The title of the article, which is “Nonprofit Chart of Accounts: A Guide for Getting Started.”

Nonprofit Chart of Accounts: A Guide for Getting Started

Between the limitations of restricted funds and the need to continue fueling charitable missions, your nonprofit must keep organized data for a successful approach to accounting. A foundational tool for keeping organized finances is the nonprofit chart of accounts (COA), which is a resource that records your organization’s financial activity.

In this quick guide, we’ll explore how you can create a COA by covering the following topics:

As a nonprofit leader, you know that accurate financial records and reporting are crucial to maintaining your 501(c)(3) status. Let’s explore the basics of COAs so your organization can establish a system for reliable recordkeeping.

What is a nonprofit chart of accounts?

A nonprofit chart of accounts (COA) is a spreadsheet or table that lists an organization’s financial accounts and ledgers. This table is a directory of your nonprofit’s financial records, helping you organize important information about your finances. It is typically divided into five categories:

  • Assets, or anything that your nonprofit owns.
  • Liabilities, which include everything your nonprofit owes.
  • Net assets, or the total amount your nonprofit is worth. This is calculated by subtracting your liabilities from your assets.
  • Revenue, which consists of any funding your organization receives through its various income sources.
  • Expenses, or all the expenditures your nonprofit incurs for its operations and fundraisers.

While it offers a broad overview of your finances rather than a deep dive into insightful metrics, your COA is the foundation upon which you’ll build reports that summarize your financial data, such as your:

  • Statement of activities: Outlines your organization’s revenue, expenses, and net assets
  • Statement of financial position: Indicates your nonprofit’s financial health by breaking down your assets, liabilities, and net assets
  • Statement of functional expenses: Shows how your funding is used to fulfill your mission by dividing your expenditures into the categories of program, administrative, and fundraising costs
  • Statement of cash flows: Reveals how cash moves in and out of your organization

According to Double the Donation, these financial statements are helpful when filing Form 990, which has a direct impact on your nonprofit’s ability to maintain tax exemption! In other words, your COA is an important tool for finding the information you need to file, as well as navigating financial records in case of an audit.

How to create a nonprofit chart of accounts

Every nonprofit’s finances are unique, and your chart of accounts will be, too. Although your chart must be organized in a way that makes sense for your organization, you can use the following steps to guide its development.

1. Determine your numbering convention.

A chart of accounts uses a numbering convention to identify certain categories of financial data. While your organization can use whatever system works best for your data, the numbers are usually organized as follows:

  • 1000: Assets
  • 2000: Liabilities
  • 3000: Net assets
  • 4000: Revenue
  • 5000: Expenses

You’ll use this numbering system to categorize your financial data and then create subcategories to make your records as detailed as possible. For example, your subcategories might look something like this:

  • 1100: Property
  • 2100: Employee salaries
  • 3100: Restricted net assets
  • 4100: Event ticket revenue
  • 5100: Fundraising expenses

Depending on the complexity of your budget, you may need to get more specific with each category. For example, money spent on donor recognition efforts may be lumped in with fundraising expenses or given its own category. Ultimately, it depends on how much your nonprofit gains and spends in a given category.

2. Fill in the account information.

Once you’ve determined how you’ll categorize financial data, it’s time to set up the document! List your financial activity according to your category numbers and their names. Place the account number in one column and its name in the next.

For example, your list of assets might look something like this:

  • 1100: Checking
  • 1200: Savings
  • 1300: Investments

In the next column, you’ll list the main category for these records, which would be “Assets” in our example.

3. Add notes as necessary.

For extra transparency in your financial records, be sure to include a column for notes. This way, you’ll be able to look back on your spreadsheet and remember exactly what each account refers to.

For example, if your nonprofit relies on fundraising event revenue, it might be helpful to categorize fundraisers by event type and include a note for more details. This way, you’d be able to see that record 4200 refers to the revenue collected from product fundraisers specifically, rather than a lump amount of all fundraising revenue.

Best practices for maintaining your chart

After your nonprofit creates its chart of accounts, you need to maintain it over time to ensure it accurately reflects your changing financial activities and circumstances. To ensure you properly maintain this resource, employ the following best practices:

  • Work with a nonprofit bookkeeper. Partner with an expert who can review your chart of accounts. Foundation Group’s bookkeeping guide recommends hiring a professional who has experience with nonprofit finances and a deep understanding of state and federal rules. This way, you’ll entrust this full-time job to an expert who can handle it.
  • Keep your accounts simple. While your COA should offer ample detail to be easily navigable, it must also avoid becoming overwhelming. Group accounts where possible but divide them into more specific subcategories when necessary.
  • Remove unused accounts from your chart. To ensure your chart is relevant and up-to-date, remove any unused or unnecessary accounts. For example, there’s no need to log a category for federal grants if your nonprofit doesn’t plan to apply for any.

Above all, remember to include room for growth in your COA. Your nonprofit’s finances will change over time, and the best way to account for that is to make the chart easily editable. Additionally, familiarize yourself with each account to avoid creating unnecessary ones when it’s time to log a new activity.


Many nonprofits start as a charitable mission with a few initiatives, then expand over time into an organized operation with a clear mission and fundraising approach. Naturally, your nonprofit’s finances can become increasingly complex as a result. With a COA, you’ll be able to stay organized with your accounting, ensuring you comply with nonprofit requirements.

The article's title, "A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Event Management Software," beside an illustration of a woman using a laptop at a desk.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing Event Management Software

For event planners at an association, nonprofit, or other organization, investing in the right event management software can streamline many of your tasks, making your job easier.

From large trade shows to fundraising events, having an event platform that facilitates planning, alleviates common bottlenecks, and enhances the attendee experience can ensure success every time. It also ensures your organization has ongoing access to data that you can use to guide your future decision-making.

However, there are a lot of options on the market and not all of them provide the same level of support or effectiveness. Here’s how to make the best decision before you invest. 

What is Event Management Software?

Event management software is a tool that supports the entire planning process for your event. This typically includes online registration, attendee badging and check-in, and gathering reporting data. 

Well-selected event management software is capable of:

  • Ensuring team productivity and successful working relationships
  • Enhancing attendee satisfaction
  • Improving return on investment (ROI)
  • Gathering strategic insights for decision-making
  • Reducing event planning costs and time drains

The best event management software helps you plan and execute events from start to finish. 

Types of Event Management Software

Every organization’s event needs are different, which is why there are so many different platforms to choose from. There are primarily two types of event management software:

Specialized Single-Purpose Tools

Some software products are single-purpose tools, meaning they are very good at doing one thing or one event. These tools can typically handle tasks like:

  • Registration and ticketing
  • Event marketing and promotion
  • Mobile app design and management
  • Floor planning
  • Badging
  • Sponsor management

If one single, specialized platform meets your specific end goal, it may be more cost-effective to consider this option.

All-in-One Event Management Software

All-in-one event software aims to address all of your event needs in a single platform. This typically includes all event planning tasks, including those listed above.

While these platforms have a higher cost, they can streamline event planning by keeping the entire project within a single application. This often includes everything from registration, event marketing, and event reporting. Their more robust features make them ideal when you’re not just planning a single event but likely will host multiple over time. 

What are the Common Features of Event Management Software?

Depending on your event needs, your software should include the tools and features necessary to plan an effective event and manage it from start to finish. There are numerous areas to consider, such as:

Sponsor Management

Managing sponsors is critical for all event planning teams. Event sponsorship management features can include:

  • Sponsorship categories to organize sponsors based on commitment or sponsorship levels
  • Digital asset management for sponsor logos and graphics
  • Sponsor portals that provide sponsors with relevant information
  • Custom sponsor branding options
  • Sponsor advertising options through an event app

These features streamline the sponsorship process, enhance sponsor engagement, and maximize the value for both event organizers and sponsors.

Registration Technology

Most event management solutions support establishing and managing your event registration process. Though tools are different, expect to find features like:

  • Badge creation and printing
  • Various types of registration, timelines, restrictions, and other customization options
  • Automated registration emails to provide reminders and detailed information for attendees
  • Group registration options
  • Secure payment gateways

These features are designed to make the registration process as smooth and efficient as possible, improving the experience for attendees and providing event organizers with essential data and insights for future event planning and marketing.

Event Marketing

Many platforms offer marketing tools that will assist in growing your total registration and attendance. Some of the most common features of event marketing are:

  • Email tools for sending various messages like event invitations, registration confirmations, and newsletters
  • Customizable event website, including registration forms, speaker profiles, agendas, and payment tools
  • Social media integration, which streamlines access to various social media platforms to share updates and engage with attendees before, during, and after events
  • Marketing analytics and reporting

Having a strong marketing plan is vital to ensuring your event produces the ROI needed to make the whole event worth it.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing Event Management Software

Before deciding on any platform, it’s crucial to know what you need the tool to do based on the way you run your event. Effective event management software must meet your specific needs, and while these may change, consider what key factors matter most or how adaptable your prospective platform is. Here are several essential factors to keep in mind: 

Event Goals and Objectives

When selecting event management software, consider how the solution aligns with your event’s objectives and the overarching goals of your organization.

The software you choose should not only resonate with these goals but should also amplify your ability to achieve them with finesse and precision. It’s about finding a tool that transforms your vision into reality, fostering an environment where every aspect of your event is seamlessly orchestrated to meet, and even exceed, your attendees’ expectations.

Attendee and Staff Experience

The software you select should specifically address the types of experiences you hope to create for both attendees and event staff. Giving your attendees an impactful experience is key to building relationships. Always look for:

  • User-friendly experience for attendees
  • Ease of use for your staff
  • Available onboarding support

Keep an eye out for solutions with an easy-to-use but intuitive interface and supportive tools. You don’t want to make more work for your team or make it complicated for attendees to get the support they need.

Event Planning Frequency

How often do you plan to host events? For occasional or one-time events, you need solutions that align just with that type. However, if you’re hosting events on a regular schedule, it’s more important to ensure the planning and execution of multiple events at one time can work well together. 

Necessary Features

While event software with a plethora of features might seem attractive, focus on those that are essential for your specific requirements. Identify the features that are critical to your event’s success. This could range from registration and ticketing systems to attendee engagement tools or analytics.

Software bloated with features you’ll never use can lead to unnecessary complexity and costs. It’s important to differentiate between ‘nice-to-have’ and ‘must-have’ features. Use cost-effective decision-making and keep your budget in mind as you conduct research into potential options.

Integrations

Many organizations use a variety of digital tools in their daily operations. The right integrations with an event management system can keep everything smooth and organized. Consider tools that align with your CRM, for example.

Steps to Choosing the Best Event Management Software

Navigating the event management software landscape can be intimidating, with an array of options each boasting unique features and capabilities. However, selecting the right software is crucial for your event’s success. Simplify your decision-making by following these steps:

1. Understand your event management needs.

Using your event goals, figure out what specific needs you want your event management software to address. For instance, consider:

  • Event types 
  • Team skills or in-house supportive tools
  • Target audience and attendees 
  • Growth rate over time
  • Analytics insights
  • Regulatory or compliance concerns

Note these down and use these as a reference as you begin exploring potential event solutions for your organization.

2. Identify your event management software non-negotiables.

Every event management solution should support the way you plan to operate your events over time. Outline factors you consider non-negotiable or the specific features and tools you want your product to offer. This may include:

  • Functional aspects like ticketing, event registration, attendee engagement, and agenda management
  • Integration requirements, including marketing and CRM tools
  • Training and support
  • Security features

For example, if you’re planning to host a hybrid or virtual event, you might want to prioritize solutions that make it easy for you to engage attendees online.

3. Research and compare software providers.

Once you have these lists, it’s time to check out the products on the market. During your research, consider the following information:

  • Market research and case use studies
  • Vendor evaluation, including references and reviews
  • Pricing comparison among products

Compare each solution based on your requirements and needs to start compiling the top options for your team to consider.

4. Request demos or sign up for free trials.

With your shortlist created, ask for demos or sign up for trial periods that allow you to test-drive prospective platforms. Take the time to read through and understand the often unseen aspects of new software like:

  • Pricing
  • Contract terms
  • Limitations and restrictions
  • Service level agreements
  • Legal and compliance requirements 

Once you’ve asked any specific questions and gotten a clearer understanding of how the platforms work, re-assemble your team and make your decision.


Choosing the right event management software tailored to your specific needs can transform how you orchestrate your events. By thoroughly evaluating and comparing available options, you can make a strategic decision that will yield long-term benefits, enhancing the way you manage and execute your events for years to come.

Higher ed professionals looking for new ways to use their technology to engage university alumni

4 Ways to Leverage Your CRM to Connect with Alumni

Your university’s alumni don’t just give back by donating to fundraising campaigns. They also help current students, represent your school in the community, and so much more. Because of all they do for their alma maters, engaging and connecting with alumni regularly is a priority for most universities.

But to engage thousands or tens of thousands of alumni—all with different interests and relationships with your university—you need the right tool. 

Your constituent relationship management (CRM) system houses all the data you need to successfully communicate with alumni. We’ll cover four strategies for leveraging this impactful tool to improve alumni relationships. Let’s dive in!

1. Identify opportunities to improve alumni offerings.

According to Redpath Consulting Group, one of the biggest benefits of a robust CRM is that it gives you a holistic, 360-degree view of every constituent in your database. By centralizing data in alumni profiles, your staff can get a better understanding of your alumni and the ways they want to engage with your university, allowing you to improve your offerings based on their preferences.

For instance, say that you track survey results in your CRM and recently sent out a survey about your Young Alum Mentoring program. You can analyze survey results both:

  • Individually in alumni profiles. For example, maybe Jane wants to see more STEM mentors available and Javier didn’t hear about the program enough to form an interest.
  • Across entire groups of alumni. You might learn that the class of 2021 expressed the most interest in the program or that liberal arts graduates as a whole feel underrepresented.

To engage alumni based on the feedback above, you might put extra effort into recruiting more STEM and liberal arts mentors. Or, if you discover that the most highly requested change to the Young Alum program is the age cutoff, you can extend the program to anyone who graduated in the last 10 years. 

2. Personalize alumni outreach.

In addition to using the information in your CRM to improve your offerings, you can use information about your alumni’s interests, habits, and preferences to personalize your communications. The more tailored and relevant your alumni outreach is, the more likely each recipient is to read and engage with your messages.

A robust higher education CRM can help you enhance your alumni communications with the following features:

  • Automated personalization: By creating email or text message templates, you can set up your CRM to automatically populate messages with individual alumni names, event attendance, past donation amounts, etc. 
  • Alumni segments: Organize alumni by shared characteristics and send messages that appeal directly to certain groups. For instance, you might segment alumni by class, field of study, career, demographics, and charitable interests to send more relevant messages.
  • Action-triggered email series: With integrated email automation tools, such as Salesforce Marketing Cloud, you can use your CRM to set up entire email series that are triggered by alumni actions. When someone first joins your email list, for example, they might trigger a series of welcome emails.

To see these tactics in action, take a look at this example email message that recognizes recent alumni donors who graduated from a university’s business school:

Felicia, thank you so much for your generous $200 donation to the Randolph School of Business. Your gift will go towards scholarships for BIPOC students with dreams of earning their MBAs just like you did. Our current and incoming students appreciate your passion for excellence and inclusivity—thank you again!

3. Manage events.

Events are one of the most common ways that universities engage their alumni, whether they take the form of class reunions, volunteering events, or virtual public lectures. Your CRM can help you manage all of your alumni events by centralizing event data and automating reports and outreach.

A comprehensive CRM solution will allow you to:

  • House information about event logistics, plans, and invitations.
  • Send personalized invitations to relevant alumni.
  • Track event registrations and attendance.
  • Manage relationships with event sponsors.
  • Identify, recruit, and communicate with volunteers.
  • Report on the success of event marketing messages.
  • Send personalized thank-you messages and post-event surveys.
  • Track event-related donations and fundraising goals.

Plus, you can analyze data about your event’s success after the fact, helping you improve future event marketing and management. For instance, Double the Donation explains that tools like Google Analytics can help you report on user behaviors on your alumni website. By tracking website engagement data in your CRM, you can discover how engaging your event landing pages are and identify ways to improve them.

4. Engage alumni in fundraising.

Higher education CRMs include a variety of features designed to help institutions track and boost fundraising. You can record donations, monitor fundraising metrics, send personalized donation appeals, and more. 

By leveraging these features with alumni engagement in mind, you can increase the number of alumni who participate in your fundraisers and improve their experiences. Features like donor segmentation, marketing automation, and donation histories allow you to streamline alumni fundraising and track your results.

For example, say that you’re promoting a capital campaign to renovate a beloved dormitory and give students living there a better experience. You might use your CRM to take the following steps to engage more alumni in fundraising:

  1. Search alumni profiles for financial capacity markers that indicate which alumni might be good candidates for major giving.
  2. Create a segment of all the alumni who lived in that building while on campus.
  3. Reach out personally to alumni in that segment to ask for donations.
  4. Design and automate an email series about the capital campaign’s purpose, progress, fundraising needs, and expected impact.
  5. Track donations from alumni and send personalized thank-you messages that include their names and donation amounts.

Once the campaign is over, you can easily use your CRM to follow up with all the alumni who participated in or engaged with the capital campaign. Then, you might add them to a new segment of capital campaign donors and tailor future appeals based on their interest in this campaign.


If you need help taking full advantage of your CRM or feel that your current system isn’t meeting your university’s needs, connect with a higher education technology consultant. These experts can analyze your tech stack, recommend new solutions or integrations to fill gaps, and even implement a new CRM for you. When you have a robust CRM you can leverage strategically, you’ll be able to engage alumni more effectively and efficiently.

The title of the article, which is “Donor Stewardship: Tips for Cultivating Major Gifts.”

Donor Stewardship: Tips for Cultivating Major Gifts

When it comes to fundraising and marketing, your nonprofit needs to maximize its revenue in order to fund its important work. Aside from inspiring donors to give more, you must cultivate deeper relationships with them to show your appreciation and strengthen the community surrounding your organization.

Donor stewardship allows you to do both! In this guide, we’ll explore how you can cultivate major gifts through effective stewardship by covering the following topics:

  • What is donor stewardship?
  • How to steward donors
  • Donor stewardship tools

Donor stewardship is not just a fundraising strategy, but an important part of building the community that defines your nonprofit. That’s why you’ll need a thorough understanding of stewardship before you can develop a plan of action.

What is donor stewardship?

Donor stewardship is the process of building relationships with donors after they make a gift to your nonprofit. By strengthening these relationships, you’ll help donors feel a sense of loyalty to your organization, increasing the likelihood that they’ll give again—and sometimes in larger quantities!

Effective donor stewardship can help your nonprofit in many ways, but it also benefits the donor. Building a relationship with donors and encouraging a response initiates reciprocal communication, through which both your organization and your donor benefit from stewardship.

How to steward donors

Understanding the benefits of donor stewardship should incline you to take action. Use the following stewardship strategies to start cultivating major gifts.

1. Thank the donor for their gift.

Not only should you thank donors for their contributions, but you must thank them as quickly as you can. As a result, supporters will associate giving with the positive feeling of being appreciated, and this sets the foundation of your stewardship campaign. Once a donor feels recognized the moment they contribute time, money, or other resources to your nonprofit, you’re poised to continue this stewardship.

Here are a few effective channels you can use to recognize your donors:

  • Email: CharityEngine’s nonprofit donations guide recommends leaning on email as the foundation of your fundraising strategy, and that includes following up with thank-you emails!
  • Events: Donor appreciation events are like a grand gesture of gratitude and can double as stewardship opportunities when you offer additional ways to give at the event.
  • eCards: Make thank-you messages fun with exciting animations and branded designs on digital greeting cards. For example, Youth for Understanding (YFU) created the following digital card to celebrate its 70th anniversary and express gratitude for those who have donated.
An example of a thank you eCard, which can be used as a donor stewardship strategy.

Timely appreciation and personalized outreach are the key to donor stewardship. The more you can learn about your donors, the easier it is to develop genuine relationships with them and encourage greater giving. For example, understanding why a donor gives to your organization can provide valuable insights that will help your stewardship efforts.

2. Research and segment your donors.

To send messages and plan stewardship activities that resonate with donors, you’ll first need an understanding of their ability and motivation to give. Research your supporters and append any existing data to gain a comprehensive view of their involvement with your organization. Some key questions to ask include:

  • Where do they live? Local supporters may be available for in-person stewardship activities, such as volunteer opportunities, facility tours, or a luncheon with your board members. Supporters who live farther away may be more responsive to virtual events or consistent communications.
  • Why do they donate? Knowing why a donor gives can indicate what would motivate them to increase that gift. For example, if they donate in honor of a loved one, you might ask them to make a larger tribute gift on special days.
  • What is the frequency of their giving? Recurring donors may be promising candidates for major gifts. In addition to pursuing them as major donors, guide other supporters through the giving levels by asking one-time donors for another gift and occasional donors for a monthly commitment.
  • What are their communication preferences? Donors are more likely to increase their gift size when you ask through the communication channels they frequently use. For example, send an email newsletter about the importance of major gifts to the group that prefers to receive messages this way.

This information can be used in your marketing efforts, too, when creating social media posts or crafting email newsletters. For example, you may learn that your college-aged donors tend to use Instagram daily. If these individuals are young, unemployed college students, they may be more receptive to a crowdfunding campaign rather than major giving.

3. Create a stewardship matrix.

Equipped with information about your donors, you’re ready to create a specific plan for donor stewardship. Double the Donation’s donor stewardship guide recommends organizing this information in a stewardship matrix, which is an outline of the method and cadence your nonprofit will use when reaching out to donors.

Following this matrix ensures that you’re engaging your supporters throughout the donor journey. Consistent communication will keep your nonprofit at the top of a supporter’s mind and keep your mission relevant when it’s time to choose where to give.

Donor stewardship tools

Now that you have a donor stewardship plan, you’re likely ready to jump in and start fundraising! However, you’ll need the right tools to execute this plan and ensure your fundraising succeeds.

Look for nonprofit fundraising software that offers the following features to ensure it aligns with your approach to stewardship:

  • Major gifts features help you identify opportunities and track their progress.
  • Email automation will make it easy to communicate regularly with donors.
  • Robust reporting and analytics will help you segment your donors according to any filters you want.
  • Optimized online forms can help increase conversions.

Your stewardship efforts are more valuable when you have technology that records and tracks all engagement with your nonprofit. With a close view of your donors and their activities, you can quickly discern whether or not your stewardship efforts are working. If not, you’ll have the data to see where you’re falling short, and you can quickly pivot to keep those donors engaged.

The article's title, "Ways to Use Learning Management Software to Engage Members," beside an illustration of someone using a laptop.

5 Ways to Use Learning Management Software to Engage Members

In today’s dynamic landscape, associations play a key role in facilitating networking opportunities, promoting professional development, and providing resources for their members. However, with increasing demands and expectations, simply offering membership benefits is no longer sufficient.

To build a thriving membership program, your association must evolve and find innovative ways to engage members continuously. Learning management software (LMS) emerges as a powerful tool that not only streamlines administrative tasks but also enhances member experiences through personalized learning opportunities.

In this guide, we’ll discuss five impactful ways to leverage this technology. First, let’s take a closer look at what an LMS is.

What is learning management software?

Learning management software is a digital platform designed to streamline the creation, delivery, and management of educational content and training programs. An LMS provides a central hub where organizations can host, track, and organize various learning activities, such as webinars, courses, and assessments.

For associations, an LMS simplifies the process of offering high-value learning opportunities to members in several ways:

  • Centralization: An LMS serves as a centralized repository for all learning materials, making it easy for associations to organize and manage educational content.
  • Accessibility: Members can access learning resources anytime, anywhere, providing flexibility and convenience in their learning journey.
  • Customization: LMS platforms often offer customization options, allowing you to tailor learning experiences to meet specific member needs and preferences.
  • Tracking and reporting: An LMS provides tracking and reporting features, enabling you to monitor member engagement, track progress, and assess the effectiveness of your learning initiatives.
  • Integration: Many LMS platforms integrate seamlessly with other association management software and content creation tools, streamlining administrative tasks and ensuring a cohesive member experience.

An LMS empowers you to deliver high-value learning opportunities that are accessible, engaging, and tailored to the needs of members. Ultimately, it allows you to drive member satisfaction, retention, and organizational success.

How to Leverage Learning Management Software

Equipped with an LMS, your association can deepen member engagement in the following ways:

1. Host a variety of educational events.

Chances are, your association already uses event software to organize events catering to members’ interests. Many LMS solutions have event capabilities so you can organize all sorts of educational opportunities for members.

Some popular types of events your association can virtually host using an LMS include:

  • Webinars: These online seminars involve presentations, workshops, or panel discussions on various topics of interest. Webinars provide flexibility for members to participate from anywhere, fostering accessibility and engagement.
  • Q&A sessions: Interactive question-and-answer sessions provide members with the chance to engage directly with subject matter experts or industry leaders. These sessions promote dialogue, knowledge sharing, and networking among participants.
  • Training workshops: Virtual training sessions offer members the opportunity to develop specific skills or knowledge in a structured environment. Workshops can cover a range of subjects, from technical skills to leadership development.
  • Networking sessions: Virtual networking events facilitated by an LMS create opportunities for members to connect, collaborate, and build relationships within your association community. Whether through breakout rooms, discussion forums, or virtual meet-and-greets, networking sessions foster camaraderie and professional connections.

When deciding which types of events to prioritize, it’s essential to consider members’ specific interests, preferences, and learning needs. By understanding their goals and aspirations, you can tailor your event offerings to deliver maximum value and engagement.

2. Offer certification programs.

Certification programs offer significant value for association members, providing tangible credentials and recognition of expertise within their respective fields. With an LMS, your association can:

  • Process payments for courses
  • Deliver and score assessments
  • Award downloadable and printable certificates

Additionally, certification programs not only serve as catalysts for individual professional growth but also elevate the reputation and credibility of your association. As members pursue and achieve certifications, they become advocates and ambassadors, further strengthening your community and influence.

3. Provide an exclusive resource library.

A comprehensive resource library is a cornerstone of member engagement, offering a wealth of valuable content that fosters continuous learning and professional development. Your association can use an LMS to build a website with gated, members-only resources tailored to their unique needs and interests.

For example, you might share content such as:

  • Industry reports
  • Case studies
  • Expert interviews
  • Templates

Take a strategic approach to content development and curation, ensuring that the library stays up-to-date, relevant, and aligned with industry trends and challenges. Regular updates keep members engaged and interested in exploring new resources.

Furthermore, your association can explore creative ways to monetize the resource library by offering access to non-members for a fee. This not only generates additional revenue but also extends your influence and provides valuable learning opportunities to a broader audience.

As members engage with your resource library, they gain valuable knowledge, insights, and practical tools that enrich their professional journey. This fosters a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing, strengthening the bond between your association and its members and promoting long-term engagement and satisfaction.

4. Nurture a learning community.

Building a vibrant and supportive community lies at the core of every successful association. Leveraging an LMS, you can cultivate a dynamic learning community that fosters collaboration, connection, and shared growth among members.

Several ways to promote a sense of community with an LMS include:

  • Building leaderboards. Leaderboards showcase members’ achievements and progress, fostering healthy competition and motivating participation in learning activities. 
  • Awarding digital badges. Digital badges serve as tangible recognition of accomplishments, encouraging members to strive for excellence and engage actively in your association’s educational offerings.
  • Creating discussion forums. Discussion forums provide a space for members to interact, share insights, seek advice, and collaborate on projects. This facilitates peer-to-peer learning and knowledge exchange.

As members engage with one another and actively participate in your association’s learning opportunities, they not only acquire knowledge and skills but also forge meaningful connections and relationships. This sense of belonging and camaraderie enhances the overall member experience, driving loyalty, satisfaction, and long-term engagement. 

5. Create tailored learning opportunities.

Remember that one size does not fit all, which means your association should embrace personalized learning approaches to cater to diverse member needs and preferences. By integrating your LMS with your membership management software and leveraging data analytics, you can gain valuable insights into member behaviors, preferences, and learning objectives. 

Through targeted surveys, solicit feedback and input from members to create more tailored learning opportunities. Consider including questions such as:

  • What format or type of learning do you prefer most?
  • How relevant are our current learning opportunities to your needs?
  • Which topics or areas would you like us to cover more?
  • What improvements, if any, would you like us to make to our learning program?

By adopting a learner-centric approach and adapting offerings according to member interests, you can maximize engagement and satisfaction with your educational benefits.


Learning management software represents a game-changing technology for associations seeking to enhance member engagement and deliver high-value learning experiences. By leveraging an LMS to host diverse educational events, offer certification programs, curate an exclusive resource library, foster a vibrant learning community, and create personalized learning opportunities, you can empower members to achieve their goals and aspirations. 

Moreover, by harnessing data-driven insights and member feedback, your association can iteratively refine and optimize its offerings, ensuring relevance, resonance, and impact over time.

The title of this article on a mint green background to the left of a graphic of two individuals collecting in-kind donations.

3 Strategies to Streamline In-Kind Donations for Supporters

Without fundraising, nonprofits would be hard-pressed to fulfill their missions. But monetary gifts aren’t the only contributions beneficial to your nonprofit. Other donations, such as in-kind gifts, are just as useful. Accepting in-kind donations allows your nonprofit to increase support by capturing the generosity of supporters who might not be able to donate monetary funds.

To help you maximize in-kind donations for your nonprofit, this guide will cover the top strategies for streamlining your in-kind gift process. That way, you can confidently solicit and accept a variety of donations from loyal supporters.

What are in-kind donations?

According to Jitasa, in-kind donations are contributions of products or services that companies and businesses give to a nonprofit instead of a cash contribution. This includes:

  • Goods. These are typically physical materials or assets that nonprofits can use to enhance some aspect of their work. It’s a great way for donors to support your organization while staying sustainable by recycling their items. For example, if you plan to host an auction, you might solicit in-kind donations of auction items from supporters.
  • Services. This type of in-kind donation is a contribution of time and expertise to perform a service that your nonprofit would otherwise have to pay for. Donations of services are particularly useful if your nonprofit is still small and doesn’t have the extra budget to hire external professionals. For example, an individual working at a marketing agency might donate their services to design marketing materials for your upcoming fundraising event.

Volunteer time is another common yet often overlooked type of in-kind gift. As volunteer time is estimated to be worth about $32 per hour, it is an incredibly valuable type of donation for your nonprofit.

Much like with any other type of donation, it’s important to recognize donors for their generosity after an in-kind gift. Establish appreciation strategies to specifically recognize donors for their in-kind gifts.

Now that you know what in-kind donations are, let’s dive into the top strategies for streamlining the in-kind donation process for supporters.

1. Establish clear guidelines for in-kind donations.

Have you ever tried making a payment for an item or service and had trouble getting your payment to work? Your first reaction was probably frustration. You may have even decided that you didn’t need that item.

It’s a similar feeling for donors—regardless of their gift type, you need to make the process easy to ensure that they go through with their gift. In-kind donations are no exception. However, their donation process will be slightly more complicated, as donors will need to go beyond inputting their payment information.

To ensure that donors go through with their in-kind gifts, establish clear guidelines. These should include:

  • Type of goods and services. Be upfront about the type of in-kind donations you’ll accept. This may change depending on where you are in your fundraising cycle or your current organizational needs. For example, if you’re hoping to plan several events in the next year, you might request the services of a fundraising consultant.
  • Condition requirements. For goods, specifically, include any requirements you have for item condition. For instance, if you’re looking for auction items, you’ll probably be looking for new or gently-used goods. If you’re looking for lighting equipment, you may be satisfied with functional items that show some wear and tear.
  • Excluded in-kind gifts. If there are any common types of in-kind gifts that you specifically won’t accept, include them in your guidelines. Let’s say that you’re looking for marketing help. You may request specific services to meet your exact marketing needs, such as branding expertise or video content creation.
  • Donation process. For goods, establish a drop-off point where donors can leave their gifts. Or, if you have extra staff time, create a pick-up system. For services, provide guidelines as to the commitment that you’d like the donor to make, whether they need to work with you on-site or if remote is acceptable, and any other expectations you might have.

After you’ve established guidelines for in-kind donations, add them to a landing page on your nonprofit’s website. That way, supporters can easily reference this information if they’re considering making an in-kind gift.

2. Promote in-kind donations to supporters.

If you don’t inform supporters about in-kind gifts, they may not even consider making them. Properly market in-kind gifts by promoting them through multiple communication channels. That includes your:

  • Website
  • Emails
  • Social media posts

In your messages, focus on the benefits of in-kind donations for supporters. You might say that it’s a convenient way to recycle their items while contributing to a great cause. Or, you could say that donating services allows them to give back to the community without any financial commitment. Add a link to your in-kind donation guidelines so that viewers can easily get started with the process.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to seek out local businesses to help promote in-kind gifts or make contributions directly to your nonprofit. For instance, if you run a soup kitchen, you might ask local grocery stores to promote your request for in-kind donations of canned food. Or, you might ask the same store if they’d be willing to donate that food directly.

3. Host an in-kind donation event.

Much like regular fundraising events give supporters a structured way to make financial gifts, an event that focuses on in-kind donations streamlines the gift-giving process.

Two great ideas to consider include:

  • Recycling drive. With a recycling drive, you can make money with in-kind donations of recyclable materials such as metal, plastic, or textiles. Ask supporters to collect these items and donate them to you. Then, sell these items to a local recycling center and put the funds back into your mission. If you don’t have the employee time to spare, Donate This Recycle That recommends arranging for pickup with recycling centers instead.
  • Clothing drive. Clothing drives are flexible events that can serve many different purposes. For example, if your nonprofit’s beneficiaries are people experiencing homelessness or poverty, you may organize a clothing drive to obtain winter clothing for them. Or, you can host a clothing drive fundraiser by selling any donations back to a recycling organization.

There are a variety of other donations that can feature in-kind donations, including second-hand store events and auctions. Don’t be afraid to get creative with events, but be sure to make your donation process clear for each one.


In-kind donations allow you to leverage the generosity of supporters who might otherwise not be able to contribute to your nonprofit. With a streamlined and convenient process, you’ll be able to maximize the number of donations you receive, allowing you to push forward your mission. Be sure to properly recognize in-kind donors to encourage their continued support and secure their future financial generosity.

This guide will cover the basics of healthcare analytics.

What is Healthcare Analytics? A Mini Guide + Examples

Can data analytics save lives? Many seem to think so. The Big Data Analytics healthcare industry is projected to be worth multimillion USD by 2029 as people put more faith in its potential to improve patient care, streamline operational efficiency, and contain costs.

Additionally, big data analytics solves the problem of healthcare’s formidable data volume problem, as it’s estimated that the average hospital produces roughly 50 petabytes of data every year—more than twice the amount of data housed in the Library of Congress.

So what exactly is healthcare data analytics and how can it help today’s healthcare landscape? Read on to learn the answers to these questions. 

Key components of healthcare analytics

According to Arcadia, healthcare analytics refers to the “systematic use of data and statistical analysis techniques in the healthcare industry.” Specifically, it involves:

Four key components of healthcare analytics as explained in the text below.
  • Data collection. Patient records, claims data, clinical trials, and research are all collected data types in the healthcare industry. Comprehensive and accurate data collection sets the tone for meaningful analysis and actionable results.
  • Data management. Data cleansing, integration, and storage all fall under data management. A robust analytics platform is necessary to facilitate these processes in a structured and HIPAA-compliant manner.
  • Data analysis. Most people assume that analysis is a part of healthcare data analytics. Rightfully so, as applied predictive, prescriptive, and descriptive analytical approaches provide recommended decision-making based on analyzed results. This translates to predicting diagnoses, identifying at-risk patients, and more.
  • Data visualization and reporting. Making large amounts of data visually digestible is essential in the fast-paced world of healthcare. Analytics tools and techniques break complex metrics down into understandable dashboards, charts, and graphs that can enhance quick and knowledgeable decision-making.

Healthcare analytics involves all of these processes to generate the most value. However, implementing analytics software can be a challenge for many organizations, as consolidating data from disparate sources can lead to duplication, inconsistencies, and compliance hazards. That’s why many decide to partner with an analytics vendor to guide them through the implementation process and help them achieve their full analytical power.

Real-life examples of analytics in healthcare

Analytics supports and revolutionizes the digitalization of healthcare systems by changing the way patient data is collected, accessed, and analyzed. To understand healthcare analytics in action, let’s review a few examples.

Electronic health records

Electronic health records or EHRs are comprehensive digital records detailing a patient’s health information. Patients can become misdiagnosed without accurate and updated EHRs if providers cannot access the full patient history or claims data. 

However, combining and migrating patient data is technically intensive and can open the door for data to get lost. This is where EHR management and integration come into play. With EHR integration software, providers can access high-quality, comprehensive data at the point of care, leading to the following benefits:

  • Clinical decision support. Medical history, demographic information, allergies, lab results, and more can support a provider’s diagnosis and treatment plans. With comprehensive details, providers can more easily identify health patterns and employ preventive measures. 
  • Patient engagement and retention. EHR integration allows hospital systems to go paperless, opening the door to more face-to-face interaction with patients. Additionally, cleaner and more organized patient data invites patients to better understand their health status and take steps toward self-care management.
  • Care continuity and collaboration. In today’s fragmented healthcare system, it’s easy for medical professionals to unintentionally misdiagnose due to a lack of patient data. EHR integration unifies care teams to collaborate and problem-solve through organized file management and secure transferability.

Although the EHR is a reliable management solution, not every country has fully implemented it. Fortunately, the U.S. has committed to an EHR system, with a total of 94% of hospitals adopting it. However, other countries, including those in the EU, are hesitant to make the leap. If they do decide to exchange health records across borders, it will open up the door for cross-border, cohesive patient care.

Patient outreach and engagement

Analytics also has a hand in revolutionizing patient outreach and engagement. With AI-enabled tools, healthcare analytics technology can scale engagement efforts to ensure individual patients receive the follow-up care they need to experience optimal health outcomes.

Analytics software tools use algorithms and risk models to zero in on at-risk patient groups. In turn, this optimizes resource allocation, closes care gaps, and relieves care teams of extensive outreach planning efforts. For example, with analytics, care teams can automate targeted outreach efforts to complete the following care objectives:

  • Preventive care and screening reminders. Healthcare professionals can use analytic outreach tools to send informed preventive care messages such as vaccination, screening, and flu shot reminders. This ensures patients receive timely care and safeguards against the risk of illness progression.
  • General appointment reminders. No-shows and other scheduling complications can increase costs and decrease patient satisfaction. Automated analytic outreach tools send appointment reminders via text, email, and phone calls to ensure patients attend scheduled appointments and maximize resource healthcare utilization.
  • Emergency alerts and notifications. Providers can use automated alerts to update patients during times of public health emergencies, send information on recalls of medications or medical devices, and inform them of any other urgent updates they’ll benefit from receiving. 

AI-enabled audience segmentation allows care managers to send out timely reminders to those who are most at risk. In the case of providers and patients, it’s a win-win allowing providers to experience a decreased administrative workload and patients to experience better health outcomes. 

Staff management and coordination

The implementation of healthcare analytics can also lead to streamlined staff management and coordination. This is especially helpful as many healthcare organizations face extreme staffing shortages that threaten to disrupt workflows and lead to an even greater retention risk. 

By using data-driven insights, analytics help optimize staff management and pave the way for increased employee engagement. As an example, providers can use predictive analytics to forecast staffing needs, such as by analyzing historical patient volume fluctuation and planning sufficient staff during peak times like flu season.

Another staffing use case would be the evaluation of staff to create action plans for areas of improvement. This could be translated into refining communication of employee expectations or optimizing employee recruitment to narrow an organization’s list of candidates to those that best fit your culture. 


Healthcare analytics tackles operational, clinical, and cost hurdles. Although some organizations may be hesitant to implement analytics software, its growing market value and relevant use cases speak to its ability to simplify workflows and improve patient outcomes. If you’re curious about how analytics can transform your healthcare organization, consider watching the technology in action by researching the top vendors and watching product demonstrations.

The title of the article next to an illustrated person gesturing at charts on a board, representing the concept of nonprofit staff training.

Nonprofit Staff Training: How to Create an Effective Plan

According to an Independent Sector report, 48.5% of nonprofits increased their staff workloads to meet rising demands for services last year. Your nonprofit’s staff members have a lot on their plates. To continue making a difference, they must stay on top of fundraising initiatives, dedicate time to outreach, follow up with donors, and more.

As more community needs arise, it’s essential to equip your team with the tools, skills, and resources they need to streamline their roles and avoid burnout. One way to accomplish this is by creating a nonprofit staff training plan.

Having a deliberate training plan in place ensures that you stay on top of your staff’s learning needs and keep up with the latest best practices in the sector. Fortunately, there is a wealth of high-quality resources that you can offer to employees, from certification programs to online advice shared by nonprofit thought leaders. Let’s start by exploring exactly why staff training is so important to your nonprofit’s long-term success.

What are the benefits of nonprofit staff training?

Every member of your nonprofit’s team is a key contributor to your mission. Therefore, you need to hire and retain passionate, talented individuals who are capable of propelling you toward your goals. By investing in staff training, your organization can:

  • Attract top candidates. The world of nonprofits is fast-paced, which might seem overwhelming to newcomers. They may be concerned that they’ll be left to their own devices in their roles and forced to adapt with minimal help. Having a training plan that you can mention in job descriptions can assuage their worries and inspire more exceptional job seekers to join your nonprofit.
  • Improve employee engagement. Training your employees is an excellent way to demonstrate how much you value their contributions. As they learn and improve, they’ll feel more confident in their day-to-day responsibilities and proud of all that they accomplish for your nonprofit. The more competent they feel in their roles, the more likely they’ll be to stick around for the long term.
  • Boost operational efficiency. Your staff members need to leverage various tools and work as a team to fulfill your nonprofit’s purpose, whether they’re providing services to beneficiaries or putting together reports to inform your strategic planning efforts. Staff training can streamline their workflows, improve their efficiency, and empower them to build stronger relationships with stakeholders.
  • Increase its reputation. Developing a staff training plan demonstrates to your donors, volunteers, board of directors, and other community members that you’re committed to producing better outcomes for those you serve. This can increase your credibility and bring in more support for your cause.

Ultimately, the time and resources you devote to nonprofit staff training will shine through in the impact you make on your community. 

How do you create a nonprofit staff training plan?

The specifics of a nonprofit staff training plan will differ depending on your mission, staff members, and priorities. For instance, you might be trying to promote more matching gifts and determine that you need to educate staff members on how to speak about these opportunities with donors. Or, you might have recently adopted a new software solution that you need to familiarize your employees with.

No matter what your priorities are, you can follow these four steps to put together an effective training plan of your own:

1. Identify staff training needs and topics.

Ensure that you’re directing your resources to the right areas by sending out a survey to your staff members upfront. Ask them to share which topics of knowledge or skills they would like to focus on to improve their performance in their roles. Additionally, consider creating assessments to evaluate your employees periodically and identify any gaps you need to address.

Think about the training needs of both your frontline staff members and managers. After all, your managers can significantly influence the productivity, motivation, and collaboration of your employees. To prepare them for managing effective teams, you may enroll them in a nonprofit management training program that covers best practices related to time management, communication, and delegation.

2. Promote staff training opportunities.

Use the insights you gather from your staff input and evaluations to provide a framework for the training resources you’ll offer. Then, promote several types of opportunities that appeal to a variety of learning preferences. Some employees may enjoy engaging with their peers in live, instructor-led classes while others may feel more comfortable with learning at their own pace.

Some popular staff training options include:

  • Cohort-based classes. Enrolling your staff in online, cohort-based learning can boost their engagement and strengthen their bonds with team members. These classes are a wonderful way to learn from the expertise of a dedicated instructor and the knowledge of other peers in the sector in a structured format.
  • Mentorships. Nurture a culture of learning at your nonprofit by creating a mentorship program. Pair newer hires with more experienced staff members so they can quickly develop the skills and best practices they need to thrive in their roles. Plus, these programs also help mentors refresh their knowledge and feel more confident in their leadership abilities.
  • Conferences. Nonprofit conferences are ideal opportunities for convening with other professionals across the sector and sharing ideas on how you can better fulfill your missions in the current landscape. With topics ranging from fundraising to leadership, there’s bound to be an event that suits your staff’s training needs.
  • Asynchronous courses. For employees who prefer a more flexible learning schedule, direct them to online courses that they can work through at their own speed. These courses are cost-effective and cover topics such as matching gifts and cybersecurity through educational videos, quizzes, and other activities. However, it may be more challenging for staff members to feel engaged when approaching training on their own.

Include a mixture of in-person and virtual training options to appeal to more of your employees’ needs and make it easy for them to participate.

3. Reach out to experts as needed.

If you’ve identified specific areas of your nonprofit’s operations in which your staff members need more in-depth, specialized training, consider approaching an expert for guidance. According to Laridae’s nonprofit consultants rundown, there are many professionals are committed to supporting nonprofits in a wide range of ways, including:

Numerous ways a nonprofit consultant can provide expertise and support your nonprofit staff training plan.
  • Strategic planning
  • Communications
  • Governance
  • Human resources (HR)
  • Fundraising
  • Equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI)
  • Finance
  • Legal Support

Depending on their specialty, a nonprofit consultant can help your organization improve its training program or provide one-on-one coaching for individual contributors, such as your managers.

4. Recognize staff learning accomplishments.

While creating a thoughtful training plan is an important start, you can maximize staff participation and engagement by coming up with ways to recognize them for their learning accomplishments. eCardWidget’s employee recognition guide highlights the importance of acknowledging your staff members by pointing out that 92% of employees are likely to repeat a specific action if they’re recognized for it.

For example, when staff members complete a course or program, you could:

  • Send congratulatory eCards.
  • Post social media shout-outs.
  • Host a celebration event.
  • Present small gifts of branded merchandise.

Just as your nonprofit thanks its donors and volunteers for the role they play in your success, don’t forget to make your employees feel appreciated for the efforts they invest into fulfilling your mission.


As you implement your staff training plan, continue to collect feedback from your employees and conduct follow-up evaluations to identify ways you can improve moving forward. For example, you might determine that you need to share more podcasts if many of your staff members indicate that they prefer taking in information auditorily. By tailoring your training to your staff’s needs, you’ll ensure that they’ll get the most out of the resources you provide.

In this guide, we’ll explore five content strategies for nonprofits.

Storytelling for Change: 5 Content Strategies for Nonprofits

In a world filled with endless information and constant distractions, nonprofits face an uphill battle when it comes to capturing the attention of their supporters. Yet, there exists a time-tested and transformative tool that can cut through the noise: storytelling.

We believe that every nonprofit has an incredible story to tell, and we are here to help you bring that story to life. Whether you’re working to alleviate poverty, protect the environment, promote education, or champion another noble cause, these insights will help you craft stories that inspire meaningful change.

1. Personalize Outreach

According to Double the Donation, personalizing outreach helps you appeal to your supporters’ specific interests and preferences. This, in turn, enables you to build long-term relationships and secure financial support.

Take these steps to ensure that your stories appeal to each reader:

  • Segment your audience. Start by dividing your donor and supporter list into segments based on relevant criteria, such as giving history, engagement level, demographics, interests, or location. For example, you might create segments for first-time donors, long-time supporters, volunteers, and individuals who have shown a particular interest in a specific program or cause within your organization.
  • Craft personalized messages. After segmenting your audience, create tailored messages and content for each group. For instance, a first-time donor may receive an introductory letter that defines your mission and explains how they can get involved, while a long-time donor may receive regular updates on the impact of their gifts and recognition for their support.

It’s also important to pay attention to the timing of your outreach efforts. Consider when your audience is most receptive to communications. This might vary for different segments, so it’s essential to schedule your messages accordingly.

2. Create a Compelling Narrative Arc

Stories with a beginning, middle, and end have a natural narrative flow that helps maintain the audience’s interest. Let’s say your nonprofit’s mission is to end food insecurity and is hosting a virtual fundraising campaign to raise donations. Here are a few steps that you can take to build a narrative arc:

  • Start with a relatable problem or challenge. Grab the reader’s attention with a compelling lead like: “Have you ever gone to bed hungry or had to worry about where your next meal will come from? For 23% of our neighbors, this is a daily reality.”
  • Build tension by highlighting the stakes. Highlight the effects that malnutrition has on a person’s mental and physical health. For example, if left untreated, food insecurity can lead to malnutrition, chronic illness, and developmental issues. It can also perpetuate a cycle of poverty that hinders a person’s ability to achieve economic stability.
  • Introduce your nonprofit’s role as the solution. After creating a sense of urgency, position your nonprofit as the solution to the problem. Explain how your organization is actively working to alleviate food insecurity through food distribution programs and community gardens.
  • Conclude with a resolution or call to action. Use strong, actionable language to ask your audience to donate to provide meals for those in need. For example, you might end the appeal by saying, “Join us in the fight against hunger – your contribution can make a real difference in the lives of those struggling with food insecurity. Donate Now.”

For the best results, keep your narrative arcs concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or tangential information that may detract from the central message.

3. Showcase Success Stories

People are more likely to support a nonprofit when they see that its activities are effective. To build your case for support, share success stories that demonstrate the tangible results of your work, making sure to:

  • Be specific. Instead of vague statements like “we made a difference,” provide details and concrete numbers about the lives or communities you’ve impacted. For example, if you provide education to underprivileged families, you might mention how many children graduated or gained access to higher education as a result of your programs.
  • Feature personal testimonials. Share testimonials from beneficiaries, volunteers, donors, or staff members who have witnessed the positive outcomes firsthand. Personal narratives add authenticity and emotional depth to your success stories. Include direct quotes that express the emotions and gratitude of those involved.

Add context by sharing the journey that led to your successes. Explain the challenges faced, the strategies employed, and the dedication of your team or volunteers. This helps your audience understand your process and appreciate the effort behind the achievement.

4. Use Visual Content

According to Getting Attention’s guide to digital marketing, 91% of individuals prefer visual content to written content. Use visual elements to break up large blocks of text and make your stories more engaging and digestible.

Here are three types of visual media to use in storytelling:

  • Photos: High-quality photographs can capture the essence of your nonprofit’s work and the people it serves. Use them to illustrate “before-and-after” transformations, document events, showcase your programs in action, and highlight the challenges faced by the communities you serve.
  • Videos: Video content is highly engaging and provides a dynamic format for your stories. Consider filming short documentaries about your mission, testimonials from beneficiaries, and interviews with your team members. These can be shared on your website, social media platforms, in email newsletters, and during fundraising events.
  • Infographics: Infographics are effective for presenting statistical information in a clear and visually appealing manner. Use graphs, charts, and other graphic designs to illustrate key metrics, success rates, and other quantitative data.

Ensure that all visuals feature your nonprofit’s branding, including its logo, color scheme, and typography. Doing so will not only foster brand recognition but also build credibility, making it more likely that supporters engage with your nonprofit’s programs.

5. Take a Multichannel Approach to Outreach

If you want to share your stories with as many potential supporters as possible, take a multichannel approach to marketing. This refers to the process of disseminating a similar message across several communication channels—both online and offline.

Popular platforms for multichannel marketing include:

  • Social media: Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn provide a dynamic and widespread audience for sharing stories, photos, videos, and updates. Use relevant hashtags and engage with your followers to amplify your reach.
  • Email: Sending out regular newsletters or email updates allows for more in-depth storytelling and the opportunity to deepen your connection with supporters. Make your subject lines eye-catching to improve open rates.
  • Website: Your nonprofit’s website serves as a central hub for your stories. Create a dedicated blog section where you can regularly publish in-depth narratives, success stories, and reports. Additionally, consider leveraging Google Grant funding to drive traffic to your website. This program provides eligible nonprofits with free advertising dollars on Google, helping you reach a wider audience and direct them to your content.
  • Direct mail: Despite the rising popularity of digital marketing, direct mail is still an effective way to share your nonprofit’s stories, especially with older or offline audiences. Format your messages into flyers, letters, or postcards and deliver them directly to your supporters.

Remember that a consistent message is key to multichannel marketing. When your core message is the same across various channels, it’s easier for your audience to understand and remember it.


As the landscape of nonprofit work and communication continues to evolve, so should your storytelling methods. Be open to new platforms, technologies, and approaches and your content will succeed as a result.

Feature image for blog post on how to avoid perfectionism paralysis in capital campaigns

How to Avoid Perfectionism Paralysis in Capital Campaigns

If your capital campaign is going to be successful, you will need generous contributions from your very top projects.

In fact, according to recent research by Capital Campaign Pro, most campaigns raise more than half their goal (71%, on average!) from fewer than 20 donors. So how you approach those 20 donors matters a great deal.

And if you’re like many people, you may fall into the “We had better be perfect” trap. It’s a natural mistake. Because those top donors are so important, and you worry that you might not get more than one opportunity to ask them for a big gift, it’s got to be right!

As a result, you may be tempted to put off those big donor visits until all of your plans and your materials are buttoned down and look super professional.

In fact, you might feel paralyzed by your commitment to perfection and put off those big donor visits far longer than you should.

Here’s the truth, though. The drive to be perfect before you talk to your big donors, while understandable, is actually the wrong approach. Not only will it delay your campaign, it’s likely to diminish the chances of your success.

Why?

Because the essence of getting those large gifts isn’t buttoning down every detail. The essence is quite the opposite. Your task isn’t to make a perfect presentation, it’s to involve those large donors early and often in the planning of your project long before you make your pitch and ask for a gift.

Here are three things you can do to make sure you don’t fall into the perfectionism trap with your next capital campaign.

List of ways to avoid perfectionism paralysis in your next capital campaign, all of which are covered below

1. Mark planning documents as drafts.

Alternatively, get in the habit of using the phrase “preliminary plan.” Make sure to date each version of every draft. You will likely go through several drafts that will shift, change, and improve with each version. Without dating the versions and renaming and dating subsequent documents like your case for support or gift range chart, you won’t be able to keep track of which is an earlier version and which one is current.

2. Share draft versions with your most important prospects early on in the planning process.

Don’t wait until your plans are finalized. Think about it this way: If you don’t approach that local politician or business owner until everything is buttoned down and perfect, then all you have to talk to them about is money.

But if you share your plans while they are still in the formative stage, you can have far more probing and exploratory conversations with them. Those conversations will help you benefit from their ideas and give you insights into their interests and philanthropic motivations.

3. Know that it’s easier and less stressful to talk with donors before you’ve perfected your plans.

The more time and energy you’ve put into making everything perfect, the more likely you’ll find yourself selling and then defending your plans rather than discussing them.


It turns out that not only does trying to be perfect often slow you down, but it’s actually a less powerful approach to engaging your donors. And it is well-documented that engaged donors give more and give more generously.

So, don’t fall into the perfectionism trap. Train yourself to share your plans before they are fully formed and enjoy the benefits of getting wisdom and advice from the people who can help you most.