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The Ultimate Guide to Silent Auction Items

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Despite being on the quieter side of the nonprofit event spectrum, silent auctions can be an effective way for your organization to engage its participants and involve local businesses in your cause. They’re also a great way to increase your event’s bottom line. To help you employ this strategy and run the best silent auction possible, I’ve compiled a list of tips that can help contribute to a top-notch event. To run a successful silent auction, you need to identify and collect items that will excite your audience. When considering different categories of items, keep in mind that the more enticing the item, the more buzz and excitement it will generate.

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Atlas Corps

Atlas Corps, started in 2006, is an international network of nonprofit leaders and organizations that promotes innovation, cooperation, and solutions to address the world’s 21st century challenges through an overseas fellowship. Our mission is to address critical social issues by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and promoting innovation through an overseas fellowship of skilled nonprofit professionals. Profiled as a “best practice” in international exchange and volunteerism by the Brookings Institution and World Economic Forum, featured in the Washington Post and Forbes as a model social entrepreneurship program, and recognized as a Top 10 International Voluntary Exchange Program by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, Atlas Corps engages leaders committed to the nonprofit sector in 6 to 18 month, professional fellowships at organizations (like Ashoka, Peace Corps, and Nike Foundation) to learn best practices, build organizational capacity, and return home to create a

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NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

Utilize an Email Marketing Strategy to Drive More Donations

Article | July 20, 2022

When creating your nonprofit fundraising and donations strategy, email marketing should be on the top of the list of channels to use to support your efforts. However, 70% of nonprofits do not have an email marketing strategy, despite 26% of online donors saying email marketing is what inspires them to give. Email marketing can help nonprofits reach their fundraising goals by helping expand reach, develop a loyal donor base and drive more donations. Build an Email Marketing Strategy Implementing email marketing may seem intimidating to some, but once you have an effective strategy in place, it will act as a blueprint and support all your goals moving forward. When you start building your strategy, it’s important to spend time developing a unique strategy that aligns with your mission and goals. Consider these questions: Who is your target audience? How are you collecting email addresses? What types of emails will you send? What types of content do you want to share in those emails? What will your emails look like? What is the layout? What is the design based on? How often do you plan to send emails? What platform will you use? Does it integrate with your donor database and have all the features you need to implement your strategy? Email marketing is the most effective and successful when there's a strategic plan in place. Creating a detailed strategy that answers the questions above will provide your nonprofit with the stepping stones needed to set your email marketing efforts up for success and help meet your overall fundraising goals. Send Emails Once you have a strategy and execution plan in place, you’re ready to start sending your messages to your audience. Email subscribers want to hear from you, but you need to be sure you are sending engaging messages to the right audiences. When you start sending your emails, plan to send a mix of different messages to your audience. Email marketing is an effective channel to not only fundraise but to help subscribers stay engaged and keep donor retention high. A great example would be to include advocacy emails in your plans. Advocacy emails include newsletters and impact stories. These types of emails help your subscriber feel valued as a donor as they’re seeing the direct impact of their support. As you start and continue to send emails, always track each email's performance. This helps you determine what is working and what is not working. By tracking key metrics, like click-through rates, conversation rates and donations per email, you will be able to continuously improve your strategy and the emails you are sending. Follow Best Practices As you begin to execute your email strategy, there are a few key best practices I recommend following to help increase engagement, donations, and overall performance of your emails. Personalize the email for your subscribers. Personalized emails can generate donations up to six times more compared to a generalized email. Make sure your emails are well-designed with compelling imagery that helps the donor visualize your mission and the impact of their donations. Provide clear calls to action in each email you send and always include a “Donate” button in all your communications. Include social sharing buttons and links to your social channels in all your email communications. Emails with social sharing buttons increase click-through rates by as much as 158% and help expand your reach by allowing donors to recommend and share your nonprofit with their network. Create an email cadence so you are regularly communicating with your audience throughout the year. For every 1,000 fundraising emails delivered, nonprofits raised $78, so it is in your best interest to continuously send messages to your subscribers. Start by sending emails monthly and then experiment with increasing the frequency of emails per month and see what works best for your nonprofit. Utilizing email marketing is key to having a successful fundraising strategy for your nonprofit. By building a well-thought-out strategy and implementing it, you will be able to engage, retain and convert subscribers into a loyal donor base.

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NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

The Psychology Behind Donations

Article | July 20, 2022

Are you expecting all donors to be the same? If you answered “no…well actually… kinda,” then you are not alone. It’s simple to send out the same fundraising message to everyone. However, you can transform your fundraising when you understand that there are many reasons why a person chooses to donate to a nonprofit. Once you understand the psychology of donating to charity, you can then best appeal to current and potential donors. Why do Donors Give? Along a spectrum, there are two extremes that prevent nonprofits from using donation psychology in their fundraising messages. On one end, the person making the ask – the Executive Director, Development person or Board member – assumes all donors have the same motivations for giving that they do. This translates into single-focused messaging that appeals to the person making the ask and to some donors, but not to others. On the other end of the spectrum when a nonprofit neglects philanthropy psychology, the person making the ask becomes paralyzed. They fear offending donors by asking at the “wrong” time. They focus on external, societal crises, such as the pandemic, wars, tragedies, and make a decision for the donor that this is the wrong time to be asked for a gift. They assume that the donor would be offended if asked. The Millennial Impact Project studied why donors across generations start giving. Unexpectedly, according to the researcher, Derrick Feldmann, donors first give because they want to belong. They desire to join their friends or be a part of a cause doing the good they wish to see in the world – this is before they understand what the cause or nonprofit is seeking to accomplish. As they gain that sense of belonging and begin believing in the cause, they can be motivated to continue to give when the nonprofit taps into their giving style. The Seven Faces of Philanthropy was groundbreaking research published in 1994 that has been updated and is still relevant today. In summary, the researchers found that donors give for different reasons. Some donors give because they enjoy the act of giving, especially through events. More donors prefer to donate to local charities or make a long-lasting impact through their investments. Other donors desire to repay or pay forward in gratitude through their giving. Others give because of religious or altruistic reasons. Then, there are donors who see giving as a family tradition and, if applicable, to teach their children generosity. Understanding the donor’s motivations for giving guides a nonprofit in developing the right message, using the right fundraising methods and segmenting to the right group of donors. How Can you Encourage Your Donors to Give? Now that you understand the psychology behind making a philanthropic gift, you can implement this knowledge to customize your fundraising appeals. First, you will need to determine why your donors give. This is done through discussions with Board members, personal conversations with donors, and through donor surveys. It begins with a simple question, “Why do you give to…?” The answers will assist you in creating donor identities; that is, the types of identities or groups where donors wish to belong. Sample identities could be “community leader” or “survivor” or “change maker.” Next, based on what you learned from your current donors, pick the top two or three donor motivations and associated identities. Alter your current messaging and fundraising methods to these giving reasons. The messaging and methods that inspire your current donors will likely attract more donors. Begin testing your messaging for these two to three reasons: Which message has the highest engagement in response and donation? This will be your primary message that you will rotate with the secondary messages. As you further explore your donor’s psychology for giving, you can advance to segmenting your communications based on what will motivate groups of donors to give. Once you understand donor psychology, you will wonder how you missed the clues to why your donors give – and be ready to catch future donors by staying one step ahead of their giving habits.

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NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

How Donor Data Can Inform Better Donor Experiences

Article | July 14, 2022

Although we recommend talking directly with your donors to learn what matters to them, one-on-one conversations aren’t the only way to gain valuable information about your donors. Through analysis of the donor data in your fundraising software, you can obtain insights that will help you create a better experience for your donors, and motivate them to give more over time. Here’s what you can learn from the numbers and how you can apply this knowledge to improve your donor experience. Biographic and Demographic Information: This particular donor data isn’t snazzy, but it provides you with important tools to use in donor communications. Here’s what you can do with it. Preferred Name: Even something as simple as addressing your donors by their preferred names or nicknames will go a long way toward building a meaningful relationship. Employment: Improve the timing of your emails by sending to full-time individuals when they’re at work. Age: Millennials are more likely to check social media or text messages for communications, while Baby Boomers are more likely to use email or even snail mail. A multi-channel communication strategy, however, is the best thing to help you reach your donors where they’re at. Educational Background: While someone’s education level may provide insights about their capacity to give, consider looking at what your contacts were involved in while in school. Did they join clubs that provide a clue about their interests? Did they hold certain leadership positions that tell you what they’re committed to? What community service projects were they active in? This information can help you customize your communications more meaningfully. Involvement History: Monetary giving isn’t the only indicator of a donor’s interest in your organization. When you’re putting together your campaign lists, don’t forget to look at other historical indicators as well. Note: If you’re already using Network for Good’s simple, smart fundraising software, demographic details, like the ones above, need to be individually added as “Custom Fields” to a constituent’s record. Involvement in Advocacy Work: If an individual advocates for charities or causes, he or she is usually serious about making a difference and seeks to do so in other ways. Corporate Sponsorships: If someone has organized a corporate sponsorship for her or his place of employment, the individual has demonstrated a willingness to go the extra mile foryour organization. Showing Up at Events: If you have regulars who appear at your events, they’re prime candidates to get more involved. An events platform that integrates directly with your fundraising software can be a key tool here in making sure you’re following up with the right people. Network of Connections: Prospective donors will always be more willing to respond if a friend or business connection has introduced your organization to them. If you think an individual would be willing to contribute to your nonprofit, look at who in your donor database is connected to that person and ask for an introduction. This strategy can also be used for raising corporate sponsorships. Hobbies: Hobbies and interests will tell you who’s most likely to participate in your events. They’ll also give you ideas about what types of events will be most popular with your contacts. Here are a few ideas: Games: Trivia night, bingo, or board games. Outdoors: Run/Walk, golf or fishing tournament, or softball. Food & Drink: Wine tasting, celebrity chef or bartender, or profit share at a restaurant. Music: Benefit concert, talent show, or Battle of the Bands Arts & Culture: Group night at the theatre, charity poetry reading, or author meet-and-greet. Timing of Gifts: When do individuals give? If someone tends to make donations at a certain time of year, your request will probably be welcomed (and successful!) if you ask at that time. Using tools such as the “Giving” filters to conduct donor analysis can help determine if there are trends around a particular time of year for one (or multiple) donors – and knowing the timing of gifts will also help you spend your marketing dollars more wisely. If someone has given within a year-long time period, that person is much more likely to give again than someone who gave two years ago. You can allocate your marketing resources more intelligently if you know who is more likely to donate. These are just a few ideas on how to use your data to not only build a stronger donor experience but also increase your fundraising revenue. Learn why the donor experience is vital to a successful organization and how to implement an effective donor experience program by downloading “A Better Donor Experience: Is it the Cornerstone of Donor Loyalty?”

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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.

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NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

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

Article | July 20, 2022

When creating your nonprofit fundraising and donations strategy, email marketing should be on the top of the list of channels to use to support your efforts. However, 70% of nonprofits do not have an email marketing strategy, despite 26% of online donors saying email marketing is what inspires them to give. Email marketing can help nonprofits reach their fundraising goals by helping expand reach, develop a loyal donor base and drive more donations. Build an Email Marketing Strategy Implementing email marketing may seem intimidating to some, but once you have an effective strategy in place, it will act as a blueprint and support all your goals moving forward. When you start building your strategy, it’s important to spend time developing a unique strategy that aligns with your mission and goals. Consider these questions: Who is your target audience? How are you collecting email addresses? What types of emails will you send? What types of content do you want to share in those emails? What will your emails look like? What is the layout? What is the design based on? How often do you plan to send emails? What platform will you use? Does it integrate with your donor database and have all the features you need to implement your strategy? Email marketing is the most effective and successful when there's a strategic plan in place. Creating a detailed strategy that answers the questions above will provide your nonprofit with the stepping stones needed to set your email marketing efforts up for success and help meet your overall fundraising goals. Send Emails Once you have a strategy and execution plan in place, you’re ready to start sending your messages to your audience. Email subscribers want to hear from you, but you need to be sure you are sending engaging messages to the right audiences. When you start sending your emails, plan to send a mix of different messages to your audience. Email marketing is an effective channel to not only fundraise but to help subscribers stay engaged and keep donor retention high. A great example would be to include advocacy emails in your plans. Advocacy emails include newsletters and impact stories. These types of emails help your subscriber feel valued as a donor as they’re seeing the direct impact of their support. As you start and continue to send emails, always track each email's performance. This helps you determine what is working and what is not working. By tracking key metrics, like click-through rates, conversation rates and donations per email, you will be able to continuously improve your strategy and the emails you are sending. Follow Best Practices As you begin to execute your email strategy, there are a few key best practices I recommend following to help increase engagement, donations, and overall performance of your emails. Personalize the email for your subscribers. Personalized emails can generate donations up to six times more compared to a generalized email. Make sure your emails are well-designed with compelling imagery that helps the donor visualize your mission and the impact of their donations. Provide clear calls to action in each email you send and always include a “Donate” button in all your communications. Include social sharing buttons and links to your social channels in all your email communications. Emails with social sharing buttons increase click-through rates by as much as 158% and help expand your reach by allowing donors to recommend and share your nonprofit with their network. Create an email cadence so you are regularly communicating with your audience throughout the year. For every 1,000 fundraising emails delivered, nonprofits raised $78, so it is in your best interest to continuously send messages to your subscribers. Start by sending emails monthly and then experiment with increasing the frequency of emails per month and see what works best for your nonprofit. Utilizing email marketing is key to having a successful fundraising strategy for your nonprofit. By building a well-thought-out strategy and implementing it, you will be able to engage, retain and convert subscribers into a loyal donor base.

Read More
NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

What Your Non-profit Should Know About Accepting Cryptocurrency Donations?

Article | July 20, 2022

Are you expecting all donors to be the same? If you answered “no…well actually… kinda,” then you are not alone. It’s simple to send out the same fundraising message to everyone. However, you can transform your fundraising when you understand that there are many reasons why a person chooses to donate to a nonprofit. Once you understand the psychology of donating to charity, you can then best appeal to current and potential donors. Why do Donors Give? Along a spectrum, there are two extremes that prevent nonprofits from using donation psychology in their fundraising messages. On one end, the person making the ask – the Executive Director, Development person or Board member – assumes all donors have the same motivations for giving that they do. This translates into single-focused messaging that appeals to the person making the ask and to some donors, but not to others. On the other end of the spectrum when a nonprofit neglects philanthropy psychology, the person making the ask becomes paralyzed. They fear offending donors by asking at the “wrong” time. They focus on external, societal crises, such as the pandemic, wars, tragedies, and make a decision for the donor that this is the wrong time to be asked for a gift. They assume that the donor would be offended if asked. The Millennial Impact Project studied why donors across generations start giving. Unexpectedly, according to the researcher, Derrick Feldmann, donors first give because they want to belong. They desire to join their friends or be a part of a cause doing the good they wish to see in the world – this is before they understand what the cause or nonprofit is seeking to accomplish. As they gain that sense of belonging and begin believing in the cause, they can be motivated to continue to give when the nonprofit taps into their giving style. The Seven Faces of Philanthropy was groundbreaking research published in 1994 that has been updated and is still relevant today. In summary, the researchers found that donors give for different reasons. Some donors give because they enjoy the act of giving, especially through events. More donors prefer to donate to local charities or make a long-lasting impact through their investments. Other donors desire to repay or pay forward in gratitude through their giving. Others give because of religious or altruistic reasons. Then, there are donors who see giving as a family tradition and, if applicable, to teach their children generosity. Understanding the donor’s motivations for giving guides a nonprofit in developing the right message, using the right fundraising methods and segmenting to the right group of donors. How Can you Encourage Your Donors to Give? Now that you understand the psychology behind making a philanthropic gift, you can implement this knowledge to customize your fundraising appeals. First, you will need to determine why your donors give. This is done through discussions with Board members, personal conversations with donors, and through donor surveys. It begins with a simple question, “Why do you give to…?” The answers will assist you in creating donor identities; that is, the types of identities or groups where donors wish to belong. Sample identities could be “community leader” or “survivor” or “change maker.” Next, based on what you learned from your current donors, pick the top two or three donor motivations and associated identities. Alter your current messaging and fundraising methods to these giving reasons. The messaging and methods that inspire your current donors will likely attract more donors. Begin testing your messaging for these two to three reasons: Which message has the highest engagement in response and donation? This will be your primary message that you will rotate with the secondary messages. As you further explore your donor’s psychology for giving, you can advance to segmenting your communications based on what will motivate groups of donors to give. Once you understand donor psychology, you will wonder how you missed the clues to why your donors give – and be ready to catch future donors by staying one step ahead of their giving habits.

Read More
NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT

Non-Profits Impacting the Economy

Article | July 14, 2022

Although we recommend talking directly with your donors to learn what matters to them, one-on-one conversations aren’t the only way to gain valuable information about your donors. Through analysis of the donor data in your fundraising software, you can obtain insights that will help you create a better experience for your donors, and motivate them to give more over time. Here’s what you can learn from the numbers and how you can apply this knowledge to improve your donor experience. Biographic and Demographic Information: This particular donor data isn’t snazzy, but it provides you with important tools to use in donor communications. Here’s what you can do with it. Preferred Name: Even something as simple as addressing your donors by their preferred names or nicknames will go a long way toward building a meaningful relationship. Employment: Improve the timing of your emails by sending to full-time individuals when they’re at work. Age: Millennials are more likely to check social media or text messages for communications, while Baby Boomers are more likely to use email or even snail mail. A multi-channel communication strategy, however, is the best thing to help you reach your donors where they’re at. Educational Background: While someone’s education level may provide insights about their capacity to give, consider looking at what your contacts were involved in while in school. Did they join clubs that provide a clue about their interests? Did they hold certain leadership positions that tell you what they’re committed to? What community service projects were they active in? This information can help you customize your communications more meaningfully. Involvement History: Monetary giving isn’t the only indicator of a donor’s interest in your organization. When you’re putting together your campaign lists, don’t forget to look at other historical indicators as well. Note: If you’re already using Network for Good’s simple, smart fundraising software, demographic details, like the ones above, need to be individually added as “Custom Fields” to a constituent’s record. Involvement in Advocacy Work: If an individual advocates for charities or causes, he or she is usually serious about making a difference and seeks to do so in other ways. Corporate Sponsorships: If someone has organized a corporate sponsorship for her or his place of employment, the individual has demonstrated a willingness to go the extra mile foryour organization. Showing Up at Events: If you have regulars who appear at your events, they’re prime candidates to get more involved. An events platform that integrates directly with your fundraising software can be a key tool here in making sure you’re following up with the right people. Network of Connections: Prospective donors will always be more willing to respond if a friend or business connection has introduced your organization to them. If you think an individual would be willing to contribute to your nonprofit, look at who in your donor database is connected to that person and ask for an introduction. This strategy can also be used for raising corporate sponsorships. Hobbies: Hobbies and interests will tell you who’s most likely to participate in your events. They’ll also give you ideas about what types of events will be most popular with your contacts. Here are a few ideas: Games: Trivia night, bingo, or board games. Outdoors: Run/Walk, golf or fishing tournament, or softball. Food & Drink: Wine tasting, celebrity chef or bartender, or profit share at a restaurant. Music: Benefit concert, talent show, or Battle of the Bands Arts & Culture: Group night at the theatre, charity poetry reading, or author meet-and-greet. Timing of Gifts: When do individuals give? If someone tends to make donations at a certain time of year, your request will probably be welcomed (and successful!) if you ask at that time. Using tools such as the “Giving” filters to conduct donor analysis can help determine if there are trends around a particular time of year for one (or multiple) donors – and knowing the timing of gifts will also help you spend your marketing dollars more wisely. If someone has given within a year-long time period, that person is much more likely to give again than someone who gave two years ago. You can allocate your marketing resources more intelligently if you know who is more likely to donate. These are just a few ideas on how to use your data to not only build a stronger donor experience but also increase your fundraising revenue. Learn why the donor experience is vital to a successful organization and how to implement an effective donor experience program by downloading “A Better Donor Experience: Is it the Cornerstone of Donor Loyalty?”

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
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Spotlight

Atlas Corps

Atlas Corps, started in 2006, is an international network of nonprofit leaders and organizations that promotes innovation, cooperation, and solutions to address the world’s 21st century challenges through an overseas fellowship. Our mission is to address critical social issues by developing leaders, strengthening organizations, and promoting innovation through an overseas fellowship of skilled nonprofit professionals. Profiled as a “best practice” in international exchange and volunteerism by the Brookings Institution and World Economic Forum, featured in the Washington Post and Forbes as a model social entrepreneurship program, and recognized as a Top 10 International Voluntary Exchange Program by the U.S. Center for Citizen Diplomacy, Atlas Corps engages leaders committed to the nonprofit sector in 6 to 18 month, professional fellowships at organizations (like Ashoka, Peace Corps, and Nike Foundation) to learn best practices, build organizational capacity, and return home to create a

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DENSO Donates $100K to American Red Cross to Assist Kentucky Flood Recovery

American Red Cross | August 17, 2022

The DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support flood recovery efforts in Kentucky. DENSO's donation will help the aid organization deliver its vital shelter, food and health services to people in need. Others who wish to support can make their own donation to the American Red Cross through DENSO's disaster relief microsite. Companies affiliated with DENSO that operate in Kentucky include Kyosan DENSO Manufacturing Kentucky, LLC, located in Mt. Sterling, and DENSO Air Systems, located in Hopkinsville. While these sites were not directly impacted by the flooding, employees at the companies and DENSO partners across the state are deeply connected to communities still in need of relief. "The devastation Kentuckians are facing is unimaginable. That's why it's so important we do our part in helping those affected get back on their feet, We'll always be committed to positively contributing to the places we call home, and we hope this donation advances communities closer to full recovery." -Bob Townsend, vice president of Corporate Services at DENSO and DNAF. DENSO's donation was sourced from DNAF funds specifically earmarked for charitable initiatives. In addition to providing disaster relief, DNAF is also dedicated to helping students advance their education in science, technology, engineering, math and related programs. To do this, the foundation provides grants to colleges and universities across North America, giving students opportunities to grow their skills, pursue technical careers and lead tomorrow's workforce. About DENSO: DENSO is a $45.1 billion global mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in its 198 facilities to produce electrification system, powertrain system, thermal system, mobility electronics, & advanced devices, to create jobs that directly change how the world moves. The company's 167,000+ employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO spent 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 27,000+ engineers, researchers, and skilled workers across 51 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,700+ employees across 14 states (and the District of Columbia) and 41 sites. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, DENSO in North America generated $9.5 billion in consolidated sales. DENSO is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion inside the company and beyond – a principle that brings unique perspectives together, bolsters innovation, and pushes DENSO forward.

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FUNDRAISING

Faraday Future Announces New Funding

FARADAY FUTURE | August 16, 2022

Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIE) ("FF”, “Faraday Future”, or “the Company”), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company, today announced the successful execution of a definitive agreement for a new financing facility. The Company continues to have active discussions with multiple capital providers for potential significant additional near-term funding. Under the new financing facility, which contemplates total potential funding of as much as $600 million in a convertible secured notes structure, Faraday Future will receive an initial $52 million of committed funds. Funds managed by ATW Partners, a U.S.-based institutional investor, led the transaction. Investors contributing $27 million (plus up to $31 million from additional investors who commit on or prior to August 17, 2022 and fund on or prior to August 19, 2022) will receive a conversion price of $2.2865 per FFIE share, later contributions will receive a conversion price of $2.69 per FFIE share. All investors will receive 33% warrant coverage with an exercise price of $5.00 per FFIE share. The facility is structured to allow for additional investor participation on similar terms. Other terms can be found in our 8-K filing dated August 15, 2022. Citi served as placement agent, and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to the Company. Blank Rome LLP and Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP served as legal advisors to the lead investor in the fundraising. The Company remains in active discussions with both U.S. institutional investors and international funding sources. These discussions may or may not lead to additional funding commitments beyond what has already been executed. The Company will provide further updates on financing negotiations as appropriate, and upon the conclusion of any additional definitive agreements. “I am very pleased to have this important new committed capital and framework in place for substantial additional funding. We are working diligently to complete this capital raise process in order to raise sufficient new funds to launch the FF 91. Subject to successful completion of this fundraising process, I am confident that we can deliver cars to our customers in late Q3 or Q4, Our Hanford manufacturing facility, recently renamed the “FF ieFactory California” is nearing completion. We have all the equipment on site needed to begin production and are in the final stages of installation. The FF ieFactory California has already produced over a dozen production-intent vehicles. Testing and validation of the FF 91 is well underway, and I am very pleased with the results we are seeing. The FF 91 will be the world’s first ultra-luxury EV and will reset customer expectations for what the future of intelligent mobility can be.” -Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, Global CEO of Faraday Future. ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE: Faraday Future is a class-defining luxury electric vehicle company. The Company has pioneered numerous innovations relating to its products, technology, business model, and user ecosystem since its inception in 2014. Faraday Future aims to perpetually improve the way people move by creating a forward-thinking mobility ecosystem that integrates clean energy, AI, the Internet, and new usership models. Faraday Future’s first flagship product is the FF 91 Futurist.

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FUNDRAISING

iDonate Releases 2.0 Version of Digital Fundraising Platform

iDonate | August 16, 2022

iDonate, the fastest growing digital fundraising solution for nonprofits, today announced iDonate 2.0, a completely revamped and refreshed upgrade of its SaaS online giving platform. The newly updated 2.0 solution provides an upgraded management environment that streamlines launching multi-channel fundraising campaigns, a template library of best practice forms and landing pages that improve conversion rates, an Integration Exchange for data connection (from CRM, marketing automation, and data intelligence systems), and a suite of new ‘Donor-First Optimizers’ that provide advanced capabilities to guarantee 2x fundraising growth rates in digital giving. iDonate 2.0 solves a growing problem in the nonprofit community where organizations struggle to accelerate their digital transformation and grow new sources of revenue. A key roadblock that many nonprofits face is an ability to attract and retain new donors when they are stuck using systems that only support traditional fundraising techniques and static campaign-driven asks. With digital fundraising expected to grow in the next five years at rates similar to e-commerce (from 12-25% of an overall $450 billion in giving), nonprofit leaders are actively seeking new platforms that open up digital donation channels to web-savvy, socially connected donors who give at the point of inspiration. iDonate 2.0 is designed from the ground up to serve this need. The new platform introduces a set of capabilities that improve overall donor acquisition, conversion, and retention rates through a patented set of built-in optimization techniques. Developed in conjunction with recognized industry leader in the digital-first fundraising space, NextAfter, iDonate 2.0 includes advanced capabilities such as point-and-click A/B testing, landing page optimization, automated recurring gift prompts and more, all integrated into the platform seamlessly to ensure fundraisers’ asks are presented clearly, personalized to donor preferences, and optimized for conversion. “Since COVID started and the digital transformation wave began in the nonprofit industry, we’ve listened very closely to what our customers were saying about the frustrations of declining connectivity to today’s donors, Even though our customers on average were experiencing 30%+ growth rates in digital giving, we wanted to take those rates higher, in fact 2x higher. With the launch of iDonate 2.0, we are bringing to market the digital fundraising system they’ve been asking for, one that is simple to deploy, adaptable to managing any style of fundraising, optimized so today’s donors can give dynamically to campaigns they care about it, and open and extensible to embrace integrations with all the new systems that are being brought into the digital infrastructure.” -Ray Gary, CEO of iDonate. iDonate 2.0 is offered through three unique packages: Core – includes the full platform with a full suite of digital giving apps for web, mobile, text-to-give, events, peer-to-peer, and noncash fundraising along with the digital amplification coaching services that deploy best practice growth strategies. The platform includes a robust analytics dashboard and automated accounting reconciliation to further simplify administration. The updated multi-channel platform allows administrators to easily deploy new online giving options in less than a day. Professional – includes all the capabilities of the Core platform plus an Optimization Package and Digital Amplification Services powered by NextAfter. The package includes all the Donor-First Optimizers and is centered on an A/B testing system that makes tuning of forms for higher conversion a simple point-and-click exercise. The package also includes a training program that optimizes the entire system for growth. Distributed – includes all the capabilities of the Professional version built in a distributed architecture that enables parent/child management for organizations that raise money through chapters or sub-orgs. The system operates in a federated environment and also supports centralized administration and management of programs across large fundraising networks. Ministries with mission-based fundraising teams and/or higher-education institutions that raise money for multiple colleges, branch campuses, and athletic programs can now simply deploy a connected network of digital giving solutions from one central platform. Pricing for each package is based on an annual subscription fee, and variable platform and transaction processing fees based on the volume of giving transactions processed through the system monthly. iDonate 2.0 is available today as an upgrade for existing customers of iDonate or to new customers seeking a best-in-class digital fundraising solution. The company offers the platform in collaboration with a broad network of partners, service providers, and systems integrators who both enhance and customize an implementation. As nonprofits face challenges in deploying digital technologies quickly to meet the changing expectations of today’s donors, iDonate 2.0 is the first to simplify digital fundraising so nonprofits can raise more. The system is the first of its kind – a modern fundraising platform delivered in one unified system that provides a full scope of solutions to improve donor interactions, as well as execute and measure campaign success and impact. About iDonate: iDonate is the fastest growing digital fundraising solution for nonprofits and the only offering based on an enterprise-scale, distributed platform designed for high-volume donation processing. Today, we are catalyzing digital fundraising growth initiatives at more than 1,100 organizations: including some of the Nation's best-known higher education institutions, health care nonprofits, churches, ministries, and social support organizations. We make a difference by enabling these organizations to connect better to today's donor through giving experiences that are easy to deploy and optimized for conversion. Launched in 2012, iDonate Inc. is a Dallas-based company whose mission is to transform charitable giving by changing the way the world thinks – and more importantly, acts – around charitable giving. iDonate employees have a deep passion for amplifying the good that is generated each day by helping nonprofit fundraisers to easily deploy modern solutions through advanced technology.

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FUNDRAISING,SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND COMMUNITY

DENSO Donates $100K to American Red Cross to Assist Kentucky Flood Recovery

American Red Cross | August 17, 2022

The DENSO North America Foundation (DNAF) has donated $100,000 to the American Red Cross to support flood recovery efforts in Kentucky. DENSO's donation will help the aid organization deliver its vital shelter, food and health services to people in need. Others who wish to support can make their own donation to the American Red Cross through DENSO's disaster relief microsite. Companies affiliated with DENSO that operate in Kentucky include Kyosan DENSO Manufacturing Kentucky, LLC, located in Mt. Sterling, and DENSO Air Systems, located in Hopkinsville. While these sites were not directly impacted by the flooding, employees at the companies and DENSO partners across the state are deeply connected to communities still in need of relief. "The devastation Kentuckians are facing is unimaginable. That's why it's so important we do our part in helping those affected get back on their feet, We'll always be committed to positively contributing to the places we call home, and we hope this donation advances communities closer to full recovery." -Bob Townsend, vice president of Corporate Services at DENSO and DNAF. DENSO's donation was sourced from DNAF funds specifically earmarked for charitable initiatives. In addition to providing disaster relief, DNAF is also dedicated to helping students advance their education in science, technology, engineering, math and related programs. To do this, the foundation provides grants to colleges and universities across North America, giving students opportunities to grow their skills, pursue technical careers and lead tomorrow's workforce. About DENSO: DENSO is a $45.1 billion global mobility supplier that develops advanced technology and components for nearly every vehicle make and model on the road today. With manufacturing at its core, DENSO invests in its 198 facilities to produce electrification system, powertrain system, thermal system, mobility electronics, & advanced devices, to create jobs that directly change how the world moves. The company's 167,000+ employees are paving the way to a mobility future that improves lives, eliminates traffic accidents, and preserves the environment. Globally headquartered in Kariya, Japan, DENSO spent 9.0 percent of its global consolidated sales on research and development in the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022. In North America, DENSO is headquartered in Southfield, Michigan, and employs 27,000+ engineers, researchers, and skilled workers across 51 sites in the U.S, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs 17,700+ employees across 14 states (and the District of Columbia) and 41 sites. In the fiscal year ending March 31, 2022, DENSO in North America generated $9.5 billion in consolidated sales. DENSO is committed to advancing diversity and inclusion inside the company and beyond – a principle that brings unique perspectives together, bolsters innovation, and pushes DENSO forward.

Read More

FUNDRAISING

Faraday Future Announces New Funding

FARADAY FUTURE | August 16, 2022

Faraday Future Intelligent Electric Inc. (NASDAQ: FFIE) ("FF”, “Faraday Future”, or “the Company”), a California-based global shared intelligent electric mobility ecosystem company, today announced the successful execution of a definitive agreement for a new financing facility. The Company continues to have active discussions with multiple capital providers for potential significant additional near-term funding. Under the new financing facility, which contemplates total potential funding of as much as $600 million in a convertible secured notes structure, Faraday Future will receive an initial $52 million of committed funds. Funds managed by ATW Partners, a U.S.-based institutional investor, led the transaction. Investors contributing $27 million (plus up to $31 million from additional investors who commit on or prior to August 17, 2022 and fund on or prior to August 19, 2022) will receive a conversion price of $2.2865 per FFIE share, later contributions will receive a conversion price of $2.69 per FFIE share. All investors will receive 33% warrant coverage with an exercise price of $5.00 per FFIE share. The facility is structured to allow for additional investor participation on similar terms. Other terms can be found in our 8-K filing dated August 15, 2022. Citi served as placement agent, and Sidley Austin LLP served as legal advisor to the Company. Blank Rome LLP and Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP served as legal advisors to the lead investor in the fundraising. The Company remains in active discussions with both U.S. institutional investors and international funding sources. These discussions may or may not lead to additional funding commitments beyond what has already been executed. The Company will provide further updates on financing negotiations as appropriate, and upon the conclusion of any additional definitive agreements. “I am very pleased to have this important new committed capital and framework in place for substantial additional funding. We are working diligently to complete this capital raise process in order to raise sufficient new funds to launch the FF 91. Subject to successful completion of this fundraising process, I am confident that we can deliver cars to our customers in late Q3 or Q4, Our Hanford manufacturing facility, recently renamed the “FF ieFactory California” is nearing completion. We have all the equipment on site needed to begin production and are in the final stages of installation. The FF ieFactory California has already produced over a dozen production-intent vehicles. Testing and validation of the FF 91 is well underway, and I am very pleased with the results we are seeing. The FF 91 will be the world’s first ultra-luxury EV and will reset customer expectations for what the future of intelligent mobility can be.” -Dr. Carsten Breitfeld, Global CEO of Faraday Future. ABOUT FARADAY FUTURE: Faraday Future is a class-defining luxury electric vehicle company. The Company has pioneered numerous innovations relating to its products, technology, business model, and user ecosystem since its inception in 2014. Faraday Future aims to perpetually improve the way people move by creating a forward-thinking mobility ecosystem that integrates clean energy, AI, the Internet, and new usership models. Faraday Future’s first flagship product is the FF 91 Futurist.

Read More

FUNDRAISING

iDonate Releases 2.0 Version of Digital Fundraising Platform

iDonate | August 16, 2022

iDonate, the fastest growing digital fundraising solution for nonprofits, today announced iDonate 2.0, a completely revamped and refreshed upgrade of its SaaS online giving platform. The newly updated 2.0 solution provides an upgraded management environment that streamlines launching multi-channel fundraising campaigns, a template library of best practice forms and landing pages that improve conversion rates, an Integration Exchange for data connection (from CRM, marketing automation, and data intelligence systems), and a suite of new ‘Donor-First Optimizers’ that provide advanced capabilities to guarantee 2x fundraising growth rates in digital giving. iDonate 2.0 solves a growing problem in the nonprofit community where organizations struggle to accelerate their digital transformation and grow new sources of revenue. A key roadblock that many nonprofits face is an ability to attract and retain new donors when they are stuck using systems that only support traditional fundraising techniques and static campaign-driven asks. With digital fundraising expected to grow in the next five years at rates similar to e-commerce (from 12-25% of an overall $450 billion in giving), nonprofit leaders are actively seeking new platforms that open up digital donation channels to web-savvy, socially connected donors who give at the point of inspiration. iDonate 2.0 is designed from the ground up to serve this need. The new platform introduces a set of capabilities that improve overall donor acquisition, conversion, and retention rates through a patented set of built-in optimization techniques. Developed in conjunction with recognized industry leader in the digital-first fundraising space, NextAfter, iDonate 2.0 includes advanced capabilities such as point-and-click A/B testing, landing page optimization, automated recurring gift prompts and more, all integrated into the platform seamlessly to ensure fundraisers’ asks are presented clearly, personalized to donor preferences, and optimized for conversion. “Since COVID started and the digital transformation wave began in the nonprofit industry, we’ve listened very closely to what our customers were saying about the frustrations of declining connectivity to today’s donors, Even though our customers on average were experiencing 30%+ growth rates in digital giving, we wanted to take those rates higher, in fact 2x higher. With the launch of iDonate 2.0, we are bringing to market the digital fundraising system they’ve been asking for, one that is simple to deploy, adaptable to managing any style of fundraising, optimized so today’s donors can give dynamically to campaigns they care about it, and open and extensible to embrace integrations with all the new systems that are being brought into the digital infrastructure.” -Ray Gary, CEO of iDonate. iDonate 2.0 is offered through three unique packages: Core – includes the full platform with a full suite of digital giving apps for web, mobile, text-to-give, events, peer-to-peer, and noncash fundraising along with the digital amplification coaching services that deploy best practice growth strategies. The platform includes a robust analytics dashboard and automated accounting reconciliation to further simplify administration. The updated multi-channel platform allows administrators to easily deploy new online giving options in less than a day. Professional – includes all the capabilities of the Core platform plus an Optimization Package and Digital Amplification Services powered by NextAfter. The package includes all the Donor-First Optimizers and is centered on an A/B testing system that makes tuning of forms for higher conversion a simple point-and-click exercise. The package also includes a training program that optimizes the entire system for growth. Distributed – includes all the capabilities of the Professional version built in a distributed architecture that enables parent/child management for organizations that raise money through chapters or sub-orgs. The system operates in a federated environment and also supports centralized administration and management of programs across large fundraising networks. Ministries with mission-based fundraising teams and/or higher-education institutions that raise money for multiple colleges, branch campuses, and athletic programs can now simply deploy a connected network of digital giving solutions from one central platform. Pricing for each package is based on an annual subscription fee, and variable platform and transaction processing fees based on the volume of giving transactions processed through the system monthly. iDonate 2.0 is available today as an upgrade for existing customers of iDonate or to new customers seeking a best-in-class digital fundraising solution. The company offers the platform in collaboration with a broad network of partners, service providers, and systems integrators who both enhance and customize an implementation. As nonprofits face challenges in deploying digital technologies quickly to meet the changing expectations of today’s donors, iDonate 2.0 is the first to simplify digital fundraising so nonprofits can raise more. The system is the first of its kind – a modern fundraising platform delivered in one unified system that provides a full scope of solutions to improve donor interactions, as well as execute and measure campaign success and impact. About iDonate: iDonate is the fastest growing digital fundraising solution for nonprofits and the only offering based on an enterprise-scale, distributed platform designed for high-volume donation processing. Today, we are catalyzing digital fundraising growth initiatives at more than 1,100 organizations: including some of the Nation's best-known higher education institutions, health care nonprofits, churches, ministries, and social support organizations. We make a difference by enabling these organizations to connect better to today's donor through giving experiences that are easy to deploy and optimized for conversion. Launched in 2012, iDonate Inc. is a Dallas-based company whose mission is to transform charitable giving by changing the way the world thinks – and more importantly, acts – around charitable giving. iDonate employees have a deep passion for amplifying the good that is generated each day by helping nonprofit fundraisers to easily deploy modern solutions through advanced technology.

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