Fridays 4 Fundraising

I talk about relationship building for fundraising almost exclusively. Not email marketing tips (though those are great and email is a great way to build relationships). Not social media strategy (though, again, social media can be a great place to meet new supporters). But I'm focused on how we build good, quality relationships with our donors in an era of digital efficiency and skyrocketing lone...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly encourages you to call a very special segment of your donors. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Sign up for Digital Tools, Analog Hearts workshop   Takeaways Small donors matter too, and their stories are sometimes the most inspiring. It's crucial to show that you care about all of your donors; it's e...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about how Time Boxing can be used as a strategy to help overwhelmed leaders get the most important part of their mission done. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive   Takeaways Hope doesn't help you make time for the most important things to your mission, intention does. Creating space and protectin...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly breaks apart what stewardship actually means so you can actually start doing it better. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive   Takeaways Stewardship is more than a thank you note. Done well, stewardship builds a relationship with your donor. It's actually a lot simpler than you think. Keywords nonprofit...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about why she tells her clients not to consider gala ticket purchasers as donors, and how to think about them more effectively to turn them into real partners. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive   Takeaways How to know if your fundraising program is transaction-based or relationship-based Why tra...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly tells you the secret to major gifts success...and it's not what you think! Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop   Takeaways Relationships, authenticity, and trust are the guide stars in major gifts. There's no right or wrong way to ask when you've got...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly is bringing back a blast from the early 2000s. Remember Google Alerts? They still exist, and they are a highly underutilized fundraising gold mine! Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop   Takeaways How to use Google Alerts to grow your major gifts progr...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly is helping you get over the fear of sending donor updates by showing you how the shift from polish to authenticity wins every single time. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Join Sustain & Thrive Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop   Takeaways Infrequent, super polished newsletters don't engage donors the w...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly is getting you to think outside the box on growing email list. Kelly shares innovative strategies and creative, non-traditional methods of list building. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Register for Major Gifts for the Small Shop Workshop   Takeaways Tabling at local events is a highly effective lead generation method for sm...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about the importance of maintaining a clean and up-to-date donor CRM, and how to leverage slower months (like August) to prep it for busier times (like year end). Kelly shares practical steps for nonprofit organizations to streamline their donor data, prepare for major gift campaigns, and leverage CRM cleanup as a strategic tool for fun...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly challenges you to call your 10 most recent donors AND create the infrastructure to keep calling your donors every Friday. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways Build and schedule a report from your donor CRM to keep you on top of calling your donors. End your week with calls to your donors to maximize your donation rel...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly tells you how her clients have successfully gotten more responses from emails to donors with a simple, practical email strategy to improve donor communication and stewardship, emphasizing strategic and sparing use of mail merge for maximum impact. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways Mail merge can personalize donor u...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly explains how to effectively use LYBUNT reports to re-engage donors and build sustainable support. Learn actionable steps to improve donor retention and strengthen your fundraising efforts. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways Check LYBUNT reports monthly to catch donors before they lapse Reach out to donors who haven'...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares practical strategies for email list segmentation and donor engagement to boost nonprofit fundraising efforts. Learn how to effectively categorize your supporters and leverage integrated platforms for better outreach. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways Segment your email list based on donor activity and intere...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares something a little different: a deeply impactful mindset quote that she wants to share with you. Take this weekend to rest, instead of continuing to hustle. The work will be there again on Monday. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways When we don't take time for rest, we're asking to burn out. Even when the work...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares practical strategies for engaging lapsed donors, including real-life success stories and actionable steps to re-engage supporters and boost fundraising efforts. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways It's worth calling lapsed donors, not to raise more, but to find out how to improve your fundraising efforts. A re...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares how nonprofit organizations can leverage Zapier to automate routine tasks, saving time and increasing efficiency in fundraising efforts.   Links to Tools Mentioned Zapier - https://zapier.com DonorBox - https://www.donorbox.org Neon One - https://neonone.com Monday.com - https://monday.com Takeaways Zapier can connect multiple tools to...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about how to get your board to buy into professional development budgets. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways Present fundraising investments as gains, not a way to prevent losses. Use data to show the potential return on investment. Frame fundraising needs as opportunities for growth. Keywords fundraising, non...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly emphasizes the importance of personal donor engagement through calls, advocating for a return to traditional relationship-building methods to boost fundraising effectiveness. She shares practical steps for nonprofit leaders to reconnect with donors and improve retention. Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways The declin...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly explains how nonprofit fundraisers can leverage calendar scheduling links to increase efficiency and build stronger donor relationships. Kelly shares practical steps to implement these tools and improve fundraising outcomes.   Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call   Takeaways Using calendar links is now essential for donor engagem...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares insights on managing fundraiser burnout by understanding the physiological stress response and practical techniques to stay resilient.   Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Sign up for How To Fundraise Without Burning Out workshop   Takeaways Burnout is the freeze response, a physiological reaction to stress. Managing str...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares a simple yet powerful technique to enhance donor relationships and increase retention—BCC'ing team members on donation autoresponders. She explains how this easy step can foster real conversations, improve engagement, and ultimately boost fundraising success.   Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Sign up for How To Fundra...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly talks about why phone calls to donors still matter—even (and maybe in spite of) the age of digital efficiency. This week, start with your top 10 donors to begin making strides in donor retention and upgrades.   Links Check Out Donorbox Request a Discovery Call Sign up for How To Fundraise Without Burning Out workshop   Takeaways The importanc...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares practical strategies for nonprofit fundraising success, focusing on eliminating non-essential tasks to free up time for relationship building and mission impact. She emphasizes the importance of focusing on activities that directly support organizational goals. Links Join Sustain & Thrive: https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com/sus...

Summary In this episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising, Kelly shares a practical framework for nonprofit leaders to boost productivity by automating, operating efficiently, and delegating tasks. This episode offers actionable steps to free up time for relationship building and strategic growth via delegation--even when there's nobody to delegate to! Links Join Sustain & Thrive: https://www.fromscrat...