September
Nonprofit myths can be scarier than any ghost story, and as nonprofit consultants we hear it all! They creep into boardrooms, fundraising campaigns, and strategy sessions — haunting growth and holding back missions. Our job at Empowered is to make sure our clients have the right facts, tools and support to achieve their goals through successful fundraising and community building.
In honor of the spooky season ahead, we’re shedding light on common myths we hear every day and revealing the truth.
Assessment + Strategy
🕸️ Myth: “Strategic Plan = a long, multipage document that sits on a shelf.”
💡 Truth: A good strategic plan or as we like to call it, a visioning plan is actionable, flexible, and used in daily decision-making. No matter the size of your nonprofit, it is an important process and tool.
Fundraising Campaigns
🕸️ Myth: “Fundraising is just about asking for money.”
💡 Truth: Fundraising is about so much more than dollars raised. It’s about storytelling, inspiring action, and building long-term relationships through multiple touch points. The goal is to connect to people’s philanthropic desires and turn it into action.
Case for Support
🕸️ Myth: “Our case for support is the same as our mission and vision. We can just copy and paste it into every piece of material.”
💡 Truth: A case for support is a separate, flexible document that should be adapted for each audience. You should customize it for major donors, grants, and events to increase your impact.
Donor Engagement + Stewardship
🕸️ Myth: “Donor stewardship ends with a thank-you letter.”
💡 Truth: Stewardship is ongoing and builds loyalty. Newsletters, check-in emails, holiday cards, and thank-a-thons all contribute to building lasting relationships.
Board Development
🕸️ Myth: “Board members don't fundraise.”
💡 Truth: Your board should be your best fundraising team - they understand the mission and give their time to help it grow. With the right coaching, tools, and confidence, they can champion your mission and help bring in support.
Events
🕸️ Myth: “More people = more money at our gala.”
💡 Truth: It’s not always about packing the room. The right guests, who care about your mission, matter most. A thoughtful event fundraising strategy helps you focus on who’s there and the impact they can make – even beyond the gala.
In The Spotlight
September kicked off Empowered’s Fall event season, including three on the same day! We made soap and celebrated community at Discover HHPLift, cheered as Celebrate CJE raised over $275,000 in just 15 minutes, learned and shared at the Misophonia Collaboration Forum Conference (featured on Fox 32 News!), and gathered with Horizons for Youth stakeholders to celebrate their impact. Empowered loves making your mission our mission!