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Why These 7 Humanitarian Leaders Partner With Affected Populations

More than ever, nonprofits and social impact organizations recognize the value of listening to and collaborating with the people they seek to serve. In the past, some philanthropists and humanitarians would try to force a solution on populations without trying to understand them. Often, this type of strategy resulted in more harm than good. Today’s leaders know that these populations have their own expertise and power to solve problems. The most successful humanitarian organizations collaborate with their beneficiaries to help them achieve success. Here, we’ve collected thoughts from seven social sector leaders on why beneficiaries need to be at the center of humanitarian work. They come from different cause sectors and organizations of various ages and size, but they are united in the conclusion that people impacted by a problem should have a voice in its solution.

Spotlight

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

As the region’s leading community foundation, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation connects people with purpose in an eight-county region in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. GCF is leading the charge toward a more vibrant Greater Cincinnati for everyone now, and for generations to come. As of 2017, GCF is the 35th largest U.S. community foundation with net assets of $636 million.

OTHER ARTICLES
Nonprofit Management

Helpful Resources for Nonprofit and Social Enterprises During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Article | July 20, 2022

As the country adapts to the unique circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits are being faced with new challenges as they continue their important work. Fortunately, there are hundreds of emergency relief funds at the global, national, and local levels, offering individual and organizational funding for basic needs, direct services, and other immediate concerns. Since Voqal cannot offer emergency funds for direct services like other funders and partners, we thought we would share a compilation of resources where organizations can find these dollars. A special thank you goes out to Voqal’s grants and fellowships program manager, Mary Coleman, for putting this list together.

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Nonprofit Management

Going Virtual: Tips For Planning An Effective Virtual Nonprofit Fundraiser

Article | July 12, 2022

Agile nonprofits are turning to virtual fundraisers to fill the fundraising gap. Limiting public gatherings to fewer than ten people has forced many nonprofits to postpone or cancel their annual events, which is a major problem for so many organizations that rely on spring fundraising season to generate a significant portion of their annual revenue. A virtual event is any organized meet-up that takes place online rather than in a physical location. They can range from one-on-one meetings to large-scale events with thousands of attendees. Major benefits of hosting a virtual event include guests being able to attend from the comfort of their homes and organizations being able to reach an unlimited audience anywhere in the world.

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Nonprofit Management

Ladder of Engagement: Nonprofit Fundraising Strategies

Article | July 29, 2022

Have you ever heard of the "Ladder of Engagement"? It's definitely not a new strategy, but as the world increasingly relies on keeping audiences engaged and connected, it's an increasingly important tool for all nonprofits. The nonprofit ladder of engagement is a powerful tool to hook your "casual follower" and move them toward being your most loyal donor and everything in between. If you don't already have a strategic ladder of engagement for your nonprofit, now's a great time to develop one. And for organizations that have one in place, it's good practice to evaluate and make adjustments from time to time--and summer is an excellent time of year to do just that! This blog will help you develop or update your nonprofit's ladder of engagement.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

7 Reasons to Invest in a Volunteer Program

Article | May 20, 2022

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit. Your services, fundraising campaigns, and even day-to-day operations of your nonprofit can depend on volunteers. An estimated 30 percent of Americans or 77.9 million people reported they volunteered for an organization or association.” AmeriCorps published survey So, if people want to volunteer, the key to garner willing volunteers is to: Communicate your needs Share your “why” Make it easy While all nonprofits know they need volunteers, investing time and energy into building a program can naturally fall by the wayside. As you look to recruit and retain volunteers, a best practice is to put a strategic volunteer program in place. You may be asking, “What’s the benefit to me, the nonprofit?” Let’s dive into it! First, let’s start with the basics — what are the top reasons to invest in a volunteer program? We’ve got you covered. A dynamic volunteer program: Creates ambassadors for your mission. Volunteers spread the word in your community and increase your community engagement. They can advocate for you with their friends, family, and local and state legislatures. Provide your volunteers with messaging so they can share their “why” on social media and by word of mouth. One pro tip shared by Points of Light is to provide a digital badge to add to your volunteer leaders’ email signatures. Develops new funding sources. The line between a volunteer and donor should be fluid, not separate. A 2014 study by Fidelity Charitable found that 83% of volunteers report supporting the same nonprofits with their donations. Don’t silo your volunteers and your donors! Reduces your operating costs. According to the Independent Sector, the value of a volunteer hour was estimated at $28.54 in 2020. Since payroll is often the largest expense for a nonprofit, volunteers provide essential support to your cause with minimal costs to you. Increases the quantity and quality of your programs and services. It’s a win-win situation for professional development and your lengthy project list! That list will be met by an eager, talented volunteer, and your volunteer will improve their professional skills at the same time. Maximizes your limited staff resources. We’re sure there’s been a few items on your wish list that you’d love to check off if you had more resources, like being open on holidays or offering more services to your community. Volunteers can fill in those gaps! Maybe they are looking for ways to give back over a holiday, or they may have the connections to develop a new service opportunity for you. Increases your diversity and brings in new ideas. Although your nonprofit may always strive to diversify or get out of the “we’ve always done it this way” rut, you may not meet the potential of those goals with your staff. Volunteers can provide unique perspectives, different experiences, and even that spark of excitement that comes with a new idea. Minimizes volunteer turnover.Just like staff onboarding, volunteer onboarding takes time and money. If you recruit and onboard well with easy-to-access opportunity matching, training, and tracking mechanisms in place, your volunteers will be well on their way to a successful experience. Build on that by learning more about your volunteers’ interests and skills, and they will feel seen and appreciated. An upfront investment will pay off in years of dedicated service. Are you convinced? If so, it’s time to take the next step of how to start putting a volunteer program into place. Then you can scale your volunteering as your nonprofit grows! Here are our 5 fundraiser-approved steps to developing a bullet-proof volunteer program. Step 1: Quantify your current volunteer impact. Gather data on number of volunteers, hours and skills contributed. Measure the return on investment (ROI) including your program cost and total estimated volunteer value (# of volunteer hours x est. volunteer wage per hour). You can even take it a step further and consider the monetary savings to the community when volunteers provide the service or in-kind donation versus a private provider (e.g. number of children tutored or trees planted). Step 2: Educate your staff and board on the benefits of volunteering. Share your ROI and other data with your executive team and board and garner to get them on board. Recruiting, onboarding, engaging, and retaining your volunteer base will be much smoother when you have their support. Step 3: Purchase or build a volunteer management software system. Track volunteer hours, record your volunteers’ information, and create reports. Your software/tracking system should include a personalized volunteer dashboard where they can track their hours and volunteer services provided, demonstrating to them their impact in real-time. Step 4: Develop a plan for recruitment, training, and growth opportunities for your volunteers. Share the plan with your current volunteer leaders and solicit their feedback before rolling out to the community. Step 5: Make the case for even more investment in your program next year. Give insight into how your efforts to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers positively impact your mission and your bottom line.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

What Does the Health of Your Nonprofit Website Mean and How Can You Improve It?

Article | July 20, 2022

As the country adapts to the unique circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, nonprofits are being faced with new challenges as they continue their important work. Fortunately, there are hundreds of emergency relief funds at the global, national, and local levels, offering individual and organizational funding for basic needs, direct services, and other immediate concerns. Since Voqal cannot offer emergency funds for direct services like other funders and partners, we thought we would share a compilation of resources where organizations can find these dollars. A special thank you goes out to Voqal’s grants and fellowships program manager, Mary Coleman, for putting this list together.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

What Are the Top Five Lessons for Your Non-Profit This Year?

Article | July 12, 2022

Agile nonprofits are turning to virtual fundraisers to fill the fundraising gap. Limiting public gatherings to fewer than ten people has forced many nonprofits to postpone or cancel their annual events, which is a major problem for so many organizations that rely on spring fundraising season to generate a significant portion of their annual revenue. A virtual event is any organized meet-up that takes place online rather than in a physical location. They can range from one-on-one meetings to large-scale events with thousands of attendees. Major benefits of hosting a virtual event include guests being able to attend from the comfort of their homes and organizations being able to reach an unlimited audience anywhere in the world.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Marketing Your Nonprofit Organization in 4 Simple Steps

Article | July 29, 2022

Have you ever heard of the "Ladder of Engagement"? It's definitely not a new strategy, but as the world increasingly relies on keeping audiences engaged and connected, it's an increasingly important tool for all nonprofits. The nonprofit ladder of engagement is a powerful tool to hook your "casual follower" and move them toward being your most loyal donor and everything in between. If you don't already have a strategic ladder of engagement for your nonprofit, now's a great time to develop one. And for organizations that have one in place, it's good practice to evaluate and make adjustments from time to time--and summer is an excellent time of year to do just that! This blog will help you develop or update your nonprofit's ladder of engagement.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

7 Reasons to Invest in a Volunteer Program

Article | May 20, 2022

Volunteers are the lifeblood of any nonprofit. Your services, fundraising campaigns, and even day-to-day operations of your nonprofit can depend on volunteers. An estimated 30 percent of Americans or 77.9 million people reported they volunteered for an organization or association.” AmeriCorps published survey So, if people want to volunteer, the key to garner willing volunteers is to: Communicate your needs Share your “why” Make it easy While all nonprofits know they need volunteers, investing time and energy into building a program can naturally fall by the wayside. As you look to recruit and retain volunteers, a best practice is to put a strategic volunteer program in place. You may be asking, “What’s the benefit to me, the nonprofit?” Let’s dive into it! First, let’s start with the basics — what are the top reasons to invest in a volunteer program? We’ve got you covered. A dynamic volunteer program: Creates ambassadors for your mission. Volunteers spread the word in your community and increase your community engagement. They can advocate for you with their friends, family, and local and state legislatures. Provide your volunteers with messaging so they can share their “why” on social media and by word of mouth. One pro tip shared by Points of Light is to provide a digital badge to add to your volunteer leaders’ email signatures. Develops new funding sources. The line between a volunteer and donor should be fluid, not separate. A 2014 study by Fidelity Charitable found that 83% of volunteers report supporting the same nonprofits with their donations. Don’t silo your volunteers and your donors! Reduces your operating costs. According to the Independent Sector, the value of a volunteer hour was estimated at $28.54 in 2020. Since payroll is often the largest expense for a nonprofit, volunteers provide essential support to your cause with minimal costs to you. Increases the quantity and quality of your programs and services. It’s a win-win situation for professional development and your lengthy project list! That list will be met by an eager, talented volunteer, and your volunteer will improve their professional skills at the same time. Maximizes your limited staff resources. We’re sure there’s been a few items on your wish list that you’d love to check off if you had more resources, like being open on holidays or offering more services to your community. Volunteers can fill in those gaps! Maybe they are looking for ways to give back over a holiday, or they may have the connections to develop a new service opportunity for you. Increases your diversity and brings in new ideas. Although your nonprofit may always strive to diversify or get out of the “we’ve always done it this way” rut, you may not meet the potential of those goals with your staff. Volunteers can provide unique perspectives, different experiences, and even that spark of excitement that comes with a new idea. Minimizes volunteer turnover.Just like staff onboarding, volunteer onboarding takes time and money. If you recruit and onboard well with easy-to-access opportunity matching, training, and tracking mechanisms in place, your volunteers will be well on their way to a successful experience. Build on that by learning more about your volunteers’ interests and skills, and they will feel seen and appreciated. An upfront investment will pay off in years of dedicated service. Are you convinced? If so, it’s time to take the next step of how to start putting a volunteer program into place. Then you can scale your volunteering as your nonprofit grows! Here are our 5 fundraiser-approved steps to developing a bullet-proof volunteer program. Step 1: Quantify your current volunteer impact. Gather data on number of volunteers, hours and skills contributed. Measure the return on investment (ROI) including your program cost and total estimated volunteer value (# of volunteer hours x est. volunteer wage per hour). You can even take it a step further and consider the monetary savings to the community when volunteers provide the service or in-kind donation versus a private provider (e.g. number of children tutored or trees planted). Step 2: Educate your staff and board on the benefits of volunteering. Share your ROI and other data with your executive team and board and garner to get them on board. Recruiting, onboarding, engaging, and retaining your volunteer base will be much smoother when you have their support. Step 3: Purchase or build a volunteer management software system. Track volunteer hours, record your volunteers’ information, and create reports. Your software/tracking system should include a personalized volunteer dashboard where they can track their hours and volunteer services provided, demonstrating to them their impact in real-time. Step 4: Develop a plan for recruitment, training, and growth opportunities for your volunteers. Share the plan with your current volunteer leaders and solicit their feedback before rolling out to the community. Step 5: Make the case for even more investment in your program next year. Give insight into how your efforts to recruit, engage, and retain volunteers positively impact your mission and your bottom line.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

As the region’s leading community foundation, the Greater Cincinnati Foundation connects people with purpose in an eight-county region in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. GCF is leading the charge toward a more vibrant Greater Cincinnati for everyone now, and for generations to come. As of 2017, GCF is the 35th largest U.S. community foundation with net assets of $636 million.

Related News

Nonprofit Technology, Philanthropy

Foundant Technologies Recognized for Connecting Philanthropic Community

Prnewswire | April 05, 2023

Foundant Technologies (Foundant), a provider of innovative software solutions for the philanthropic community, and its executive leadership team were recently honored with Higher Logic's Most Valuable Community Champion award for creating real connections and knowledge sharing through Compass, its online community for philanthropy. Compass provides more than 4,000 community members with the opportunity to explore discussions, find resources and exchange ideas that will help them achieve their missions. "We are honored to be recognized for our dedication to creating connections – between people, organizations and data – and for helping philanthropic organizations in their pursuit to change the world," said Foundant's CEO and co-founder Chris Dahl. "One of our key values is enriching the philanthropic community, and we will continue to do that, first and foremost, through our software and by fostering engagement within this community and providing valuable resources for it." Foundant's online Compass community is a free peer-to-peer forum where members can share best practices to better serve the communities they support. In three years, the community has grown to more than 4,000 users in five countries representing nearly every role in the philanthropic sector, including funders, nonprofits, scholarship providers, community foundations, and the volunteers and board members that support these organizations. Members are actively engaged in the community, with the site boasting an 86% participation rate. "Every day we have the opportunity to work with individuals and organizations that inspire us through their commitment to driving community innovation," said Jay Nathan, Higher Logic Chief Customer Officer. "These Champions of Community all go above and beyond for their customers and partners, and we are thrilled to celebrate their successes. Congratulations!" Philanthropic organizations turn to Foundant's innovative software solutions to make their work easier and more impactful, including Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) for grantmakers, Scholarship Lifecycle Manager (SLM) for scholarship providers, CommunitySuite for community foundations, NonprofitCore for nonprofit charitable organizations, and GrantHub for grantseekers. In addition to Compass, Foundant has developed a variety of educational resources for its growing base of more than 3,000 clients and the philanthropic community, including this quarter's content series offering tips and tools to help organizations work smarter, not harder. More than 5,000 people have engaged with related events and resources. In line with its mission, Foundant has donated more than $250,000 in the past two years to nonprofits and other organizations supporting communities in need throughout the 50 states. About Foundant Technologies Foundant Technologies has specialized in making philanthropy easier and more impactful through innovative software solutions and exceptional client experiences since 2007. Passionate about philanthropy, Foundant's team is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of grantmakers, scholarship providers, community foundations and nonprofits to enable change-makers to make the world a better place for all. More than 3,000 funders and nonprofits use Foundant's software to transform their organizations and maximize their impact in the communities they serve.

Read More

Nonprofit Technology

New Research Examines Evolving Social Donor Expectations

OneCause | June 29, 2022

OneCause, a leader in online and event fundraising, released findings from its latest research, The Giving Experience Study. Findings provide insights from social donors who gave to fundraising events and peer-to-peer campaigns over the past year and include what motivates their giving, when and how they will be comfortable returning to in-person events, and what influences repeat donations. The new study compares the latest survey data with findings from 2018 and 2021, examining how donor expectations have changed across generations, demographics, and by type of event involvement. Donor expectations and patterns of generosity have never been static, but the radical and sudden change brought about by the pandemic was unlike anything the world of philanthropy had seen before. After a dramatic shift to virtual events in 2020, donors came to expect on-demand, easy event and giving experiences. To unlock generosity as the nonprofit world moves toward recovery, it's imperative to understand how giving motivators and donor desires have evolved." Steve Johns, chief executive officer for OneCause Key findings include: Social giving continues to grow. As the general population looks for ways to reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues after long periods of pandemic isolation, social giving continues to increase. In the last 12 months, 3 in 10 U.S. adults gave through auction events, peer-to-peer fundraising, or occasion/giving day campaigns. This reflects a five-year trend of steady growth in social giving. Trust emerges as a key motivator; personal connection grows in importance. This year's research revealed new rising motivators influencing the attention and behavior of today's donors. While ease, mission, and impact remain key drivers of social giving, trust, personal connection, and immediacy emerged as key motivators for the first time in 2022. Donors are excited about the return to in-person events but want nonprofits to offer virtual options. A quarter of social donors said they prefer to only engage in person with organizations they donate to or mostly in person with some virtual engagement. But donors want options – 43% of social donors still prefer to engage exclusively or mostly virtually. Choice is powerful; offering multiple options for engagement personalizes the giving experience. Social giving continues to unlock generosity in younger, more diverse donors through expanded access to philanthropy. Social giving and virtual engagement continue to boost access for donors who have been historically underrepresented in or excluded from philanthropy. Gen Z, Millennial, Black, and Hispanic social donors reported giving more money than last year and that they gave to more organizations. Opportunities to steward social donors for retention and recurring giving. A social donor's first gift shows they value a nonprofit's work. Nonprofits have a great opportunity to cultivate lasting relationships and convert more social donors to recurring givers. Feeling like a donation makes a difference continues to be the number one reason to give again across generations. "It's clear from five years of data that the influence of social donors on the world of philanthropy is growing," added Johns. "We're excited to be able to connect nonprofits with self-reported insights into the evolution of how this increasingly diverse group of donors prefers to give to and engage with the organizations they support." About the Survey The online survey of 1,029 social donors was conducted by Edge Research between April 26-May 12, 2022. Social donors are defined as anyone who self-reports giving to at least one charitable organization by attending a fundraising event; participating or sponsoring someone in a fundraising activity like a run, walk or ride; or donating or requesting donations for an occasion, challenge, or giving month or day within in the last 12 months. Data is self-reported, not transactional. Edge Research worked with an established industry sampling partner, consisting of opt-in research participants. This is a non-probability/convenience sample. Quotas were set to ensure incoming data (prior to screening for charitable donations) was census representative in terms of age and gender, region, and race/ethnicity. About OneCause OneCause is driving the future of fundraising with easy-to-use event and online fundraising solutions that help nonprofits improve the giving experience and raise more money. OneCause builds technology that optimizes everyday generosity, making it easier for nonprofit organizations to fundraise and for nonprofit supporters to give. Since 2008, OneCause has helped over 10,000 nonprofits raise more than $4 billion for their missions. Headquartered in Indianapolis, OneCause is committed to driving innovation in the charitable sector, bringing together nonprofit professionals across the world for the annual Raise Conference to exchange ideas that further fundraising.

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Nonprofit Technology

Bloomerang Launches New Dashboard and User Interface Updates to Improve Fundraisers' Productivity

Bloomerang | June 27, 2022

Bloomerang, the complete donor management solution for thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits, announced the availability of a new user-centric dashboard to improve fundraisers' day-to-day productivity and monitor fundraising campaign performance and overall organizational health. In addition to the refreshed dashboard, Bloomerang's user interface (UI) updates seek to enhance accessibility via improved screen reader support, reduced animated movements, increased readability and scannability, revised colors and visualizations to compensate for red-green colorblindness, and more. Fundraisers can rely on Bloomerang to provide the information they need to take the next best actions and have a full picture of their organization's data and fundraising health–all from one easily accessible location. These latest updates help customers make the most of their precious resources–so they can spend more time on their mission and fundraising programs. We're excited to deliver a more intuitive information hierarchy, simplified data access and management, and improved accessibility. Our goal is to continuously drive innovation and lay the groundwork for more customization in the future, while staying focused on ease of use and simplicity of experience for the nonprofits we have the privilege to serve." Tammy Hammond, Bloomerang's Chief Product Officer The new dashboard in Bloomerang includes visual snapshots of: Recent constituents with a new constituent quick-add button Amount raised by week, month, and fiscal year Donor retention rate with customization capabilities Recommended first-time donor call list Most recent reports Fundraising campaign goals and progress tracking, including customizable date ranges Active tasks assigned to you and your team In addition to the new fundraising dashboard, Bloomerang's UI accessibility updates include: Logo and font update to match Bloomerang's new visual identity Less scrolling and a brighter look with a full-screen width and white background Better iconography with red-green colorblind accessible icons, improved labels and wording, and highlighted navigation tabs Search functionality for information stored in the database is accessible on any page Fewer clicks to access needed information and fundraising functionality save time and improve productivity for fundraisers Michelle Gorham, Chief Advancement Officer for YMCA of Rock River Valley has benefited from clearer insights into their donor data through the use of Bloomerang's fundraising dashboard, UI updates, and functionality. The availability and organization of this data has directly improved their productivity and communication segmentation. "Most importantly we know our donor retention which is not something we knew before. I also now have information about key interests of our most generous donors and have the ability to create reports that can show me all the donors who have said they care about 'academic programs' or 'camp' or 'disease prevention programming' so that we can engage in important conversations with them." This latest release supports Bloomerang's vision to deliver the donor management and fundraising platform of the future. Earlier this year, Bloomerang was named a "Best Place to Work in Indiana" in 2022, and launched a new brand identity to better articulate the value and services offered to the nonprofit community. Bloomerang's suite of online fundraising tools also strengthens nonprofits' ability to cultivate deeper relationships with their donors and increase the impact of their fundraising campaigns. About Bloomerang Indianapolis-based Bloomerang is the complete donor management solution that helps thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits deliver a better giving experience and create stable, thriving organizations. Combining robust, simple-to-use technology with people-powered support and training, Bloomerang empowers nonprofits to work efficiently, improve their donor relationships and grow their donor bases. With Bloomerang, nonprofit professionals love their work and have another teammate in the cause.

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Nonprofit Technology, Philanthropy

Foundant Technologies Recognized for Connecting Philanthropic Community

Prnewswire | April 05, 2023

Foundant Technologies (Foundant), a provider of innovative software solutions for the philanthropic community, and its executive leadership team were recently honored with Higher Logic's Most Valuable Community Champion award for creating real connections and knowledge sharing through Compass, its online community for philanthropy. Compass provides more than 4,000 community members with the opportunity to explore discussions, find resources and exchange ideas that will help them achieve their missions. "We are honored to be recognized for our dedication to creating connections – between people, organizations and data – and for helping philanthropic organizations in their pursuit to change the world," said Foundant's CEO and co-founder Chris Dahl. "One of our key values is enriching the philanthropic community, and we will continue to do that, first and foremost, through our software and by fostering engagement within this community and providing valuable resources for it." Foundant's online Compass community is a free peer-to-peer forum where members can share best practices to better serve the communities they support. In three years, the community has grown to more than 4,000 users in five countries representing nearly every role in the philanthropic sector, including funders, nonprofits, scholarship providers, community foundations, and the volunteers and board members that support these organizations. Members are actively engaged in the community, with the site boasting an 86% participation rate. "Every day we have the opportunity to work with individuals and organizations that inspire us through their commitment to driving community innovation," said Jay Nathan, Higher Logic Chief Customer Officer. "These Champions of Community all go above and beyond for their customers and partners, and we are thrilled to celebrate their successes. Congratulations!" Philanthropic organizations turn to Foundant's innovative software solutions to make their work easier and more impactful, including Grant Lifecycle Manager (GLM) for grantmakers, Scholarship Lifecycle Manager (SLM) for scholarship providers, CommunitySuite for community foundations, NonprofitCore for nonprofit charitable organizations, and GrantHub for grantseekers. In addition to Compass, Foundant has developed a variety of educational resources for its growing base of more than 3,000 clients and the philanthropic community, including this quarter's content series offering tips and tools to help organizations work smarter, not harder. More than 5,000 people have engaged with related events and resources. In line with its mission, Foundant has donated more than $250,000 in the past two years to nonprofits and other organizations supporting communities in need throughout the 50 states. About Foundant Technologies Foundant Technologies has specialized in making philanthropy easier and more impactful through innovative software solutions and exceptional client experiences since 2007. Passionate about philanthropy, Foundant's team is dedicated to meeting the unique needs of grantmakers, scholarship providers, community foundations and nonprofits to enable change-makers to make the world a better place for all. More than 3,000 funders and nonprofits use Foundant's software to transform their organizations and maximize their impact in the communities they serve.

Read More

Nonprofit Technology

New Research Examines Evolving Social Donor Expectations

OneCause | June 29, 2022

OneCause, a leader in online and event fundraising, released findings from its latest research, The Giving Experience Study. Findings provide insights from social donors who gave to fundraising events and peer-to-peer campaigns over the past year and include what motivates their giving, when and how they will be comfortable returning to in-person events, and what influences repeat donations. The new study compares the latest survey data with findings from 2018 and 2021, examining how donor expectations have changed across generations, demographics, and by type of event involvement. Donor expectations and patterns of generosity have never been static, but the radical and sudden change brought about by the pandemic was unlike anything the world of philanthropy had seen before. After a dramatic shift to virtual events in 2020, donors came to expect on-demand, easy event and giving experiences. To unlock generosity as the nonprofit world moves toward recovery, it's imperative to understand how giving motivators and donor desires have evolved." Steve Johns, chief executive officer for OneCause Key findings include: Social giving continues to grow. As the general population looks for ways to reconnect with friends, family, and colleagues after long periods of pandemic isolation, social giving continues to increase. In the last 12 months, 3 in 10 U.S. adults gave through auction events, peer-to-peer fundraising, or occasion/giving day campaigns. This reflects a five-year trend of steady growth in social giving. Trust emerges as a key motivator; personal connection grows in importance. This year's research revealed new rising motivators influencing the attention and behavior of today's donors. While ease, mission, and impact remain key drivers of social giving, trust, personal connection, and immediacy emerged as key motivators for the first time in 2022. Donors are excited about the return to in-person events but want nonprofits to offer virtual options. A quarter of social donors said they prefer to only engage in person with organizations they donate to or mostly in person with some virtual engagement. But donors want options – 43% of social donors still prefer to engage exclusively or mostly virtually. Choice is powerful; offering multiple options for engagement personalizes the giving experience. Social giving continues to unlock generosity in younger, more diverse donors through expanded access to philanthropy. Social giving and virtual engagement continue to boost access for donors who have been historically underrepresented in or excluded from philanthropy. Gen Z, Millennial, Black, and Hispanic social donors reported giving more money than last year and that they gave to more organizations. Opportunities to steward social donors for retention and recurring giving. A social donor's first gift shows they value a nonprofit's work. Nonprofits have a great opportunity to cultivate lasting relationships and convert more social donors to recurring givers. Feeling like a donation makes a difference continues to be the number one reason to give again across generations. "It's clear from five years of data that the influence of social donors on the world of philanthropy is growing," added Johns. "We're excited to be able to connect nonprofits with self-reported insights into the evolution of how this increasingly diverse group of donors prefers to give to and engage with the organizations they support." About the Survey The online survey of 1,029 social donors was conducted by Edge Research between April 26-May 12, 2022. Social donors are defined as anyone who self-reports giving to at least one charitable organization by attending a fundraising event; participating or sponsoring someone in a fundraising activity like a run, walk or ride; or donating or requesting donations for an occasion, challenge, or giving month or day within in the last 12 months. Data is self-reported, not transactional. Edge Research worked with an established industry sampling partner, consisting of opt-in research participants. This is a non-probability/convenience sample. Quotas were set to ensure incoming data (prior to screening for charitable donations) was census representative in terms of age and gender, region, and race/ethnicity. About OneCause OneCause is driving the future of fundraising with easy-to-use event and online fundraising solutions that help nonprofits improve the giving experience and raise more money. OneCause builds technology that optimizes everyday generosity, making it easier for nonprofit organizations to fundraise and for nonprofit supporters to give. Since 2008, OneCause has helped over 10,000 nonprofits raise more than $4 billion for their missions. Headquartered in Indianapolis, OneCause is committed to driving innovation in the charitable sector, bringing together nonprofit professionals across the world for the annual Raise Conference to exchange ideas that further fundraising.

Read More

Nonprofit Technology

Bloomerang Launches New Dashboard and User Interface Updates to Improve Fundraisers' Productivity

Bloomerang | June 27, 2022

Bloomerang, the complete donor management solution for thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits, announced the availability of a new user-centric dashboard to improve fundraisers' day-to-day productivity and monitor fundraising campaign performance and overall organizational health. In addition to the refreshed dashboard, Bloomerang's user interface (UI) updates seek to enhance accessibility via improved screen reader support, reduced animated movements, increased readability and scannability, revised colors and visualizations to compensate for red-green colorblindness, and more. Fundraisers can rely on Bloomerang to provide the information they need to take the next best actions and have a full picture of their organization's data and fundraising health–all from one easily accessible location. These latest updates help customers make the most of their precious resources–so they can spend more time on their mission and fundraising programs. We're excited to deliver a more intuitive information hierarchy, simplified data access and management, and improved accessibility. Our goal is to continuously drive innovation and lay the groundwork for more customization in the future, while staying focused on ease of use and simplicity of experience for the nonprofits we have the privilege to serve." Tammy Hammond, Bloomerang's Chief Product Officer The new dashboard in Bloomerang includes visual snapshots of: Recent constituents with a new constituent quick-add button Amount raised by week, month, and fiscal year Donor retention rate with customization capabilities Recommended first-time donor call list Most recent reports Fundraising campaign goals and progress tracking, including customizable date ranges Active tasks assigned to you and your team In addition to the new fundraising dashboard, Bloomerang's UI accessibility updates include: Logo and font update to match Bloomerang's new visual identity Less scrolling and a brighter look with a full-screen width and white background Better iconography with red-green colorblind accessible icons, improved labels and wording, and highlighted navigation tabs Search functionality for information stored in the database is accessible on any page Fewer clicks to access needed information and fundraising functionality save time and improve productivity for fundraisers Michelle Gorham, Chief Advancement Officer for YMCA of Rock River Valley has benefited from clearer insights into their donor data through the use of Bloomerang's fundraising dashboard, UI updates, and functionality. The availability and organization of this data has directly improved their productivity and communication segmentation. "Most importantly we know our donor retention which is not something we knew before. I also now have information about key interests of our most generous donors and have the ability to create reports that can show me all the donors who have said they care about 'academic programs' or 'camp' or 'disease prevention programming' so that we can engage in important conversations with them." This latest release supports Bloomerang's vision to deliver the donor management and fundraising platform of the future. Earlier this year, Bloomerang was named a "Best Place to Work in Indiana" in 2022, and launched a new brand identity to better articulate the value and services offered to the nonprofit community. Bloomerang's suite of online fundraising tools also strengthens nonprofits' ability to cultivate deeper relationships with their donors and increase the impact of their fundraising campaigns. About Bloomerang Indianapolis-based Bloomerang is the complete donor management solution that helps thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits deliver a better giving experience and create stable, thriving organizations. Combining robust, simple-to-use technology with people-powered support and training, Bloomerang empowers nonprofits to work efficiently, improve their donor relationships and grow their donor bases. With Bloomerang, nonprofit professionals love their work and have another teammate in the cause.

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