Now” or “Adopt a Stray.” These buttons will guide users from step to step in their interactions with your website.
2. Visual Design and Storytelling
If a picture can paint a thousand words, then your nonprofit website is full of opportunities to tell readers about your organization’s mission, beneficiaries, and impact. A nonprofit web designer should be able to use captivating visuals to enhance the user experience and weave together attention-grabbing graphic design materials such as:
Set your visual web design up for success by starting with a mood board. In this resource, you’ll compile aspects such as color palettes, icons, logos, illustrations, and typography to use for brainstorming and fine-tuning. Developing a mood board allows you to share your design approach, collect feedback, and make major changes before delving into the actual project itself.
Make your nonprofit website’s visuals stand out by experimenting with animated, interactive, or 3D elements. Keep up with the latest web design trends by moving away from art styles like Corporate Memphis and opting for more custom, textured illustrations that add more specific value to your content. However, the user experience should still be your number one priority when designing your visuals.
3. Nonprofit Content Strategy
A well-rounded nonprofit web designer looks at each website’s content strategy as a whole to determine how to attract and retain visitors. You should be well-versed with content management systems (CMS) like WordPress, and know how to leverage their tools to fill your website with engaging content. Kanopi’s WordPress for nonprofits guide offers these tips for refining your website’s content strategy:
All of the content on your nonprofit website should reflect your organization’s voice and tone. For instance, a nonprofit that is trying to come across as more playful and approachable might use more contractions and add emojis throughout its content, while an organization that is aiming to be more serious might include no emojis and limit the use of exclamation points.
4. Web Accessibility
Whether you’re trying to encourage website visitors to sign up for an upcoming event, visit your donation page, or explore the blog roll, make sure that your content is accessible to everyone. This includes people using mobile devices, screen readers, and other assistive technologies.
Keep these considerations in mind to ensure that all visitors have an excellent experience on your website:
To identify further accessibility improvements, your website should undergo a basic audit at least every six months, or following any major changes.
5. Stakeholder Communication
While every well-designed website will share common strengths and features, it’s important to tailor each website to your nonprofit’s audience and brand. To do so, you’ll need to acquire an in-depth understanding of how your target users prefer to interact with a website and what they’re looking for in a high-quality website experience.
One effective way to do this is by creating three to five user personas containing information such as:
As you design your nonprofit website, reference these user personas to adjust your visual and content strategy to meet the specific expectations of your audience. Continue gathering user feedback through surveys and focus groups to stay on top of needs and priorities.
A strong nonprofit website provides a solid foundation for building relationships with donors, volunteers, and corporate partners in the community. Keep an eye on metrics such as time on site, landing page bounce rates, and number of pages visited to determine the effectiveness of your web design efforts. Use this information to make improvements, sharpen your skills, and boost your results over time.
Mission-Driven Startups: A Look at 14 Inspiring Companies
In a world driven by profit margins and bottom lines, a new breed of startups has emerged that seeks to make a difference beyond the balance sheet. These mission-driven companies place purpose at the heart of their business strategies.
They’re not just in it for profit; they’re on a mission to create positive societal change. From providing innovative fundraising software to insightful consulting services, mission-driven companies play a direct role in nonprofits’ ability to achieve their missions.
Since employees seek companies that give back, these types of businesses are becoming increasingly prominent. To illustrate just what these businesses are doing and why they matter, we’ll shed some light on mission-driven startups that focus on supporting nonprofits and associations. Our goal is to provide inspiration for your own mission-driven business and determine if impact investing can help fuel your company.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
Now, join us in exploring some of the most inspiring mission-driven companies currently operating. Along the way, you’ll discover the incredible benefits of leading a business that is driven by a higher calling, one that extends its reach far beyond the boardroom and into the realm of social change.
Our Mission-Driven Company
We have an inside perspective on mission-driven companies, and that’s because we are one! At NXUnite by Nexus Marketing, we provide a platform where brands and organizations within the mission-driven sector can collaborate, learn, and grow.
We act as a hub for the nonprofit community by providing the following:
We even offer a Cause Coins system for our community, which they can redeem for rewards like discounts on technology and event tickets. Our audience earns Cause Coins by attending webinars, sharing NXUnite with their networks, and more, getting more eyes on our mission-driven business partners while encouraging nonprofit professionals to broaden their knowledge.
How We Make It Happen
We couldn’t do it alone! We work with Foundry for Good to make our mission-driven business viable. They’re impact investors who help mission-driven startups make their mark in the social good sector.
Powered by a team that understands nonprofits and mission-driven businesses, Foundry for Good isn’t just a springboard for for-profit companies. They strive to invest in ideas that can make a true impact. Here’s what their team brings to the table:
We recommend chatting with their team to learn how their expertise can help your startup business or idea come to life. With a powerful team, expansive network, and innovative marketing strategies, they’ll make sure your business’s impact is felt.
Mission-Driven Startups That Serve Nonprofits
The following mission-driven companies offer a wide range of services to nonprofits, covering areas such as technology, finance, governance, and marketing.
Double the Donation
Matching gifts are a powerful yet underutilized revenue source for nonprofits, and Double the Donation offers robust software to help nonprofits pinpoint match-eligible donors and drive matches to completion.
Backed by Double the Donation’s industry-leading software, 360MatchPro, nonprofits gain access to the largest and most up-to-date database of matching gift and volunteer grant information. Armed with the knowledge and tools to tap into matching gifts, nonprofits can break down giving barriers, determine donors’ eligibility, and raise more for their causes.
This mission-driven company provides customers with the following:
Nonprofits that use Double the Donation’s product can rest assured that they’re receiving the most up-to-date corporate giving information. Foundry for Good also works with this company to get the product in front of nonprofits and schools that could benefit from the power of matching gifts.
eCardWidget
Digital greeting cards enable nonprofit organizations to connect with supporters and inspire action.
eCardWidget recognizes this and provides a digital greeting card platform, empowering mission-driven organizations everywhere to raise money, spread awareness, and do more for their missions.
With their user-friendly eCard software, they offer the following to nonprofits:
As partners with Foundry for Good, eCardWidget is making a name for itself in the mission-driven sector. From thanking donors to raising money, eCards have so many uses for nonprofits. That’s why it’s easy to see why this mission-driven startup is making an impact.
Getting Attention
The Google Ad Grant is a great marketing resource for nonprofits. Getting Attention strives to help organizations make the most of the monthly advertising credits they receive through the program.
Getting Attention manages the Google Ad Grant from start to finish for their nonprofit clients. When a nonprofit partners with this mission-driven startup, they can tap into the following services:
Getting Attention also works with Foundry for Good to spread awareness of the Google Ad Grant and connect with nonprofits who could benefit from their services.
BoardEffect
BoardEffect delivers board management software for leaders of nonprofits, higher education institutions, community healthcare organizations, and credit unions. The flexible tools empower board members to collaborate, whether they’re in a meeting or between them. The platform offers tools for agenda creation, document sharing, board member engagement, and secure communication, all aimed at enhancing governance processes.
This mission-driven company was founded by a team of developers who have worked with boards for years, so they understand that board work can be complex but also highly rewarding. Today, they serve over 2,500 clients.
TechSoup
TechSoup delivers discounted and donated software, hardware, and technology services from various technical companies to nonprofits. They offer a wide range of technology resources, including software licenses, cloud solutions, and training sessions. This allows nonprofit organizations to leverage technology for social good while saving costs.
This mission-driven company’s goal is to help nonprofits, NGOs, and social impact organizations improve their operations, increase efficiency, and better serve their communities. They strive to “build a dynamic bridge that leverages technology to enable connections and innovative solutions for a more equitable planet.”
Nonprofit Finance Fund
The Nonprofit Finance Fund (NFF) provides financial consulting, loans, and advisory services to nonprofits to help them achieve financial sustainability. By strengthening nonprofits’ sustainability, NFF enables their clients to better serve their communities.
NFF provides financial expertise, tailored financial solutions, and a range of resources to improve nonprofits’ financial resilience. They contribute to a more equitable world by empowering mission-driven organizations to adapt and drive positive change.
Mission-Driven Startups That Serve Associations
Associations require unique technology and support to provide member benefits, manage events, offer educational programs, and more. Let’s explore several mission-driven companies that offer technology and resources to grow associations’ communities and deliver value.
ClubExpress
ClubExpress firmly believes that community organizations are integral to society and seeks to take the drudgery out of running a club or association. The company helps club leaders create, manage, and sustain strong, vibrant organizations more easily with their internet-based system. Their association management platform offers membership management, event planning, website hosting, and communication tools, so these organizations can streamline operations and fulfill their missions.
Web Scribble
Web Scribble offers job board and career center solutions for associations to help members find employment opportunities within their industries. Rated as the #1 association career center platform, their career hub has posted more than 1.3 million jobs. This mission-driven business’s goal is to provide additional value to associations beyond traditional member benefits.
MultiView
MultiView offers digital marketing and advertising solutions for associations to reach their audiences through online channels. This company understands that members look to associations to provide industry news, professional development opportunities, advocacy, and more. That’s why they offer services to keep up with those needs by boosting engagement, increasing visibility, and generating leads.
They’re powered by a team of editors who assist their clients by writing and curating relevant content for newsletters, sending event communications, and generally spreading the word about the associations that work with them. Trusted by more than 1,200 associations, this mission-driven company has made a name for itself.
Mission-Driven Companies That Provide Services
There’s more to powering nonprofits and associations than technology. Let’s explore some mission-driven companies that offer valuable services, expertise, and support to nonprofit organizations, helping them thrive, achieve their missions, and make a positive impact in their communities.
Nexus Marketing
Nexus Marketing is a different type of mission-driven company. They provide marketing solutions to brands powering social good and community impact. Through extensive SEO and content creation services, they connect businesses—whether they’re selling technology, consulting services, or something else—with the nonprofits they cater to.
Backed by a deep understanding of mission-driven audiences, Nexus knows what it takes to reach and inspire these businesses’ prospective clients. They help mission-driven startups grow brand recognition and gain a competitive edge through value-add services like:
Foundry for Good also powers this company, so clients gain direct access to a network of other mission-driven businesses, connecting them to nonprofits that need their services and technology.
BDO Nonprofit
BDO Nonprofit is a mission-driven startup specializing in audit, tax, and consulting services tailored to nonprofits. The company helps nonprofits navigate complex financial and regulatory landscapes, ensuring compliance and financial transparency. Their services assist nonprofits in managing money, enhancing governance practices, and optimizing operations.
BoardSource
BoardSource offers governance and board development services to nonprofit organizations. They provide training, resources, and consulting to help nonprofits strengthen their board leadership and governance practices.
BoardSource supports nonprofit organizations in achieving their missions, making it a mission-driven organization dedicated to social impact and positive change in the nonprofit community.
Nonprofit Marketing Guide
Nonprofit Marketing Guide is a training and coaching company that provides nonprofits with guidance and resources related to nonprofit marketing, donor communications, and content strategy. They offer tools and insights to help these organizations improve their marketing efforts and effectively communicate their impact to target audiences. This mission-driven startup puts nonprofits’ success at the center of their business model.
Wrapping Up The Discussion on Mission-Driven Companies
Mission-driven startups power the nonprofit sector. They prioritize supporting organizations with compelling missions to create positive change in addition to turning a profit.
If you need help bringing your company’s vision to life, we suggest working with impact investors like those at Foundry for Good. They can provide you with the capital and direction you need to make your impact felt.
Want to learn more about the mission-driven sector? Explore these curated resources:
A Spotlight on 10 Top Impact Investors Driving Social Change
Starting a business that’s focused on social good is noble, but like almost all businesses, it requires financial support to flourish. Fortunately, there’s a growing group of investors who are passionate about more than just making money—they want to make a difference.
In a world where profit meets purpose, impact investors are reshaping the business landscape by investing capital into startups and small companies dedicated to making a positive difference.
If you’re a founder of a social good startup looking for investors who share your values, you’re in the right spot. In this article, we’ll introduce you to remarkable social good investors who are actively seeking out companies committed to positive change, including anything from fundraising technology vendors to Google Grants agencies. Here’s what we’ll cover:
If you’re a founder with a vision, these investors could be your key to success. As a company that’s powered by mission-driven investors, our team at NXUnite is excited to share our unique perspective and help you understand the role these groups are making.
Understanding Impact Investing
Before shining the spotlight on specific investors, let’s take a step back and start with the fundamentals of impact investing. We’ll walk through basic questions, so you can make an informed decision when choosing an investor for your business.
What is impact investing?
Impact investing is when a business or other entity invests in companies or organizations with the dual aim of achieving financial returns and positive impacts. Unlike traditional investments that focus primarily on financial gains, impact investing strongly emphasizes achieving measurable outcomes in social good areas like environmental sustainability, education, poverty, social justice, and healthcare.
Key aspects of impact investing include:
While these investments involve several moving parts, impact investing is essentially leveraging capital to create positive change, earn revenue, and drive innovation across the social good sector.
Does impact investing make a difference?
Yes, it does! Impact investing has gained momentum as individuals and businesses increasingly recognize their ability to address pressing global challenges while also earning financial benefits.
By directing capital into businesses and initiatives that aim to drive change, impact investing provides these benefits:
Overall, impact investing enables investors to use their financial resources strategically to drive positive change, solve global challenges, and promote a more sustainable and equitable future. It demonstrates that financial returns and ESG impact can be mutually reinforcing.
How do I find social impact investors?
Browsing lists like this one is a good start. Consider following industry blogs or using online investment platforms like Toniic and the Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN) Investor Directory. These platforms connect social impact entrepreneurs with potential investors.
You can also join impact investing conferences and networking events. These gatherings attract social impact investors, foundations, and philanthropic organizations. Attend these events and start conversations with potential funders for your business.
What’s the difference between impact investing and ESG investing?
While similar, these two types of investments have a key difference.
Impact investors focus on generating specific, measurable, and positive social or environmental impacts alongside financial returns. Meanwhile, environmental, social, or governance (ESG) investors incorporate ESG factors into the investment decision-making process.
ESG investors look for companies that meet specific ESG requirements, but the companies they invest in aren’t necessarily part of the social good sector. For example, an investor might use ESG standards to assess a for-profit clothing store’s supply chain practices. By integrating these non-financial factors into their investment strategies, they aim to mitigate risks and ensure they support businesses that will be sustainable long-term.
Our Recommended Impact Investor: Foundry for Good
Focus Area: Mission-Driven Businesses Such As Nonprofit Technology and Consulting Services
With a diverse background of investments, Foundry For Good knows how to take your social impact further. They won’t just invest capital; they’ll infuse your mission-driven startup with strategic marketing solutions.
Foundry for Good provides you with direct access to experts in philanthropy and change, like the changemakers here at NXUnite!
Here are their primary areas of focus:
Backed by a passionate team, a network of mission-driven businesses, and cutting-edge marketing strategies, Foundry for Good will make sure your business’s impact is felt.
Notable Impact Investments
Foundry for Good has an evergrowing portfolio of social good investments. Some of their companies making a difference include:
If you’re looking for a reliable impact investor, we can’t sing Foundry for Good’s praises enough! Chat with their team to see if they’re the right fit for your business.
Other Social Good Investors Making A Difference
We’ve used a variety of methods to evaluate these remaining investors, such as selecting ones with substantial assets under management (AUM), which is the total market value of investments they manage.
Whether you’re looking for nonprofit technology investors, consulting agency investors, or mission-driven investors in general, there’s something for every small business wanting to power their social impact initiative.
Actis
Focus Area: Sustainable Infrastructure
Actis is a leading global investor in sustainable infrastructure. Since its inception in 2004, this impact investor has raised $24 billion to invest in a better tomorrow. They invest in energy infrastructure, long life infrastructure, digital infrastructure, real estate, and private equity.
Actis has a long history of building businesses. Today, it has 17 offices across the globe, enabling them to invest in meaningful opportunities wherever they may come from. They have an impressive portfolio of organizations they’ve invested in, including energy infrastructure companies like Atlas Renewable Energy, long life infrastructure companies like Emicool, and private equity firms like Upstream Systems.
Bain Capital
Focus Areas: Health and Wellness, Education and Workforce Development, and Sustainability
Established in 1984, Bain Capital is a private investment firm with approximately $180 billion in AUM.
While known for its traditional investment activities, Bain Capital has an impact investing arm called Bain Capital Double Impact. With this division of their firm, they invest in companies and initiatives that address social and environmental challenges, such as healthcare, education, sustainability, and social equality.
One example of their work is their recent partnership with Meteor Education. With Bain Capital’s support, they aim to expand Meteor Education into new markets and advance its mission to support educators in creating enriching learning experiences.
Bamboo Capital Partners
Focus Areas: Financial Inclusion, Access to Clean Energy, Access to Healthcare, and Agribusiness
Founded in 2007, Bamboo Capital Partners has a global presence in impact investing markets. Bamboo aims to improve the lives of marginalized communities while delivering financial returns. It employs a blended finance approach and works with partners (such as foundations and other impact investors) to jumpstart opportunities brought to them.
Bamboo specifically targets companies with products, services, or operations that lead to positive social and/or environmental changes. For example, that might mean a business that improves the quality of life or one that increases efficiencies to reduce expenses for target populations.
BlueOrchard Finance S.A.
Focus Areas: Financial Inclusion and Poverty Alleviation
With principal offices in Switzerland, BlueOrchard Financial operates in more than 100 emerging and frontier markets in various areas like Asia, Latin America, Africa, and Eastern Europe. It was founded as part of a United Nations initiative in 2001 as the first commercial manager of microfinance debt investment worldwide. That makes it an impact investment pioneer.
Now, BlueOrchard is majority-owned by asset management business, Schroders, and has a global reach of more than 280 million people. Schroders targets sophisticated investors and global initiatives that fight inequality and the effects of climate change. They have a presence in the microfinance, agriculture, renewable energy, healthcare, and education sectors.
One of BlueOrchard’s recent investments is ChargeZone, a fast-growing electric vehicle charging company located in India. BlueOrchard invested in the company to fund the roll-out of 286 charging stations, serving 1,130 electric buses.
Generation Investment Management
Focus Areas: Global Equity, Asia Equity, Growth Equity, and Private Equity
Founded by Al Gore and David Blood in 2004, Generation Investment Management has pioneered the development of sustainability and ESG investing. Known for its commitment to impact investing, this firm strives to deliver long-term financial returns while addressing global sustainability challenges like environmental degradation.
It employs a sustainable capitalistic approach, emphasizing that “sustainability factors have a material impact on companies’ returns over the long term.”
Hamilton Lane
Focus Areas: Professional Services, Renewable Energy, and Software
With 22 years of impact investing experience, Hamilton Lane is a leading, global investment manager providing private markets solutions. Since 2001, they’ve invested in mission-driven solutions and now have $3.1 billion in assets related to impact strategies. What’s more, they report on the impact of their investments to ensure they help companies drive social change. Examples of metrics include energy savings, water cleaned, and reduction in CO2 emissions.
In March 2022, Hamilton Lane released a Climate Policy Statement to communicate its dedication to the global search for climate-change solutions. They also pledged to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.
Some of Hamilton Lane’s investments include:
Meridiam Infrastructure
Focus Areas: Critical Public Services, Sustainable Mobility, and Innovative Low Carbon Solutions
Meridiam Infrastructure is driven by its mission to make the UN Sustainable Development Goals a reality. They translated these goals into their organization’s five strategic pillars:
Driven by these pillars, they strive to build resilient communities, tackle climate change, and protect the environment. They do so by supporting and accelerating the development of innovative, ambitious SMEs leading the ecological transition.
Meridiam Infrastructure currently manages more than 120 assets in the social good sector around the world. One investment example is Okamac, which is the European leader of Apple computer reconditioning. Meridiam Infrastructure invested in Okamac to participate in the decarbonization of the computing sector by supporting a global champion of computer reconditioning.
TPG
Focus Areas: Climate and Conservation, Education, Financial Inclusion, Food and Agriculture, Healthcare, and Impact Services
Launched in 1992, TPG is now a leading global alternative asset manager. They launched The Rise Fund in 2016, making them the first global alternative asset manager to develop an impact investing business with more than $1 billion in AUM. Today, they have more than $18 billion in AUM.
They believe that private enterprise is critical in addressing global societal changes, and their Impact platform helps drive competitive financial returns and measurable societal benefits. Here’s an overview of their investment funds:
Ideal for companies looking for a vast network, TPG has a substantial global network for raising capital and driving value in their investments. Some of their investments include Palmetto, which expands access to clean energy for homeowners and businesses, and Teachers of Tomorrow, which focuses on creating education leaders.
Turner Impact Capital
Focus Areas: Educational Facilities, Affordable Housing, and Healthcare Facilities
As one of the fastest-growing social impact investors, Turner Impact Capital specializes in investing in and developing real estate projects that positively influence society and generate financial returns. They work to address critical societal challenges, particularly in underserved communities, to help create positive change in communities where their investments can make a measurable difference.
For example, they invest in the development and improvement of affordable workforce housing and community healthcare centers in low-income areas.
Final Thoughts on These Social Good Investors
Impact investing isn’t just about dollars and cents; it’s about making a meaningful impact. Impact investing bridges the gap between profit-driven business and social good. For founders of startups and small social good companies, the right investor can be a game-changer.
Again, we recommend chatting with Foundry for Good, a social good investor who’s actively investing in businesses that cater to nonprofits.
As you continue along in your journey, explore these additional resources: