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Pulse of Fundraising - March 2023

Four Landmark Studies that Development Professionals Should Cite for Women’s History Month

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Pulse of Fundraising - February 2023

Navigating Difficult Conversations

As development professionals, we’re no strangers to having challenging, sensitive conversations­—with donors, organizational leaders, board members, co-workers, and others. The events of recent years have brought increased attention to a host of complex issues surrounding race and racism, inequality, reproductive rights, politics, and more. These articles offer useful tips on navigating conversations that veer into difficult topics. 

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Pulse of Fundraising - January 2023

Early EOY Giving Results

As we kick off the new year, fundraisers around the country are reviewing their end of year results and evaluating where there was success – and where there are opportunities for growth.  Data shows that most nonprofits, although seeing a slight increase in revenue, are noticing a drop in donor retention.  These articles delve deeper into this idea of “dollars up, donors down” and encourage nonprofits to consider how to innovate in order to retain – or win back – their donor base.

 

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Pulse of Fundraising - December 2022

Developing a Case for Support

A case for support is a key document for any nonprofit - a straightforward, engaging, and inspiring way to communicate the most important aspects of your work with your donors, trustees, employees, and funders. Whether it is developed for a specific campaign or to support an annual fund, a case for support helps to communicate your mission, vision, values, and goals. If you are ready to jump in to write (or perhaps update) a case for support, here are some resources to get you started.

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Pulse of Fundraising - November 2022

How much of an impact will inflation make on nonprofits this year?
As we look to end-of-year giving as a critically important time for philanthropic gifts, nonprofits everywhere are gauging how inflation will impact the bottom line. Although only time will tell whether the current state of the economy will translate to fewer donations raised, organizations and their leaders are looking at clues from the past to help understand what to expect when they close out this calendar year. Each of these articles gives different perspectives, insights and suggestions on how best to navigate the remaining few weeks of 2022. 

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Pulse of Fundraising - October 2022

Using Industry Reports to Guide Philanthropy Strategy
Industry reports can inform our fundraising strategy as we go in to a new year by providing a compiled and analyzed industry research that give a snapshot of the current state of philanthropy. This year’s reports assess the “new normal” for philanthropy after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, showing us which philanthropic trends have endured and those new trends nonprofit trends fundraisers will want to track. These 2022 reports give special focus to gift planning, grant distribution, and new digital fundraising trends.

 


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Pulse of Fundraising - September 2022

Year-End Fundraising Strategies: Are you, like many other development professionals, wondering why it is hard to meet your forecasted targets? With the exponential rise of costs in goods, services and travel, does it leave our benevolent donors with less to give? As we inch closer to fall, here are some fundamentals for year-end appeal story-telling and the importance of developing deeper relationships with donors through volunteerism. 

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Pulse of Fundraising - Summer 2022

We all need it, but, despite our best intentions, don’t always get it: truly, completely unplugged time away from work. Whether it’s an unmovable deadline, colleagues who ignore our OOO message, or the undeniably strong urge to take just a quick peek at our work email, it’s hard to disconnect. With summer now in full swing, we’ve compiled a few articles about how to better unplug and unwind—and why it’s so important.

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Pulse of Fundraising - June 2022

Ensuring that your nonprofit has a robust donor relations program is paramount for overall engagement of your donor base and increased support at your organization.  With so many competing priorities of a fundraiser’s time, stewardship can often be furthest from our minds. However, these articles will help you find ways to carve out time, demonstrate impact and provide helpful suggestions on how donor relations can be incorporated in all that you do.

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Pulse of Fundraising - May 2022

Effective leaders are always learning, thinking critically about what we do, why we do it, and how we can do better. No matter where you are in your leadership journey, these articles (and a podcast!) will give you something to think about, new ideas to consider, and tips for taking your leadership to the next level.

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Starting or Expanding Your Planned Giving Program: A Brief Overview for Nonprofit Organizations



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Pulse of Fundraising - April 2022

This April, we are highlighting Gift PlanningIf you've wondered how to talk about or encourage your donors to consider tax-efficient ways to give or making gifts of assets, beyond cash or check, you're not alone! Especially now, as 2021 taxes are being filed, people are thinking about their financial and philanthropic goals for the year ahead, and beyond. Here are some helpful resources to help get you, your organization, and your donors thinking about planned gifts. 

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Pulse of Fundraising - March 2022

In honor of Women’s History Month, the articles below highlight the increasing impact that women donors have on the philanthropic landscape.  From in-depth research on gender giving tendencies, the generational differences of donors and the best ways to engage women with your nonprofit, these resources will provide development professionals with tangible tactics to engage their donors in a more strategic and thoughtful way.

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Pulse of Fundraising - February 2022

Have you been working in nonprofits for many years, searching for the illusive work/life balance? You are not alone. The additional stress from the pandemic has felt like walking on a tightrope. Some folks are balancing parenthood and home responsibilities with work from home jobs, enduring lockdowns and homeschooling, all with the ever-present threat of catching an illness with unknown outcomes. As the empathetic individuals you usually find working for nonprofits, we also tend to take the stress of our mission home with us. Managing budget shortfalls and addressing low staffing  issues on nights and weekends has compounded our stress and anxiety over the past few years. The following articles have attempted to address these issues and help us ease into 2022 with tools to achieve the balance we seek.

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Pulse of Fundraising - January 2022

As we head into 2022 our reading has been focused on growth, improvement, and hope for a brighter year. Whether your focus is individual giving or electronic communications, we hope you enjoy a tip or trick to help tighten your copywriting or enhance an upcoming campaign.

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Pulse of Fundraising - December 2021

Thinking about infusing some fresh ideas into your year end communications? Have you been thinking about ways to teach your own children about philanthropy. Look no further! WIDGB has you covered in this month's pulse of fundraising.  

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Pulse of Fundraising - November 2021

Wondering where to start with end-of-year fundraising? Need a few pointers on QCDs and other tax-efficient ways to give? Look no further! WIDGB has you covered in this month's pulse of fundraising. 

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The Pulse of Fundraising - July 2021

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The Pulse of Fundraising - June 2021

Our workplaces, the communities we serve, and our donors are finding themselves in transition yet again as the Commonwealth re-opens after almost 15 months of closures and hybrid-services. Here are a few articles to help you navigate fundraising and the workplace as we find our new normal.
Person sitting at desk in front of a computer.  Large window in the background
Throughout the pandemic we saw exponential growth in digital fundraising. Here are a few examples of what a few organizations are doing right online. 
Quote: Post-covid, showing up to raise money will no longer mean always showing up in person. Rather it means show up as a person.
How fundraising has changed (or not changed) due to the pandemic is still very much in debate, but Abby Falik, founder of Global Citizen Year explores what this might mean for many of us moving forward: “Post-Covid, showing up to raise money will no longer mean always showing up in person. Rather it means showing up as a person.”
Looking through a camera lens to a mountain landscape
One thing is clear for sure. There is no going back. Here are a few ways that the nonprofit sector can meet this moment in time. 
While we continue to adjust our strategies and provide the resources our communities require, it’s important that we remember to take care of ourselves and each other. 

Pulse of Fundraising - May 2021

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