Online giving is responsible for about 7% of total fundraising revenue per year and grows at a rate of about 8% per year (which doesn’t include grants).

Consider these steps to increase your online giving conversions.

Optimize for mobile

Last year 17% of online transactions were made using a mobile device, and shows about a 20% year-over-year growth. In the business world, experts are projecting that by 2018 e-commerce will reach well over $100 billion in revenue, 45% of which will come from mobile giving alone.

If nothing else, it’s worth noting that 60% of donors research your organization before giving, so making your mobile experience worthwhile is an awesome first step to generating more online giving conversions.

People are getting more and more comfortable making transactions not just on a desktop, but on their mobile phones as well. By optimizing your giving platforms for mobile, you make it that much easier for people to navigate your site, and ultimately contribute a donation.

Make sure all of the design and functionalities of your site and giving forms are compatible with a touch screen as well. If you can automatically populate some of the form fields, this will help the ease of donation.

Make it easy

I can’t stress this one enough. A visitor will leave your site if they can’t easily find what they want. A confusing site is frustrating and won’t engage those who land on your site. Half the battle is getting people to your site, so make sure once they get there, they’re not inclined to leave.

You can track this objectively by digging into your site metrics and finding what your bounce rate looks like. If it’s between 5-20%, you’re fine, but anything above that is a good sign that you need to make your site more attractive and intuitive.

Visitors to your site should be able to get to any given page in three clicks or fewer. I used to say two clicks, but there are some pages that you might want to hide on purpose if they’re more specific. Create easily accessible links for important pages like your “About” page, and you can even make a static button to “Donate Now.”

To keep things simple, only ask for the information you absolutely need to make the process as fast as possible—you can always ask for more later.

Quality over quantity

Smaller nonprofits and startups start to salivate and their eyes widen when they see their potential reach if they’re just starting with Facebook ads or anything similar. They want as broad of an audience as possible because “for $15 more per day, you’ll reach up to 10,000 more people.”

While getting a larger audience is good, it’s more important to reach the right people over reaching a huge quantity of people. Sometimes it’s better to reach one person over a thousand—you could reach 1,000 people, but if none of them are passionate about your cause or won’t be interested in giving then it’s a wash.

Keep your campaigns specific to platforms and websites where your target demographic is present. You can also create partnerships and join associations to partner and cross-promote with alike organizations.

Let’s get visual

Put effort into creating an experience for your site visitors. From the time they land on your page to the time they see a “thank-you” screen, they should be visually compelled. The caveat is to be sure the screens aren’t too cluttered.

Keep the file sizes appropriate to stay high resolution, but make sure they’re not too large. This will keep your site from loading slowly. Most images in “full size” are much too large for your website and will bog down the experience and slow down their transaction time.

Making the most of your online experience is a worthwhile investment because it will create more online giving conversions. Consumer data shows that e-commerce and mobile giving platforms are here to stay, so getting behind the curve early will ensure your success.

Originally posted 3.17.17 — Updated 2.20.18

The post Four Ways to Increase Online Giving Conversions | Nonprofit Blog appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Just because donors are ready doesn’t necessarily mean your nonprofit is. You can’t sit back and magically expect to receive 50% of your budget by simply sending an email and posting a few things on Facebook and Twitter. Getting year-end giving right is something that takes time and energy, and I’m going walk you through the process in 7 easy steps.

1. Get started early 

Start your year-end giving planning for 2018 as soon as you’ve written your thank-you’s for this year. October is a time for finalizing and preparing to execute your plan, not a time to start thinking about how you’re going to approach year-end giving. If you’re just starting now, you’re already too late.

2. Have a strategy 

Create a goal to meet for a specific project you want to raise money for. This goal will help you and your organization focus and it will give the donor a reason to give beyond “operational costs.” The more you can show a donor where their money is going and what it’s being used for the better the chance you have to separate yourself from every other nonprofit who is after your same donor. Make your mission matter and show your donors where their money is going.

3. Choose your platforms 

From your strategy, you get to decide if you want to integrate several mediums or stick with just a couple. As Maeve Strathy puts it, “direct mail is not dead and works very well when integrated with other outlets.” Think about the most effective ways to reach your donors whether it’s social media, direct mail, email or something else altogether.

Direct mail and social media can direct your constituents to a stellar donation landing page (which we just learned how to make awesome). Some organizations make use of fundraising events as a means to raising year-end donations. Events are among the most effective ways to have a strong year-end giving campaign when your objective is on-mission.

In addition to going above and beyond with a campaign or event, don’t neglect some low-hanging fruit like #GivingTuesday on November 29th.

4. Tell your story 

Your organization’s story is one of the most important parts of its mission. Your story needs to be told in a short, powerful and relatable way to quickly communicate why your story matters as much or more than what other nonprofits are doing and how a donor can help achieve your mission.

When asked about storytelling and year-end appeals, nonprofit industry thought-leader Marc Pitman said, “So what if the tax credit is taken away? If the donor is only giving to your cause because there is an IRS tax credit, then you have a really sucky story you’re telling. There has to be something far more compelling you’re inviting your donor into than, ‘Oh, you get to itemize your tax bill!’”

While tax deductions are a little extra incentive to get new donors to give before the calendar turns over to a new year, your nonprofit needs to rely more on your story and less on the season or tax credits. Put together your story, tell it in a compelling and meaningful way and anything can happen.

5. Engage with your community 

Talk to companies and foundations, form partnerships and make asks—do whatever it takes to get your board engaged. Don’t be afraid to ask your community for support and to become an advocate for your organization during this important time. In addition, put your existing advocates in a position to succeed by letting them decrease your workload by fundraising and engaging other community members on their own.

6. Show gratitude 

Everyone remembers how you made them feel. You’re asking donors to part with their hard-earned money for a good cause, now it’s time to add the cherry on top: the thank you.

Show genuine appreciation and sincere gratitude with hand-written thank you notes—speak to the impact of a donation if you can. For larger gifts, consider a personal email or even a phone call to go above and beyond. This simple touch-point keeps your nonprofit in the front of your donors’ mind and it greatly increases the chance they’ll donate to your organization again in the future.

7. Start planning your next year-end giving campaign 

Pat yourself on the back and do some fist-pumps in the air after your year-end giving campaign is over—it was a lot of hard work, but it’s always well worth it.

After the quick celebration is over, don’t lose any more time in getting started planning for next year’s year-end giving season. Start with basics like reviewing what went right, what went wrong and how you can improve for next time. Once you have a solid foundation on how your organization approaches such an important donation season it’s easy to continue to improve on it year-after-year by including more people, making more asks and getting the word out earlier.

Now, go make your year-end giving campaign the best yet!

Originally published 9.26.16—Updated 10.5.17

The post 7 Simple Steps to a Successful Year-End Giving Campaign appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Don’t bear the whole load yourself. Use software to help you out!

Whether your organization is just starting or is established with a large following, every nonprofit can benefit from some type of nonprofit software.

But as you probably know, the process of deciding on the right software can slow you down. With so many different features and prices, how do you pick a place to start?

Don’t worry. We’ve put together a list of our top 6 nonprofit software providers to help you narrow down your search:

1. Salsa Labs

2. @Pay

3. Qgiv

4. BidPal

5. DipJar

6. CiviCRM

Let’s lift some of the weight off your back and dive in!

1. Salsa Labs

Overview

Salsa Labs’ nonprofit software is all encompassing as they offer donor management, digital marketing, online fundraising, online advocacy, and peer-to-peer solutions! They’re dedicated to helping you strengthen donor relationships while you grow and further your cause.

With automated gift acknowledgments and mobile-friendly forms, your professionalism will never be doubted. To create a unified and professional brand for your nonprofit, you can start by improving your online fundraising strategies with Salsa’s tools or mobilizing movements by starting petitions with their advocacy techniques. Salsa will help you capitalize on your donors’ preferences while unifying your branding for an overall improvement on your organization’s behalf.

Why We Love It

Imagine being able to grow your donor base and keep track of each donor profile. With Salsa’s digital marketing software, you can! It helps you use your donor data to deliver the right message at the right time to the right donor. With Salsa, your communication skills will be the best they’ve ever been. Plus, you can track your communication efforts easily with their dashboard analytics!

2. @Pay

Overview

@Pay’s online donation software specializes in all things digital, innovative, and lucrative. They’ve simplified the donation process by implementing a two-click payment service. Their mobile-friendly online forms are a breeze—your supporters will simply select their preferred donation amount and confirm their contribution via email.

And it works the same way for their text giving program! @Pay focuses on making sure you get paid as fast as possible while connecting with donors on their favorite devices. Even their QuickPay email buttons are just a two-click process!

Why We Love It

The best part? You don’t have to be a tech guru to effectively use their services because they’re that easy to use! You’ll barely have to explain the donation process to your donors.

@Pay knows that if your donors are happy, you’re happy (and so are your donations!), so they’ve made every aspect of their services user-friendly.

Pricing

@Pay even offers a free plan! @PayBasic is $0 year with a 2.9% and 30￠ fee per transaction. With their basic plan, you’ll have access to an online donation page, recurring gift options, transaction and donor data, and unlimited admin access and accounts!

If you’d like something a little more comprehensive, @Pay Premium is $399 a year with a 2.5% and 30￠ fee per transaction. Their premium plan includes all @Pay Basic features plus unlimited online donation pages, text-to-give, QuickPay buttons, and an event thermometer!

3. Qgiv

Overview

Qgiv’s nonprofit software focuses on online fundraising and peer-to-peer fundraising. They help make everything easier on you like a nonprofit software should! It’s easy to start and just as easily adapts to your growing needs.

In addition to your nonprofit, Qgiv is focused on your donors, too! You can customize your donation pages to make a gorgeous web page that inspires giving and makes the donation process simple, easy, and quick.

You’ll be able to recreate that gorgeous look on your peer-to-peer web page too, with their drag and drop interface, customizable branding, and a plethora of widgets.

Why We Love It

Everything is unlimited. Yup, you read that correctly. There are no limits on their online giving software, which means you’ll get unlimited donation forms, unlimited simple events, unlimited user, and unlimited training.

Their unlimited live support includes phone and email support, and don’t forget their online articles, videos, and webinars are all here to help, too! Plus, you get unlimited users for your software no matter what.

Pricing

You can use Qgiv’s services for free! Qgiv Start is $0 a month with a 3.95% and 30￠ fee per transaction. Grow, their next and most popular plan is $49 a month with a 3.95% and 30￠ fee per transaction. Third and most in-depth, their Engage plan is $199 a month with a 3.95% and 30￠ fee per transaction.

If none of those are enough, Qgiv offers an Impact team that’s perfect for high-volume organizations. Give them a call to get a quote.

Like Qgiv Start’s price? Are you looking for more fundraising providers at a similar cost? Check out @Pay’s list of Top Free Fundraising Software Providers.

4. BidPal

Overview

Bidpal revolves around event and auction fundraising software. They know that organizing a fundraising event is difficult even if you’re a fundraising veteran, which why their software handles your event from start to finish. From event management to ticketing to registration and checkout to payments to reporting and analytics, you’re covered.

BidPal’s software offers an easy-to-use event website that will help with your brand awareness, event promotion, and social media integration. You can share both your Facebook and Twitter feeds on your site while giving your donors the opportunities to share their donations and involvement.

Why We Love It

Their mobile bidding app! Need we say more? Your bidders won’t have to run back and forth from item to item during a silent auction to keep up with their bids. Instead, they can view items, place bids, and make donations from their favorite pocket-sized device. This way, you’ll have more time to mingle with your guests, strengthening your relationships.

But updating bids isn’t all their auction software does. It’ll manage your auction item procurement, help you sell auction tickets, email receipts to bidders, and provide you with post-event analytics.

Pricing

BidPal’s fundraising software is $1,195 annually and comes with unlimited access!

Your package’s features will include a web-based planner, donor and solicitor management, ticketing and sponsorship sales, online stores, event websites, online auctions, and social media integration, just to name a few. Mobile bidding plan quotes are available upon request.

5. MailChimp

Overview

MailChimp is an email marketing software. The MailChimp campaign builder will help you create a beautiful email campaign to spread your nonprofit’s message and update your supporters.

And of course, you can automate your marketing! You’ll be able to properly market your organization on social media sites and through welcome emails to new supporters. Plus, their reports will show you just how well you’re promoting your organization and how well your organization is doing by using their services to connect with their donors.

Why We Love It

Their analytics adapt to your organization! With their interactive graphs, you can track your performance by determining just how many emails were delivered or bounced, opened, and interacted with. MailChimp tracks your donors’ engagement and receptiveness like no other!

Pricing

Their New Business plan is free and includes plenty of their features, like the campaign builder and marketing automation.

More expensive plans like Growing Business or Pro Marketer are listed at $10 and $199 a month, respectively, and include features like unlimited sending, predicted demographics, comparative reports, and multivariate testing.

6. CiviCRM

Overview

CiviCRM offers nonprofits an open source constituent relationship management solution that’s also fully customizable and expandable.They focus on easy-to-use software features that can be used on any platform or device.

This comprehensive software includes features like contact management, accounting integration, case management, event management, email marketing, advocacy campaigns, peer-to-peer fundraising, and reports.

Plus, CiviCRM is completely customizable and configurable. You can use an additional programmer to get exactly what you need from the software.

Why We Love It

You can automatically store all your data for every donor profile in one central location to keep your records clean and in order.

And speaking of contacts, you can integrate the software you use to produce content for your donors with CiviCRM, too! Whether you use Drupal, WordPress or Joomla, you can use your two favorite software seamlessly and in conjunction to make your life easier and more organized.

Pricing

CiviCRM is totally free! You can start using their services as fast as you can download the program. But don’t forget, donations are encouraged and appreciated seeing as that’s how the project is funded, so donating will only make the product better for you!

Now that we’ve listed our top providers in efforts to help your search, you should be all ready to decide on the perfect nonprofit software provider for you!

If you’re still looking for more providers, check out @Pay’s list of 9 Nonprofit Software Solutions.

The post Purchasing Nonprofit Software: A Fundraiser’s Guide appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

To make the buying process a little less intimidating, here are some of our favorite online donation tools:

1. Fundly

2. Qgiv

3. Razoo

4. @Pay

5. Network For Good’s DonateNow

6. Paypal Donations

7. FirstGiving

These providers are all easy for donors to use and affordable for all levels of nonprofit fundraising.

Let’s take a closer look at these tools.

1. Fundly

Overview

There are a number of crowdfunding sites available for individuals and nonprofits. Fundly has made a reputation for itself as one of the best for both audiences.

Fundly’s user-friendly platform enables anyone to set up a fundraising page to raise money for projects or causes they’re passionate about.

With intuitive social sharing features, practically limitless customization options and a simple blog-like interface, Fundly has made crowdfunding easier than ever.

Standout Features

Fundly (like most crowdfunding platforms) serves as an excellent option for personal fundraising. It also sets itself apart by providing tools designed specifically to help nonprofits reach their fundraising goals.

Fundly’s VIP service, FundlyPro, gives nonprofits the option to receive additional one-on-one assistance from Fundly’s team of fundraising experts.

Not only will they work with you to ensure that your campaign is optimized to receive maximum donations; they’ll also teach you valuable fundraising and donor stewardship skills that you can use for future endeavors!  

Price Point

It’s absolutely free to launch a Fundly campaign. Fundly charges a straightforward 4.9% platform fee, with payment processing fees of 3% per transaction.

If you opt in to FundlyPro, you’ll be able to choose between two premium packages. Each comes with different features, so you can select which solutions are most beneficial (and budget-friendly) for your organization.

2. Qgiv

Overview

Qgiv offers a platform that’s impressively versatile for its simple setup and low price.

With Qgiv’s basic package, you’ll have access to user-friendly, highly customizable donation pages or registration forms to embed on your nonprofit’s website.

Plus, Qgiv offers products to keep your fundraising strategies flexible as your organization grows. Depending on the package you select, you can access additional tools such as fundraising thermometers, giving kiosks and peer-to-peer fundraising software!

Standout Features

Even with their standard package, everything Qgiv offers is unlimited. That means you don’t have to pay a dime to have access to unlimited donation forms, unlimited users and unlimited transactions.

On top of that, Qgiv’s team also offers unlimited free support and training, so you won’t have to worry about running into challenges or setbacks along the way.

Price Point

Qgiv’s starter package is $0 per month plus payment processing fees of 3.95% + $.30 per transaction, making it one of the most accessible online giving platforms on the market for budget-conscious nonprofits.

From there, Qgiv’s products range from $49 to $199 per month. If you have especially expansive needs, you can work with Qgiv’s team to customize a plan that can meet you exactly where you are.

3. Razoo

Overview

Razoo is a popular crowdfunding platform for individuals, teams, and organizations. It is a great website for indexing your nonprofit organization to get exposure for your cause.

Using Razoo’s nonprofit portal, any registered nonprofit can set up a professionally branded, completely custom charity fundraising page to collect donations at any time.

To help you make the most of your fundraising campaigns, Razoo has built-in storytelling and social sharing features. Your supporters can also comment on your page. This will give an added boost to your nonprofit’s credibility and donor engagement practices.

Standout Features

You can use Razoo to set up fundraising pages, or make use of Razoo’s donation widget to easily process donations on your own website or blog.

Plus, the widget accepts both recurring and one-time payments, and it’s super easy to set up.

To help you inspire donations in the most appropriate way, Razoo allows the fundraiser to choose their donation widget style. You can select a simple Razoo Donate button, a fundraising thermometer, or an image reflecting your cause.

Price Point

It’s free to set up a Razoo nonprofit profile!

Razoo charges 5% for personal fundraising donations and 4% for charitable donations. On top of that, both personal fundraisers and nonprofits will be charged a 2.9% + $.30 payment processing fee per transaction.

4. @Pay

Overview

@Pay understands that the future is mobile, so they’ve designed their online donation platform with mobile optimization in mind.

Not only does @Pay offer responsive online donation forms that look great on any screen size, but they also have a suite of super convenient donation options to give your donors as many ways to give as they could ever want.

Standout Features

@Pay is all about simplification, so you can expect their online and mobile giving tools to be user-friendly and easy to get started with.

Their unique two-step donation process reduces donor abandonment by streamlining online and mobile giving.

Their tools are so easy to use that a supporter can quickly give on a laptop or on the go, making @Pay a great choice for nonprofits hosting events, holding weekly church services, or appealing to donors around the world.

Price Point

With unlimited users and donation pages, @Pay Basic costs $0 per year, with a payment processing fee of 2.9% + $.30 per transaction.

@Pay Premium, which includes text-to-give software and much more, costs $399 per year, plus payment processing fees. You can also contact @Pay individually to discuss high volume discounts and custom integration costs.

5. Network for Good’s DonateNow

Overview

Network for Good’s DonateNow offers a variety of fundraising services and software to help get your online donations flowing, including branded donation pages, email services and hands-on customer service.

While the DonateNow services range in expense and can be prohibitive for smaller organizations, Network for Good provides a Basic DonateNow service which offers recurring donation functionality and a fundraising page.

Standout Features

DonateNow is a smart choice for nonprofits new to online fundraising. With as many features as you need to get started and not break the bank, Network for Good’s lightweight option can set your organization up with a basic donation form and automated donation receipts.

Plus, DonateNow can help you stay on top of transactions with useful online reporting features!

Price Point

There are no platform or monthly fees to use Basic DonateNow. Instead, you’ll simply be charged a 4.75% payment processing fee.

6. PayPal Donations

Overview

PayPal offers services to help nonprofits accept online donations and keep costs low in the process.

PayPal’s a valuable, trusted brand for processing money online. It’s ideal for donors who are existing PayPal users, but those without accounts are free to make one-time payments with a credit card.

Standout Features

Qualified nonprofit organizations can also take advantage of PayPal’s handy donation buttons. Simply place the donation button on your website or blog and make it easy for supporters to give!

As a plus, if you know some HTML, PayPal’s donation buttons allow you to easily gather donor information in a way many comparable buttons don’t.

Price Point

The standard processing fee per donation is 2.2% of the donation, plus $0.30.

7. FirstGiving

Overview

FirstGiving was designed specifically for nonprofit organizations, instead of being built on a business model and then adapted for nonprofits.

This donation tool can integrate with other software including certain donor management, social media, CMS, analytics and email tools.

Standout Features

FirstGiving takes a comprehensive approach to online fundraising.

Not only do you have the option to accept donations online, but you can manage direct donations, donor communications, events and grassroots campaigns. Plus, FirstGiving offers additional tools, including peer-to-peer software, to take your campaigns to the next level!

Price Point

The standard fee per donation is 7.5% (5.0% support and enhancement of the product + 2.5% credit card fees). Event registration costs 4.25% for online events.

Your organization can choose to cover the fee, or charge donors the percentage.

______________

These are just a few low-cost, easy-to-integrate options for online fundraising, but there are many other venues to look into depending on your needs!

Some additional recommendations: Causes is great for social media fundraising, and sites like EventBrite and CrowdRise are excellent for promoting events and fundraising pages. GoGetFunding is a good option for crowdfunding personal causes, projects and events.

If you still haven’t found what you’re looking for, check out GiveZooks, PaymentSpring, JustGive.org and Amazon SimplePay Donations for some more options.

What online donation tools have worked the best for your nonprofit? Tell us all of your online fundraising success stories!

**This article was updated on June 27, 2017 due to changes in pricing and features of the online donation tools.

The post 7 Online Donation Tools to Delight Your Donors [Updated] appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

At the same time, more candidates than you could count are competing for the best positions, each hoping to land in a role that’s compatible and challenging.

With so much going on in the world of nonprofit job hunting, how can an organization like yours stand out amongst the crowd of job listings and attract an applicant who is passionate, hard-working, and invested in your cause?

You probably guessed that there’s no easy answer to this question. Nonetheless, we’ll break down five top tips to navigating nonprofit job boards in an effective, strategic manner—and finding the perfect new executive or team member along the way!

Whether you’re replacing a key leader at your organization or expanding your staff to bring on new roles entirely, the search process takes more than posting on a job board and hoping for the best.

Instead of shooting in the dark, follow these practices to ensure a successful search:

1. Bring on an executive search firm.
2. Craft a stellar job description.
3. Expand your job listing.
4. Search for the perfect mission-match.
5. Diversify your marketing strategy.

Your new staff member is out there, so let’s get started finding them!

1. Bring on an executive search firm.

Before we can walk you through writing your job listing or show you how to advertise your post, there’s one vital strategy that will make the rest of these tips fall into place seamlessly.

In fact, while there’s no secret key to unlocking a simple, successful applicant search, hiring an executive search firm comes pretty close.

An executive search firm is comprised of specialized consultants who can work with your organization throughout every step of the search process, including conceptualizing the role, developing a search committee and strategy, and creating compelling job listing materials.

While it’s true that your organization can make a go at filling the role on your own, bringing on outside help comes with a host of benefits.

For example, an executive search firm can help you:

• Design a strategic role. Most likely, your nonprofit has seen some major changes over the years, so it’s important that each position reflects your current overall strategy. A consultant can help you assess the responsibilities of each staff member and determine how your new hire can contribute to your goals as an organization.

• Devise an appropriate recruitment strategy. With your organization’s strategies, values, and goals in mind, your consultant can determine the best marketing methods and posting sites for your listing. Their insight in this regard can be invaluable, especially considering their extended networks and expertise.

Screen candidates expertly and objectively. Executive search professionals are well-versed in the recruitment and interview process, with tested tactics for narrowing down the candidate field. And with their outsider’s perspective, you never have to worry about bias or internal politics taking precedence over an applicant’s value.

There are a number of reputable search firms that your nonprofit can choose from, so be sure to find one with the experience and expertise that would be most helpful to your organization.

To jumpstart the selection process, check out this list of top nonprofit executive search professionals compiled by Double the Donation!

2. Craft a stellar job description.

After the job title itself, the job description may be the first impression of your organization that a potential applicant has. You want to make it count!

To make the most of your listing on a nonprofit job board, it’s important to take some time to coin a description that aptly conveys the functions of the job and a bit of your organization’s culture and personality as well.

Sound difficult? It doesn’t have to be.

If you’re partnering with an executive search professional or a nonprofit consultant, they’ll work with you one-on-one to compose a job description that’s pitch perfect.

Whether you’re working with a firm or going it alone, keep these tips in mind when writing your job description:

• Follow a template or use other listings as inspiration. If you’re not sure where to start, check out nonprofit job description templates or borrow ideas from existing postings on job boards. While you don’t want to copy another organization’s listing verbatim, you can see what works for others to inform your own description.

• Stay true to your nonprofit’s brand. Since applicants may not be very familiar with your organization, this is your chance to give them a hint of your personality, values, and overall brand. To attract like-minded candidates and stand out amongst carbon copy postings, make sure your description is unique to your nonprofit.

• Accurately sum up the responsibilities of the role. To avoid misleading potential candidates, be as straightforward as possible with what the job entails. Include daily activities, general objectives, and key qualifications. After all, the applicant should know what they’re getting into from the get-go!

For more in-depth advice on writing, posting, and advertising an executive job description, we recommend reading this helpful article from DonorSearch.

3. Expand your job listing.

The job description is a valuable starting point, but it’s not where your job listing should end.

Think about it: a job board gives you one page to sum up your nonprofit’s purpose, describe the position, list applicant requirements (as well as preferred candidate traits), explain daily responsibilities and long-term goals, and touch on major projects the new hire will be involved in—and that’s just scratching the surface!

Not to mention, you can bet that with all of that information crammed onto one page, even the most dedicated candidate probably won’t make it through every word.

Take your job posting a step further by including additional materials that set your listing apart from the multitude of text-laden listings that start and end on the job board.

You can include this additional content by linking to your website or attaching downloadable resources to the job listing itself (if the job board allows).

Make sure to include all of the following:

• An introduction to your organization. No candidate should apply for a job with a nonprofit he or she isn’t familiar with! Save your applicant some Googling by providing a one-sheet with all relevant information, including a brief background, key projects, and highlights of your most impressive initiatives.

• Photos or videos of your team in action. Break away from the traditional wall of text that comprises a job listing by including photos or videos of your staff and volunteers serving your community. Not only will visuals demonstrate your efforts in a tangible way, but they’ll provide a way for potential new staff to forge a connection with your cause.

• In-depth position information. Your job board posting should include all the information an applicant requires, but downloadable resources or a page on your own website can expand the description should a candidate want more details. Make sure to spread this information across separate sections and pages in an organized, visually pleasing way.

Thorough resources will help potential candidates determine if the role is truly a good fit. By narrowing the job field, you’ll be able to sharpen your recruitment and find the perfect fit more efficiently.

4. Search for the perfect mission-match.

When searching for a new staff member, you’re undoubtedly looking for a person who meets all the requirements—education, years of experience, and software or platform knowledge, to start.

However, in the nonprofit space in particular, it’s important that your search team also conduct a values-based recruitment process.

That means that in conjunction with meeting the formal requirements, your ideal candidate (soon to be your new teammate!) should have a passion for your cause and enthusiasm for your fundraising, donor engagement, and expansion strategies.

So, with just a cover letter, resume, and a couple of interviews, how on earth can you really know if an applicant will be committed to your mission on a long-term basis?

Here are a few key questions to ask to determine just that:

What is the applicant’s professional and volunteer history? Your ideal candidate should have experience working in some capacity with your cause. That doesn’t have to mean that the person has volunteered or interned for your nonprofit (although that’s a major plus!), but they should be familiar with the state of your cause in the community.

• What nonprofit trends excite them? If your team is passionate about text giving or other emerging fundraising technologies, you shouldn’t hire someone who’s a stickler for old-school strategies. Ask your applicant what their favorite fundraising tactics are to make sure their methods will align with or enhance your own.

• Does the candidate fit in with your nonprofit culture? Though it’s a term that gets thrown around a lot, the culture of your organization does play a major part in finding the right fit. More than just the “vibe of your office,” your unique culture dictates your work style, communication preferences, and other vital nuances of your team.

As you’re laying out your recruitment strategy, make a list of the values you want in your new hire.

While generic responses (such as work ethic, personable nature, and appropriate nonprofit knowledge) are okay, you should also brainstorm with your staff to determine what specific traits would make your nonprofit office a better, more productive place.

And if you’re not sure, don’t forget that an executive search firm can analyze your organization’s needs to help you determine who an ideal candidate would be—and then find them!

5. Diversify your marketing strategy.

Once you’ve worked with your team (and in some cases, your consultant) to establish your nonprofit’s needs, and you’ve put together an awe-inspiring job listing, you’ll need to figure out how to make sure the right individuals see it.

Plenty of nonprofit professionals scour the job boards on a regular basis, but to get the word out most effectively, you should create a marketing plan that places your listing in front of the maximum number of potential contenders.

Where should your job listing find its home? Here are a few worthwhile options:

• Nonprofit and generic job boards. In this post, we’ve primarily been discussing strategies for amplifying job listings on nonprofit job sites, but generic boards (such as Indeed or Monster) can also be a viable way to attract applicants. You never know where your candidates are hiding, so diversify your approach.

• Social media. The age of social media recruiting is upon us! While you shouldn’t make Facebook, Twitter, or even LinkedIn your primary recruitment tool, social media is one of the most shareable mediums nonprofits can utilize. That being the case, it only makes sense to update your followers with opportunities (and encourage sharing!).

• Your nonprofit website. With no word limit and endless customization options, your website gives you an open forum for posting open positions. Plus, since supporters are already visiting your site to get updates or make donations, having up-to-date job listings increases the odds that a donor might apply or share your page with a qualified friend.

And while these online methods are certainly accessible and highly useful, don’t forget to take advantage of classic word-of-mouth marketing, too.

The nonprofit world is a tight-knit place, so reach out to colleagues and friendly faces in your network. You never know who’ll know someone who knows someone (who just happens to be your perfect candidate).

Navigating nonprofit job boards can be tricky, but when you approach your search strategically, you’ll be able to find your ideal applicant in no time.

The post Nonprofit Job Boards: 5 Ways to Get More From Your Listing appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Donors are one of the great forms of engagement in a cause. When someone is willing to open up—not only their Facebook page to share your post—but their wallets to donate, you’ve got a believer. Though there has been a lot of buzz lately about whether or not making your donors into heroes is a good thing, there’s no doubt that there’s a good way to communicate with your donors and there’s a bad way.

We’ve compiled the best resources from around the web so you can master your donor relations and communication strategy.

Donor Cultivation & Retention

One of the hardest parts of donor relations is the first step—finding people to donate. Though each step has its own challenges, donor cultivation unlocks the door to perfecting every other piece of the donor relations world. Getting the donors is half the battle, as donor retention ensures a long-term engaged crowd who continue to contribute to your bottom line.

[PODCAST] Donor Relationships, Donor Retention and Donor Choice ft. Adrian Sargeant

Put Donors First—Tips to Succeed

Be My Valentine? How to Show Donors You Care

Why Donor Cultivation is the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread

[PODCAST] Donor Cultivation and Fundraising Faux Pas | Ft. Steven Shattuck Part one and Part two

Donor Communications

Since donors are already one step deeper in terms of engagement, you’re going to have to communicate with them differently than, say, your social media followers. With that being said, we have the tips to help turn your social media followers into donors, and how to allocate your marketing dollars, as well as your donor communication dollars.

Five Steps to Budget Your Marketing and Donor Communications Dollars

Escaping the Stigma: What Nonprofits Need to Help Donors Understand

5 Steps to Target Donors for Year-End Fundraising Success

Top Three Tips to Master Donor Persuasion

How to Make New Donors, But Keep the Old

Donor Segmentation

No matter how you choose to store your donor data, segmenting the master list into subsequent lists will help you craft targeted messages and separate calls to action. If we sent the same message using the same medium with the same ask to every donor, some donors would be under-asked, others over-asked while some would be missed completely. Segment your list and implement a communication strategy for each one.

Pull that List: Donor Management Tips and Tricks

List-Pulling Worksheet: Download for Your Next Mailing

[PODCAST] Donor Conversion: From Mid to Major | Ft. Maeve Strathy

How to Fundraise and Better Allocate Your Time with Donors

Who are Mid-Level Donors and Why Should I Care?

[PODCAST] Gain Major Donors for the Small Shop | Ft. Jay Love

Donor Follow-Up

Following up with donors is a great first step to keeping them around, but it’s not always as easy as a mass email after they’ve donated to your current campaign. It’s not always a one-time email or direct mail piece, and it doesn’t always look the same for every level or every type of donor. Follow-up in itself is a multifaceted aspect of an overall fundraising strategy and will set the tone for future communications with each donor.

Definitive Timeline to Master Follow-Up with First-Time Donors

Nonprofits Fail at Following Through and It’s Time to Fix It

How to Combat the Excuses of Poor Nonprofit Follow-Through

3 Ways to Integrate Donor Acknowledgements and Appeals

How to Fan the Flames of Donor Loyalty in 2016 and Beyond

Data & Software

You’ve heard it a thousand times, what gets measured gets managed. But you can’t execute either of those things effectively if you don’t have the right things in place to help you do so. Tracking and reviewing data will help you learn more about your constituency, organize your lists and streamline your messaging and implementing the right software will streamline the entire process.

Nonprofit Experts Weigh In: Their Best Data Tips

How to Access and Use Big Data in the Nonprofit World

3 Superhuman Ways Donor Management Software Can Improve Your Organization’s Fundraising Efforts

The Data Every Nonprofit Should be Tracking

Creating a Natural Conversation on Your Donation Landing Pages

Much like nonprofit marketing, donor relations is no easy task but has to be a conversation that you bring to the table. Finding donors, retaining donors, keeping track of them and communicating with donors are some of the most important things you can do, but also each brings their own individual challenges and opportunities. Bookmark this page as you’re determining your donor relations strategy and keep all of these essential resources at your fingertips.

Did we leave a resource out? Feel free to drop a link in the comments below!

The post Everything You Need to Know About Donor Relations appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

Claire Axelrad — Use a 4-Step Framework for the Proposal

My grant writing best practice advice is to use a 4-step framework for your proposal:

1. Need in the Community
2. How You Address That Need
3. What it Costs
4. How the Funder Can Help (specific project and cost)

It’s best when you can connect the need and how you’ll address it to the funder’s guidelines/priorities. In preparing your budget, be sure to include how you’ll develop sustainability moving forward. Do these four simple things well, and you’ll be surprised how far they’ll take you!

(Founder at Clairification)

Marc Pitman — Phone It In (Literally)

One surprising tip is to call the grantor before writing an application. Funders are increasingly willing to talk by phone and can help you shape your request.

(Founder at the Fundraising Coach)

Rory Green — Make Sure the Guidelines are Clear

Read the instructions and follow them, if anything is unclear ask if you can speak by phone to learn more. It may sound basic, but many charities don’t pay very close attention to the grantor’s wishes and guidelines.

(Associate Director of Advancement at Simon Fraser University)

Pamela Grow — Use Time Wisely

It makes sense to tailor two or three boilerplate proposals for general operating support from 20 to 30 smaller grant-making foundations than to spend that same amount of time dealing with the headaches of one proposal from a major funder.

(Pamela Grow Consulting Basics & More™ Fundraising Fundamentals)

Jeff Kutash — Share Data and Stories, Build Relationships

• Don’t be trapped by the app. Tell your story.
• Don’t share data or stories. Share data AND stories. Engage their head and their heart!
• Make sure it is worth your time to fill out the application based on strong mission and goal alignment.
• Foundations should cover the true operating costs of the organization. Be unabashed and unapologetic in sharing that information.
• The relationship matters. Before putting in the app, do your best to meet with foundation staff so they can hear about and hopefully see your work in action.
• Getting the grant is not the end of the process. It is the beginning of a partnership.

(Executive Director of the Peter Kiewit Foundation)

The post Grant Writing Best Practices: 5 Tips from 5 Experts appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

The three dreams include 1) an app they would develop, 2) a restaurant they would open and 3) a nonprofit they would start. Getting a nonprofit dream off the ground is not always as glamorous as it seems. When starting a nonprofit, there is never a shortage of passion, but almost always a shortage of resources.

Before starting a nonprofit.

Before starting a nonprofit, it’s important to consider not only what you are doing, but why you’re doing it. A lot of times when people decide to start a foundation or a nonprofit, it’s because of a personal connection with a cause, so they want to solve it with their bare hands.

If the real reason you’re starting an organization is to solve a problem like ethical treatment of animals or issues surrounding poverty, a lot of times the best way to do it is not to start yet another organization, but to partner with an organization already working to solve the same problem. They likely already have a following, programs set up and at least some resources at their fingertips.

Competition in nonprofits vs. for-profits.

In the similar way that a for-profit has to consider its competitive advantages over other companies, nonprofits should consider if what they’re trying to accomplish is different than the organizations already working towards the same mission. At the end of the day, the goal is to raise money to fund programs to solve a problem, not gain more donations than the next NPO.

A donor’s perception is that they’re giving $20 to help fund programs that benefit kids on reduced lunches. They’re not giving to your organization over the one across town working towards the same goal. For this reason, “competition” doesn’t exists in the nonprofit sector as it does in business.

Options other than 501(c)(3).

If you come back from your research to find that truly no one is trying to solve the same issue as you, go forth with your plan to start a nonprofit and crush it. If not, you have several other options outside of a registered 501(c)(3). A more recent organizational form that bridges the gap between for-profits and nonprofits is called an L3C, which allows entities to make taxable profits and investments, as well as donations and grants from private foundations for impact-driven programs.

This episode of our nonprofit podcast with Randy Hawthorne and Kishshana Palmer digs into all of this and more.

You can subscribe to the Hubcast on iTunes and Soundcloud to make sure you don’t miss out on our latest podcast.

The post [PODCAST] What to Consider Before Starting a Nonprofit | Ft. Kishshana Palmer appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.

On both day one and two, we had our emcee Marc Pitman host a panel with a few of our brightest minds in the house. During day one, we got our fundraising fix, as John Rood, John Haydon, Steven Shattuck and Tom Ahern discussed everything from storytelling to donor fatigue, donor retention and getting your board on board with fundraising.

Storytelling is a key part of fundraising. It comes in many forms and obviously changes per organization. Whether it’s the word of mouth story that you or your supporters are telling friends and social media, or the traditional blog-type storytelling, reminding yourself and your organization why you’re doing what you’re doing and why you’re “selling” the story you’re selling will help to improve the story you’re telling. Doing things like creating a bit of a fear of missing out (FOMO) via your storytelling will help to get new people engaged keep them around. 

Storytelling isn’t the only part of fundraising discussed in this episode, however. Aside from the low-blows at Steven Shattuck, they also talk about how to get the 70-80% of new donors (who statistically won’t give again) to give a second or third time, why the word “donate” shouldn’t be used anymore and why “donor fatigue” is a myth.

This episode of our Hubcast was sponsored by our friends at Reward Volunteers. Organizations can post their volunteer opportunities—and volunteers can win prizes just from logging their volunteer hours, all at rewardvolunteers.coop.

You can subscribe to the Hubcast on iTunes and Soundcloud to make sure you don’t miss out on our latest podcast.

The post [LIVE PODCAST] Your Fundraising Fix, Tips & Tricks appeared first on Nonprofit Hub.