Nine Fundraising Frights (and How to Face Them)
Empowered Nonprofits has experienced all the scaries that come with nonprofit work. But do not fret! Each one has a solution and we’ve rounded up our favorite fundraising frights along with practical tips to help you tackle them. Also, in this month’s newsletter, Julia Ring , our Empowerment Officer, is sharing the event-planning tips she relies on most. Watch the video below!
Let’s Face Your Fundraising Frights Together
On September 17, Stefanie Pessis Weil and Rashel Allswang led a conversation on succession planning and how to build a leadership pipeline that keeps your organization strong through every season of change. Thank you to everyone who joined us live! We closed the session by asking attendees to share one word describing how they felt, and we heard "hopeful," "inspired," "reinforced," "motivated," and "collaborative." If you missed it, you can catch the full session, including the live Q&A, on our YouTube channel.
Silence after an ask isn’t always a no. A thoughtful check-in can help move things forward.
Tip: Have a follow-up plan before the ask is made, including when you’ll reach out and who will do it. Also, when meeting with prospects or donors, be transparent about next steps.
A skipped event, unopened emails, or a gift that arrives later than usual can all signal a donor is drifting.
Tip: Monitor retention quarterly and create a plan for re-engagement, so you can reconnect while the relationship is still warm.
Donors love seeing what their support makes possible, whether that’s a story, a photo, or a behind-the-scenes look.
Tip: Create intentional and personal touchpoints throughout the year that share impact and invite connection.
A thank-you is often the first thing a donor experiences after giving, and it sets the tone for what comes next.
Tip: Set a timeline for every gift, assign someone to own it, and add a personal touch wherever you can.
Some of the most valuable fundraising support happens long before an ask, through introductions and conversations.
Tip: Create clear board expectations, so members know exactly how they can contribute from day one.
A campaign is a story told over several weeks, and each message builds on the last.
Tip: Plan your campaign as a sequence across email, social media, personal outreach, and ambassador messages. Bonus: Build time into your campaign for one-on-one asks and engagement.
Accurate data makes it easier to personalize outreach and plan with confidence.
Tip: Take the time to clean your data or hire someone for the task. Start by merging duplicates and updating contact information, then set a regular schedule to keep it current.
A team full of big ideas is a wonderful thing, and the key is choosing which ones to bring to life first.
Tip: Build a strategy your team can actually execute by focusing on the few efforts with the greatest return.
A goal your team believes in is one they can rally behind all year.
Tip: Build goals from data by mapping out where each dollar is expected to come from.
Event Tips with Julia
Our team plans and runs dozens of events each year for our nonprofit clients. In this video, Empowered’s Julia Ring shares why events matter, how to choose the right honoree, and to build a program guests and donors will remember. Julia also shares her tips for working with volunteers and vendors. It is worth the watch!
