Amplify Connections Consulting

10/06/2026

✍️ Tuesday Tip for nonprofits: Use these three primary principles in every appeal: Personal, Positive, and Persuasive. Since it's year-end appeal time, I'm sharing this approach with my fundraiser friends...

The first P of a strong year-end appeal: Personal. In reviewing appeal letters, the word I remove most often is WE. "We served." "We grew." "We need." Donors read that as a report about the organization.

A personal letter puts the donor and the mission at the center. Swap "we" for "you," use the donor's name, and connect them to a real person whose life changed because of their support. The shift is small on the page and big in the response. 🫶🏼

🙋🏼‍♀️ If your team is stretched thin, send me a message before 10/15/26 and let's set up a 20-minute call to see how we can partner to make your year-end print and email appeals irresistible! 📆

10/01/2026

🎃 Happy National Pumpkin Spice Day! It just may be the most divisive seasonal flavor of the year. 🍂

🧡 Some people love it in everything from candles to coffee creamer to cereal.
🚫 Some people can't stand the smell.
👆🏼 Some people only want it in one form, one time per year.

This sounds a lot like dynamics in a team meeting 😬

Whether your coworkers are pumpkin spice superfans or skeptics, the trick is the same: notice how they like things and meet them there. Your next meeting might go a lot smoother. ✨

Whatever your preference, we're offering a 🆓 pumpkin spice treat with every workshop booked through October 31st! Because why not?!!

10/01/2026

For our nonprofit friends - or any community leaders - this will be a valuable workshop on Oct. 13! Our people are our biggest resource, so it’s well worth the time and effort to build strong teams. 🙌 (Not to mention avoiding the extra costs resulting from disengaged, “quiet quitters” or recruiting new staff.)

Thank you to the Caring Collective for inviting our CEO, Kristen Theisen, to share some proven strategies and helpful tools. Registration is open until Oct. 6, so we hope to see lots of you there! 😊

09/29/2026

As we approach the last quarter of 2026, you may be thinking about your annual report or year-end mailing. 📫 No, physical mail is not gone forever! Here are some tips that every organization can use to make the most of your time and investment:

🚫 Don’t leave valuable space blank (outer envelope, inside front & back covers of an annual report, etc.)

📝 Connect with a personal letter from the CEO and/or Board Chair that talks about how DONOR SUPPORT impacted your mission, not what the organization did.

🫶🏼 Tell success stories or client testimonials...They’re much more memorable than statistics or financial reports.

💸 Include a donation envelope or a QR code at the very least!

Send us a message to discuss your specific questions on how to boost direct mail.

09/28/2026

Change is constant, causing disruption, uncertainty, and even fear. But with the right tools, you can lead your team through the transition and come out stronger. 🤝 🙂 Join our CEO, Kristen Theisen, for a jam-packed session this Wednesday, September 30 at the Manatee Community Foundation. She'll share insights and strategies to communicate change effectively by understanding your team's needs. Leaders will learn how to be proactive in setting their people up for success. 🙌🏼 Space is limited, so register ASAP.

Join us for the next session with Kristen Theisen of Amplify Connections Consulting, for “Knowing Your Team” - a practical conversation about helping teams stay engaged, grounded and connected during times of transition.

You’ll explore how communication styles and stress responses shape teams during change, along with strategies for navigating leadership transitions, restructuring and uncertainty while maintaining connection and stability.

📆 Wednesday, September 30
⏰ 8:30 AM | Networking
🎙️ 9:00 AM | Program

🔗 RSVP https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/ragmxtq/lp/bd6393d6-aff6-4aea-b501-a3529bab0b44

09/08/2026

👋 Remember that Day of Giving earlier this year? 📆 Whether it was the Giving Challenge in Southwest Florida or a similar event elsewhere, how have you stewarded those donors? 🤔 If you're not sure, look into it before you reach out for your year-end appeal. NOW is the time to share the impact of their contribution - no ask, just reporting.

It doesn't have to be a perfect, polished video or a professionally designed report. Just a simple story to illustrate how they made a difference (not for the organization, but for the beneficiaries.)

Here are a few ideas to try, thanks to our friends at CauseVox. If you need help developing your process for donor communications, contact us for a complimentary strategy session!