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Turn Your Raw Data Into Compelling Stories

Cold, hard facts and raw data don’t make people feel warm and fuzzy. This may sound obvious, but it creates a problem for nonprofit fundraisers trying to persuade potential supporters to take action.

Spotlight

Vietnam Veterans of America

Founded in 1978, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is a national veterans organization committed to serving the needs of all veterans. In accordance with its founding principle, “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another,” VVA will be here for as long as it takes to make sure that those who serve our country receive the care and respect they have earned. VVA is organized as a not-for-profit corporation and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Our Founding Principle: "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." Our Goals: VVA's goals are to promote and support the full range of issues important to Vietnam veterans, to create a new identity for this generation of veterans, and to change public perception of Vietnam veterans.

OTHER ARTICLES
Nonprofit Management

5 Fundraising Trends for Growing Nonprofits in 2020

Article | July 12, 2022

Just like that, we went from talking about the rising trends in fundraising for 2020 to how nonprofits can sustain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say, it was quite the pivot in conversation. The COVID-19 pandemic has had major implications for nonprofit organizations. Unfortunately, it seems as though the uncertain landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, it’s time for your organization to consider how it can be agile and thrive through uncertainty.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Prioritizing Money Builds Fake Donor Relationships

Article | July 28, 2022

The relationship costs too much money, so I will save money and not pursue it. And the result of that decision is disastrous. Relationships take time. You know that. Your boss knows it. But we ignore time because that is how we have set up things. There is a budget to manage. A forecast to make. So, we go for the fake relationship. One where we pretend to care, but only if we get the money. We do that — not because we believe it’s the right thing to do but — because we can’t see any other way to deliver on expectations. And that is the dilemma in major gifts. The push is for instant gratification. We are dealing with a situation right now where the authority figure does not value relationships. She says she does. She even claims to have a value set that cherishes relationships. But the money is the real value. And the need to grab it is the central drive. So, she is pushing on her major gift officers (MGOs) to get the money and is even threatening to do away with the major gifts program because it is not delivering. But when we uncover what “not delivering” means in her view, it is not that each MGO is not producing revenue from the same donors over and above last year. Nope. It is that each isn’t producing enough revenue quickly enough. The real story in this organization is that some of the other fundraising programs are not performing, and major gifts needs to be the scapegoat. It’s all about the money. This is so sad because these are good people — all of them, including the authority figure. It is sad because the plan to move major gifts into real relationships is facing failure. And that bothers Jeff and me — not because it’s our plan for the organization. No, it bothers us because there are good MGOs and good donors who must revert back to a fake relationship. And that is not good. One of our major objectives is to influence fundraisers and nonprofit leaders to highly value and respect donors. When we succeed at that, and we do, more often than not, it brings donors, MGOs and leaders a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction. And, it brings the money. You should see the celebration! But when money is valued over relationship, it is a dark and depressing time for us. That is why the situation I described earlier is so disturbing. It’s not that we are going to lose something. No, that is not it. It’s that some very good MGOs and some very good donors will be forced to live in superficiality and shallowness. And that is not good for anyone. And it certainly is not good for the economic well-being of the nonprofit. Make a commitment today to real relationships with your donors. And if your organization does not support that, try to influence it to change. If the organization will not change, move on. You have a choice.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

4 Actions Responsive Nonprofits are Taking to Ensure Growth in 2020 and Beyond

Article | July 29, 2022

Barbara O’Reilly was recently featured on our Responsive Fundraising Podcast, where she discussed the three stages that follow an unexpected world event. First, the response phase, where we each find a way to contain the negative impact of the change. Next, comes the recovery phase, in which we all work together to find a way forward. Lastly, the resilience phase, in which we have recovered and emerge better than before. From the standpoint of COVID-19, we all have navigated the response phase, which triggered a far-reaching economic tremor. It’s fair to say that we currently live in the recovery phase, and probably will for quite a while. But even now, as we recover, our focus should be on the next phase: resilience. Of course, the resilience phase will look differently for everyone, and it is hard to predict exactly what it will look like for your nonprofit. However, there are ways for you to ensure that the work you do now will increase your annual revenue and improve donor retention while you recover and build resilience. Here’s how responsive fundraising can make that easier.

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

Article | July 12, 2022

Just like that, we went from talking about the rising trends in fundraising for 2020 to how nonprofits can sustain operations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Needless to say, it was quite the pivot in conversation. The COVID-19 pandemic has had major implications for nonprofit organizations. Unfortunately, it seems as though the uncertain landscape created by the COVID-19 pandemic will be sticking around for the foreseeable future. With that in mind, it’s time for your organization to consider how it can be agile and thrive through uncertainty.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Non-Profits Cannot Afford to Ignore These Business Practices

Article | July 28, 2022

The relationship costs too much money, so I will save money and not pursue it. And the result of that decision is disastrous. Relationships take time. You know that. Your boss knows it. But we ignore time because that is how we have set up things. There is a budget to manage. A forecast to make. So, we go for the fake relationship. One where we pretend to care, but only if we get the money. We do that — not because we believe it’s the right thing to do but — because we can’t see any other way to deliver on expectations. And that is the dilemma in major gifts. The push is for instant gratification. We are dealing with a situation right now where the authority figure does not value relationships. She says she does. She even claims to have a value set that cherishes relationships. But the money is the real value. And the need to grab it is the central drive. So, she is pushing on her major gift officers (MGOs) to get the money and is even threatening to do away with the major gifts program because it is not delivering. But when we uncover what “not delivering” means in her view, it is not that each MGO is not producing revenue from the same donors over and above last year. Nope. It is that each isn’t producing enough revenue quickly enough. The real story in this organization is that some of the other fundraising programs are not performing, and major gifts needs to be the scapegoat. It’s all about the money. This is so sad because these are good people — all of them, including the authority figure. It is sad because the plan to move major gifts into real relationships is facing failure. And that bothers Jeff and me — not because it’s our plan for the organization. No, it bothers us because there are good MGOs and good donors who must revert back to a fake relationship. And that is not good. One of our major objectives is to influence fundraisers and nonprofit leaders to highly value and respect donors. When we succeed at that, and we do, more often than not, it brings donors, MGOs and leaders a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction. And, it brings the money. You should see the celebration! But when money is valued over relationship, it is a dark and depressing time for us. That is why the situation I described earlier is so disturbing. It’s not that we are going to lose something. No, that is not it. It’s that some very good MGOs and some very good donors will be forced to live in superficiality and shallowness. And that is not good for anyone. And it certainly is not good for the economic well-being of the nonprofit. Make a commitment today to real relationships with your donors. And if your organization does not support that, try to influence it to change. If the organization will not change, move on. You have a choice.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Marketing Your Nonprofit Organization in 4 Simple Steps

Article | July 29, 2022

Barbara O’Reilly was recently featured on our Responsive Fundraising Podcast, where she discussed the three stages that follow an unexpected world event. First, the response phase, where we each find a way to contain the negative impact of the change. Next, comes the recovery phase, in which we all work together to find a way forward. Lastly, the resilience phase, in which we have recovered and emerge better than before. From the standpoint of COVID-19, we all have navigated the response phase, which triggered a far-reaching economic tremor. It’s fair to say that we currently live in the recovery phase, and probably will for quite a while. But even now, as we recover, our focus should be on the next phase: resilience. Of course, the resilience phase will look differently for everyone, and it is hard to predict exactly what it will look like for your nonprofit. However, there are ways for you to ensure that the work you do now will increase your annual revenue and improve donor retention while you recover and build resilience. Here’s how responsive fundraising can make that easier.

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

Vietnam Veterans of America

Founded in 1978, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is a national veterans organization committed to serving the needs of all veterans. In accordance with its founding principle, “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another,” VVA will be here for as long as it takes to make sure that those who serve our country receive the care and respect they have earned. VVA is organized as a not-for-profit corporation and is tax-exempt under Section 501(c)(19) of the Internal Revenue Service Code. Our Founding Principle: "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another." Our Goals: VVA's goals are to promote and support the full range of issues important to Vietnam veterans, to create a new identity for this generation of veterans, and to change public perception of Vietnam veterans.

Related News

Fundraising

Qgiv Unveils Strategic Vision for AI Fundraising Solutions

GlobeNewswire | October 19, 2023

Qgiv, a leading provider of fundraising technology solutions, announced its strategy for embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning across the platform with its latest set of features, Fundraising Intelligence by Qgiv (Fundraising IQ). This collection of tools is designed to empower nonprofits and fundraisers to maximize their impact by simplifying day-to-day tasks. Simultaneously, Qgiv has joined Fundraising.AI’s Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to promoting ethical and responsible use of AI in the nonprofit sector. Qgiv will join the Fundraising.AI steering committee, a collaborative of industry leaders, nonprofits, and AI experts to help establish ethical principles to guide the deployment of AI use in the nonprofit industry. "AI has been around for many years, but only recently has it become available for more consumer-based applications. Our goal is to connect nonprofits with the power of AI, responsibly and ethically, to help them achieve their full fundraising potential and further their missions," said Todd Baylis, CEO of Qgiv, Inc. "The release of Fundraising IQ and our commitment to the Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising is only the beginning—our hope is that AI-driven solutions can help reduce burnout among fundraisers by automating manual tasks and ultimately improve the giving experience." Fundraising IQ represents a significant leap forward in the fundraising industry, equipping nonprofits with cutting-edge AI, data science, and machine learning tools to enhance their fundraising campaigns, donor engagement, and overall efficiency. Launched and soon to be released features that fall under Fundraising IQ include: Dynamic Giving Amounts:Fundraising IQ leverages machine learning to analyze donor data and suggest dynamic, personalized donation amounts to donors to increase conversions. Generate Emails with AI:Qgiv’s Fundraising Content Assistant uses AI to help nonprofit teams craft peer-to-peer emails in seconds, freeing up time for fundraisers to focus on building meaningful relationships with their donors. Auction Item Recommendations:Organization’s using Qgiv’s auction tools can maximize their revenue and save time with suggested starting bids and bid increments to optimize performance. Automated Campaign Improvement Suggestions:Fundraising IQ continuously analyzes campaign performance, and will soon provide real-time benchmarks to help organizations optimize their fundraising efforts for maximum impact. AI-Generated Fraud Protection:To protect nonprofits from fraud and mitigate card testing, Qgiv has adopted an AI-enhanced fraud protection system that detects bots and malicious card tests. This automated security measure has resulted in a 97% drop in card testing on Qgiv forms. “We view the rise of AI in technology, and launch of Fundraising IQ, as an exciting opportunity to help busy nonprofit teams raise more for their missions. As we look towards the future, Qgiv clients can expect to see more time saving, AI-powered solutions implemented within the platform,” said Chris Morata, vice president of product at Qgiv. Inc. About Qgiv Qgiv, Inc. is a leading digital fundraising platform empowering 20,000+ nonprofit fundraisers to raise money for their causes while keeping costs low. Through online giving and event registration forms, text fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraisers, and auction events, Qgiv provides a full suite of fundraising solutions that integrate with industry-leading CRMs and email providers to provide a personalized giving experience for donors. Founded in 2007, they now serve more than 6,500 nonprofits in the US and Canada who have collectively raised over $3 billion using Qgiv’s platform. Qgiv is known for their free, award-winning customer service, customizable platform, and flexible pricing. Qgiv is committed to helping people fulfill their passion to make a difference for others by equipping fundraisers with tools and educational resources to advance their knowledge and move their missions forward. About Fundraising.AI Created in 2020, Fundraising.AI is a fully independent collaborative that supports individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector to understand and promote the development and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. Fundraising.AI’s Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising, establishes the first set of guidelines for individuals and organizations looking to responsibly integrate AI practices into their fundraising efforts. During the past year, a diverse group of more than 90 thought leaders and subject-matter experts contributed hundreds of hours to the creation of the Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising. Through collaborative learning, research, and best practice sharing, Fundraising.AI aims to ensure that AI is utilized ethically and effectively to advance charitable missions.

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Fundraising

Blackbaud Expands Peer-To-Peer Solutions with New Mobile Capabilities

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, is doubling down on its investment in the peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising space - one of the most significant and rapidly growing sectors for fundraising today - with the next evolution of Good Move™, its activity-tracking mobile app. The development will transform the app into a powerful mobile participant center for Blackbaud TeamRaiser®, enabling a streamlined experience for participants and self-service functionality for social impact customers. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a vital component of the philanthropic landscape, and we are committed to providing innovative solutions that empower organizations and individuals to make a difference," said Sudip Datta, chief product officer at Blackbaud. "The new capabilities within Good Move represent our ongoing dedication to supporting the peer-to-peer fundraising community. We look forward to the positive impact these enhancements will have on the fundraising efforts of organizations globally. Good Move, which launched in 2023 as an activity-tracking mobile app designed for TeamRaiser, has been a game-changer in the world of fundraising, allowing organizations to create custom wellness events that go beyond traditional walk, run and cycling. With Good Move, participants can record various activities, from pickleball to water sports to mindful minutes and more. With this significant upgrade, customers will now have the ability to adopt a mobile app experience for events where activity-tracking is not applicable. Organizations can now create campaigns that focus solely on fundraising, without losing the "gamification" experience and P2P tools needed to sustain engagement. Customers can also now seamlessly attach Good Move-powered capabilities to existing TeamRaiser events from their TeamRaiser administrative portal. This self-service model streamlines event management, saving organizations time and resources while enhancing their fundraising capabilities. For information on new capabilities in TeamRaiser and Good Move, attend the next Blackbaud Product Update Briefings, November 14-16. Registration opens October 13. For existing TeamRaiser customers interested in learning more about the new Good Move capabilities, please contact your Customer Success Manager. For any organization not already a TeamRaiser customer that is looking to further understand the power of TeamRaiser and Good Move, please click here. About Blackbaud Blackbaud is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud's essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud's solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies, Quartz's list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes' list of America's Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries.

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Fundraising

Bloomerang Supercharges Event Fundraising for Nonprofits with its Tap to Pay Solution

PR Newswire | October 12, 2023

Bloomerang, the complete donor relationship management and volunteer management platform for thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits, announces Tap to Pay to help nonprofits capture donations and donor information easily to supercharge in-person event fundraising results. Tap to Pay lets donors just tap their credit card or digital wallet to a phone equipped with the Bloomerang Mobile App. This latest fundraising capability enables nonprofits to accept donations anywhere, eliminates the need for inconvenient hardware, and provides more ways for nonprofits to meet their donors where they are. The COVID-19 pandemic decreased use of cash and checks and increased the use of contactless payments, like digital wallets. Additionally, with younger generations' preference for digital wallets, nonprofits need to implement new fundraising technologies to streamline the donation experience, capture donations easily in any format, and enable donors to give when they're inspired. "We're thrilled to be the first donor and volunteer management platform to deliver Tap to Pay to market–connecting nonprofits with the next generation of donors, making it easier for them to raise funds and engage with new donors," said Dennis Fois, chief executive officer of Bloomerang. "Our 2023 Fundraising Planning and Climate Report found nonprofits' staffing constraints is one of the most important factors in determining fundraising performance. Tap to Pay helps nonprofits to raise more, faster, at fundraising events to maximize their impact." Using Tap to Pay, nonprofits can: Save time:Eliminatemanual data entry and process donations faster to save time for both the nonprofit and the donor–a key pain point for payment processing. Increase giving:Meet donors where they are and offer preferred payment methods sononprofits never have to say "no" to a potential gift. Strengthen relationships:Acknowledge and nurture donors and support their stewardship efforts more easily with data flowing automatically from the Bloomerang mobile app into the Bloomerang CRM. Tammy Hammond, chief product officer at Bloomerang, said, "We know that for nonprofits, building relationships with donors often happens in person and in the moment. We are excited to bring Tap to Pay functionality to our customers to more easily and simply process donations and record the transactions from their mobile phone at the point of interaction." Built on the Bloomerang Donor Management platform and PCI-compliant Bloomerang Payments processor, Tap to Pay's functionality supports donations through credit cards or digital wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. It will be generally available for this year's giving season and is free with Bloomerang Payments. Fundraisers can utilize Tap to Pay on any NFC-enabled Android device or iPhone XS and later using the Bloomerang mobile app. This latest innovation supports Bloomerang's vision to deliver the fundraising platform of the future. Bloomerang recently launched Bloomerang Volunteer, following its acquisition of InitLive in March 2023, to expand nonprofits' relationships with supporters. The integration of Bloomerang's donor management platform and volunteer management platform offers a comprehensive view of supporter engagement in one place. About Bloomerang Indianapolis-based Bloomerang is the complete donor relationship 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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Fundraising

Qgiv Unveils Strategic Vision for AI Fundraising Solutions

GlobeNewswire | October 19, 2023

Qgiv, a leading provider of fundraising technology solutions, announced its strategy for embracing artificial intelligence and machine learning across the platform with its latest set of features, Fundraising Intelligence by Qgiv (Fundraising IQ). This collection of tools is designed to empower nonprofits and fundraisers to maximize their impact by simplifying day-to-day tasks. Simultaneously, Qgiv has joined Fundraising.AI’s Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising, a groundbreaking initiative dedicated to promoting ethical and responsible use of AI in the nonprofit sector. Qgiv will join the Fundraising.AI steering committee, a collaborative of industry leaders, nonprofits, and AI experts to help establish ethical principles to guide the deployment of AI use in the nonprofit industry. "AI has been around for many years, but only recently has it become available for more consumer-based applications. Our goal is to connect nonprofits with the power of AI, responsibly and ethically, to help them achieve their full fundraising potential and further their missions," said Todd Baylis, CEO of Qgiv, Inc. "The release of Fundraising IQ and our commitment to the Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising is only the beginning—our hope is that AI-driven solutions can help reduce burnout among fundraisers by automating manual tasks and ultimately improve the giving experience." Fundraising IQ represents a significant leap forward in the fundraising industry, equipping nonprofits with cutting-edge AI, data science, and machine learning tools to enhance their fundraising campaigns, donor engagement, and overall efficiency. Launched and soon to be released features that fall under Fundraising IQ include: Dynamic Giving Amounts:Fundraising IQ leverages machine learning to analyze donor data and suggest dynamic, personalized donation amounts to donors to increase conversions. Generate Emails with AI:Qgiv’s Fundraising Content Assistant uses AI to help nonprofit teams craft peer-to-peer emails in seconds, freeing up time for fundraisers to focus on building meaningful relationships with their donors. Auction Item Recommendations:Organization’s using Qgiv’s auction tools can maximize their revenue and save time with suggested starting bids and bid increments to optimize performance. Automated Campaign Improvement Suggestions:Fundraising IQ continuously analyzes campaign performance, and will soon provide real-time benchmarks to help organizations optimize their fundraising efforts for maximum impact. AI-Generated Fraud Protection:To protect nonprofits from fraud and mitigate card testing, Qgiv has adopted an AI-enhanced fraud protection system that detects bots and malicious card tests. This automated security measure has resulted in a 97% drop in card testing on Qgiv forms. “We view the rise of AI in technology, and launch of Fundraising IQ, as an exciting opportunity to help busy nonprofit teams raise more for their missions. As we look towards the future, Qgiv clients can expect to see more time saving, AI-powered solutions implemented within the platform,” said Chris Morata, vice president of product at Qgiv. Inc. About Qgiv Qgiv, Inc. is a leading digital fundraising platform empowering 20,000+ nonprofit fundraisers to raise money for their causes while keeping costs low. Through online giving and event registration forms, text fundraising, peer-to-peer fundraisers, and auction events, Qgiv provides a full suite of fundraising solutions that integrate with industry-leading CRMs and email providers to provide a personalized giving experience for donors. Founded in 2007, they now serve more than 6,500 nonprofits in the US and Canada who have collectively raised over $3 billion using Qgiv’s platform. Qgiv is known for their free, award-winning customer service, customizable platform, and flexible pricing. Qgiv is committed to helping people fulfill their passion to make a difference for others by equipping fundraisers with tools and educational resources to advance their knowledge and move their missions forward. About Fundraising.AI Created in 2020, Fundraising.AI is a fully independent collaborative that supports individuals and organizations in the nonprofit sector to understand and promote the development and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence. Fundraising.AI’s Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising, establishes the first set of guidelines for individuals and organizations looking to responsibly integrate AI practices into their fundraising efforts. During the past year, a diverse group of more than 90 thought leaders and subject-matter experts contributed hundreds of hours to the creation of the Framework Toward Responsible AI for Fundraising. Through collaborative learning, research, and best practice sharing, Fundraising.AI aims to ensure that AI is utilized ethically and effectively to advance charitable missions.

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Fundraising

Blackbaud Expands Peer-To-Peer Solutions with New Mobile Capabilities

PR Newswire | October 17, 2023

Blackbaud, the leading provider of software for powering social impact, is doubling down on its investment in the peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising space - one of the most significant and rapidly growing sectors for fundraising today - with the next evolution of Good Move™, its activity-tracking mobile app. The development will transform the app into a powerful mobile participant center for Blackbaud TeamRaiser®, enabling a streamlined experience for participants and self-service functionality for social impact customers. Peer-to-peer fundraising is a vital component of the philanthropic landscape, and we are committed to providing innovative solutions that empower organizations and individuals to make a difference," said Sudip Datta, chief product officer at Blackbaud. "The new capabilities within Good Move represent our ongoing dedication to supporting the peer-to-peer fundraising community. We look forward to the positive impact these enhancements will have on the fundraising efforts of organizations globally. Good Move, which launched in 2023 as an activity-tracking mobile app designed for TeamRaiser, has been a game-changer in the world of fundraising, allowing organizations to create custom wellness events that go beyond traditional walk, run and cycling. With Good Move, participants can record various activities, from pickleball to water sports to mindful minutes and more. With this significant upgrade, customers will now have the ability to adopt a mobile app experience for events where activity-tracking is not applicable. Organizations can now create campaigns that focus solely on fundraising, without losing the "gamification" experience and P2P tools needed to sustain engagement. Customers can also now seamlessly attach Good Move-powered capabilities to existing TeamRaiser events from their TeamRaiser administrative portal. This self-service model streamlines event management, saving organizations time and resources while enhancing their fundraising capabilities. For information on new capabilities in TeamRaiser and Good Move, attend the next Blackbaud Product Update Briefings, November 14-16. Registration opens October 13. For existing TeamRaiser customers interested in learning more about the new Good Move capabilities, please contact your Customer Success Manager. For any organization not already a TeamRaiser customer that is looking to further understand the power of TeamRaiser and Good Move, please click here. About Blackbaud Blackbaud is the leading software provider exclusively dedicated to powering social impact. Serving the nonprofit and education sectors, companies committed to social responsibility and individual change makers, Blackbaud's essential software is built to accelerate impact in fundraising, nonprofit financial management, digital giving, grantmaking, corporate social responsibility and education management. With millions of users and over $100 billion raised, granted or managed through Blackbaud platforms every year, Blackbaud's solutions are unleashing the potential of the people and organizations who change the world. Blackbaud has been named to Newsweek's list of America's Most Responsible Companies, Quartz's list of Best Companies for Remote Workers, and Forbes' list of America's Best Employers. A remote-first company, Blackbaud has operations in the United States, Australia, Canada, Costa Rica and the United Kingdom, supporting users in 100+ countries.

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Fundraising

Bloomerang Supercharges Event Fundraising for Nonprofits with its Tap to Pay Solution

PR Newswire | October 12, 2023

Bloomerang, the complete donor relationship management and volunteer management platform for thousands of small and medium-sized nonprofits, announces Tap to Pay to help nonprofits capture donations and donor information easily to supercharge in-person event fundraising results. Tap to Pay lets donors just tap their credit card or digital wallet to a phone equipped with the Bloomerang Mobile App. This latest fundraising capability enables nonprofits to accept donations anywhere, eliminates the need for inconvenient hardware, and provides more ways for nonprofits to meet their donors where they are. The COVID-19 pandemic decreased use of cash and checks and increased the use of contactless payments, like digital wallets. Additionally, with younger generations' preference for digital wallets, nonprofits need to implement new fundraising technologies to streamline the donation experience, capture donations easily in any format, and enable donors to give when they're inspired. "We're thrilled to be the first donor and volunteer management platform to deliver Tap to Pay to market–connecting nonprofits with the next generation of donors, making it easier for them to raise funds and engage with new donors," said Dennis Fois, chief executive officer of Bloomerang. "Our 2023 Fundraising Planning and Climate Report found nonprofits' staffing constraints is one of the most important factors in determining fundraising performance. Tap to Pay helps nonprofits to raise more, faster, at fundraising events to maximize their impact." Using Tap to Pay, nonprofits can: Save time:Eliminatemanual data entry and process donations faster to save time for both the nonprofit and the donor–a key pain point for payment processing. Increase giving:Meet donors where they are and offer preferred payment methods sononprofits never have to say "no" to a potential gift. Strengthen relationships:Acknowledge and nurture donors and support their stewardship efforts more easily with data flowing automatically from the Bloomerang mobile app into the Bloomerang CRM. Tammy Hammond, chief product officer at Bloomerang, said, "We know that for nonprofits, building relationships with donors often happens in person and in the moment. We are excited to bring Tap to Pay functionality to our customers to more easily and simply process donations and record the transactions from their mobile phone at the point of interaction." Built on the Bloomerang Donor Management platform and PCI-compliant Bloomerang Payments processor, Tap to Pay's functionality supports donations through credit cards or digital wallets, including Apple Pay and Google Pay. It will be generally available for this year's giving season and is free with Bloomerang Payments. Fundraisers can utilize Tap to Pay on any NFC-enabled Android device or iPhone XS and later using the Bloomerang mobile app. This latest innovation supports Bloomerang's vision to deliver the fundraising platform of the future. Bloomerang recently launched Bloomerang Volunteer, following its acquisition of InitLive in March 2023, to expand nonprofits' relationships with supporters. The integration of Bloomerang's donor management platform and volunteer management platform offers a comprehensive view of supporter engagement in one place. About Bloomerang Indianapolis-based Bloomerang is the complete donor relationship 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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