Can you build a house without the right tools? No way! It would be nearly impossible even to start construction without appropriate equipment. You don’t want to try to hammer nails with a screwdriver, and you surely can’t use a kitchen blender to mix concrete.
Read MoreWe didn’t know what to expect when we asked a few of our clients to put their heads together at an executive roundtable to discuss the significant issues facing nonprofits. And while there were some laughs along the way (who knew running a nonprofit was like a NASCAR race?!), we got a genuine and honest look at the challenges these organizations face. The panelists also shared top advice for any nonprofit struggling to engage donors and raise more money.
Read MoreLet’s talk about old cars. Maybe you have a workhorse of a car that you’ve loved. It gets you around town and it takes the cheap gas. Sure, the left-back window doesn’t actually go down, but you have others. And maybe sometimes the air conditioner won’t work, but it’s still spring, so it’s not that hot…yet. And okay, the radio is iffy, so you usually listen to music on your phone and turn it up so you can hear it.
Read MoreYou wanted a new nonprofit CRM. You did the research and watched the demos and read the reviews and scratched your head, wondering how you would ever get from “Maybe I need a new CRM” to slicing and dicing donor data with ease, managing donor relationships so closely they feel like family, and sleeping through the night because you know you’re in really good CRM hands.   But here we are.  
Read MoreYou know the feeling. You and your team have spent months planning an event. Your donors are ready to invest in your mission, and you want to be sure it’s easy for them to give. And the donors are ready, credit cards out! You’re relieved knowing that CharityEngine’s online forms are mobile-optimized for easy giving on the go. But manually entering credit card information can be cumbersome for you and your donors. And as more and more donors are ready to give, you start to panic that you’ll have to waste time typing in credit card numbers for each donation. Right? No! It’s much easier than that.
Read MoreBreakups aren’t fun. Whether it’s a seventh-grade romance or the end of a love affair with technology, breakups can leave you feeling unsure and even a little wistful. (I confess I keep my very first smartphone - a Blackberry - in a drawer, and now and then I look at it and remember the old days). When you’re running a nonprofit, breaking up with your main technology squeeze cannot be taken lightly. You’re talking donor information, payment details, and engagement history...you can’t lose this or have it compromised.
Read MoreOnline Auctions! Advocacy! Blast texts and fraud protection! The bells and whistles sound pretty great, right? Who doesn’t get wowed by all the capabilities of shiny, robust fundraising software? It’s like walking into a gourmet grocery store and being awed by the brightly colored produce and the extensive cheese shop, but not actually having a single recipe to put those beautiful groceries to use. Both experiences can leave you feeling a bit like it’s something fantastic...for other people.
Read MoreEvery nonprofit relies on donations, right? What you might not consider is that every nonprofit also relies on a payment processor, without which the money would never show up in your account. And it might surprise you to know that you have a great deal of control over your funds: how donations get processed, by whom, and how much you pay to get those donations flowing into your nonprofit's bank account.
Read MoreEverything is fine. Your nonprofit donor management system is fine. Maybe it’s just spreadsheets and hey, that may be old school, but it works. Or maybe you started years ago with a great constituent relationship management (CRM) solution and, as time has passed, you’ve integrated with an email automation provider here and an event provider there and so sure, it’s a little cobbled together, but it’s fine. Or the company you started with has been acquired and conglomerated and now you have solutions from multiple organizations, but they all serve a purpose and do what they need to. It’s. All. Fine.
Read MoreWhich do you want to hear first, the good news or the bad news? We can start with the good news. According to the FEP’s analysis, 2021 saw an increase in dollars donated. And for the bad news? Retention rates were low in 2021….negative-numbers low. So that we’re all on the same page, this means that the percentage of donors that made a repeat gift to nonprofits in 2021 was dismal. We know recurring gifts are critical to a nonprofit’s health, so this statistic might mean some of you are almost on life support.
Read MoreLet's start with the answer you probably don't want to hear: It depends.
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