If I started a nonprofit (again),here’s how I’d do it differently. Read time: 5 Minutes A few years ago (as you probably know, since you’re reading this 🙂), I started a YouTube channel. My goal was simple: Help people who were starting or growing a nonprofit figure out how to do it faster, easier, and more effectively. It's hard. I started a nonprofit in college. Over time, I figured out how to create a solid fundraising strategy, build an amazing team, and mobilize over 50,000 people in my...
11 days ago • 5 min read
How to keep those awesomedonors around Read time: 4 Minutes There’s been a lot of talk in the fundraising world lately about giving trends. Spoiler alert: Giving has been declining over the past few years (but there are signs of a rebound – fingers crossed!). Experts and researchers are examining the reasons donors stop giving (or start), and this idea around “transformational” fundraising vs “transactional” fundraising is taking hold. We’ll cover transformational fundraising and some...
18 days ago • 5 min read
It's Grant deadline season. Here are some tips to find grants that fit your Nonprofit Read time: 4 MinutesSponsored by my friends at Instrumentl Grants are one way nonprofits can raise funds to make an impact, but getting grants is easier said than done. One way to boost your odds of success? Making sure a grant is the right fit for your organization in the first place. In honor of peak Grants season 📅, we’re going to cover tips for finding grants that fit your nonprofit’s needs in this issue...
25 days ago • 6 min read
What actually leads to big,sustainable Social Change? Read time: 5 Minutes We grow up with stories of people at the forefront of changing the world. We learn about these people in our classroom, in our books, and in the media. They seem larger than life. But the truth is, they started out as relatively normal people - like you or me. And the other truth is, they didn’t create social change on their own. We may not see the other people, organizations, or shifting systems at play in the stories...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Why Do People Donate? How Donor Psychology improves your fundraising Read time: 4 Minutes Can you remember what you were thinking or feeling the last time you donated to a cause? I’d wager most of us don’t think about it much in the moment. But under the surface, motivations and drivers are inspiring these acts of altruism. As changemakers and fundraisers, if we can better understand these motivations, we can inspire more giving. It’s just psychology! In today’s issue of Changemaker Mondays...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
Is your Nonprofit impactful and healthy? 14 Metrics to Analyze Read time: 4 Minutes I’m a data person. I like to know if what I’m doing is working (or not). Data is a solid way to assess that. When I was leading the nonprofit I started, collecting data and tracking metrics was an important part of my team’s work. It provided insights into where we were crushing it, and where we needed to invest more time and resources (or, alternatively, stop doing something altogether). In today’s issue of...
about 2 months ago • 5 min read
9 Must-Have Skills to Leada Thriving Nonprofit Read time: 4 Minutes I’ll be the first to tell you, I had no real idea about what it was going to take to lead a successful nonprofit when I first started. Oh sure, I thought I knew. But like many, I had a glamorous view of nonprofit leadership: Getting on the ground and directly helping people in need all the time! Giving inspirational speeches! Getting all the grants to cover all of our expenses and then some, because we were sooo awesome! 😆...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
Why People Aren't Signing Up to Volunteer For Your Cause Read time: 5 Minutes In our newsletter a few weeks ago, we covered how to motivate your team to take action. But inspiring people to volunteer is special. Because what people get in return is often not anything tangible – its community. It’s purpose. It’s feeling like being part of something bigger than you. Recruiting volunteers effectively takes practice and skill. In today’s issue of Changemaker Mondays ☀️ ☕ 🌍, I want to help you get...
about 2 months ago • 7 min read
Successful Social Impact leadershave one BIG thing in common Read time: 4 Minutes I’ve encountered hundreds of nonprofit and social enterprise leaders and founders. There’s always something about the founders and leaders that end up thriving a few years into their work. It’s not necessarily that they all had an innate charisma (though that doesn’t hurt). They weren't all amazing public speakers or fundraisers (yet). No, they had something else. It was something they worked at consistently,...
2 months ago • 6 min read