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Leadership Phase vs. Quiet Phase – Does It Matter? The years leading up to the public launch of a campaign have historically been called the “quiet phase.” It makes sense. After all, you haven’t yet had a big event, announced the campaign priorities to your widest audience, or perhaps even set a final goal. Except… You really can’t be quiet. You just need to be vocal in a different way than during the public phase. The leadership phase is not just for leadership #donors. It’s also a time for you and your team to take the lead by: ➡️ Developing a communications strategy for top prospects and donors ➡️ Articulating a vision for the organization ➡️ Determining which messages resonate most strongly  ➡️ Writing an early case(s) for support ➡️ Elevating your stewardship for those who make early gifts to the campaign You might even call this the “laboratory phase” because it’s all about testing and iteration. With leadership gifts at stake, it can be hard not to let perfect be the enemy of good. Think of it instead as an opportunity for deeper engagement. Mark everything as a draft. Ask prospects for their feedback. Bounce ideas off of them. Make them feel like the insiders they are. Your campaign communications and your campaign #fundraising will benefit. — 👉 Your turn: What do you call the campaign phase that comes after a feasibility study? — Hi, I’m Emily. I partner with fundraising leaders at colleges, universities, and other #nonprofits on communications strategies that increase contributions and deepen donor relationships. If you liked this post, you might also like receiving a twice-monthly email newsletter with practical information on fundraising communications. Sign up at weiswood.com. #Weiswood #philanthropy #DonorRelations #MajorGifts

Nonprofit leaders - Is your strategic plan actionable (or sitting on a shelf)? Get. It. Off. The. Shelf! by building a supporter engagement strategy. Engagement is essential initiative for translating your strategic plan into an actionable framework. An effective engagement organization combines their outcomes roadmap, data, and good old-fashioned relationship building to lead people into deeper and more impactful roles within the organization. That means  ✔ being clear about the change your mission will make in the world, ✔  offering value that’s appropriate and commensurate to the roles you’re asking supporters to take on, and  ✔ treating people as individuals, not as lists or labels.  If you’re ready to increase supporter engagement and make your mission happen let’s talk! https://bit.ly/47sO53C #StrategicPlanning #MakingMissionsHappen #MapMoveMeasure #Vision #Mission #Fundraising #NonprofitLeadership ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hi, I’m Beth.  I partner with nonprofit leaders to harness their expertise and tap their data to develop longer-term relationships that deliver more money, time, and leadership for their cause. My MapMoveMeasure™ framework makes the complex simple and the very lofty tangible. Get your free guide and get started now - https://bit.ly/3ur8hFx 

🌴 South Padre Island, here I come! This Friday, I'm hitting the beach (and the stage) at the AAF Rio Grande Valley D10 Summit to share some hard-earned wisdom on Small Budget, Big Results: No Experience Needed. You might be wondering, “What can Sabrina possibly share about this topic?” Let me take you behind the scenes. After spending 20 years in the nonprofit sector with a small, dedicated team, I learned the art of making every penny count. From creative marketing strategies to leveraging partnerships, I honed skills that not only transformed our nonprofit's reach but also became the cornerstone of my successful for-profit business over the past six years. I’m also thrilled to be moderating a panel with some amazing industry leaders: Stephanie Price, M.A., CTE, Brenda Hernandez, and Hershal Patel. We’ll be diving deep into effective strategies and sharing insights that can help you make the most of any budget. I’m looking forward to sharing these practical tips and learning from the incredible minds at the summit. If you’re attending, Let's grab a coffee and chat! And for everyone else, stay tuned for takeaways and highlights. Now, spill the tea: What’s the most innovative way you’ve stretched a limited budget? Drop your best tips in the comments! #Marketing #Nonprofit #Leadership 

Non-profit leaders, is your brand truly resonating with your audience? Take our branding assessment quiz to find out. This 5-minute quiz will help you evaluate your organization’s brand strength and uncover areas for growth. Ready to see where you stand? Take the quiz here: https://bit.ly/3O8fuAt #NonProfitBranding #BrandAssessment #HughesandCo

🌟 Spotlight on Impact 🌟 We’re excited to share that our Impact Director, Aliana Pineiro, was featured in an insightful article written by Lisa Schohl on best practices for impact reporting. Aliana emphasizes the importance of planning ahead when creating an impact report, saying: "Start somewhere, even if you don’t have every metric you want at first. The key is to build relationships and gather data as you go." Her insights help guide nonprofits in demonstrating their true impact through a blend of both quantitative and qualitative data, making their outcomes more engaging and meaningful for supporters. 🔗 Check out the full article here: https://lnkd.in/e2su5e_i #ImpactReporting #NonprofitImpact #DataDriven #SocialChange #Leadership #BostonImpactInitiative

We are selling nonprofits short when we tell them to add corporate leaders to their Boards. It's like only giving somebody the corner and border pieces of the puzzle. In fact, having corporate powerhouse players on your Board could be more frustrating than empowering if your day-to-day team does not include similarly-minded professionals with the expertise to bring a Board’s vision, insights, and guidance to life operationally. Depending on the size and focus of the nonprofit, “corporate” expertise may be best utilized in operations, marketing, communications, IT, or even customer service. Each nonprofit’s leadership team must consider which part of the organizational puzzle will benefit most from the “corporate dimension” based on what the organization needs most to succeed. (And, no, the answer is not *always* money.) 👉 Yes, success will require that onboarding and utilization of the individual’s talent is mobilized intentionally. 👉 Yes, it will be an adjustment for both nonprofit professionals AND the “corporate” colleague. 👉 And, yes, it is likely that the new “corporate” colleague may be a bit more expensive. But it is worth it! 🙌 Adding fresh perspective and know-how is an investment that can invigorate your organization and mobilize new opportunities you could not see before embedding the corporate lens. 📨 If you are a nonprofit leader thinking about how to rev up your team, message/email me to chat about it. Don't be shy or overthink it, I love helping nonprofits and would be happy to help based on my expertise in communications and marketing. I would be even happier to introduce you to former colleagues who can offer guidance in other areas, too, because I have had the privilege of working with many rockstar professionals with a soft spot for doing good! #helpingnonprofits #powersforgood #nonprofitsuccess #nonprofitcommunication #nonprofitleadership #nonprofitPR

Nonprofit Leaders, can your board pass the 3 AM test? Imagine waking your board members at 3 AM. Could they successfully articulate what your organization does? Could they share: - Who you serve? - Why you exist? - How you meets the mission (with 1-2 key outcomes)? - Their personal passion for the cause? Many boards struggle with these messages during the day, let alone in the middle of the night! (No shade to boards; you can’t message what’s not clear!) While I haven't conducted any 3 AM pop quizzes (yet), I'm confident my clients would ace this test after we've refined their messaging. But here's the real challenge: ⏰The 9 AM team meeting ⏰The 11:30 AM lunch with friends ⏰The 6 PM networking event These are the moments when your board members become ambassadors for your nonprofit. They need to speak passionately and knowledgeably about your cause at any time, not just during board meetings. Your board's ability to share your mission is your nonprofit's superpower. When they can effortlessly convey your organization's purpose and impact, it opens doors to new supporters, donors, and opportunities. 💡Question for you: What’s your best advice to keep your board engaged, informed, and ready to champion your cause? Share your insights below! #NonprofitLeadership #BoardEngagement #CommunicationStrategy

Were you or someone from your organization an attendee at #24NTC a few weeks ago? If so, this message is for you. This is the official last call for entries before the March 29th deadline for our Brand Leadership / Digital Strategy Workshop Giveaway. We're giving away TWO robust, professionally facilitated "Choose Your Own Adventure" workshops focused on the greatest needs of your organization: Brand Leadership Options: - Brand Alignment - Core Messages - Content Strategy Digital Strategy Options: - Digital Assessment - Brand Stack Health Check - Activation Strategy There's one thing we want to be 1000% clear about. This is NOT a prelude to a sales pitch. These are full service experiences with genuine deliverables normally costing thousands with no strings attached or thinly veiled attempts to monetize you afterwards. Why? Because we are genuinely, sincerely nonprofit superfans, and our gratitude extends to the for-profits who serve them. We love this community and we want to give back. Seriously, we may show up at the session wearing your jersey. While the response has been strong with over 50 organizations entering thus far, our goal is to give as many organizations as possible the opportunity to win. If you would like to enter, look for my posts in the NTC app, or ping me in the comments or through a DM and I'll send you a link to the entry page. Winners will be informed on Monday, April 1st (No fooling!), and announced soon after. We hope you win! BPOZ Brand Leadership #BenevolentBusiness #BrandLeadership #Nonprofits #ForProfitForGood

🍓 Fundraising leadership and overwhelm - they can be a bit like strawberries and cream unfortunately. The fantastic Davinia Batley was on our Summit Power hour earlier this week discussing with Louise Morris how to look up when all you want to do is get your head down - Davinia's got so much leadership experience we struggled to choose a top 3 tips but here they are! 🌸 1. What's the short-term way you can get some oxygen and a bit of breathing space E.g. a few days freelancing help, support from another member of staff 🌸 2.  Get ahead with contingency planning using an "If....then" flow. If we only have 10 people or less RSVP to the event, then we'll..... 🌸 3. When your voice doesn't cut through, when your messages don't land, be kind to yourself. Who else could help you influence? E.g. a trustee on the board who gets fundraising, a colleague, a consultant. How can you get to your end place, whether that's investment, or a more realistic budget? Huge thanks to Davinia Batley!

As a nonprofit leader, you might overlook brand strategy because of resource constraints and thinking branding is just about logos. You might believe your cause alone attracts support, rely on past success without a brand strategy, or worry about seeming too corporate. Plus, focusing on immediate needs, donor pressure, and potential changes can make branding feel daunting. However, a strong brand strategy can amplify your impact and help you reach even more supporters. Let’s embrace the power of branding to further the mission and drive change! #NonprofitLeadership #BrandStrategy #MissionDriven #MarketingForGood #CommunityImpact