White Papers

• Transitional Giving for Building Strong Fundraising Pyramids
• Peak Performance: Strategic Stewardship for Planned Giving Programs
• Stewarding Donors for Lasting Support Following a Disaster
• Protecting Your Constituents’ Personal Information
• First Steps for Successful Grateful Patient Fundraising
• Making Event Participants More Successful with Social Media Tools
• Raising More Money Online with Independent Fundraising Events
• Nonprofit Social Media Strategy
• Rent or Buy: Why Nonprofits Need Software as a Service
• Beyond the Basics: Taking Five Website Staples to the Next Level
• Before You Leap: What Nonprofits Should Look for in a SaaS Provider
  
  

Fundraising and Nonprofit Marketing White Papers

Set Your Data Free This is a practical guide for auditing your data accessibility status, building data accessibility into your information architecture, and preparing your organization to get the most from its most critical asset: data. Rent or Buy: Why Nonprofits Need Software as a Service This paper explores the differences between software as a service and traditional customer/server technology — and the benefits that nonprofit organizations can reap by taking advantage of the “pay as you go” SaaS model. Protecting Your Constituents’ Personal Information This paper discusses how a privacy policy that is communicated at all levels, can help your organization avoid situations where information is shared and constituent privacy is violated. Before You Leap: What Nonprofits Should Look for in a SaaS Provider This paper identifies the foundational selection criteria for nonprofits to consider when choosing their SaaS partners. The Top 10 Ways Technology Can Help Your Organization Technology has the potential to improve every aspect of your operations, and this paper covers a few key areas in which technology can really make a difference. The Evolution to SaaS 2.0: Nonprofit Impact Report This paper explores the future evolution of software as a service, including the changing drivers prompting the buying decision and the requirements SaaS vendors will need to meet to make a successful transition. Raising Money During Challenging Times  This paper discusses the effects the recession may have on the nonprofit community, and, most importantly, suggests strategies for continuing fundraising success in these times. Taking Control of Your Annual Fund  Done correctly, a great annual fund can improve your annual fundraising results, create loyal donors, and identify those people who are most likely to become your best planned giving and major gift prospects. Maximizing Marketing to Advance Your School's Mission This white paper oulines how integrating departmental functions and fostering internal collaborations can help advance your school's mission. RFM: A Formula for Greater Direct Mail Success  By ranking the recency, frequency, and monetary returns your solicitations bring, you can increase your gifts while reducing your costs. Jump-Start Your Matching Gift Program  How to acquire the data, the systems, and the donor cooperation you need to generate more gifts. Embracing Technology for Moves Management® Success  Every nonprofit wants to turn prospects into donors — some are better at it than others. What makes the difference? Moves Management. How To Launch a Direct Mail Program  This white paper explores how to conduct a feasibility study for an organization’s viability for a direct marketing program, launch a successful direct marketing program, and avoid competing with the major gifts program. All About Lists  This white paper will explore how to identify the best lists for your program, the process for securing list owner approvals, working with a list broker, common list terms, and more. Why You Need Gift Acceptance Policies  A wellcrafted policy can help you replace an awkward rejection with a structured discussion and eventual gift that is both meaningful to the donor and appropriate to further your mission. Ask Your Patients for Money? You Bet!  Every nonprofit organization should invest in building its donor file, and healthcare organizations are no exception because the principal source of new donors for any healthcare organization is its patient database. Ask Your Employees for Money? You Bet!  Employee donor engagement is just as important as volunteer donor engagement because employees are often your organization’s best ambassadors — and their support helps foster the support of prospects and donors.

Internet Fundraising and ePhilanthropy White Papers

Raising More Money Online with Independent Fundraising Events This paper discusses how organizations including The Lance Armstrong Foundation and The Michael J. Fox Foundation are using independent fundraising events to raise money online. Nonprofit Social Media Strategy This paper discusses how having a social media strategy is not its own objective. Rather, social media strategies can support existing objectives like building cause awareness, online fundraising, and connecting with new supporters. Making Event Participants More Successful with Social Media Tools This paper discusses takes an in-depth look at the growing impact of social media tools on peer-to-peer fundraising and how event participants are utilizing these online tools to more effectively support nonprofits and their missions. Making the Most of Your Online Event Fundraising Efforts This paper explores tactics fundraisers can employ to help increase the success of online event fundraising efforts. Rent or Buy: Why Nonprofits Need Software as a Service This paper explores the differences between software as a service and traditional customer/server technology — and the benefits that nonprofits can reap by taking advantage of the SaaS model. Before You Leap: What Nonprofits Should Look for in a SaaS Provider This paper identifies the foundational selection criteria for nonprofits to consider when choosing their SaaS partners, and the benefits of software as a service (SaaS) vs. traditional on-premise software. Beyond the Basics: Taking Five Website Staples to the Next Level This paper shows how nonprofits can use five web staples to enrich current relationships, establish new relationships, and encourage constituents to interact and give online. Nonprofits’ Next Step Forward on the Internet To establish new relationships and move current constituents to interact and give online, nonprofits must shift from a static, marketing-centric website to a dynamic, interactive, and constituent-centric website. Online Gift Donor Profile This report outlines their conclusions and suggests several hypotheses about forces driving prospects or current donors to become online donors. Benefits of Using Payment Cards to Accept Donations This article, which was featured in the DMA Journal of the Non-Profit Federation, outlines the benefits of establishing credit card payment options for donors. Implementing a Recurring Gift Program A successful recurring gift program can expand your donor pool and reduce donor attrition. Learn how to implement this cost-effective fundraising strategy for a new and more predictable stream of funding. Internet Assessment Results Compare your organization with the 500+ responses to our Internet Marketing Assessment Survey. ePhilanthropy Strategy for Nonprofits This document highlights ways to enhance success by integrating the Internet into your organization's fundraising and communications plan. Effective Email Communications This resource describes using email, building an address book, crafting messages and measuring campaign success. Equip your organization to respond to donor preferences for more cost-effective communications.

Financial Management White Papers

Accountability Matters This document explores financial and regulatory compliance, stewardship, and donor trust within the nonprofit sector, as well as steps to achieve a high level of accountability. Financial Management for Not-for-Profit Organizations This document describes considerations for budgeting, reporting, cash flows, endowment management and fund accounting. Budgeting for Technology  This resource describes the seven key components of a successful technology plan.

Prospect Research White Papers

Peak Performance: Strategic Stewardship for Planned Giving Programs True donor stewardship begins before you know that a gift has been made and continues even after the donor passed away. Transitional Giving for Building Strong Fundraising Pyramids One of the best ways to realize the promise of your organization's fundraising pyramid is to strengthen its middle leves by promoting the growth of transitional and mid-level giving. Stewarding Donors for Lasting Support Following a Disaster In the wake of a disaster, many people who do not regularly donate to nonprofits are moved to help by making one-time gifts. New donors flood nonprofit databases. What can be done to kindle that spark of compassion into a flame of philanthropy? In a word: stewardship. Prospect Research for the Non-Researcher This white paper discusses the inexpesive and free tools available for anyone to perform their own prospect research. Peak Performance: Strategic Stewardship for Planned Giving Programs This white paper discusses how to incorporate best practices for planned gift donor recognition and expand your efforts to provide spectacular stewardship. First Steps for Successful Grateful Patient Fundraising This white paper outlines a plan for organizations that are developing a new grateful patient program or revitalizing an existing one. Major Giving in Healthcare Institutions: How Target Analytics Can Help This white paper discusses the importance of involving everyone in a healthcare organization in major giving, and examines how Target Analytics can help in your efforts. The Basics of Prospect Management Prospect management is the planning, recording, and reporting of significant moments in the relationship between prospective donors and the nonprofit organization which lead to a gift. This white paper covers the basics! Target Affluent Prospects to Sustain Your Annual and Major Gift Programs Through consistent and meaningful communications with affluent prospects within your constituency, you can strengthen and grow your annual fund and your major donor base. What Women Want: Understanding the Needs and Objectives of Women’s Philanthropic Giving Women, as a group, are increasingly impacting fundraising efforts in the U.S.; however, their philanthropic objectives can differ significantly from men’s. To Screen or Not to Screen: "When" is the Question Here, development professional Lawrence Henze explores how to assess your nonprofit’s situation to discover how and when to apply prospect screening for maximized results. Private Company Valuation and the Prospect Researcher Valuing a company could have a major impact on whom a development officer decides to solicit for a gift. However, with the right techniques and resources, it can and should be done. Are You Ready to Start a Planned Gift Program? Strong planned giving programs build over time, but if your organization is ready, there’s no time like the present to begin. Taking Control of Your Annual Fund This white paper outlines how, if developed correctly, your annual fund solicitations can improve your annual fundraising results, create donor loyalty, and identify your best planned giving and major gift prospects. Privacy and the Prospect Researcher Prospect research expert David Lamb highlights the right way for nonprofits to reel in major gifts, including a discussion of legal and ethical boundaries and the importance of a well-crafted privacy policy. Making Planned Giving Work for You Developing a successful planned giving program can be a complex undertaking, but equipped with solid information and the right marketing strategy, your organization can build a successful planned giving program. Identifying Grateful Patients as Prospects A very small percentage of patients truly represent good prospects for giving — the key is to find means to identify those who exhibit both capacity and likelihood to give. How To Talk with Donors about Planned Gifts Start your planned giving program today by throwing out the law school admissions form on your desk and learn to talk with donors about their dreams and wishes for your organization! 23 Planned Giving Terms You Should Know This glossary of terms, which uses practical examples, will give you a basic working knowledge of key words common in ongoing planned gift conversations. How the Right Marketing Strategies Can Enhance Your Planned Giving Program Only the right marketing strategy can promote the growth of planned giving and facilitate an integrated ultimate giving effort, allowing your organization to be truly donor-centric while you boost fundraising results. Using Statistical Modeling to Increase Donations Learn how custom modeling provides fundraisers with information about a prospect’s likelihood not only to give, but also to give to the organizations they represent. Finding the Most Effective Prospect Research Solution to Maximize Giving Potential Target Analytics customers discovered that they were only able to maximize their potential among new givers by combining the power of wealth and custom statistical modeling.

Business Intelligence White Papers

Business Intelligence for Nonprofits Nonprofit Intelligence™ delivers the sophisticated analysis and insight nonprofit professionals need to make sound business decisions and demonstrate the value of their services to donors.

Nonprofit Management White Papers

Bring Out the Best in Your Board Too many trustees bog down in trivial pursuits. Here’s how to cure micromanagement and encourage strategic thinking. Selecting Software for Your Nonprofit This document provides an overview of how to conduct an effective search for administrative tools best suited to your organization.