From capital support to marketing assistance, grants provide many opportunities for boosting the success of your nonprofit. After all, your organization needs steady funding to continue furthering its mission and finding better ways to make a difference in the lives of those you serve.
With the right approach, you can build lasting relationships with grantmakers and secure significant revenue to propel your projects forward. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to find grants for nonprofits in detail, so you have everything you need to begin pursuing these impactful opportunities. Here’s what we’ll cover:
For 11 consecutive years, giving from foundations has grown, reaching a total of $90.88 billion in 2021. This means that it’s an ideal time to start searching for grants that will accelerate your organization’s impact. Let’s get started with all you need to know about finding nonprofit grants.
Grants for Nonprofits: FAQs
Your nonprofit’s long-term success depends on diversifying its funding sources. If you’ve decided that it’s time to add grants to the mix, it’s important to first understand the ins and outs of this type of funding to learn how it will best fit into your current strategy.
What are grants for nonprofits?
Nonprofit grants are financial gifts that grantmaking organizations provide to nonprofits, typically for a specific purpose or initiative.
In order to receive this funding, however, your organization will need to fulfill the grantmaker’s specific requirements and submit an application. It’s ultimately up to the grantmaking organization to decide whether or not they’d like to support your nonprofit.
What types of nonprofit grants are there?
There are several types of nonprofit grants. By understanding how they differ from one another, you’ll be able to focus on the specific grants that best serve the needs of your organization. The five main types of grants include:
- Program grants. Program development grants provide funding for specified projects or programs, such as upgrading your nonprofit’s technology. Because of this, they usually have spending restrictions. Recipients of these grants may only use the funds for the exact purpose outlined in their grant proposal.
- General operations support. These grants are far less restrictive than program development grants and cover almost any expense for your organization. However, general operations support grants are much rarer in the nonprofit sphere.
- Capital grants. These grants are most commonly awarded for specific capital campaigns that involve activities such as building construction, property acquisition, or other large-scale projects.
- Research grants. For academia and research-oriented nonprofits, research grants support their scientific research and are often attached to a specific team member in the organization.
- In-kind grants. In-kind grants provide non-monetary assistance, such as equipment, supplies, or free counseling and personnel. The Google Ad Grants program, for instance, is a popular in-kind grant opportunity that offers nonprofits a monthly allowance of $10,000 in Google Ads credit.
Since each type of grant contributes to the success of your organization in a different way, be sure to keep these distinctions in mind when finding nonprofit grants. This ensures that you only apply for the opportunities that will benefit your nonprofit the most.
Where do grants for nonprofits come from?
When looking for grants to apply for, you need to learn to distinguish between the various sources of grant funding to set your organization up for success. The most common sources of nonprofit grants are:
The Government
There are various levels in the government grant funnel that offer valuable funding opportunities. For instance, nonprofits across the country can receive federal grants. However, nonprofits can only apply for state grants in the particular state to which they belong. Local grants are further limited to a specific community or district within a state.
There are no restrictions on how many government grants a nonprofit can research and pursue. As long as you’ve determined that your organization meets the eligibility criteria, you can apply for as many of these opportunities as you see fit.
Foundations
These organizations play a significant role in supporting nonprofits, accounting for 19% of all charitable giving in 2021. The two main categories of foundations are private foundations and public charities, though organizations in both categories supply grant funds to nonprofits.
While a private foundation typically acquires its funds from a single individual or a family, public charities receive financial support from a variety of sources, including government agencies and program service fees. Some of the most notable foundations that provide funding opportunities to nonprofit organizations include the Ford Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Corporations
Corporate grants are a vital source of funding for nonprofits, providing financial support for programs, initiatives, and services that align with a company’s philanthropic goals. Unlike sponsorships or donations, corporate grants are typically more structured and formal, often requiring nonprofits to submit detailed applications or proposals. These grants can be targeted toward specific projects, operating costs, or capacity-building efforts, making them an important component of a nonprofit’s funding strategy.
As a result, many corporations allocate portions of their profits toward their corporate giving initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program is a clear example of a large corporation offering resources and assistance to nonprofits, with Google donating valuable ad space that most businesses pay thousands of dollars to obtain.
Some businesses also offer matching gifts and corporate volunteer grants, which provide funding to nonprofits after an employee gives to or volunteers a certain number of hours with the organization. Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer these programs, including Microsoft, Disney, Bank of America, FedEx, Home Depot, and more.
Federated Funds
Local businesses and company employees raise these funds to distribute to nonprofits. This type of “community chest” model can be a significant source of revenue. While it’s often easy for donors to give to federated funds, it’s crucial for organizations to apply for this funding early to increase their chances of securing some of these resources.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of grants?
As with any fundraising initiative, it’s necessary to weigh the pros and cons before you start pursuing nonprofit grant opportunities. Some important considerations include:
Advantages:
- Essentially, grants provide “free money” to nonprofits.
- Grants can power significant structural projects, enabling organizations to achieve large-scale social impact and further their overall missions.
- Securing one grant makes it more likely to secure more in the future, since it builds your organization’s credibility.
- Grants can boost your nonprofit’s visibility and reach, allowing you to win the trust of current and prospective donors.
Disadvantages:
- The process of finding nonprofit grants and applying for them can be time-consuming, since writing effective grant proposals requires skills and thought.
- It can be challenging to manage various expectations associated with receiving and managing a grant, such as reporting requirements.
- Many grants, such as program development grants, come with conditions and funding restrictions.
Fortunately, your nonprofit can cut down on many of these disadvantages by addressing them upfront. For instance, adopting grant management software can make it easier to keep track of all of your grant-related efforts, saving you time and energy in the process.
Should I apply for a nonprofit grant?
Once you’ve considered nonprofit grant types, their common sources, and their associated advantages and disadvantages, it’s time to determine whether your organization should apply for these funding opportunities. Use these questions to guide you:
- Are you able to invest the necessary time and effort into writing a winning grant application?
- Are the activities you’re planning to undertake with grant funding consistent with your nonprofit’s mission and overall strategy?
- Can you continue these activities after grant funding has ended?
- How would a grant be vital to the success of your nonprofit or initiative?
- Do you have enough qualified staff in place to implement your initiative?
- How will grants fit into your overall fundraising strategy?
- Do you have proven positive outcomes related to past work that you can show grantmakers?
Keep your nonprofit’s short- and long-term goals in mind when searching for and deciding to apply for grants. Make the most of your efforts by focusing only on opportunities that match your specific needs. For instance, if you’re hoping to leverage grant money to enhance your marketing, you might consider applying for the Google Ad Grant, which will supply you with funds to spend on digital ads.
How to Find Grants for Nonprofits: 5 Steps
The process of finding grants that are the right fit for your organization does not have to be complicated or confusing. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to securing funds that will amplify your nonprofit’s impact.
1. Know Your Goals and Mission
Take the time to clearly define your nonprofit’s goals. There may be numerous grant opportunities available, but only some of them will actually empower your organization to achieve those goals.
Additionally, keep your mission centered in your search. By finding grantmakers that align with your mission and values, you’ll increase your chances of securing the funds and avoid spending unnecessary time pursuing opportunities that don’t match your priorities.
2. Do Your Research
You’ll need to conduct some extensive research to narrow down grant opportunities that are suitable for your nonprofit. Get started by exploring some of these resources:
- Existing connections your staff or board members may have
- Local grants that only support nonprofits in your area
- Previous grantmakers that have supplied funding to your nonprofit
- Organizations that have provided grants to nonprofits similar to yours
- Grant directories and databases
When sifting through these sources, identify whether each grant meets your nonprofit’s needs and aligns with your mission. Additionally, it’s essential to have a specific budget outlined for the project or initiative you’re hoping to accomplish with grant funding. This will help you sift through opportunities more precisely and facilitate your application process down the line.
3. Develop a Clear Grant Proposal
As a grant applicant, it’s crucial to develop a proposal that demonstrates why your nonprofit is most deserving of the funds. Remember to:
- Be specific. State your organization’s goals and mission clearly. Be explicit as to how grant funding will help you to accomplish those goals by listing the specific projects or initiatives the funding will support.
- Be concise. Get right to the point in your application, so reviewers don’t feel the need to skim and potentially miss out on important details.
- Refer to data. Leverage your nonprofit’s data to highlight the impact you’ve already created in your beneficiaries’ lives, so grantmakers can understand the potential your organization has to make an even greater difference with more funding.
- Focus on the grant’s impact. Lay out the direct impact that you anticipate grant funds will empower your nonprofit to make in your community. This can also help you determine how you’ll measure these outcomes to comply with any reporting requirements.
The research you conduct will provide essential context that will guide your approach to each proposal. To further hone your proposal writing skills, consider searching for past successful applications online and making note of their strengths.
4. Review Your Grant Application
Before submitting your grant application, read through it from a reviewer’s perspective. This ensures that you don’t miss any important details that someone outside of your organization may need to understand your proposal.
Keep in mind that grantmakers will reference sources beyond your grant application to inform their decision. Therefore, be sure to demonstrate your nonprofit’s impact on your website, social media channels, and any other platforms reviewers may look at.
Furthermore, don’t hesitate to engage with grantmakers before submitting your applications. Whether you reach out through social media, email, phone calls, or in-person meetings, cultivating relationships with grantmakers can be crucial to securing funds both now and in the future.
5. Prioritize Proper Grant Management
After your nonprofit has received a grant, there are several best practices to follow to make the most of this opportunity. To optimize your outcomes:
- Ensure all of your team members understand the project or initiative’s goals, steps, and strategy.
- Submit reports in a timely manner.
- Be straightforward about successes and challenges throughout the project’s duration.
- Partner with a grant management expert when needed.
Effective grant management allows your nonprofit to build a positive reputation among grantmakers and maintain strong, productive relationships with organizations that have chosen to support you.
5 Best Practices for Finding Nonprofit Grants
Now that you understand how to find grants for nonprofits, explore these four best practices to maximize your success. The more preparation you invest in the process, the better your outcomes will be.
1. Look for Open Applications
One of the best-kept secrets in nonprofit fundraising is that many companies offer corporate grant opportunities with open applications year-round. These programs are often available through companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) departments, employee volunteer initiatives, or local corporate foundations. Unlike traditional grants with strict deadlines, these open opportunities allow nonprofits to apply at their own pace, making them ideal for organizations that need funding flexibility.
To find them, start by visiting the CSR or community giving pages on company websites. Many list ongoing programs with simple online applications. You can also use tools like Double the Donation or other grant databases to search for companies known for continuous corporate giving. Plus, don’t forget to follow target companies on social media or sign up for their newsletters to stay in the loop about updates or changes.
The key? Stay proactive. Keep a list of companies that offer open grant applications and check in regularly. You’ll be surprised how many opportunities are waiting—you just have to know where to look.
2. Use the 3-Way Fit Test
The 3-way Fit Test is a useful tool for eliminating leads that are poor matches. The three ways are:
- Philanthropic fit. Make sure the grantmakers are offering the type of funding you are looking for, such as programs, projects, general operating support, or capital. This way, you’ll ensure that you receive the type of help you need.
- Geographic fit. Grantmakers typically choose to support nonprofits located in specific geographic areas. Focus on grantmaking organizations that fund the area you serve to increase your odds of winning the grant.
- Programmatic fit. Consider the funder’s mission, goals, and areas of interest, and ensure that they align with your own. For instance, if you’re planning to launch a new program to support people who are homeless, appeal to grantmakers with similar missions, rather than, say, an environmental organization.
By only concentrating on the grantmakers that fit all three of these criteria, your nonprofit will be able to spend its time and resources wisely to get the most out of your efforts.
3. Learn About the Funder
Beyond researching each specific grant’s requirements, it’s critical to learn more about the grantmaking organization. This will allow you to gauge its likelihood of funding your nonprofit and help you tailor your grant proposal to appeal to its specific interests. Review materials such as their IRS Form 990 and eligibility guidelines. For instance, Google lays out very detailed eligibility requirements for the Ad Grants program.
For grantmakers who don’t have all of their information in one centralized location online, use these questions to guide your research:
- What are their mission and current funding priorities?
- How much grant money or resources do they have available?
- What are their funding patterns?
- Do they encourage grant applicants to contact them beforehand?
These are just a few potential questions to consider, so feel free to expand on this list to uncover more details pertinent to your grant application process.
4. Build Meaningful Connections
While conducting your research, consider reaching out to the funder to ask any clarifying questions. Some baseline questions include:
- What is your selection process?
- Have your submission instructions undergone any recent changes not shown on your website?
- What is an appropriate amount to request in a proposal for someone who has never been funded by your organization?
Directly contacting the grantmaker will kickstart a meaningful relationship with the organization. This could give you an advantage when it comes time for the funder to review grant proposals, as you will be kept top of mind.
5. Recruit Expert Help
If your organization has limited time and resources to devote to finding nonprofit grants, consider recruiting a consultant to assist with your efforts. There are plenty of professional agencies dedicated to helping your nonprofit maximize the funding it receives to further its purpose. Getting Attention, for instance, is a Google Grants agency that can effectively get your organization up and running with the program.
If you’re interested in applying for the Google Ad Grants program and partnering with experts to handle the process, look out for key services such as:
- Google Ad Grant application assistance
- Google Grant account management
- Data tracking and ensuring compliance
Oftentimes, a nonprofit grant consultant will do all of the research and apply on your organization’s behalf, so you don’t have to worry about how to find grants that fit your specific needs. Just be sure to maintain open communication with your consultant so that everyone is on the same page.
Finding Grants for Nonprofits: 13 Resources
Ready to hit the ground running with finding nonprofit grants? Here are multiple resources to get you started:
Google Ad Grants
Google should be one of your nonprofit’s first stops when it comes to researching impactful grants to support your initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program provides eligible organizations with $329 in daily ad spending, or $10,000 a month, to bid on keywords that will promote essential pages on your website to current and potential supporters online.
Like any other grant, the Google Ad Grant comes with detailed eligibility criteria and a specific application process. To maximize your nonprofit’s chances of success, it’s best to prepare ahead of time and develop a thorough understanding of the program. Luckily, there are quite a few expert resources online for training you and your staff on Google Ad Grants.
Double the Donation
Double the Donation offers a corporate giving database with information on more than 24,000 companies’ giving programs—from matching gifts and volunteer grants to corporate grants, in-kind giving, sponsorships, and beyond. The database curates detailed profiles of these companies, including guidelines on eligibility, application deadlines, and the types of programs available. This makes it an incredibly useful—yet often overlooked—resource for grant researchers who want to explore the world of corporate philanthropy.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov contains over 1000 grant programs offered by all federal grantmaking agencies and allows you to search its database by selecting criteria such as eligibility requirements and category. Additionally, the website contains numerous guides such as FAQs and training videos for grant applicants.
Candid’s Foundation Directory
Candid’s Foundation Directory allows nonprofits to discover funders that may not be easily found on search engines. While you’ll need a subscription to access this resource, Candid offers its subscribers useful tools that assess whether a funder is a good match, track communications with funders, and more.
Philanthropy News Digest
Your nonprofit can search for published grant announcements on Philanthropy News Digest by signing up for a free weekly email that lists newly posted requests for proposals (RFPs). However, be sure to check other resources for more grant opportunities, since less than 1% of foundations publish RFPs.
Regional Giving Dashboards
Candid’s Regional Giving Dashboards provide at-a-glance information on top grantmakers and their funding priorities for 20 different states. You can click on each individual state to explore and even download this data for future reference.
Foundation Landscapes
By partnering with funders and philanthropy networks, Candid developed free custom web portals that display grants available to nonprofits focusing on select issues. These issues include human rights, disaster philanthropy, and early childhood care and education. Since these portals are constantly being updated, they can show you, in real time, the funders and recipients working in your nonprofit’s specific area of work.
Guidestar
The Guidestar directory includes a database of Form 990s. Additionally, you can find the names of nonprofits that a grantmaking organization funded during the filing period, the dollar amount given, and sometimes a brief description of the grant’s purpose. This can help you determine if the organization is likely to fund a nonprofit like yours, which can speed up the application process.
GrantStation
GrantStation is a funder database that produces two useful newsletters: a weekly one that lists recent U.S. grant opportunities and a monthly one that lists international grant opportunities. You can access these for free through other subscriptions/memberships, such as the Grant Professionals Association.
GrantsforUS
On the GrantsforUS website, you can find information about recently released U.S. grant opportunities that you can filter by different categories. Furthermore, you can sign up for free Grant Alerts to effortlessly stay up to date on grants that your nonprofit may be interested in.
Grant Gopher
Grant Gopher is a funding opportunity database that offers U.S. organizations free basic searches and access to the details of their first five search results. Additionally, you can access a newsletter covering a selection of open grant opportunities.
GrantWatch
GrantWatch is a directory of grants that are currently accepting grant applications. You can filter your searches by category, location, type of funding source, and recipient, though the website does charge a small subscription fee for you to access the specific details of each grant.
SAM.gov
This government grant directory provides a full listing of federal programs across all government agencies that provide grants, loans, or other types of assistance to organizations. You can search for relevant opportunities in the search bar and save or download any of your searches to refer back to later.
The Federal Register (FR)
The Federal Register announces newly authorized and/or funded programs, annual application deadlines, and award amounts for continuing programs daily.
Additional Resources
There is an abundance of grant opportunities for your nonprofit to tap into—what matters most is finding the best matches for your organization. While the process requires you to be thorough and precise, once you’ve mastered how to find nonprofit grants, you’ll be able to secure significant funds to power your growth and mission.
Remember that you don’t have to go through finding and applying for grants alone. Reach out to grant professionals, like Getting Attention, for first-rate guidance in maximizing your grant-seeking efforts.
To learn more about securing online support for your nonprofit, explore these additional resources:
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: 11 Top Solutions
/in Nonprofit Fundraising, Nonprofit Marketing, Nonprofit Tools /by Jessica KingPeer-to-peer fundraising is a powerful form of nonprofit fundraising in which organizations empower their supporters to raise money on their behalf. This fundraising strategy, also referred to as social fundraising or P2P giving, enables nonprofits to reach larger audiences, engage new donors, and raise a ton of funding for their causes.
For this fundraising method to be effective, your dedicated supporters require the right tools—or peer-to-peer platforms—to manage their fundraising from start to finish. And there are a lot of software choices to explore. That’s why we’ve crafted this guide to help you decide on the provider that’s best for you.
In this article, we’ll cover the following:
By the end of this guide, you’ll be comfortable with the types of features and functionalities peer-to-peer fundraising software can offer, and you’ll walk away with a few great options to consider. Set your team up for success by carefully deciding which solution will work best for you!
Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software: The Basics
Keeping your peer-to-peer fundraising process organized can be difficult. Your team may have suddenly become a lot bigger with the inclusion of your peer fundraisers, and you have to manage both them and your staff members for your campaign to succeed. Plus, you have to track the funds everyone has raised and keep morale and excitement high.
Peer-to-peer fundraising software can help you keep your processes organized and streamlined. Such a solution comes with the following functionalities:
Peer-to-peer fundraising software is specifically designed to help your nonprofit’s peer-to-peer campaign shine. Harness these functionalities to provide support for your volunteers and ensure your next campaign is a success.
11 Top Peer-to-Peer Fundraising Software Solutions
When choosing a peer-to-peer fundraising software solution to invest in, take a look at their case studies and testimonials. In particular, assess how the provider has helped organizations similar to yours in size and type, as that will give you insight into how the solution will work for you. Also, don’t be afraid to look at third-party reviews!
Keep these considerations in mind as you read through the following list of top peer-to-peer fundraising software solutions. If you see a solution you’re interested in, assess whether it will meet your needs, align with your budget, and be easy to use.
1. CharityEngine
CharityEngine is an all-in-one nonprofit donor management and fundraising platform designed to aid nonprofits of all sizes in a wide range of fundraising efforts. In addition to their greater constituent relationship management (CRM) solution, they offer peer-to-peer fundraising software that provides groups and individual fundraisers with the capabilities they need to succeed.
Some of CharityEngine’s peer-to-peer features include:
Plus, CharityEngine’s peer-to-peer fundraising software integrates seamlessly with donor management solutions, event management tools, and other fundraising software. That way, you can smoothly transition from your existing software to this CRM solution.
2. Classy
Classy is a comprehensive online fundraising solution complete with peer-to-peer functionality and a mission to empower nonprofit organizations to unlock the generosity of their supporters. Since its foundation, Classy has helped thousands of nonprofits advance their missions, raising more than $5 billion in donation revenue.
This peer-to-peer fundraising software’s features include:
With Classy, you’ll be able to mobilize your supporters with easy-to-use tools so they feel empowered to advocate for your cause. Plus, you’ll have built-in tips and expert fundraising guidance, including automated email workflows to coach, motivate, and thank volunteer fundraisers.
3. Click & Pledge
A powerful online fundraising platform, Click & Pledge is dedicated to helping nonprofits and their supporters set up and manage effective fundraising campaigns. They’ve handled more than $1 billion in charitable contributions for more than 20,000 causes. Their platform is built for a variety of organizations, including nonprofits, associations, educational institutions, faith-based groups, and more.
They offer a variety of solutions that can support your peer-to-peer needs, including:
Click & Pledge’s peer-to-peer fundraising software solution provides added customizability by offering over 20 unique widgets for volunteers to add to their pages. It also makes tracking and managing your volunteers easier through a team portal, where you can evaluate success at-a-glance and conveniently message team members.
4. Donately
Donately is an online solution dedicated to creating innovative and effective online donation forms and fundraising pages. Working with all sorts of nonprofits, churches, businesses, and agencies, this peer-to-peer fundraising software aims to simplify the donation process on both the donors’ end and the organization’s.
A unique feature that Donately offers is its top-of-the-line peer-to-peer fundraising pages. These pages are customized to fit your organization’s branding, but still allow your volunteers to personalize them with their own stories. The result is a cohesive and harmonious page that drives more donations.
Plus, you’ll get access to fundraiser progress tracking bars and social sharing tools to further spread the word about your campaign. With this peer-to-peer fundraising software, you’ll be able to effortlessly expand your donor network.
5. DonorDrive
This peer-to-peer fundraising software solution works with nonprofits, healthcare organizations, and higher education institutions to simplify online giving and assist in raising more for their causes. DonorDrive amplifies the voices of your biggest advocates, who can share their personal stories to expand your donor base and connections.
With a mobile fundraising app, virtual campaign functionality, online donation campaigns, peer-to-peer giving, and more, DonorDrive users have the tools they need to power their missions effectively.
Peer-to-peer donors have access to simplified donation processes to make giving more convenient. They can make recurring gifts and see if their employers will match their gifts, resulting in more donations for your nonprofit. Plus, DonorDrive offers other unique features such as personalized coaching, social media integrations, flexible event configuration, automated communication, and real-time data insights.
6. Getting Attention
Promoting your peer-to-peer fundraising efforts is key to your campaign’s success. By adequately marketing your campaign, you’ll be able to maximize the number of individuals you reach out to and form connections with. Digital marketing will help you enhance the visibility of your campaign, increasing the number of donations you receive.
Getting Attention is a peer-to-peer fundraising solution focused on bringing more attention to your campaign. It does so by helping your nonprofit gain access to and optimize your usage of the Google Ad Grant. Essentially, this program gives your nonprofit $10,000 of free credit to spend on Google Ads, greatly increasing your outreach.
You can use the Google Ad Grant to:
However, using the Google Ad Grants program can be difficult for nonprofits without experience in the realm of search engine optimization. That’s where Google Ad Grant agencies like Getting Attention come into play.
Professionals from these agencies bring their experience and expertise to help you generate the impact you want. They offer a variety of services related to Google Ad Grants, including:
By working with a Google Ad Grants professional, you’ll be able to perform targeted outreach that increases awareness and participation in your peer-to-peer campaign. This results in enhanced site engagement and increased recognition, making it an extremely effective peer-to-peer fundraising software for marketing.
7. GiveWP
For nonprofits with blogs run through WordPress, GiveWP is the peer-to-peer fundraising software for you. This solution is a WordPress donation plugin option, making donating more convenient for website visitors. It’s an open-source suite of tools that makes fundraising quick and easy.
GiveWP offers a peer-to-peer add-on that allows volunteers to leverage its features to encourage their networks to make gifts to your nonprofits. A unique offering of theirs is the ability to give donors choices through:
Other top features of GiveWP’s peer-to-peer platform include fundraising goal progress bars for individuals and teams, social sharing abilities with built-in calls-to-action, and integrated sponsorship information.
8. iDonate
iDonate is a modern digital giving solution designed for today’s nonprofits and other charitable organizations to grow their online giving and better reach dedicated supporters. This powerful suite of fundraising software encompasses peer-to-peer fundraising, web and mobile giving, and event management tools to drive results.
This software solution has a focus on optimizing your organization’s growth through the following features:
Their peer-to-peer fundraising platform incorporates top features such as a comprehensive command center and anchor page, campaign management with real-time data metrics, and easy campaign building and editing tools for individual fundraisers.
9. OneCause
OneCause is an online fundraising and event solution that has grown from a mobile bidding tool to a comprehensive giving platform with capabilities for online donations, peer-to-peer fundraising, auction and event management, and more. Since its launch, OneCause has raised more than $5 billion in charitable donations from 2.5 million supporters and over 40,000 fundraisers.
This software maximizes peer-to-peer fundraising by making it more social, mobile, and fun. It allows you to design your campaign materials based on the type of peer-to-peer campaign you’re hosting, whether that’s a walk-a-thon, memorial, or virtual campaign.
The OneCause peer-to-peer fundraising platform offers key features such as social media integration, motivation and rewards, flexible branding, and accessible technology to help your nonprofit reach its goals.
10. Neon Fundraise
Neon Fundraise is a product of Neon One, a nonprofit software company with innovative solutions for donor management, online fundraising, program management, events, web development, and more. With this peer-to-peer fundraising software, it’s easy to take your mission to new heights by creating winning experiences for donors, fundraisers, and staff.
Some of the top features this software solution offers include:
These features all work together to create a smooth donation experience for your volunteers’ friends and family, helping to create a more successful peer-to-peer campaign for your organization. Not only that, but it will also help automate your workflow, making issuing receipts and collecting registrations more efficient.
11. Qgiv
Qgiv is a powerful fundraising platform designed to assist nonprofit organizations with the tools they need to collect charitable donations online, in person, and over text. The peer-to-peer side of their software includes features such as:
This software solution also allows you to build customizable and virtual events to fit the needs of your peer-to-peer campaign. It also offers branded team and individual fundraising pages, flexible registrations, and progress thermometers to ensure that event attendees and volunteers are engaged and have a great experience fundraising for your community.
Additional Fundraising Resources
Peer-to-peer fundraising can take your nonprofit strategy to the next level. Not only does it allow you to acquire more donations, but it allows you to form connections with a greater number of potential supporters. To ensure your efforts are successful, equip your volunteers with the most effective and intuitive peer-to-peer fundraising software solutions. That way, you’ll maximize the impact of your campaign.
If you’d like to learn more about nonprofit marketing and fundraising, check out these resources:
Staff Retention: 9 Winning Ways to Improve Employee Loyalty
/in Nonprofit Tools /by Jessica KingMost, if not all, nonprofits struggle to retain talent, especially in today’s challenging job market and remote work environment.
Improving employee retention requires an intentional and multifaceted approach. To be successful, your plan must encompass multiple employee touchpoints and a focus on employee engagement strategies.
Employees who feel valued, appreciated, and recognized by their organizations and direct managers are happier with their current situations and more likely to envision a future with their organizations.
The following tips can help boost employee engagement and increase retention:
Improving employee retention is essential for the long-term health and success of your organization. After all, according to Gallup, the cost of replacing an employee can be one-half to two times that employee’s annual salary. Attract top talent and keep them invested in their roles with these key tips.
1. Redirect your compensation efforts
Offering competitive salaries is a challenge for most nonprofits. Frequently, overhead costs must be kept to a minimum, and salary budgets are limited by funding. While replacing employees is costly, many nonprofits simply do not have the resources available to provide increases to pay or pay ranges. Exploring other avenues to address compensation gaps is important.
One approach is to view compensation from a total rewards perspective. Focus on the indirect components of compensation, emphasizing the overall value of the package provided to employees. Indirect compensation includes perks, recognition programs, mental and physical wellness benefits, culture, management styles, and much more.
It is also important to address any inequities in your compensation structure as part of greater diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
2. Focus on career advancement
Another common reason employees leave an organization is a lack of advancement. Often, individuals seek positions elsewhere without fully understanding the developmental paths available with their current employer.
Employees need to feel that they have the ability to move and progress within a company. Meet with your employees to understand their goals and interests. It’s imperative for leadership to communicate about the organization’s plans, how individuals may fit into that plan, and future opportunities that will be provided.
Formalized policies and practices regarding pathways to advancement and promotions are important to retention. A policy of filling open positions from within and laying out a clear process is evidence of commitment to employee growth and development.
3. Provide opportunities for skill development
Furthermore, it’s important to consider various ways of providing opportunities for development. Not all movement needs to be vertical. Lateral moves within an organization can be equally valuable. They allow employees to:
Formal training programs are always an option, but they can be expensive and require a significant commitment of time. Leveraging internal expertise to develop new skills and competencies can be an effective and economical way to provide opportunities to develop new skills.
Some common initiatives include lunch and learns, peer mentoring, and preceptorships. This cross-pollination connects people across your organization, building rapport, trust, and camaraderie that deepens their connection to the organization.
4. Understand the pressures on employees
Employees experience stress both in and outside of work. Regardless of the source, the resulting mental fatigue impacts work performance. Society is becoming more in tune and comfortable with discussing and addressing mental illness and stress. Top employers show similar understanding by instituting benefits that help employees better cope.
Examples of employer-provided support include:
Providing resources to support personal and family challenges shows your employees that you value them as people. These benefits and programs evidence an organizational commitment to stand by employees through both significant, life-altering events as well as everyday obligations that may cause chronic stress.
5. Commit to transparency and clear communication
Employees need to know how and why decisions are made. Do not allow the rumor mill or employee imaginations to tell your story. Frequent, honest communication undermines the spread of inaccurate information, allows for understanding, and builds trust between leadership and staff.
Communication should be two-way, not just from leadership down. Build a culture where employees not only expect managers to ask for their input but feel comfortable offering their opinions. Find out what your employees think about important topics, including what they like and dislike about working at your organization.
Common mechanisms for gathering employee perceptions and ideas include:
Welcome feedback in a positive fashion, as negative responses will only stifle future participation.
Once you have this information, do not sit on it. If you are going to ask for feedback, it is crucial that you take action. If action is not possible, circle back to employees to explain the decision-making process.
6. Emphasize your calling
Typically, the employees that a nonprofit attracts are passionate about the organization’s mission and have a strong desire to serve. Capitalize on this connection to keep your employees excited about being part of your team.
Integrate your values and mission into everything you do – your culture, policies, and initiatives. When your mission is central to serving your constituents it is also critical to how you treat your employees. A consistent reminder of the good that comes from their efforts will inspire and have an impact on employees’ long-term commitment to your organization.
7. Celebrate employee successes
Besides incorporating a total rewards approach to your organization, you should also focus on ways to acknowledge and celebrate your employees’ successes. This should be done on a standard basis to ensure that anyone on your team can give kudos. Some simple ways you can start showing employee appreciation include:
Each nonprofit is different, so your recognition mechanisms will likely vary depending on your budget, goals, and size. However, these methods are tried-and-true and can do wonders for your staff retention efforts.
8. Invest in employee engagement software
While your personal relationship with employees is a crucial part of boosting their engagement, you shouldn’t take on new initiatives empty-handed. There are many software solutions on the market that can help you take your employee engagement strategies to the next level. Consider investing in the following types of software:
While these solutions are great starting points for your engagement software rollout, they’re far from the only ones available. To pick the best fit for your nonprofit, gauge your current employee engagement tactics and determine whether they could be optimized with software. Then, research the options available and book free demos to see which best fits your needs and budget. Finally, once you’ve picked your ideal product, ensure your team receives robust training so you can hit the ground running with your new platform!
9. Create a corporate giving program
Did you know that 65% of people want to work for companies that prioritize social good? When you create a corporate giving program, you not only help worthy causes but also prove to your employees that your company takes active measures to live up to its values.
There are so many ways to engage your employees through corporate giving, including:
When employees feel that they’re not only working for their employer but working with their employer to make the world a better place, they’re more likely to be engaged in their work and stick around.
Wrapping Up
In closing, putting together a retention strategy that addresses your organization’s unique needs can be challenging. It can be helpful to seek guidance from professional HR consultants to identify best practices and help implement change. Whether you decide to seek external assistance or develop your plan in-house, the above tips will point you in the right direction for developing a winning retention plan for your organization.
How to Find Grants for Nonprofits: A Guide to Free Funding
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising /by Jessica KingFrom capital support to marketing assistance, grants provide many opportunities for boosting the success of your nonprofit. After all, your organization needs steady funding to continue furthering its mission and finding better ways to make a difference in the lives of those you serve.
With the right approach, you can build lasting relationships with grantmakers and secure significant revenue to propel your projects forward. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to find grants for nonprofits in detail, so you have everything you need to begin pursuing these impactful opportunities. Here’s what we’ll cover:
For 11 consecutive years, giving from foundations has grown, reaching a total of $90.88 billion in 2021. This means that it’s an ideal time to start searching for grants that will accelerate your organization’s impact. Let’s get started with all you need to know about finding nonprofit grants.
Grants for Nonprofits: FAQs
Your nonprofit’s long-term success depends on diversifying its funding sources. If you’ve decided that it’s time to add grants to the mix, it’s important to first understand the ins and outs of this type of funding to learn how it will best fit into your current strategy.
What are grants for nonprofits?
Nonprofit grants are financial gifts that grantmaking organizations provide to nonprofits, typically for a specific purpose or initiative.
In order to receive this funding, however, your organization will need to fulfill the grantmaker’s specific requirements and submit an application. It’s ultimately up to the grantmaking organization to decide whether or not they’d like to support your nonprofit.
What types of nonprofit grants are there?
There are several types of nonprofit grants. By understanding how they differ from one another, you’ll be able to focus on the specific grants that best serve the needs of your organization. The five main types of grants include:
Since each type of grant contributes to the success of your organization in a different way, be sure to keep these distinctions in mind when finding nonprofit grants. This ensures that you only apply for the opportunities that will benefit your nonprofit the most.
Where do grants for nonprofits come from?
When looking for grants to apply for, you need to learn to distinguish between the various sources of grant funding to set your organization up for success. The most common sources of nonprofit grants are:
The Government
There are various levels in the government grant funnel that offer valuable funding opportunities. For instance, nonprofits across the country can receive federal grants. However, nonprofits can only apply for state grants in the particular state to which they belong. Local grants are further limited to a specific community or district within a state.
There are no restrictions on how many government grants a nonprofit can research and pursue. As long as you’ve determined that your organization meets the eligibility criteria, you can apply for as many of these opportunities as you see fit.
Foundations
These organizations play a significant role in supporting nonprofits, accounting for 19% of all charitable giving in 2021. The two main categories of foundations are private foundations and public charities, though organizations in both categories supply grant funds to nonprofits.
While a private foundation typically acquires its funds from a single individual or a family, public charities receive financial support from a variety of sources, including government agencies and program service fees. Some of the most notable foundations that provide funding opportunities to nonprofit organizations include the Ford Foundation and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Corporations
Corporate grants are a vital source of funding for nonprofits, providing financial support for programs, initiatives, and services that align with a company’s philanthropic goals. Unlike sponsorships or donations, corporate grants are typically more structured and formal, often requiring nonprofits to submit detailed applications or proposals. These grants can be targeted toward specific projects, operating costs, or capacity-building efforts, making them an important component of a nonprofit’s funding strategy.
As a result, many corporations allocate portions of their profits toward their corporate giving initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program is a clear example of a large corporation offering resources and assistance to nonprofits, with Google donating valuable ad space that most businesses pay thousands of dollars to obtain.
Some businesses also offer matching gifts and corporate volunteer grants, which provide funding to nonprofits after an employee gives to or volunteers a certain number of hours with the organization. Over 65% of Fortune 500 companies offer these programs, including Microsoft, Disney, Bank of America, FedEx, Home Depot, and more.
Federated Funds
Local businesses and company employees raise these funds to distribute to nonprofits. This type of “community chest” model can be a significant source of revenue. While it’s often easy for donors to give to federated funds, it’s crucial for organizations to apply for this funding early to increase their chances of securing some of these resources.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of grants?
As with any fundraising initiative, it’s necessary to weigh the pros and cons before you start pursuing nonprofit grant opportunities. Some important considerations include:
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
Fortunately, your nonprofit can cut down on many of these disadvantages by addressing them upfront. For instance, adopting grant management software can make it easier to keep track of all of your grant-related efforts, saving you time and energy in the process.
Should I apply for a nonprofit grant?
Once you’ve considered nonprofit grant types, their common sources, and their associated advantages and disadvantages, it’s time to determine whether your organization should apply for these funding opportunities. Use these questions to guide you:
Keep your nonprofit’s short- and long-term goals in mind when searching for and deciding to apply for grants. Make the most of your efforts by focusing only on opportunities that match your specific needs. For instance, if you’re hoping to leverage grant money to enhance your marketing, you might consider applying for the Google Ad Grant, which will supply you with funds to spend on digital ads.
How to Find Grants for Nonprofits: 5 Steps
The process of finding grants that are the right fit for your organization does not have to be complicated or confusing. By following these steps, you’ll be well on your way to securing funds that will amplify your nonprofit’s impact.
1. Know Your Goals and Mission
Take the time to clearly define your nonprofit’s goals. There may be numerous grant opportunities available, but only some of them will actually empower your organization to achieve those goals.
Additionally, keep your mission centered in your search. By finding grantmakers that align with your mission and values, you’ll increase your chances of securing the funds and avoid spending unnecessary time pursuing opportunities that don’t match your priorities.
2. Do Your Research
You’ll need to conduct some extensive research to narrow down grant opportunities that are suitable for your nonprofit. Get started by exploring some of these resources:
When sifting through these sources, identify whether each grant meets your nonprofit’s needs and aligns with your mission. Additionally, it’s essential to have a specific budget outlined for the project or initiative you’re hoping to accomplish with grant funding. This will help you sift through opportunities more precisely and facilitate your application process down the line.
3. Develop a Clear Grant Proposal
As a grant applicant, it’s crucial to develop a proposal that demonstrates why your nonprofit is most deserving of the funds. Remember to:
The research you conduct will provide essential context that will guide your approach to each proposal. To further hone your proposal writing skills, consider searching for past successful applications online and making note of their strengths.
4. Review Your Grant Application
Before submitting your grant application, read through it from a reviewer’s perspective. This ensures that you don’t miss any important details that someone outside of your organization may need to understand your proposal.
Keep in mind that grantmakers will reference sources beyond your grant application to inform their decision. Therefore, be sure to demonstrate your nonprofit’s impact on your website, social media channels, and any other platforms reviewers may look at.
Furthermore, don’t hesitate to engage with grantmakers before submitting your applications. Whether you reach out through social media, email, phone calls, or in-person meetings, cultivating relationships with grantmakers can be crucial to securing funds both now and in the future.
5. Prioritize Proper Grant Management
After your nonprofit has received a grant, there are several best practices to follow to make the most of this opportunity. To optimize your outcomes:
Effective grant management allows your nonprofit to build a positive reputation among grantmakers and maintain strong, productive relationships with organizations that have chosen to support you.
5 Best Practices for Finding Nonprofit Grants
Now that you understand how to find grants for nonprofits, explore these four best practices to maximize your success. The more preparation you invest in the process, the better your outcomes will be.
1. Look for Open Applications
One of the best-kept secrets in nonprofit fundraising is that many companies offer corporate grant opportunities with open applications year-round. These programs are often available through companies’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) departments, employee volunteer initiatives, or local corporate foundations. Unlike traditional grants with strict deadlines, these open opportunities allow nonprofits to apply at their own pace, making them ideal for organizations that need funding flexibility.
To find them, start by visiting the CSR or community giving pages on company websites. Many list ongoing programs with simple online applications. You can also use tools like Double the Donation or other grant databases to search for companies known for continuous corporate giving. Plus, don’t forget to follow target companies on social media or sign up for their newsletters to stay in the loop about updates or changes.
The key? Stay proactive. Keep a list of companies that offer open grant applications and check in regularly. You’ll be surprised how many opportunities are waiting—you just have to know where to look.
2. Use the 3-Way Fit Test
The 3-way Fit Test is a useful tool for eliminating leads that are poor matches. The three ways are:
By only concentrating on the grantmakers that fit all three of these criteria, your nonprofit will be able to spend its time and resources wisely to get the most out of your efforts.
3. Learn About the Funder
Beyond researching each specific grant’s requirements, it’s critical to learn more about the grantmaking organization. This will allow you to gauge its likelihood of funding your nonprofit and help you tailor your grant proposal to appeal to its specific interests. Review materials such as their IRS Form 990 and eligibility guidelines. For instance, Google lays out very detailed eligibility requirements for the Ad Grants program.
For grantmakers who don’t have all of their information in one centralized location online, use these questions to guide your research:
These are just a few potential questions to consider, so feel free to expand on this list to uncover more details pertinent to your grant application process.
4. Build Meaningful Connections
While conducting your research, consider reaching out to the funder to ask any clarifying questions. Some baseline questions include:
Directly contacting the grantmaker will kickstart a meaningful relationship with the organization. This could give you an advantage when it comes time for the funder to review grant proposals, as you will be kept top of mind.
5. Recruit Expert Help
If your organization has limited time and resources to devote to finding nonprofit grants, consider recruiting a consultant to assist with your efforts. There are plenty of professional agencies dedicated to helping your nonprofit maximize the funding it receives to further its purpose. Getting Attention, for instance, is a Google Grants agency that can effectively get your organization up and running with the program.
If you’re interested in applying for the Google Ad Grants program and partnering with experts to handle the process, look out for key services such as:
Oftentimes, a nonprofit grant consultant will do all of the research and apply on your organization’s behalf, so you don’t have to worry about how to find grants that fit your specific needs. Just be sure to maintain open communication with your consultant so that everyone is on the same page.
Finding Grants for Nonprofits: 13 Resources
Ready to hit the ground running with finding nonprofit grants? Here are multiple resources to get you started:
Google Ad Grants
Google should be one of your nonprofit’s first stops when it comes to researching impactful grants to support your initiatives. The Google Ad Grants program provides eligible organizations with $329 in daily ad spending, or $10,000 a month, to bid on keywords that will promote essential pages on your website to current and potential supporters online.
Like any other grant, the Google Ad Grant comes with detailed eligibility criteria and a specific application process. To maximize your nonprofit’s chances of success, it’s best to prepare ahead of time and develop a thorough understanding of the program. Luckily, there are quite a few expert resources online for training you and your staff on Google Ad Grants.
Double the Donation
Double the Donation offers a corporate giving database with information on more than 24,000 companies’ giving programs—from matching gifts and volunteer grants to corporate grants, in-kind giving, sponsorships, and beyond. The database curates detailed profiles of these companies, including guidelines on eligibility, application deadlines, and the types of programs available. This makes it an incredibly useful—yet often overlooked—resource for grant researchers who want to explore the world of corporate philanthropy.
Grants.gov
Grants.gov contains over 1000 grant programs offered by all federal grantmaking agencies and allows you to search its database by selecting criteria such as eligibility requirements and category. Additionally, the website contains numerous guides such as FAQs and training videos for grant applicants.
Candid’s Foundation Directory
Candid’s Foundation Directory allows nonprofits to discover funders that may not be easily found on search engines. While you’ll need a subscription to access this resource, Candid offers its subscribers useful tools that assess whether a funder is a good match, track communications with funders, and more.
Philanthropy News Digest
Your nonprofit can search for published grant announcements on Philanthropy News Digest by signing up for a free weekly email that lists newly posted requests for proposals (RFPs). However, be sure to check other resources for more grant opportunities, since less than 1% of foundations publish RFPs.
Regional Giving Dashboards
Candid’s Regional Giving Dashboards provide at-a-glance information on top grantmakers and their funding priorities for 20 different states. You can click on each individual state to explore and even download this data for future reference.
Foundation Landscapes
By partnering with funders and philanthropy networks, Candid developed free custom web portals that display grants available to nonprofits focusing on select issues. These issues include human rights, disaster philanthropy, and early childhood care and education. Since these portals are constantly being updated, they can show you, in real time, the funders and recipients working in your nonprofit’s specific area of work.
Guidestar
The Guidestar directory includes a database of Form 990s. Additionally, you can find the names of nonprofits that a grantmaking organization funded during the filing period, the dollar amount given, and sometimes a brief description of the grant’s purpose. This can help you determine if the organization is likely to fund a nonprofit like yours, which can speed up the application process.
GrantStation
GrantStation is a funder database that produces two useful newsletters: a weekly one that lists recent U.S. grant opportunities and a monthly one that lists international grant opportunities. You can access these for free through other subscriptions/memberships, such as the Grant Professionals Association.
GrantsforUS
On the GrantsforUS website, you can find information about recently released U.S. grant opportunities that you can filter by different categories. Furthermore, you can sign up for free Grant Alerts to effortlessly stay up to date on grants that your nonprofit may be interested in.
Grant Gopher
Grant Gopher is a funding opportunity database that offers U.S. organizations free basic searches and access to the details of their first five search results. Additionally, you can access a newsletter covering a selection of open grant opportunities.
GrantWatch
GrantWatch is a directory of grants that are currently accepting grant applications. You can filter your searches by category, location, type of funding source, and recipient, though the website does charge a small subscription fee for you to access the specific details of each grant.
SAM.gov
This government grant directory provides a full listing of federal programs across all government agencies that provide grants, loans, or other types of assistance to organizations. You can search for relevant opportunities in the search bar and save or download any of your searches to refer back to later.
The Federal Register (FR)
The Federal Register announces newly authorized and/or funded programs, annual application deadlines, and award amounts for continuing programs daily.
Additional Resources
There is an abundance of grant opportunities for your nonprofit to tap into—what matters most is finding the best matches for your organization. While the process requires you to be thorough and precise, once you’ve mastered how to find nonprofit grants, you’ll be able to secure significant funds to power your growth and mission.
Remember that you don’t have to go through finding and applying for grants alone. Reach out to grant professionals, like Getting Attention, for first-rate guidance in maximizing your grant-seeking efforts.
To learn more about securing online support for your nonprofit, explore these additional resources:
3 Revenue Streams to Strengthen Your Fundraising Strategy
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Jessica KingAs a nonprofit professional, you know how important it is to have a steady flow of revenue coming into your organization. Rather than counting on just one or two sources of funding (and potentially leaving money on the table), you need to diversify your revenue streams.
Think of revenue streams like eggs in a basket. As the old saying goes, you can’t bet on just fundraising event success or your annual peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to power your day-to-day operations. By incorporating multiple revenue streams into your fundraising strategy (or putting your eggs into multiple baskets!) you can increase your financial sustainability and expand your budget to pursue larger, high-impact projects. In this blog post, we will explore three revenue streams that can enhance your nonprofit’s fundraising strategy and help you generate more funds while expanding your donor base:
Multiple revenue streams can help your organization better serve its community and carry out its mission. Let’s begin.
Text-to-Give
To break through the noise online and engage donors directly, your nonprofit needs a strong fundraising channel that feels familiar to donors and makes the donation process simple. One innovative platform to do so is text-to-give.
Text-to-give is a powerful fundraising tool that allows nonprofits to connect with supporters and motivate them to give. Because text-to-give is used via a donor’s cellphone, nonprofits can reach supporters immediately. In fact, text messages have a 99% open rate and a 90% read rate in just 3 minutes.
According to Tatango’s guide to text-to-give, text messaging your supporters can be used to accomplish several key initiatives:
By leveraging text-to-give, organizations can engage donors in real-time and streamline the entire donation experience. Here’s a breakdown of how this process works:
The intuitive user-friendliness of text-to-give makes it easy for donors to contribute directly from their mobile devices, increasing the likelihood of immediate and spontaneous giving. Because text-to-donate can also be used to nurture donor relations long-term, you can turn donors into recurring contributors to your mission. Text messaging campaigns can also be utilized to promote events, volunteer opportunities, and other initiatives. By incorporating text-to-give into your fundraising strategy, you can tap into the widespread use of mobile devices and reach supporters wherever they are.
Online Donation Page
Your nonprofit’s online donation page serves as a central hub for accepting contributions. Optimizing your donation page design is crucial to ensuring a seamless and compelling donation experience for your supporters.
To maximize its effectiveness, consider the following three easy-to-implement strategies:
Make sure to market your online donation page widely so donors know how to give. The Double the Donation guide to digital marketing for nonprofits recommends leveraging a multi-channel marketing strategy to increase touchpoints with potential donors and boost visibility. For example, you can share your donation page link in your social media bio and your email newsletter.
Recurring Giving
Nonprofit fundraisers constantly strive for steady revenue streams and lasting donor relationships—both of which can be achieved through the power of recurring giving. Recurring giving is when donors give to your organization on a regular basis, such as monthly, to support your ongoing annual fundraising efforts.
With a well-structured recurring giving program and the right payment processor, the recurring giving amount will automatically be taken out from donors’ bank accounts each month and transferred to your nonprofit. It’s that simple! You just need to get donors on board with recurring giving by explaining its convenience and how ongoing donations make an impact on the community you serve.
The following strategies can elevate your recurring giving program:
Once donors sign up for recurring giving, you can incentivize them to stay involved by creating an exclusive recurring donor club, offering nonprofit merchandise, and publicly thanking them for their support.
Wrapping Up
Diversifying revenue streams is essential for the financial health and sustainability of all kinds of organizations, from higher education institutions to nonprofits. By incorporating text-to-give, optimizing your online donation page, and promoting recurring giving, you can strengthen your fundraising strategy and create a more stable foundation for your organization. Track the performance of each revenue stream to assess your progress and make necessary adjustments.
Your Nonprofit Branding Strategy Can Probably Be Better
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Marketing /by Jessica KingA well-defined and recognizable brand can do wonders for any organization or business. Recent studies have shown that 26% of nonprofits have rebranded in the past two years — and of these, around half (47%) have already seen an increase in revenue. This means that if you think your branding could be improved, you’re probably right.
To help you learn how to take your nonprofit branding strategy to the next level this guide will cover:
At Getting Attention, nonprofit marketing is our specialty. By harnessing the power of the Google Ad Grant, we connect nonprofits with the right audiences to drive impact and build support.
Why Does Nonprofit Branding Matter?
It takes anywhere from 17 to 50 milliseconds for people to form a first impression about your brand. Use a bulletproof nonprofit branding strategy to make the most of these precious few seconds.
Effective branding makes your nonprofit more easily recognized. This directly affects whether people see your messaging and feel compelled to take action.
This is why it’s so important to create branded content and messaging. With the right strategy, supporters can build a relationship with your brand and instantly recognize and trust it. Think about the American Red Cross—as soon as you see it, you know exactly who this organization is and what they do. To summarize, nonprofit branding is important because it:
Thoughtful branding execution is an ongoing process. Your nonprofit branding strategy is made of several moving parts that must be managed to create a memorable These moving parts are consolidated into your nonprofit brand guide.
Essential Nonprofit Brand Guide Components to Improve
Who is your organization? A descriptive answer to this question should be captured in your nonprofit brand guide.
This document contains your brand “rules” and ensures that your marketing team is on the same page concerning all components. Without these rules, your branding will be inconsistent and unrepresentative. Your brand guide should be detailed and include use cases for both digital marketing and print materials.
Here is what to include for both messaging and visual elements:
Your Name
It’s common to have different names depending on which region your headquarters occupy. Additionally, some organizations decide to go by acronyms. Take M.A.D.D. or Mothers Against Drunk Driving for example. In this case, the acronym carries an emotional meaning that underlies the group’s cause. Most likely, you’ve already landed on your nonprofit name. To test its effectiveness, ask these questions:
Hopefully, you have answered “yes” to the above questions. If not, it’s time to re-evaluate your nonprofit name to be sure it accurately reflects your organization’s values.
Mission statement
Your mission statement is the core purpose of your nonprofit organization. When crafting your own nonprofit mission statement, make sure to include WHY your nonprofit exists, WHO your nonprofit is helping, and HOW your nonprofit serves them. Your WHY of your mission statement explains your vision, or how your organization would like positive change the world.
For example, The Nature Conservancy captures its mission and vision statement in a memorable and concrete way:
Mission: “To conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends.”
Vision: “A world where the diversity of life thrives, and people act to conserve nature for its own sake and its ability to fulfill our needs and enrich our lives.”
The above points answer WHAT the organization is helping (lands and waters) and WHY (to increase the diversity of life). The Nature Conservancy’s “See Our Priorities” link captures the HOW of their nonprofit mission and breaks it down into goals to meet by 2030.
Tone
Your tone describes how you communicate as an organization. Are you urgent or excited? Welcoming or focused? Your chosen tone is an aspect of your overall nonprofit personality and should be representative of how you approach your cause.
A practical application of tone is your tagline. It should be short, catchy, and representative of your mission. For instance, the Montana Historical Society uses the tagline “Big sky, Big land. Big history” to encompass its promise to uphold Montana tradition.
Color
The colors you choose for your nonprofit branding can greatly influence how your audience feels when they see your organization out and about online or in person. When determining the best colors to represent your brand, try to think of the emotions that colors evoke.
For instance, green is often associated with nature while red is associated with passion or urgency. To get a full view of brand color associations, refer to this guide:
As you finalize your color palette, be mindful of existing color associations. For example, pink is also tied to the breast cancer awareness movement. Other considerations include political party and international color meanings.
It’s best to choose one primary color and 2-3 secondary colors to complement it. This way, your branding will remain simple and impactful.
Logo
Your logo is the center of your brand. It’s the image that people remember most and will recognize the easiest. Using your logo consistently helps create an association to your brand and builds the relationship supporters have with your nonprofit’s content. There are three types of logos to consider:
Whichever you choose, ensure your logo evokes the right emotion and is communicative of your mission.
Typography
Your font choices should align with your colors and logo. Sans serif fonts are a popular choice due to their readability and straightforwardness.
Consider selecting two fonts from the same family with different weights to add hierarchy to your visual brand. Use the heavier font weight for headlines and the lighter font for descriptions.
5 Nonprofit Branding Strategy Best Practices
Now that you’ve nailed your nonprofit brand guide, it’s time to explore how to use it to turn more heads and inspire greater support. Consider these best practices to catapult your nonprofit branding forward, connect with your audience, and deliver your messaging in ways that inspire support:
Your nonprofit branding strategy impacts many aspects of your marketing efforts and donor relationships. Leverage these best practices to ensure that your branding not only represents your organization and mission effectively but that you’re able to incorporate it into key messaging and connect with supporters in valuable ways.
5 Smart Nonprofit Branding Examples
Sometimes the best way to visualize your nonprofit brand is by being inspired by other successful brands in your space. Analyzing what makes their branding so memorable and effective will help you learn the ropes or enhance your existing branding.
To help you get started, we’ve compiled a list of the top five nonprofit brands to watch. We’ve included a snapshot of each’s colors, logos, and messaging, so you can see how each organization weaves its messaging into its brand.
Nonprofit Branding Example 1: Oxfam
Oxfam is a humanitarian organization dedicated to ending inequality. They call on supporters to fight injustice and poverty as one united community. Here’s what their branding looks like:
Oxfam’s branding reflects its values. The warm green exudes a friendly and welcoming personality that invites everyone to join in their movement. The soft logo does not include divisions or harsh lines as a reminder that everyone deserves a chance to thrive, not just survive. Additionally, Oxfam focuses on the word “equal” in its messaging to echo its mission statement.
Nonprofit Branding Example 2: Feeding America
Feeding America is the largest hunger relief organization in the United States and represents a nationwide network of food banks and pantries. Their vision is to create a hunger-free nation. Here’s a glimpse of their branding:
Feeding America’s mission statement is perfectly captured in its branding materials. Its inclusion of wheat and use of warm, inviting colors signal its promise to end hunger. The use of orange is also commonly used in relation to commercial food logos, mimicking Feeding America’s vision to provide meals for those in need.
Nonprofit Branding Example 3: charity: water
Charity: water is an organization dedicated to increasing clean drinking water access. Founded in 2006, it has been working to help end the water crisis through local partners and supporters. Here is how they use their story to capture their branding:
Charity: water’s jerry can has become famous in the nonprofit logo world because it represents the work this nonprofit does in a succinct and memorable way. Millions of developing communities rely on jerry cans for clean drinking water transport. Therefore, the inclusion of this symbol speaks to charity: water’s promise to bring safe drinking water to its beneficiaries.
Nonprofit Branding Example 4: The Backpack Project
The Backpack Project (TBP) is a student-run organization dedicated to easing the burden of homelessness by delivering backpacks containing food, toiletries, and other necessities to those experiencing homelessness. Here’s how their brand echoes this sentiment:
TBP’s branding’s star feature is its simplicity. Rather than featuring a stuffed bag to visualize the nonprofit’s mission, TBP features only a zipper to get its message across. The zipper is a nod to the backpack, but also a hope that more people experiencing homelessness will be able to “unzip” a better future where they can characterize their experience as “rare and brief.”
Nonprofit Branding Example 5: Pencils of Promise
Pencils of Promise is committed to providing quality education to children in need. They provide teacher support, WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) programs, and quality infrastructure to enhance learning environments. Here is how their brand captures their values:
Pencils of Promise’s simple logo goes for the obvious without becoming intrusive. The pencil shape tells people immediately that this organization is education-centered. Pencils of Promise’s language is also bold and hopeful as reflected in its choice of bright yellow and stark black (which are also the colors of a classic No. 2 pencil!).
Additional Resources
There’s a common misconception that nonprofit branding only refers to your organization’s aesthetics. However, it extends beyond color palettes and fonts, as your brand messaging can directly impact your nonprofit’s marketing and fundraising success. If you want to reach your supporters where they are and spread awareness of your mission, having an effective branding strategy is essential.
To continue your research in learning how to push your nonprofit forward, we encourage you to explore our additional resources for nonprofit branding and marketing:
13 Top Fundraising CRMs for Nonprofit Organizations
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Tools /by Jessica KingFundraising CRMs, or constituent relationship management systems for nonprofits, are vital for effective revenue generation and donor management efforts. This is especially true as organizations continue to grow.
If your nonprofit is seeking a CRM solution (whether for the first time or to upgrade an existing system), you’ve come to the right place! This list of top nonprofit CRMs has been crafted with organizations like yours in mind, and we’ll highlight key features, benefits, and more for each provider.
At Getting Attention, our favorite fundraising CRMs (in alphabetical order) are:
One key function to consider as you browse this list of suggested fundraising CRMs is matching gift abilities. Research shows that between $4 and $7 billion in available matching gift funding is left on the table each year—largely because nonprofits lack the tools to secure those corporate dollars effectively.
Luckily, more and more nonprofit CRMs are beginning to incorporate matching gift functionality into their toolkit through seamless integrations with matching gift software (the most common by far being 360MatchPro by Double the Donation).
Ready to dive in and discover the perfect donor management system for your organization? Let’s get started.
1. CharityEngine
CharityEngine offers a number of fundraising solutions, including an online donation platform and fundraising CRM. Their CRM system enables teams to quickly and easily automate fundraising, marketing, and data collection to provide nonprofits with more time to spend on mission-related projects.
Top CharityEngine features:
Not to mention, CharityEngine donation forms drive matching gift revenue by simplifying the matching process for both donors (through personalized reminders and company-specific instructions) and nonprofits (by automating communications, collecting data, and tracking revenue growth). Since the #1 hindrance for matching gifts is a lack of awareness among supporters, CharityEngine leverage matching git software from Double the Donation to ensure each donor is exposed to matching gift information at multiple touchpoints.
Why We Love This CRM
CharityEngine’s major gifts and planned giving software capabilities allow organizations to maximize their impact and streamline their management. As major gifts make up to 80% of an organization’s total revenue, this feature offers a huge advantage.
With CharityEngine, your organization can track applications and opportunities and manage projects with just a few clicks. Its robust analytics features also provide telling insights to measure your major gift progress.
2. Classy
Classy is an all-in-one fundraising platform with solutions for donor management, online donations, and peer-to-peer campaigns. This fundraising CRM is designed to provide users with a central hub for campaign and supporter management called Classy Manager. With these tools, nonprofit fundraisers are able to launch and manage campaigns, track performance and donor interactions, and gain a better understanding of their fundraising overall.
Top Classy features:
And Classy doesn’t want you to forget about matching gift opportunities, either! This platform integrates with Double the Donation’s comprehensive matching gift tool to enable a searchable matching gift database, automated donor follow-ups and match reminders, and more. They even offer a two-way data sync that allows matching gift information collected in 360MatchPro to flow into Classy’s platform! When donors are encouraged to participate in their employers’ matching gift programs on multiple occasions, they’ll be more likely to request a match and secure more dollars for your cause.
Why We Love This CRM
Classy provides a 360-degree supporter interaction view, so you can observe and manage your donor interactions from every angle. You can look into individual donor histories to enhance your engagement efforts. This is especially helpful to re-engage donors and increase your donor retention rate.
For reference, the average donor retention rate across nonprofits is between 40 and 45% which can feel like you’re constantly fighting an uphill battle. However, donor management tools like the 360 supporter interaction view can help your nonprofit make every interaction count.
3. Click & Pledge
Click & Pledge offers powerful donor management tools built on the Salesforce platform. This innovative fundraising CRM can even help users sort and rank donors based on an algorithm that considers personal donations, amounts fundraised, and gifts within an individual’s network in order to identify their highest-value supporters.
Top Click & Pledge features:
Plus, Click & Pledge integrates with the top matching gift solution, 360MatchPro, to promote matching gift opportunities to supporters, drive more company match requests with automated communications, and boost fundraising revenue overall.
Why We Love This CRM
Click & Pledge offers effective video fundraising options to capture your donor’s hearts. You can simply embed donation forms directly into your videos for viewers to donate without having to exit the video experience.
This solution doesn’t allow viewers to get distracted, so they can give to your cause at the best time—right after viewing your mission. And, recent studies have shown that 57% of people who watch nonprofit videos go on to make a donation. With Click & Pledge, you can make this process as easy as possible.
4. DonorPerfect
DonorPerfect is a comprehensive fundraising solution that specializes in strategic donor management through targeted communications, multichannel outreach, easy donation processing, and customizable reports. Plus, it can save fundraisers tons of time and resources when they employ DonorPerfect’s extensive automated workflows!
Top DonorPerfect features:
This platform also incorporates matching gift tools and strategies with a Double the Donation integration. This way, organizations can easily communicate the importance of matching gifts to donors and provide targeted next steps depending on the individual’s employer. The easier it is for donors to participate in matching gift programs, the more likely they are to follow through with their request, and the more dollars that go toward your mission!
Why We Love This CRM
DonorPerfect has a wide variety of integrations, enabling your team to choose the ones that will best complement your goals. From volunteer management to website and event management, DonorPerfect will have your team covered.
5. Engaging Networks
Engaging Networks is a multi-faceted fundraising platform with tools for online donations, nonprofit marketing, peer-to-peer campaigns, donor and data management, and more. This eCRM is dedicated to providing users with cutting-edge technology with constantly developing upgrades, newly released features, and a web of seamless integrations.
Top Engaging Networks features:
One of their most impactful integrations is with Double the Donation’s matching gift software, 360MatchPro. Thanks to the Engaging Networks and Double the Donation integration, organizations can quickly boost matching gift revenue by promoting these program opportunities at multiple donor touchpoints. This includes, but is not limited to, during the donation process itself and within a number of automated and customizable email follow-ups.
Why We Love This CRM
Engaging Networks is currently the only platform that offers artificial intelligence fundraising capabilities. This future-forward option leverages machine learning to help organizations reach fundraising goals and transform one-time donors into recurring supporters. As your data changes, artificial intelligence fundraising can continue to predict patterns and give an in-depth glimpse into supporter behavior.
6. GiveSmart
Formerly SimplyFundraisingCRM, GiveSmart is a fantastic solution that equips nonprofits with innovative donor management tools. The top benefits of GiveSmart include saving time through strategic automation, raising more with effective fundraising solutions, and receiving guided assistance from a panel of expert fundraising advisors.
Top GiveSmart features:
Not to mention, the platform integrates with Double the Donation’s most comprehensive matching gift solution to help drive additional revenue from company matches! Through donor screening practices and automated communications, organizations can easily promote matching gifts and encourage supporters to participate.
Why We Love This CRM
GiveSmart’s ticketing and guest management features work great for any type of event—in-person, online, or hybrid that can keep up with changing preferences. In addition, GiveSmart has scheduled text messaging that engages supporters at the most opportune time.
7. Kindful
Kindful CRM is a product of Bloomerang that is designed to build seamless connections between various nonprofit processes to streamline backend efforts and provide improved donor experiences. This platform emphasizes the power of technical integrations with a number of other fundraising platforms to provide an interconnected network of fundraising software that drives success.
Top Kindful features:
And for many Kindful clients, this network incorporates matching gift software and practices as well. Their matching gift integration with Double the Donation’s comprehensive automation tool allows organizations to promote company matches through personalized outreach and match reminders. Plus, users can configure automated follow-ups to include matching gift instructions, next steps, and guidelines for each individual’s employer, which ultimately results in increased matches and revenue.
Why We Love This CRM
Kindful’s library of integration features is vast, but there is one specifically worth highlighting—Kindful’s email capabilities. Kindful enables your organization to send timely, personalized donation receipts and campaign emails to establish a personalized cadence with donors. According to TruConversion Reports, an email marketing campaign can deliver a return of $40 for every $1 spent. This places email in the highest marketing ROI category.
8. Neon CRM
Neon CRM is a donor management solution created by the fundraising platform Neon One and designed to scale up alongside organizations of any size. This versatile solution is able to help manage nonprofit fundraising, memberships, events, websites, and more.
Top Neon CRM features:
Plus, their matching gift integration with 360MatchPro by Double the Donation enables organizations to significantly increase matching gift awareness through strategic follow-ups and personalized guidelines—and boost matching gift revenue as a result.
Why We Love This CRM
Neon One includes website design solutions that can help you build and manage web pages with confidence. With its web design tools, you can generate responsive, SEO-optimized web pages with no coding needed. This way, you can promote your mission through an engaging online presence.
9. NonProfitEasy
NonProfitEasy is a product of the Lumaverse technology company that was built to provide organizations with simple, scalable solutions. Previously known as Fundly CRM, NonProfitEasy makes its goal to “turn one-time donors into lifetime supporters.”
Top NonProfitEasy features:
And with a seamless integration with the industry-leading matching gift tool, 360MatchPro, NonProfitEasy users are able to double supporter donations while saving time and effort through automation. This includes donor information screening to identify match-eligible transactions, customized outreach triggered to remind eligible individuals of matching gifts, and powerful tracking and reporting capabilities with forecasting tools.
Why We Love This CRM
TheNonprofitEasy includes enhanced member engagement features, so you can create member levels and pricing that reflect your nonprofit’s needs. Additionally, its embeddable member forms make it easy for you to create compelling member marketing campaigns. Member-specific email blasts also let you personalize your communications.
10. Raiser’s Edge NXT
Raiser’s Edge NXT is a nonprofit fundraising CRM built by Blackbaud that provides organizations of all sizes with donor management tools. The Raiser’s Edge NXT is their newest version of the product, which is a cloud-based software that aims to provide the social good community with an easy and effective fundraising solution.
Top Raiser’s Edge NXT features:
To incorporate matching gift fundraising efforts as well, Raiser’s Edge NXT integrates seamlessly with Double the Donation’s matching gift software. This enables nonprofits to leverage the most effective matching gift strategies with little to no time and effort required of their fundraising teams. With automated donor follow-ups and match reminders, organizations see significant increases in match revenue!
Why We Love This CRM
Raiser’s Edge NXT has extensive donor data tools that offer automated checkups to ensure your data is up to date. With clean and correct data, you’ll be able to foster more meaningful interactions and track your entire constituent community.
11. Salesforce
Salesforce is a popular CRM solution for businesses and nonprofits alike. Salesforce.com caters to the for-profit side of the sector, while Salesforce.org targets nonprofits, schools, and other mission-driven organizations.
Top Salesforce features:
This comprehensive platform also allows Salesforce clients to extend their CRM functionality through a number of technical integrations with partners listed in the Salesforce AppExchange marketplace—one of which is Double the Donation. When users leverage Double the Donation’s matching gift automation tools, nonprofits can collect two gifts for every one donation solicited by driving matching gift participation.
Why We Love This CRM
Salesforce’s digital marketing tools can help you make the initial ask and retain them long-term. With Salesforce, you can launch a series of emails or a full-blown, multi-channel campaign. The best part? Salesforce’s personalizing email features let you catch each individual supporter’s attention.
12. SalsaLabs
SalsaCRM from SalsaLabs is a powerful and effective donor management system. This software works well alongside Salsa’s other fundraising products in addition to a range of other top fundraising solutions—including Double the Donation’s matching gift tools!
Top Salsa features:
The Double the Donation integration allows Salsa clients to utilize Double the Donation’s matching gift software, 360MatchPro, alongside their fundraising CRMs and donation forms to automate matching gift communications with donors. This boosts awareness of these programs and their availability while encouraging eligible donors to request matching donations from their employers. Ultimately, these tools result in increased corporate donations and better donor relations.
Why We Love This CRM
SalsaLab’s donor profiles are overflowing with usable information for you to access unlimited custom fields and activity timelines. The platform’s automated “next suggested gift” calculations determine the optimal amounts for you to ask each donor. This way, you’ll engage with donors on a personal level and make an ask that aligns with their donation history.
13. Virtuous CRM
Virtuous offers a nonprofit CRM that is designed to help fundraisers streamline donor management efforts, improve supporter relationships, and leverage data-rich insights for improved practices.
Top Virtuous features:
With Virtuous, nonprofit clients can configure their fundraising CRMs to incorporate Double the Donation’s matching gift functionality. This integration allows organizations to increase matching gifts and improve their strategies through automated email follow-ups that contain employer-specific program information and instructions. When more donors request company matches from their employers, the nonprofit receives additional gifts for free!
Why We Love This CRM
Virtuous CRM’s social insights can give your organization the opportunity to make informed donor decisions. Using these insights, you can track givers based on their interests, persona, affiliations, and social media profiles. From there, you can suggest a relevant next action based on individual donor preferences and passions.
Tips for Selecting a Fundraising CRM
There are several CRMs out there and it can be easy to get overwhelmed with so many options. To assess your CRM needs, ask these questions:
Asking these questions ahead of time can help you narrow your search and decide on a scalable solution that best suits your specific needs. You might also decide to request a demo for multiple platforms to compare their capabilities.
Did any of these fundraising CRMs catch your eye? The providers listed above are some of our favorite solutions for nonprofit data management, donor relationships, automated communications, and more.
The more efficient your software, the more efficient your organization’s practices will be and the more you can do for your mission as a result. Good luck!
Check out these other educational resources to learn more about effective nonprofit fundraising and engagement strategies:
Google Ad Grant Remarketing: Your Questions Answered
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Jessica KingAs a nonprofit professional, you likely already know the importance of tailoring your communications to your audience. After all, your organization is connected to many unique individuals—donors, volunteers, new supporters, nonprofit staff, and beneficiaries—you wouldn’t communicate with them all the same way.
The same principle applies to digital marketing. Your online presence should cater to specific audiences. But how do you make sure the right audiences see the right ads? By remarketing with the Google Ad Grant!
In this article, we’ll answer your most pressing remarketing questions and explore how it can transform your digital strategy. Read more
Google Ad Grants Training: Top Resources and Courses
/in Google Ad Grants /by Jessica KingThrough the Google Ad Grant, Google provides nonprofits with thousands of dollars in grant money to spend on marketing. However, from ensuring they’re eligible and applying for a grant to actually running an ad campaign, nonprofits need to do their research before they can get started with a Google Ad Grant.
Fortunately, resources dedicated to Google Ad Grant training are plentiful. Informational blog posts, webinars, and training courses are all available to help nonprofits maximize their ad grants’ potential.
Whether you need marketing advice or are looking for tips on how to apply for the grant, these four resources can help with all of your nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant training needs.
Getting Attention
Getting Attention is a Google Ad Grants agency that helps nonprofits apply for the Google Ad Grant, create compelling ads, and comply with the program’s rules. Along with these paid services, Getting Attention also hosts a regularly updated blog with free educational content that nonprofits can access at any time.
The content hosted on Getting Attention is sourced from a variety of experts in the nonprofit field, ensuring the tips and best practices shared reflect the views of a number of professionals. Content also varies widely in length, from quick tips to some of the most comprehensive deep dives on nonprofit best practices around.
What you can learn
Getting Attention’s blog covers a variety of topics, including:
Cost
All blog content on Getting Attention’s website is free.
If you’re interested in Getting Attention’s Google Ad Grants services, get in touch to schedule a free consultation.
Google for Education
Google for Education is a collection of video courses created by Google for a variety of audiences, including teachers, librarians, students, parents, job seekers, and business owners. Of these courses, nonprofits can learn from the program’s free lesson on the Google Ad Grant. These short training videos are a strong introduction for nonprofits that want to hear about Google Ad Grants directly from Google.
What you can learn
Google for Education’s Google Ad Grants training course teaches nonprofits the following:
Cost
Google for Education’s resources are free. Just sign up with a Google account to access all of their content and track your progress through each course.
TechSoup Courses
TechSoup provides technology products, services, and resources at discounted rates to approved organizations. At one point, they were Google for Nonprofits’ preferred nonprofit verification partner, so they’re highly familiar with Google Ad Grant training. On their website, you can find a variety of courses, including one dedicated to the Google Ad Grant.
What you can learn
Nonprofits interested in using TechSoup as a training resource can discover:
Cost
Each of TechSoup’s courses has its own pricing, and their recorded seminar series on the Google Ad Grant costs $75 to access.
Udemy
Udemy hosts courses on a wide range of subjects, including how nonprofits can use the Google Ad Grant. These courses are usually multi-part video series and often include extra materials, such as knowledge quizzes, educational articles, and downloadable resources. Their course on the Google Ad Grant also comes with a certificate of completion after finishing the 1.5-hour video series.
What you can learn
Udemy’s Google Ad Grants training course provides information on:
Cost
Udemy’s prices vary from course to course. Additionally, Udemy regularly offers discounts and promotions. For example, while the Google Ad Grant training course is normally $109.99, it has been on sale for as low as $30.00. Plus, there is a 30-day money-back guarantee if the course does not meet your nonprofit’s needs.
Host impactful Google Ad Grants campaigns with the right training
The Google Ad Grant is an effective marketing platform that can get your nonprofit’s name in front of a large audience of potential supporters. To make the most of the opportunity the grant presents, ensure your team has the training they need to choose effective keywords, create outstanding ad copy, and ensure your ad campaigns are directed to the content you most want to promote.
If you’re looking for more training resources, start your search with these standout articles from Getting Attention’s free blog:
4 Ways to Win Donors’ Hearts with Nonprofit Storytelling
/in Nonprofit Communications /by Jessica KingWhen it comes to marketing your nonprofit’s mission and connecting with donors on a deeper level, nothing is better than an engaging story.
Your nonprofit storytelling needs to capture your audience’s attention, clearly explain the problem you’re facing, and empower supporters to be a part of the solution. Ultimately, it should inspire donations and other forms of support. In this guide, we’ll walk through:
Because nonprofit storytelling is a critical component of your overall marketing strategy, it’s essential to hone your skills. Let’s get started!
Why Is Nonprofit Storytelling Important?
It’s hard to forget a good story. While we might not remember the specific facts or details, storytelling is still one of the best ways to connect with other humans and share an experience.
Additionally, studies show that roughly 70% of companies invest in content marketing to convey stories to their audiences. With so many organizations investing in this method, there are clearly real benefits to using storytelling in marketing strategies.
Storytelling Benefits To Your Nonprofit
Here are the top benefits a dedicated nonprofit storytelling strategy can bring you:
Another key benefit of nonprofit storytelling is that your supporters will be more informed about your cause and your organization’s needs. Seeing the impact of your work through testimonials from beneficiaries will remind them of the good that their contributions enable.
What Are The Elements Of Nonprofit Storytelling?
Compelling Characters
Every good story needs a hero. For your nonprofit story, you’ll need a compelling character to act as the main lead and inspire support.
This “character” should be a real person who has been impacted by your nonprofit in some way. For example, you might choose to center one of these supporters in your story:
To translate details about these supporters or beneficiaries to your audience, you’ll need to use more traditional storytelling methods. Here are some ways to capture their personalities and emotions on screen or paper:
For example, Feeding America includes these stories from Native American women working towards food security on their website. The nonprofit includes their names, a photo of them, and an explanation of how they are supporting the cause:
When you involve real people in your stories, remember to consider the ethics of the story you’re telling. As the nonprofit, you are in a position of power—especially if the subject is a beneficiary. Lead with their best interests first, and never indicate that your services are contingent upon their participation in the storytelling campaign. Everything presented in the campaign must be honest and transparent.
Dramatic Arc
The dramatic arc is what hooks your audience, gets them invested in your narrative, and empowers them to play their own role in the story.
Here are the five main elements of a dramatic arc:
As you’re crafting your story, remember to be as clear as possible about the goals of the character, the challenges they face, and how exactly your nonprofit and audience can help. These are the most important aspects of the story, and they need to shine through for your nonprofit to make an impact.
Solution
The solution to your story provides proof that your organization truly makes a difference. When explaining your solution, you should:
For example, Step Up For Students created a blog post highlighting the story of a scholarship recipient attending Notre Dame who achieved salutatorian status in his class (note the prominent donation button in the sidebar!):
4 Best Practices To Take Your Nonprofit’s Storytelling To The Next Level
1. Support a Specific Goal
Make sure you have a specific goal or action at the center of your narrative. The goal you pick will depend on your unique needs and audience, but here are some examples to get the ball rolling:
To improve your fundraising strategy beyond this single campaign, look at your database and make note of engagements or key performance indicators (KPIs) that are falling short. Then, craft a story to support that area, and make sure to note it as a priority for future marketing efforts.
2. Activate Supporters’ Empathy
Making supporters feel something is the main conduit to whether or not they will feel passionate about your mission and decide to give.
This example from the ASPCA’s homepage makes an emotional appeal by using images of the animals that they work to aid, asking supporters to help them:
Before you can activate your own supporters’ empathy, it’s key to understand your audience so you know why donors choose to support your cause. Analyze data about your supporters like their past philanthropic involvement, political contributions, and demographic information to get a feel for their personal values. Then, pinpoint those values in your story.
To make an emotional appeal, make sure to closely follow and highlight your character’s emotions. Aim to center their perspective so your audience feels like they are walking in the supporter or beneficiary’s shoes. To immerse them in the story, remember to describe sensory details like sounds, smells, and feelings.
3. Use Visuals
Visuals help evoke emotion from your audience, leave a lasting impression in your supporters’ minds, and build your organization’s brand.
The best part is that visuals can take so many forms nowadays and can supplement your storytelling in different ways:
Look through your own arsenal of marketing materials and determine if any of your visuals are viable for use in your nonprofit story.
4. Leverage Video Content
In a 2023 study, 91% of people surveyed said that they want to see more online videos from organizations—satisfy this demand with your storytelling strategies.
To create an effective video, follow these best practices:
For inspiration, check out this video from the World Wildlife Fund. It shows the importance of each tiny piece of an ecosystem and encourages people to “love it” by supporting WWF (or risk losing it):
Apply for the Google Grant with Getting Attention
Spreading awareness of your nonprofit and reaching new people with your carefully crafted stories will be the final, often most difficult, step in nonprofit storytelling. Traditional marketing channels like television can be costly, and you might feel overwhelmed by the vastness of digital marketing.
To receive professional help and get $10,000 in Google Ads for free, consider working with a Google Ad Grants agency.
If you aren’t familiar, the Google Grant is a program hosted by Google that gives $10,000 in Google Ad credits to nonprofit organizations each month. The purpose of this grant is to help nonprofits promote valuable digital content (like your stories!) to their supporters.
To gain access to the program, your nonprofit will need to apply, maintain compliance, target relevant keywords, and manage multiple ad campaigns. Getting Attention is a Google Ad Grant agency that’s ready to help you apply and manage your Google Ad campaigns.
Additional Resources
People are inspired by, learn from, and remember stories. Your nonprofit already has a compelling story: a built-in goal (mission) and antagonist (issue) to drive the narrative forward and captivate your audience members. Take advantage of this story waiting to be told in your next campaign.
To learn more about how you can level up your nonprofit marketing, explore these additional resources:
Making Your Case to Donors: Top 5 Tips to Increase Donations
/in Nonprofit Communications, Nonprofit Fundraising /by Jessica KingIf you’re a nonprofit professional, you know just how important donations are to your organization. You may receive funds in other ways, such as grants or sponsorships, but consistent donations will launch you toward your fundraising goals.
Making your case to donors through presentations and one-on-one meetings is extremely effective because it allows you to start an in-person dialogue with donors and gather audience feedback. While other outreach methods such as emails and phone calls permit you to reach donors where they are, presentations and meetings allow for a more personalized, hands-on approach to increasing donations.
When you’re making your case to donors in a presentation or meeting, you want to make your cause stand out and prove why it’s important for them to contribute. We’ve compiled a list of tips to help encourage donations, including:
With these five tips in mind, you can strengthen your relationships with donors and motivate them to give back to your cause.
1. Get to know your donors.
When you understand your donors on a deeper level, you can offer more personalized messages and calls to action. Communicate with donors frequently through a variety of methods to learn more about them and gather feedback. These outreach methods may include email check-ins, annual surveys, phone calls, and social media direct messages.
The more you know about your donors, the better you can reach them. Ask them what interests them most about your nonprofit. Your organization may offer many different services, but matching each donor to the service they’re most passionate about will allow you to personalize your communications when it’s time to ask for donations.
You can store this information along with any other relevant demographic data in a donor data platform. NPOInfo explains that when you store all donor information in one place, it streamlines your communication with donors. You can reference this information to pick up donor communications where they left off and make sure each outreach point builds on previous conversations.
2. Incorporate storytelling.
When you speak to donors, you want to make your message as engaging as possible. That’s where storytelling comes in.
As Be Brilliant explains it, using storytelling in a presentation gives some individuality to your case. For example, you might not be the only animal shelter out there, but what makes yours unique? Perhaps your pet adoption program is so successful because of your organization’s unique pet-matching program that matches people with pets using a personality quiz. You might tell a story about an individual who came in looking for a pet with specific traits and found the perfect new furry family member for their needs.
Instead of drawing on generalities about your organization, use a story to show off exactly what your organization does. Plus, stories are better at eliciting emotions, which can motivate your donors to take action.
3. Create a sense of urgency.
Your supporters may feel connected to your organization, but if they don’t feel inclined to donate immediately, they’ll likely put it off and eventually forget to show their support. The two most popular times to donate tend to be the end of the year giving season and during major crises. However, this tendency can leave your nonprofit feeling strapped for cash in between popular donation times.
To solve this problem, create a sense of urgency surrounding donations. You do important work all year long, and you need regular donations in order to support it. Setting deadlines for donations pushes people to take action quickly.
Another way to create urgency is to connect your case to a relevant campaign or seasonal event. When donors see the larger initiative attached to your request, they may be more inclined to donate. For example, designated giving days like GivingTuesday that have hard deadlines can inspire quick responses.
Lastly, be extremely specific about what action you want your donors to take. When you write a clear and easy call to action, you’re more likely to inspire a quick response. Include all details potential donors will need to contribute to your cause, including a donation link.
4. Make it clear where donations are going.
When people give to an organization, they want to know exactly what their donation is going toward. That way, they can see the impact they’ve made and feel proud of their contribution.
The more specific you can get about the impact someone’s donation will have, the better. For example, instead of stating that donations will help animals in the shelter live a better life, share that the funds raised in the next month will go toward building a new outdoor space where dogs can get a break from the cramped conditions inside.
If you’re planning a live presentation for donors, this should be the bulk of your presentation. Make your current initiatives more tangible for donors with thorough explanations, infographics, pictures, and videos.
5. Add credibility to your case.
One of the biggest challenges of marketing your cause is establishing trustworthiness. It can be difficult for donors to trust an organization they may have never heard of or contributed to before.
However, there are ways to show that your organization is credible. For example, one of the best ways to gain trust when promoting your cause is to display donor testimonials. Ask some of your top supporters to share their experiences with your organization. Adding quotes from real people associated with your nonprofit will help verify your organization’s credibility.
Other strategies to demonstrate credibility include mentioning any seals of approval your organization has received and creating graphics that show exactly where your money comes from and where it goes.
Since nonprofits heavily depend on donations, it’s important to show donors your cause is worthy of their unwavering support. Consider implementing these tips to bolster your case to donors in presentations and meetings and encourage more donations.