Carrie Benjamin

📢 Check out the 2024 Advancement Leaders Speak Report for insights from top fundraising leaders. Discover findings across 6 key areas: ✅ Fundraising priorities and strategies ✅ Tracking donor pipelines ✅ Staffing challenges ✅ Use of AI in fundraising ✅ Messaging to broader audiences ✅ Engaging younger donors Read the full report now: https://bit.ly/4eNNEoQ #Fundraising #DonorEngagement

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#Eval24 is 1 week away! Will you be there? In this month's newsletter we make it easy for you to see where the Social Finance TIG will be and when, and how to stay connected while you're at the conference. #AEASFTIG

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Is the use of AI-generated grant proposals or development projects the next internal conflict in fundraising? In the last few months, I've already heard non-grant writing fundraisers tell their colleagues "all you need is Chat GPT in order to write a grant proposal" and "AI can write our development plan." Meanwhile, trained grant professionals know there are more nuances to consider than just putting your information into a program and utilizing the received information. It will be interesting to see how this discussion plays out in fundraising.

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In our latest installment of the Ask Deb series, we tackle a common challenge: balancing immediate fundraising goals with long-term strategies. Understanding donor lifetime value (LTV) is crucial for making informed decisions that will positively inform strategy and build a loyal donor base. ✨ Learn how donor LTV can guide your acquisition strategies. ✨ Explore benchmarking metrics that reveal trends, particularly the benefits of sustainers. ✨ Discover how to enhance your fundraising campaigns with strategic insights. If you’re a CDP Insights user, you can easily access your lifetime value metrics! Learn more by reading the full article here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/e7gHQ2cD #Fundraising #LifetimeValue #PublicMedia

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Timely from our friends at FrameWorks Institute and via The Communications Network on communications right now. TLDR: focus on solutions not crisis, broken systems not bad actors (and repeat and repeat) https://lnkd.in/d3XK4Cg3

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Are you getting the most out of your donor data? Check out this panel with donor data experts for best practices on using donor data to elevate your fundraising initiatives.

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Kudos to Daniel Stid for his piece in The Chronicle of Philanthropy. As donors *and* organizations look to craft their 2025+ strategies it's imperative that the focus isn't solely on resistance. We must bring ideological, programmatic and messaging diversity to our work now more than ever before. We CANNOT use the same playbook again. https://lnkd.in/eQxJjuv2

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For those of you attending NY Climate Week: I hope you'll come hear the amazing Hazel Wong talk about the importance of social science research to influence governments and stakeholders to invest in climate solutions!

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Are donor expectations of nonprofits completely out of touch with reality?? Yes, there is a lost trust component because of some bad players in social impact. And measuring objective impact IS still an important metric for donors to make the "right" decision. BUT what about not-for-profit work that is unquantifiable?? Loving this article from Hiver Dakota McGovern - he is straight shooting with some *really* big thoughts on how to re-evaluate how donor/charity interactions could be thought of differently. We particularly love the 4 alternative metrics by which the not-for-profit sector should evaluate itself 🙌 It's also personal though; Dakota has been supporting, advocating and working within the sector from a young age. What expectations vs. reality do you wish donors would look at differently nonprofiteer?? #nonprofit #fundraising #relationships #socialimpact #trust https://lnkd.in/g7Ay_fHn

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An impact report is a pivotal opportunity – a chance to enhance your organization’s donor retention and stewardship, leading to long-term sustainability and growth. Retaining existing donors is significantly more cost effective than acquiring new ones, and if you steward those donors by keeping them informed, appreciated and engaged, they’ll likely increase their contributions over time and become valuable advocates for your cause. But how can you use your impact report to build those relationships? Storyraise co-founders Josh Kligman and Jeff Rum have compiled six key steps for impact report success, allowing your report to work for you. View the full ebook here: https://lnkd.in/eV549RYA

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Last week the Fundraising Effectiveness Project released the results for the second Quarter of 2024 that conformed the ongoing challenges fundraisers and donors are continuing to face with fewer households donating during these uncertain times. Meanwhile we now well into the fourth quarter of the year and many organizations find that giving is flat or down so far for the calendar year. Fortunately, we are entering what is traditionally the most generous time of the year. It may be time to review your Year End Giving Action Plans and focus on adjustments that might make a difference in the November and December. Mike's Monday AFP Message gives a quick summary of the latest FEP Findings and some ideas to consider, as you make adjustments to your 4th Quarter Game Plans, The clock is running and now is the time to act. #fundraising #yearendgiving #Philanthropicplanning

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Capacity-building grants are key to helping nonprofits scale their community impact. Yet, when grants rely too heavily on metrics, they can overlook real community needs—creating a mismatch between funders and grantees, especially for Black and Indigenous-led organizations. This blog post from Exponent Philanthropy's Hannah Smith—Manager, Editorial and Publications—underscores the importance of making capacity-building grants more flexible, particularly for organizations led by Black and Indigenous people. At Foundant, we’re grateful to see these crucial discussions becoming more commonplace and encourage even more dialogue around equitable philanthropy in the future. Learn more at: https://okt.to/cEsTr5 #capacitybuilding #foundantforphilanthropy #capacitybuildinggrants

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“By developing a futures culture, philanthropy can stay open and flexible and expand its toolbox with new, non-linear strategies and practices to embrace complexity and uncertainty as a feature of our times” Our latest publication, “Futures Philanthropy: Anticipation for the Common Good”, explores how and why philanthropy could play a role in fostering anticipation for the common good and what anticipation looks like when it is put in the service of society and common interests. Download your copy here! #FuturesPhilanthropy https://bit.ly/4dmtNN8

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Interested in discovering how philanthropy can harness the future-thinking? 📖 In their latest publication, Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association and Copenhagen Institute for Futures Studies chart a new pathway for philanthropic organisations to embrace the future as an extensive realm of possibilities ✨ The long-term nature of today's challenges requires us to rethink our way of working, moving from short-term plan to flexibility and innovation. Current practices must evolve to anticipate the common good, enabling communities to thrive towards the future 🔝 Dive into the report to discover how Mercator Foundation Switzerland, Assifero, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation have already implemented a future-thinking strategy. The 3 toolkits provided will also support organisations to start this journey, beginning with introspection and moving into action. https://t.ly/mlaeh #philanthropy #futurethinking #challenges #communities #giving

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Much of the work we do at Building Impact Partners is about helping donors get more money moving to where it’s most needed. My first book, Money with Meaning (https://bit.ly/3CHmwtv) is part of that effort. It's written as a DIY guide for donors looking for more meaningful giving--where social impact and personal fulfillment come together. I launched the book back in June 2023, I am so grateful for all the help, support and encouragement from friends and colleagues, helping the book hit #1 in the Philanthropy, Charity and Nonprofit Fundraising categories on Amazon, not only in launch week but a couple times since then. One of the best parts has been hearing stories directly from readers about how it has made a difference in their lives and helped them gear up their giving. So why am I posting about this now? Because the end of year giving season is upon us and there is still so much untapped potential in philanthropy--literally trillions of dollars on the sidelines. This is the unique time of year when many donors who’ve been putting off their giving start to give it more attention. This giving season feels all the more pivotal because over the past year or so many of us who work in the philanthropy and fundraising space have been hearing from amazing leaders and organizations that they have started to hit a wall in their fundraising efforts. Even as many organizations are doing their best work in a world that is literally and figuratively on fire, many are growing beyond their base of existing donors and running out of folks to ask. I know from what readers have already shared that this book can really make a difference. But one of the challenges with a niche book like this is that conventional marketing isn’t a great way to reach the book’s core audience of wealthy individuals and their advisors. This is an audience for whom personal recommendations and word of mouth go a particularly long way.    So, if you’re game to help boost this book, please help spread the word--whether by sharing this post, buying a copy, gifting a copy, writing a review or recommending it to someone you know. I’ve created a simple 30-second form (https://bit.ly/4fWsc1L) with options for how to help (plenty of which don’t require you to have a rolodex full of wealthy would-be donors!) If you complete the form we’ll follow up with you directly to make next steps fast and easy. Asking for help isn’t always easy, but I definitely feel more comfortable doing so because I believe that getting this book into more people’s hands has potential benefits not only for those who read it--but also for extraordinary social entrepreneurs who will benefit from the resources that flow when more people begin taking action to gear up their giving.   With much gratitude! --Alex

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