Nonprofit Answers: Nonprofit Fundraising, Marketing, Monthly Giving Podcast Por Jeremy Reis arte de portada

Nonprofit Answers: Nonprofit Fundraising, Marketing, Monthly Giving

Nonprofit Answers: Nonprofit Fundraising, Marketing, Monthly Giving

De: Jeremy Reis
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Nonprofit Answers Podcast helps you raise more money to help more people by answering your nonprofit leadership, marketing, and fundraising questions. Learn how to reach more donors with answers to your philanthropy and advancement questions. For Development Directors, Chief Development Officers, CEOs, Nonprofit Leaders, Fundraisers, Marketing Managers, Major Donor Reps, and Nonprofit Board Members. Learn about monthly, annual fund, major, midlevel, grants, planned giving, direct mail, email fundraising, leadership, and more.Copyright 2018-2020 Jeremy Reis All rights reserved. Economía Gestión Gestión y Liderazgo
Episodios
  • 064 - How Do I Do It All as a Small Nonprofit with Big Work?

    064 - How Do I Do It All as a Small Nonprofit with Big Work?
    Jun 30 2025
    Small Organization, Big Impact - Managing Everything Yourself

    It's 11:30 PM, you're at your kitchen table surrounded by grant applications, donor letters, and program reports. Your "working" board means well, but the reality is everything falls on your shoulders. You're drowning in operational details while the mission work you're passionate about gets squeezed into whatever time is left.

    The painful irony: You got into this work because you care about the mission, but increasingly you feel like an administrator, accountant, marketing manager, and secretary rather than someone focused on actual impact.

    The impossible juggle: Writing $50,000 grants in the morning, calling donors at lunch, updating websites in the afternoon, and doing thank-you letters at midnight. You're changing lives but losing yourself in the process.

    What You'll Discover

    The skills mismatch insight: The abilities that make you an effective mission-driven leader are completely different from the skills needed to manage operations, administration, and fundraising. You're being asked to be five different professionals simultaneously.

    The strategic focus principle: The goal isn't managing every detail flawlessly - it's identifying essential functions only you can do and creating efficient systems for everything else.

    The 5-Area Framework for Small Organization Management
    • Role clarification and prioritization - Identifying what only you can do vs. what can be systemized or delegated
    • Systems development for efficiency - Creating processes that work without you for routine functions
    • Strategic volunteer utilization - Getting real help rather than more coordination burden
    • Board engagement optimization - Moving beyond meeting attendance to operational responsibility
    • Sustainable workload management - Preventing burnout while maintaining impact
    Real Small Organization Transformation Results

    A rural North Carolina youth development organization founder working 70+ hour weeks implemented this systematic approach:

    • Sustainable work hours within 18 months while serving 40% more participants
    • Board members took genuine operational responsibility for fundraising and outreach
    • Skilled volunteers managed administrative functions freeing founder for program focus
    • Organization became more fundable due to sustainable management structure
    Perfect for International and Grassroots Organizations

    Sonya's North Carolina-based international organization gets specific strategies for managing complex cross-cultural programs, systematic communication protocols, and partnership opportunities for resource sharing.

    The Bottom Line

    Managing everything yourself isn't a badge of honor - it's an organizational sustainability risk. The goal is creating systems and structures that allow your organization to thrive without requiring unsustainable hours or sacrificing mission-focused work.

    Sustainable impact requires building organizational capacity beyond one person's efforts.

    Ready to transform from founder-dependent to systems-dependent? This episode gives you the exact framework for creating organizational foundations that support long-term growth through strategic focus, efficient systems, and genuine volunteer support.

    Stop trying to do everything perfectly. Start building systems that work without you.
    Más Menos
    20 m
  • 063 - How Do I Fundraise During Times of Economic Insecurity?

    063 - How Do I Fundraise During Times of Economic Insecurity?
    Jun 17 2025
    Fundraising During Economic Uncertainty: How to Raise Money When Everyone's Worried Built by nonprofit professionals, for nonprofit professionals. NonprofitPrompt takes the guesswork out of AI content creation with proven prompts for fundraising appeals, donor communications, and more. Join fellow nonprofit leaders at nonprofitprompt.com The Challenge When the economy is uncertain, inflation is high, and people are worried about their financial future, many nonprofits face a dilemma: Should they continue fundraising or is it insensitive to ask for money when everyone's struggling? This episode addresses this critical question through Patricia's situation - her Tampa homeless shelter has seen online donations drop 25% while demand for services has increased dramatically. The Key Insight Economic uncertainty doesn't mean you should stop fundraising - it means you need to fundraise differently.During tough times, people don't stop giving; they give more carefully and strategically. They become more selective about where they give, more focused on impact, and more concerned about organizational stability. Seven Strategic Adaptations for Economic Uncertainty 1. Lead with Increased Community Need, Not Organizational Need Focus on how economic conditions create greater community needPosition donor giving as community investment, not organizational bailoutExample: "As inflation affects Tampa families, 40% more families need shelter" vs. "We need funding to keep our doors open" 2. Emphasize Immediate, Tangible Impact Donors want clear, immediate results during uncertain timesFocus on direct services rather than capacity buildingBe specific: "$75 provides three nights of emergency shelter" vs. "Your gift supports our programs" 3. Offer Smaller Giving Options with Clear Impact Create compelling opportunities for smaller giftsAdd lower giving levels: if you typically ask for $100-500, add $25-100 optionsEach level needs specific impact: "$25 provides emergency meals for three days" 4. Focus on Stewardship and Retention Over Acquisition Keeping existing donors is more cost-effective than finding new onesIncrease thank-you calls, impact updates, and personal attentionHelp current donors feel so connected they maintain giving while reducing support elsewhere 5. Demonstrate Financial Responsibility and Stability Be transparent about challenges while showing responsible managementShare program expense ratios, reserves, and board oversightFrame challenges in terms of community need: "We've reviewed our budget to ensure every dollar helps people" 6. Create Urgency Around Community Need, Not Organizational Survival Wrong: "We need $50,000 to keep programs running"Right: "We need $50,000 to shelter families facing eviction due to economic stress"Make donors feel like community rescuers, not organizational bailouts 7. Leverage Partnerships and Matching Opportunities Aggressively Donors want gifts to go further during tough timesPromote matching gifts heavily: "Every dollar doubled for families in crisis"Create collaborative opportunities with businesses and foundations Addressing Common Concerns "Isn't it insensitive to ask during hard times?" People often want to help more during uncertainty because they understand financial worry. Acknowledge conditions: "We know times are challenging. That's why your support matters so much." "Won't donors give less?" Some will, and that's okay. A donor reducing from $500 to $200 is still a donor. A donor who stops entirely because you stopped asking is a lost relationship. "Should we cancel major gift asks?" Never. Major donors are often least affected and may increase giving. Focus on immediate impact and be sensitive to those affected by losses. Success Story A food bank during the 2008 recession saw 60% increased demand and 20% decreased revenue. By implementing these strategies - focusing on community hunger rather than budget shortfalls, creating smaller giving options, and increasing donor stewardship - they recovered lost revenue and increased it by 15% within eight months while building stronger donor relationships. Key Takeaway Community need likely increases during tough times, making the case for supporting your organization stronger, not weaker. Economic uncertainty creates both challenges and opportunities. Organizations that adapt their fundraising strategies to match donor psychology during difficult periods often emerge with stronger relationships and more sustainable revenue. The goal isn't to avoid fundraising during uncertainty - it's to fundraise more strategically, acknowledging economic realities while demonstrating urgent community need.
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    15 m
  • 062 - How Do I Create a Donor Stewardship Calendar?

    062 - How Do I Create a Donor Stewardship Calendar?
    Jun 16 2025
    The Donor Stewardship Calendar: Stop Losing Donors Between Campaigns

    Tired of getting generic responses from ChatGPT for your nonprofit content? NonprofitPrompt provides expert AI prompts built specifically for fundraising, donor stewardship, and grant writing. Finally, AI that understands your mission. Get a free account at nonprofitprompt.com

    It's March and you suddenly realize you haven't contacted donors since December. Sound familiar?

    You're great at running campaigns - your year-end appeal crushed it, your spring event was a success - but then... radio silence. Donors hear from you only when you need money, and you wonder why retention rates keep dropping and supporters seem less engaged each year.

    What You'll Discover in This Episode

    The counterintuitive truth: The nonprofits with the highest donor retention don't ask for money less often - they ask MORE often while providing tremendous value between asks.

    The game-changing strategy: How to create a systematic donor stewardship calendar that combines regular fundraising with impact reporting, turning every communication into both relationship-building AND revenue generation.

    What's Inside the Framework
    • Monthly communication strategy that donors actually appreciate (hint: it's not about asking less)
    • The dual-purpose content formula that shows impact while creating giving opportunities
    • Segmentation secrets for different donor engagement levels
    • 12-month calendar template with specific examples for each month
    • The integration method that makes fundraising feel like partnership, not pestering
    Real Results You'll Hear About

    A social services nonprofit afraid they were "too pushy" completely transformed their approach:

    • 40% increase in revenue (more opportunities = more gifts)
    • 30% improvement in retention (regular connection = stronger loyalty)
    • Donors writing thank-you notes for keeping them informed about impact

    One donor said: "I love that you keep me updated on both the needs and the progress. It makes me feel like a real partner in your work, not just someone you ask for money."

    Perfect For Veterans Services (and Every Other Nonprofit)

    Michael from a veterans nonprofit gets specific strategies for showing measurable outcomes - veterans finding jobs, securing housing, successful transitions - while maintaining consistent giving opportunities.

    The Bottom Line

    Donors don't get tired of hearing from organizations they care about. They get tired of hearing from organizations that only contact them for money or provide no value.

    Ready to transform scattered, guilty communications into a strategic system that builds relationships AND raises more money? This episode gives you the exact month-by-month blueprint that turns donor stewardship from an afterthought into your secret retention weapon.

    Stop losing donors between campaigns. Start building the kind of ongoing relationships that create lifelong supporters.
    Más Menos
    15 m
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