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Ethical Storytelling for Nonprofits
When we embark upon what’s known in the nonprofit world as “donation season,” chances are that your organization thinks about putting together a fundraising video or other media that demonstrates the impact of your work. When I became the in-house Medi …
Can’t Raise Cash Through No VAULT of Your Own?
Do you lead a nonprofit that needs money? Do you look with envy on some other executive directors who haul dollars into their vaults in sacks or bitcoins? Maybe you’re like me—an outsider director. Outsider directors don’t know rich people who are tryi …
Functional Expenses Decreased During Covid-19? How to Prepare for Conversations with Funders
The topic of functional expenses has garnered attention at nonprofit board meetings over the past year. Many nonprofits feel pressure from foundation and government funding sources to maintain a certain level of program expenses as a percentage …
Still Publishing Donor Names? Ditch the List
“We nonprofits often put a great deal of time and effort into our annual reports, especially compared with how briefly most recipients will look at them,” begins the Blue Avocado article, The Secret to a High Impact Annual Report. “Rather than s …
How to Give Feedback to Your Funders—Especially When It’s Hard
Nonprofits can empower themselves to speak out. In 2014, the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) launched an innovative initiative called Philamplify, which evolved into Power Moves. It promoted open, honest feedback to challenge the …
Investing in Relationships with Donors: 5 Phases of Securing a Major Gift
Whether your organization considers $500 or $5,000 a major gift, you must take the time to invest in building a relationship with the prospective donor. If you have not started to build those relationships, the time is now. Major gifts are not just for …
Communicating with Donors During a Maelstrom: Practical Wisdom on When, What, Who, How, and How Often
The Covid-19 virus has upended every facet of our lives. For those of us in the nonprofit community, that has meant closing our facilities and offices, disrupting our delivery of services, and ceasing our communications with donors— Wait a minute! Whi …
4 Tips for Sustaining and Managing Donors
Donors are the life source for nonprofits. Sustaining them for long periods of time is the best way to increase your revenue. After all, it’s much easier (and less expensive) to retain donors than it is to acquire new supporters. In fact, if nonprofits …
Donor-Centric Budgeting & Reporting: Top 6 Tips
“Pledge now and get an attractive station tote bag!” Sound familiar? The nonprofit industry I’ve been immersed in for nearly my entire career—public media—is among the most famous for taking a relatively transactional approach to fundraising. While eve …
#RiskyBusiness: Is Your Fundraising in Compliance with State Laws?
Blue Avocado introduces #RiskyBusiness, a column discussing the operating risks of running nonprofits, such as financials, contractors, volunteers, fundraising campaigns, expansions, M&A, contracts, board decision-making, capital projects, successi …
