This article discusses the purpose and importance of community software.

Community Software — Nonprofit Catalog

Spreadsheets, paper forms, and disconnected online sign-ups can make any community member shy away from filling out another registration form. Sadly, this means that many unique community events lack the right management system to realize their full potential. Without an organized management system, even the best marketing efforts are stunted by a slow registration process.

Community software resolves the problem of chaotic registration by inviting community members to sign up via innovative software. This solution is perfect for any organization looking to implement a cleaner, more centralized sign-up process. Let’s tackle some community software basics. 

What is community software?

Community software provides a painless sign-up process for individuals and families attending events and programs hosted by parks and recreation centers, aquatic centers, sports leagues, and schools. It’s a streamlined system that makes all memberships, classes, and registrations readily accessible through one account. 

This means that community members only need to fill out their information once to sign up for multiple programs. For instance, if all applicable organizations are housed within the software,  an individual could register for a recreational soccer league, art class, and fundraising 5K by only registering one time. 

Additionally, platforms like CommunityPass offer specialized features that help your organization stay consistent with the latest community updates. Customizable reports, facility management, and simplified payment processing are a few of the tools that can help your organization enhance its online platform. 

Community Software Features

When all of your organization’s registration data are stored in a centralized location, you can speed up the sign-up process while gathering new information. Here are some potential community software features to leverage: 

  • Online Registration and Purchases. Community software conveniently allows individuals to register for multiple events from various organizations. Your organization can offer tickets and branded merchandise for community members to purchase as well.
  • Facility Management and Calendar. Manage your organization’s schedule with built-in systems like facility requests and recurring reservations. Delegate tasks and empower your staff by keeping a clean calendar. 
  • Activity Management. Regulate all aspects of your planned activities from attendance to pick-ups and any changes in between. Community software keeps all activity updates in one place so that your organization can focus on running your activity smoothly the day-of.
  • Online Payment Methods. Offer a variety of payment methods for community members to use while observing PCI (payment card industry) regulations. Online payment processing simplifies the registration process for customers and makes it easier for organizations to manage registration funds and refund requests.
  • Reporting. Use pre-made report templates or use community software to create your own report to evaluate your organization. Customizable reporting can provide valuable statistics to assess factors like financial health and attendance rate.

All of these features can translate into saved money and increased attendance for your organization. In other words, faster sign-ups mean more sign-ups. 

What can community software do for your organization?

Now that we’ve covered some of the perks community software provides community members, what are some more specific, organizational advantages of using community software? Your organization can use this tool to: 

  • Free up your staff’s time. If your software is managing your incoming registration forms, you can free up your staff’s time to focus on your mission. You can use more staff to focus on big-picture campaign planning instead of the minutia of registration management.
  • Attract new members. Now that regular members are accounted for and enjoying their memberships, focus your organization’s time on community outreach. Discover gaps in attendance rates and create promotional opportunities to reach new members.
  • Target your marketing efforts. Use data and reporting to discover your target audience. Send unlimited SMS to targeted contact lists to streamline your communication efforts for faster results. 
  • Elevate basic operations. Are there areas within your organization that could use a tune-up? Optimize your base-level operations by hiring for new positions or reconstructing existing management flows.
  • Increase individual donations. Community software includes a donation button in your registration form so that participants can easily become donors. Tax write-offs are also available for donors to implement. 

Community software makes registration more readily accessible by transforming loose items like tickets, registrations, memberships, passes, and ID cards into trackable data. This way, your organization can reap the benefits of centralized management and community members can enjoy efficient sign-ups. 

Additional Resources

This guide walks through the basics of Volunteers for Salesforce.

Volunteers for Salesforce – Nonprofit Catalog

Salesforce is one of the most popular options for nonprofits to manage donors and track programs. Specifically, Salesforce products can be especially useful for nonprofits looking for a fully customizable, scalable constituent relationship management system (CRM).

Nonprofits interested in Salesforce should assess the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP). NPSP configures the base Salesforce CRM to facilitate a number of essential nonprofit tasks, giving you the ability to launch fundraisers, conduct program management, manage donors, and more.

The Salesforce platform can be customized and expanded through a variety of apps available for download on the Salesforce AppExchange. If you’re looking to run your volunteer programs through Salesforce, then explore Volunteers for Salesforce, an app that adds all the features you need to manage your volunteer program.

What is Volunteers for Salesforce?

Volunteers for Salesforce is a free open-source app that nonprofits can integrate into their Salesforce CRM. With this app, volunteer managers can manage volunteer programs by designing volunteer opportunity posts, creating schedules, and tracking key data about your volunteers.

For organizations interested in managing all of their programs, from fundraising campaigns to case management, through one unified system, Volunteers for Salesforce is an easy solution.

What are some features of Volunteers for Salesforce?

With Volunteers for Salesforce’s user-friendly tools, you can manage nearly every aspect of your volunteer program.

This image displays three main features of Volunteers for Salesforce described below.

Sign-up management

Volunteers for Salesforce provides useful templates and systemized tools that allow nonprofits to create volunteer postings and list them on their website in a manner of minutes. Then, when volunteers apply for a position, the data they input will automatically sync with your CRM, so you can easily find everything you need to get in touch with new volunteers.

To make the most of this feature, consider integrating your website with your Salesforce CRM. You may need assistance from a Salesforce consultant to accomplish this, but doing so will allow you to better track engagement with your volunteer opportunity posts and provide real-time updates to volunteers browsing your website.

Scheduling

Volunteers for Salesforce has numerous scheduling tools that make creating recurring volunteer shifts and assignments simple and efficient.

Specifically, the volunteer shift calendar allows supporters to keep track of upcoming shifts and potentially discover other opportunities they may want to help out with. You can add relevant activities outside of regularly scheduled shifts to the calendar as well, such as scheduled training activities and appreciation events.

Communication tools

One of the most important aspects of a volunteer program is consistent and reliable communication between your nonprofit and its volunteers. Volunteers for Salesforce facilitates the process of getting in touch with supporters by creating individual volunteer records in your CRM that record their information, allowing you to send mass emails to them about new opportunities and easily get in touch with individual volunteers as necessary.

Having a detailed volunteer database to reference also allows you to segment your volunteers based on their skill sets, interests, and history with your organization. By doing so, you can create personalized messages that are relevant to the recipients, strengthening their relationships with your nonprofit.

How can I get started with Volunteers for Salesforce?

Once you’ve decided Volunteers for Salesforce is right for your nonprofit, you can download it for free off the Salesforce AppExchange. From there, if you encounter any issues implementing it or are looking to customize its features, you can partner with a Salesforce developer.

For nonprofits already familiar with and using Salesforce, implementing Volunteers for Salesforce is ultimately an easy and straightforward process. After integration, any data the app collects will flow straight into your CRM for convenient access.

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Salesforce Experience Cloud Explained: A Beginner’s Guide – Salesforce Experience Cloud opens up valuable possibilities for creating online experiences that will encourage your supporters and volunteers to stay engaged with your organization. Learn more about its features in this guide.

Raiser’s Edge vs Salesforce: 5 Reasons Why You Should Switch – If you’re currently using another CRM, such as Blackbaud’s Raiser’s Edge, you may be curious about the differences between your current software and Salesforce. This helpful article can help answer your questions.

This guide goes over the different types of nonprofit jobs.

Nonprofit Jobs – Nonprofit Catalog

For service-minded or mission-driven individuals, the nonprofit sector can be a very inspiring and rewarding industry to start their careers. There are many nonprofit jobs available for interested job hunters of varying skill sets and interests. To run a nonprofit efficiently, it’s important to examine and understand the impact of individual contributors.

What are nonprofit jobs?

Nonprofit jobs are paid positions for those who work for social-good organizations to further a charitable cause. Just like in other industries, these workers play a role in day-to-day operations, management, finance, communications, and much more. By collaborating across various teams, nonprofit employees can utilize their skills and education to support their organization’s mission.

What are the main types of nonprofit jobs?

There are four main types of nonprofit jobs.

Management

Individuals that take management jobs in nonprofit organizations generally supervise the organization’s activities to ensure that it’s effectively moving toward its goals. These are some examples of management roles:

  • Executive director
  • Campaign manager
  • Foundation director
  • Volunteer manager

These individuals play a crucial role in helping nonprofits run smoothly. They deal with big-picture tasks that help their nonprofit progress in the right direction, and often leave the day-to-day responsibilities to others.

Administration, Finance, and Human Resources

From helping managers with their schedules to tracking the company’s finances to hiring new employees, these team members ensure the organization’s success by addressing the daily needs of coworkers and projects.

Some nonprofit positions in this area include:

  • Administrative assistant
  • Accountant
  • Human resources manager

The work of these nonprofit employees tends to be more behind the scenes, but they are essential to the day-to-day functionality of the organization.

Development and Fundraising

Jobs related to development and fundraising typically involve planning fundraisers and donor events, as well as acquiring the necessary funds to achieve the organization’s goals. Here are a few jobs that fall into this category:

  • Donor relations managers
  • Grant writers
  • Fundraising coordinators
  • Major gift officers

This area is extremely important for nonprofits, because donations are essential for nonprofits to achieve their goals and make progress toward their missions. While donor management and outreach are extremely important, fundraising professionals will also look at other ways of generating funds, such as through grants or by partnering with businesses.

Marketing and Communications

Employees in marketing and communications roles often work alongside the development and fundraising departments to spread information about the nonprofit’s mission, impact, upcoming events, and goals. Here are a few examples of nonprofit communications jobs:

  • Social media coordinators
  • Community outreach specialists
  • Marketing associates

These roles are responsible for attracting new supporters and donors, as well as making sure that current supporters and recurring donors are kept up-to-date on the nonprofit’s activities. Your donor communication should be thoughtful, transparent, and sent out regularly.

What other roles do nonprofit employees interact with?

Those who work in nonprofit jobs interact with a variety of stakeholders and constituents, such as the following:

  • Volunteers
  • Consultants
  • Businesses
  • Foundations

Connecting with these groups can be extremely beneficial for nonprofit organizations. For example, when a nonprofit’s leadership team isn’t sure what their fundraising strategy should be for a new year, they might hire a fundraising consultant to analyze their current plans and give them a more objective point of view. Or, if a nonprofit is looking for more funds, their grant writer might apply for a grant from a specific foundation.

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

How to Use Nonprofit Marketing – Learn more about communicating with your donors and supporters with this comprehensive nonprofit marketing guide.

Top 17 Fundraising Software Solutions for Your Nonprofit – This article highlights effective fundraising software solutions and their key features.

This guide covers the basics of corporate sponsorship and sponsorship levels.

Sponsorship Levels – Nonprofit Catalog

Consider the following: you want to host a fundraising event, but you don’t have enough funds to do so. That’s where corporate sponsorships can really help. Partnerships between nonprofits and businesses can help nonprofits increase revenue and get funding for goals and events. Plus, establishing varying sponsorship levels can help you maximize your fundraising.

What are sponsorship levels?

A corporate sponsorship is a type of partnership between a nonprofit and a business, specifically where the nonprofit receives support from the business to continue serving its mission. While this partnership may seem more beneficial for nonprofits, corporations can gain increased name recognition and tax breaks. Furthermore, social responsibility brings businesses positive marketing benefits and improves their reputation among potential customers.

Sponsorship levels are different tiers of corporate sponsorship. These tiers have varying levels of benefits and prices for the corporation.

How to determine sponsorship levels

These are some of the steps to determining your nonprofit's sponsorship levels.

Setting specific sponsorship levels requires a lot of thought and planning to maximize success. Here are some things you should do while determining sponsorship levels:

Set a goal

What do you want to get out of your sponsorship? Are you looking for sponsorship for a specific fundraising event, such as a hybrid auction or a fun run? Perhaps you’re looking for more funds to reach a specific goal or project. Or maybe, you would like sponsorship for your nonprofit as a whole, to help cover the day-to-day costs and administrative expenses.

Depending on what your goal is, you will want to set different sponsorship levels. A partnership for a fundraising event will probably have fewer benefits and cost less than a longer-term partnership.

Identify potential corporate sponsors

Once you decide what your goal is, you might be tempted to go straight to brainstorming what your sponsorship levels will cost and what the benefits will be. However, researching potential corporate sponsors can help you determine those things.

Consider the following when identifying potential corporate sponsors:

  • Relevance. Ask yourself: does your nonprofit’s mission have anything to do with what the corporation is trying to achieve? For example, if you run a soup kitchen that feeds families in need, you may want to consider restaurants as potential sponsors, as they also work in the food industry.
  • Company size. The size of the business often has an impact on the amount of money they can offer for sponsorship. A smaller local company won’t be able to afford the sponsorships a major global company will be able to. If you plan on reaching out to local companies, consider offering some cheaper sponsorship options.
  • Nonprofit interest. If a corporation has shown interest in social responsibility beforehand, it may be easier to secure a sponsorship from them. Take a look at whether they offer matching gifts or volunteer programs—if they do, it’s a sign that they may be interested in working with nonprofits.
  • Event type. If you’re specifically looking to sponsor an event, consider what types of corporations would be interested in that type of event. For example, a local bakery might sponsor a bake sale, and a water bottle company might be interested in sponsoring a fun run.

Doing this research will give you a list of corporations you can directly reach out to. Having a clear idea of the corporations you’re marketing to will help you get a better sense of what benefits to offer. You will also be able to make your sponsorships more targeted and be able to appeal specifically to those corporations.

Offer sponsorship incentives

Although corporate sponsorships are mutually beneficial, you’ll still want to incentivize corporations to sponsor you. That means you must appeal to what corporations want and offer them appropriate benefits. Here are some benefits you can offer:

  • Video promo/ad. If your event is in-person, you can show this ad during a lull in the event. You can also place a video ad on your event website.
  • Logo on print materials and virtual. Having the business’s logo on your website, banners, and tickets will create more positive brand awareness.
  • QR codes/links to their page. Strategically placing QR codes leading to your corporate partner’s website will help drive more traffic to them and may result in increased sales.
  • Acknowledgement. This can be in a press release or a part of a speech in person, where you thank your sponsor and acknowledge that the event would not be possible without them.
  • VIP event/reception. Offer your corporate sponsors an opportunity to connect with some of your major donors at VIP receptions to help your sponsors with their lead generation.

Evaluate the potential benefits you could offer and which of them would appeal most to the corporations you’re planning on reaching out to. Include those in your sponsorship levels, and include more high-value benefits in your more expensive packages.

Choose sponsorship level names and prices

After you’ve given thought to your goal, your potential corporate sponsors, and what incentives you’ll be offering, decide what your sponsorship levels should be called and what they should cost. You can get creative with your level names and even tie them into what your nonprofit does. For example, if you work for a zoo, you could name your sponsorship levels after animals. The top tier could be “Lion,” the bottom tier could be “Meerkat,” and so on.

Your prices should reflect the thought you’ve put into what corporations you’re targeting. If you are planning on mostly selling to small local corporations, your prices should be lower. Bigger companies will have more money, so you can make your levels more expensive. Reflect on your organization and how much you think your cause is worth to corporations—don’t downsell or upsell.

When done correctly, sponsorship levels can help your nonprofit accomplish objectives that you normally wouldn’t have the funds for. Take the time to do the research and brainstorming to increase your chances of a successful sponsorship.

If you’re interested in other forms of corporate giving, take a look at the resources down below.

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Corporate Giving Programs: The Ultimate Fundraising Guide – Interested in corporate giving programs? This guide covers all of the basics.

Corporate Gift Matching Software Can Be A Game Changer For Your CRM – Informing your donors of gift matching opportunities is crucial for fundraising, making gift matching integrations essential for your CRM.

This guide goes over the basics of crowdfunding for nonprofits.

Crowdfunding – Nonprofit Catalog

As a nonprofit, sometimes you need to refresh your campaign strategy to acquire donations from new communities. In that case, crowdfunding is a unique type of fundraising you should try.

What is crowdfunding?

Crowdfunding is a fundraising format in which large amounts of people each donate a small amount of money to fund a project or venture. It typically occurs via the internet, and because of this, it allows companies to reach a wider audience that they normally wouldn’t have connected with. Whether you are a family trying to raise money after a hurricane or a nonprofit trying to reach a goal, crowdfunding can be a nifty way to raise the funds you need.

Crowdfunding FAQs

What types of crowdfunding are there?

There are several main types of crowdfunding:

  • Donation-based. When people donate and receive nothing in return, that is donation-based crowdfunding. This type of crowdfunding campaign is usually successful because individuals connect strongly with your mission or goal and want to support you.
  • Debt-based. People give with the expectation that this money is being borrowed and will be returned at a later date.
  • Reward-based. Commonly found on platforms like Kickstarter, donors of reward-based crowdfunding campaigns expect to receive something in return for their donations. For example, if supporters donate a certain amount, you could send them a mug branded to your nonprofit.
  • Investment-based. Also known as equity-based crowdfunding, this type of campaign allows businesses to sell a part of their business in exchange for funds. People who fund this campaign personally invest, becoming shareholders in the campaign. This type of campaign usually cannot be used by nonprofits because there’s no private ownership allowed.

As a nonprofit interested in crowdfunding, you will probably be creating a donation-based or reward-based campaign. When a nonprofit has a compelling mission and a clear goal, a donation-based campaign can work very well. However, there’s nothing wrong with a reward-based campaign where you give supporters some form of branded merchandise, such as a mug or a t-shirt, in exchange for their support.

What are the benefits of crowdfunding?

This image shows some of the benefits of crowdfunding.

Here are some of the benefits of crowdfunding:

  • Greater outreach. Since crowdfunding campaigns tend to take place on the internet, they allow you to reach a wider audience of supporters than you normally would have.
  • Efficiency. For the duration of your campaign, all donors will be funneled towards your fundraising page. This helps you streamline donations and makes your process more efficient.
  • Access to new ideas and feedback. Often, crowdfunding pages will have sections where supporters can write comments and questions. This will give you access to your supporters’ ideas and immediate feedback, which you can use in the future for more effective fundraising.
  • Supporter-driven marketing. Most crowdfunding platforms make it easy to share pages to social media. When your supporters share your page, they are marketing your campaign for free, since they are taking the initiative to spread the word. When they do this, they are both promoting your campaign and endorsing your organization.
  • Proof of interest. Having a successful campaign means that a large amount of people are supporting you and believe in your cause. You can use this proof to convince corporations to partner with you through matching gift programs or volunteer drives.

Naturally, crowdfunding has its downsides as well. The biggest drawback is that there is no guarantee that people will donate to your campaign, which makes crowdfunding more suitable for nonprofits that already have a large base of supporters. However, by staying organized and marketing your campaign appropriately, you can mitigate a lot of the risk.

What features should you look for in a crowdfunding site?

Picking a suitable crowdfunding site is crucial to the success of your campaign. When choosing a crowdfunding platform, keep the following features in mind:

  • Easy page setup
  • Customization options
  • Online payment processor
  • Social media integration
  • Commonly hosts similar campaigns
  • Platform fee

When it comes to crowdfunding sites, GoFundMe and Kickstarter are the most popular options.. However, just because it’s popular doesn’t mean that it’s the best fit for your nonprofit. Make sure to check out other great crowdfunding alternatives.

Tips for a successful crowdfunding campaign

Here are some things to keep in mind for a successful crowdfunding campaign:

  • Prepare thoroughly for your campaign. Remember that the inherent risk of crowdfunding is that people might not want to donate. Ensure that you do thorough research on your audience to learn how best to conduct your campaign.
  • Clearly communicate your campaign’s purpose and goals. Make sure that donors know what their money is going to be used for. For example, if you are an animal shelter, you could say that you’re raising money to help cover the costs of caring for a recent influx of puppies.
  • Share compelling and relevant marketing materials. Whether it is videos of volunteers or anecdotes from people you’ve previously helped, make sure you show potential donors why your mission is important. Include emotional appeals in your marketing materials, such as an image of a puppy that you’re helping and his/her story.
  • Spread the word through social media. Your crowdfunding campaign should be cross-linked with your website and your other social media platforms for ease of access. You can also post on social media about your campaign every couple of days to maximize exposure.
  • Thank your donors. After a successful crowdfunding campaign, remember to show your gratitude to your donors, such as by sending them a donor thank you letter. Express your genuine appreciation for their help, as without it, your campaign would not have succeeded.

Although the prospect of creating a crowdfunding campaign may seem intimidating, it can be very helpful for generating large amounts of funds for your nonprofit. The key aspects to remember are that you must pick an appropriate crowdfunding site, prepare thoroughly for your campaign, and create compelling content that makes potential donors want to support your cause.

If you’d like to learn more about nonprofit fundraising and marketing, take a look at the resources below!

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Best Fundraising Ideas – If you’re looking for fundraising ideas, this website is a great resource to help you brainstorm.

40+ Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits to Spread Your Mission – Bringing awareness to your mission is crucial for nonprofits, and the best way to do so is through marketing and promotion.

This guide walks through the basics of charitable foundations.

Charitable Foundation – Nonprofit Catalog

Charitable foundations are key entities in the nonprofit world. With various types and classifications determined by the IRS, it’s important to understand the distinctions. For instance, how do private foundations differ from public charities? 

Acquiring basic knowledge of how nonprofits interact with charitable foundations will allow you to develop better relationships and improve your grant application processes in the future.

What is a charitable foundation?

A foundation is a fairly loose term in the nonprofit sector that can apply to a range of 501(c)(3) organizations. They primarily focus on supporting charitable activities and programming related to areas like education, health, religion, and culture by issuing grants, or packages of funding designated for specific uses by the nonprofits that receive them.

Contributions to organizations designated by the IRS as 501(c)(3) are usually tax-deductible, since they’re made in support of charitable purposes. Although some foundations may have their own charitable programs and most conduct fundraising activities of their own, most employ their assets by awarding grants.

What are the different types of charitable organizations?

Two key categories of 501(c)(3) charitable organizations are private foundations and public charities

Public charities are exempt from state and federal income taxes as long as they meet the requirements defined in the IRS’s Compliance Guide. However, private foundations may not be tax-exempt nor able to deduct charitable contributions unless their governing instruments contain additional special provisions.

Another difference lies in these foundations’ primary sources of financial support. While private foundations tend to be self-funded by an individual, family, or corporation, public charities often receive financial support from donations and grants.

Primary types of organizations within these two categories of charitable foundations include:

This image lists the types of private foundations and public charities described in the content below.
  • Private Foundations
    • Independent Foundations are usually self-funded by an individual or a group of individuals.
    • Family Foundations are usually funded by a family’s endowment and governed by members of that family.
    • Corporate Foundations, also known as company-sponsored foundations, are created and funded by a corporation. Their grants usually relate to the corporation’s activities. The Google Ad Grants program, for instance, is part of Google’s corporate philanthropy arm.
  • Public Charities
    • Public Foundations make up one of the largest groups of public charities. These foundations are a significant source of grants, primarily allocating their budget towards providing financial support to communities and other organizations.
    • Nonprofits, rather than issue grants, prioritize performing charitable activities to further their social causes. For these organizations, it’s crucial to conduct and share impact measurements to assure donors of the results that their funds help to achieve. This type of public charity can include schools, churches, and nonprofit hospitals.
    • Community Foundations largely focus on providing funds to support charitable projects in a specific community or geographical area. By examining local areas of need, they help finance initiatives such as human services, healthcare, or educational programs.
    • Supporting Organizations, such as the philanthropic branch of a hospital or university, support and associate themselves with another specific organization.

Generally, most foundations that fall within these categories offer grants to other nonprofits. Understanding their individual distinctions will help you navigate your interactions with them and determine the best ways to make a case for support and communicate your impact.

What do charitable foundations do?

Like other nonprofits, foundations have their own missions. Most drive impact by providing financial support to other organizations whose goals align with their own. Nonprofits with powerful impact stories are especially likely to gain support from these grantmakers, along with other potential contributors.

Depending on the type of foundation and its goals, it might also conduct research or educational services. Charitable branches of healthcare institutions and universities can be essential sources of funding for nonprofit organizations.

Additionally, public foundations tend to conduct their own fundraising initiatives and activities. Just like other nonprofits, it’s important for all foundations to remain compliant with the appropriate standards of conduct, though the outlined requirements may differ slightly depending on their classifications.

How do nonprofits interact with charitable foundations?

501(c)(3) charitable nonprofits usually interact with foundations through the grant seeking process. Whether you’re composing an annual appeal to donors or applying for a grant, be sure to emphasize your nonprofit’s story and impact when asking for support.

In order to fulfill their own missions to drive impact, foundations devote much consideration towards responsibly stewarding their assets and allocating them in ways that will result in the most measurable impact. Because of this, the grant seeking process for nonprofits can be competitive and challenging.

To ensure success, prioritize understanding a foundation’s priorities, mission, and guidelines as you attempt to capture their attention with a proposal. Nonprofits with well-aligned missions and proposals tailored to the foundation’s requirements and priorities will have the best shot at getting approved for a grant.

Another significant interaction between nonprofits and charitable organizations lies in the grant management and reporting process. For foundations and donors alike, it’s important to know where their contributions are adding up and what kind of impact they’re having. SureImpact’s guide to nonprofit impact measurement provides concrete steps for sharing impact results and strengthening relationships with financial supporters.

Cultivating trusting relationships with foundations can lead to more successful grant proposals in the future, so take the time to communicate thoughtfully according to the funder’s guidelines!

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Nonprofit Bookkeeping – Nonprofit Catalog – As a 501(c)(3) organization, your nonprofit must abide by some guidelines and regulations set forth by the IRS. Learn more about the essentials in this introduction to bookkeeping.

Corporate Philanthropy – Nonprofit Catalog – In addition to grants, corporations can offer matching donations and in-kind donations. Take a look at the various types of corporate philanthropy and their benefits.

This guide goes into the basics of nonprofit donation requests.

Donation Request – Nonprofit Catalog

Donations are the foundation of the nonprofit industry. Without them, nonprofit organizations wouldn’t be able to reach their goals and create positive social impact. That’s why it’s crucial to have compelling donation requests.

What is a donation request?

A donation request is fairly straightforward—it’s a letter, email, or other type of message asking for a donation. When you receive a call asking you to donate to help fund animal shelters, or when you receive an email detailing how your money would help build houses for families in need, there is a donation request being made of you.

How do you make a donation request?

Making a donation request can be a daunting task. Convincing people to part with their hard-earned money can be challenging. However, doing some research ahead of time to develop a clear outreach plan can greatly improve your chances. One of the first things you should look into is who you can request donations from.

Who to request donations from

Nonprofits can request donations from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Here are the most common groups that nonprofits request donations from:

  • Individuals. Reaching out to as many interested individuals as possible is important for a successful fundraising campaign. Donations from individuals can vary in size, but you should make sure to show your gratitude regardless.
  • Corporations. Corporate giving and corporate social responsibility are on the rise, so reach out to corporations for donations. Companies can offer workplace giving programs such as matching gifts or volunteer grants to incentivize donations from their employees.
  • Foundations. In 2021, foundations donated a total of $90.88 billion. A critical source of nonprofit funding, foundations often require applications to consider giving to a nonprofit. When you research foundations, look for those whose missions align with yours.

Each of these overarching groups is made of individuals with unique motivations and interests. For example, foundations will tend to give grants to different types of organizations based on their unique charitable mission and goals. Some corporations will be more likely to offer a matching gift program than others. Make sure that your research is robust and you have a sufficient understanding of each prospective donor group.

When to make donation requests

There are no hard and fast rules about when donation requests can be made—in fact, you can ask whenever you want. However, there are certain times during the year when donors are prepared to make larger gifts. Take the opportunity to make your request during these times:

  • Events. Make the most of your fundraising events by including a clear donation request. Ensure that your attendees know how to make a gift to your organization, whether that’s through an online page or a physical collections box.
  • Year end. It’s estimated that 30% of annual giving occurs in December, with 10% occurring in the last three days of the year. If you have a yearly goal, consider reminding donors about it sometime at the end of the year. Or, follow FundraisingIP’s suggestion and host a year-end fundraising event!
  • Giving Tuesday. This annual event is a global day of giving centered around positively transforming communities and the world. This day celebrates generosity and all donations. Take this opportunity to request monetary or in-kind donations, such as asking for supplies for your volunteer program!
  • Cause months. Every month has specific social good causes tied to them. For example, October is famously the breast cancer awareness month. If your cause has a month associated with it, ensure that you promote your nonprofit during that month and request donations.
  • After crises or urgent challenges. For example, if your nonprofit helps find loving homes for shelter animals, you could ask for donations after receiving a surprise influx of 100 new animals. Supporters will be motivated to donate to help mitigate your organization’s most pressing challenges.

Keep in mind that you don’t have to limit your donation requests to just special days like Giving Tuesday or other major event days. You can ask for donations all year round to help fund your nonprofit’s ongoing projects and programs. You know your donors the best, so make sure that you pick times when they are more likely to make gifts.

Ways to make donation requests

There are numerous ways to make donation requests. Here are a few:

  • In person. Making an ask in person is especially effective at fundraising events. Remind attendees that they can make a donation, and guide them through how your donation system works. You may also make in-person donation requests during one-on-one meetings with major donors. Since you’re asking for significant contributions from these individuals, setting up a one-on-one meeting shows that you’ve put time and thought into your request.
  • Email. Email donation requests are very simple to set up, and you can even personalize them to include the recipient’s full name. Include eye-catching graphics and information about tangible goals that the donors’ gifts will go towards.
  • Phone calls. A tried-and-true method for donation requests, phone calls are a great way to contact donors who value human connection. Consider using them to connect with demographics that might not use technological devices often, such as older adults.
  • Social media. Making a donation request through social media can help you reach a wider audience. People from all over the country (or even the globe) can easily access information about your campaign. Make sure to post on popular platforms like Facebook and Instagram, and ensure that your online donation system is easy to use and accessible.
  • Letters. A handwritten letter speaks to the effort a nonprofit is making to connect with its donors. Some donation request letter best practices include having an emotional appeal and incorporating information on how to donate.

Ensure that you are communicating with your donors outside of donor requests. If donors perceive your nonprofit as only reaching out when you want donations, they will feel that your efforts aren’t genuine, and will be less likely to make gifts. Keep your communication with donors thoughtful and focus on strengthening your connections.

Donation request best practices

Now you know the who, when, and how of donation requests. But before you make your request, make sure you keep these best practices in mind:

  • Research your donors. Not all donors are interested in the same thing. Make sure that your donation requests match the donor to increase your chances of getting a gift. Consider creating a donor segmentation cheat sheet to make sure your communications are appropriate for each donor.
  • Be genuine and transparent. Donors want to know that you’re earnest about your cause and they want to make sure that their money is being used for good. In your request, let them know how you plan to use their donations, then follow up later with updates that show you’re using their gifts how you said you would.
  • Accept rejection gracefully. Not everyone has the means or desire to donate to your organization. Make sure to accept rejection politely and thank them for their time.
  • Show your gratitude. When donors do make a gift, show them your appreciation and gratitude. Consider sending a handwritten thank you letter. Make sure that your writing is personable, specific, and grateful.

Make sure that you have robust fundraising software that fulfills your fundraising needs. The right fundraising software will make donation requests a breeze by allowing you to automatically input donors’ names and ask amounts into your requests. Plus, it can even help you attract more donations by offering a user-friendly, mobile-optimized donation process.

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Writing Fundraising Letters – Interested in writing a fundraising letter? Check out Fundraising IP’s templates that you can use for inspiration.

Nonprofit Marketing – Marketing for nonprofits extends beyond simply making donation requests. Learn more from this beginner’s guide to nonprofit marketing.

This guide covers membership benefits for nonprofits.

Membership Benefits – Nonprofit Catalog

Through membership programs, loyal supporters and nonprofits develop a mutually beneficial relationship. Members get perks that regular donors don’t, and nonprofits get a consistent stream of revenue. In this article, we’ll go over what exactly membership benefits are, and how they fit into nonprofit membership programs. Let’s dive in!

What are membership benefits?

In general, membership benefits are perks, services, and access that people receive when they participate in a membership program. You can easily find examples of these benefits when you look at aquarium or zoo memberships, which commonly offer free tickets in exchange for paying a membership fee.

Memberships commonly involve making recurring payments to an organization. If you’re thinking of implementing a membership program, make sure you’re up to date on recurring payment rules.

Membership program FAQs

What is a membership program?

Membership programs can serve many purposes, but above all, they are a way to increase supporter involvement within nonprofits and associations. These organizations offer specific member benefits in exchange for membership fees. Membership programs often have different goals, including:

  • Raising money for an organization.
  • Building a stronger network around a cause.
  • Receiving ideas and feedback from members.

The membership benefits you choose to offer are heavily influenced by your program’s goal. If you wish to give your members a larger voice, you may send them annual polls asking for their ideas for fundraising campaigns and events. Make sure that your members feel heard by implementing these suggestions into your fundraising initiatives.

Why have a membership program?

There are many benefits to having a membership program. Above all, these programs are mutually beneficial relationships—in exchange for a membership fee, members are recognized as dedicated supporters and given perks and special engagement opportunities. This member-organization relationship ensures a sustainable method of revenue generation for the organization and strengthens supporters’ trust and involvement.

If you’re planning on implementing a membership program for your organization, make sure your software for donor management is robust. You’ll want to be able to categorize your donors, ensuring you know who is part of your membership program.

Common membership benefits

This image shows some of the common membership benefits nonprofits offer.

Here are some benefits that are frequently offered in membership programs:

  • Members-only newsletters. Send your members exclusive newsletters with behind-the-scenes information not available to others. You can even give sneak peaks of future events. For instance, a botanical garden could tease images of their evening lights display.
  • Event perks. These perks can be early access to ticket purchases or early event registration. You can also offer event-specific perks, like free raffle tickets or extended bidding time for an auction. Make sure your ticketing and registration system is powerful, organized, and allows you to offer early and regular registration.
  • Community. Aside from offering event perks, you can also host member-exclusive events or meetings. For example, an art museum could host an event showing highly-anticipated artwork that the general public won’t be able to see.
  • Discounts. Organizations like aquariums that require ticket purchases often offer their members free or highly discounted tickets. Your organization could also offer a discount on merchandise, event tickets, or other services.
  • Membership cards. Giving your members a physical or digital membership card can help foster a sense of community and inclusivity. Make sure the graphic on the card is designed well so that members will feel proud displaying it.

Whether you are a cultural organization or a nonprofit, a membership program can be a great way to generate revenue and involvement. Offering participants member benefits makes the relationship mutually beneficial, making it much more likely that people will want to take part in your program. Make sure you have a powerful membership management software to guarantee success!

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

Donor Segmentation – Donors interact with your organization in different ways. Learn more about how to appeal to your different donor segments.

Nonprofit Marketing – Looking for other ways to promote your organization? Check out this guide.

This article covers the basics of employee retention in nonprofit organizations.

Employee Retention – Nonprofit Catalog

Maintaining a strong employee base is critical to keeping your business or nonprofit strong. Your business’s hard-working, dedicated employees are your greatest assets, and ideally, you want them to stay with your company for a long time. After all, the hiring and training processes are expensive and time-consuming, so high employee retention is essential.

What is employee retention?

Employee retention is the ability of an organization, such as a business or nonprofit, to keep its employees year after year. Maintaining high levels of employee retention means that your organization is doing an effective job of appealing to employees’ needs and interests.

In order to calculate your employee retention rate, subtract the total number of employees who left your organization from your total number of employees. Then, divide by your total number of employees and multiply by 100.

This equation is for calculating your employee retention rate.

Benefits of a strong employee retention rate

You may be thinking: what’s the point of having a high employee retention rate? After all, you could simply fill those vacant roles again. However, a high employee retention rate has many benefits for your organization, including the following:

  • Reduced costs for your organization. Hiring new employees is expensive, and so is training them. While a new employee is in training, they will take time to become familiar with your systems and procedures, making your organization temporarily less efficient. By retaining your employees, you won’t have to spend as much time and money on the hiring and training process.
  • Stronger employee skillset and greater organizational efficiency. Having been trained in your organization’s systems and after fulfilling their job duties for years, your employees will be more experienced in their roles. They will have spent their time practicing the skills they need to succeed at their job. Retaining these employees will make your organization as a whole more effective and efficient.
  • Greater employee morale. No employees want to work at an organization where their coworkers leave on a regular basis. Knowing that your company has a high employee retention rate will lower your employees’ stress, increase their morale, and reduce instability at your workplace.

Having a strong employee retention rate may even set your organization apart from others. This means that if you do have to hire new employees, more people will be happy to work for you and your applicant pool will be much larger.

How to strengthen your employee retention rate

Improving your employee retention rate starts with creating a better experience for employees and investing in their long-term growth. Consider using these employee retention strategies at your organization:

1. Invest in employee engagement

To inspire employees to stick around, you need to create a positive work environment. Invest in the right tools to engage your staff members, such as:

  • Appreciation software like a digital greeting card creator
  • Feedback surveys that allow employees to share their thoughts about the company, workflow, or anything else
  • Training programs or coaching courses that help employees grow their professional skills

These tools will make it easier to connect employees with the engagement opportunities that appeal to them. In addition, you can track employee engagement using these software solutions to determine which employees are taking advantage of your engagement opportunities and which opportunities are most popular among your staff. 

2. Help employees set professional goals.

Professional goals for an employee might look like achieving a promotion or advancing their skills. When you help employees set meaningful goals, it gives them something to strive for and look forward to. Make sure that the goals are aligned with your organization’s overarching objectives. Also, schedule follow-up meetings to check progress, offer additional guidance when needed, and let the employee weigh in on the process.

3. Offer ongoing opportunities for training and professional development.

When employees stagnate or don’t feel like they’re growing, they may seek employment elsewhere to help facilitate that growth. According to NXUnite, offering ongoing opportunities for training and professional development helps employees avoid burnout and advance in their career path. These opportunities could be in the form of online training modules, professional coaching, or mentorship.

For example, let’s say you’re looking to offer more professional development opportunities for your nonprofit’s employees. You can consider hosting seminars or a lunch-and-learn program to help employees brush up on their fundraising-related skills.

4. Allow employees to attend relevant conferences.

Conferences can be an excellent opportunity to learn more about industry trends, pick up new skills, and make connections with fellow industry professionals. Relevant nonprofit conferences can be found easily through web searches or on social media platforms like LinkedIn. If you’re worried about travel costs, you can search for virtual or hybrid conferences.

5. Offer workplace giving opportunities.

Corporate social responsibility has become increasingly important, and workplace giving is integral to that. In fact, 71% of surveyed employees say it is imperative or very important to them to work at a place where the culture is supportive of giving and volunteering. That’s why you should have programs in place that allow your employees to give back, such as:

  • Matching gifts: A matching gift program shows employees that you care about the causes they care about. Invest in their philanthropic endeavors by starting a matching gift program in which your company will match employees’ donations at a 1:1 or 2:1 ratio.
  • Volunteer grants: Some employees may donate their time and efforts to a nonprofit, and your company should support that, too! Establish volunteer grants through which your organization donates a set amount to a nonprofit when an employee reaches a certain threshold of hours volunteered.

You can even decide which programs to implement based on your employees’ preferences. If you want to learn more about your employees’ charitable giving habits (or anything else), you can always ask them directly through feedback surveys.

6. Ask for and incorporate employee feedback.

Employees want to feel like their voices are heard and that their opinions matter. Listening to them will help you improve their experience and may give you insight into issues you didn’t realize existed. Send out regular employee surveys and make a plan to incorporate their input.

7. Recognize your employees’ hard work.

Did you know that 80% of employees would work harder if they felt more appreciated? That’s the power of positive workplace morale! By recognizing your employees’ hard work, you indicate that you care about their contributions and are happy that they’re succeeding, which can lead to improved retention and satisfaction rates.

A few ways you can recognize your employees’ hard work include:

  • Personalized thank-you notes
  • Public praise
  • Employee wall of fame
  • Employee appreciation day

Another great strategy is to send your employees a token of your appreciation. This method is so popular that there are companies dedicated to helping your organization send gifts to your staff members. A gift such as a branded mug, flowers, or even an eCard gives your employees a tangible reminder that you see the work that they’re doing. This appreciation will encourage your employees to remain at your organization.

8. Encourage a healthy work/life balance

Work-life balance means that employees can strike a healthy equilibrium between time spent at the office and time spent outside of work activities that bring joy and fulfillment. 

If your organization operates with a hybrid or fully remote model, finding the right work-life balance can be more challenging for employees. Encourage them to step away from their computers and silence their notifications at the end of each workday to provide clear boundaries between work and home life. 

According to Double the Donation’s employee engagement guide, “a culture of work-life balance should be cultivated from the top down.” That means your company’s leaders and managers should emulate good work-life balance habits by avoiding contacting employees outside of their regular working hours, encouraging employees to take paid time off, and taking time off themselves to recharge. 

9. Promote inclusivity in the workplace

An inclusive workplace is one where all employees feel accepted, welcomed, and celebrated for who they are. 

Inclusivity doesn’t just support employee engagement and retention — it can lead to tangible benefits for your organization. Studies have shown that organizations with high levels of diversity financially outperform organizations without high diversity. 

Foster inclusion and diversity by adopting a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policy that includes:

  • A clear declaration of your organization’s DEI commitment 
  • Inclusive hiring guidelines
  • Training resources
  • Mechanisms for addressing policy violations

Share your policy with employees to gather feedback and workshop the document until it fully encapsulates your DEI commitment. 

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

The Top 5 Benefits of Workplace Giving for Companies – Learn more about workplace giving and how it can help you retain employees.

Fundraising Professional Development: Top Tips & Resources – Not sure where to start with professional development? Read this article for more advice.

A Spotlight on Top Impact Investors Driving Social Change – Engaged employees are just one part of growing your company’s impact. Learn about impact investing and how the right investor can help mission-driven businesses accomplish more.

This guide covers how nonprofits can use Instagram effectively.

Instagram for Nonprofits – Nonprofit Catalog

Nonprofits may approach marketing differently than for-profit businesses, but it’s just as important. Nonprofits use marketing to find new donors, increase supporter engagement, and promote their cause.

Today, social media is a key tool for nonprofit marketing and allows organizations to easily connect with supporters from all over the world. As more and more nonprofits take advantage of Instagram, let’s take a look at the ways nonprofits can leverage Instagram as an effective marketing channel.

What is Instagram for nonprofits?

Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms, especially among younger generations. As one of the top social media platforms in 2022, Instagram is crucial to include in your organization’s social media marketing strategy.

Getting started with the app is simple. Create a business account for your nonprofit, set your goals, and start posting! To incorporate Instagram into your overarching marketing strategy, make connections across all of your communication channels. Promote your new account on your organization’s website or Facebook, for example, and link to other platforms in your Instagram posts.

How to use Instagram for nonprofits

This is a nonprofit professional using Instagram.

The benefit of Instagram or any social media platform is that you can engage with supporters personally and quickly. By responding to comments, posting interactive Stories, and sharing content that your donors create, you can make your supporters feel involved with your organization on a daily basis.

Here are several best practices your nonprofit can follow to ensure that you get the best results:

Strategically create posts and stories

Using a content calendar, plan out a variety of content promoting your nonprofit’s mission and fundraising events to keep supporters engaged. Take advantage of Instagram Story stickers, such as polls, to directly engage with your supporters.

Add a donate button to your nonprofit’s profile

Fundraising through Instagram can be effective for smaller nonprofits who don’t have access to a full suite of fundraising software. Follow Instagram’s guidelines for fundraising and set up your profile to raise money directly from the app. Once you add the donate button to your account, supporters can start giving to your organization directly from your Instagram profile.

Analyze your Instagram metrics

It is important to frequently analyze your nonprofit account’s performance. By looking at your account’s metrics, you’ll be able to determine what kind of content keeps your supporters engaged and make adjustments to your marketing strategy.

If you haven’t created an Instagram account for your nonprofit yet, then now is the time. Promote your cause where your supporters are already spending their time, and you can make a more immediate impact.

Additional Resources

Nonprofit Catalog – Read up on more nonprofit essentials by exploring our Nonprofit Catalog.

16+ Marketing Ideas for Nonprofits – Explore more ways your organization can use marketing creatively to get supporters’ attention.

The Beginner’s Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Marketing – Learn the basics of nonprofit marketing.