In this episode Steven Screen, co-founder of Better Fundraising Company and inventor of the "Ask, Thank, Report, Repeat" fundraising rhythm, talks about how nonprofits can navigate the current period of uncertainty affecting fundraising efforts. Today's landscape varies significantly across organizations. Some nonprofits face severe government funding cuts, others are benefiting from "rage giving," and many fall somewhere in between. This variation prompted Steven and his colleague Jeff Brooks to create a new white paper with "if-then" statements to help organizations diagnose their specific situation and determine appropriate strategies.

Throughout the discussion, Steven emphasizes the critical importance of increasing communication frequency across all channels when competing for donor attention in noisy times. He advises checking in with major donors more frequently, sending additional fundraising emails, and creating more opportunities for in-person connection. He stresses that despite economic uncertainty and increased competition for resources, fundraising can still thrive.

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This Episode Brought to You by:

Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com

Utilizing over 20 years of nonprofit event strategy and production expertise, Swaim Strategies coaches and teaches organizations how to increase the impact of their fundraising events.

The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/

As a full-service event AV and video production partner, The AV Department’s technical event production and media content generation provide you with a range of experience and talent from a partner who wants to know you and work together year after year.

Greater Giving: https://go.greatergiving.com

DC Auctions: https://dc-auctions.com/

Speakers

Samantha Swaim

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-swaim-a28a9a4/

Instagram (Swaim Strategies): https://www.instagram.com/swaimstrategies/

Kristin Steele

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-steele777/

Instagram (Swaim Strategies): https://www.instagram.com/swaimstrategies/

Steven Screen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevenscreen/

X: x.com/stevenscreen

Resources

Book Consulting Time with Sam and Kristin: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#consulting

Learn More About Elevate and the Elevate Conference for Your Fundraising Events: https://swaimstrategies.com/elevate-conference/

Planning a Successful Major Donor Event: https://swaimstrategies.com/solutions/#book

Connect with The AV Department: https://theavdept.com/

Connect with Swaim Strategies: https://swaimstrategies.com

How to Fundraise in Uncertain Times White Paper: https://betterfundraising.com/fundraising-in-uncertain-times-whitepaper/

The Better Fundraising Company: https://betterfundraising.com/

The Better Fundraising Company Blog: https://betterfundraising.com/blog

Seth Godin The Practice: https://powells.com/books/search?query=seth%20godin%20the%20practice&page=1

Nonprofit Storytelling Conference: https://nonprofitstorytellingconference.com/

Where companies are deploying generative AI | Ep. 73