The considerations that must take place when starting a fundraiser can be overwhelming, but the first step is always determining what type of fundraiser you want to run. There are thousands of choices with pros and cons to each, but product fundraisers can be particularly successful in raising money for your cause. We’ll look at five benefits to running a product fundraiser.
1. Easy to organize
In contrast to fundraising events, which usually require months of planning and extra expenses like venue or catering costs, starting a product fundraiser is simple. To get started, you’ll just need to follow these steps:
Establish your goal and deadline
Choose a product fundraising partner
Choose a product to sell
Set up your physical or digital order form
Not only is the set-up easy, but selling is simple, too. No volunteer training or workshop is needed to teach someone how to sell. This is helpful for a fundraiser with a strict timeline since it requires very little planning and can be started or stopped at any time.
Running a fundraiser where your volunteers already know their roles is helpful, but they might not be needed at all in a product fundraiser. Depending on your organization, there are plenty of alternatives when it comes to selling your product. For example, you can leave a stack of order forms on the receptionist’s desk or accept orders completely online. If you’re selling products to fundraise for a school, you can give the product to the students and have them sell it.
2. Easy to market
Marketing is important for all aspects of a nonprofit, but product fundraisers are particularly easy to promote. Since they’re a tangible fundraiser, products make for great photo opportunities. Taking pictures of the items you’re selling can make nice social media posts promoting your products and fundraising goals.
Visuals are particularly influential when it comes to getting people interested in your cause. Feathr advises using compelling images to capture people’s attention as they’re scrolling through their social media feed. For example, if you’re selling food, detailed pictures of tasty snacks you’re selling can be really enticing.
Your product could also represent your organization in some way. Sell merchandise with your organization’s logo on it and supporters might be inclined to buy because they’d like to publicly show their support for your nonprofit. As an added bonus, selling something that displays your logo will make your supporters brand ambassadors. By wearing your logo, they’ll provide greater visibility for your brand.
3. Donors get something in return
Product fundraisers make it easier to raise money because people who wouldn’t normally donate to your cause might be interested in buying a product. These buyers might be incentivized by the fact that they could get something in return for giving, seeing your fundraiser as a purchase rather than a donation..
On the flip side, if your buyers are supporters of your organization, they might feel more connected to your nonprofit when they get something in return for donating. They’ll also be encouraged to give knowing that the money from their purchase is funding a good cause. No matter who the buyer is, this is an effective way to raise money because they’ll get a high return on their investment.
4. Reach a wider audience
Product fundraisers also make it easy to reach more of your supporters and wider community by selling both in person and online. Here are some ways you can advertise your nonprofit and its fundraiser outside of your organization’s immediate community of supporters:
Social media
Your website
Word-of-mouth
Flyers
Partnering with local businesses
There are opportunities for sales in more places than you can imagine. For example, if students are selling cookie dough to raise money for their school, they might take order forms to a parent’s office after school. Their parent’s coworkers might be interested in buying cookie dough and placing an order to support your school.
5. Flexibility in product choice
The best part about product fundraisers is that they’re fully customizable! There’s a wide variety of things you can sell and the sales timeline is completely up to you. If you have a target audience in mind as you’re organizing the fundraiser, choose a product you know they’d like.
Also, consider when you’ll be running the fundraiser. Products can be seasonal, and this can work to your advantage.
For example, ABC Fundraising suggests selling Christmas ornaments as a fundraiser for a church during the Christmas season. Members of the congregation will be interested in buying ornaments regardless of your fundraiser, but will be especially motivated by their affinity for their church. You could even get the children in the church to make ornaments as a fun Sunday morning craft and sell those ornaments for the fundraiser.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to ideas for effective product fundraisers. Choose an idea that appeals to your audience the most and customize your fundraiser to work well for your organization. No matter what idea you choose, the benefits of product fundraisers can make a huge impact on your nonprofit.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ABC-Fundraising_NXUnite_The-Top-5-Reasons-to-Leverage-a-Product-Fundraiser.jpg360690Adam Weingerhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgAdam Weinger2023-02-27 22:41:312023-02-27 22:41:32The Top 5 Reasons to Leverage a Product Fundraiser
Matching gifts play a vital role in any modern organization’s fundraising. However, not all donors know that these programs even exist, resulting in lost revenue for causes like yours. That’s why you need a plan to promote matching gifts if you want to use corporate giving as a viable fundraising avenue.
With an estimated 4.3 billion users worldwide, the Google Ads platform empowers nonprofits to connect with a world of prospects. That means you can fill in these knowledge gaps and let more prospects than ever know about matching gifts. Best of all, eligible organizations can receive free ad credits to spend on promoting web content through the Google Ad Grants program.
So long as you follow the program’s rules, the Google Ad Grant gives you the flexibility you need to get creative with your matching gift promotion.
To get your creative juices flowing, we’re here to help you combine the power of corporate giving and Google Ads. If you’re ready to supercharge your fundraising efforts, here’s what this guide will cover:
Creating Google Ads and meeting the Ad Grant program’s requirements can be tricky for newcomers. That’s why we recommend working with the experts at Getting Attention.
Their Google Ad Grant managers know what it takes to create compelling ads that expand your digital marketing capabilities. With an expert on your side, you can create persuasive ads that promote matching gifts to qualified users. While waiting to chat with their team, explore the tips below to get some ideas for your Google Ads strategy.
What To Know Before Promoting Matching Gifts With Google Ads
Diving headfirst into creating Google Ads for matching gifts can be tempting. But it’s important to go into it with some background knowledge and a solid strategy.
Knowing the basics will give you the necessary foundation for creating Google Ads that meet the program’s requirements and inspire users to complete the matching gift process.
What are matching gifts?
Matching gifts are a type of corporate giving program in which companies promise to match their employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits. Employers usually create a series of guidelines, such as the maximum donation amount they’ll match, which employees are eligible, and which nonprofits are eligible.
An individual donates to your nonprofit and researches their eligibility for their employer’s matching gift program.
If eligible, they’ll submit a request to their company to match the donation.
Finally, the company will confirm the initial donation with your team and make its own donation.
Pretty simple, right? The only downfall is that many donors don’t know about this opportunity. In some cases, they’re actually confused by the framework and might not follow through on submitting requests to their employers. That’s why marketing is crucial.
What is the Google Ad Grant program?
The Google Ad Grants program provides free advertising credits to eligible nonprofits. Participating organizations receive a monthly allocation of $10,000 to spend on Google Ads. They bid on mission-related keywords and design ads that inspire people to visit their website.
In our guide to the basics of Google Ad Grants, we explain that “through this program, Google’s goal is to empower nonprofits to supercharge their search engine marketing (SEM) efforts and deliver worthwhile public service messages to a global audience.”
Nonprofits most often promote content related to fundraising, volunteering, and their services. That makes this the perfect place to promote matching gifts!
Generally speaking, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding matching gifts — including everything from what they are to how to submit an employer request. Your nonprofit needs to step up its marketing game to increase matching gift awareness and drive more matches to completion.
So, what makes Google Ads an effective avenue to promote matching gifts?
Think about it: whenever you want to learn something new, you likely Google it. Your donors are the same way! When they want to support a cause near to their hearts, they often use Google to research organizations pursuing relevant missions.
Google Ads can make sure your content shows up first for those all-important keywords related to your mission, making it ideal for promoting matching gifts.
In 2021, return on ad spend (ROAS) was the highest for search ads compared to other digital advertising methods.
Organizations only spend around $0.06 for every dollar raised online.
View-through revenue (revenue from donors who saw but didn’t click on an ad) accounts for 35% of all giving sourced from digital ads.
98% of searchers click a result on page 1 of Google Search results.
Nonprofits see these incredible results because of Google’s large user base and the Google Ad Grant’s customization features. For example, you can use geotargeting to narrow down your audience to specific regions.
You can also leverage features like Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) to improve ad performance. Getting Attention’s ultimate Google Ad Grant guide explains that you’ll submit a variety of ad headlines and descriptions for an RSA. Then, Google will automatically cycle through different versions of your ads to find the ones that drive the most clicks.
How To Promote Matching Gifts With Google Ads
We fully believe that Google Ads can play a critical role in promoting matching gifts to your donors. While it takes a bit of work to create your ads and manage your account, you have the potential to spread more matching gift awareness than ever before!
Let’s walk through some basic steps for getting started.
1. Create Matching Gift Content on Your Website.
Google has a pretty strict website policy for nonprofits using Google Ads. Any content you promote through the Google Ad Grant program must be hosted on your domain. So, if you want to promote matching gifts, you’ll need matching gift content on your site.
While essential for your Google Ads, creating this content is also a great way to spread matching gift awareness among any visitor — no matter how they end up on your website.
Here are some common ways you might incorporate matching gifts into your website:
Your donation form. Every organization has a donation form! This is one of the most popular pages that nonprofits promote using the Google Ad Grant. Anyone who visits this page will already be considering donating, making it an optimal time to promote matching gifts. Include an employer search tool where donors can research their eligibility for their employers’ programs. After all, who wouldn’t want to multiply their donation without spending another penny?
A dedicated matching gift page. This should be your ultimate resource for matching gifts. Include details about what matching gifts are and how donors can submit requests to their employers. Don’t forget to embed an employer search tool, so users can research their companies’ programs.
A ‘Ways to Give’ page. This covers all the ways someone can give to your cause, whether through corporate giving, volunteering, or attending an event. Include a section on matching gifts. You might give an overview of what they are and direct users to your dedicated matching gift page to learn more. (Hint: This page is great to append to any ad you create and will help you spread the word to a wider audience.)
Once your content is published, you can add these as the landing pages for your matching gift Google Ads. Your “landing page” is where users will arrive on your site after clicking your ad. Choosing landing pages that correlate with your keywords means you can meet users’ goals and deliver the exact content they want.
Your keywords are an important part of your ads. These are what users will type into Google to find your cause, so it’s important to select the right ones.
Through the Google Ad Grants program, you’ll receive free access to a variety of tools to track your ad performance. One of these is Google Keyword Planner.
You can use this platform to conduct keyword research, get keyword suggestions, and determine what your prospects are searching for on Google. It’ll also give you an idea of how much to bid on keywords. Then, you can develop ads that target these search queries and promote matching gifts.
When creating a keyword list for your matching gift ads on Google, here’s what we recommend:
Think about what your donors would search to find your cause. How might a prospective donor find your nonprofit on Google? For example, if your nonprofit supports Breast Cancer patients and funds research, a donor might search “donate to breast cancer research.” Think about how any mission-related keywords like this correlate with matching gifts.
Don’t be too specific with your keywords. Remember, a lot of people don’t know about matching gifts, so using general keywords can be beneficial. A keyword like “matching gifts to breast cancer research” is too specific and will limit your audience. However, don’t be too generic, as your ads might not be shown to people who want to support your work.
Don’t spend your budget all in one place. When starting out, you’ll want to avoid high-competition keywords. Many organizations might bid on the same keywords, driving up the bid costs. Stick with some less competitive, more specific keywords as you get started. Keyword Planner will give you an idea of how much you’ll need to bid on different terms.
Navigating keyword research platforms and choosing search terms can be tricky and somewhat daunting for newcomers. That’s why we recommend working with a Google Grants agency. Professionals know how to find the keywords your donors are searching, reducing the learning curve for your team. That means you can publish your ads and start promoting matching gifts sooner!
An Example of Choosing Matching Gift Keywords
Let’s walk through an example, so you can see how this might look in practice. Let’s stick to our Breast Cancer foundation example. Using Google Keyword Planner, you can enter terms like ‘donate to breast cancer research’ and ‘support breast cancer patients.’ The tool will provide you with recommendations for building out your keyword list with related terms.
These terms are just specific enough to target potential donors without being overly specific to where you limit your audience. People searching these terms are likely thinking about donating or supporting your cause in other ways.
From here, think about what landing pages you can drive users to that relate to these terms. For example, you can drive users to your donation form that features matching gifts. You can also append additional links to your ‘Ways to Give’ page or matching gifts page using Google Ads’ sitelink extension feature.
3. Write Your Google Ads for Matching Gifts.
At this point, you’ve picked your keywords and landing pages. Now is when your creativity comes into play! You’ll need to write your ad and think carefully about how to promote matching gifts with it.
Your ad is the first impression that users will have of your cause. This is where you’ll share your case for support and encourage users to support your cause. Because of this, make sure it’s well-written and persuasive.
When crafting your ad, keep the following in mind:
Incorporate your keywords. This indicates to users that your ad relates to what they searched. Throw your keywords and some variations into the headline and description of your ad.
Create cohesion between your landing pages, keywords, and ad text. The content you promote should align with the user intent for the keyword. For example, if someone searches “donate to animal rescue,” it makes more sense to link users to a donation form rather than a blog post about matching gifts. Then, use your ad text to explain how your ad relates to the search query.
Use ad extensions to provide additional ways to engage. Google Ads provides customization features to build out your ads and optimize your account. With the sitelink ad extensions feature, you can include mini-ads, linking users to additional pages on your site. Sticking to the example above, you could make your donation form your main landing page. Then, add your ‘Ways to Give’ page and matching gifts page as sitelinks.
Include a call to action in your ad. It’s always smart to tell readers exactly what you’d like them to do after seeing your ad. Phrases like “donate now” or “learn about matching gifts” can persuade people to click your ad.
Crafting the perfect Google Ad to promote matching gifts can take some time. After publishing your ads, make sure to log into your account regularly to monitor ad performance and make adjustments.
Working With a Google Ads Manager To Promote Matching Gifts
If you’re still confused about how to promote matching gifts, you don’t have to attempt it alone! And even if you’re experienced with Google Ads, managing a Google Ad Grant account can be time-consuming. That’s why we recommend working with an experienced Google Ad Grant manager.
As our recommended agency, Getting Attention knows how to craft compelling Google Ads. Whether you want to promote matching gifts or amplify other areas of your work, they’ll work with you to accomplish your marketing goals.
To empower their nonprofit partners to achieve new heights, they offer these services:
Google Ad Grant eligibility check and application
Full account setup or existing account audit
Ad creation
Keyword research report and recommendations
Ongoing account maintenance and reporting
Landing page relaunch, including design work
Suspended or lapsed account reactivation
If you want to learn more about promoting your cause with Google Ads, line up a free consultation! From here, you can discuss your Google Ad Grant goals. They’ll help you understand how Google Ads fold into your matching gift promotion and your marketing strategy as a whole.
Matching gifts can make up a sizeable part of your organization’s revenue. However, you need a thorough marketing strategy to make sure your donors know about corporate giving opportunities like this.
As you now know, Google Ads are the perfect marketing avenue to throw into your toolbox! The Google Ad Grant can take your matching gift promotion to new heights when you get creative.
As the world’s most popular search engine, Google puts nonprofits like yours in touch with more prospects than ever. But it’s up to you to craft ads that inspire them to get involved with your cause and learn more about matching gifts.
As you start building out your marketing strategies, make sure you’re fully prepared by exploring these resources:
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/How-to-promote-matching-gifts_feature.png370700Erin Tolandhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgErin Toland2023-02-10 17:48:292023-02-22 14:48:06How to Promote Matching Gifts: Reimagining Your Google Ads
Our communities are what make us strong as individuals. Community members celebrate and help one another in impactful ways. When a community comes together to support a cause, it is a site to behold.
Schools, nonprofits, and other organizations are uniquely defined by their communities. These organizations exist to further a greater cause. Their relationship with the community directly affects their ability to realize their mission.
That’s why, as a nonprofit, your community outreach matters. Without the ongoing support of your local and global communities, your nonprofit’s mission would still be a dream instead of a reality. Connecting with your community can also improve your fundraising efforts and further your positive brand awareness.
What is community outreach?
Community outreach involves a nonprofit’s efforts to engage community members in fundraising or volunteer opportunities that support a charitable cause. This could look like inviting community members to participate in a 5K fundraiser or attend a fancy fundraising dinner.
Effective community outreach requires transparency and genuine interest from your nonprofit. You have to show community members that you care about them and are invested in being a positive force for good in the local area. Get to know your community members personally and express a sincere interest in their lives.
Once you’ve established a positive relationship with your community members, encourage them to invite their family and friends to upcoming fundraising events. If you stay consistent, soon, you will have a reliable, diverse community network.
Benefits of community outreach
There are several upsides to community outreach. Although it takes a bit of effort, you will reap the benefits in years to come. A successful community outreach program will help you:
Improve your organization’s public image. It’s one thing to be noticed as an organization. It’s quite another to get consistent praise for your efforts. When community members mention your nonprofit in a positive light, it’s like free word-of-mouth advertising. In other words, people value direct referrals from those they trust incredibly highly.
Raise greater awareness and support for your mission. Community outreach gets people talking about your promise to make a difference and opens the door to fostering more support. People naturally reference your mission when they know your nonprofit name.
Develop valuable community partnerships, such as corporate sponsorships. In many ways, corporate sponsorships can be the golden ticket that helps your fundraising get off the ground. Partnerships with other local organizations are useful as well. When you team up with another local school or nonprofit to host an event or fundraising campaign, your united efforts will go a long way.
These are just a few of the pros of getting to know your community. Be aware that these benefits may take some time to materialize, but once they do, they can exponentially propel your mission forward.
What are some effective community outreach ideas?
Creating a plan will assist your community outreach efforts. Ideally, your strategy will contain a variety of outlined ideas planned throughout the year. If your organization is newer, planning more outreach events ahead of time will maximize your ROI.
Below are some options to reference to find the optimal pathway for community outreach success:
Host a volunteer open house. Volunteer open houses are similar to regular open houses because they are casual, low-stakes networking opportunities. It can be a drop-in event where community members can volunteer for an hour or so while learning about your volunteer opportunities and program.
Engage community members in a sneaker recycling program. Everyone, especially parents with growing kids, has an extra pair of running shoes lying around. Partner with a sneaker recycling program like Sneaker4FGood to collect gently worn, used and new running shoes from your community members. You could host a 5K to collect the shoes, take them to the nearest shipping center, and receive a check in exchange for the donated shoes.
Host a peer-to-peer fundraising campaign. Have your current network facilitate supporter growth. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a personalized campaign reliant on volunteers requesting support from their networks. These volunteers act as ambassadors for your cause and help you reach your fundraising goals.
Lead a sustainability webinar. We can all do our part to cherish the environment. A sustainability webinar explores practical ways your community can give back. You could cover various topics like how to decrease single plastic use or top farmer’s market picks.
Partner with a local business for an event or fundraiser. Talk with community members to learn about their favorite local restaurants or entertainment venues. Then reach out to these businesses and inquire about hosting an event or fundraiser in their spaces. It could look like a brunch at a cozy breakfast spot with proceeds benefiting your cause.
Interact with supporters on social media. Keep your social media feed updated with the latest content about your mission. Reach out to potential supporters directly to see if they would be interested in featuring you in a post or on their timeline.
Ask for supporter feedback. Send a survey or offer a poll on your website. Gather supporter feedback concerning specific fundraisers to see how you can improve for your next event. Make sure your surveys are short and straightforward to respect your supporter’s time.
Provide advocacy opportunities. Do you see a major opportunity for positive change within your community? Categorize your community needs and tackle them by advocating for either policy, environmental, or systems change. Host an advocacy committee to reach out to the appropriate leaders to kickstart your movement.
A combination of fundraising ideas, volunteer opportunities, and community events can help you reach different audiences. Get to know your community to decide which outreach idea they would most likely do. Make your outreach relevant and impactful to them.
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.
Your nonprofit works hard to raise money effectively and efficiently, so your fundraising team is often knee-deep in the process of finding new revenue streams. But what happens after those monies are acquired? How do you keep track of it all? Financial management is an essential part of your ability to fund your nonprofit’s mission, and it all starts with bookkeeping.
What Is Nonprofit Accounting?
Nonprofit bookkeeping is the process of inputting and organizing your nonprofit’s financial data. When your nonprofit makes money through fundraising, investing, or other strategies, your bookkeeper is the one to input the information about that money into your accounting system and ensure it’s labeled and allocated correctly.
When your nonprofit registered to be a 501(c)(3) organization, you received tax-exempt status. But you also agreed as a part of that registration that you would ensure a high level of transparency regarding your finances in order to maintain that status with the IRS. Therefore, it’s critical to ensure your funding is recorded properly—a task that falls directly on your bookkeeper.
At many smaller organizations, the job of bookkeeping falls largely on executive directors or high-level staff members. This creates another hat for those professionals to wear in their work at the organization. Meanwhile, large organizations with more transactions to keep track of might hire a full-time bookkeeper to manage their day-to-day finances, although hiring can be expensive. The best in-between option for nonprofits is to outsource your bookkeeping and accounting needs to an experienced, nonprofit-specific firm.
You might be asking, “Bookkeeping and accounting? Why do we need both? Aren’t they basically the same thing?” In short, no. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between these commonly confused roles.
How are Bookkeeping and Accounting Different?
While often lumped together in one category, nonprofit bookkeeping and accounting are two distinct roles. Here are the main differences between the two:
Nonprofit Bookkeeping
Nonprofit bookkeepers manage the day-to-day operational needs of an organization. This includes tasks like data entry, writing checks, and allocating expenses. Because it tends to be fairly administrative in nature, nonprofit bookkeepers don’t usually require specialized degrees or CPA certifications. However, this doesn’t mean the job is easy! Bookkeeping requires strong organizational skills to keep everything straight.
Nonprofit Accounting
Nonprofit accounting is like the big brother to bookkeeping. Accountants analyze your nonprofit’s financial data to determine the next steps that will help your organization reach its goals. This role requires a four-year degree and most people who occupy this position are CPA-certified. Accountants also reconcile your bank accounts, prepare your books for audits, compile and submit tax forms, and create your annual budget.
Both of these roles are essential for your nonprofit to have effective financial management practices, but they’re often completed by two different people. This way, you’ll create stronger internal controls that help prevent fraud at your nonprofit.
What Does a Nonprofit Bookkeeper Do?
Your nonprofit bookkeeper’s duties are varied, but they may include tasks such as:
Data entry. Basic data entry involves recording all of your nonprofit’s expenses, revenue, transactions, and other financial information in your dedicated accounting software or a spreadsheet.
Writing checks and making bank deposits. When your nonprofit needs someone to go to the bank to deposit cash from in-person donations or to write the check for your water bill this month, you’ll call upon your nonprofit bookkeeper.
Processing payroll. Larger organizations may rely on a separate HR department to process payroll, but small to mid-sized nonprofits often let this responsibility fall onto their nonprofit bookkeeper.
Allocating expenses. Nonprofit bookkeepers are in charge of organizing the allocations for various organizational expenses. For example, they may allocate what expenses are dedicated to different programs, administrative costs, and fundraising campaigns.
As you can see, your nonprofit bookkeeper is primarily responsible for keeping all of your nonprofit’s financial information organized and ready to be acted upon. If your organization’s bookkeeping duties currently fall on your executive members of the team, consider if it’s worth it to designate a dedicated staff member or outsourced bookkeeper to help manage the responsibilities.
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog
Bookkeeping and Accounting Services for Nonprofits – Some organizations outsource their bookkeeping and accounting needs to organizations like Jitasa. Learn more about how this works and why it can benefit your nonprofit.
Year-End Giving – Your organization raises a lot of money at the end of the year. This guide will help you prepare to raise that funding and record it properly.
A labor union is a nonprofit coalition of workers in the same trade or industry. They are similar to associations, but unions are formed to protect workers’ rights and ensure that favorable conditions are maintained in the workplace. This happens through collective bargaining between the union representative and the employer. Union representatives often negotiate factors such as wages, benefits, schedules, safety, and job security on behalf of the workers.
Unions are membership-based organizations. Usually, unions charge a small monthly membership fee that gets automatically deducted from their members’ paychecks. Members have a direct say and can vote on the issues that make it to the collective bargaining stage. Thus, workers who are represented by unions aren’t necessarily members of the union.
Who’s involved with labor unions?
There are three important parties involved in labor unions. They are:
The workers. According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 14 million union members in the United States as of 2021. That’s 12% of the full- and part-time workforce. ⅔ of union members are women and people of color, which means they are highly represented by unions relative to their population.
The employers. These players are in managerial positions within companies represented by unions.
The union representatives. Union representatives are often workers who bargain with employers to establish better working conditions. These representatives are elected from the
These players work together to establish the atmosphere at work and address the concerns of the workers.
What industries have labor union representation?
Numerous industries have union representation. Industries with a significant union presence include:
Transportation
Utilities
Public administration
Public protective services (police officers and firefighters)
While these industries have more union representation on average, there are many other industries that are represented by unions.
How are unions structured?
There are numerous sizes and scales of unions. Most national unions are part of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The AFL-CIO also represents smaller unions at the state and local levels. That being said, many smaller unions aren’t part of the AFL-CIO.
The AFL-CIO acts as an advocate for unions in the legislative process so unions are allowed to exist and achieve their goals across the country. Also, members of the AFL-CIO meet every four years, introducing them to other union delegates. This allows AFL-CIO members to learn from like-minded union members and adjust their collective bargaining approach.
Whether they’re part of the AFL-CIO or are independent, nearly every national union has local members on a state- or city-wide scale. These representatives resolve grievances and issues within unionized work environments.
Is union membership mandatory?
It depends on the state. 28 states are right-to-work states, meaning that union membership isn’t mandatory. The other 22 states do require union membership if the workplace is represented by one.
Additional resources
Nonprofit Basics – Learn more about nonprofit management essentials by exploring other expert resources.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/What-is-a-Labor-Union__feature.png370700julia.mayerhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgjulia.mayer2023-01-06 18:56:492023-01-09 20:30:44What is a Labor Union? – Nonprofit Catalog
Businesses that give back to their communities receive a number of benefits in return. From improved reputations to higher employee retention, corporate philanthropy is only increasing in importance in the for-profit sector and for good reason.
Corporate giving takes many forms, and one method in particular allows businesses to make an impact and engage employees at the same time: employee giving programs. Workplace-based giving initiatives provide employees with the opportunity to make a difference with their own two hands.
In this post, we will discuss the benefits of employee giving programs and provide examples of companies that have successfully implemented such programs. Specifically, we’ll explore:
Whether you want to update your current employee giving strategy or launch an entirely new program, this guide will provide answers to what makes employee giving so effective.
What are the benefits of employee giving programs?
Employee giving programs provide numerous benefits for both employees and the companies that implement them. Some of the key advantages of these programs include:
Improved Employee Engagement and Morale
Employees who can support causes they care about through their workplace are more likely to be engaged and motivated in their jobs. After all, they know their hard work is helping to support a good cause.
Studies have shown that employees who are engaged in their work are more productive, have higher job satisfaction, and are less likely to leave their jobs. In addition, employees who can give back to their communities through their workplace are more likely to have a positive attitude and feel a sense of purpose in their work. Let’s look at some specific statistics:
Companies with employee giving programs are also more likely to attract and retain top talent. Many job seekers today are looking for companies that align with their values and support charitable causes, and having an employee giving program can be a key differentiator in the job market.
Boosted Reputation
Companies that practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) are generally looked upon favorably by consumers and employees alike. As discussed, employees want to work for employers they know are making a positive impact in the world, and consumers also want their hard-earned dollars to support businesses making a positive impact.
All types of corporate philanthropy can lead to a positive reputation boost. For example, sponsorships, match grants, and in-kind donations can all help worthy causes. However, employee giving programs specifically give employees more control over which organizations receive funding, increasing their stake in the business’s CSR practices.
In addition to making financial contributions, employee giving programs can also provide opportunities for employees to volunteer their time and skills to support charitable organizations. This is why some law firms require lawyers to work a certain amount of pro-bono hours each year.
Although, take care in whether employees are invited to participate in employee giving or are forced to. While optional programs are likely to see less participation, required ones can lead to resentment from employees, especially if they have limited say in which causes they can give to.
For an example of how to offer freedom of choice in an employee giving program, many companies offer matching donations or volunteer grants. Within these programs, the company matches its employees’ gifts or donates based on the hours its employees spend volunteering. The employees decide which organizations they want to support, and their employer follows suit by giving to the causes they’ve signaled they care about.
Tax benefits
CSR programs allow businesses to do good in the world. Of course, businesses are also fundamentally for-profit organizations, and saving a bit of extra money due to their philanthropic actions is often a major motivator behind giving programs.
Here’s a rundown of how employee giving programs provide tax benefits for both companies and their employees:
For companies, workplace giving programs can be a tax-deductible expense, reducing tax liability. In addition, many companies offer matching donations or volunteer grants as part of their employee giving programs, and these contributions can also be tax-deductible.
For employees, individuals who make charitable contributions through payroll deductions or donate as part of a matching gift program can claim these deductions on their tax returns. In-kind donations employees make by volunteering their professional services can also sometimes be claimed as a deduction. Work with employees to help them estimate the value of their in-kind donations and make accurate statements on their taxes.
As part of your business’s corporate giving strategy, keep careful records of your donations. Request donation receipts from your nonprofit partners if they are not already providing them, and ensure the details of sponsorships and other partnership arrangements are written down and confirmed by both your business and the nonprofits you work with.
Types of Corporate Giving Programs
Corporate giving takes many forms, some of which include employee involvement. Most businesses that are serious about CSR will have a mix of philanthropic programs to meet their communities’ needs and be responsible corporate citizens.
Let’s take a look first at corporate giving programs that have an element of employee giving:
Matching gift programs allow employees to give more to the causes they care about. In a matching gift program, an employee donates to a nonprofit of their choice. Then, they submit a matching gift request to their employer reporting the donation. If the application is approved, the employer makes an equal contribution to the nonprofit. At a few exceptional companies, they’ll even donate double or triple the employee’s initial gift.
Volunteer grant programs allow employees to lend their time to the causes they care about and contribute financially through their employer. Essentially, employees volunteer and then report their hours and any other necessary details, like the nonprofit’s tax ID, to their employer. The business then makes a donation either on a per-hour basis or after a certain hours threshold has been reached.
Payroll deductions are the most convenient type of employee giving. Employees agree to be part of an automatic deduction program and have a portion of all future paychecks donated to a nonprofit unless they later ask to opt out of the program.
Grant stipends differ from matching gifts and payroll deductions by providing employees with the money to donate instead of asking them to reach into their wallets. Businesses provide funds specifically to be donated, and employees then give them to a cause of their choice.
These programs engage employees and let them have an active say in what causes are supported. Of course, there are many other worthwhile corporate giving opportunities unrelated to employees that a company might pursue. These include:
Corporate foundations are charitable organizations that are established, managed, and funded by companies. Essentially, these foundations are nonprofit organizations with corporate backing. Some provide grants to nonprofits, while others plan and launch their own mission-based initiatives. As an example, The Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is managed by Ben & Jerry’s and awards grants to advocacy groups.
Charity brand lines are a form of sponsorship wherein a company works with a nonprofit to develop a specific product or service and pledges to donate a portion of sales proceeds to the nonprofit. Shop-for-a-cause programs like this focus simultaneously on helping nonprofits and driving sales since socially conscious consumers are more likely to buy a product if they know it supports a good cause.
Sponsorships involve companies providing support to nonprofit events, programs, or initiatives. This support can be financial gifts, in-kind donations, or marketing assistance. Sponsorships can also be one-time deals or ongoing partnerships based on the agreement between the nonprofit and the corporation.
Impact investments are a process wherein companies invest in nonprofits or socially responsible for-profit organizations. The investment funds provide support for the organizations to get their programs off the ground, and the company generates a financial return.
Last, there’s one type of corporate giving program that fits in the middle of this venn diagram:
In-kind donations can involve employees or be entirely managed by the company. For example, mission-driven businesses that provide software nonprofits use often have free or discounted subscription options for nonprofits. This form of corporate philanthropy does not involve employee giving at all. However, in-kind donations also include professional services, like consulting, accounting, photography, graphic design, and coding all rely on volunteers, which will be the business’s employees.
Which type of corporate giving is right for your company? The answer depends on numerous factors, such as employee interest, which nonprofits are interested in working with your business, and what resources you have available to spend on philanthropy.
However, if we had to pick a favorite, we would single out matching gifts as the best type of employee giving program.
An In-Depth Look at Employee Matching Gifts
With over 26 million individuals working for companies that offer matching gift programs, employee matching gifts have the capacity to make a major impact. For your program, determine what causes you want to support through matching gifts, which of your employees are eligible, and how much you intend to give.
For instance, one company might make only full-time employees eligible for matching gifts, but they may pledge to match all gifts at a 1:1 ratio with an annual cap of $10,000. In contrast, another company might open up its matching gift program to part-time and retired employees but enforce a narrower range of gifts between $50 to $2,500 and exempt donations to educational and religious institutions.
However you decide to organize your matching gift program, you can access benefits like:
Flexibility. Depending on their employer’s restrictions, matching gift programs allow employees to decide which causes they want to give to, when they make their donations, and how much they give. While placing limits on your program can channel employees to support specific causes, keep in mind that as restrictions go up, participation goes down.
Potential for automation. Matching gift technology is advancing fast, and businesses using CSR software with matching gift auto-submission technology can enable their employees to complete their matching gift requests in seconds. All they need to do is turn on the feature, and employees will get the option to have their request automated when they give to nonprofits with matching gift software.
Easy management. Once you kick off your matching gift program, it essentially runs itself. Businesses just need to regularly take two actions. They need to approve matching gift requests and routinely promote the program to remind employees to participate.
Interested in what matching gift programs look like in action? Here’s how matching gift programs have played out at a few companies whose names you might recognize:
Microsoft. Microsoft’s employee giving program, known as the Microsoft Employee Giving Program, encourages participation by having a donation minimum of just $1. Both full and part-time employees can participate, and almost every type of nonprofit organization is eligible for a matching gift.
Coca-Cola. Most employers have a 1:1 matching gift rate, but Coca-Cola wants to make its employees’ donations go even further with a 2:1 rate, effectively tripling donations.
Johnson & Johnson. Both current and former employees at Johnson & Johnson can increase their donations. Current full and part-time employees receive a 2:1 matching rate, while retirees still get a standard 1:1 ratio.
Overall, employee matching gift programs can provide numerous benefits for companies and their employees. By offering such a program as part of their employee giving programs, companies can increase the impact of their employees’ charitable giving and enhance their reputation as socially responsible organizations.
How to Implement an Employee Giving Program
The first step in implementing any CSR program is deciding that now is the right time. You have the resources, a philanthropic mission, and you’re pretty sure that your employees will be happy to participate. Now you just need to plan your implementation.
While details vary depending on your program of choice, here are the five steps most companies will take to launch their new employee giving program:
Identify the causes that are most important to your employees. As the name implies, your employees drive your employee giving program, so make sure it’s focused on causes they want to support. Conduct a survey or hold focus groups to find out what causes are most important to your employees. If opinions are divided, consider a program like matching gifts allowing each employee to make their own giving decisions.
Offer a range of giving options. There’s no need to limit yourself to just one type of employee giving. For instance, many companies that offer matching gift programs also support volunteer grants. Refer to the causes and types of activities employees indicated interest in from your initial survey.
Invest in the right CSR software. Choose a CSR platform with the tools you need to run your program. Most CSR software comes equipped with features to record employee volunteer hours, manage matching gifts, and provide employees with information about donating through your company. However, different vendors focus on different aspects of CSR, so be sure to research platforms and request demos before making any final purchasing decisions.
Provide clear and concise information. To ensure that your employees understand your employee giving program and how to participate, provide clear and concise information about your new program. This includes providing guidelines on eligible charities, making donations, and claiming tax deductions. Make these resources easily accessible, such as adding them to your employee handbook.
Promote the program to your employees. Some employee giving programs, like payroll deductions, require minimal active participation from employees. Others, like matching gifts, are entirely at employees’ discretion. Make sure employees know about your giving program by providing regular reminders and updates whenever you make a major difference for a nonprofit.
By following these steps, you can design and implement an employee giving program that engages your employees and supports the causes that they care about. This can help your company positively impact your community and enhance your reputation as a socially responsible organization.
Additional Employee Giving Resources
Employee giving programs provide numerous benefits for both employees and the companies that implement them. These programs can increase employee engagement and morale, help companies meet their CSR goals, enhance their reputations, and provide tax savings for both the company and its employees.
Of course, the CSR world is vast, and this overview is just one perspective. To learn more about employee giving before launching your own program, read a few of our favorite resources:
How to Promote Matching Gifts: Reimagining Your Google Ads. Take your matching gifts program to the next level with Google Ad Grants. Discover how to use Google Ads and what they can do for your matching gift program and other CSR efforts.
Donors power your nonprofit’s work. Without them, you could never deliver your mission to your beneficiaries. And yet some nonprofits make the mistake of viewing their donors as blank checks instead of people. This can be detrimental to your nonprofit’s efforts to fundraise and grow its community.
That’s why focusing on donor relations is so critical for nonprofits—strengthened donor relationships empower you to accomplish your goals and connect with other people who are passionate about your cause and can offer sustained support for your work.
What Is Donor Relations?
Donor relations consists of all the efforts that a nonprofit organization puts into building relationships with its donors and making them feel seen and valued as people.
Your efforts to cultivate lasting relationships with your donors should begin when you first connect with them, whether through prospecting or the donors’ own moves to get involved with your organization. Then, you can continue to build those relationships so that they last.
Donor Relations vs. Donor Stewardship
Often when talking about donor relations, you’ll hear the term “donor stewardship” come up. This makes sense since the two go hand in hand. But there are important differences to note:
Donor relations: This relates to how you treat donors and how they perceive your organization.
Donor stewardship: Donor stewardship is a form of donor relations that is more specifically employed to express gratitude for gifts and maintain and grow relationships with donors with the goal of them continuing to give in the future.
In other words, donor relations focuses on donors themselves, while its subset, donor stewardship, focuses on donors’ gifts. Both are a critical part of a sustainable and successful fundraising strategy.
Why Should Nonprofits Focus on Donor Relations?
Focusing on donor relations requires an investment of your nonprofit’s time and resources. But doing so can pay dividends as you experience the following benefits:
Increased giving and involvement: Better donor relations leads to higher donor retention rates, which can result in more donations over time, as well as other forms of involvement like volunteering, event attendance, and board service.
More information about your organization’s community and its needs: The better you get to know your donors, the better you’ll understand your organization’s community and what it needs from you to assist you in delivering your mission.
Stronger reputation for your organization: When you treat your donors well, word gets around, strengthening your image as an organization that cares about people and making positive change in the world.
In addition to these benefits, focusing on donor relations just makes logical and financial sense. Some nonprofits are misguided in thinking that skipping crucial opportunities to boost donor relations is the easy way out. In reality, constantly having to acquire new donors and supporters can be more costly and difficult than investing in your relationships with those who are already contributing to your cause.
6 Tips for Strengthening Donor Relationships
Now that you know the basics of donor relations, you’re likely ready to start strengthening the relationships you have with your donors. Here are six tips for doing so:
Lay a solid foundation by conducting thorough prospect research. Prospect research empowers you to learn about your donors before they actually become donors. Through this process, you learn as much as you can about potential donors’ capacity to give and their affinity for your cause, which can guide you in the relationship-building process.
Get to know your donors. Prospect research won’t be able to tell you everything about your donors. You’ll need to regularly meet with your donors, having an open mind and listening ear, to really get to know them as people.
Work with a nonprofit consultant to fine-tune your strategy. Sometimes it can be helpful to work with an outside expert to fine-tune your approach to fundraising and donor relations. Consider working with a nonprofit consultant who can take an objective look at your current approach and help you implement sustainable improvements.
Communicate often. Just like any relationship in life, staying in touch will be a crucial part of remaining connected to your donors. Reach out often, whether you’re making regular phone calls or chatting over coffee.
Invite donors to further their involvement in your cause. Donating isn’t the only value donors can give to your cause. Let them know about opportunities to volunteer, attend events, or even serve on your board. Better yet, keep an eye out for opportunities that align with their values and interests so that they’ll be more inclined to jump in.
Genuinely thank your donors. Any time a donor gives, whether they’re contributing time, money, or feedback, make sure to thank them. A small thank-you can go a long way in helping you maintain and strengthen donor relationships.
Donor relations is a critical focus area for nonprofits who want to pursue sustained success and future growth. Run with these tips to strengthen your relationships with your donors!
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.
Once your nonprofit has put in all the effort to plan a fundraising campaign, you should spread the word to generate support. A fundraising campaign website is one of the most effective tools in your marketing strategy for catching supporters’ interest and empowering them to give. Let’s explore the basics of campaign websites!
What Is A Fundraising Campaign Website?
A fundraising campaign website hosts all the information your supporters need to get involved with your nonprofit’s campaigns. This website will help you promote your campaign, spread awareness about your cause, and get your supporters involved, whether they’re donating, volunteering, or sharing your organization’s message.
Campaign web pages can be created on your main website, or you can create a separate microsite for each large campaign. Microsites are separate from the main website, with a different URL, so they allow you to really feature the campaign and its related details. Depending on the size of your organization and its campaigns, as well as what you know about your supporters and how they engage with your cause online, this could be a great option for you.
What Are The Elements of a Campaign Website?
For your website to be an effective tool, it will need to include certain elements that create a positive user experience for your supporters. Here are some essentials to include:
An Explanation of Your Mission and Campaign: Every fundraising campaign you run should be closely tied to your organization’s larger mission and purpose. Provide a short explanation of what your organization is all about and how your campaign fits into the context of your cause so that supporters know what they’re contributing to.
Your Organization’s Branding: Whether you designed it deliberately or not, your nonprofit has its own unique brand that includes everything from your logo and color scheme to your guiding values. Incorporating your brand on your website can make this marketing tool more consistent with the rest of your organization’s operations and help you look more professional and legitimate.
A Donation Form: A well-designed donation form is a crucial part of your fundraising campaign website. After all, this is the tool your supporters will use to act on their passion for your cause and donate to your organization. Keep your form short and simple, with only a few questions that capture essential information (payment details, contact information, etc.). To further optimize your form, offer supporters suggested giving amounts, the option to enroll in your recurring giving program, and the chance to check their matching gift eligibility.
A Volunteer Sign-Up Form: Similar to a donation form, a volunteer sign-up form empowers supporters to take action in the name of your cause by donating their time and talents. Again, keep the form short but ask for information that will allow you to pair each individual volunteer with a role that suits their age, abilities, and interests as much as possible. If necessary, ensure you include training or waiver information, too.
A Fundraising Thermometer: Your supporters will want to know how close your organization is to meeting its campaign goals, so make sure to include a fundraising thermometer on your website. Feature your thermometer in a prominent place on the site, and update it regularly to encourage your supporters to keep giving until it fills up!
Social Media Sharing Icons: Your supporters can serve as ambassadors for your cause and your campaigns by sharing your fundraising campaign website with their personal networks. Make it easy for them to do so by including social media sharing icons in the header or footer of your web pages so they can easily click through to their favorite platforms and share about you!
These elements can all work together to make your campaign website a powerful marketing asset. Depending on the nature of your campaign, you may want to include other features like an event registration form, an advocacy campaign explainer, or an online merchandise store.
4 Fundraising Website Design Best Practices
Including the elements discussed above in your fundraising website will allow you to set up a site that pulls your supporters in. Here are some design best practices to implement to take your site to new heights:
Hone the user experience by prioritizing smooth navigation, writing digestible content, and including high-quality images across the site.
A well-designed fundraising campaign website that contains all the right elements and information can help your nonprofit succeed in its next fundraising endeavor. Use these tips to get started building your fundraising website today!
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.
Did you know that it takes just 50 milliseconds for online users to form an opinion about your website, which ultimately determines whether or not they like it and if they’ll stick around? In half the time it takes most websites to even load, your online visitors have already made snap judgments about the value of your website and – by extension – your association or member organization.
Every one of those curious scrollers who winces and clicks away is a potential new member, you’ve just lost to something as easily-solvable as simple web design changes.
So, how do you start tackling poor association website design and determining which design elements will turn casual visitors into happy new members? If you’re at a loss for where to start, never fear—we’ve prepared these tried-and-true association website best practices to boost your online member acquisition:
With digital engagement on the rise, it’s more important than ever to use your website as an attractive, interactive hub to enhance the member experience and entice visitors to hit the registration button.
Optimize accessibility for any user, on any device.
First things first: your top priority is making sure that your website actually works when users click through it.
This sounds easy enough—if every site visitor were a digital native with a fiber optic internet connection and a desktop computer. Unfortunately, the reality is a lot messier, and many potential and current members aren’t going to fit that mold.
To ensure that every site visitor has the same smooth, seamless online experience no matter when, where, or how in the world they’re navigating your site, take a look at these UX best practices:
Optimize your website for all devices, especially for mobile users.
Cut down on load speeds by compressing images, minimizing redirects, and removing unused code.
Use high-contrast colors for text and graphics, allowing visually-impaired site visitors to see your content.
Include alt-text with all images, which describes visual content for users who might have a poor internet connection or use screen readers.
There are many small but important steps you can take to open up your website to a vast new audience of online users. However, there’s a limit to how much you’ll be able to tweak your website without some serious technical experience.
For best results, consider investing in a dedicated association website builder. A user-friendly CMS allows even the most technically-challenged association professionals to make effective changes to your website. Use drag-and-drop features, customizable templates, and member-specific design toolkits to make an association website that will blow users away—and encourage them to head straight to your membership registration page.
Use visual storytelling to capture the member experience.
Once users have successfully loaded your site, you’ll want to make the most of that precious half of a second where they’ll be judging whether to explore further or run away screaming.
This is where visual storytelling becomes your best friend. To immediately capture visitors’ attention and draw them into the narrative of your association, incorporate vibrant, professional images across your major web pages.
From Pulitzer-worthy candids of your event guest speakers in action to Instagramable snapshots of members, these snackable images instantly convey what your association stands for (and what you can offer users if they join).
Of course, pictures aren’t the only visual element to pay attention to. Don’t forget to build your membership website with:
The tactical use of white space
Concise, action-oriented text
Complimentary color palettes
Clean, striking typography
When you bring all of these pleasing elements together, you’ll have created an irresistible feast for the eyes that not only wows new site users but also engages current members.
Tease users with sample content, previews, and perks.
Now that you’ve survived that roller coaster of the first minute visitors spend on your website, you have to continue feeding their interest to successfully attract new members.
Remember that actions speak louder than words. So, rather than writing some long-winded appeal for users to give your association a chance, give them a taste of what they’re missing out on!
Take a page from the MemberClicks guide to building a membership website and strategically organize your association website for the public (including prospective members) so that they can access and sample enticing content. In particular, you’ll want to allow anyone to view your:
Event calendars and promotional materials
Key webpages, such as landing, about, and event pages
Surface-level versions of your member directory
Engaging resources that are useful to your members, such as informative podcasts
You could even offer tastes of event content, downloadable resources, educational materials and other small samples of everything your association has to offer. If users want more, all they need to do is sign up.
Leverage the promotional power of your member directory.
At first glance, your directory may just seem like a glorified list. But in reality, it can be a critical tool for member networking, digital engagement and (you guessed it!) public promotion.
Think of it as an online pamphlet that prospective members can flip through to see just how many passionate members have taken the dive to join your association. And for a small price, they, too, can access the full high-powered network of fellow professionals.
Be sure to invest in an association management system that can integrate seamlessly with your website. This will allow you to upload your directory directly into your CMS and automatically update member information as new members join and existing members tweak their profiles.
There’s no such thing as a perfect association website, and there will always be room for you to improve, adjust, and revamp elements of your site to maximize engagement and push individuals toward your registration page.
Use regular A/B testing to see how different versions and elements of your website perform and what steps you can take to constantly improve the online user experience.
This is especially important as web technologies continue to evolve and user expectations get higher and higher for what they want to see from your association web platform.
There are many moving parts to consider to build out a truly awe-inspiring, member-acquiring association website. To guarantee that you end up with a beautiful, functional web platform rather than Frankenstein’s monster, use these key tips and tools to guide you through the creative and technical process.
From investing in the right website builder and AMS solution to mindfully organizing your site’s visual elements, these insights should give you the confidence and power to create a membership website for the ages.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/MemberClicks_NXUnite_5-Association-Web-Design-Tips-to-Boost-Member-Acquisition_Feature.png360690wpenginehttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgwpengine2022-11-09 14:09:472022-11-09 14:11:295 Association Web Design Tips to Boost Member Acquisition
If you’ve been in the fundraising world for a while, you might be familiar with the Google Ad Grant program. Google provides eligible nonprofits with $10,000 per month in ad spending to help boost their organizations’ reach online.
However, you may not know much about Microsoft’s new program, Ads for Social Impact, which functions similarly to the Google Ad Grant program. As of June 2022, Microsoft offers nonprofits $3,000 per month in ad spending for platforms such as Bing, Yahoo, AOL, Outlook, MSN, and Microsoft Edge.
Although the grant amounts differ between the two programs, both can help you spread awareness of your organization’s mission and raise money for your cause.
Our mission at NXUnite is to provide nonprofits with tools and resources that will set them up for success. We believe that the Microsoft Ad Grant is one such tool that will help organizations spread their missions and reach their fundraising goals. We’re happy to offer this guide so nonprofits can learn more about the program and how to enroll. Here are the topics we’ll cover:
Microsoft’s Ads for Social Impact program serves to help eligible nonprofits drive traffic to their websites and reach their fundraising and marketing goals at no cost to these organizations. The Microsoft Ad Grant covers $3,000 per month in ad spending for ads on multiple Microsoft-owned websites.
Since Microsoft Ad Grants cover so many different platforms, it can be difficult to picture what an ad created by a participating organization would look like. We’ll walk you through an example on Yahoo so you can visualize how a Microsoft Ad for your particular organization might look.
Let’s say that someone in your community is passionate about protecting wildlife. While checking their Yahoo email, this person might do a quick search for “save the turtles.” Yahoo will return a results page with the phrase “Ads related to: save the turtles” at the top. Underneath, there will be links to websites dedicated to protecting wildlife. These organizations are using Microsoft Ads to boost their reach and spread their mission online.
Nonprofits enrolled in the Microsoft Ad Grant program receive unique benefits that distinguish Microsoft’s program from Google’s. Your organization might already leverage paid search opportunities with Google or Microsoft. For nonprofits that use Google Ads, they must create a separate account for the Google Ad Grant program. In contrast, organizations that already use Microsoft Ads can apply their Microsoft Ad Grant directly to their existing account, allowing them to keep all of their campaigns in the same place.
Another difference between the two programs is the required account restrictions. Since Google Ad Grant accounts are separate from typical Google Ad accounts, there are more restrictions put on Google Ad Grant accounts, including minimum click-through rates, minimum quality scores, and maximum cost-per-click. In Microsoft’s program, all of your Microsoft Ads are under one account with none of these restrictions. That way, you can use the grant just as you would use funds for a regular paid search campaign.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to move on to the benefits of enrolling in Microsoft’s Ads for Social Impact program.
Benefits of Microsoft Ad Grants
Besides expanding visibility for your website, there are many benefits of leveraging Microsoft Ad Grants. Take a look at some of the main advantages of participating in the program:
More site engagement.
While creating engaging content is a great way to improve your organization’s website, your content won’t fulfill its purpose if people can’t find your website in the first place.
By producing Microsoft Ads that highlight different pages on your site, you’ll encourage people to check out the resources they’re interested in. Someone looking to volunteer for a nonprofit will search differently than someone looking to donate, and by using your Microsoft Ad Grant appropriately, you can make sure both individuals find the information they need on your website.
More conversions.
Once you get more people to engage with your site, you’re likely to see more conversions. Just as businesses and other for-profit organizations track conversions to sales, nonprofits can track different types of conversions to measure the impact of their campaigns. Some online conversions your organization might track include:
Donations
Email list signups
Event registrations
Petition signatures
Ticket sales
Volunteer signups
By using the Microsoft Ad Grant to show prospective supporters the pages they’re interested in, you can increase the likelihood that people will perform the intended actions associated with those pages rather than aimlessly skimming your website.
Additional communication with your supporters.
As a nonprofit, you likely already use a mix of communication tools such as email, direct mail, phone calls, text messages, and social media. Microsoft Ad Grants provide an additional opportunity to reach out to your supporters in a more understated way.
While it’s important to engage with your supporters in a variety of different ways, it’s also important not to overwhelm them with too much information and too frequent communication. With Microsoft Ad Grants, you allow current and prospective supporters to learn about your organization on their own time and at their own discretion.
Better understanding of your supporters.
When a supporter interacts with your website, their actions provide several types of data for your organization. By keeping track of this data, you can figure out how to improve your campaigns and get the most out of your Microsoft Ad Grant.
To help you analyze your website activity, Microsoft provides tools such as event tracking, campaign analytics, and traffic insights. That way, you can leverage this information and use it to your organization’s advantage to make sure your website and content are serving your supporters as they should.
Set amount of funds each month.
Once you’re enrolled in the Microsoft Ad Grant program, you can be sure that you’ll receive $3,000 in your Microsoft Ad account each month. While this may seem like a given, many traditional grant programs allocate limited grant funds to qualifying organizations based on their needs.
Knowing exactly how much money in ad spending you’ll receive from Microsoft each month, you can better plan how your organization will use the grant without wasting time wondering how much money you’ll be allotted.
Ways to Use Microsoft Ad Grants
Just as it’s important to outline your goals for a fundraiser or social media campaign, it’s good practice to determine what you want to achieve by using your Microsoft Ad Grant. Setting goals for your campaigns will ensure that you’re using your grant money efficiently.
If you’re not sure what goals you’d like to accomplish during your time in the Microsoft Ad Grant program, take a look at some of our suggestions:
Encouraging donations
Expanding your donor or subscriber base
Advocating about issues important to your organization
With your goals in mind, you’ll create campaigns with better focus and get the most out of your Microsoft Ad Grant.
Eligibility Requirements
If you’re interested in applying for the Ads for Social Impact program, you’ll need to make sure you’re eligible for the program. Microsoft has three main eligibility requirements. The first is status as a legally recognized nonprofit or non-governmental organization in your country. For United States-based organizations, that includes registering with the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
The next requirement is operating on a not-for-profit basis and serving a specific mission. Microsoft gives mission examples such as helping the poor, preserving the environment, and protecting human rights.
Microsoft’s final requirement is that all participating organizations are inclusive of others. They prohibit any organizations with discriminatory policies or missions from joining the program.
In addition the Microsoft’s three eligibility requirements, they also list ineligible organization types, such as:
Professional and semi-professional sports organizations
Political, labor, and fraternal organizations
For a full list of eligibility requirements, check out Microsoft’s program eligibility page here.
Microsoft Ad Grant Application
After determining your organization is eligible for the program, the next step is to fill out an application. There are two main parts of the application.
First, you’ll apply to Microsoft for Nonprofits, Microsoft’s overarching program dedicated to nonprofit tools and resources. This part of the application has four steps.
Welcome & Policies. When you begin the application, you’ll be asked to fill out information for your organization’s point of contact. You’ll also confirm that you understand the Microsoft for Nonprofits program policies.
Organization Info. In this section, you’ll fill out information about your nonprofit including your organization’s name, address, website, phone number, size, budget, mission statement, and IRS EIN.
Verify Phone. Next, you’ll verify your organization’s phone number so Microsoft can communicate with you.
Create Account. Finally, you’ll be able to set up your login for your Microsoft for Nonprofits account. You should hear back about the status of your application within 24 hours.
The second part of the application process is applying for the Microsoft Ad Grant itself. You’ll provide additional information about your nonprofit and point of contact, and Microsoft will get back to you within 10 business days.
Microsoft Ad Grant Best Practices
Once Microsoft accepts your Microsoft Ad Grant application, you’ll likely want to jump right in and start setting up campaigns. To enure your campaigns are effective, we recommend following a few best practices that other nonprofits have found helpful in the past. Here are some guidelines for running your Microsoft Ad Grant account effectively:
Structure your account appropriately.
Organization is key when it comes to Microsoft Ad Grant campaigns because it allows you to ensure that each campaign has its own specific purpose. The goal of each campaign should be the conversion you’re looking to boost.
For example, let’s say your overall goals for your participation in the program are expanding your email subscriber base, recruiting more volunteers, and informing your supporters about matching gifts. Establish your campaigns’ priorities right away by setting up three separate campaigns, one for each goal. That way, you can track the metrics for each goal separately. Additionally, you can create straightforward campaigns that each focus on one aspect of your mission, making it clear to supporters what you’re asking them to do.
Write clear ad copy.
When it comes to Microsoft Ad copy, the simpler, the better. People will only spend a few seconds looking at your ad, so you want to make sure your message is very clear. Short sentences are usually best. It’s also good practice to avoid uncommon acronyms or abbreviations that may confuse people.
Choose keywords carefully.
To make sure you’re choosing effective keywords, you’ll want to think backward. What are your supporters likely searching for? Those are the words and phrases you’ll want to choose as your keywords.
It’s best to choose specific keywords. People searching for “animals” aren’t necessarily looking for an animal shelter, but those searching for “volunteering with animals” or “adopting a pet” might be.
Keep track of your campaign metrics.
Luckily, Microsoft has built-in analytics options that allow you to easily track the success of your campaigns. Analyzing this data and implementing the insights you glean from it will allow you to shape your campaigns and content to your supporters’ needs.
For example, if you see that people are going straight from your volunteer registration page to your contact information page, it might be useful to add a section with contact information on the volunteer registration page itself for easy access.
Use automatic bidding.
In order to show up in searches for certain keywords, you’ll bid for them along with other organizations. You can submit bids manually, but Microsoft has automatic bidding options that will save your team time and energy.
These bidding strategies include ones for enhancing your cost-per-click, maximizing your clicks, maximizing your conversions, and achieving your target cost per acquisition and return on ad spend.
Following these best practices will ensure that you’re managing your campaigns efficiently and effectively.
Using Microsoft Ad Grants with Other Fundraising Tools
At NXUnite, we’re passionate about connecting nonprofits with the tools and resources that will launch them toward success. While Microsoft Ad Grants are one such tool, leveraging a variety of tools and strategies will help your organization spread awareness and raise money for its cause. Take a look at how your organization can use Microsoft Ad Grants in conjunction with other valuable fundraising tools:
Google Ad Grants. While we’ve compared the Microsoft Ads for Social Impact program and the Google Ad Grant program, your organization can take advantage of both for maximum impact. You can create similar campaigns on both platforms so that people can find your organization on both Microsoft and Google search engines.
Venmo. Many people use personal Venmo accounts, but you can also set up an account for your organization. That way, people can easily donate to your nonprofit. To promote your organization’s Venmo account, create a Microsoft Ad Grant campaign linking to your donation page. Then, include Venmo as a donation option on the page.
Panels. Attending panels is a great way to learn more about nonprofit resources from experts and professionals. This wisdom you acquire from these discussions may spark inspiration for a new campaign or approach to your Microsoft Ad Grant account.
Email templates. No matter your campaign goals, you’re likely encouraging your supporters to take some sort of action on your website. To show your appreciation, it’s always a good idea to send a thank-you letter. Using a specific nonprofit email template can ensure that you thank your supporters appropriately.
Matching gifts. If you’re really looking to maximize your fundraising, you can use your Microsoft Ad Grant campaign to inform your supporters about matching gifts. Matching gifts are corporate philanthropy initiatives where employers double or even triple donations made by their employees. All your supporters have to do is notify their employers of their donation. There are plenty of tools that make that process extremely simple.
Knowing which nonprofit tools are available for you to use is important, but knowing how to use them in conjunction with each other is even more powerful.
Working with a Microsoft Ad Grant Agency
While we hope this guide will help you manage your Microsoft Ad Grant effectively, we also understand that many nonprofits have constrained time and energy to devote to new projects. That’s where digital marketing agencies come in.
There are organizations out there that are specifically dedicated to helping nonprofits manage ad grants. They know the ins and outs of different ad grant programs and how to optimize your account. These types of agencies can help with any stage of the grant management process, such as:
Determining your Microsoft Ad Grants eligibility
Applying for the program
Managing your campaigns
Optimizing your content
Reaching out to a digital marketing agency can take the burden of managing your ad grant off your team. You can feel at ease knowing that experts are taking care of your account.
More Fundraising Tools
By now, you should understand what the Microsoft Ad Grant is and how powerful of a fundraising tool it truly is. By enrolling in the Microsoft Ad Grant program, you’ll be able to work toward your organization’s fundraising goals and raise awareness for your cause.
As we mentioned, there are many other great fundraising tools out there. These articles will allow you to learn more about some of the ones we recommend:
How Google Ad Grants Can Help Your Fundraising. In this article, you’ll learn more about the Google Ad Grant program, allowing you to compare it to Microsoft’s program. Better yet, you can take advantage of both programs and the benefits they have to offer.
How Venmo for Nonprofits Can Help Organizations Raise More. Venmo is not only a personal mobile payment service, but nonprofits can also leverage the platform to collect donations. This article walks through how nonprofits can use this tool to boost their fundraising efforts.
Donor Thank-You Letters. Most likely, one of your campaign goals is to increase donations. Thank your donors for contributing to your organization using one of these templates.
https://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Microsoft-Ad-Grant_Feature.jpg370700developerhttps://nxunite.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/NXUnite-by-nexus-marketing-White-3.svgdeveloper2022-11-01 13:26:002022-11-10 18:57:57The Microsoft Ad Grant: An Essential Nonprofit Tool
The Top 5 Reasons to Leverage a Product Fundraiser
The considerations that must take place when starting a fundraiser can be overwhelming, but the first step is always determining what type of fundraiser you want to run. There are thousands of choices with pros and cons to each, but product fundraisers can be particularly successful in raising money for your cause. We’ll look at five benefits to running a product fundraiser.
1. Easy to organize
In contrast to fundraising events, which usually require months of planning and extra expenses like venue or catering costs, starting a product fundraiser is simple. To get started, you’ll just need to follow these steps:
Not only is the set-up easy, but selling is simple, too. No volunteer training or workshop is needed to teach someone how to sell. This is helpful for a fundraiser with a strict timeline since it requires very little planning and can be started or stopped at any time.
Running a fundraiser where your volunteers already know their roles is helpful, but they might not be needed at all in a product fundraiser. Depending on your organization, there are plenty of alternatives when it comes to selling your product. For example, you can leave a stack of order forms on the receptionist’s desk or accept orders completely online. If you’re selling products to fundraise for a school, you can give the product to the students and have them sell it.
2. Easy to market
Marketing is important for all aspects of a nonprofit, but product fundraisers are particularly easy to promote. Since they’re a tangible fundraiser, products make for great photo opportunities. Taking pictures of the items you’re selling can make nice social media posts promoting your products and fundraising goals.
Visuals are particularly influential when it comes to getting people interested in your cause. Feathr advises using compelling images to capture people’s attention as they’re scrolling through their social media feed. For example, if you’re selling food, detailed pictures of tasty snacks you’re selling can be really enticing.
Your product could also represent your organization in some way. Sell merchandise with your organization’s logo on it and supporters might be inclined to buy because they’d like to publicly show their support for your nonprofit. As an added bonus, selling something that displays your logo will make your supporters brand ambassadors. By wearing your logo, they’ll provide greater visibility for your brand.
3. Donors get something in return
Product fundraisers make it easier to raise money because people who wouldn’t normally donate to your cause might be interested in buying a product. These buyers might be incentivized by the fact that they could get something in return for giving, seeing your fundraiser as a purchase rather than a donation..
On the flip side, if your buyers are supporters of your organization, they might feel more connected to your nonprofit when they get something in return for donating. They’ll also be encouraged to give knowing that the money from their purchase is funding a good cause. No matter who the buyer is, this is an effective way to raise money because they’ll get a high return on their investment.
4. Reach a wider audience
Product fundraisers also make it easy to reach more of your supporters and wider community by selling both in person and online. Here are some ways you can advertise your nonprofit and its fundraiser outside of your organization’s immediate community of supporters:
There are opportunities for sales in more places than you can imagine. For example, if students are selling cookie dough to raise money for their school, they might take order forms to a parent’s office after school. Their parent’s coworkers might be interested in buying cookie dough and placing an order to support your school.
5. Flexibility in product choice
The best part about product fundraisers is that they’re fully customizable! There’s a wide variety of things you can sell and the sales timeline is completely up to you. If you have a target audience in mind as you’re organizing the fundraiser, choose a product you know they’d like.
Also, consider when you’ll be running the fundraiser. Products can be seasonal, and this can work to your advantage.
For example, ABC Fundraising suggests selling Christmas ornaments as a fundraiser for a church during the Christmas season. Members of the congregation will be interested in buying ornaments regardless of your fundraiser, but will be especially motivated by their affinity for their church. You could even get the children in the church to make ornaments as a fun Sunday morning craft and sell those ornaments for the fundraiser.
The sky’s the limit when it comes to ideas for effective product fundraisers. Choose an idea that appeals to your audience the most and customize your fundraiser to work well for your organization. No matter what idea you choose, the benefits of product fundraisers can make a huge impact on your nonprofit.
How to Promote Matching Gifts: Reimagining Your Google Ads
Matching gifts play a vital role in any modern organization’s fundraising. However, not all donors know that these programs even exist, resulting in lost revenue for causes like yours. That’s why you need a plan to promote matching gifts if you want to use corporate giving as a viable fundraising avenue.
With an estimated 4.3 billion users worldwide, the Google Ads platform empowers nonprofits to connect with a world of prospects. That means you can fill in these knowledge gaps and let more prospects than ever know about matching gifts. Best of all, eligible organizations can receive free ad credits to spend on promoting web content through the Google Ad Grants program.
So long as you follow the program’s rules, the Google Ad Grant gives you the flexibility you need to get creative with your matching gift promotion.
To get your creative juices flowing, we’re here to help you combine the power of corporate giving and Google Ads. If you’re ready to supercharge your fundraising efforts, here’s what this guide will cover:
Creating Google Ads and meeting the Ad Grant program’s requirements can be tricky for newcomers. That’s why we recommend working with the experts at Getting Attention.
Their Google Ad Grant managers know what it takes to create compelling ads that expand your digital marketing capabilities. With an expert on your side, you can create persuasive ads that promote matching gifts to qualified users. While waiting to chat with their team, explore the tips below to get some ideas for your Google Ads strategy.
What To Know Before Promoting Matching Gifts With Google Ads
Diving headfirst into creating Google Ads for matching gifts can be tempting. But it’s important to go into it with some background knowledge and a solid strategy.
Knowing the basics will give you the necessary foundation for creating Google Ads that meet the program’s requirements and inspire users to complete the matching gift process.
What are matching gifts?
Matching gifts are a type of corporate giving program in which companies promise to match their employees’ donations to eligible nonprofits. Employers usually create a series of guidelines, such as the maximum donation amount they’ll match, which employees are eligible, and which nonprofits are eligible.
Acquiring a matching gift requires a few steps. Double the Donation’s article on donation matching breaks down the process into a few key steps:
Pretty simple, right? The only downfall is that many donors don’t know about this opportunity. In some cases, they’re actually confused by the framework and might not follow through on submitting requests to their employers. That’s why marketing is crucial.
What is the Google Ad Grant program?
The Google Ad Grants program provides free advertising credits to eligible nonprofits. Participating organizations receive a monthly allocation of $10,000 to spend on Google Ads. They bid on mission-related keywords and design ads that inspire people to visit their website.
In our guide to the basics of Google Ad Grants, we explain that “through this program, Google’s goal is to empower nonprofits to supercharge their search engine marketing (SEM) efforts and deliver worthwhile public service messages to a global audience.”
Nonprofits most often promote content related to fundraising, volunteering, and their services. That makes this the perfect place to promote matching gifts!
Why To Promote Matching Gifts With Google Ads
Generally speaking, there’s a lot of confusion surrounding matching gifts — including everything from what they are to how to submit an employer request. Your nonprofit needs to step up its marketing game to increase matching gift awareness and drive more matches to completion.
So, what makes Google Ads an effective avenue to promote matching gifts?
Think about it: whenever you want to learn something new, you likely Google it. Your donors are the same way! When they want to support a cause near to their hearts, they often use Google to research organizations pursuing relevant missions.
Google Ads can make sure your content shows up first for those all-important keywords related to your mission, making it ideal for promoting matching gifts.
The proof is in the numbers, though! Online giving research estimates that:
Nonprofits see these incredible results because of Google’s large user base and the Google Ad Grant’s customization features. For example, you can use geotargeting to narrow down your audience to specific regions.
You can also leverage features like Responsive Search Ads (RSAs) to improve ad performance. Getting Attention’s ultimate Google Ad Grant guide explains that you’ll submit a variety of ad headlines and descriptions for an RSA. Then, Google will automatically cycle through different versions of your ads to find the ones that drive the most clicks.
How To Promote Matching Gifts With Google Ads
We fully believe that Google Ads can play a critical role in promoting matching gifts to your donors. While it takes a bit of work to create your ads and manage your account, you have the potential to spread more matching gift awareness than ever before!
Let’s walk through some basic steps for getting started.
1. Create Matching Gift Content on Your Website.
Google has a pretty strict website policy for nonprofits using Google Ads. Any content you promote through the Google Ad Grant program must be hosted on your domain. So, if you want to promote matching gifts, you’ll need matching gift content on your site.
While essential for your Google Ads, creating this content is also a great way to spread matching gift awareness among any visitor — no matter how they end up on your website.
Here are some common ways you might incorporate matching gifts into your website:
Once your content is published, you can add these as the landing pages for your matching gift Google Ads. Your “landing page” is where users will arrive on your site after clicking your ad. Choosing landing pages that correlate with your keywords means you can meet users’ goals and deliver the exact content they want.
2. Select the Right Keywords for Your Google Ads.
Your keywords are an important part of your ads. These are what users will type into Google to find your cause, so it’s important to select the right ones.
Through the Google Ad Grants program, you’ll receive free access to a variety of tools to track your ad performance. One of these is Google Keyword Planner.
You can use this platform to conduct keyword research, get keyword suggestions, and determine what your prospects are searching for on Google. It’ll also give you an idea of how much to bid on keywords. Then, you can develop ads that target these search queries and promote matching gifts.
When creating a keyword list for your matching gift ads on Google, here’s what we recommend:
Navigating keyword research platforms and choosing search terms can be tricky and somewhat daunting for newcomers. That’s why we recommend working with a Google Grants agency. Professionals know how to find the keywords your donors are searching, reducing the learning curve for your team. That means you can publish your ads and start promoting matching gifts sooner!
An Example of Choosing Matching Gift Keywords
Let’s walk through an example, so you can see how this might look in practice. Let’s stick to our Breast Cancer foundation example. Using Google Keyword Planner, you can enter terms like ‘donate to breast cancer research’ and ‘support breast cancer patients.’ The tool will provide you with recommendations for building out your keyword list with related terms.
These terms are just specific enough to target potential donors without being overly specific to where you limit your audience. People searching these terms are likely thinking about donating or supporting your cause in other ways.
From here, think about what landing pages you can drive users to that relate to these terms. For example, you can drive users to your donation form that features matching gifts. You can also append additional links to your ‘Ways to Give’ page or matching gifts page using Google Ads’ sitelink extension feature.
3. Write Your Google Ads for Matching Gifts.
At this point, you’ve picked your keywords and landing pages. Now is when your creativity comes into play! You’ll need to write your ad and think carefully about how to promote matching gifts with it.
Your ad is the first impression that users will have of your cause. This is where you’ll share your case for support and encourage users to support your cause. Because of this, make sure it’s well-written and persuasive.
When crafting your ad, keep the following in mind:
Crafting the perfect Google Ad to promote matching gifts can take some time. After publishing your ads, make sure to log into your account regularly to monitor ad performance and make adjustments.
Working With a Google Ads Manager To Promote Matching Gifts
If you’re still confused about how to promote matching gifts, you don’t have to attempt it alone! And even if you’re experienced with Google Ads, managing a Google Ad Grant account can be time-consuming. That’s why we recommend working with an experienced Google Ad Grant manager.
As our recommended agency, Getting Attention knows how to craft compelling Google Ads. Whether you want to promote matching gifts or amplify other areas of your work, they’ll work with you to accomplish your marketing goals.
To empower their nonprofit partners to achieve new heights, they offer these services:
If you want to learn more about promoting your cause with Google Ads, line up a free consultation! From here, you can discuss your Google Ad Grant goals. They’ll help you understand how Google Ads fold into your matching gift promotion and your marketing strategy as a whole.
Getting Started With Your Matching Gift Promotion
Matching gifts can make up a sizeable part of your organization’s revenue. However, you need a thorough marketing strategy to make sure your donors know about corporate giving opportunities like this.
As you now know, Google Ads are the perfect marketing avenue to throw into your toolbox! The Google Ad Grant can take your matching gift promotion to new heights when you get creative.
As the world’s most popular search engine, Google puts nonprofits like yours in touch with more prospects than ever. But it’s up to you to craft ads that inspire them to get involved with your cause and learn more about matching gifts.
As you start building out your marketing strategies, make sure you’re fully prepared by exploring these resources:
Community Outreach Ideas – Nonprofit Catalog
Our communities are what make us strong as individuals. Community members celebrate and help one another in impactful ways. When a community comes together to support a cause, it is a site to behold.
Schools, nonprofits, and other organizations are uniquely defined by their communities. These organizations exist to further a greater cause. Their relationship with the community directly affects their ability to realize their mission.
That’s why, as a nonprofit, your community outreach matters. Without the ongoing support of your local and global communities, your nonprofit’s mission would still be a dream instead of a reality. Connecting with your community can also improve your fundraising efforts and further your positive brand awareness.
What is community outreach?
Community outreach involves a nonprofit’s efforts to engage community members in fundraising or volunteer opportunities that support a charitable cause. This could look like inviting community members to participate in a 5K fundraiser or attend a fancy fundraising dinner.
Effective community outreach requires transparency and genuine interest from your nonprofit. You have to show community members that you care about them and are invested in being a positive force for good in the local area. Get to know your community members personally and express a sincere interest in their lives.
Once you’ve established a positive relationship with your community members, encourage them to invite their family and friends to upcoming fundraising events. If you stay consistent, soon, you will have a reliable, diverse community network.
Benefits of community outreach
There are several upsides to community outreach. Although it takes a bit of effort, you will reap the benefits in years to come. A successful community outreach program will help you:
These are just a few of the pros of getting to know your community. Be aware that these benefits may take some time to materialize, but once they do, they can exponentially propel your mission forward.
What are some effective community outreach ideas?
Creating a plan will assist your community outreach efforts. Ideally, your strategy will contain a variety of outlined ideas planned throughout the year. If your organization is newer, planning more outreach events ahead of time will maximize your ROI.
Below are some options to reference to find the optimal pathway for community outreach success:
A combination of fundraising ideas, volunteer opportunities, and community events can help you reach different audiences. Get to know your community to decide which outreach idea they would most likely do. Make your outreach relevant and impactful to them.
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Bookkeeping – Nonprofit Catalog
Your nonprofit works hard to raise money effectively and efficiently, so your fundraising team is often knee-deep in the process of finding new revenue streams. But what happens after those monies are acquired? How do you keep track of it all? Financial management is an essential part of your ability to fund your nonprofit’s mission, and it all starts with bookkeeping.
What Is Nonprofit Accounting?
Nonprofit bookkeeping is the process of inputting and organizing your nonprofit’s financial data. When your nonprofit makes money through fundraising, investing, or other strategies, your bookkeeper is the one to input the information about that money into your accounting system and ensure it’s labeled and allocated correctly.
When your nonprofit registered to be a 501(c)(3) organization, you received tax-exempt status. But you also agreed as a part of that registration that you would ensure a high level of transparency regarding your finances in order to maintain that status with the IRS. Therefore, it’s critical to ensure your funding is recorded properly—a task that falls directly on your bookkeeper.
At many smaller organizations, the job of bookkeeping falls largely on executive directors or high-level staff members. This creates another hat for those professionals to wear in their work at the organization. Meanwhile, large organizations with more transactions to keep track of might hire a full-time bookkeeper to manage their day-to-day finances, although hiring can be expensive. The best in-between option for nonprofits is to outsource your bookkeeping and accounting needs to an experienced, nonprofit-specific firm.
You might be asking, “Bookkeeping and accounting? Why do we need both? Aren’t they basically the same thing?” In short, no. Let’s take a closer look at the differences between these commonly confused roles.
How are Bookkeeping and Accounting Different?
While often lumped together in one category, nonprofit bookkeeping and accounting are two distinct roles. Here are the main differences between the two:
Nonprofit Bookkeeping
Nonprofit bookkeepers manage the day-to-day operational needs of an organization. This includes tasks like data entry, writing checks, and allocating expenses. Because it tends to be fairly administrative in nature, nonprofit bookkeepers don’t usually require specialized degrees or CPA certifications. However, this doesn’t mean the job is easy! Bookkeeping requires strong organizational skills to keep everything straight.
Nonprofit Accounting
Nonprofit accounting is like the big brother to bookkeeping. Accountants analyze your nonprofit’s financial data to determine the next steps that will help your organization reach its goals. This role requires a four-year degree and most people who occupy this position are CPA-certified. Accountants also reconcile your bank accounts, prepare your books for audits, compile and submit tax forms, and create your annual budget.
Both of these roles are essential for your nonprofit to have effective financial management practices, but they’re often completed by two different people. This way, you’ll create stronger internal controls that help prevent fraud at your nonprofit.
What Does a Nonprofit Bookkeeper Do?
Your nonprofit bookkeeper’s duties are varied, but they may include tasks such as:
As you can see, your nonprofit bookkeeper is primarily responsible for keeping all of your nonprofit’s financial information organized and ready to be acted upon. If your organization’s bookkeeping duties currently fall on your executive members of the team, consider if it’s worth it to designate a dedicated staff member or outsourced bookkeeper to help manage the responsibilities.
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog
Bookkeeping and Accounting Services for Nonprofits – Some organizations outsource their bookkeeping and accounting needs to organizations like Jitasa. Learn more about how this works and why it can benefit your nonprofit.
Year-End Giving – Your organization raises a lot of money at the end of the year. This guide will help you prepare to raise that funding and record it properly.
What is a Labor Union? – Nonprofit Catalog
A labor union is a nonprofit coalition of workers in the same trade or industry. They are similar to associations, but unions are formed to protect workers’ rights and ensure that favorable conditions are maintained in the workplace. This happens through collective bargaining between the union representative and the employer. Union representatives often negotiate factors such as wages, benefits, schedules, safety, and job security on behalf of the workers.
Unions are membership-based organizations. Usually, unions charge a small monthly membership fee that gets automatically deducted from their members’ paychecks. Members have a direct say and can vote on the issues that make it to the collective bargaining stage. Thus, workers who are represented by unions aren’t necessarily members of the union.
Who’s involved with labor unions?
There are three important parties involved in labor unions. They are:
These players work together to establish the atmosphere at work and address the concerns of the workers.
What industries have labor union representation?
Numerous industries have union representation. Industries with a significant union presence include:
While these industries have more union representation on average, there are many other industries that are represented by unions.
How are unions structured?
There are numerous sizes and scales of unions. Most national unions are part of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The AFL-CIO also represents smaller unions at the state and local levels. That being said, many smaller unions aren’t part of the AFL-CIO.
The AFL-CIO acts as an advocate for unions in the legislative process so unions are allowed to exist and achieve their goals across the country. Also, members of the AFL-CIO meet every four years, introducing them to other union delegates. This allows AFL-CIO members to learn from like-minded union members and adjust their collective bargaining approach.
Whether they’re part of the AFL-CIO or are independent, nearly every national union has local members on a state- or city-wide scale. These representatives resolve grievances and issues within unionized work environments.
Is union membership mandatory?
It depends on the state. 28 states are right-to-work states, meaning that union membership isn’t mandatory. The other 22 states do require union membership if the workplace is represented by one.
Additional resources
Nonprofit Basics – Learn more about nonprofit management essentials by exploring other expert resources.
Tips for Recruiting the Next Generation of Union Workers – Are you a union manager looking for new, younger members? Learn how to recruit this valuable demographic in this guide.
6 Tips: How to Manage and Retain Union Membership – Retaining your union’s membership is crucial for achieving your goals. Make your members want to stay by using this guide.
Why Companies Should Have Employee Giving Programs
Businesses that give back to their communities receive a number of benefits in return. From improved reputations to higher employee retention, corporate philanthropy is only increasing in importance in the for-profit sector and for good reason.
Corporate giving takes many forms, and one method in particular allows businesses to make an impact and engage employees at the same time: employee giving programs. Workplace-based giving initiatives provide employees with the opportunity to make a difference with their own two hands.
In this post, we will discuss the benefits of employee giving programs and provide examples of companies that have successfully implemented such programs. Specifically, we’ll explore:
Whether you want to update your current employee giving strategy or launch an entirely new program, this guide will provide answers to what makes employee giving so effective.
What are the benefits of employee giving programs?
Employee giving programs provide numerous benefits for both employees and the companies that implement them. Some of the key advantages of these programs include:
Improved Employee Engagement and Morale
Employees who can support causes they care about through their workplace are more likely to be engaged and motivated in their jobs. After all, they know their hard work is helping to support a good cause.
Studies have shown that employees who are engaged in their work are more productive, have higher job satisfaction, and are less likely to leave their jobs. In addition, employees who can give back to their communities through their workplace are more likely to have a positive attitude and feel a sense of purpose in their work. Let’s look at some specific statistics:
Companies with employee giving programs are also more likely to attract and retain top talent. Many job seekers today are looking for companies that align with their values and support charitable causes, and having an employee giving program can be a key differentiator in the job market.
Boosted Reputation
Companies that practice corporate social responsibility (CSR) are generally looked upon favorably by consumers and employees alike. As discussed, employees want to work for employers they know are making a positive impact in the world, and consumers also want their hard-earned dollars to support businesses making a positive impact.
All types of corporate philanthropy can lead to a positive reputation boost. For example, sponsorships, match grants, and in-kind donations can all help worthy causes. However, employee giving programs specifically give employees more control over which organizations receive funding, increasing their stake in the business’s CSR practices.
In addition to making financial contributions, employee giving programs can also provide opportunities for employees to volunteer their time and skills to support charitable organizations. This is why some law firms require lawyers to work a certain amount of pro-bono hours each year.
Although, take care in whether employees are invited to participate in employee giving or are forced to. While optional programs are likely to see less participation, required ones can lead to resentment from employees, especially if they have limited say in which causes they can give to.
For an example of how to offer freedom of choice in an employee giving program, many companies offer matching donations or volunteer grants. Within these programs, the company matches its employees’ gifts or donates based on the hours its employees spend volunteering. The employees decide which organizations they want to support, and their employer follows suit by giving to the causes they’ve signaled they care about.
Tax benefits
CSR programs allow businesses to do good in the world. Of course, businesses are also fundamentally for-profit organizations, and saving a bit of extra money due to their philanthropic actions is often a major motivator behind giving programs.
Here’s a rundown of how employee giving programs provide tax benefits for both companies and their employees:
As part of your business’s corporate giving strategy, keep careful records of your donations. Request donation receipts from your nonprofit partners if they are not already providing them, and ensure the details of sponsorships and other partnership arrangements are written down and confirmed by both your business and the nonprofits you work with.
Types of Corporate Giving Programs
Corporate giving takes many forms, some of which include employee involvement. Most businesses that are serious about CSR will have a mix of philanthropic programs to meet their communities’ needs and be responsible corporate citizens.
Let’s take a look first at corporate giving programs that have an element of employee giving:
These programs engage employees and let them have an active say in what causes are supported. Of course, there are many other worthwhile corporate giving opportunities unrelated to employees that a company might pursue. These include:
Last, there’s one type of corporate giving program that fits in the middle of this venn diagram:
Which type of corporate giving is right for your company? The answer depends on numerous factors, such as employee interest, which nonprofits are interested in working with your business, and what resources you have available to spend on philanthropy.
However, if we had to pick a favorite, we would single out matching gifts as the best type of employee giving program.
An In-Depth Look at Employee Matching Gifts
With over 26 million individuals working for companies that offer matching gift programs, employee matching gifts have the capacity to make a major impact. For your program, determine what causes you want to support through matching gifts, which of your employees are eligible, and how much you intend to give.
For instance, one company might make only full-time employees eligible for matching gifts, but they may pledge to match all gifts at a 1:1 ratio with an annual cap of $10,000. In contrast, another company might open up its matching gift program to part-time and retired employees but enforce a narrower range of gifts between $50 to $2,500 and exempt donations to educational and religious institutions.
However you decide to organize your matching gift program, you can access benefits like:
Interested in what matching gift programs look like in action? Here’s how matching gift programs have played out at a few companies whose names you might recognize:
Overall, employee matching gift programs can provide numerous benefits for companies and their employees. By offering such a program as part of their employee giving programs, companies can increase the impact of their employees’ charitable giving and enhance their reputation as socially responsible organizations.
How to Implement an Employee Giving Program
The first step in implementing any CSR program is deciding that now is the right time. You have the resources, a philanthropic mission, and you’re pretty sure that your employees will be happy to participate. Now you just need to plan your implementation.
While details vary depending on your program of choice, here are the five steps most companies will take to launch their new employee giving program:
By following these steps, you can design and implement an employee giving program that engages your employees and supports the causes that they care about. This can help your company positively impact your community and enhance your reputation as a socially responsible organization.
Additional Employee Giving Resources
Employee giving programs provide numerous benefits for both employees and the companies that implement them. These programs can increase employee engagement and morale, help companies meet their CSR goals, enhance their reputations, and provide tax savings for both the company and its employees.
Of course, the CSR world is vast, and this overview is just one perspective. To learn more about employee giving before launching your own program, read a few of our favorite resources:
An Overview of Donor Relations – Nonprofit Catalog
Donors power your nonprofit’s work. Without them, you could never deliver your mission to your beneficiaries. And yet some nonprofits make the mistake of viewing their donors as blank checks instead of people. This can be detrimental to your nonprofit’s efforts to fundraise and grow its community.
That’s why focusing on donor relations is so critical for nonprofits—strengthened donor relationships empower you to accomplish your goals and connect with other people who are passionate about your cause and can offer sustained support for your work.
What Is Donor Relations?
Donor relations consists of all the efforts that a nonprofit organization puts into building relationships with its donors and making them feel seen and valued as people.
Your efforts to cultivate lasting relationships with your donors should begin when you first connect with them, whether through prospecting or the donors’ own moves to get involved with your organization. Then, you can continue to build those relationships so that they last.
Donor Relations vs. Donor Stewardship
Often when talking about donor relations, you’ll hear the term “donor stewardship” come up. This makes sense since the two go hand in hand. But there are important differences to note:
In other words, donor relations focuses on donors themselves, while its subset, donor stewardship, focuses on donors’ gifts. Both are a critical part of a sustainable and successful fundraising strategy.
Why Should Nonprofits Focus on Donor Relations?
Focusing on donor relations requires an investment of your nonprofit’s time and resources. But doing so can pay dividends as you experience the following benefits:
In addition to these benefits, focusing on donor relations just makes logical and financial sense. Some nonprofits are misguided in thinking that skipping crucial opportunities to boost donor relations is the easy way out. In reality, constantly having to acquire new donors and supporters can be more costly and difficult than investing in your relationships with those who are already contributing to your cause.
6 Tips for Strengthening Donor Relationships
Now that you know the basics of donor relations, you’re likely ready to start strengthening the relationships you have with your donors. Here are six tips for doing so:
Donor relations is a critical focus area for nonprofits who want to pursue sustained success and future growth. Run with these tips to strengthen your relationships with your donors!
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.
Creating a Capital Campaign Plan: Complete Guide & Template – Donor relations gets a little more complicated with large-scale capital campaigns. Learn how to set yourself up for success by exploring this guide.
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Your Nonprofit’s Guide — Peer-to-peer fundraising gives donors the unique opportunity to fundraise on your behalf. Check out how it works!
Fundraising Campaign Websites – Nonprofit Catalog
Once your nonprofit has put in all the effort to plan a fundraising campaign, you should spread the word to generate support. A fundraising campaign website is one of the most effective tools in your marketing strategy for catching supporters’ interest and empowering them to give. Let’s explore the basics of campaign websites!
What Is A Fundraising Campaign Website?
A fundraising campaign website hosts all the information your supporters need to get involved with your nonprofit’s campaigns. This website will help you promote your campaign, spread awareness about your cause, and get your supporters involved, whether they’re donating, volunteering, or sharing your organization’s message.
Campaign web pages can be created on your main website, or you can create a separate microsite for each large campaign. Microsites are separate from the main website, with a different URL, so they allow you to really feature the campaign and its related details. Depending on the size of your organization and its campaigns, as well as what you know about your supporters and how they engage with your cause online, this could be a great option for you.
What Are The Elements of a Campaign Website?
For your website to be an effective tool, it will need to include certain elements that create a positive user experience for your supporters. Here are some essentials to include:
These elements can all work together to make your campaign website a powerful marketing asset. Depending on the nature of your campaign, you may want to include other features like an event registration form, an advocacy campaign explainer, or an online merchandise store.
4 Fundraising Website Design Best Practices
Including the elements discussed above in your fundraising website will allow you to set up a site that pulls your supporters in. Here are some design best practices to implement to take your site to new heights:
A well-designed fundraising campaign website that contains all the right elements and information can help your nonprofit succeed in its next fundraising endeavor. Use these tips to get started building your fundraising website today!
Additional Resources
Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.
Nonprofit Website Builders: The 11+ Best Providers – To make an amazing campaign website, you’ll need the help of a robust website builder. Here are some recommendations.
SEO for Nonprofits: A Complete Guide [+ Optimization Tips] – Search engine optimization (SEO) can help people find your website and campaign pages. Learn how to tap into the power of SEO by reading this guide!
5 Association Web Design Tips to Boost Member Acquisition
Did you know that it takes just 50 milliseconds for online users to form an opinion about your website, which ultimately determines whether or not they like it and if they’ll stick around? In half the time it takes most websites to even load, your online visitors have already made snap judgments about the value of your website and – by extension – your association or member organization.
Every one of those curious scrollers who winces and clicks away is a potential new member, you’ve just lost to something as easily-solvable as simple web design changes.
So, how do you start tackling poor association website design and determining which design elements will turn casual visitors into happy new members? If you’re at a loss for where to start, never fear—we’ve prepared these tried-and-true association website best practices to boost your online member acquisition:
With digital engagement on the rise, it’s more important than ever to use your website as an attractive, interactive hub to enhance the member experience and entice visitors to hit the registration button.
Optimize accessibility for any user, on any device.
First things first: your top priority is making sure that your website actually works when users click through it.
This sounds easy enough—if every site visitor were a digital native with a fiber optic internet connection and a desktop computer. Unfortunately, the reality is a lot messier, and many potential and current members aren’t going to fit that mold.
To ensure that every site visitor has the same smooth, seamless online experience no matter when, where, or how in the world they’re navigating your site, take a look at these UX best practices:
There are many small but important steps you can take to open up your website to a vast new audience of online users. However, there’s a limit to how much you’ll be able to tweak your website without some serious technical experience.
For best results, consider investing in a dedicated association website builder. A user-friendly CMS allows even the most technically-challenged association professionals to make effective changes to your website. Use drag-and-drop features, customizable templates, and member-specific design toolkits to make an association website that will blow users away—and encourage them to head straight to your membership registration page.
Use visual storytelling to capture the member experience.
Once users have successfully loaded your site, you’ll want to make the most of that precious half of a second where they’ll be judging whether to explore further or run away screaming.
This is where visual storytelling becomes your best friend. To immediately capture visitors’ attention and draw them into the narrative of your association, incorporate vibrant, professional images across your major web pages.
From Pulitzer-worthy candids of your event guest speakers in action to Instagramable snapshots of members, these snackable images instantly convey what your association stands for (and what you can offer users if they join).
Of course, pictures aren’t the only visual element to pay attention to. Don’t forget to build your membership website with:
When you bring all of these pleasing elements together, you’ll have created an irresistible feast for the eyes that not only wows new site users but also engages current members.
Tease users with sample content, previews, and perks.
Now that you’ve survived that roller coaster of the first minute visitors spend on your website, you have to continue feeding their interest to successfully attract new members.
Remember that actions speak louder than words. So, rather than writing some long-winded appeal for users to give your association a chance, give them a taste of what they’re missing out on!
Take a page from the MemberClicks guide to building a membership website and strategically organize your association website for the public (including prospective members) so that they can access and sample enticing content. In particular, you’ll want to allow anyone to view your:
You could even offer tastes of event content, downloadable resources, educational materials and other small samples of everything your association has to offer. If users want more, all they need to do is sign up.
Leverage the promotional power of your member directory.
The online member directory is probably one of the most underrated marketing tools in your association toolkit.
At first glance, your directory may just seem like a glorified list. But in reality, it can be a critical tool for member networking, digital engagement and (you guessed it!) public promotion.
Think of it as an online pamphlet that prospective members can flip through to see just how many passionate members have taken the dive to join your association. And for a small price, they, too, can access the full high-powered network of fellow professionals.
Be sure to invest in an association management system that can integrate seamlessly with your website. This will allow you to upload your directory directly into your CMS and automatically update member information as new members join and existing members tweak their profiles.
For inspiration on how to create and customize your own online member directory, check out Wild Apricot’s member directory templates.
Test, test, and test again.
When in doubt, test, test, and test again.
There’s no such thing as a perfect association website, and there will always be room for you to improve, adjust, and revamp elements of your site to maximize engagement and push individuals toward your registration page.
Use regular A/B testing to see how different versions and elements of your website perform and what steps you can take to constantly improve the online user experience.
This is especially important as web technologies continue to evolve and user expectations get higher and higher for what they want to see from your association web platform.
There are many moving parts to consider to build out a truly awe-inspiring, member-acquiring association website. To guarantee that you end up with a beautiful, functional web platform rather than Frankenstein’s monster, use these key tips and tools to guide you through the creative and technical process.
From investing in the right website builder and AMS solution to mindfully organizing your site’s visual elements, these insights should give you the confidence and power to create a membership website for the ages.
The Microsoft Ad Grant: An Essential Nonprofit Tool
If you’ve been in the fundraising world for a while, you might be familiar with the Google Ad Grant program. Google provides eligible nonprofits with $10,000 per month in ad spending to help boost their organizations’ reach online.
However, you may not know much about Microsoft’s new program, Ads for Social Impact, which functions similarly to the Google Ad Grant program. As of June 2022, Microsoft offers nonprofits $3,000 per month in ad spending for platforms such as Bing, Yahoo, AOL, Outlook, MSN, and Microsoft Edge.
Although the grant amounts differ between the two programs, both can help you spread awareness of your organization’s mission and raise money for your cause.
Our mission at NXUnite is to provide nonprofits with tools and resources that will set them up for success. We believe that the Microsoft Ad Grant is one such tool that will help organizations spread their missions and reach their fundraising goals. We’re happy to offer this guide so nonprofits can learn more about the program and how to enroll. Here are the topics we’ll cover:
We have a lot to review, so let’s get started!
Microsoft Ad Grant Basics
Microsoft’s Ads for Social Impact program serves to help eligible nonprofits drive traffic to their websites and reach their fundraising and marketing goals at no cost to these organizations. The Microsoft Ad Grant covers $3,000 per month in ad spending for ads on multiple Microsoft-owned websites.
Since Microsoft Ad Grants cover so many different platforms, it can be difficult to picture what an ad created by a participating organization would look like. We’ll walk you through an example on Yahoo so you can visualize how a Microsoft Ad for your particular organization might look.
Let’s say that someone in your community is passionate about protecting wildlife. While checking their Yahoo email, this person might do a quick search for “save the turtles.” Yahoo will return a results page with the phrase “Ads related to: save the turtles” at the top. Underneath, there will be links to websites dedicated to protecting wildlife. These organizations are using Microsoft Ads to boost their reach and spread their mission online.
Nonprofits enrolled in the Microsoft Ad Grant program receive unique benefits that distinguish Microsoft’s program from Google’s. Your organization might already leverage paid search opportunities with Google or Microsoft. For nonprofits that use Google Ads, they must create a separate account for the Google Ad Grant program. In contrast, organizations that already use Microsoft Ads can apply their Microsoft Ad Grant directly to their existing account, allowing them to keep all of their campaigns in the same place.
Another difference between the two programs is the required account restrictions. Since Google Ad Grant accounts are separate from typical Google Ad accounts, there are more restrictions put on Google Ad Grant accounts, including minimum click-through rates, minimum quality scores, and maximum cost-per-click. In Microsoft’s program, all of your Microsoft Ads are under one account with none of these restrictions. That way, you can use the grant just as you would use funds for a regular paid search campaign.
Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to move on to the benefits of enrolling in Microsoft’s Ads for Social Impact program.
Benefits of Microsoft Ad Grants
Besides expanding visibility for your website, there are many benefits of leveraging Microsoft Ad Grants. Take a look at some of the main advantages of participating in the program:
More site engagement.
While creating engaging content is a great way to improve your organization’s website, your content won’t fulfill its purpose if people can’t find your website in the first place.
By producing Microsoft Ads that highlight different pages on your site, you’ll encourage people to check out the resources they’re interested in. Someone looking to volunteer for a nonprofit will search differently than someone looking to donate, and by using your Microsoft Ad Grant appropriately, you can make sure both individuals find the information they need on your website.
More conversions.
Once you get more people to engage with your site, you’re likely to see more conversions. Just as businesses and other for-profit organizations track conversions to sales, nonprofits can track different types of conversions to measure the impact of their campaigns. Some online conversions your organization might track include:
By using the Microsoft Ad Grant to show prospective supporters the pages they’re interested in, you can increase the likelihood that people will perform the intended actions associated with those pages rather than aimlessly skimming your website.
Additional communication with your supporters.
As a nonprofit, you likely already use a mix of communication tools such as email, direct mail, phone calls, text messages, and social media. Microsoft Ad Grants provide an additional opportunity to reach out to your supporters in a more understated way.
While it’s important to engage with your supporters in a variety of different ways, it’s also important not to overwhelm them with too much information and too frequent communication. With Microsoft Ad Grants, you allow current and prospective supporters to learn about your organization on their own time and at their own discretion.
Better understanding of your supporters.
When a supporter interacts with your website, their actions provide several types of data for your organization. By keeping track of this data, you can figure out how to improve your campaigns and get the most out of your Microsoft Ad Grant.
To help you analyze your website activity, Microsoft provides tools such as event tracking, campaign analytics, and traffic insights. That way, you can leverage this information and use it to your organization’s advantage to make sure your website and content are serving your supporters as they should.
Set amount of funds each month.
Once you’re enrolled in the Microsoft Ad Grant program, you can be sure that you’ll receive $3,000 in your Microsoft Ad account each month. While this may seem like a given, many traditional grant programs allocate limited grant funds to qualifying organizations based on their needs.
Knowing exactly how much money in ad spending you’ll receive from Microsoft each month, you can better plan how your organization will use the grant without wasting time wondering how much money you’ll be allotted.
Ways to Use Microsoft Ad Grants
Just as it’s important to outline your goals for a fundraiser or social media campaign, it’s good practice to determine what you want to achieve by using your Microsoft Ad Grant. Setting goals for your campaigns will ensure that you’re using your grant money efficiently.
If you’re not sure what goals you’d like to accomplish during your time in the Microsoft Ad Grant program, take a look at some of our suggestions:
With your goals in mind, you’ll create campaigns with better focus and get the most out of your Microsoft Ad Grant.
Eligibility Requirements
If you’re interested in applying for the Ads for Social Impact program, you’ll need to make sure you’re eligible for the program. Microsoft has three main eligibility requirements. The first is status as a legally recognized nonprofit or non-governmental organization in your country. For United States-based organizations, that includes registering with the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization.
The next requirement is operating on a not-for-profit basis and serving a specific mission. Microsoft gives mission examples such as helping the poor, preserving the environment, and protecting human rights.
Microsoft’s final requirement is that all participating organizations are inclusive of others. They prohibit any organizations with discriminatory policies or missions from joining the program.
In addition the Microsoft’s three eligibility requirements, they also list ineligible organization types, such as:
For a full list of eligibility requirements, check out Microsoft’s program eligibility page here.
Microsoft Ad Grant Application
After determining your organization is eligible for the program, the next step is to fill out an application. There are two main parts of the application.
First, you’ll apply to Microsoft for Nonprofits, Microsoft’s overarching program dedicated to nonprofit tools and resources. This part of the application has four steps.
The second part of the application process is applying for the Microsoft Ad Grant itself. You’ll provide additional information about your nonprofit and point of contact, and Microsoft will get back to you within 10 business days.
Microsoft Ad Grant Best Practices
Once Microsoft accepts your Microsoft Ad Grant application, you’ll likely want to jump right in and start setting up campaigns. To enure your campaigns are effective, we recommend following a few best practices that other nonprofits have found helpful in the past. Here are some guidelines for running your Microsoft Ad Grant account effectively:
Structure your account appropriately.
Organization is key when it comes to Microsoft Ad Grant campaigns because it allows you to ensure that each campaign has its own specific purpose. The goal of each campaign should be the conversion you’re looking to boost.
For example, let’s say your overall goals for your participation in the program are expanding your email subscriber base, recruiting more volunteers, and informing your supporters about matching gifts. Establish your campaigns’ priorities right away by setting up three separate campaigns, one for each goal. That way, you can track the metrics for each goal separately. Additionally, you can create straightforward campaigns that each focus on one aspect of your mission, making it clear to supporters what you’re asking them to do.
Write clear ad copy.
When it comes to Microsoft Ad copy, the simpler, the better. People will only spend a few seconds looking at your ad, so you want to make sure your message is very clear. Short sentences are usually best. It’s also good practice to avoid uncommon acronyms or abbreviations that may confuse people.
Choose keywords carefully.
To make sure you’re choosing effective keywords, you’ll want to think backward. What are your supporters likely searching for? Those are the words and phrases you’ll want to choose as your keywords.
It’s best to choose specific keywords. People searching for “animals” aren’t necessarily looking for an animal shelter, but those searching for “volunteering with animals” or “adopting a pet” might be.
Keep track of your campaign metrics.
Luckily, Microsoft has built-in analytics options that allow you to easily track the success of your campaigns. Analyzing this data and implementing the insights you glean from it will allow you to shape your campaigns and content to your supporters’ needs.
For example, if you see that people are going straight from your volunteer registration page to your contact information page, it might be useful to add a section with contact information on the volunteer registration page itself for easy access.
Use automatic bidding.
In order to show up in searches for certain keywords, you’ll bid for them along with other organizations. You can submit bids manually, but Microsoft has automatic bidding options that will save your team time and energy.
These bidding strategies include ones for enhancing your cost-per-click, maximizing your clicks, maximizing your conversions, and achieving your target cost per acquisition and return on ad spend.
Following these best practices will ensure that you’re managing your campaigns efficiently and effectively.
Using Microsoft Ad Grants with Other Fundraising Tools
At NXUnite, we’re passionate about connecting nonprofits with the tools and resources that will launch them toward success. While Microsoft Ad Grants are one such tool, leveraging a variety of tools and strategies will help your organization spread awareness and raise money for its cause. Take a look at how your organization can use Microsoft Ad Grants in conjunction with other valuable fundraising tools:
Knowing which nonprofit tools are available for you to use is important, but knowing how to use them in conjunction with each other is even more powerful.
Working with a Microsoft Ad Grant Agency
While we hope this guide will help you manage your Microsoft Ad Grant effectively, we also understand that many nonprofits have constrained time and energy to devote to new projects. That’s where digital marketing agencies come in.
There are organizations out there that are specifically dedicated to helping nonprofits manage ad grants. They know the ins and outs of different ad grant programs and how to optimize your account. These types of agencies can help with any stage of the grant management process, such as:
Reaching out to a digital marketing agency can take the burden of managing your ad grant off your team. You can feel at ease knowing that experts are taking care of your account.
More Fundraising Tools
By now, you should understand what the Microsoft Ad Grant is and how powerful of a fundraising tool it truly is. By enrolling in the Microsoft Ad Grant program, you’ll be able to work toward your organization’s fundraising goals and raise awareness for your cause.
As we mentioned, there are many other great fundraising tools out there. These articles will allow you to learn more about some of the ones we recommend: