The title of the article, “A Guide to Children’s Ministry Volunteer Training Programs.”

A Guide to Children’s Ministry Volunteer Training Programs

As a children’s ministry leader, you know that volunteers are the backbone of your program’s environment. They lead fun activities, build relationships with the kids, and ultimately take charge of the hands-on tasks needed to run your ministry.

But it isn’t simply enough to recruit volunteers and thank them when their work is done; it’s your responsibility to equip them for this essential role with the training and resources they need to excel.

A dedicated volunteer training program supports the spiritual growth of the kids in your ministry and the volunteers who serve them. In this guide, we’ll explore the importance of volunteer training and how to start an effective program for your volunteer team.

Importance of a Training Program for Volunteers

It’s no mystery that volunteers need some background information before they start serving your children’s ministry. For instance, what roles will volunteers fill? What teaching materials can they use, and how should they answer kids’ questions about the content?

While it may seem like these questions could be answered in a quick orientation session or a new volunteer handbook, a dedicated training program offers consistent and comprehensive instruction for all volunteers. As a result, your volunteer team will gain:

  • Coaching: As Wonder Ink explains, your children’s church curriculum should offer user-friendly tools to prepare volunteers for upcoming lessons. A training program standardizes coaching for logistics such as this, including how to use teaching tools.
  • Community: Training alongside other volunteers and under the guidance of your ministry’s leaders will cultivate a supportive culture. Plus, volunteers will gain more from the experience when they find community in your ministry.
  • Confidence: In a structured program, volunteers can learn to exercise authority and become more comfortable in their roles. This will give them the confidence needed to handle any situation that comes their way.

Plus, a dedicated program provides fundamental training that applies to various ministry activities. Whether you’re kicking off vacation Bible school or hosting a fundraiser, volunteers will be prepared to work with the kids in your program and represent your children’s ministry well.

How to Start a Children’s Ministry Volunteer Training Program

Follow these steps to create a solid volunteer training program for your children’s ministry.

1. Develop a training plan.

First and foremost, you’ll need to define your training program’s goals. What is most important for your volunteers to learn, and how will you teach them?

Here are some key elements your training plan should include:

  • Details about the curriculum: Familiarize volunteers with your curriculum’s scope to ensure they understand the core values being taught and the schedule your teaching will follow.
  • Volunteer responsibilities: Your training program will center on volunteers’ specific responsibilities. Identify your ministry’s expectations for these roles and plan to provide tips on how to meet these expectations.
  • Your ministry’s mission: Ensure volunteers align with your ministry’s overall mission by discussing your vision, statement of belief, and any other key background information. If your ministry has a website, you can use your About page as a guide for choosing the most important information to highlight.

Once you’ve determined which objectives are top priorities for your training program, break it down into structured modules covering essential topics. For example, you may plan for one training day to cover the curriculum’s basics, while a few days are needed to explain age-appropriate teaching methods.

2. Recruit experienced trainers.

Next, select experienced individuals in your church or ministry to train incoming volunteers. These could include individuals with lengthy experience volunteering for your ministry or leaders who understand your ministry’s needs.

Also, consider recruiting trainers who specialize in different aspects of your ministry. For example, one trainer may have been involved in choosing your curriculum. This individual would be best equipped to help volunteers navigate the curriculum and its features, while another trainer with counseling experience might be able to teach conflict resolution.

3. Host a new volunteer orientation day.

Once you’ve created a team of experienced trainers, it’s time to start the training process! Host an orientation session that covers the top priorities you defined in your training plan, including your ministry’s mission, curriculum’s scope, and specific volunteer responsibilities.

To guarantee a positive experience and encourage volunteers to come back, eCardWidget recommends following up after the orientation session with a library of training resources, such as:

  • Mentoring
  • Roleplaying activities
  • Interactive quizzes
  • Q&A sessions

Remember to make these resources accessible to volunteers throughout their time serving your ministry in case they forget anything that was discussed in training. For example, periodic Q&A sessions can help refresh volunteers’ memories of teaching techniques they should employ.

4. Evaluate and improve the program.

Your training program shouldn’t end once volunteers start their roles in your ministry. In fact, you can take significant strides toward an improved training program after volunteer training is complete!

Gather feedback to evaluate what your training program did well and where it could improve. As you collect this data, you’ll be able to make adjustments to your training program accordingly. You can encourage volunteers to provide their feedback through:

  • Surveys
  • One-on-one discussions with trainers
  • Group meetings

For example, did volunteers feel adequately prepared to teach the lessons from your curriculum? Did their values align with the lessons they taught? You may need to adjust your training program to better prepare volunteers for your curriculum’s content. Or, perhaps you need to search for a children’s Bible curriculum that more fully reflects the theological values of your ministry.

Make adjustments according to your volunteers’ feedback to encourage them to continue volunteering and improve the experience for future volunteers.

A dedicated training program is necessary to set your children’s ministry volunteers up for success. It’s the key to going beyond simply recruiting volunteers and assigning tasks—a training program allows you to cultivate relationships with like-minded believers who will have a significant impact on the kids in your ministry. Take the time to develop a program that will equip them for this role and encourage them to stay connected with your ministry in the long run.

The title of the post, “How to Streamline Hiring with Artificial Intelligence”

How to Streamline Hiring with Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is everywhere these days—and for good reason. Many believe it to be the future of all technology-based operations and activities. 

For nonprofits, this is great news. Many such organizations struggle with managing workflow and allocating resources efficiently, especially when it comes to recruiting new talent (which is already an overshadowed area of nonprofit management). 

Leveraged correctly, however, hiring software with AI-powered features can change your hiring process for the better. In this guide, we’ll review different ways to integrate AI into your workflows so you can secure the right talent to achieve your mission. 

1. Automate routine tasks.

Perhaps the greatest use of AI for nonprofits is to streamline or eliminate mundane tasks entirely. According to Jobvite, here are some areas of hiring that AI can take care of:

  • Candidate communication. Individually notifying each applicant that their application was submitted successfully, they advanced to the next phase, or you made a hiring decision can be cumbersome. However, AI can send out messages when certain conditions are met or triggered so nothing ever slips through the cracks.
  • Interview scheduling. Between your programs and your applicants’ busy schedules, it can be challenging to find a mutually beneficial time for you both to meet. However, AI can instantly find the best open slots for both applicants and your hiring team—simply ask your applicants to provide their availability and it’ll fill in the gaps.
  • Manage candidate profiles. AI can quickly and easily organize important candidate data, such as demographics and certifications, into digital profiles in your database. This way, you can easily access the information you need without manually creating and updating each profile.

These are just a few of the possible ways AI can help your organization advance your hiring process. To learn even more about functionalities for specific software solutions, schedule demos, reach out to product experts, and read unbiased third-party reviews.

2. Enhance resume screening.

A foundational part of the hiring process is reviewing each candidate’s resume. This helps you make educated decisions about who might be a good fit and who likely isn’t. However, poring over resumes, while important, can be time-consuming and inaccurate—but AI can streamline and improve the process. It can do this by:

  • Blocking hiring bias. Companies are increasingly prioritizing hiring people of diverse backgrounds to improve innovation and unlock new perspectives. However, identifying factors can trigger hiring professionals’ implicit biases and prevent diverse hiring decisions. AI can remove these identifying factors for you so your team is presented with what matters most: a candidate’s skills, experiences, and ideas.
  • Creating talent pools. Your hiring team might be faced with a tough decision to let a qualified candidate go because they aren’t the right fit for your needs at this time. However, AI can help you maintain that connection in case they become a better fit down the line with talent pools. These are databases of candidates that you can filter by qualifications, experience, and other categories—and when the time comes, AI can pinpoint the best people to engage with. 
  • Eliminating unqualified candidates. If there are any must-have qualifications for your role posting, AI can identify exactly which candidates can be in the running. For instance, let’s say you’re a nonprofit professional looking for a new fundraising coordinator with at least five years of experience. AI can comb through all resumes provided and present you with only the most qualified options.

For resume screening to function at its full potential, you’ll need to ensure your AI-powered software is fed the right data. NXUnite suggests incorporating various data hygiene standards into your workflow, such as standardizing data entry and disregarding irrelevant data that can bog down your software.

3. Matching candidates.

A challenge talent acquisition specialists might face is ensuring candidates are the best match for certain roles. After all, matching the right applicants with the right roles is key for reducing turnover rates and the cost of hiring. 

AI can help by providing razor-sharp insights about who would be best suited for each open role based on qualitative and quantitative data. If you have multiple roles open, AI can suggest moving candidates to different talent pools that are more relevant to their traits. Let’s look at a hypothetical example from the perspective of a nonprofit hiring professional:

  • The hypothetical nonprofit is looking for a new fundraising manager with at least five years of experience in the nonprofit world and two years of experience fundraising.
  • Down the line, the nonprofit wants to hire an in-house marketing coordinator for its fundraising initiatives.
  • An applicant with a degree in marketing applies for the fundraising role. Their experience is tangentially related to fundraising via creating fundraising campaign marketing materials.
  • AI reads this candidate’s resume and automatically determines that they’d be a better fit for the marketing role, not the fundraising role. 

It’s important to remember that this process still requires human oversight in case there are further nuances to your hiring approach that AI doesn’t know. However, AI can at least provide suggestions for which people to move to different talent pools.

4. Scoring candidates at the end of the process

Remember, talent acquisition is never black and white—rather, it’s a strategic process that requires long-term planning and relationship building. However, using an objective scoring system at the end of your hiring process can give you quantitative data to rely on. You might include the following qualifications in your scoring rubric:

  • Does the candidate have certain qualifications?
  • Does the candidate have the relevant type and extent of experience?
  • Has the candidate performed well in interviews?
  • Does the candidate have any recommendations from respected industry professionals?
  • Does this candidate mesh well with other employees, and do we expect them to contribute to our employee engagement initiatives?

AI can help come up with the credentials and score candidates accordingly. All you need to do is configure your hiring software appropriately, work with your team to pinpoint the most relevant criteria, and stay on top of updating the information. 

Paying attention to these essentials early in the hiring cycle helps you find the best candidates for your organization, improving long-term employee retention in stride. Ensure that you’re keeping tabs on AI advancements throughout this process—there are new updates to consider every day.

The article’s title beside an illustration of people with gift presents.

Answering 4 FAQs About Starting a Workplace Giving Program

You’ve likely heard about workplace giving and its potential to transform your company’s reputation, culture, and employee engagement for the better. By becoming an industry leader in corporate social responsibility (CSR), you can stand out from competitors and enact lasting change in your community.

However, launching a successful workplace giving program requires thoughtful planning and implementation. After all, you need to ensure that your employees are aware of the opportunities you create and consider how you’ll maintain transparency when reporting your social impact.

If your company is looking to join the ranks of other mission-driven businesses by starting a workplace giving program, explore these frequently asked questions to establish a strong foundation for success.

1. Why should companies start a workplace giving program?

Your business already has many priorities to focus on, from managing customer relationships to meeting project deadlines. While implementing a workplace giving program requires some initial investment, the benefits you reap will be well worth the effort. According to Uncommon Giving’s workplace giving guide, many companies experience:

The benefits of starting a workplace giving program, as explained in more detail below.
  • Improved talent acquisition. 81% of employees believe that it’s important to work for a company that integrates CSR into its business practices. Providing workplace giving opportunities can help your business catch the attention of talented job seekers who want to make a difference in the world.
  • Higher employee engagement. Of the 51% of companies that measure the connection, 96% find that employees who volunteer are more engaged than those who don’t. A workplace giving program makes it easy for your employees to find a sense of purpose, belonging, and connection in their day-to-day responsibilities.
  • Better employee retention. Companies see a 52% lower turnover rate among newer employees who participate in corporate philanthropy programs. When employees can make an impact through your business, they’re more likely to feel fulfilled in their roles. Plus, social opportunities such as team volunteering events allow them to develop closer friendships with their colleagues.
  • Enhanced brand reputation. 76% of companies use CSR reports to boost their reputation. Beyond producing stellar products and services, many consumers expect your business to act as a force for social good within its community. A workplace giving program demonstrates that you’re committed to more than just earning high profits.

Any business, regardless of its size or resources, can set up a workplace giving program tailored to its needs, goals, and employee preferences. You don’t need to go all out to begin tapping into the benefits of your improved CSR—start with a low-lift, reasonable approach and expand gradually from there.

2. What are common types of workplace giving?

Depending on your company’s priorities and resources, there are several types of workplace giving that you can include in your program. The most common ones are:

  • Matching gifts. Your company can match the donations that employees make to nonprofits, typically at a 1:1 ratio. Through matching gifts, employees have the opportunity to double or even triple the impact of their donations.
  • Volunteer grants. When an employee volunteers regularly with a nonprofit, they can submit a volunteer grant request to your company after contributing a minimum number of hours. Then, your company will donate to that organization, with the amount depending on the hours served.
  • Corporate volunteering. Your company can encourage employees to provide pro bono skills and services to nonprofits by hosting team-wide volunteering events throughout the year. Additionally, you can promote upcoming volunteer opportunities with local nonprofits through your internal channels.
  • Payroll deductions. Some employees are looking for an easy and consistent way to support the charitable causes they care about. Through payroll deductions, they can automatically deduct a portion of their paycheck to donate to nonprofits.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with your workplace giving campaigns to find the ones that appeal most to your employees. For example, Double the Donation shares several engaging ideas to get you inspired, such as auctions, nonprofit sponsorships, and back-to-school drives. To manage it all, simply look for a workplace giving platform that can handle a variety of initiatives all in one place.

3. What should you look for in workplace giving software?

As with any nonprofit software, when building out your CSR technology toolkit, it’s important to first conduct thorough research into your options. Doing so ensures that you find a platform that fits your specific budget and needs.

The top workplace giving solutions should:

  • Be user-friendly and come with extensive support resources.
  • Allow you to make grants to nonprofits.
  • Automate the matching gift process.
  • Streamline volunteer grant requests and processing.
  • Facilitate planning and hosting volunteering events.
  • Integrate with your payroll system to facilitate automatic deductions.
  • Provide real-time reporting dashboards on social impact and employee participation.

Explore workplace giving platform product pages and read their reviews to compile a list of top choices for your business. You can even reach out to connections at other companies in your industry to ask if they have any recommendations. Then, request demos to get a firsthand understanding of how each platform works and make your final decision.

4. How can you encourage participation in workplace giving?

Ultimately, the success of your workplace giving program depends on the participation of your employees. Use the following tips to maximize engagement and make it easy for employees to get involved:

  • Promote your workplace giving program. Take the time to inform employees about all the workplace giving opportunities they can participate in. When you first launch your program, send out a company-wide announcement, incorporate it into your onboarding materials, and organize Q&A sessions for employees who want to learn more. Then, share updates through internal channels and social media.
  • Set broader criteria for participation. Some companies only allow full-time employees to take part in workplace giving. To power more impact, however, you can consider extending participation to their spouses and part-time employees. Additionally, you could set a low minimum gift match amount or volunteer hour requirement to encourage more people to engage with matching gifts or volunteer grants.
  • Recognize employees for their workplace giving participation. Recognition is a highly effective way to reinforce your company’s values and make employees feel acknowledged for their efforts. Express your appreciation when employees join your workplace giving initiatives by sending personalized eCards, shouting them out on social media, or hosting a celebration event for everyone to enjoy.

With your workplace giving software, you should be able to generate real-time reports on impact, employee participation, fundraising progress, and volunteer hours contributed. As you test out new strategies to encourage engagement in your workplace giving program, use this data to evaluate your success.

Launching a workplace giving program is a pivotal step toward improving your CSR and establishing your company as a powerful champion of social good within your community. To design opportunities and criteria that align with your purpose and employee values, send out regular surveys to collect their direct feedback. Use their responses to identify ways you can improve your program and amplify your impact in the long run.

The title of the article next to two people with question thought bubbles above them.

15 Questions to Ask to Strengthen Your Donor Stewardship

Acquiring donors can be an uphill battle. It takes a lot of work to identify prospects, learn more about them, introduce them to your organization, and ultimately make the ask. However, once you’ve acquired a donor, keeping them around is a whole separate challenge.

To build a sustainable base of support for your organization, you have to focus not only on gaining new donors but also on retaining existing supporters and building strong relationships with them.

One of the best ways to do so is through proper donor stewardship. In this guide, we’ll help you retain your supporters by introducing you to the concept of donor stewardship, how you can practice it, and specific questions you can ask your donors to dig deeper into their preferences and create a well-informed stewardship plan.

What is donor stewardship?

Donor stewardship refers to the process of building lasting relationships with donors after they contribute to your nonprofit.

No donor wants to feel like their relationship with your organization is purely transactional. By prioritizing donor stewardship, you can get to know your donors, provide them with relevant engagement opportunities, and create a community of advocates for your cause.

While your donors receive a more personalized, engaging experience, your nonprofit increases the chances that these individuals will continue contributing to your organization, setting you up for long-term success.

How does donor stewardship relate to donor retention?

Donor retention measures how many donors continue giving to your organization after their initial gift. You can calculate your donor retention rate by dividing the number of donors who gave again this year by the number of donors who contributed last year.

The average one-year retention rate for 2023 was 44%, meaning that over half of donors who contributed in 2022 didn’t contribute again in 2023. Many organizations struggle to keep donors returning and put abundant time, energy, and resources toward donor acquisition.

When you focus on donor stewardship, you can retain donors, saving your nonprofit the costs of donor acquisition. A dedicated donor stewardship plan helps you stay in contact with donors, update them on your work, and show your appreciation to retain their support.

How can my nonprofit practice donor stewardship?

The best way to practice donor stewardship is to develop a comprehensive strategy or plan. To ensure your plan covers all your bases, follow these steps:

  • Develop a stewardship team. To kick off your stewardship efforts, assemble team members who can drive your strategy forward. This team may consist of people like your director of donor relations, major gifts officer, board members, and volunteers.
  • Create a communication cadence. Determine how you’ll move donors through the stewardship process with an underlying communication cadence. Your first communications with donors should give them background information about your organization whereas subsequent messages should aim to deepen your relationship with them.
  • Segment your donors. To target your donors more effectively, segment them into relevant groups once you get to know them better. Bloomerang’s donor management software guide recommends creating donor profiles within your database and organizing them into segments, such as ones for first-time donors and monthly contributors.
  • Demonstrate donors’ impact. Donors want to know that you’re using their gifts as you intended. Assure them that their contributions are being put to good use and making an impact. For example, if you run an in-kind donation drive to collect school supplies for underfunded schools, send an update about how many students now have the items they need to succeed.

One of the most practical ways to steward donors is to ask them for their feedback. When you show donors that you’re open to hearing and implementing their suggestions, they’re more likely to feel appreciated and stick around. Read on for some questions you may ask your donors to steward them properly, organized into relevant categories.

Questions to Ask to Strengthen Your Donor Stewardship

Use the questions below in email surveys, phone calls, in-person check-in meetings, or any other instances in which you’re directly interacting with donors.

Communication Preferences

One of the keys to donor stewardship is communicating with donors on their own terms. To personalize your donor communications, ask them the following questions:

  • How do you prefer to hear from us? Communicate with donors through their preferred channels, such as email, direct mail, text messages, or calls, to increase the chances they’ll see your messages.
  • How often would you like to hear from us? Donors may prefer to hear from your nonprofit weekly, monthly, quarterly, or annually.
  • Are there any areas of our work you’d like to learn more about? For example, United Way may ask its supporters whether they’d like to explore the organization’s education, economic mobility, or health efforts.
  • What content are you most interested in? Some donors may want to receive educational blog posts, beneficiary success stories, or cause-related news in their inboxes.

Giving Preferences

Help donors contribute to your organization in the ways they prefer by asking them:

  • How do you prefer to make donations? Maximize donations by offering as many giving methods as possible, such as online, in-person, direct mail, and text-to-give.
  • How often do you prefer to make donations? Finding out whether donors intend to give one-time, monthly, quarterly, or annually can help you segment them accordingly.
  • Are there any specific programs or projects you’d like to support? Discover which programs or projects your donors are passionate about so you can contact them with targeted appeals.
  • Are you interested in learning about different ways to give? For instance, you may ask donors if they’re interested in participating in matching gifts. If your supporters work for matching gift-eligible companies, you can seize the opportunity to connect with these businesses and form mutually beneficial partnerships.

Engagement

Keeping donors engaged ensures they’ll continue supporting your nonprofit. Use these engagement-related questions in your next donor stewardship survey:

  • Are there any engagement opportunities you’d be interested in beyond donating? Show donors that you appreciate all forms of support, including volunteering, attending events, and participating in advocacy work.
  • If you’ve attended any of our events, what was your experience like? You may also ask more event-specific questions, such as how attendees felt about your latest auction items or the venue for your annual gala.
  • What types of events are you most likely to attend in the future? Ask donors whether they’re most interested in galas, auctions, walkathons, 5Ks, and more, and store these insights in your event management software for future reference.
  • Do you have any feedback on past volunteer experiences you’ve had with our nonprofit? Use donors’ feedback to improve your volunteer program.

Personal Connection

Build a deeper relationship with donors by exploring their personal connections to your cause:

  • What does our cause mean to you? Learn why donors support your cause so you can get to know them better and send them more heartfelt communications.
  • Do you have a particular story that illustrates your connection to our mission? Storytelling is a powerful way to connect with your donors and show prospective supporters what your organization is about. Qgiv recommends incorporating stories into your donation page to motivate donors to give. With donors’ permission, you can share their stories for greater authenticity.
  • Is there a specific area or aspect of our work that resonates with you? For instance, a donor who supports a local children’s hospital may note that they’re particularly interested in childhood cancer research after losing a child to leukemia.

Building strong relationships with donors through stewardship hinges on centering the donor experience and incorporating their input. Store any valuable insights you gain in your constituent relationship management (CRM) system to drive your future fundraising, marketing, and engagement efforts. Additionally, remember to thank donors for their input, and consider offering a gift or other incentive for their time.

The title of this content on the left side of a graphic depicting two nonprofit employees managing their store’s inventory.

4 Tips for Managing Your Nonprofit Store’s Inventory

Although stores are generally associated with businesses and corporations rather than nonprofits, various mission-driven organizations run stores to generate sustainable funding. Just think of the gift shops in art museums or bookstores run by schools or colleges.

However, running a nonprofit store presents unique obstacles that your organization may not have experience handling. Key among them is inventory management. Much like with product fundraisers, it’s crucial to keep the items you’re selling well-stocked to meet customer demands.

If you’re feeling out of your depth, don’t worry — this guide will cover four tips for managing your store’s inventory. Let’s get started!

1. Set up an inventory organization system.

When you’re first starting your store, most or all of your inventory may be on the floor. In that case, it’s less about storage and more about creating visually appealing displays that draw customers in and entice them to make a purchase. Once your store grows and begins to store more inventory, that’s when it becomes complex.

Effective inventory management begins with an organized storage system. Start by purchasing physical storage solutions for your backrooms, including:

  • Shelving units
  • Storage cabinets
  • Storage bins
  • Wire shelving

Additionally, purchase a label maker and label your storage systems accordingly. This will help you locate items in the future, making restocking more efficient. Since you’ll be selling and acquiring inventory constantly, don’t be afraid to invest time into organizing your storage well. This is especially important for nonprofits that accept in-kind donations (think food pantries or thrift stores, for example), as you may acquire stock at unpredictable times.

As you continue running your nonprofit’s store, feel free to rearrange your storage until it makes the most sense for your unique needs. For example, if you have any particularly popular products or items, it might make sense to move them into a storage compartment nearer to the front of your back room. By doing so, you’ll make it easier for you and other employees to restock this particular item.

2. Monitor inventory regularly.

To ensure your store is never significantly under- or over-stocked, stay apprised of your needs by regularly monitoring your business’s inventory. We recommend implementing a dedicated inventory management method to help you stay on top of your stock levels, such as one of the following:

  • First-in first-out (FIFO). This is a common inventory management method wherein stores sell items in the order they are acquired. It’s most beneficial for stores that sell perishable goods, such as flower shops or bakeries, but it can be useful for other stores as well.
  • Just-in-time (JIT). With the JIT technique, your nonprofit will only order enough stock to meet current customer demand. This is a great technique if your store has limited storage space and can’t afford to hold excess items for long periods. However, it requires you to have a good understanding of customer needs at all times.
  • Economic order quantity (EOQ). EOQ refers to a formula companies use to calculate the ideal quantity of items they should purchase to meet customer demand while minimizing inventory costs. However, it assumes that demand and holding costs remain constant, making it an inventory management technique best suited for stores that expect steady and consistent customer behavior.
  • ABC analysis. In ABC inventory management, you’ll determine the value of your inventory based on the items’ importance, ranking items based on demand, costs, and risks. “A” items are high-value, high demand, and high cost, whereas “C” items are low-value, low demand, and low cost, with “B” items falling in the middle. Based on this system, you’ll know which items to prioritize purchasing and restocking.

Ideally, you want your store to implement the perpetual inventory tracking technique on top of the aforementioned methods. This requires inventory management software (more on this later) that provides real-time information on your inventory levels, so you always have accurate data to back up your decision to order new products.

3. Analyze inventory trends.

As some of the techniques in the previous section alluded to, another crucial aspect of inventory management is analyzing trends in your products and sales. Track key metrics such as days sales in inventory (DSI), gross margin, and inventory turnover to obtain an informed perspective of your inventory.

In particular, you want to determine your:

  • Most popular items. Stay informed about your popular items to ensure your store always stays stocked to meet demand. You may also conduct surveys and research into why these items are so attractive to help you offer similar items that will also sell well.
  • Least popular items. Similarly, knowing which items don’t sell well will help you keep your inventory moving. You can stock a smaller number of these items or even choose to discontinue them if your audience shows especially low interest.
  • High sales periods. This could refer to a time of day, day of the week, or a specific period in the month or year where sales are the highest. Knowing these periods allows you to strategically time your marketing efforts, ensuring that you offer discounts and promotions when customers are likely to buy.

After your nonprofit becomes more comfortable with analyzing this information, you may consider tracking other inventory trends for further insights. For example, you can calculate your inventory turnover ratio, track overstock incidents, assess supplier performance, and consider inventory aging and obsolescence.

4. Purchase inventory management software.

Usually, inventory management comes packaged as one of many features within larger point of sale (POS) systems. According to ThriftCart, POS systems usually have these core inventory management capabilities:

  • Real-time inventory tracking. With barcode scanning and an inventory database, nonprofits that use POS systems can track their stock levels in real time so that they always know when they’re running low on merchandise.
  • Inventory syncing for physical and online stores. A common challenge for organizations that run both brick-and-mortar and online stores is ensuring that they don’t accidentally sell products they don’t have. A robust POS system will include inventory syncing features, ensuring that you only sell items you have in stock.
  • Discounting and promotions. If you need to move products that haven’t sold, discounting and promotions are the way to do it. With this feature, you can easily mark down items that you want to sell while providing customers with an excellent buying experience.
  • Receipts. While not directly related to inventory management, receipts are important for your customers’ records. Plus, if a customer makes a donation on top of their purchase at your nonprofit’s store, eCardWidget recommends sending them a tax-compliant donation receipt within 48 hours. A POS system not only makes receipting possible but also extremely convenient.

Once you purchase software, be sure to train your staff on how to use it. Schedule an onboarding session with the software provider, asking questions about areas you need clarification. Then, put together a guidebook to ensure everyone knows how to operate the system and use it for accurate inventory management. You can also use it as a helpful resource for future team members during their onboarding.

Nonprofit fundraising takes many forms, and stores are a great way for nonprofits to generate a sustainable stream of income. With proper inventory management, you’ll ensure your store runs smoothly, raising an increased amount of funds to further your mission and aid your beneficiaries.

Feature image for our post on the role of a nonprofit CRM in personalized fundraising

The Role of a Nonprofit CRM in Personalized Fundraising

What would you say if someone were to ask you, “What goes into a successful fundraising campaign?”

Drawing on your experience as a nonprofit leader, you might talk about having clear goals, coming up with unique campaign ideas, or using storytelling best practices in your marketing materials.

While it’s true that all of these strategies are important, the groundwork for fundraising success is laid long before you ever start designing a campaign. True fundraising success stems from knowing and understanding your donors, which allows you to personalize the fundraising experience.

That’s where a robust constituent relationship management (CRM) system comes into play. In this mini guide, we’ll dig deeper into the role your CRM can play in personalized fundraising. Let’s begin.

Understanding Nonprofit CRMs

Also known as a donor database, a CRM is a software tool that helps your organization manage its relationships and interactions with its supporters, including donors, volunteers, members, and others.

Though every system has different features, typically a CRM allows you to:

  • Store and manage donor data like giving history, personal details, and contact information
  • Process donations
  • Track grants and grant applications
  • Automate and manage communications with supporters
  • Generate reports that allow you to visualize your organization’s performance
  • Manage and coordinate volunteer activities

Many CRMs can also integrate with other software tools, like your social media profiles, email marketing software, product fundraising platforms, and financial tools, allowing you to manage several aspects of your operations simultaneously.

There are several popular CRM platforms, but Blackbaud and Salesforce are particularly popular providers. Here’s a little bit about each:

  • Salesforce primarily offers CRM tools to for-profit organizations but also provides robust tools to the mission-driven space. Its primary solutions are:
    • Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), a series of packages that can be installed on the main Salesforce platform to make the tool useful for nonprofits
    • Nonprofit Cloud, Salesforce’s newest cloud-based solution for nonprofits that allows users to connect with other Salesforce Industry Clouds

Both tools are highly customizable solutions for mid-sized, large, and enterprise-sized organizations, but they take a little more know-how to get up and running with them.

Whether you choose to go with RE NXT or Nonprofit Cloud, or even turn to another software provider, depends on your needs. Take into consideration the features your organization wants and your budget as you start the shopping process.

Now that you know the basics of nonprofit CRMs, let’s explore two ways your CRM can help you create a more personal experience for the supporters you’re targeting with your fundraising campaign.

1. Managing Donor Data

Your CRM allows you to capture, store, and manage your donor data in dedicated donor profiles. Your team can then review the data and note specific trends and patterns, which can inform your fundraisers.

For instance, you might notice that your mid-level donors often increase their contributions after attending a fundraising event. You could then plan more events into your fundraising strategy and tailor them to your mid-level donors’ interests and preferences.

To ensure the data in your CRM is primed to provide useful insights like these, practice good nonprofit data hygiene. Here are a few tips for doing so:

  • Remove unnecessary information, like contact information for deceased individuals, incarcerated individuals (who cannot respond to marketing materials), minors, and individuals on do-not-call or do-not-mail lists.
  • Get rid of duplicate entries in your database.
  • Standardize how data is input into your CRM, like the formatting that addresses and dates should follow.
  • Verify phone numbers and email addresses.
  • Invest in data append services to supplement your own data-gathering efforts.

Prioritizing data hygiene is key to getting the most out of your data and the many fundraising features your CRM has to offer. As you set your standards for how data is collected, formatted, and updated, ensure you train your team so that everyone is on the same page and can help you maintain high-quality data.

2. Tailoring Donor Outreach

After you’ve studied your data to get a better understanding of your donors and their needs, preferences, and interests, you can put that information into action for your fundraising outreach efforts.

One of the best ways to do this is to practice thorough segmentation. Segmentation is the process of sorting your donors into groups based on their shared characteristics. Here are some common characteristics you can sort your donors by:

  • Age Group
  • Geographic Location
  • Giving Level
  • Donation Frequency
  • Engagement Level

Say you decide to sort your donors by geographic location. You would then use different outreach strategies for the different groups you create.

For example, you could invite donors who live in the city or state where your organization is headquartered to attend an in-person event or adjust your fundraising marketing materials to talk about how their donations will affect beneficiaries in their local area.

For donors who live out of state or even in other countries, you could promote virtual engagement opportunities and communicate the broader, long-lasting impact of their support for your global initiatives.

This way, you ensure your outreach resonates appropriately with the different groups and their needs instead of settling for a one-size-fits-all approach.

Personalize your outreach efforts further by using details from your CRM to make each message feel more catered to the individual. Even simply using a donor’s first name in a donation appeal instead of the generic “Dear Donor” can go a long way to grab their attention and enhance their opinion of your organization and its campaigns.

Having a robust CRM on your side can benefit several aspects of your nonprofit’s operations, but it can be especially useful for personalizing your fundraising efforts. Use the CRM shopping guidance and the personalization tips above to take your next campaign to new heights.

Should you need to upgrade your CRM or expand its functionality through custom integrations, don’t hesitate to reach out to a nonprofit technology consultant. These experts can help you implement the right solution for your organization’s needs.

How to procure charity auction items

From Wishlist to Winning Bids: How to Procure Auction Items

Imagine this—you’ve just kicked off your nonprofit’s exciting auction event. Bidding starts and the event rolls along. You’re busy mingling with guests, discussing your mission, and handling logistics. After the auction ends, you take a look at your fundraising results.

The numbers are disappointing, and something clearly went wrong with the event. Why?

There are all kinds of reasons why this might happen, and many of the most common have to do with the auction items up for grabs. Maybe there weren’t enough items, or the items that were available weren’t appealing enough to everyone to spur competitive bids. Maybe some lower-price items were highly appealing to large groups of donors, but your big-ticket items got little attention, causing your revenue strategy to fall apart.

Now imagine an auction that strikes the perfect balance between types, numbers, and values of items for its unique audience—this one will naturally do a better job at reaching its revenue goal.

Your auction item ideas and final catalog inherently play critical roles in your event’s success. Let’s walk through the essential steps and tips you’ll need to succeed with procurement.

Step 1: Lay out a procurement plan and timeline.

Start by laying out some guidelines for your procurement process. Collaborate with your event planning team to answer these questions:

  • When will the auction happen?
  • What is the auction’s revenue goal?
  • Does the auction have other goals related to the number or average value of bids?
  • Are we hosting a live auction, silent auction, or both?
  • What format will the auction be: in-person, virtual, or hybrid?
  • Do we have a specific target audience in mind, or is this event targeting a broad audience of our organization’s supporters?

Lay out a rough timeline for procurement, including specific deadlines for completing procurement, finalizing the catalog, and beginning to promote the items to attendees before event day. The time you’ll need might vary based on the scale of your event, but, generally speaking, you need a lot of time for effective procurement. Try to get started on this process as early as possible.

Next, recruit a procurement team. A mix of event staff, volunteers, and a board member or two will be helpful. Each individual will need to be comfortable reaching out to potential item donors, sponsors, and consignment companies, with one team member overseeing the effort to keep it on track and lead the catalog creation and pricing processes.

Step 2: Review your donor data.

Before you start brainstorming actual items to procure, it’s important to review your data. Insights about your target audience will be invaluable for guiding what can otherwise become an overwhelming or too open-ended process.

Review your nonprofit’s CRM or donor database to look more closely at your event’s target audience as a group. Note any trends or highlights related to information like:

  • Past event attendance—specifically auction events if possible
  • Average giving levels and/or lifetime value
  • Duration of relationship with your organization
  • Marital and parental status
  • Location, if hosting an in-person auction

If you’ve hosted auctions in the past, be sure to review event-specific data like:

  • Past auction performance and revenue KPIs
  • Items which received the most/least bids
  • Items which generated the most/least revenue compared to their market values
  • The donors or sponsors that provided items
  • The target audiences of past auctions

Look for connections between these points of data. Think through what they might mean for your current auction—what types of items have either a proven track record with your audience or would likely appeal to them based on their interests and budgets?

Step 3: Create an item wishlist.

Now comes the fun part! Sit down with your procurement team, review your data findings, and start brainstorming items and experiences that you think would make for a winning auction.

Don’t limit yourself too much here, but do try to identify items that span a range of price points. Most silent auctions lead with one or two big-ticket, ultra-desirable items or packages, then a spread of mid-level items, and a smaller set of more accessible items and packages to ensure that all bidders can feel involved. Live auctions typically feature 12-15 higher-quality items to drive maximum engagement from a target audience.

The goal is to create a robust list of “nice-to-have” items that you think would fit well with your audience and goals. You can put a few “must-haves” on your list, but keep in mind that during the actual procurement process, you most likely won’t be able to secure everything.

Once procurement is underway, you’ll get a better sense of how your catalog is shaping up and can direct more intense focus to specific items or price ranges as needed.

Step 4: Create an auction item procurement packet.

To prepare for the procurement process, create helpful resources for your team. Winspire’s auction item procurement guide recommends creating “item procurement packets” of go-to- resources that your team will need out in the field. These resources include:

  • Item procurement letters that clearly detail information about your nonprofit, its mission, the auction, the in-kind donation process, and tax deduction instructions.
  • In-kind donation forms to standardize the collection of donor/sponsor names, addresses, contact information, items, estimated values, descriptions, and other details. Copies of these forms can easily double as receipts or gift substantiations if needed.
  • A copy of your wishlist for team members to easily discuss other potential donations should a prospect say no to the first ask or express interest in helping further.

These resources should cover your bases for procurement team members to hit the ground running but don’t forget backend logistics, too. Create a central spreadsheet to input prospect information, associated items, and data collected from the donation forms as in-kind gifts are secured. This sheet should be accessible to everyone to avoid inadvertently double-asking a prospect or forgetting to procure “must-have” items.

Step 5: Review your donor, sponsor, and community contacts.

Take a look back at your list of previous auction item donors. Screen your nonprofit’s list of contacts—including individuals, large companies, local companies, and other nonprofits.

Review this list of prospects against your item wishlist and make some connections. Try answering these questions:

  • Which donors or organizations would likely want or be able to donate which items?
  • Do we have any close but informal relationships with companies that we could tap into? For instance, do we receive many matching gifts from a local company that hasn’t yet sponsored an event?
  • For items that we can’t easily procure all in one go (like themed baskets), would any prospects be willing to donate money for us to purchase those bundled items instead?
  • Do other nonprofits in the community (like zoos, theaters, or museums) have unique experiences or packages to offer?
  • If there are big-ticket item ideas or experiences on our wishlist that we aren’t likely to receive as donations, do auction item consignment companies offer them?

From here, you may wish to divide your prospect among different team members to take a more organized approach. If anyone has an existing personal or business connection with a prospect, make sure that they own the procurement process for that prospect.

Step 6: Stay organized as you solicit items.

Start working down your list of auction items and prospects. With their item procurement packets in hand, your team should be well-equipped, but make sure to provide some guidance for non-fundraisers and volunteers if needed.

Stay organized by asking all team members to immediately report the results of their conversations with prospects and the information from their in-kind donation forms. Your central procurement spreadsheet should be the source of truth for the process, and this info will be essential for:

  • Completing your procurement process and well-rounded catalog
  • Donation collection logistics
  • Item pricing
  • Donor stewardship and gift substantiation

Remember, when it comes to item procurement, time is your friend. Try to begin the outreach process as early as possible before your auction so that you have plenty of breathing room to contact prospects multiple times, find new prospects, or come up with alternate item ideas if needed.

Step 7: Begin the item pricing process.

As the auction items begin arriving, dedicate a member of your procurement team to get a headstart on the pricing process.

Striking the right mix of starting bids is a delicate process but extremely important for the ultimate engagement and revenue that your auction will generate.

Item pricing is complex and warrants its own in-depth explanation. To recap the fundamentals you’ll need to understand, take a look at this graphic:

A diagram that explains auction item pricing best practices, detailed in the text below

For each item, start by determining its fair market value (FMV), or what a person would reasonably expect to pay for it on the open market. For bundled items and experiences, roughly estimate and add up the FMVs of the component parts. For consignment travel packages, the vendor will likely provide pricing guidance, but most of the time, any amount you raise over the item’s list price goes back to your nonprofit.

Next, determine which items will have buy-now options. For many auctions, this option is ideal for your most valuable items to maximize earnings, but be careful not to discourage engagement by using it on too many items. It’s recommended to set these options at 150-200% of the item’s FMV so that the barrier is high enough to be profitable for your organization but not so high as to completely discourage bidding.

All items should receive a starting bid amount, which should be 30-50% of their FMVs. You can play around with this range based on each item’s rarity and desirability, aiming higher for high-competition items and a bit lower for common or lower-price items. For consignment packages, set this starting bid at 100-120% of its list price to ensure your nonprofit will generate revenue.

From here, set a minimum bid increase for each item. This should be high enough to ensure new bids are substantial, but not so high that it deflates the total number of bids the item receives. This requires careful strategy—another reason why it’s a good idea to get started on procurement early! A reliable rule of thumb is to set the minimum increase at roughly 10% of each item’s FMV.

Item procurement is certainly a high-stakes process, but it’s completely learnable. Its best practices are likely already familiar to you as an event planner or fundraiser, so lean into that experience to ensure your approach is organized and strategic. In no time, you’ll be promoting your items and preparing for your most successful auction yet. Best of luck!

The title of the article next to an illustration of two hands holding coins representing cryptocurrency

How to Empower Your Donors to Give Stocks & Cryptocurrency

The fundraising landscape is constantly changing and evolving, responding to new technologies, giving trends, and global developments. For your nonprofit to keep up and tap into the future of fundraising, you need to stay open to new opportunities. 

While much of the world’s attention is on artificial intelligence (AI), we’d like to bring your attention to another growing trend: the fundraising potential of appreciated assets. 

More and more donors want to give non-cash appreciated assets like stocks and cryptocurrency, and your nonprofit can boost its fundraising revenue by empowering them to do so. Let’s explore four steps you can take to start taking advantage of this impactful giving method.

Make it easy for them to give non-cash donations.

Donating stocks and cryptocurrency isn’t as straightforward as giving with cash or a debit card, but it doesn’t have to be difficult! You can simplify the non-cash giving process by using a tool that allows you to accept these gifts right from your online donation page, with no transaction fees required.

With an intuitive crypto or stock donation platform, donors can give non-cash gifts in just a few steps:

  1. On your donation page, the donor scans your crypto wallet QR code or clicks a button to donate stocks.
  2. The donor sends cryptocurrency to your account or inputs their stock and brokerage firm information to initiate a stock transfer.
  3. Once the transfer is complete, the platform automatically converts the non-cash gift into cash and deposits it in your nonprofit’s bank account.

Emphasize how easy this process is on both your donation page and your nonprofit’s Ways to Give page to encourage donors to consider non-cash giving. Also, add information about how much additional impact donors can make with these types of donations. For instance, take a look at how the Hoffman Institute discusses stocks and cryptocurrency on its Ways to Give page:

Screenshot of The Hoffman Institute’s Ways to Give page, which discusses cryptocurrency donations

Once you have the process set up and multiple pages on your website that promote non-cash giving, you can incorporate stock and crypto giving into all of your fundraising campaigns and easily accept non-cash gifts at any time.

Understand the benefits and potential concerns.

Next, make sure your team has a thorough understanding of both the benefits of non-cash giving and any concerns your donors may have. You’ll be able to promote these giving methods much more successfully if you can put yourself in the donor’s shoes and speak directly to their motivations, preferences, and fears.

Beyond the benefits to your nonprofit (such as earning larger donations and more sustainable funding), crypto and stock donations offer plenty of exciting benefits for your donors. These include:

  • Tax benefits: Infinite Giving’s crypto donation page explains that in addition to receiving charitable tax deductions, cryptocurrency donors don’t have to pay capital gains taxes on their gifts. While individuals normally have to pay a tax on their crypto and stocks’ appreciation, they are not required to pay it if they donate the asset.
  • Ability to give in larger amounts: If a donor’s cryptocurrency or stock appreciates in value after they buy it, they can end up donating more money to your nonprofit than they originally spent on the asset. Plus, since they bought the asset previously, the money won’t come directly out of their pocket and impact their day-to-day finances.

These are enticing benefits for donors, but be mindful that they may have concerns, too. For instance, donors might worry about their crypto gift losing value after they donate it, or they may think that the stock donation process is too lengthy to make a timely impact on your work.

If you run into these concerns, reassure donors that your organization will convert their gifts to cash immediately to preserve their value. Let them know that your non-cash giving platform streamlines the giving process for both stock and cryptocurrency donations, allowing your organization to receive donations as quickly as possible.

Launch a strategic marketing campaign.

With benefits and concerns for donors in mind, develop a multi-channel marketing campaign to promote non-cash giving. Plan to create content for all the channels your audience prefers, including email, social media, text messages, or direct mail. 

Design promotional materials that explain:

  • What cryptocurrency and stock donations are
  • The tax benefits of crypto and stock giving
  • How to donate stocks and cryptocurrency on your donation page
  • Reasons to give non-cash gifts instead of (or in addition to) traditional donations
  • How fast and secure your nonprofit’s donation process is

Vary the format of your marketing content and don’t be afraid to get creative. You might design how-to infographics, write a blog post about the impact of crypto donations, or record a video walkthrough of the non-cash giving process. 

Then, use the data in your nonprofit’s CRM to identify individual donors who may be interested in non-cash giving and send them personalized fundraising appeals. This might include mid-level and major donors, those who’ve expressed interest in non-traditional forms of giving, or supporters with high financial capacities. Consider donor demographics, too—57% of crypto owners are Millennials while only 20% are members of Gen Z.

Recognize donors who give stocks and crypto.

One of the best ways to encourage more donors to give non-cash donations is to recognize and appreciate the donors who already do. 

Public donor recognition can inspire others to learn more about non-cash giving and donate their own assets. At the same time, these efforts help you steward relationships with existing non-cash donors, boosting donor retention and encouraging them to give stocks or cryptocurrency again in the future.

Start with basic donation acknowledgment emails (which the best non-cash donation platforms can automatically send for you!), then think about additional ways to recognize those who give non-cash gifts. For instance, Kwala recommends sending gifts of branded merchandise, creating thank-you videos, or spotlighting donors in your newsletter or social media. 

When you recognize these donors publicly, whether with a social media shoutout or a page on your website, make sure to highlight their giving method and explain the gift’s impact. You might say, “Deborah donated $10,000 worth of stocks, enabling us to provide brand-new technology for our community center that serves hundreds of families in need.”

Once you have experience with non-cash fundraising and accepting stock donations, consider tapping into other opportunities like investing your organization’s reserve funds to give them the potential to grow. While the process can seem daunting, a nonprofit investing advisor can help you through every step to make your organization more financially sustainable in the long term.

The title of the article, which is “Becoming Excellent at Post-Event Follow-Up: 5 Tested Tips.”

Becoming Excellent at Post-Event Follow-Up: 5 Tested Tips

It can take six months or longer to plan a nonprofit event and market it effectively. Then, the event itself requires careful management and will inevitably face a few challenges. When it’s all said and done, an event planning team may be (understandably) ready for a break, but one final step is always needed: post-event follow-up.

Follow-up is an indispensable aspect of donor engagement for solidifying supporter relationships after they’ve attended an event. Let’s explore five tested tips for mastering follow-up and securing long-term support.

1. Segment your audience.

71% of donors feel more engaged when they receive personalized content, meaning you can use what you know about your audience to divide them into groups related to their interests and send them meaningful and unique follow-ups.

Donor segmentation is the process of dividing donors into groups based on shared characteristics, which will, in this case, depend on the type of event you host. Here are some common segments you may create relevant to event follow-up:

  • First-time attendees: A follow-up message to first-time attendees might welcome recipients to your nonprofit’s community by providing brief background information about your organization and inviting them to learn more.
  • Repeat attendees: For attendees who’ve been to your nonprofit’s events before, your follow-up communications should recognize their continued support and thank them for their commitment to your organization. 
  • High-value donors: Follow-up for high-value donors should reflect the significance of their support, highlighting the direct impact their attendance and donation made. Offer exclusive insights, such as details about upcoming projects, that aren’t widely shared with other donors.
  • Non-donors: Use your follow-up to thank non-donors for their attendance and offer various ways they can continue to support your organization. For example, perhaps they’re unable to donate monetarily but can join your volunteer team. 

To make your follow-up even more individualized, create donor recognition tiers based on levels of engagement. eCardWidget’s donor recognition guide recommends assigning different types of recognition to each tier to keep your efforts organized. For example, an attendee who donated for the first time might receive a thank you card in the mail, while one who has been deeply involved with your organization for many years may receive a thank you card and a branded t-shirt.

2. Establish a detailed follow-up schedule.

Communication frequency is essential to engagement, as your nonprofit must find the balance between keeping donors informed and avoiding donor fatigue. This balance will vary greatly depending on your event attendees. For example, we know that Millenials prefer more frequent communication than other generations, and fundraising statistics show that email is the most preferred channel by 48% of donors. 

Create a post-event follow-up schedule that details when a message should be sent and the content it should include. It might look something like this:

  • Immediate acknowledgment, 0-24 hours post-event: Prompt post-event recognition is essential for maintaining the momentum generated at your event. 
  • Feedback request, 1-3 days post-event: Give donors a chance to catch their breath after the event, but ask for their feedback while it’s fresh on their minds. Send out concise surveys that don’t require much of the attendee but are comprehensive enough to gather useful data, such as multiple choice surveys with only one or two short answer questions.
  • Impact sharing, 1-2 weeks post-event: Share the outcomes of the event, including real numbers, like the amount raised, and how those donations were used. 

Additionally, consider donor preferences such as preferred communication channels. For example, you might send a donor thank-you email immediately after the event and share the event’s impact in social media posts so that it reaches a wider audience.

3. Provide valuable content.

Vague, dull, and irrelevant content can cause nearly 75% of donors to stop giving to an organization. To keep event attendees engaged after your event ends, your follow-up must provide valuable content. 

Meaningful, authentic messages go a long way in thanking donors. Infuse your follow-up with valuable content, including:

  • A thorough event recap
  • Educational content about the cause
  • Numbers and statistics, including total revenue
  • Behind-the-scenes insights into your nonprofit’s work
  • Multimedia elements, like photos and video
  • Testimonials from beneficiaries
  • Upcoming opportunities and projects

To gather numbers-related data to share with attendees, use an event management tool with analytics and reporting features. These platforms can generate reports based on your event’s performance, making it easy for your nonprofit to share data-based insights with attendees.

4. Keep the conversation going.

Effective post-event follow-up results in committed and loyal donors who attend future events and support your organization long-term. This means sending follow-up messages that encourage donors to stay engaged and even join the conversation!

Invite attendees to share their experiences or respond to your nonprofit’s communications. This might include sharing their pictures and videos from the event on social media or commenting on your nonprofit’s posts. Social media is the top marketing tool for facilitating two-way communication since it inspires nearly one-third of donors to give and is widely regarded as highly interactive because of its commenting and sharing capabilities.

5. Plan ahead using data-backed insights.

In addition to thinking ahead about keeping donors engaged, your nonprofit must also use the follow-up period to prepare for its future campaigns. Gather data about donors’ readiness to support future initiatives, such as a capital campaign. 

This feedback can come not only from the post-event survey you send but from a variety of sources. NPOInfo recommends leveraging post-event data metrics, such as attendance records and lead generation. You can also gain insights by:

  • Monitoring social media activity
  • Hosting focus groups
  • Analyzing website traffic and interactions
  • Conducting follow-up interviews 

Gathering feedback and doing your research shows event attendees that your nonprofit values their opinions. When you implement their ideas and address their concerns, they won’t just attend future events—they’ll become committed supporters. 

Your nonprofit knows that donor recognition and appreciation are crucial aspects of follow-up for any event or campaign. Using the tips in this guide, you can take post-event follow-up a step further to convert event attendees into loyal supporters of your cause.

The title of the text next to an illustration of people putting money in a jar, representing sustainable fundraising.

Sustainable Fundraising: Strategies for Long-Term Viability

Your mission statement is the ultimate declaration of what your organization stands for and hopes to accomplish in the long run. For instance, the American Heart Association’s mission is to “be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives. As we move into the second century of our work, we are advancing health and hope for everyone, everywhere.”

This statement demonstrates that this organization is not just trying to help people fight heart disease and stroke in the present moment but is instead committed to helping people stay in better health for the long term.

When your goals are focused on the future, you need sustainable fundraising strategies that help you consistently progress toward these objectives. We’ll provide fundraising tips for how your nonprofit can achieve long-term viability.

1. Create a fundraising plan.

Before you start a fundraiser, you need a clear plan to guide you. This plan should align your entire fundraising team so everyone’s aware of your top priorities and their individual responsibilities for achieving your goals. By making your campaigns more manageable and providing a framework for future fundraising initiatives, your fundraising plan will help you achieve long-term viability.

Follow these steps to create a fundraising plan that will set you up for continued success:

  1. Identify SMART goals. Provide focus to your campaigns with both short-term and long-term objectives that follow the SMART goal framework, which stands for specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. For example, a cheerleading team may aim to raise $1500 with its three-month peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to supplement national competition fees based on its earnings of $1200 the previous year.
  2. Establish a timeline. Break down each stage of your campaign into manageable tasks with deadlines. At a minimum, include steps for planning your fundraiser, soliciting donations, and following up with donors.
  3. Develop a budget. Identify how much you expect to raise and spend on your campaign based on past fundraising data. These figures will allow you to determine your expected net revenue and better project your fundraising results.
  4. Delegate tasks. Distribute tasks needed to make your fundraiser a success to different members of your fundraising team. Responsibilities may include preparing fundraising and marketing materials, securing a venue for your fundraising event, or securing sponsors.

To ensure your plan includes all necessary information, use a dedicated fundraising plan template to keep everything organized. Once you find a template that works for your team, you can reuse it for all future fundraising initiatives to build consistency.

2. Diversify your revenue streams.

When you have multiple revenue streams, you can be more confident in your organization’s ability to reach its fundraising goals and provide for its beneficiaries, even if one funding source dries up. Examples of potential revenue streams include:

  • Individual donations, whether those come from peer-to-peer fundraising, online campaigns, product fundraisers, or regular submissions on your donation page
  • Grants from foundations, businesses, or government agencies to fund specific projects or programs
  • Corporate partnerships that result in corporate giving revenue and sponsorship opportunities
  • Events, such as walkathons, galas, and auctions
  • Earned income from merchandise sales, program fees, and membership fees

Maximize these revenue opportunities by combining them as your organization sees fit. For example, you may host your annual spring festival fundraiser where you also sell flower bulbs to earn extra funds.

3. Focus on donor retention.

According to Double the Donation’s donor retention guide, the average donor retention rate for nonprofits is 45%, meaning that the majority of donors don’t make repeat donations. The cost of acquiring donors who only give once makes it significantly more cost-effective to keep current donors around instead.

Plus, the more donors you retain, the better you’ll facilitate a community around your cause instead of a group of disparate one-time givers. Some ways you might increase donor retention include:

  • Providing multiple ways to give. Encourage donors to continue contributing to your cause by giving them a choice in the way they give. Select a payment processor that accepts a variety of payment methods, such as credit, debit, ACH check, PayPal, Apple Pay, and Venmo.
  • Offering recurring gifts. One of the easiest ways to secure steady revenue is to automate the giving process for repeat donors. When you offer recurring giving, you make it simple for those who are passionate about your cause to contribute on a monthly basis after filling out your donation form just once.
  • Showing appreciation. Thanking donors for their support goes a long way in showing them that they’re valued and entices them to continue giving back. Test a variety of donor recognition strategies, including eCards, thank-you notes, social media shoutouts, and appreciation events.

Get a sense of how successful your donor retention efforts are by asking supporters directly. Consider surveying them once a quarter to see whether they feel inclined to keep contributing to your organization, and question if there is anything else your nonprofit could do to provide them with a better experience.

4. Involve a variety of stakeholders.

When you engage a variety of stakeholders in the fundraising process, you take the pressure off your staff to facilitate all fundraising activities, making it easier to run campaigns efficiently. For instance, you may train board members and volunteers to lead donor cultivation and solicitation activities so you can better distribute your fundraising team’s work.

Reaching out to local businesses can also alleviate concerns about reaching your fundraising goals or hitting your targets in a timely manner. Many companies are willing to sponsor events, contribute in-kind donations, or promote your organization online. Look for businesses with similar values to your organization so the partnership is mutually beneficial. For example, an environmental conservation organization may work with an upcycled clothing brand.

Lastly, if your fundraiser involves kids, teach them how to fundraise on behalf of your organization. Not only can schools and student groups raise more for their causes with more helping hands, but they can also teach kids the importance of giving back. As ABC Fundraising’s fundraising ideas for kids guide states, 80% of parents who model philanthropic behavior see it reflected in their children. Set a good example for the kids in your organization, and reach your fundraising goals more quickly at the same time.

Continue supporting your beneficiaries and upholding your mission for the long haul with sustainable fundraising ideas and practices. That way, you can rest assured you’ll see a regular inflow of donations to your organization that enable you to carry out your important work for years to come.