Madison Mikhail Bush

Top 5 Tips for New Year Fundraising Success 1. Set SMART Goals: Create fundraising goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Break large objectives into smaller, actionable steps to stay on track. 2. Deepen Donor Relationships: Start the year by expressing gratitude to your supporters. Personalized outreach—like thank-you notes or phone calls—strengthens long-term connections. 3. Leverage Data for Insights: Analyze past campaigns to identify trends and areas for improvement. Use this information to craft targeted campaigns that resonate with your audience. 4. Embrace Digital Tools: Expand your reach with online donation platforms, email campaigns, and social media. Showcase your mission through impactful storytelling that inspires action. 5. Engage Your Community: Host virtual or in-person events to involve your supporters. From webinars to volunteer opportunities, these touchpoints create memorable experiences and foster loyalty. Let’s make 2025 your organization’s most successful year yet!

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It’s always good to remind yourself of the fundamentals before writing a fundraising appeal. Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE shares an “8-Step Annual Fundraising Appeal Self-Test” to guide you in producing more effective fundraising appeal writing. Simple practices such as the “you test” and the “Flesh-Kincaid grade level test” can help ensure your letters are getting read and are significantly impacting your readers. https://lnkd.in/e4vPnAxM #fundraising #nonprofits

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Maximize your fundraising with proven strategies from the Gravyty Donor Engagement Benchmark Report. Did you know that in 2024, fundraisers will invest in ‘improving donor engagement’ and ‘enhancing pipeline development and qualification’ to achieve goals? ADage is here to help your community understand what works in donor retention and engagement to fuel your nonprofit's mission. #EngageToInspire #NonprofitSuccess

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Surgeon General Vivek Murthy talks about the need for a "whole-of-society approach" to advancing social connection. We've tried to heed that call in our work at Einhorn Collaborative, supporting a broader range of efforts that engage actors across sectors. That includes: Projects like Team Up to enlist large national civic organizations with a presence in local communities to help people build connection across difference through service. Research groups like Building H to measure the impact of products on consumers’ health and urge companies to do better to improve social connection and other health outcomes. Initiatives like Human Connections AI to bring together social connection experts with technologists to puzzle through how AI companions can be designed to enhance and not degrade human relationships. Another project that has helped us explore a facet of the whole-of-society approach is the Connective Tissue Framework, which puts forward a range of recommendations for how government – especially at the local level – can create the structural conditions and everyday opportunities for people to experience healthy connection. I've learned a lot from Sam Pressler, lead author of Connective Tissue. In this piece, I asked Sam to share more about the story behind the framework and a few highlights. https://lnkd.in/esayJU3b

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Are you tracking the right fundraising metrics? The Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) offers free tools like the “Fundraising Fitness Test” and quarterly reports to help nonprofits measure performance, improve donor retention, and benchmark against sector trends. 📊 Take your fundraising strategy to the next level—explore FEP’s tools today! #NonprofitFundraising #DataDriven #FEP https://lnkd.in/eZUhFyrS

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🧠 Stop and think: What if the key to your fundraising success was in re-engaging the right donor groups? Eddy Camas dives deep into mid-level, monthly and lapsed donors in his latest blog, showing nonprofits how to connect with these segments and drive better results. At RKD Group, we’ve crafted solutions to help you engage and retain these important audiences. 👉 Swipe to see how our tailored strategies can boost your fundraising efforts! 👉 Read the full blog for more insights: https://bit.ly/4fvPbQM

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Are you still counting calls, visits, and solicitations to measure fundraising success? Those traditional metrics don’t just miss the mark—they can actively harm your chances of securing meaningful, transformational gifts. Make this a resolution for 2025: learn how risk-adjusted pipelines can transform your fundraising by focusing on donor relationships, trust, and strategic gift planning for sustainable success. https://lnkd.in/efNf8QGA #fundraisingmetrics #riskadjustedpipelineforfundraisers

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🎇 🎇 As acquisition gets harder and retention rates fall, don't you think it's time to reimagine our grassroots and mid-level fundraising approaches? 🎇 🎇 ➡ We built our very successful direct-response fundraising programs to appeal to the Greatest and Silent generations. 🚩 BUT today our prospect pool (and a lot of our donor pools) are made-up of Baby Boomers and older GenX'ers. Even Millenials and Gen Z are starting to donate. The biggest changes in how folks behave are not where you shop, political affiliation, or demographics (to name a few). Yes, these things influence behavior and may be part of the broad makeup of your donor base. ❓❓ ❓ So, what's the biggest factor? GENERATION. 🔥🔥🔥 💭💭 Some food for thought: ▶ The Greatest Generation: 💠 Motivated by a sense of duty and tradition 💠 Often supported the same causes throughout their lives 💠 Giving was usually more private 💠 Regular donations (i.e., strong retention!) 💠 Volunteered as part of the community, especially with religious or service organizations ▶ Baby Boomers: 💠 Engage with causes that resonate with their personal values and experiences 💠 Participate in recurring giving programs 💠 Use digital media, but prefer traditional methods 💠 Volunteer with causes they support 💠 Couple their donations with volunteerism Have you changed your fundraising strategies AND metrics to accommodate the newest group of prospects and donors?

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The Far Side of Fundraising Tip of the Week Transactional fundraising leads to high rates of donor loss. Most organizations lose 4 out of 5 first-time donors. The more rapidly and impersonally we secure support, the more we sub-optimize giving potential and the more rapidly donors depart. High rates of donor attrition, coupled with the continue contraction of giving households, spell long-term disaster for most nonprofits. Don't follow the transactional lemmings as they plunged into the sea. Adopt sustainable practices. You may be in the minority but you will help your organization survive and eventually thrive. This one requires that you closely to see who stands out in adopting sustainable practices.

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What are the two biggest funding mistakes I see nonprofits making? #1 Not prioritizing and investing in fundraising enough #2 Not focusing on the types of fundraising with the highest ROI (Return On Investment)

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🚀 Ready to set up your fundraising campaign with ease? Our latest blog is a step-by-step guide to setting up a simple online fundraising campaign: 🎯 Set your goals – Define your campaign's purpose. 🖥️ Customize your campaign page – Make it stand out! 📣 Engage your donors – Leverage Givergy's tools to connect. 💳 Simplify giving – Seamlessly accept donations and bids. 📊 Track your success – Monitor progress in real-time. With the Givergy platform, creating impactful campaigns has never been easier. 👉 Read our step-by-step guide today, by following the link below: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e4zQuArA #Fundraising #Givergy #NonprofitSuccess #FundraisingBlog #Blog

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Last week the Fundraising Effectiveness Project released the results for the second Quarter of 2024 that conformed the ongoing challenges fundraisers and donors are continuing to face with fewer households donating during these uncertain times. Meanwhile we now well into the fourth quarter of the year and many organizations find that giving is flat or down so far for the calendar year. Fortunately, we are entering what is traditionally the most generous time of the year. It may be time to review your Year End Giving Action Plans and focus on adjustments that might make a difference in the November and December. Mike's Monday AFP Message gives a quick summary of the latest FEP Findings and some ideas to consider, as you make adjustments to your 4th Quarter Game Plans, The clock is running and now is the time to act. #fundraising #yearendgiving #Philanthropicplanning

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Your 2025 fundraising success starts with asking the right questions. In this episode, I share five prompts to help nonprofit leaders reflect, align, and strategize for long-term impact. Learn how to refine your goals, tailor your strategies, and build systems that ensure sustainable growth. For a deeper dive, listen to the full podcast episode on The Nonprofit Mastermind Podcast and start 2025 on the right foot. 🎧

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Really interesting read. Essentially the article shares that developing a solid funding strategy is crucial for nonprofits, and boards playing a key role in this process (which we all know). However, instead of focusing on broad revenue diversification, it's often more effective to concentrate on one or two main revenue sources—like government grants or individual donations—and build the necessary skills to excel in those areas. Boards can support this by encouraging focused strategic planning and actively participating in the implementation of the chosen funding approach. For instance, a nonprofit primarily funded by government grants might consider whether to diversify its funding sources. However, by investing in their existing strengths and enhancing their processes, they could expand their government funding more effectively than venturing into new areas. I'm curious what your thoughts are on targeting a more limited revenue stream and excelling at that or being more diverse. #nonprofitfundraising #fundraisingsustainablity #nonprofitboards

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What can U.S. nonprofit leaders learn from the funding models that enabled 28 global nonprofits to increase their reach and impact? When Roe v. Wade was overturned, U.S. leaders turned to global organizations that have long delivered safe abortion access without federal protections. This lesson transcends sectors: inspiring strategies often come from beyond our borders. Spring Impact’s new #SecuringNonprofitFunding report shares the stories of 28 nonprofits, the majority based in low-income countries, showcasing how they’ve built financial resilience and scaled impact. One key insight? Federal government funding has played a small role in their diverse funding strategies. These lessons are more relevant than ever as U.S. nonprofits navigate uncertain funding landscapes. Read the report here: https://bit.ly/4fqGG9M

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