Fridays 4 Fundraising

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly encourages you to call a very special segment of your donors. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Sign up for Digital Tools, Analog Hearts workshop Takeaways Small donors matter too, and their stories are sometimes the most inspiring. It's crucial to show that you care about all of your donors; it's easy to prioritize big donors, but this segment is the foundation. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, donor engagement

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about how Time Boxing can be used as a strategy to help overwhelmed leaders get the most important part of their mission done. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Takeaways Hope doesn't help you make time for the most important things to your mission, intention does. Creating space and protecting it are critical for nonprofit leaders. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, fundraising productivity, productivity, nonprofit leadership.

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly breaks apart what stewardship actually means so you can actually start doing it better. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Takeaways Stewardship is more than a thank you note. Done well, stewardship builds a relationship with your donor. It's actually a lot simpler than you think. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, relationship based fundraising

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about why she tells her clients not to consider gala ticket purchasers as donors, and how to think about them more effectively to turn them into real partners. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Takeaways How to know if your fundraising program is transaction-based or relationship-based Why transitioning to relationship-based fundraising is critical for sustainability How to rethink your gala or special event fundraising to get the best of transactional fundraising and relationship based fundraising. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, relationship based fundraising

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly tells you the secret to major gifts success...and it's not what you think! Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop Takeaways Relationships, authenticity, and trust are the guide stars in major gifts. There's no right or wrong way to ask when you've got a solid relationship with a donor. Major gifts are actually simpler than you think. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, donor solicitations

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly is bringing back a blast from the early 2000s. Remember Google Alerts? They still exist, and they are a highly underutilized fundraising gold mine! Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop Takeaways How to use Google Alerts to grow your major gifts program What to do with the information you learn via Google Alerts It's not just for individual donors: try it on your corporate and foundation partners Keywords nonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, corporate funding, corporate giving, foundations, foundation fundraising

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly is helping you get over the fear of sending donor updates by showing you how the shift from polish to authenticity wins every single time. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop Takeaways Infrequent, super polished newsletters don't engage donors the way you want. Less polished, more authentic emails win every single time. How can you re-think your donor engagement strategy. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, email list growth, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly is getting you to think outside the box on growing email list. Kelly shares innovative strategies and creative, non-traditional methods of list building. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop Takeaways Tabling at local events is a highly effective lead generation method for small nonprofits. Offering valuable resources like bird guides or bingo cards can attract email signups. Donor engagement can be increased by signaling value and relevance through targeted content. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, email list growth, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about the importance of maintaining a clean and up-to-date donor CRM, and how to leverage slower months (like August) to prep it for busier times (like year end). Kelly shares practical steps for nonprofit organizations to streamline their donor data, prepare for major gift campaigns, and leverage CRM cleanup as a strategic tool for fundraising success. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop Takeaways Regular CRM cleanup prevents duplicate donor accounts which avoids critical relationship management errors. Up-to-date donor profiles improve communication and engagement. Cleaning your CRM now saves time and effort later. A systematic approach to cleanup can be manageable and effective. CRM maintenance is crucial for long-term fundraising success. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, donor CRM, data cleanup, major gifts, fundraising strategy, nonprofit tips, donor management, CRM best practices, fundraising success, nonprofit growth

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly challenges you to call your 10 most recent donors AND create the infrastructure to keep calling your donors every Friday. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways Build and schedule a report from your donor CRM to keep you on top of calling your donors. End your week with calls to your donors to maximize your donation relationships and end your week with encouragement. Keywords fundraising, nonprofit, donor communication, stewardship

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly tells you how her clients have successfully gotten more responses from emails to donors with a simple, practical email strategy to improve donor communication and stewardship, emphasizing strategic and sparing use of mail merge for maximum impact. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways Mail merge can personalize donor updates and increase engagement when used SPARINGLY. Using mail merge for important, targeted communications can create a sense of exclusivity and intimacy. Always use mail merge strategically to avoid spamming donors. Tools like Outlook, Gmail, and third-party plugins can facilitate mail merge. Donor stewardship emails sent via mail merge can generate immediate responses and conversations. Keywords fundraising, nonprofit, mail merge, donor communication, stewardship, email marketing, nonprofit tips

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly explains how to effectively use LYBUNT reports to re-engage donors and build sustainable support. Learn actionable steps to improve donor retention and strengthen your fundraising efforts. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways Check LYBUNT reports monthly to catch donors before they lapse Reach out to donors who haven't given this year to re-engage them Understand why donors lapse and address their concerns Use donor data to inform your fundraising strategy Build relationships beyond financial contributions Keywords fundraising, nonprofit, donor retention, LYBUNT, donor engagement, fundraising strategy, nonprofit tips

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares practical strategies for email list segmentation and donor engagement to boost nonprofit fundraising efforts. Learn how to effectively categorize your supporters and leverage integrated platforms for better outreach. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways Segment your email list based on donor activity and interests. Use integrated platforms like Neon One, DonorBox, and CauseVox. Allow supporters to self-select their interests to improve engagement. Update donor tags with last donation date for targeted campaigns. Leverage Zapier to connect platforms that don't natively integrate. Keywords nonprofit fundraising, email segmentation, donor management, CRM, donor engagement, fundraising strategies, nonprofit tips

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares something a little different: a deeply impactful mindset quote that she wants to share with you. Take this weekend to rest, instead of continuing to hustle. The work will be there again on Monday. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways When we don't take time for rest, we're asking to burn out. Even when the work is hard and urgent, rest is yet more urgent because you are your mission's greatest asset. Keywords fundraising, fundraiser burnout, nonprofit burnout, rest is resistance, nonprofit leadership

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares practical strategies for engaging lapsed donors, including real-life success stories and actionable steps to re-engage supporters and boost fundraising efforts. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways It's worth calling lapsed donors, not to raise more, but to find out how to improve your fundraising efforts. A real life story about how Kelly brought a donor back into the fold at a higher level than they'd ever given before. Keywords fundraising, lapsed donors, donor engagement, nonprofit, Kelly McLaughlin, donor retention, fundraising tips

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares how nonprofit organizations can leverage Zapier to automate routine tasks, saving time and increasing efficiency in fundraising efforts. Links to Tools Mentioned Zapier - https://zapier.com DonorBox - https://www.donorbox.org Neon One - https://neonone.com Monday.com - https://monday.com Takeaways Zapier can connect multiple tools to automate fundraising tasks. Automation frees up staff to focus on relationship-building rather than data entry. A well-structured automation system can operate seamlessly without constant oversight. Nonprofits can implement sophisticated workflows even with small teams. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Fridays 4 Fundraising 00:48 Thanks to Donorbox! 01:17 This Week's Focus: Drop busywork with Zapier 02:07 How to drop busywork with Zapier 06:55 Resources to Support You 08:10 This Week's Assignment: Automate something that will save you hours Keywords fundraising automation, Zapier, nonprofit efficiency, donor management, workflow automation

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about how to get your board to buy into professional development budgets. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways Present fundraising investments as gains, not a way to prevent losses. Use data to show the potential return on investment. Frame fundraising needs as opportunities for growth. Keywords fundraising, nonprofit, professional development, donor retention, board engagement, fundraising strategy, nonprofit success, donor retention improvement, fundraising support

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly emphasizes the importance of personal donor engagement through calls, advocating for a return to traditional relationship-building methods to boost fundraising effectiveness. She shares practical steps for nonprofit leaders to reconnect with donors and improve retention. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways The decline of digital-only fundraising strategies The importance of personal donor relationships Practical steps for calling and engaging donors Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Fridays 4 Fundraising 00:41 Thank You to Donorbox! 01:08 This Week's Focus: Call Your Donors, part 2! 04:10 How to Approach Calling Donors You Don't Know 05:49 Let's hang out! 06:53 Your Homework Assignment: Call 10 Donors You Don't Know Keywords fundraising, donor engagement, nonprofit, relationship-building, donor calls, fundraising strategy, Kelly McLaughlin, From Scratch Fundraising

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly explains how nonprofit fundraisers can leverage calendar scheduling links to increase efficiency and build stronger donor relationships. Kelly shares practical steps to implement these tools and improve fundraising outcomes. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Takeaways Using calendar links is now essential for donor engagement. Set up three default meeting types: 30-min virtual, 60-min virtual, 90-min in-person. Choose a platform that integrates well with your existing tools. Donors prefer efficient, no-hassle scheduling options. Chapters Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Fridays 4 Fundraising 01:07 The Shift in Donor Scheduling Preferences 01:38 Why Calendar Links Are a Must Now 03:55 Choosing the Right Scheduling Platform 05:17 Setting Up Default Meeting Types 06:09 Matching Meeting Types to Donor Needs 06:50 Quick Setup Tips for Calendar Links 06:58 Your Weekly Homework: Implement a Calendar Link Keywords fundraising, nonprofit, calendar scheduling, donor relationships, efficiency, digital tools, fundraising tips

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares insights on managing fundraiser burnout by understanding the physiological stress response and practical techniques to stay resilient. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Sign up for How To Fundraise Without Burning Out workshop Takeaways Burnout is the freeze response, a physiological reaction to stress. Managing stress involves making your body feel safe through physical and social activities. Understanding the physicality of stress is crucial for long-term resilience. Chapters 00:00 Welcome to Fridays 4 Fundraising 02:40 Understanding Fundraiser Burnout 05:19 Physiological Responses to Stress 08:14 Strategies for Managing Stress 10:58 Building a Burnout Recovery Action Plan 13:51 Workshop Invitation and Conclusion Keywords fundraiser burnout, stress management, nonprofit, sustainable fundraising, mental health, stress response, burnout recovery, Kelly McLaughlin, DonorBox, fundraising tips