Social Impact Solutions

Want to learn more about impact measurement and reporting? Here is a great free opportunity to learn more about how to impact metrics are shaping fundraising and grant results for many #nonprofit organizations 👇 I am looking forward to talking with Sheri Chaney Jones from SureImpact about the importance of measuring impact metrics, reporting the results to funders, and incorporating meaningful stories of transformation along the way. Join us us next week to learn more! 🗓 Date: Tuesday, November 12th ⏰ Time: 12:00 PM CT 🔗 Where: Access the link in the comments below Many nonprofits struggle to measure and communicate their impact. SureImpact and Social Impact Solutions want to make this process more straightforward, streamlined, and effective for you, your organization, and your team! Join us next week to learn more practical tips and tools to make your impact measurement and reporting processes more efficient. ♻ Repost to help your network too! #SocialImpact #ImpactMetrics #Fundraising #NonprofitLeadership

Welcome to the First Edition of the Letter from the Experts! We’re excited to bring you this new resource created just for nonprofits, offering a direct line to expert insights and guidance tailored to the unique challenges and needs of nonprofit organizations. In each edition, we’ll be sharing knowledge from seasoned professionals in the nonprofit space, diving into common questions, and offering practical tips to help you navigate everything from financial management to strategic planning. Our goal is to keep you informed and empowered, providing you with timely, helpful information that can make a real difference in your mission-driven work. Special thanks to Sean Hale, Lauren Vanderpool, DrPH(c), MS, DipACLM, Laurie Hochman, and Steven Shattuck for contributing! #NonprofitExperts #MissionDriven #NonprofitSupport #FinanceTips #StrategicPlanning #NonprofitKnowHow #EmpoweringNonprofits #MissionImpact #NonprofitGrowth

We have some great workshops happening this November! 🍁 Topics include overcoming communication barriers, how to utilize conflict for good, and how to turn fundraising frustration into dollars in the door! Read our newsletter to explore all the options we have this month!

🚀 Do you want to maximize your nonprofit's fundraising efforts this #GivingTuesday? Here are 5 steps I wanted to share as GivingTuesday is only 4 weeks away! As Giving Tuesday quickly approaches, it’s time to reflect on how we can connect with donors in a meaningful way. Here are five essential features nonprofits can incorporate to maximize engagement and communicate their impact 👇 1️⃣ Highlight Outcomes Over Outputs    Instead of focusing solely on numbers, emphasize the real-world change (the outcomes) your programs achieve. Let donors see the lasting difference their contributions make in people’s lives, not just the quantity of services provided. 2️⃣ Add an Impact Section to Your Website   Dedicate a section or even an entire page on your site to showcase your organization’s impact. Visualize the journey from donation to result, allowing supporters to see how their generosity fuels meaningful change. 3️⃣ Specify Where Donations Go    Be transparent. Let your donors know exactly how their funds will be used. When people know the concrete impact of their support, they’re more likely to feel a deeper connection to your mission. 4️⃣ Share Your Theory of Change    Present your organization’s Theory of Change through a creative infographic. This allows donors to grasp your mission and approach at a glance, showing how your work leads to real impact. 5️⃣ Genuinely Thank Donors   Plan a heartfelt "Thank You" strategy to celebrate your supporters. Personal notes, shout-outs, or small tokens of appreciation can make all the difference in building long-term relationships. This is especially true for GivingTuesday and can help your organization stand out! 👇 Share your thoughts in the comments below. What are your favorite creative ways to boost donor engagement for GivingTuesday? ♻ Repost to help your network, too 🚀 Let’s make this GivingTuesday the most impactful yet! #NonprofitImpact #Fundraising #Nonprofit #DonorEngagement

Has your #nonprofit conducted a needs assessment lately? Many organizations overlook this, so I want to share 6 key ways needs assessments can help you advance your mission. A needs assessment can be a game-changer for your nonprofit, empowering your team to make data-driven decisions that maximize the impact of your cause! A needs assessment can help your organization... 1️⃣ Identify Critical Gaps Discover what’s missing in your programs or services and address those areas to better serve your community. By uncovering specific gaps, your organization can refocus efforts on unmet needs, helping you maximize effectiveness and avoid duplicating services. 2️⃣ Prioritize Key Needs With limited resources, knowing where to start is crucial. A needs assessment allows you to rank the needs based on urgency, impact, and feasibility, guiding your organization in tackling what matters most for your mission. 3️⃣ Make Informed Decisions Use data and insights from the assessment to guide strategic decisions, from program expansion to resource allocation. This objective approach minimizes guesswork, ensuring every choice is backed by evidence and aligns with your organization’s goals. 4️⃣ Better Allocate Resources Resources are always limited, so it’s vital to direct them where they’ll have the greatest impact. By understanding where the need is highest, your organization can distribute funds, personnel, and materials more effectively, achieving greater results with fewer resources. 5️⃣ Further Engage Stakeholders Involving your community, staff, and other stakeholders in the assessment process fosters buy-in and builds trust. By listening to their insights and including them in decision-making, your organization can strengthen relationships and encourage a shared vision for impacting your community. 6️⃣ Determine Baseline Metrics Establishing where your constituents currently stand is crucial for tracking progress. The assessment provides baseline data, enabling you to measure change over time, assess the effectiveness of interventions, and demonstrate impact to funders and supporters. 🔍 By taking these steps, your nonprofit can create a clear, data-backed roadmap for action, ensuring every effort contributes to your mission! Repost to help your network too ♻ #NeedsAssessment #ImpactData #SocialImpact #NonprofitLeadership

Pet peeve. 𝗔𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝘀. If your donation form has too many steps, you’re probably losing donors. A smooth donation process isn’t just nice to have—𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹. Think about the time and money nonprofits spend on marketing only to have potential donors abandon their giving carts. That's because every extra click, limited payment option, or slow load time increases the chance a donor won’t complete their gift. That's why I love recommending Fundraise Up. It's easy to install, very customizable and provides an excellent giving experience. The result? More completed donations and a better experience for everyone. Plus, they have a ton of insightful data on the backend that can help drive future fundraising results. I hope this helps! #NonprofitTips #FundraiseUp #Fundraising #DonorExperience #NonprofitSuccess #FundraiseSmarter #NonprofitInnovation #IncreaseDonations #SocialImpact

I had a wonderful conversation with three nonprofit experts yesterday👇 Check out these action steps for #GivingTuesday 🎉 Everyone had a variety of wonderful insights for #nonprofit fundraising campaigns, but here are my top favorites from each panelist... 💡 Carly Euler talked about the power of GivingTuesday as an avenue to attract new donors to nonprofits of all sizes. Oftentimes, smaller nonprofits think that GivingTuesday is not a good fit for them, but be encouraged! GivingTuesday is, in fact, a wonderful time for small nonprofits to acquire new donors too. 📊 Brian Lacy shared wonderful insights about the value of having a real-time fundraising camping tracker or thermometer to keep donors engaged, see the progress that is being made, and know how much money is still needed to meet your camping goal. 💬 Alan Guedes made great points about the importance of capturing and sharing stories of transformation through qualitative data and ethical processes. Sharing these powerful stories of impact is a highly effective way to connect with donors and other stakeholders during your GivingTuesday fundraising efforts. 👏 A huge thank you to Malou de Gracia and the NXUnite by Nexus Marketing team for orchestrating this collaborative effort and expanding the nonprofit network to make insightful conversations like this one possible! We wish everyone the very best this GivingTuesday fundraising season! Repost to help your network too ♻ #Fundraising #NonprofitMarketing #ImpactData

Nonprofit burnout is real. Here’s how to shift from survival to sustainable growth. Yesterday, I spoke with Matt Sharp from Sharp Advising and David Wagner from Clear Mission Consulting, LLC. Their firms help nonprofits shift from being reactive to truly strategic. Together, we discussed what it takes to build a future-focused nonprofit—one that doesn’t just survive but thrives. One critical takeaway? Think in longer timelines. Many nonprofits are so focused on the present that they neglect strategic planning. Overworked teams, year-end pressures, and limited resources drive this cycle. They lead to burnout and reactive decisions. But to create lasting impact, we need to prioritize planning with a calm, clear, and intentional approach—focusing on 1, 3, and 5-year horizons. If you’re feeling the weight of survival mode, consider these steps to get unstuck: 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳𝗳. Give yourself permission to breathe. Sometimes, the best ideas come from simply stepping away. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿-𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗱. Temporarily shift focus from immediate tasks to long-term objectives. 𝗔𝘀𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳, '𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗜 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼?' Often, a single impactful focus can start to unlock the bigger picture. When we take the time to plan ahead, we gain control over our organization’s direction. Our teams find clarity and motivation, and we’re better prepared to tackle the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead. Imagine what your organization could accomplish if you gave it a roadmap toward sustainable growth! Stay tuned for more insights from this conversation! I hope this helps! #NonprofitLeadership #SustainableGrowth #StrategicPlanning #NonprofitStrategy #BurnoutPrevention #SocialImpact #NonprofitCommunity"

𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗼𝗻𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲? Start with the perfect blend of 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘢. Lauren Vanderpool, DrPH(c), MS, DipACLM, says that impact data changes the game for nonprofits by transforming raw numbers into a vivid picture of the lives changed, the families uplifted, and the communities strengthened. This mix doesn’t just inform donors—it inspires them to invest in a mission they can feel and see. Stories from those your programs served—individuals, families, or communities—help donors. They show the real, tangible change that numbers can't convey. When stories meet clear, visual data, you don’t just inform; you inspire. This approach connects with donors on a heart level, bridging emotion and impact metrics. An #impactreport that combines stories and stats creates a powerful narrative. It drives fundraising efforts to new heights. Let’s embrace this approach to tell a story that truly stands out. Watch the clip for more on combining data and storytelling to create a compelling impact report. I hope this helps! #NonprofitImpact #Storytelling #ImpactReports #FundraisingTips #NonprofitMarketing #DonorEngagement #SocialImpact

I am looking forward to being a part of this panel on Wednesday! Register to get actionable insights on communicating data to donors this #GivingTuesday 👇 Donors certainly want to know the tangible change their contributions are making for the communities your #nonprofit serves. 💡 Highlighting powerful impact data in your GivingTuesday campaign(s) is an incredibly effective way to... 1️⃣ Establish trust with donors and other stakeholders. 2️⃣ Improve your marketing and communication efforts. 3️⃣ Ultimately increase the success of your fundraising goals. To learn more just in time for your GivingTuesday campaign launch, join me, Alan Guedes, Brian Lacy, and Jennifer Skinner Bingham this week! 🗓 Date: Wednesday, October 30th ⏰ Time: 12:00 PM ET 🔗 Where: https://lnkd.in/gzgtexGj Repost to share with your network too ♻ We hope to see you there! Thank you NXUnite by Nexus Marketing for including me in the panel and for helping so many nonprofits with their marketing and communication efforts.