SummaryIn this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly breaks apart what stewardship actually means so you can actually start doing it better.LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery CallJoin Sustain & Thrive TakeawaysStewardship 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.Keywordsnonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, relationship based fundraising

SummaryIn 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.LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery CallJoin Sustain & Thrive TakeawaysHow to know if your fundraising program is transaction-based or relationship-basedWhy transitioning to relationship-based fundraising is critical for sustainabilityHow to rethink your gala or special event fundraising to get the best of transactional fundraising and relationship based fundraising.Keywordsnonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, relationship based fundraising

SummaryIn this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly tells you the secret to major gifts success...and it's not what you think!LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery CallJoin Sustain & ThriveRegister for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop TakeawaysRelationships, 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.Keywordsnonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, donor solicitations

SummaryIn 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!LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery CallJoin Sustain & ThriveRegister for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop TakeawaysHow to use Google Alerts to grow your major gifts programWhat to do with the information you learn via Google AlertsIt's not just for individual donors: try it on your corporate and foundation partnersKeywordsnonprofit fundraising, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies, corporate funding, corporate giving, foundations, foundation fundraising

SummaryIn 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.LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery CallJoin Sustain & ThriveRegister for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop TakeawaysInfrequent, 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.Keywordsnonprofit fundraising, email list growth, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies

SummaryIn 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.LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery CallRegister for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop TakeawaysTabling 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.Keywordsnonprofit fundraising, email list growth, donor engagement, major gifts, creative fundraising strategies

SummaryIn 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.LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery CallRegister for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop TakeawaysRegular 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.Keywordsnonprofit fundraising, donor CRM, data cleanup, major gifts, fundraising strategy, nonprofit tips, donor management, CRM best practices, fundraising success, nonprofit growth

SummaryIn 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. LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery Call TakeawaysBuild 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.Keywordsfundraising, nonprofit, donor communication, stewardship

SummaryIn 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.LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery Call TakeawaysMail 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.Keywordsfundraising, nonprofit, mail merge, donor communication, stewardship, email marketing, nonprofit tips

SummaryIn 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.LinksCheck Out DonorboxRequest a Discovery Call TakeawaysCheck LYBUNT reports monthly to catch donors before they lapseReach out to donors who haven't given this year to re-engage themUnderstand why donors lapse and address their concernsUse donor data to inform your fundraising strategyBuild relationships beyond financial contributionsKeywordsfundraising, nonprofit, donor retention, LYBUNT, donor engagement, fundraising strategy, nonprofit tips