Great news: Karani is now live! You probably know that I (Matt) recently released a web app called Karani, an all-in-one solution for fundraisers to manage their contacts and fundraising. I’ve released some details of the preview in the past, but there’s another great piece of news: Karani is now live! As of last week,… Read more
“You want to create long term relationships with your supporters. When your supporters donate or volunteer they feel great about themselves and their participation in your organization. A nonprofit can reinforce these positive feelings by thanking supporters, highlighting specific donors, and showing the impact made possible by supporters. People are receptive to emotional positivity. Bombarding… Read more
On his blog last week Brian Barela featured an excellent Thank You video from Charity:Water. This is, of course, a lot better produced than you probably will create (for example, the second camera), but it’s still a great inspiration for making an excellent thank you video. What would it take for you to start creating… Read more
Many ministry staff send a monthly direct mail letter updating those who support your ministry through financial support or prayer. Here are four ways to improve the letter so your readers will know more about you and your ministry, 1. Make is Scannable How long would you estimate your readers spend reading your letter? Now… Read more
It seems social media and fundraising is the topic du jour (did I use that right? If not, don’t judge me), so we’re pretty lucky to have the slides from an entire 2-hour presentation delivered by Brian Barela about Social Media and Ministry Partner Development (or MPD, the phrase Crusade Cru uses to describe the process… Read more
Any time you have constituents in your work, you’ll do a better job if you can put yourself in their shoes. Working with college students? It helps to think like a college student–or, at least, understand how they think. Similarly, how can you be a good fundraiser if you don’t know what it’s like to be… Read more
“The volume of commercial messaging increases during the Christmas period, while the focus narrows. A lot of retail emails and advertising cover similar ground: deals, discounts, gifts and giving.”–source With so many more emails being sent to people at this time of year it’s critical to spend time on crafting a compelling title to your… Read more
Have you ever asked your donors which online communication channel they prefer, and how often? It’s easy to skip right over your donor’s preferences and tailor your online communication tools to your preferences. Facebook seems to be the place many ministry fundraisers communicate primarily from their preferences. Â ‘Please Do Not Create a Facebook Page for… Read more
We haven’t asked The Staffhacker Question in a while, but here it comes again, and in a big way: Why Should I Use LinkedIn? It’s a big deal for many businesses, and it seems like the network you just have to join–but what good does it really do us? I’m still working through this question… Read more
40% of online donations came in the month of December.–source The last three days of December will bring in 10% of online donations.–source 49% of online donors will visit the non-profit’s website first before making a donation.–source Fifty-one percent said they were now more likely to give a charitable gift as a… Read more
Matt Stauffer - Editor
Brian Barela, Brian Chang, Gordon Govier, Micheal Hickerson, Adam Jeske, Barney Lin, Berry Long, Dave Paladino, Brian Sun, Steve Tamayo