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Grantmakers, Don’t Be Like a Death in the Family

April 3, 2023 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

There’s a reason why I usually advise nonprofits to spend more time pursuing donors than grants. Grantmakers can be like a death in the family!

Gary, Dennis, and Joel Fischman

Last July, my brother Joel died at the age of 59. He died suddenly, as people with pancreatic cancer often do. To wind up his affairs, I had to deal with a court-appointed administrator, with an investment firm, and with three offices of the U.S. government (his employer).

The administrator was wonderful, both humane and experienced. The investment firm took more care to make sure they were crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s than to make the experience easy for me, but that’s all right: I’d rather they send the right amount of money to the right recipient (our mother, Joel’s heir).

The HR office at Joel’s employer, the US Courts, was both deeply caring and efficient. They made sure I would know what to do and how, and they cautioned me about how long it might take.

The unexpected obstacle was the Federal Employee Retirement System (FERS). After several rounds of mail (sent to my mother and forwarded to me), they finally got to the point where they were ready to release my brother’s money. Only…they required my mother’s signature, by hand.

Not my electronic signature, as her Power of Attorney. Not even my signature in ink. Apparently, as far as this particular branch of the federal government is concerned, a legal Power of Attorney might as well be a roll of toilet paper.

They insisted my 88-year-old mother with the trigger finger take a pen and sign on the dotted line before they would send any of the money my late brother had left for her. Apparently, I could have been defrauding them by sending them a Power of Attorney that’s been valid for years, but if Mom painfully signed their document today, that would prove she’d done it of her own free will.

Grantmakers, don’t do this!

If you run a family foundation or manage a grant program at some larger charity, don’t act like the FERS. You don’t want to be a source of grief!

Literally, there’s a good chance that someone who’s applying for your funds has lost someone close to them recently. Between Covid-19, RSV, police violence, and maternal mortality rates, there have been even more deaths than usual these past few years (and a disproportionate amount of the mourning has taken place in communities of color).

But even if the particular applicant has not put on their mourning suit lately, many nonprofits are dealing with a set of social ills that take their clients’ lives and drain their own vital energy, day by day.

You want to support them. I know that. The last thing you want to do is administer death by a thousand cuts. But…listen to the brave nonprofits who are risking losing your money by telling you that’s exactly what you’re inflicting.

As Charlie Brown would say, “Good grief!” (Only, there’s nothing good about it.)

Grantmakers, please do this instead

  • Simplify, simplify, simplify your proposals.
  • Accept proposal formats that a variety of other funders accept, so the nonprofit doesn’t have to rework the proposal over and over.
  • Get rid of word and character limits. Let people write in natural sentences.
  • Make unrestricted grants.
  • Make multi-year grants.
  • Come up with reporting requirements that nonprofits can meet just by doing their work, not by making a separate database stand on its head.
  • Be kind. Remember that other people are carrying burdens you know nothing about.

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Fundraising Tuesday: Effectively Marketing Your Nonprofit’s Next Virtual Event

March 28, 2023 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Dominique Desmarais of CharityBids

The COVID-19 pandemic boosted the prominence of virtual charity events. But nonprofits have continued to leverage them beyond the days of lockdown because of their many benefits.

For most of your supporters, virtual gatherings are likely unique, refreshing, and convenient to attend. Plus, they can help your organization save on costs, or tap into exclusive experiences like celebrity appearances or performances. There’s also a wide variety of online fundraising tools and strategies you can use for a virtual event.

However, just because your auction will be held via Zoom or your gala will take place in an immersive virtual reality venue doesn’t mean that your marketing efforts can take a backseat. With virtual events, you still need to pull out all the stops when it comes to promoting the occasion and encouraging people to attend.

In this guide, we’ll help you get started by providing three tips you can use to effectively market your nonprofit’s next virtual event.

1. Take a multichannel approach.

Even though your event is going to take place online, you should still cast a wide net when it comes to choosing marketing channels to promote your virtual event. Use a multichannel approach to make sure that you’re covering all of your bases.

So, what channels should you use?

  • Email
  • Social media
  • Radio and TV
  • Printed materials (such as flyers and posters)
  • Direct mail

Of course, some channels will be more useful than others, depending on what you know about your supporters. But the main idea of a multichannel approach is, according to Double the Donation, to “increase your chances of reaching out to your supporters with their preferred communication method.”

As you cast your marketing net wide, keep these best practices in mind to make your efforts as effective as possible:

  • Brand your materials to your nonprofit. No matter the channel your supporters are using to learn about your event, they should know that the messaging is coming from your nonprofit. Be consistent in using your nonprofit’s brand elements across your marketing materials. Place your name and logo in a prominent place on all of your materials, and use similar color schemes from channel to channel. This way, you’ll build brand recognition for your organization while promoting your event.

 

  • Use calls-to-action to encourage registrations. The end goal of your virtual event marketing strategy is to get your supporters to register for your event. Use calls-to-action (CTAs) to encourage them to take that step. A CTA is simply a statement that encourages people to do something. For example, you might include a CTA in an email newsletter that says, “Help end the rhino poaching crisis by registering for our webinar today.”

 

  • Pay attention to timing. Different channels will be useful at different times leading up to your virtual event. For instance, printing hundreds of flyers probably wouldn’t be a very wise move in the last few days before your event. Those materials would better serve your marketing strategy a few months prior to the big day. On the other hand, social media will be a great tool to use in the days and hours leading up to the event because they’ll reach your audience quickly.

As you select the different channels you’ll use to market your virtual event, make sure to be consistent in how you talk about your event. Share critical details like date, time, and cost to register. This way, everyone will get the same information regardless of the way they receive that information.

2. Make your website your event information hub.

Because your virtual event will likely require that your supporters register online, you should use your website as a central event information hub, directing supporters to it no matter how they hear about your event.

CharityBids’ guide to nonprofit event planning suggests creating a microsite or dedicated events page on your website that includes an easy-to-use registration form. This way, you can not only get people registering for your most current virtual event, but also establish a clear section on your website that supporters can visit regularly for news about future events.

Let’s look at some additional ways you can strengthen your website to make it an effective marketing tool for your virtual events:

  • Spotlight your event on your homepage. Put event announcements front and center on your website by including them on your homepage. This way, users will quickly learn about your events when they visit your website and be encouraged to continue their journey by learning more on your event page.

 

  • Create blog posts about your event. Your blog is a great place to plug your virtual events. For example, you might write up the history of your annual gala, share what your attendees enjoyed most about last year’s auction, or publish an interview with your event’s special guest. Don’t forget to include a CTA that encourages blog readers to register!

 

  • Add social media buttons. Once a supporter has used your website to register for your virtual event, they may want to share the event information with their personal networks. Empower them to do so by including social sharing buttons on your website. This way, your supporters can help market your event with one easy click.

As you prepare your website to be the central information hub for your next virtual event, perform some website maintenance. For example, make sure that your website is loading correctly, that every link on your site works, and that any outdated content has been removed. Additionally, ensure that your website is optimized for accessibility so that anyone can use it, regardless of ability. This way, you’ll be ready to welcome as many people as possible to engage with your event-specific web content.

3. Use personalization to make your communications more effective.

The best way to start personalizing your marketing efforts is to segment your target audience. This is the process of dividing your audience into sub-groups based on shared characteristics. Your promotional messages will better resonate with your audience when they’re tailored to specific audience groups.

To segment your nonprofit’s community of supporters, use your donor data to identify shared characteristics like:

  • Geographical location
  • Age
  • Donor status
  • Communication preference

Here’s an example of what this might look like in practice: Say that you review the donor data in your CRM and learn that 60% of your supporters live in your local community. Knowing this, your team could determine that it would be a good use of marketing dollars to hang up event posters in community centers, and ask local business owners to keep a stack of flyers by their cash registers.

To take your personalization efforts to the next level, use your recipients’ first names and reference their previous donations or involvement with your nonprofit. Personalizing your materials when you can will make your supporters feel seen as individuals and feel like your virtual event invitations are meant just for them.

The success of your nonprofit’s next virtual event will heavily depend on your ability to market it effectively. Leverage the tips in this guide to make your efforts count, and consider working with charity event planning and production experts to make the process even easier. You’ve got this!


Dominique DesMarais head shotAuthor: Dominique Desmarais, Marketing Manager at CharityBids

Dominique is the Marketing Manager at CharityBids. She earned her Bachelor of Commerce from the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University, specializing in Marketing and International Business.

Over the years, Dominique has developed a strong passion for creative direction and strategy development. She brings a unique and artistic approach to marketing, rooted in her enthusiasm for the creative, entertainment and fashion industries, and their applications to establishing and growing digital presence. Having launched her own creative agency, Dominique was able to collaborate across cultures and bring creative visions to life through disruptive innovation.

When she’s not working, you can find Dominique hunting down the best food in the city, taking in an art exhibit, or capturing the beauty of her surroundings through photographs. She has a fire to create change and a drive to fuel success, while continuously striving to learn, grow, and prosper.

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Fundraising Tuesday: The End of AmazonSmile (Everything Nonprofits Need to Know)

March 21, 2023 by Dennis Fischman Leave a Comment

A guest post by Korri Piper at ShopRaise

Online shopping and online fundraising have both grown in popularity in recent years, leading to major changes for both for-profit businesses and nonprofit organizations. Shoppers not only gravitate toward online retailers, but they’re also interested in making a difference through their purchases.

In 2013, Amazon.com came up with a solution that combined all of these trends: AmazonSmile.

AmazonSmile provided a convenient way to donate while shopping online. The small contributions from this easy-to-run passive fundraising program added up over time to aid the fundraising efforts of more than a million organizations. However, on January 18, 2023, Amazon announced they would be discontinuing the Smile program on February 20.

In this guide, we’ll explain everything you need to know about the discontinuation of AmazonSmile and its effects on nonprofits like yours by answering the following questions:

  • What was AmazonSmile?
  • Why was AmazonSmile discontinued?
  • How has the end of AmazonSmile affected nonprofits?
  • What next steps can nonprofits take?

What was AmazonSmile?

Founded by Amazon.com as one of their business philanthropy initiatives, AmazonSmile was a program that allowed shoppers to give back to their favorite nonprofits while making everyday online purchases. Shoppers could conveniently contribute through purchases that they were going to make anyway at no additional cost. Plus, they could support a wide range of nonprofits, from enterprise-level groups to the smallest community organizations.

For nonprofits, AmazonSmile provided a free, easy way to bring in extra revenue all year long. The program did have its disadvantages, such as its low commission rates—just 0.5% of a supporter’s total purchase went back to the nonprofit. Also, shoppers could only contribute through purchases made on Amazon.com, and nonprofits couldn’t view data on which supporters participated, making it impossible to thank those donors individually. But it was a creative idea that kept supporters engaged and supplemented countless organizations’ annual fundraising efforts.

Why was AmazonSmile discontinued?

In their news release about the end of AmazonSmile, Amazon.com announced that they would be focusing their philanthropic efforts on other programs. Because more than a million organizations participated in AmazonSmile, the business’s leadership said they felt like their “ability to have an impact was often spread too thin.”

The move came alongside other cost-cutting measures for Amazon.com, including widespread layoffs. However, during the transition, Amazon.com has pledged to donate the equivalent of three months of AmazonSmile revenue to each participating organization based on their 2022 earnings. They will also continue to encourage nonprofits to ask for in-kind donations by sharing their Amazon wishlists with supporters.

How has the end of AmazonSmile affected nonprofits?

Despite Amazon’s pledges to ease the transition, many nonprofits have already shared how the discontinuation of AmazonSmile will affect their fundraising. Small to mid-sized organizations in particular pointed out that the ongoing revenue stream made a major difference in their ability to further their mission with limited resources. The discontinuation also eliminated an accessible way for supporters to give to these organizations.

This transition has affected nonprofits’ financial planning as well, particularly because of its timing. According to Jitasa, most nonprofits create a new operating budget at the end of each fiscal year so it can be approved before the next fiscal year begins. Nonprofits whose fiscal year follows the calendar year had likely already finalized their operating budgets when Amazon made the announcement. Learning in January that one of their revenue sources would be discontinued in February has left little time to figure out how to replace that funding.

What next steps can nonprofits take?

The approach to and timing of AmazonSmile’s discontinuation leaves a gap in many nonprofits’ fundraising strategies. If your organization is among those, you’re probably considering how to make up the ongoing revenue you’ll no longer receive. Fortunately, there’s a free and easy solution available: partnering with a dedicated online shopping fundraiser program.

How Online Shopping Fundraiser Programs Work

Participating in an online shopping fundraiser program works similarly to AmazonSmile. Supporters can contribute to your nonprofit as they make everyday online purchases. But rather than being tied to a specific retailer, these programs leverage a wide partner network of e-commerce businesses. When a supporter shops at any participating retailer using the program’s app or browser extension, a percentage of their purchase goes to a nonprofit of their choice.

ShopRaise’s guide to shopping for a cause explains how your organization can get started with an online shopping fundraiser program in three easy steps:

  • Sign your nonprofit up. The program’s fundraising experts will walk you through a simple onboarding process, answer any questions you may have, and handle all negotiations with retailers for you.
  • Market your fundraiser. If your organization is switching from AmazonSmile to a new online shopping program, you’ll need to make supporters aware of the change and regularly remind them to use the app and browser extension as they shop online. The online shopping fundraiser program can help with this step by creating branded flyers, email templates, and other marketing materials for your nonprofit.
  • Track your results. You’ll be able to view real-time fundraising data, allowing you to thank your top supporters individually and see how their contributions add up to make a difference for your organization.

Once your organization is onboarded, online shopping fundraisers are fairly hands-off. All you’ll need to focus on is marketing and tracking results.

Benefits of Online Shopping Fundraiser Programs

Besides helping fill the gap created by the discontinuation of AmazonSmile, online shopping fundraiser programs have several other benefits for nonprofits like yours, including:

  • Bringing in unrestricted funding. You can put the contributions from your online shopping fundraiser toward any area of your organization’s budget, including operating expenses.
  • Providing flexibility for different organizations. Nonprofits of all sizes can fundraise through an online shopping program—along with schools, faith-based organizations, community groups, and even sports teams!
  • Increasing your fundraising capabilities as compared to AmazonSmile. Other online shopping fundraiser programs can get commission rates as high as 10% depending on the purchase, as compared to AmazonSmile’s 0.5% average rate.

Online shopping fundraiser programs also benefit supporters by allowing them to shop more ethically as they go about their daily lives. Plus, they can contribute to your nonprofit with little effort and at no additional cost.


Korri Piper, Sales and Marketing Consultant & Director of Vendor Relationships at ShopRaise – Bio

Relationship director, project manager, writer and general life enthusiast. Let me tell you how online shopping can solve the world’s problems.

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