Fundraising Tips and Resources

How to Write a Letter of Thanks for Donations

June 17, 2019 By Giovonni Santiago

Funding can be one of the biggest single challenges of running a nonprofit. Without funding, programming becomes increasingly difficult. So what is the key to funding a nonprofit? Gratitude, of course! Writing an effective and heartfelt letter of thanks for donations lets donors know that you value them. And hopefully, this letter helps keep your nonprofit top of mind for future donations.

I started my own nonprofit to support transgender youth called Meta Center Inc in 2016. I had a big goal of creating an inclusive space for transgender youth to feel safe and supported. My goal was large but my funding definitely on the small scale. I dug as deep as I could into my own pockets. I also relied heavily on the kindness and generosity of family, friends and community members. A letter of thanks for donations helped ensure that my nonprofit started off on the right foot.

Over the years, I’ve worked on perfecting the art of gratitude. Here are my tips on how to write a standout donor-centered letter of thanks for donations:

Be Swift

You should send out your thank you letter within 48 hours. This means that you need to be prepared for a donation that could come at any time. Follow the steps below to ensure that your letter is ready to customize and send quickly.

Make it Personal

Avoid a pre-printed card you keep on hand. Personalization is the key to a memorable letter of thanks. Skip “Dear Donor” or “Hello Friend” and include your donor’s name. They took the time to donate to your nonprofit. You need to take the time to write a real personalized letter. If this is not their first donation, make sure you include: “Thank you for another contribution..” Return donors are so important to your nonprofit’s livelihood. This simple touch acknowledges in a personal way that you appreciate them thinking of you again.

Tell A Story

I start all of letter of thanks for donations the same way: I tell a personal story. This is the best way to grab the reader’s attention. Detail how the nonprofit directly impacted an individual’s life for the better. With permission, share that individual’s name and include a direct quote. Make it clear right from the beginning who directly benefited from their donation. For Meta Center Inc, a story might details an individual who was able to start their medical transition, find a gender-affirming doctor, buy their first binder and live as their true authentic self.

Include Statistics

Numbers, figures and statistics take the personal story and extrapolate that one individual’s experience to demonstrate the full reach of your nonprofit’s work. Did your nonprofit organization increase individuals served this year? Were you able to step up your programming efforts? You added an extra weekly support group? Share that with your donor! As a donor, they are champions of your nonprofit’s success. Brag a little!

What’s Next for Your Nonprofit

Once you’ve let your donor know how their funding has impacted your organization already, let them know what you plan to do next. If you haven’t completed a project, let them know where you stand. No one expects you to have everything together, but an update goes a long way! Stay transparent and tell your donor how their funds will be used.

Don’t Ask for Another Donation

This is a letter of thanks for a donation. This is not the time to ask for another donation. Asking for another donation 48 hours after you received the first one simply comes off as ungrateful. An effective letter of thanks for donations will ensure that when your donor is ready to give again, your organization will be top of mind!

Keep the Door Open

If your donor is local, let them know about your next event or invite them over to the office for a tour. Take them to coffee. Think of your donors as relationships. You nurture relationships, right? Donors are the same! Make sure the letter is written and hand-signed directly by someone on your leadership team.

Feel confident you can nail the letter of thanks for donations yet? Remember to keep it personal, tell a story and show that gratitude!

3 Ways Giving Can Help You Save

May 9, 2019 By David Anderson

When considering the option of giving, emphasis is often placed on the direct gains from tax deductible contributions. There are other, more indirect benefits of giving to charity that are important to observe.

Consider your financial goals and learn to plan wisely.

Donating to a charity can help you learn how to manage your finances more effectively, and actually increase the amount you save. By establishing a set of goals or priorities, philanthropic giving affords valuable skills and develops better financial habits. Understanding yourself and what you believe in will help you plan more wisely for the future. Identify what is most important to you, and assign a realistic number to what you could give over a period of time.

Charter change and make the world a better place.

Every little bit helps. Just a few U.S. dollars can go a long way in other parts of the world.

Studies show that charitable donations in the form of prosocial spending, e.g. money spent on others or the act of charitable giving fosters social connection and compensates the donor in many ways.

More specifically, generous behavior precipitates a more positive outlook, sweetens success, and promotes higher levels of happiness.

Claim Donations & Collect Tax Benefits

Charitable donations are tax deductible when made to qualified nonprofit organizations.

On the list of top 5 tax deductions, the benefits of donating to charity are well documented and should not be overlooked. When you make a cash donation to a registered nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, the amount of the donation can be listed and deducted from your taxable income. This will reduce your overall tax liability.

Another way to save on your taxes is to donate old items to charity. Less common than cash, donating goods is a way to make use of items you no longer want or need, and receive a sizeable tax deduction. The Salvation Army provides a valuable guide for determining the value of your donated items. Always get a proper, itemized receipt to keep on record for the IRS.

With the balanced approach characterized above, engaging in charitable work in your community, or giving money to a cause is a way to invest in a more profitable future. In return for your investment in a better world, you will gain personal knowledge about yourself, your values, and how to save for a better financial future.

6 Ways for Nonprofits to Get Millennials to Part With Our Money

March 25, 2019 By Tatiana Morand

“I always thought once I secured my first full-time job I would just write a check to that children’s research hospital, but then my student loans kicked in and life just got so busy. And I don’t actually have a checkbook…”

Cassandra, 26, describes some of the barriers us millennials face when it comes to charitable giving.

And even the word ‘millennial’ may evoke an image of a self-absorbed, tech-obsessed youngster (even though the youngest of us are now in our 20s) who can’t afford a house because we buy so much avocado toast.

Yet contrary to this generalization, many of us do really want to help make the world a better place — a statement backed up by recent studies showing millennials are even more cause-motivated than previous generations.

In fact, whether we’re carefully choosing our next pair of jeans based on corporate social responsibility or sharing petitions on our Facebook pages, millennials believe we have a role to play in demanding and promoting good in the world.

However, I will acknowledge while we might be engaged on social media, it can feel difficult to get us to put their money where our mouths are.

That’s because, like Cassandra, many of us are racked with student debt and struggling to navigate record high rent prices… all while making entry level salaries.

(To all baby boomers: it’s really not that we’re lazy, it’s just that we can’t afford to move out of our parents’ basements.)

Plus, given the proliferation of cause campaigns on social media, choosing just one to support can also feel intimidating and exhausting in a way other generations haven’t had to deal with.

However, there’s good news: millennials still want to give, and we still do.

The 2016 Millennial Impact Report found that more than 50% of millennials donate to charitable organizations — and the 2017 report found that 35% of them have increased their donations since the 2017 election.

So, here are 6 ways to get millennials running for their checkbooks…I mean, credit card numbers…I mean, Venmo!

1. Make it Easy

Millennials are much more likely to engage in causes with online platforms. We check our phones an average of 75 times a day for work and leisure… so make it easy to access your campaign from them.

Why do we like donation websites so much? Clicking on a link and typing in our credit card number, or providing a money transfer app like Paypal, Venmo, or Cash, is 10x faster than digging in the junk drawer for our cheque books.

Plus, we’re busy — and we know you are too. In the long run, this kind of efficiency can help both of us!

2. Make it Personal

“It wasn’t until my friend posted a video on his Facebook page for a fundraising challenge and shared his own experience with childhood cancer at the hospital that I finally gave. It really moved me, and I didn’t even think twice about donating,” said Cassandra.

Millennials in particular have grown up with unprecedented access to the stories and realities of people all over the world. Some of the most successful online campaigns are those posted on crowdfunding sites like GoFundMe, Indiegogo or YouCaring.

These platforms allow individuals to share an intimate window into a very specific need or cause on their own terms and in their own voices. The rise of this type of storytelling means that all organizations need to make their campaigns rooted in the lived realities of those they’re supporting, and share those stories in new and interesting ways.

Wondering how this is done? Look through your recipient list or supply closet and demonstrate the reality of a real individual or real situation your nonprofit organization is facing, and tell that story and raise money for that cause. We might not be ready for a recurring gift, but they do tend to respond to a real, meaningful crisis.

3. Make it Shareable

C’mon, we all feel good after giving. Who doesn’t want to tell other people about it?

So, be sure to include an option for your donors to share how they’ve supported your organization on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

And best of all: sharing doesn’t just boost your donor’s social standing, so you might even attract more new donors. It’s a win-win!

4. Give Us Other Options

While millennials do like to donate, that’s not the only way we like to engage with the causes that matter to us.

Recent research shows that 46% of us engage in some sort of volunteering — which can also be an opportunity for cash-poor millennials to feel like we’re still making a difference.

Creating volunteer opportunities for us not only helps you get some important projects completed, but deepens a donor’s sense of connection to your organization and to other donors — or helps us see exactly how our dollars would be used were we to donate, and makes us more likely to contribute.

5. Make Accountability a Priority

The days of sending off a check and forgetting about it until the annual holiday postcard from your favorite charity are over.

Just like millennials have come to expect efficiency, we’ve also come to expect accountability. With various websites like Charity Watch, where you can check the ratings and ethical history of thousands of charitable organizations, transparency matters. We’re sick of hearing about scandals — we just want to help you make a difference.

So, to keep us engaged, make sure you explicitly tell millennial donors where our money is going, and share tangible results at several points during the year. We’re not expecting miracles, but we do want to know if our funds are helping you do good.

6. Make It Clear Where You Stand

According to the the 2017 Millennial Impact report, 51% of American millennials believed the country was off track at the end of the year. So, we want to know: what is your organization doing to change that?

We’re more interested in political issues than ever before, and are more likely to put our money where our views are. So, hearing where your organization falls on the political spectrum and knowing that you’re engaging in advocacy for issues we care about makes us more likely to support you.

Despite all the negative generalizations you may have heard about selfish millennials, I can assure you they’re not true — or at least, not any more true than they are for any other generation.

So, although we might face barriers to donating past generations haven’t seen, that doesn’t mean we’re unwilling to do it.

If you can make it easy for us, give us options, and stay transparent with us, you’re sure to rack up millennial donations in no time!

Top Ten Things to Do When Beginning a Volunteer Fundraising Program

January 1, 2019 By Andy Reeher

Many nonprofits from colleges to boards and associations have dedicated groups of volunteers who help them meet their fundraising goals. What better way to increase engagement and reduce fundraising costs than to have volunteers solicit their peers with a personal appeal? Alumni groups, past president groups and foundation boards are all incorporating volunteer fundraising into their annual and campaign giving strategies. If you’re considering starting a volunteer fundraising program for your organization, here are ten things to do to get you started.

Start Small. Establishing a culture of volunteer fundraising in your group can take time. The key is to start small and grow your program over time. As you recruit additional volunteers, they can help you find and recruit even more volunteers. Consider starting with a single class of alumni or segment of your foundation. From there you can expand your program to include all alumni or segments of your group.

Decide How to Segment. Whether you want your volunteers to contact giving prospects from the same alumni area, current geographic region, profession or affinity, choose a method of segmentation and stick with it. It’s good to choose a method of segmentation where your volunteers are likely to have a lot in common with the people they are reaching out to.

Recruit Volunteers. Many times those that already contribute to your organization are prime to extend their support as volunteers. Take a look at those with a strong affinity to your mission. Many successful programs are able to retain their volunteers year after year, so your recruiting should be less time-intensive once you build up your initial team of volunteers.

Appoint Lead Volunteers. Enabling the success of your volunteers can be a challenge. You provide them with resources and training, but some volunteers still need on-on-one coaching to be successful. This is why lead volunteers are so important. They are able to provide more personal support directly to your volunteers, allowing you to focus on more strategic parts of the overall fundraising program. If you already have a program started, consider asking your highest performing volunteers to step into the role of lead volunteer.

Assign Prospects. One of the most effective ways for assigning prospects to volunteers is to let them pick based on who they know best. You can create the list of who’s available to contact, exclude anyone with any special restrictions, and allow your volunteers to pick whom they’d like to contact. We typically see volunteers contacting between 10-25 prospects, but you can also leave it open for your volunteers to contact more prospects if they’re willing.

Create Resources. It works well to have a welcome packet or volunteer guide to provide new volunteers. This is a good way to reinforce expectations and guidelines for your volunteers as well as let them know about current initiatives that may be of interest to potential donors. A typical outline for these documents include:
1. The role of a volunteer
2. Goals and expectations
3. Impact of volunteer fundraising for your organization
4. Tips and scripts for contacting prospects
5. Who to contact for additional help (include Lead Volunteers and Staff)
6. What’s happening in your organization – latest initiatives and milestones

Train Your Volunteers. It’s best to offer a variety of training options so that your volunteers can choose the one that best fits their learning style. In addition to the resources you have already created, you can offer in-person training or a campaign kick-off event, live online training, as well as recorded training for your volunteers.

Focus Your Volunteer Efforts. Since your volunteers are busy people, focus their efforts around 2-3 key times or initiatives per year. Pick a 1-2 week period and ask them to contact 10 or more prospects during that period. Time this around a key event – maybe they get early access to register for your annual convention by taking part, or it’s a lead-in to homecoming or a special giving day.

Analyze Results. One advantage of focusing your volunteer efforts over a few short 1-2 week periods throughout the year is it allows you time to analyze your results and make adjustments. Technology resources are available that can give you powerful analytics that allow you to easily identify your top performing volunteers, as well as those who are struggling.

Recognize Your Volunteers. Your volunteers make a significant contribution with all of the time and effort they invest, so it’s important that they are recognized for their efforts. List their names in your annual donor report or ask them to stand up at an annual meeting or fundraising banquet. Another great way to recognize their contributions is to offer them special perks, maybe exclusive access to a popular event or important stakeholder. Recognizing your volunteers is a great way to promote a culture of enthusiastic volunteers who stay with your organization year after year.

Volunteer fundraisers can be your key to success, but logistically can be challenging to manage. That’s why Reeher designed the first online and mobile tool to help organizations manage volunteers in your fundraising program. With Class Agent Fundraising, you can easily assign and manage volunteers, track their progress on tasks, provide the information they need to make the “asks” of their peers, and allow them to report progress and remain engaged with their team. You can view up-to-date campaign results at your fingertips – gone are the days of emailing spreadsheets and waiting for monthly reports to track your program’s progress. Visit Reeher’s website to try Class Agent Fundraising free for 14 days.

Want to Increase Repeat Donors? Just Follow the Rules

August 28, 2018 By Gary Smith

It takes a lot of effort to bring in new donors. That’s why hanging on to the donors you have—and getting them to donate again and again—is key for any nonprofit.

So how you do you increase your pool of repeat donors? Here are a few rules to get you there.

Rule 1: Remember, you’re only as good as your last interaction.

The interaction a donor will remember most is the last one they had with your organization, so offer the best service possible at all times to all of your donors. Make sure you keep the donation process easy and streamlined. Acknowledge donations in a timely fashion and don’t keep donors waiting for promised tax documentation.

Rule 2: Let donors “get their feet wet.”

Small donations can lead to larger ones down the line. Are you looking for products or supplies? Offer a “trial donation” where the donor only commits to a small amount. If that goes well, you can contact them to see if they would like to make a larger donation.

Rule 3: Spread good will.

Give donors the chance to piggyback on your public relations efforts. Sure, you may publicize their name in your lists of donors, but consider going one step further. Ask if they would like to talk about their donations in your press releases or promotional materials.

Rule 4: Ask for feedback and follow through.

It’s a good idea to send out surveys to your clients to ask about how the donation process went for them. Keep it short to increase your chance of receiving a response, and consider 10 percent a good return rate. Make sure you designate someone to go through the surveys and notify staff of any problems they need to address.

Rule 5: Honor your donors’ preferred form of communication.

To develop positive relationships with donors, nothing beats in-person meetings with telephone conversations the next best. But taking those steps can backfire if a donor prefers you contact them only by email. Find out how your donors prefer you contact them, and then honor that request. If you’re receiving product donations, set up a schedule for how frequently you should contact a business. Some companies may want to donate on a quarterly basis, others every six months. It’s best to set those parameters up front.

Rule 6: Remember to ask the next question.

If you call and a company says they have nothing to donate at that time, ask if you can call back in six months. A lot of companies have “gatekeepers,” so if you call in six months and tell the person answering the phone, “Joe asked me to call him back,” your call is more likely to go through. And if you’re lucky enough to schedule an in-person meeting with a potential donor, remember the next question you should ask is whether anyone else would like to join you for the meeting. The more people you know within a company, the stronger relationship you’ll be able to build and the better chance you’ll have that that relationship will continue if your main contact leaves the company.

Rule 7: Add value to those donations.

Give your donors value beyond the tax benefits they receive. Offer specifics on where their donations went and how your organization used them. Give them as much personal connection as you can to the good their donation is doing. Taking the time to do that is the best way to turn that one-time donor into a long-term giver.

DIY Fundraising 101: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About DIY Fundraising

June 18, 2018 By Gary Wohlfeill

Do-it-yourself (DIY) fundraising is one of the most exciting growth opportunities for nonprofits and is definitely one of the fastest growing types of peer-to-peer fundraising out there.

That’s why we thought it was time we gave DIY fundraising a good deep dive so that we can help nonprofits understand how it works and why it’s such a great tool to implement for those looking to grow and expand their peer-to-peer fundraising.

Here we go…

What really is DIY fundraising?

DIY fundraising is a new fundraising channel that empowers your community of supporters to raise money on your nonprofit’s behalf by starting a fundraiser of their own at any time —without cannibalizing any of your other campaign efforts.

The DIY part refers to the notion that your supporters have the flexibility to create an event or fundraiser that’s personal to them, not attached to a larger nonprofit campaign or event. Your supporters can get creative, have fun, and support you during a time that works best for them, and in any way that they want.

How is this different than peer-to-peer fundraising?

The peer-to-peer fundraising you might be most familiar with is usually organized around an event. Supporters are encouraged to start a fundraiser for an organized event (marathon, seasonal or themed campaign, bowl-a-thon, giving day, etc.) with all of the money raised by each individual rolling up to a grand total for your event.

This differs from DIY fundraising in that, with DIY (a subset of peer-to-peer) you are empowering your supporters to create a fundraiser whenever they want, based on whatever style of event they want to do. Maybe they want to do a birthday fundraiser, a memorial fundraiser, or get creative in the name of your cause. By creating a DIY fundraiser, they’re not attaching their campaign to an event you’re running at a specific time. Instead, they’re just starting a fundraiser whenever they want.

Both utilize passionate supporters to reach out to their network of friends and family in order to increase donations and awareness, but the main difference is in who organizes the event — the event is organized by your nonprofit vs. organized by the supporter themselves. (This also means that there isn’t the associated maintenance for your nonprofit that typically comes with running a structured campaign.)

Does DIY work in the real world?

I answer that question with a resounding yes (and if we embraced exclamation points we’d even add one here). Time and time again, we’ve talked to partners who’ve had incredible success when they’ve incorporated DIY fundraising into their overall strategy.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is one example of how embracing DIY fundraising can make such an impact. With their Lifestyle program, LLS offers up encouragement and ideas on how you can create your own DIY fundraiser. The director of the program, Colby Marple, nailed it on the head when he told us recently, “People want to make a difference. Instead of keeping [ideas] regional, what we wanted to do is create a national platform that allows all these great stories, all these great ideas to come together in a single place. And that’s what CrowdRise enabled us to do with our Lifestyle program. It’s really about making it possible for anyone to start a movement to help us cure cancer. It’s about saying yes and just empowering people to get after it and make a difference.”

“It’s really about making it possible for anyone to start a movement to help us cure cancer.”

– Colby Marple, The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

And that’s what it’s all about. Empowerment, encouragement, and in a way, letting go of control. As an organization, you have to allow your supporters to show their passion for your nonprofit in their own way. Your supporters are hungry for an opportunity to show they care, but they may not have an outlet that allows them to do so in the way they want. This is why DIY fundraising really can be important for your cause.

This all sounds great, but is it a ton of work?

The great thing about DIY fundraising is that it works well without a lot of hands-on activity from you, the nonprofit. Now, that’s not to say that it’s a ‘build-it-and-they-will-come’ type of idea. But rather, if you take the time to put the structure in place, provide encouragement along the way, and make your fundraisers feel like heroes during and after their campaign, you’ve got the makings of an evergreen fundraising push that will see repeat performance throughout the years to come.

As LLS thinks about it, “the theme across the board is any activity, any passion, any hobby, anything that brings people together can be a tremendous movement and a successful movement to help us cure cancer.” And, isn’t that what every nonprofit is ultimately trying to get to? Empowering movements that create real impact in order to create the change needed to get you to your goal?

Curing a disease, building shelters, rescuing animals… no matter what cause space you are in, passion runs deep in your supporters. And when you give them a platform to take that passion and run with it, amazing things start to happen.

How to get started

Show your supporters the possibility of DIY. Include inspirational stories or examples of fundraisers who gave up their birthday, ran their own race, or shaved their beard for your cause. Put together some best practices for your DIY fundraisers and set up a schedule of encouraging posts, emails, and reach-out opportunities for your organization in order to keep supporters motivated and excited. Also be sure to thank them at the end of their fundraiser so they feel appreciated and hungry to do even more. It’s also important to make sure you’re set up on a fundraising platform that allows for simple DIY fundraiser creation, as well as gives supporters access to your best practices and examples so that they feel encouraged and motivated to stick around and set up their campaign page.

With DIY fundraising growing at a rapid pace, with the right fundraising platform, and some up front strategizing, embracing and encouraging DIY can make a huge impact on your cause.

The New Frontier of Fundraising: An Insider’s Look at Online Giving

May 25, 2018 By Nonprofit Information

GivingTools.com founder Jason Smith weighs in on online giving trends and challenges and reveals how his company is helping nonprofits get more for less.

First off, tell us about your inspiration behind the launch of GivingTools.com, and why you felt there was a market for this type of site.

After years of providing printed materials for capital campaigns, we created a system to deploy capital campaign websites. We figured if we launched a site with each campaign and referenced it in the printed materials, it would enable more effective printed communications and a flexible online resource that could adapt to the communication needs of the campaign. A real one-two punch.

But more than simply securely collecting pledges online, we wanted to also offer an affordable way to collect payments. The problem was, with big gifts and recurring gifts, the existing model for online payments was just too expensive. 2.99 percent has been an accepted rule of thumb… and nonprofits are wisely unsure if they want a major gift to experience that kind of hit.

So we did some research. What we discovered was that the cost of online processing is pretty negotiable and that online giving services were taking bigger chunks of nonprofit budgets than they needed to. We launched a solution that would accept gifts online from donor bank accounts for zero percent plus just $0.25. It was and is unheard of.

We then launched GivingTools.com with a versatile online giving system that enables nonprofits to create many kinds of appeals: one-time gifts, recurring gifts, campaign pledges, product sales, events, and even volunteer signups. And we offered it all for just $14.95 per month.

Four years in on the online giving product, the biggest problem we’ve had was people not believing our rates were so low!

Online revenue for nonprofits continues to rise at a steady rate – it grew by 27 percent last year. Do you see traditional types of charity fundraisers (such as bake sales or walk-a-thons) going the way of the telephone booth?

Not at all. Fundraising is about raising funds, sure, but it is about raising awareness and cultivating relationships. The Internet is a great thing, but it will never replace the effect of a real person physically representing a group to the community. People give to people for people.

Social media is allowing nonprofits to reach an unprecedented number of online channels. What’s your best advice for charities seeking to implement a social media strategy?

Remember that the goal of online social media is to be social. So, if you are going to tap into social media, use the medium to its fullest by maintaining an ongoing conversation with your supporters. Dedicate time every day to reaching out, not just through online channels but surprise people with a handwritten social note at a key point in their life, or pick up the phone and thank somebody. “Social media” is not just the Internet. That’s just one medium. Use all your social media—online, email, phone, direct mail, and face-to-face to connect with, thank, and listen to your supporters.

The other thing I would say is to consider a news aggregator for your website. This is a way to display feeds from your various online social media accounts in one seamless stream. Pretty cool.

What are some of the latest trends you’re seeing in the online giving world?

A big trend is actually online giving outfits quietly being bought out by big conglomerates and turned into mere storefronts. The conglomerate homogenizes the core features and runs the gifts processing through one channel to maximize profits. Several very large outfits (Ministry Brands being one) are aggressively seeking to dominate the playing field. To them, it’s big business, with a lot of investors looking for a payout. Ministry Brands owns 25 brands and most nonprofits don’t know when they compare several services, they may be looking at just one service with several storefronts.

Is it a good thing? Well, I’ll just say that some nonprofits ask me to assure them that I am not affiliated with Ministry Brands in any way before they will sign on. I am not sure what specific difficulties they may have experienced, but they feel pretty passionate about it.

Some users have dubbed your GivingTools.com the Robin Hood of online giving. How did you earn that nickname, and do you feel it’s a suitable one?

Huzzah! Well, we are not shy in standing up to the conglomerates and keeping more donations in the hands of the nonprofits. That’s where donors mean it to go, and we do our best to honor their wishes.

For example, we offer that zero percent ACH rate. Just a $0.25 fee to process any amount from a donor’s bank account. Why can we offer it at zero percent? Because the wholesale price is zero percent. The conglomerates mark it up because they figure one percent will look pretty inexpensive beside a 2.99 percent cards rate, so they charge one percent. We refuse to take money like that. It just seems wrong.

We also refuse to lock nonprofits into one processor. BluePay comes baked in to our product, but nonprofits can link in Stripe, Base Commerce, and even PayPal to do the processing. We don’t make a penny on processing, regardless of the processor. All we make is our monthly fee.

Got that? We don’t make a penny on processing. That’s unheard of for an online giving company. And if that’s not Robin Hood-like, I don’t know what is.

Many online giving sites take a significant cut of donations by charging processing fees. How is GivingTools.com able to avoid charging those same fees?

Well, the processors charge fees. BluePay charges a flat 2.85 percent, for example. PayPal and Stripe charge 2.99 percent (or less if you negotiate). We don’t add a penny to that, we just charge a flat $14.95 monthly fee. It’s just a business decision. Nobody said you HAVE to profit everywhere you possibly can. Sometimes, a business can decide to give nonprofits a break.

Aside from the obvious financial aspect, how do your minimal fees benefit charities?

Donors want their gift to go to nonprofits…not to credit card processors. They like to know that the effect of their gift is maximized by low processing expenses. Now, from the nonprofit end of things, they want to do good in the world, and with more funding, they can do more. We were once told by a nonprofit that our low rates would enable them to save an additional child from homelessness each year. This stuff is not just about a bottom line. It is about people’s lives. Charities know that. Donors know that. We get it, too.

When seeking an online giving website, what should a nonprofit look for in both the short and long term?

I’d say that short-term and long-term, it needs to be affordable, to maximize gifts. The whole benefit of recurring giving, for example, is to reduce pledge attrition (missed payments). That averages about four percent of traditional donations. If an online giving service averages more than that, it is an expense.

That brings me to the next criterion: ease-of-use. Beyond saving you money, an online giving service is a convenience to donors and to you. Is the interface easy on the eyes? Is it flexible to your needs? Is it intuitive? We’ve spent a lot of time refining our experience to minimize barriers to giving. We listen hard to our customers and we work every day to constantly improve our product. That’s a short-term benefit and a long-term commitment.

On a personal level, tell us about your motivation for leading GivingTools.com, and helping charities get the most bang for their buck.

It is simply thrilling to build a system that enables people to help people. I’ve been involved in charitable work most of my adult life, I’ve run for office in an impoverished city, worked with troubled kids. I’ve seen a lot of need out there, and I’ve seen a lot of committed nonprofits, struggling to make ends meet to help people in desperate need. This isn’t a job for me, it’s a mission.

And finally, on a lighter note, we’ve noticed you’re having some fun with your site. (We love the roller skating Chihuahua!) Why did you decide to insert some personality into your page?

Ah the Chihuahua. Well, I have this hunch that people like to smile. As they say: “If you aren’t having fun, you aren’t doing it right.” The animated Chihuahua scenes in the admin area of GivingTools help demonstrate product features in a fun and memorable way.

I am no great fan of Chihuahuas personally. There was just a Chihuahua in one of our illustrations and we were trying to express how easy our product is to use. In a moment of desperation, we put a smartphone in his paw and added the headline “GivingTools is so easy, even a reasonably smart Chihuahua can do it.”

At that point, we were “up Shih Tzu Creek without a poodle,” as it were, so we just stuck with it. The little guy has been an inspiration, really. I even find myself singing “Chihuahua wind beneath my wings!” some days. Is that normal?

Jason N. Smith is founder of GivingTools.com. He has decades of experience in nonprofit fundraising and capital campaigns and is also owner of the multimedia firm, Fathom Studio. Based in Pennsylvania, he’s married with “innumerable” children.

Best Practices for Partnerships Between Businesses and Nonprofits

February 5, 2018 By Annie Singer

Businesses frequently partner with nonprofits to raise money and awareness for important causes. Some of these relationships last years and generate thousands of dollars, while others seemingly fail after only a short time. Follow these best practices to ensure that your next for profit/nonprofit partnership is a success for everyone!

Types of Partnerships for Businesses and Nonprofits

There are a variety of common models of partnerships for businesses and nonprofits:

The business makes a one-time or recurring financial or material contribution to the nonprofit (think: donating money or gently used products)
The business pays employees their regular salary to do volunteer work for the nonprofit
The business donates a percentage of every sale to the nonprofit

Benefits of Business-Nonprofit Partnerships

Partnerships between businesses and nonprofits should benefit everyone!

Benefits for the Business

Businesses have so much to gain from working with nonprofits. Working with nonprofits can be highly fulfilling to founders and employees, and working with a nonprofit that resonates with the values of customers can improve consumer perception and trust. It is also possible to directly drive revenue with programs such as donating a percentage of every sale for a particular promotional product.

Benefits for the Nonprofit

Partnering with companies helps nonprofits reach financial and publicity goals. Depending on the type of partnership, the nonprofit may receive financial or material donations, or extra volunteer hours. Beyond this, the business becomes a promotional channel for the nonprofit and provides free public relations exposure and marketing.

Best Practices for For-Profit Business/Nonprofit Relationships

When a business and a nonprofit create a partnership, both parties are responsible for working towards the success of the program.

Best Practices for Nonprofits

Nonprofits usually operate on limited financial and human resources, but there are easy ways that they can create a positive and successful experience working with businesses.

Create an open line of communication – Nonprofits struggle with human capital, but providing an open line of communication to the business is vital to business relationships. In turn, this can lead to more contracts signed and long-term relationships. Provide access to someone specific within the organization rather than a general customer service line or customer care email address.
Provide a style and branding guide – Most companies will want to publicize the partnership. Upon signing paperwork to formalize the partnership, provide high resolution logo files as well as basic branding guidelines. This will make it easier for the company to create graphics and messaging to promote the program.
Share partner media on social media and website – It is common for businesses to publish a press release to announce the partnership. If possible, the nonprofit should create a section of their website to publish partner press releases. Businesses might also market the partnership on social media or by creating videos. Re-sharing high quality media with appropriate branding will help these partnership programs grow, and is a sign of goodwill towards the business.

Best Practices for Businesses

Businesses are also responsible for the success of nonprofit partnerships.

Create an open line of communication – Communication is never one-way, so businesses must be highly communicative to have a successful partnership. Interestingly, the most successful businesses keep their communication simple. Make sure that a single person is accountable for the partnership, and have this person keep the nonprofit representative up to date with struggles and successes of the program.
Strictly follow requested branding guidelines – If a nonprofit offers branding guidelines and logo files, follow their guidance! Do not modify their logos or graphic files without permission, and use the messaging that they provide.
Be swift in delivering what was promised – If a business offers to donate 10% of sales to a nonprofit, it is a best practice to generate reports and deliver the donation as soon as possible after the promotion ends.

Partnerships between businesses and nonprofits should benefit everyone – most importantly, the community members that the nonprofit serves! Unfortunately, the ultimate mission can’t be served without a positive, open relationship between both parties. It is only when both parties take responsibility and carry their weight that a nonprofit promotion can be truly successful.

10 Tips to Make a Work Event Philanthropic

August 21, 2017 By Mary Wong

Throughout the year, many organizations hold various events for one reason or another. As anyone who has even been involved with putting on and organizing an event will tell you, it requires a lot of hard work from a great team of people.

Putting on a blockbuster event is one thing, but what if you could make them more philanthropic? There are many different ways to accomplish this, and most of the time it doesn’t require a lot of extra work and is just a matter of using your talents and the resources close to you.

Here are my 10 tips to make a work event more philanthropic.

1. Find a good time to throw an event.

There are times of the year when people attend more events. During certain months, there is more fiscal giving than others. If you want to maximize your earnings at your charity event, aim to throw events around the holiday season. Keep in mind, you might have more competition because many people throw events this time of the year for the same reason.

2. Find a cause that fits with your organization.

You want to seek a charity that resonates with your employees, guests, and the brand of your organization. The more relevant the cause, the more people will feel connected to it. The more connected they feel, the better it will play out at the event. If you are a women’s organization, perhaps you seek a women’s health charity. If you work with children, a toy drive around the holidays makes for an appropriate cause.

3. Put your talent to the test.

When it comes to partnering your company philanthropically, your skills become an asset to the cause. If you are a social media genius, offer to run the social media for the event. That way you can support both your company and the cause at hand. Your talent might be getting all the people there and letting the charity or your team handle the planning. Whatever your talent, put it to best use to help raise money and awareness.

4. Encourage voluntary participation.

No one wants to be forced into helping. Present the event to your staff as an extra project. If you need help on weeknights and weekends, offer incentives and make it casual. Creating incentives rewards your employees for helping and offers them the chance to work more closely with the higher ups. You can also bring in a special team of interns or volunteers for your event to help them make connections and gain experience. Don’t forget, many employees have children who are required/need to earn volunteer hours for school.

5. Sponsorships are a form of marketing.

Don’t be modest when it comes to promoting your business in tandem with a good cause. You are simultaneously helping your business and doing your philanthropic duty. Really, you are killing two birds with one stone. Sponsoring is a great way to support a cause and promote your business at the same time.

6. Increasing the range of networking.

When you throw an event for a cause, you are bringing different groups of people together. This allows for new connections to be made, and intermingling of networks. Bring people from around the community to the event. Everyone likes to celebrate, and if it is for a good cause it is all the better. Making new friends in the process can’t hurt.

7. Rally your team to bring in the goods.

Consider having different methods of donations. Not everyone likes to make cash donations, and some are not able to fiscally. During the winter months, for example, you can provide the opportunity for individuals to bring warm clothes, canned goods or toys for underprivileged children and families. This offers individuals and employees opportunities to give besides at the event and other than financially.

8. Classily ask for donations.

You can offer an incentive to your employees by matching donations made to the cause. Be sure to always present it as voluntary, because you don’t want to pressure people into participating. When you are holding your event, find a method to respectfully solicit donations. Leave a basket on each table or have a table by the exit that offers an opportunity to give to the cause. You can also have a percentage of the bar or food tab be given to the charity.

9. Send thank you notes, and a second chance.

Be sure to save all the RSVPs or nametags that were used at the event. This allows you to know who was present. Sending a thank you note shows a personal touch that goes the extra mile. You can include an envelope for a ‘last chance’ donation to the cause, too. Some organizations opt-out for this, or rather, include a link for a digital option. The easier you make the process for them, the more often people send donations.

10. Cap it with a memento.

In your thank you notes, include a little keepsake. It can be something personal from the event, such as a photograph, or a little theme-specific talisman. Many organizations continue the branding campaign and send a piece of merchandise such as a hat, keychain, bumper sticker, or t-shirt. Make sure it fits with the event and remains relevant.

Leveraging Interest Groups to Communicate Your Mission and Vision

December 22, 2016 By Sonia Barnes-Moorhead

No money to get the word out on your nonprofit’s initiatives? No problem. Leverage your allies.

Consider that your stakeholders, that is, donors, clients, sponsors, board members, staff and volunteers that are involved with a nonprofit, become spokespeople for it simply by their association with the group. Making the most of their individual and collective voices is a smart and economical way for nonprofits to spread the word on who their organization is and what it’s doing.

Maximize messaging.

One way for a nonprofit to maximize its supporters’ potential impact is to encourage them to talk about and promote the organization and its efforts during their interactions with people outside of the charity, such as with family, friends and colleagues. Another means is to recruit available staff and volunteers to participate in opportunities on the organization’s behalf where their presence, and possibly voice, could heighten the nonprofit’s visibility, such as through business happenings and networking events, social media platforms, community outreach initiatives, awards programs and print, radio and televised media opportunities.

While it’s easy to see that the potential reach of a nonprofit’s supporters is far and wide, the organizations need to be sure that their supporters follow a defined direction in their outreach efforts or else the organization’s message could become lost, muddled or even distorted. For those reasons, nonprofits should provide their allies with a clear understanding of the organization’s key messages and talking points, so they’ll be able to effectively communicate the organization’s mission and initiatives to others when opportunities arise.

Remember, too, that while people involved with a nonprofit may be able to promote the organization in general terms, their message will be more effective if it’s aligned with a specific cause or initiative. Recently, for instance, one of Astor Services for Children & Families’ supporters used crowdfunding to alert others about a marathon she was running to benefit the organization. The initiative also was posted on social media and in the news media, helping her to surpass her goal by more than $1,000.

The idea is for organizations to start their outreach with a core group of stakeholders from which to branch outward, allowing the same message to be conveyed through many different means, in the hopes that it goes viral. After all, the more communities’ businesses and residents connect with a nonprofit, the more likely it is that they’ll take up the organization’s cause through financial contributions, volunteerism and other means.

Strive for balance.

At the same time, nonprofits should look for a balance in what is shared about them, how it’s communicated and how often. Social media, for instance, provides an easy way to communicate news in a readily accessible medium, but it can be overdone, causing people to bypass posts instead of reading and sharing them. Still, it can be difficult to know how much is too much. Data analytics on social media posts can be helpful in showing what’s been most effective in terms of opened, shared and commented news. Personal preferences can also help guide a nonprofit on what’s a suitable amount of news to share, including specific supporters’ feelings on what’s appropriate.

It’s also important to keep in mind that different demographic groups respond to news items and media outlets differently. That means it’s essential for nonprofits to know how to direct their messages to appropriate audiences, what the interests of that group are, and what they’d be likely to react to and read. It’s also key for nonprofits to know who, of their supporters, are the best people to deliver the organization’s news to each of their audiences. Some supporters, for instance, are happiest and most effective when they serve as ambassadors and help to fortify connections. Others may be more inclined to take the role of askers, where they ask probing questions of others, or serve as an advocate or advisor. Knowing what each ally’s comfort level and strength is can fortify a nonprofit’s position, as can being responsive to incoming interest in its cause.

Something else for nonprofits to think about is the general public’s knowledge of their cause. Autism, for instance, is a national issue that is so largely recognized that local nonprofits dedicated to the issue might find that minimal funds for their outreach efforts suffice. Other, lesser known groups that don’t have that kind of movement might need to dedicate more funds toward their effort to connect with others.

Adapt to changes.

By utilizing their allies’ reach, nonprofits can increase the span of their marketing efforts at a minimal cost, helping ensure that more of their money goes directly into their programs and services. For many, however, as their organization grows and expands its services, so will the pool of people it serves, necessitating a greater investment for its outreach programs to connect with target audiences. As always, it’s a matter of balance.

Big, small or no budget, effective outreach efforts require ongoing attention to successfully reflect the regular changes that a nonprofit and its communities experience. At Astor, we constantly go back to the data and hold up the mirror to see what’s working and what else we can do.