Blue State’s Post

On the impact of election cycles on nonprofits: "How can orgs engage donors (esp. those in swing states) when the media is saturated with political content and potential donors aren’t engaging with fundraising messaging? This creates a perfect storm where nonprofits risk getting lost in the noise, their messages ignored or, worse, triggering a complete shutdown." Cut through the noise by: - Tailoring & targeting your messaging - Diversifying your outreach - Embracing data-driven decisions. Great article on the Candid blog: https://lnkd.in/g_EYnCCV

Happy to share my blog with the best legacy fundraising tips during the ups and downs of this election season! #legacygiving #fundraising #CFRE

The future of your organization lies in the hands of Generation Z. That isn’t meant to scare you; it’s just a fact. Yet, many nonprofits feel disconnected from Gen Z. Learn more about tapping into the potential of Gen Z in this article by Audrey Starck. https://bit.ly/4aApJqa

The election will be here before we know it! I hope you all receive a coveted, "I voted" sticker. But leading up to the election, there are pitfalls and potholes that nonprofits need to be aware of. Strategies for Nonprofits to Rise Above the Noise 🧭 To navigate these challenges, nonprofits can implement several key strategies: 🛣️ Maintain donor communication: It’s essential to stay engaged with your donors, even during the height of election season. Highlight how your cause aligns with their passions and interests, offering them an outlet to make a difference outside the political realm. 🤝 Empower your donors: In a time when many may feel disillusioned by the political process, remind donors that their support for your organization offers a tangible way to effect change. By contributing to your cause, they can reclaim a sense of agency and impact. 💥 Focus on organizational impact: Reinforce the real-world consequences of your work. Use this time to remind your audience of the community benefits that could be at risk if support wanes. The goal is to keep the importance of your mission front and center. 💪 Strengthen your case for support: Ensure your messaging is clear, concise and compelling. Articulate your mission and impact in a way that resonates with potential donors, making it easy for them to see the value in contributing to your cause. 🤗 Embrace the power of storytelling: Personal narratives have a unique ability to cut through the political noise. Share stories that highlight the direct impact of your work on individuals and communities. These stories engage donors and create emotional connections that inspire action. Maintaining good communication and focusing on outcomes will help you break through the election noise. Stay positive and engage donors and the great news of your work. Do you love the "I voted" stickers? Or is that not a "thing" where you are? #Nonprofit #Marketing #NonprofitMarketing #Election #Voting

There are plenty of different ways to approach political fundraising. Your campaign can target tens of thousands of micro-donors, mid-level donors, or even big-money donors in hopes of refilling its political coffers for the next election cycle. No matter which approach you choose, your campaign’s success hinges on the quality of voter data at your disposal. As such, here’s a glimpse at how you can (and why you should) use voter data for fundraising: https://lnkd.in/eQWnjKNV #nowyouknow #fundraising

🌟 𝗠𝗶𝗱-𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗜𝗻: 𝗛𝗼𝘄’𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗨𝗽? 🌟 As fundraisers, we’re officially in the homestretch of the giving season – a thrilling (and slightly stressful) time of year when December contributions can make or break our annual goals. If you’re like us, you’re probably juggling reports, tracking trends, and wondering what the next two weeks will bring. While we don’t have a crystal ball, here’s our optimistic take on how things are shaping up as we sprint to the finish line: 𝟭. 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗿𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆 Despite declines in donor counts, increased donor value is helping stabilize revenue for many organizations. Higher-dollar donors are holding strong (or growing!), offsetting the drop in smaller contributions. In fact, Q3 trend reports show revenue closing earlier gaps, signaling that this value trend will likely hold through year-end. 𝟮. 𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗜𝘀 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 Good news on the economic front: • Consumer confidence hit a 2-year high in November. • Donors feel more optimistic about the job market and family finances. • Inflation is easing, interest rates may drop, and the stock market is showing growth. • This renewed financial optimism is a promising sign as we approach year-end giving. *𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘶𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘭𝘶𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘸. 𝟯. 𝗚𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗺 𝗜𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 This year’s Giving Tuesday was a standout: • 𝟹̲𝟼̲.̲𝟷̲ ̲𝚖̲𝚒̲𝚕̲𝚕̲𝚒̲𝚘̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚙̲𝚊̲𝚛̲𝚝̲𝚒̲𝚌̲𝚒̲𝚙̲𝚊̲𝚗̲𝚝̲𝚜̲ (+16% YoY) • $̲𝟹̲.̲𝟼̲ ̲𝚋̲𝚒̲𝚕̲𝚕̲𝚒̲𝚘̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚒̲𝚗̲ ̲𝚍̲𝚘̲𝚗̲𝚊̲𝚝̲𝚒̲𝚘̲𝚗̲𝚜̲ (+7% YoY) Compared to last year’s tepid Giving Tuesday performance, this surge suggests donors are ready to give generously in December. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁? With December accounting for 30% of nonprofit contributions (and up to 50% of digital funds coming in the final week), we’re optimistic about what’s ahead. Stay agile, watch the trends, and lean into the momentum as we close out the year. We’ll be keeping tabs on results and look forward to sharing insights in January. How are things looking on your end? Let us know in the comments! 👇

Leading up to this whirlwind of an election year, we at Good Scout Group have been eyeing the horizon and noticing some shifts. In this article, Philips McCarty and I share observations about trends we’re seeing in giving patterns, and I offer some specific guidance for nonprofit corporate teams as we’re about to hit the mid-year mark. My main point is this: It’s more important than ever to have upfront conversations with partners. Don’t wait for the shift to catch you off guard. This moment is asking us to be agile, to rethink how we connect with our supporters and cut through the noise. And yes, it’s noisy out there! I’m interested to hear from you. How is your nonprofit maneuvering through these times? What is working well when you engage with your supporters? How about your internal teams? #Nonprofits #ElectionYear #SocialImpact #Philanthropy #NonprofitLeaders

Republican firm Apex Strategies recently released its second survey of Republican donors. As Eric Wilson pointed out, it "reveals increasing frustration and skepticism regarding text-based fundraising efforts." Here's how Apex Strategies summarized the results: "Donors remain under economic stress while continuing to be inundated with text messages — which they are becoming increasingly skeptical about. When they do donate, they receive texts from other organizations they can’t unsubscribe from." Here are a few key findings: 1️⃣ 36% of Republican donors say they're receiving more than 20 fundraising texts per day. Another 24% say they're receiving 11-20 per day, and 23% say they're receiving 6-10 per day. In total, more than 80% of Republican donors are receiving 5+ fundraising texts per day. 2️⃣ 72% of Republican donors say they frequently receive text messages from campaigns and organizations after they've unsubscribed – up from 64% in May. 3️⃣ 66% of Republican donors say they sometimes receive fundraising texts from Democratic campaigns and PACs, with 6% receiving Democratic texts frequently. As a Democratic practitioner, that third finding is particularly disconcerting. If Democratic campaigns are texting Republican donors, it's because they have bad data. And more often than not, that bad data came from a vendor who claimed they were selling them contact information from Republican donors. Sadly, when this happens, Democratic campaigns are wasting their precious resources – including donations from grassroots donors – spamming people who are literally donating to the other side. Links to the survey results and Eric Wilson's analysis of the results can be found below.

Capital Campaign Committees are an excellent way to engage volunteers before you ask for those big gifts. This guide covers 6 essential committees.  http://mvnt.us/m1382106 

Nonprofits are a powerful force for voter engagement, for 4 key reasons: 🗳 Voters engaged by #nonprofits are 3% more likely to #vote than comparable groups. 🙌 Voters engaged by nonprofits are more likely to be from communities historically underrepresented in our #democracy, including people of color, low-income earners and young voters. 💕 57% of survey respondents trust nonprofits, making them the most trusted sector compared to government, business and media. 🤜 🤛 The same survey found that Americans trust nonprofits to reduce national divisions more than they trust corporations, government or media. If you're part of a nonprofit and want to get started with voter engagement in your community, check out our blog for tips on talking to your clients, employees, board members and more about #voting.