Fundraising is Funny

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This season of Fundraising is Funny is brought to you by our friends at Bloomerang. Bloomerang offers donor management and online fundraising software that helps small to medium nonprofits, like First Tee of Greater Akron, a nonprofit that empowers kids and teens through the game of golf.

After just one year with Bloomerang they doubled their unique donors, improved donor stewardship, and raised more funds. Executive Director Josh Smith described their experience, “We love Bloomerang. It saves time. It’s helped us raise more funds.” To listen to the full interview with First Tee of Greater Akron visit bloomerang.com/funny.

This episode is brought to you by MSP Cultivate. New challenges arrive on your desk every day. New trends in communications are popping up faster than you can follow them, and technology affects everything you do. Our friends at MSP Cultivate help you find the right strategy and execution to help you accomplish your most fundamental goal: engaging and connecting with your donors. Learn more at www.mspcultivate.com.

Taking a quick moment to share more about our sponsor: Givebutter, the all-in-one nonprofit fundraising platform that’s empowering millions of changemakers like you to raise more, pay less, and give better.

Nonprofits use Givebutter to bring together multiple tools, including donation forms, fundraising campaigns, events, auctions, CRM, email marketing, text messaging, and more—all for free, thanks to their 100% transparent tip-or-fee model.

As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.

If you're a nonprofit, school, team, or any kind of group looking to raise money, sign up for your free Givebutter account to get started in minutes. Head to givebutter.com to claim your free account today.

Visiting a comatose planned giving donor 🫣 May 23, 2023

Show notes

Remember that time you came across a contact report that made your eyes bug? 👀 We've all been there. But boy howdy, we're chatting through one example that had us questioning how/why they exist and how to cultivate with honor.

👊Punchline: Contact reports exist to show how a relationship is evolving. As you're reporting, remember personal ethics and dignity in our profession.

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As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.

Why must our events be labeled "special?" 🪩 May 16, 2023

Show notes

"Low Hanging Fruit?" 🤨 Let's face it, our sector's words are weird. And littered with bizarre acronyms. And after awhile, we kinda get used to them until a newbie enters the picture and says, "ummm, please define." Those who are generous are the best of us, and some of our jargon gets in the way of us remembering that

👊Punchline: Do we think about the way we talk about donors?

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As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.

Data assumptions may confuse King Charles with Ozzy Osbourne👑🦇 May 09, 2023

Show notes

Repeat after us: no donor is the same. And digging in beyond surface-level data can illuminate why two gents who own castles in England are two very different humans with different interests and giving motivations.

👊Punchline: Assumptions can sink relationships without the proper context. Digging into your data to understand the heart of a donor is game-changing for long-term connection.

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As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.

Donor signage - the good, bad, ugly 👍👎🧟 May 02, 2023

Show notes

Oh mercy. It's the signage conversation we've all experienced (and may carry the emotional scars to prove it🤕). Whether it's tracking correct spelling, ensuring we've uncoupled appropriately, or "where the heck did maintenance put my donor wall after the renovation?!" - there's much to learn from the way we name spaces and honor donors.

👊Punchline: Assess where value and stewardship can be best expressed for the masses. You may be spinning your wheels on that bronze bust when an impact report may be the most profound (and affordable!) answer.

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As the #1 rated nonprofit software company on G2 across multiple categories including donor management and auctions, Givebutter is on a mission to power the next billion changemakers.

SURVEY SAYS! ...we need to ask better questions on surveys ✅❎ Apr 25, 2023

Show notes

A recent survey shows 100% of nonprofits need to be asking bigger and better questions. Do you have a culture of surveying, and are you (gulp) asking questions that you already have in your database?

👊Punchline: Asking questions in short form + with a point + have actionable items = feedback GOLD.

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iWave is the leading provider of award-winning fundraising intelligence for nonprofits. With iWave’s powerful solutions, you’re not just getting incredible wealth screening and analytics that help you learn more about your donors with pinpoint accuracy, you can identify new donors through prospecting, find out more about your corporate and foundation donors, and gain tremendous insight into the most effective cultivation and engagement approaches – all powered by the industry’s largest philanthropic giving database. Visit iwave.com to learn more!

Remember when our donor ate potpourri? 👀 Apr 18, 2023

Show notes

We've all seen the unbelievable and disbelievable in our work. But there's just something maniacally funny about the oddest experiences that inform our work.

👊Punchline: Getting to know your donors (beyond the surface level) is essential to responding to the inevitable with grace and understanding. Also, have an internal plan when things go wrong.

Mentions

World Central Kitchen by José Andres

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Goodbye philanthropy, Hello generosity 🎉 Apr 11, 2023

Show notes

The battle lines have been drawn and its generosity vs philanthropy🥊 Anybody can be generous, and honoring however a person wants to give truly honors the love of humankind. Do we value generosity or philanthropy more at our organizations?

👊Punchline: Generosity is bigger than a financial gift. Once we see beyond that which we can gift, our mission and its footprint compound exponentially. PS: money follows!

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When it's time to let go...starting with your fax number 📠 Apr 04, 2023

Show notes

We don't like change. And no we're not talking about the coins in your pocket. In this episode, we dive into the peculiarities of nonprofit business cards, explore the resistance to change within the sector, and discuss the importance of embracing new communication mediums. We share laughs while examining the prevalence of fax numbers and the absence of cell phone numbers on business cards, and discuss how some nonprofits still cling to outdated technology. Let's talk (and laugh) about the things that your nonprofit wont change no matter what!

👊 Punchline: Ask yourself — what are we doing today that we've been doing for a long time? Start innovating there.

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AFP Research Report: First Collaborative, Comprehensive Survey of the Fundraising Profession Shows Urgent Need for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Access in the Workplace

The Art of Nonprofit Case Statements: Laughs, Lessons, and Pitfalls 🤦‍♀️ Mar 28, 2023

Show notes

You know your stuff. You've studied, you've failed, you've tested and followed good advice. Let's talk (and laugh) about when we've had our work overworked by non-fundraising experts.

🤣📚 Get ready to dive into the funny and often frustrating world of nonprofit fundraising, with a focus on case statements and communications! Join us as we discuss the challenges, pitfalls, and amusing stories of miscommunication within the nonprofit sector. 🌐💬

From board members who think they're fundraising experts to the perils of working with public relations firms that don't understand fundraising, we cover the good, the bad, and the hilarious in our quest to make fundraising a more enjoyable and successful endeavor. 🙌💡

👊Punchline: remember, you are the expert. Stand your ground and don't forget that emotion rules the day when it comes to fundraising.

Resources Mentioned:

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