Raising charitable revenue to perform our missions is part of the nonprofit equation. Organizations rely on different levels of charitable funding, and each organization has strengths and challenges depending on how much of its budget is driven by charitable contributions as opposed to mission-related earned income. That said, often our staff and board teams overall are undertrained, underprepared, and yet incredibly optimistic about what it takes to raise and appropriately steward charitable revenue and relationships. I appreciate the optimism. We need that kind of energy and belief in our missions, but optimism without a solid plan, useful research-backed training, and a good dose of myth-busting makes this work harder than it should be. Recent federal tax changes are now in effect and will impact charitable giving. These changes will primarily… Read more »

We recently alerted you to the unauthorized use by GoFundMe of 1.2 million nonprofits on their online giving platform. GoFundMe has issued an apology and offered steps to walk back their practice of using the names, logos, and other key identifiers of nonprofits without their knowledge or consent. At the same time, they have been charging exorbitant fees or “tips” to the for-profit vendor. Our alert also provided a link for authorized users of each nonprofit to remove their organization from the GoFundMe website. If you have not taken those steps, do it today. This past week, we learned that these unethical fundraising practices of both using nonprofits information without consent and charging high fees is quickly becoming common in the industry, with Charity Navigator being the latest in a… Read more »

Very recently, GoFundMe launched an online giving platform for more than a million nonprofits without the knowledge or consent of those nonprofits. As soon as this came to our attention, advocacy efforts began across our network through the National Council of Nonprofits (NCN) to address this deeply flawed approach. Nonprofits rely on transparency, trust, and control over their own fundraising. GoFundMe’s actions undermined that trust and the integrity of the nonprofit sector. Thanks to effective advocacy by the National Council of Nonprofits, GoFundMe has now issued this statement. While they have not agreed to take down the site, they have committed to shifting to an opt-in only model and making it easier for nonprofits to remove themselves from the platform at their discretion. According to their statement and conversations with… Read more »

Have you checked out the Alaska Funders Directory lately? The Alaska Funders Directory is a curated list of over 200 foundations, corporations, and other entities that have an interest in supporting Alaska nonprofits and projects. We’ve added nearly 30 funders to the site in the last three months. Check it out and contact us if you need support…. Read more »

We know that year-end fundraising might be the last thing on your mind right now—but trust us, your future self will thank you for planning ahead. Now’s the perfect time to commit to a successful giving season. And we’re here to help you do it in a fun, creative, and cost-effective way. Our refreshed virtual intensive, The Year-End Giving Game Plan, will not just guide you through a year-end giving campaign, it will set you up on a successful path to better engage with your donors in the long-term. You will leave this three-part intensive course with the following:  More organized donor data that segments out certain donor groups A custom donor report (relationship-building tool), drafted for your audience A campaign calendar to map out your request timeline Custom ask language to be used in all request… Read more »

Let’s face it: planning for fundraising goals is always a good idea, but finding the time is hard. Our team can help you get organized.  Our new, three-part virtual course, Fast Track Fundraising: It Starts with a Plan, will guide you through the process of drafting a fund development plan for the next year. Templates and real-time exercises will help you organize donor data, create a gift chart, draft/update case language, and calendar key action items. Note: This course will focus on creating fund development plans for charitable giving – not government funding or earned revenue, such as ticket sales or memberships. This course is best suited for organizations that have some current charitable giving experience and seek to stabilize, diversify, and strengthen unrestricted charitable revenue. Launching on May 28, the… Read more »

The classic vicious cycle in nonprofit operations is the need to raise more money to hire more people but needing people to raise more money.  It is an easy scarcity trap to fall into regardless of your organizational size, topic, or geography.  Scarcity thinking dominates nonprofit and fundraising culture. It drives us to believe there is not enough time, money, energy, or people, leading us to the inevitable conclusion that we are competing with one another. Countless nonprofit boards and staff believe this false narrative and because it is so pervasive it is easy to find evidence to be right.  And yet, we must resist the scarcity trap if we are going to be truly successful. The alternative is an abundance mindset, one that asks you to think about what… Read more »

Foraker seeks a highly skilled Senior Director of Philanthropy to join our dynamic leadership team. This role presents two exceptional opportunities for an individual with a strong background in fund development to contribute to our organization’s growth. First, this position will play a crucial role in engaging with tribes and nonprofits throughout the state through one-on-one fund development facilitation and as an instructor, thought partner, and collaborator for Foraker’s fund development courses and cohort programs. Second, this position will lead Foraker in our philanthropic growth and engagement. Our ideal candidate is an accomplished philanthropy professional who is deeply passionate about nonprofit excellence. We are looking for someone with the ability to be a humble and articulate guide and mentor and a strategic leader who can take the work to completion…. Read more »

The Alaska Funders Directory is a curated list of more than 200 foundations, corporations, and other entities that have a history of supporting Alaska nonprofits and projects. The Alaska Funders Directory is the only site that focuses solely on funding opportunities in Alaska. The directory allows you to generate a list of funders that fit the interests of your nonprofit or project. Use the directory to save hours of research to find funders that align with your mission, geographic area, and funding needs. Learn more here…. Read more »

If you’re considering applying for federal funds or have general questions about federal funding resources, we’re offering individual appointments with Zoe Olson, our Federal Funding Navigator. In these sessions, Zoe can help you navigate technical application questions and connect you with resources for learning about federal grant opportunities and grant writing resources as well as general questions about reporting and compliance. Use our contact form to inquire about scheduling a 30 minute meeting. Please include a few sentences about your interest in federal grants…. Read more »