The Steier Group's latest live forum covered the Digital Do’s and Don’ts of what your organization should be doing online to counter the crisis and keep everyone engaged and giving. “People who want to be engaged are engaged,” said Fr. Tom Holder of Our Lady of the Presentation Catholic Church in Lee's Summit, Missouri. The key is to make it easy for parishioners and donors to stay involved, he said. Fr. Tom talked about how his goal was to make the parish’s website user-friendly so parishioners can easily gain access to all online activities, including weekend Mass and daily reflection.…
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The concept of GivingTuesday may be new to you and your constituents. Please use this GivingTuesday FAQ to answer any questions your supporters might have. What is GivingTuesday? GivingTuesday is a global generosity movement and day of giving on Dec. 1, 2020. The day is designed to drive support for communities and nonprofits around the world. What does it cost to participate in GivingTuesday? There are no costs to participate in GivingTuesday. This is a free and open movement to unleash generosity across the world. If you are currently using a digital fundraising platform, there may be costs associated with…
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Prepare your Giving Tuesday communication plan in advance to allow for easier implementation. The Steier Group has composed a suggested GivingTuesday communication plan to use in the run up to the day of giving on Dec. 1, 2020. Make sure to use the free graphics created by GivingTuesday to inform your supporters. Although it may seem tricky to ask for help during a pandemic year, the Steier Group has found that donors are willing to help as they can. Remember, you are inviting them to support an organization they care about. If they are willing and able to support, they…
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These are unprecedented times. While there is understandably a lot of anxiety and uncertainty about what a nonprofit organization should do as the economy struggles and much of society shuts down, certain truths are unchanged. Your organization remains committed to achieving its mission, your needs are real, and your mission relies upon timely and effective fundraising. The Steier Group is no stranger to advancing our clients’ mission in times of crisis. We’ve faced the uncertainties following the tragedy of 9/11, the economic instability of the great recession, many regional natural disasters (hurricanes, flooding, earthquakes, etc.) and, for our Catholic clients,…
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What if you could predict the success of your capital campaign in just a few short weeks? Good news – you can. A well-managed, successful feasibility study can help you test interest in your proposed plans, identify volunteers, hear from your key donors, and, most importantly, forecast the funds you’ll raise in your capital campaign. However, not all planning studies are created equal. Here are a few key characteristics of a fruitful study: A strong response rate: A well-managed planning study gathers a wide response across all groups of constituents. A good mantra to follow is: if you are going to…
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For nonprofits, social media presents a major opportunity. Nonprofits can share their stories, interact with supporters and donors, and have an impact on the daily life of their communities. As of 2019, Pew Research Center found that 72 percent of American adults are on social media. Facebook was most popular with 69 percent of adults using it. From that group, 74 percent said they use Facebook daily. Looking at those statistics, it should come as no surprise that social media can have an impact on the fundraising of a nonprofit. CatholicSocial.Media, a Steier Group partner, found that churches that post daily on Facebook…
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The holiday season is the perfect time to reflect on the past year. Your organization was likely blessed in countless ways over the last 12 months and you should recognize and acknowledge those blessings. It is especially important this time of year to maintain donor relationships by showing your appreciation. One of the biggest mistakes you can make is to assume donors know how their gift impacted your organization. It’s easy to fall into the trap of losing touch with your donors as the months and years pass from their initial gift, but it is important to continue, and ultimately strengthen,…
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Every day, 100 workers descend on the campus of St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church for construction of a larger, permanent church and a new school gym for the growing parish in Wichita, Kansas. The Rev. Dan Spexarth, pastor, said parishioners drive through the parking lot at “1 mile per hour” just so they can get a closer look at the projects taking shape. “It’s very exciting,’’ Spexarth said. The parish’s Out of Love for God campaign is funding the projects. The dynamic parish in northwest Wichita partnered with the Steier Group on that successful effort in 2018, raising more…
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Nonprofits planning a capital campaign can draw on plenty of effective tools to ensure success. There’s an essential one the Steier Group always recommends: wealth screening. Wealth screening is crucial because it helps nonprofits determine the capacity of donors to give. “Wealth screening provides our clients a tremendous advantage in a capital campaign,’’ said Matt Vuorela, Steier Group president. “We’ve seen countless examples of how wealth screening helps nonprofits not only meet but exceed their campaign goals.” The Steier Group partners with DonorSearch, a leading provider of prospect research, for wealth screening services. Sarah TeDesco, DonorSearch executive vice president, said…
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The end of summer is a great time to review your year-end fundraising program. The fourth quarter is such an important time for nonprofits as donors decide where to send their final donations of the year. Thinking ahead now will put your organization in a great spot for a successful end-of-year appeal. Here are a few things to keep in mind as the end of 2019 approaches: Look back at your yearly goals and evaluate your performance. Were expectations unfulfilled, met or exceeded? Remember to engage your staff, donors and volunteers in this process through a year-end survey or poll.…
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