The Funding Seed

07/01/2026

Last Friday's workshop with Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation! The Catalyst Collective is Propeller's cohort program that brings together staff from 10 New Orleans nonprofits who are committed to growing relationships with their donors. Last week, we talked about how to build out a calendar that keeps you organized and builds deeper connections with your supporters. What a joy to be in the room to facilitate this discussion!

06/17/2026

Deeply grateful to have gathered in Chicago last week to dream and brainstorm for the next Stories + Money = Change conference! In this moment, coming together to make sure our organizations and movements have the resources they need to thrive is truly vital. Thank you to Innovative Fundraising, LLC for organizing us!

(Honestly, we were too busy having fun working and playing to take many pictures!)

Image descriptions:
1: A group of seven fundraisers smile for a selfie.
2: A framed print reads, "If you give me a fish, you have fed me for a day. If you teach me to fish, you have fed me until the river is contaminated or the shoreline seized for development. But if you teach me to organize, then whatever the challenge, I can join together with my peers and we will fashion our own solution."
3: The Chicago skyline on a sunny day.
4: A print reads, "When the power of love is greater than the love of power then the world will know peace!"

06/01/2026

Happy Pride! Don't forget that June is one of the 12 best months of the year to give to an LGBTQ+ nonprofit!

05/14/2026

New Orleans nonprofits: what’s next for your fundraising now that GiveNOLA Day is over?

Are you figuring out how to turn your new donors into consistent supporters?

Are you hoping to get your board more active?

Are you thinking ahead to a future fundraising event or appeal?

Let’s talk about fundraising coaching. Having a trusted voice from outside of your organzation can help you meet your post-GiveNOLA goals through training, accountability, and project partnership.

You can use this form to share what you’re looking for, with no commitments or pressure. Let’s work together to turn your GiveNOLA wins into long-term progress at your nonprofit!

https://bit.ly/4cYyNcP

05/13/2026

“Every aspect of the processes and relationships surrounding how wealth is managed and distributed can be challenged—from within and without philanthropy—using the kind of leadership development, campaign and organizing tools that movements know so well."

While the concept of “donor organizing” has recently become a buzzword, a key shift underway is moving organizations beyond focusing on what gifts can be secured to how wealth can be more strategically organized and leveraged in service of movement goals.

05/06/2026

ICYMI: The Funding Seed's May newsletter is a pep talk about why your work as a fundraiser matters.

https://tr.ee/2ceeDACqvs

Not on the newsletter list? Subscribe here: http://bit.ly/4wgLNlN

05/05/2026

Happy GiveNOLA Day! If this is a big day for your nonprofit’s fundraising, here are a few hot tips:

- Text or email anyone who donated to your organization last year and has not yet given this year. Thank them for their past support, remind them how much they previously donated, and ask them to consider giving again. Some of your best prospects are people who have already given to you.

- Send a short thank you message to everyone who donates. The Impact Sandwich on Thank You Bread is a great cheat sheet: Thank you for your donation, here’s what your support will do, thank you again! An email is fine, as is a phone call (you’ll mostly get voicemails!), or, if you know the person well, a text message.

- Donate to at least one partner organization or nonprofit you admire. Supporting other groups is a great way to show your appreciation for what they do, and we all do better when our ally organizations also have the resources they need to thrive.

And don’t forget to rest, hydrate, and take breaks. You are doing great!

Image description: The GiveNOLA Day logo.

03/31/2026

Thank you to everyone who brought their great questions, ideas, and energy to last week’s Giving Day Readiness: Timelines, Tools, and Tactics for 2026 virtual workshop! Can’t wait to see you put these strategies into action at each of your nonprofits!

03/26/2026

Thursday, March 26 is Equal Pay Day this year- the symbolic say that demonstrates pay disparity based on gender. Because women are still paid less than men, a woman would statistically have to work through all last year AND through this day on this year to be paid what a man was paid last year alone. And those numbers get even worse when we look at pay disparity for BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ workers.

The data for employees in the nonprofit sector is less consistent, but still really rough: as of 2021, Equal Pay Day for women in the nonprofit sector was May 24.

Okay, so: what can we do?
- If you manage hiring, always post a legitimate salary range in job postings. Pay secrecy perpetuates pay disparity, but pay transparency allows people to name a fair salary.
- If you manage pay raises, set equitable standards that eliminate the biases that can lead to different employees receiving different pay for the same work.
- Advocate for local, state, and federal policies that create pay equity in the workplace.

Sources: Candid.org, aauw.org

Candid AAUW

03/25/2026

THIS FRIDAY! If your nonprofit is getting ready for a Giving Day- GiveNOLA Day, Give to the Max, Give for Good, or any 24-hour fundraising campaign happening in your area- our virtual workshop is not to be missed!

https://tr.ee/9SiDlLbSlE