Go Beyond Fundraising: The Podcast for Nonprofits

As we approach the final months of 2022, we know many of you will be focusing on your year-end campaigns. And as the threat of a global recession looms large, you may be looking for ways to tighten spending. Stewardship is often one of the programs to be scaled back. In this episode, we’re talking with David Sacchetti, Director of Client Strategy, and Kim Richardson, an Associate Vice President of Client Strategy, about why continuing stewardship is more important than ever. They’re also sharing creative ways you can steward your donors without breaking your budget. For instance, skip your customary holiday mailing in favor of a simple but thoughtful email or text. A video message from your executive director or CEO can feel personalized, even if it’s being sent to your full list. The COVID-19 pandemic led more and more people to embrace technology and adopt social media channels, so don’t shy away from communicating this way. Social media donor spotlights and video thank you messages are just a few ways you can easily reach large groups of people. The best part? These methods come with little-to-no cost. The end of the year is also an ideal time to survey your donors, which will help them feel connected to your organization. In fact, Kim shares an example of one client who raised $40,000 with a straightforward, no-ask survey. Another way to get donor feedback and build a community is to start a Facebook group. We’ll also share some recent donor outreach we’ve personally received to inspire you. But no matter how you choose to thank your supporters, the chief thing to remember is the best stewardship touch is one that makes the donor feel important. And that doesn’t have to cost a thing.

On this episode, we’re talking with Trent Ricker, President and CEO of Pursuant, and Matthew Mielcarek, Senior Vice President of Analytics and Insights Strategy, about the recently released 2022-2023 Pursuant Giving Outlook. Specifically, we’re digging into how the Giving Outlook can help us navigate the challenging economic times we’re all facing. This eBook uses data aggregated from several industry reports plus insights from Pursuant clients to help fundraisers more broadly anticipate the year ahead. You can also read more about the Giving Outlook, download your free copy, or watch this on-demand webinar. In this discussion, Trent and Matthew will also touch on the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project Q2 22 Report, released by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Foundation for Philanthropy

Acquisition can be a thorn in the side of marketers. And as the cost of acquiring donors continues to rise due to paper shortages and increasing digital ad rates, the cost of acquiring attention has gone up, too. In this episode, we’re speaking with Soraya Alexander, President, Classy and COO, GoFundMe. Classy’s tech is well-known in the world of nonprofit fundraising, and its recent acquisition by crowdfunding platform GoFundMe will enable it to better connect communities with the causes they support. Soraya says knowing your donors is key to reaching them in meaningful ways. Taking an omni-channel approach is also essential — it’s not either this or that; rather, it’s how it all comes together. Instead of putting a certain channel like direct mail at the center of your outreach campaign, put the donor at the center. Another tactic Soraya recommends is to segment your donors by commonalities such as age and then talk to them differently. Nonprofits must be especially aware of generational giving. Millennials and Gen Z, for instance, are less trusting of institutions. They’re driven by activism and prefer to donate directly to those who need aid. Nonprofits can take advantage of this activism by giving donors an opportunity to engage through service first. By championing volunteerism, you can build a trusting relationship and show how their dollars are being used. This engenders giving and kicks off an ecosystem of involvement.

Nonprofits are often tasked with doing more with less, leaving fundraisers feeling like they have limited options and resources, which in turn can lead to a lack of innovation and creativity. This is called a scarcity mindset, and it can be detrimental to achieving the results you want to see. In this episode, we talk with Gauri Manglik, CEO and Co-Founder of Instrumentl, a tech solution that helps nonprofits prospect funders and manage grant applications. Gauri’s background is with startups, but she says her work with nonprofits has revealed several parallels between the two. Both startups and nonprofits tend to operate on scarcity mindsets. Like nonprofits, startups often have lean teams that must do more work with fewer resources. However, startup investors seem more comfortable with risks, whereas nonprofit donors want to fund something with a proven track record. Gauri says this difference impacts the way the organizations are run and how leaders feel they can invest their money. Adopt an abundance mindset around fundraising. Gauri says taking an abundance approach to fundraising means realizing you’re creating win-win situations for your prospects. For startups, investors want to fund the next big thing. Similarly, nonprofit donors want to see outcomes in the organizations they’re supporting. She offers advice for approaching a fundraising appeal from a position of strength. When a scarcity mindset can be a good thing. When building Instrumentl, Gauri says her team avoided the fundraising conversation by building a product customers want and will love. She sees an opportunity for nonprofits to do the same by breaking appeals into smaller, more manageable chunks. For instance, focusing on one small program to run or one small way to spotlight impact. The talent at startups and nonprofits. Both startups and nonprofits are full of hard-working employees eager to see their cause or mission succeed. Some leaders with a scarcity mindset may be tempted to take advantage of employees’ willingness to go above and beyond which can lead to burnout and high turnover. Gauri shares a better way that empowers small but mighty teams to grow and thrive.

As political campaigns turn up the heat leading to the mid-term elections, you’ll need to find new and creative ways to get your message heard. In this episode, Nicholas and Leah chat about the trends and topics they’re seeing as 2022 closes in on the busiest time of the year for nonprofit. Here are some of the key takeaways: Create a unified message across channels. To cut through all the noise and draw people’s attention to your cause, focus on your messaging. Specifically, create a unified message to foster a connection between donors and your organization. Share good news. Don’t fall into the negativity trap; try to also share the good things happening within your cause. Donors want to know where their dollars are going and the impact they’re making. Focus on stewardship. Use data to learn as much about your donors and prospects as possible, then put a personal spin on your stewardship efforts. Ensure that all messaging connects your work to what’s relevant and urgent in their minds. Use search ads to acquire new donors. There’s limitless opportunity with digital search and social media ads. You’ll spend less money in these spaces and reach a larger segment of your donors and constituents. Make online giving easy. Donors today appreciate multiple payment options. Ensure your website is optimized to receive payments by credit or debit card, payment vendors like PayPal and Venmo, and even cryptocurrency. Your site should also be easy to use. Let data drive direct mail. Given supply chain issues, direct mail continues to get more expensive. Don’t lean on this form of outreach simply because it’s what you’ve always done; rather, look at data to see your donors’ communication preferences and prioritize mailing those who are most responsive via mail. Reach younger generations. A one-size-fits-all approach won’t work for Millennials and Gen Z, so segment your donors by age and craft messaging that will resonate. Focus on social media but be authentic.

Have you changed jobs recently in exchange for more flexibility, pay, or upward advancement? If so, you're not alone. The C-19 pandemic sparked a “Great Resignation,” spurring workers to take stock of their priorities and leading many people to leave jobs and demand better work-life balance through options like remote work. On the podcast, we spoke about how nonprofits can navigate this new work climate with Larissa Stoddart. She is the founder of Growth & Co., a Canadian fundraising coaching firm that helps charity fundraisers learn the best ways to raise money and build the infrastructure they need for long-term success.

We recently sat down with our Senior Vice President of Insights, Analytics, and Experience, Matthew Mielcarek, to break down a few of the big ideas and highlights from the 2022 Pursuant Giving Outlook. In our annual Pursuant Giving Outlook, we compiled the best industry knowledge, data, and statistics on things like: -Current market conditions and potential pitfalls -Nonprofit sector trends and industry benchmarks -New opportunities for growing your donor base The economy and giving behaviors are not always predictable—so what reliable data we have is invaluable. And while there are many sources of data on the nonprofit sector available, they can be highly editorialized, limited to a single channel, or might even be out of date. Our goal with the Pursuant Giving Outlook is to provide a primary source that gives a complete picture of the industry landscape. The publication is our best shot at delivering nonprofit professionals a glimpse into an industry “crystal ball,” where they can see the state of things today, what to expect for the future, and most importantly, how to prepare. Download the Giving Outlook https://info.pursuant.com/giving-outlook-ebook-2022

Amid today’s economic uncertainty and rising costs, nonprofits need to focus on strengthening relationships with their existing donors. A key way to do this is to follow your data. In this episode, we talk with Dan Stevens, co-founder and senior vice president of business development at Windfall, and Dawn Galasso, vice president of sales at GivingDNA, about the new partnership between the two organizations and how it’s disrupting traditional wealth screening. Windfall refreshes its entire dataset once a week to ensure it captures the most up-to-date net worth and giving behaviors possible. By integrating this external data with GivingDNA’s data and analysis, fundraisers can build opportunity segments in minutes that can steer giving campaigns. Simply put, you won’t need an analyst or another tool to tell you what to do with your data segments. The insights you generate — age, occupation, net worth, communication preferences, salutation expectations, etc. — will build goodwill with your donors and can even help you re-engage non-donors. It’s all about creating hyper-customized experiences that show you know who your donors are and why they give. The GivingDNA-Windfall partnership is sure to be a game changer for fundraisers. Listen now to see how it can strengthen your strategies. To learn more about this partnership and schedule a time with one of our experts to see the data in action, visit givingdna.com/get-started-wf.

How effective is your monthly giving program? Too often, nonprofits take a “set it and forget it” approach. But by nurturing monthly donors, you can build reliable and consistent revenue for your organization that has the potential to make a million-dollar impact. In this episode, we talk with Abby Trahan, who served as the Annual Giving Coordinator at the Houston Food Bank from May 2020 to March 2022. In this role, she revamped the monthly giving program and used relationship-building tactics to more than double the number of monthly donors and increase the program’s annual impact to $3 million. This success came at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and during the winter storm that crippled Texas in February 2021. So, how did Abby do it? Most notably, she recognized that monthly donors are some of the most important and loyal donors an organization has. By treating this core group as partners who want to know their gift is making a difference, Abby built a solid community of donors with a retention rate you won’t believe. Join us as we explore Abby’s best strategies for acquiring new monthly donors, forging personal connections in innovative ways, and creating meaningful touchpoints that relate to your organization’s mission. You’ll also hear Abby’s best advice for young fundraisers and why having someone dedicated specifically to cultivating monthly donors can make all the difference. Don’t send your most consistent givers another tchotchke. This episode is chock-full of ways to show your monthly donors the full impact of their gift.

Rage giving? Social commerce? Data governance? You can be sure that there’s no shortage of new concepts popping up in today’s nonprofit marketing arena. But if you need a quick lesson on these trending concepts, you’re in the right place. In this episode, we tackle these topics and more with industry insight consultant Nicholas Hedenkamp, who compiles the latest trends, stories, and curiosities in the fundraising and marketing world. Here are the headlines: - Donors everywhere are tightening their purse strings—especially regarding funding operations versus mission-critical work. As the immediate crisis-inspired giving resulting from the global pandemic wanes, is there a way nonprofits can communicate the continued need for support? The answer might be in harnessing the power of storytelling. - One way to ignite the donor spark to give is to tap into the phenomenon of “rage giving.” When people are fired up about something that matters, they take action however they can. Is righteous anger a sustainable motivation in today’s fundraising landscape?  - Next, we talk personalization. Today’s nonprofit constituent craves a personal connection more than ever. Hear how the Houston Food Bank used a simple approach to create a big impact with their monthly donors. - But while prospects desire a more tailor-made experience, they are also worried about their digital privacy. How can organizations find a careful balance between offering a personalized experience and creating confidence in how they handle personal information?  - Finally, we talk about the latest industry dud in social media marketing: social commerce. Learn why big platforms like Meta are pulling the plug on this once-promising strategy that focuses on in-app purchases.  Hear Nicholas’s savvy insights about these timely topics and more in the latest episode of the Go Beyond podcast.