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Lessons From Crazy, Creative Fundraising Ideas that Worked

I joined the nonprofit community at the 2019 Classy Collaborative! This conference was a great opportunity to learn from experts, and connect with some awesome organizations face-to-face. Looking for a conference to attend next year? Early bird tickets are on sale now! Keep scrolling to hear what I learned at Lessons from Crazy, Creative Fundraising Ideas that Worked.

Spotlight

HELP USA

HELP USA is one of the nation’s largest homeless service providers and low-income housing developers serving at-risk populations including families, veterans, and victims of domestic violence. HELP USA currently serves more than 8,000 people every day at over 50 programs and residences across four states. Founded in 1986, HELP USA has served more than 375,000 men, women, and children and provides over 3,500 units of permanent and transitional housing.

OTHER ARTICLES
Nonprofit Management

Prioritizing Money Builds Fake Donor Relationships

Article | July 29, 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
Fundraising

Utilize an Email Marketing Strategy to Drive More Donations

Article | July 15, 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

6 Tips for Virtual Peer-to-Peer Fundraising

Article | July 15, 2022

As our world continues to be reshaped by the effects of COVID-19, nonprofits are looking for new ways to engage in online and virtual fundraising to support their revenue. This comes as a record number of organizations have lept into the peer-to-peer fundraising world in record numbers. Social media and do-it-yourself fundraising (where people can organize their own fundraising campaign for their favorite charity) make it easier and more attractive to people.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

4 Challenges that Large Non-profit Organizations Face

Article | July 13, 2022

Large non-profit organisations must frequently overcome extreme challenges in order to stay on track toward achieving their mission and goals. There are currently 1.4 million tax-exempt organisations in the United States alone, so there is no shortage of non-profit organisations competing for resources, financial assistance, and talent. The challenge is exacerbated because a large non-profit (or small non-profit) is expected to make all strategic decisions with its organisational mission in mind. The good news is that a non-profit’s mission can guide them in making the right decisions and overcoming obstacles. Large non-profits face numerous challenges on a daily basis in order to stay on track. These issues include sustainability, donor retention and engagement, finding the right volunteers, and organising internal and external processes. Today, we'll go over these issues in greater depth and offer solutions. How Can Large Non-profits Be Sustainable? Sustainability is critical to a large non-profit’s long-term success. Large non-profit organizations frequently must uphold a recognizable brand and reputation. Developing a strategic plan with sustainability as the foundation starts with an organization's mission and vision. How Can Large Non-profits Keep and Engage Donors? Another issue that large non-profit organizations frequently face is retaining and engaging donors. Did you know that in 2015, 373.25 billion dollars were donated to charitable causes? Large non-profit organizations are tasked with acquiring new donors, engaging their donor base, and retaining valuable relationships. Donor retention rates for offline-only donors are 29%, while online-only donors have a 21% retention rate. Raising these averages by a few percentage points can give a large non-profit organization more reach. How Can a Large Non-profit Find the Right Volunteers? A large non-profit can save a lot of money by identifying and recruiting the right volunteers for the right strategic jobs. According to an Independent Sector study, the average volunteer hour is worth more than $24.00 (2016 data). The value of volunteerism can quickly add up large non-profit organizations that rely heavily on volunteers. Volunteers also provide valuable skill sets to non-profits, which can improve an organization's ability across departments. How Can Large Non-profits Improve Processes? Setting up processes is one of the most important things a large non-profit can do to ensure consistency and control throughout the organization. Every aspect of the organization, including but not limited to fundraising, volunteer coordination, training, strategic engagement, and retention strategies, should have a process in place. Organizations that want to create a road map for success must devote time to strategic planning.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

Marketing Your Nonprofit Organization in 4 Simple Steps

Article | July 29, 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
Fundraising

The Power of Film for Philanthropy

Article | July 15, 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

The Advocacy versus the Activist Functions of Non-profits

Article | July 15, 2022

As our world continues to be reshaped by the effects of COVID-19, nonprofits are looking for new ways to engage in online and virtual fundraising to support their revenue. This comes as a record number of organizations have lept into the peer-to-peer fundraising world in record numbers. Social media and do-it-yourself fundraising (where people can organize their own fundraising campaign for their favorite charity) make it easier and more attractive to people.

Read More
Nonprofit Management

4 Challenges that Large Non-profit Organizations Face

Article | July 13, 2022

Large non-profit organisations must frequently overcome extreme challenges in order to stay on track toward achieving their mission and goals. There are currently 1.4 million tax-exempt organisations in the United States alone, so there is no shortage of non-profit organisations competing for resources, financial assistance, and talent. The challenge is exacerbated because a large non-profit (or small non-profit) is expected to make all strategic decisions with its organisational mission in mind. The good news is that a non-profit’s mission can guide them in making the right decisions and overcoming obstacles. Large non-profits face numerous challenges on a daily basis in order to stay on track. These issues include sustainability, donor retention and engagement, finding the right volunteers, and organising internal and external processes. Today, we'll go over these issues in greater depth and offer solutions. How Can Large Non-profits Be Sustainable? Sustainability is critical to a large non-profit’s long-term success. Large non-profit organizations frequently must uphold a recognizable brand and reputation. Developing a strategic plan with sustainability as the foundation starts with an organization's mission and vision. How Can Large Non-profits Keep and Engage Donors? Another issue that large non-profit organizations frequently face is retaining and engaging donors. Did you know that in 2015, 373.25 billion dollars were donated to charitable causes? Large non-profit organizations are tasked with acquiring new donors, engaging their donor base, and retaining valuable relationships. Donor retention rates for offline-only donors are 29%, while online-only donors have a 21% retention rate. Raising these averages by a few percentage points can give a large non-profit organization more reach. How Can a Large Non-profit Find the Right Volunteers? A large non-profit can save a lot of money by identifying and recruiting the right volunteers for the right strategic jobs. According to an Independent Sector study, the average volunteer hour is worth more than $24.00 (2016 data). The value of volunteerism can quickly add up large non-profit organizations that rely heavily on volunteers. Volunteers also provide valuable skill sets to non-profits, which can improve an organization's ability across departments. How Can Large Non-profits Improve Processes? Setting up processes is one of the most important things a large non-profit can do to ensure consistency and control throughout the organization. Every aspect of the organization, including but not limited to fundraising, volunteer coordination, training, strategic engagement, and retention strategies, should have a process in place. Organizations that want to create a road map for success must devote time to strategic planning.

Read More
MORE ARTICLES

Spotlight

HELP USA

HELP USA is one of the nation’s largest homeless service providers and low-income housing developers serving at-risk populations including families, veterans, and victims of domestic violence. HELP USA currently serves more than 8,000 people every day at over 50 programs and residences across four states. Founded in 1986, HELP USA has served more than 375,000 men, women, and children and provides over 3,500 units of permanent and transitional housing.

Related News

Nonprofit Technology, Philanthropy

Foundant Technologies Recognized for Connecting Philanthropic Community

Prnewswire | April 05, 2023

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

Read More

Nonprofit Management

BankPlus Donates $100,000 to Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund, Supporting Nonprofits Impacted by Hurricane Ida

BankPlus | September 17, 2021

As nonprofits and community organizations along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast begin rebuilding and repairing damages incurred from the recent impact of Hurricane Ida, BankPlus has announced a donation of $100,000 to the Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. The BankPlus donation will support nonprofits which are providing essentials and services to those in need. “BankPlus is committed to helping rebuild our communities,” said Bill Ray, CEO of BankPlus. “We know the Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund will put our donation to good use. The funds will ensure community organizations can continue to provide resources and necessities over the long-term rebuilding process.” “I would like to thank Bill Ray and BankPlus for this generous donation to the Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. My late husband Tom and I first became well-acquainted with Bill and his wife Sara when we held training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, and I am proud to call them close friends,” said Gayle Benson, owner of the Saints and Pelicans. “With the support of BankPlus and many other great community-oriented companies both in the Gulf South and nationally, the Renewal Fund will continue to be able to provide important support to the nonprofits that are doing such important relief work in our region.” “When we welcomed the Saints to Jackson after Hurricane Katrina, we saw just how much their efforts meant to the entire Gulf Coast region. Now, after Hurricane Ida, we are proud to join forces with the Saints and Pelicans to help those who need it most along the Gulf,” Ray said. Individuals or businesses interested in contributing to the Gulf Coast Renewal Fund can do so by visiting NewOrleansSaints.com/hurricaneida. About BankPlus Founded in 1909, BankPlus is one of the Southeast’s premier regional banks serving consumers and businesses with the latest technology through a full suite of financial services, including retail banking, commercial banking, mortgage lending and wealth management. With over $5 billion in total assets, BankPlus operates 79 financial centers throughout Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. www.bankplus.net.

Read More

Nonprofit Management

Banks Award $71K to Four Texas Nonprofits

Comerica Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas | September 03, 2021

Comerica Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) partnered to award a combined $71,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funds to four Texas nonprofits. The two banks celebrated the funding awards with the four organizations during a September 2 virtual check presentation. The following organizations received funding: Kym's Kids, Dallas, Texas, $22,000. Kym’s Kids helps abused, neglected and low- to moderate-income children and families with year-round mentoring, tutoring, low-income housing, field trips to cultural events, school supplies and household goods. The organization will use the funds for operational expenses. Made Media Group, Austin, Texas, $17,000. Made Media Group promotes Black businesses and celebrates African American achievements and encourages African American youth to pursue careers in media and technology. The organization will use the funds for administrative and operational expenses. MEED Center, Dallas, Texas, $17,000. MEED Center provides low- to moderate-income individuals with entrepreneurial support, business development, education, job training and community events, including outreach into refugee communities and a global youth and women’s leadership program. The organization will use the funds for administrative and operational expenses. PowHer Play, Pearland, Texas, $15,000. PowHer Play, doing business as The Chatman Women’s Foundation, is a nonprofit organization that empowers women by supporting women-owned businesses and providing scholarships and grants to those in need. It plans to use the funds for educational scholarships for women going back to school or those completing their education, women wishing to obtain new job skills or those overcoming hardships. “We are grateful for strategic partnerships like FHLB Dallas’ PGP, which allows our bank to be intentional in the way we deploy resources, ensuring we reach and make an immediate impact on the communities that need it the most,” said Vanessa T. Reed, Comerica Bank’s national external affairs manager. “FHLB Dallas’ matching grant structure also helps us deliver on the Comerica Promise of raising expectations in the communities we serve through inclusive and innovative investments in four very-deserving nonprofit organizations.” For 2021, FHLB Dallas awarded $400,000 in PGP grants, and its members provided an additional $200,250 for an impact of more than $600,000 in its five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. “The PGP exemplifies the strong bond between FHLB Dallas and our members,” said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. “Comerica’s support of community organizations with PGP funds spans more than a decade, a tribute to its commitment to many worthwhile organizations over the years.” See the complete list of the 2021 PGP grant recipients. For more information about the 2021 PGP grants and other FHLB Dallas community investment products and programs, please visit fhlb.com/pgp. About Comerica Bank Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $88.4 billion as of June 30, 2021. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $58.6 billion as of June 30, 2021, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information.

Read More

Nonprofit Technology, Philanthropy

Foundant Technologies Recognized for Connecting Philanthropic Community

Prnewswire | April 05, 2023

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

Read More

Nonprofit Management

BankPlus Donates $100,000 to Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund, Supporting Nonprofits Impacted by Hurricane Ida

BankPlus | September 17, 2021

As nonprofits and community organizations along the Louisiana and Mississippi Gulf Coast begin rebuilding and repairing damages incurred from the recent impact of Hurricane Ida, BankPlus has announced a donation of $100,000 to the Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. The BankPlus donation will support nonprofits which are providing essentials and services to those in need. “BankPlus is committed to helping rebuild our communities,” said Bill Ray, CEO of BankPlus. “We know the Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund will put our donation to good use. The funds will ensure community organizations can continue to provide resources and necessities over the long-term rebuilding process.” “I would like to thank Bill Ray and BankPlus for this generous donation to the Saints and Pelicans Gulf Coast Renewal Fund. My late husband Tom and I first became well-acquainted with Bill and his wife Sara when we held training camp at Millsaps College in Jackson, and I am proud to call them close friends,” said Gayle Benson, owner of the Saints and Pelicans. “With the support of BankPlus and many other great community-oriented companies both in the Gulf South and nationally, the Renewal Fund will continue to be able to provide important support to the nonprofits that are doing such important relief work in our region.” “When we welcomed the Saints to Jackson after Hurricane Katrina, we saw just how much their efforts meant to the entire Gulf Coast region. Now, after Hurricane Ida, we are proud to join forces with the Saints and Pelicans to help those who need it most along the Gulf,” Ray said. Individuals or businesses interested in contributing to the Gulf Coast Renewal Fund can do so by visiting NewOrleansSaints.com/hurricaneida. About BankPlus Founded in 1909, BankPlus is one of the Southeast’s premier regional banks serving consumers and businesses with the latest technology through a full suite of financial services, including retail banking, commercial banking, mortgage lending and wealth management. With over $5 billion in total assets, BankPlus operates 79 financial centers throughout Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. www.bankplus.net.

Read More

Nonprofit Management

Banks Award $71K to Four Texas Nonprofits

Comerica Bank, Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas | September 03, 2021

Comerica Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) partnered to award a combined $71,000 in Partnership Grant Program (PGP) funds to four Texas nonprofits. The two banks celebrated the funding awards with the four organizations during a September 2 virtual check presentation. The following organizations received funding: Kym's Kids, Dallas, Texas, $22,000. Kym’s Kids helps abused, neglected and low- to moderate-income children and families with year-round mentoring, tutoring, low-income housing, field trips to cultural events, school supplies and household goods. The organization will use the funds for operational expenses. Made Media Group, Austin, Texas, $17,000. Made Media Group promotes Black businesses and celebrates African American achievements and encourages African American youth to pursue careers in media and technology. The organization will use the funds for administrative and operational expenses. MEED Center, Dallas, Texas, $17,000. MEED Center provides low- to moderate-income individuals with entrepreneurial support, business development, education, job training and community events, including outreach into refugee communities and a global youth and women’s leadership program. The organization will use the funds for administrative and operational expenses. PowHer Play, Pearland, Texas, $15,000. PowHer Play, doing business as The Chatman Women’s Foundation, is a nonprofit organization that empowers women by supporting women-owned businesses and providing scholarships and grants to those in need. It plans to use the funds for educational scholarships for women going back to school or those completing their education, women wishing to obtain new job skills or those overcoming hardships. “We are grateful for strategic partnerships like FHLB Dallas’ PGP, which allows our bank to be intentional in the way we deploy resources, ensuring we reach and make an immediate impact on the communities that need it the most,” said Vanessa T. Reed, Comerica Bank’s national external affairs manager. “FHLB Dallas’ matching grant structure also helps us deliver on the Comerica Promise of raising expectations in the communities we serve through inclusive and innovative investments in four very-deserving nonprofit organizations.” For 2021, FHLB Dallas awarded $400,000 in PGP grants, and its members provided an additional $200,250 for an impact of more than $600,000 in its five-state District of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. “The PGP exemplifies the strong bond between FHLB Dallas and our members,” said Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. “Comerica’s support of community organizations with PGP funds spans more than a decade, a tribute to its commitment to many worthwhile organizations over the years.” See the complete list of the 2021 PGP grant recipients. For more information about the 2021 PGP grants and other FHLB Dallas community investment products and programs, please visit fhlb.com/pgp. About Comerica Bank Comerica Bank is a subsidiary of Comerica Incorporated (NYSE: CMA), a financial services company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, and strategically aligned by three business segments: The Commercial Bank, The Retail Bank, and Wealth Management. Comerica focuses on relationships, and helping people and businesses be successful. In addition to Texas, Comerica Bank locations can be found in Arizona, California, Florida and Michigan, with select businesses operating in several other states, as well as in Canada and Mexico. Comerica reported total assets of $88.4 billion as of June 30, 2021. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $58.6 billion as of June 30, 2021, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information.

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