From Scratch Fundraising

From Scratch Fundraising Crafting nonprofit strategies that lead to happier donors, stronger management, and explosive growth.

10/28/2025

You know what nonprofits are great at talking about? WHAT we do.
You know what donors want to understand more? WHY we do it.

Let's say you're an afterschool sports program, and you're approaching me as a donor. You're likely going to come at me telling me about all of the awesome coaches you have; how your program got a student to win a national championship; the number of cleats in your storage space.

I've got news for you...you're not getting my donation. I don't "sports" - never have, never will. (Got kicked in the shins at my first soccer practice, and I went right back to ballet class and never looked back.)

But you come to me telling me about WHY sports are an important vehicle for building self-confidence in young people who are struggling in school. I GET it, and I'm in. I totally understand how school can be overwhelming to some kids, and why it's absolutely critical we find other avenues for young people to shine outside of the classroom.

While I might quibble with your WHAT, I fully believe in your WHY. Let's talk about the reasons to make sure your communications focus on WHY you do what you do before you hit donors with a laundry list of WHAT you do.

Want more? The whole discussion is on my podcast: https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com/subscribe

10/23/2025

My favorite of all the ones I've come up with was when I was working for an arthouse cinema...and our automated thank yous to first time donors was "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship." (And we once sent a lapsed donor recapture email that was "I think I missed you most of all...") So much fun writing subject lines with great quotes from cinema.

But what do the rest of us do? That's what we're tackling tomorrow on the Fridays 4 Fundraising podcast. Subscribe now to be the first to hear the new episode!
fromscratchfundraising.com/subscribe

10/21/2025

Segmentation—it's something a lot of small nonprofits think they can't do. But if you have a CRM, you absolutely can, and I would encourage you to do it.

You can take a single piece of year end content, keep it mostly the same, but change the ask...
❓Ask a regular, annual donor to become a monthly donor. (Data suggests people can give 1/2 of the value of their annual gift as a monthly gift...which means your multiplying their donation by 6!)
❓Ask a monthly donor if they can make a special, additional gift for a particular project or program...while acknowledging they are already a stalwart supporter.
❓Ask a lapsed donor to come back, and target them specifically.

When you talk to a monthly donor, an annual donor, and a lapsed donor the same way, you're leaving out an opportunity for relationship build. But little tweaks can change how your ask emails land.

And with a decent CRM (my recommendation has long been Neon One), you can do this effortlessly.

Segmentation isn't just for big nonprofits (in fact, I don't see big nonprofits using it enough). But small nonprofits, once again, hold the power in ability to build relationship to grow fundraising.

That's what I talk about in my latest episode of Fridays 4 Fundraising. It's out now!
https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com/subscribe

10/18/2025

You know what nonprofits are great at talking about? WHAT we do.
You know what donors want to understand more? WHY we do it.

Let's say you're an afterschool sports program, and you're approaching me as a donor. You're likely going to come at me telling me about all of the awesome coaches you have; how your program got a student to win a national championship; the number of cleats in your storage space.

I've got news for you...you're not getting my donation. I don't "sports" - never have, never will. (Got kicked in the shins at my first soccer practice, and I went right back to ballet class and never looked back.)

But you come to me telling me about WHY sports are an important vehicle for building self-confidence in young people who are struggling in school. I GET it, and I'm in. I totally understand how school can be overwhelming to some kids, and why it's absolutely critical we find other avenues for young people to shine outside of the classroom.

While I might quibble with your WHAT, I fully believe in your WHY. Let's talk about the reasons to make sure your communications focus on WHY you do what you do before you hit donors with a laundry list of WHAT you do.

Want more? The whole discussion is on my podcast: https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com/subscribe

10/16/2025

A lot of small nonprofits are missing out on segmentation--they think they are too small or too disorganized to do it.

But segmentation isn't just a buzzword—it's a game-changer for understanding your audience. Whether it's monthly donors, social media followers, or event attendees, knowing where your donors come from and their giving history can transform your strategy. It's vital to talk to donors and make asks that are relative to their experience with your nonprofit.

And the key to being good at segmentation is a great CRM. Without one, you're lost and you can't even start. (And before you ask, a donation payment platform does not a CRM make. If your donations are only pull-able in report form, and you can't go in and see each donors' giving history, make notes, and track their engagement with your communications...you've got a donation payment platform, not a CRM.)

I am personally partial to Neon One for smaller and newer nonprofits.

But a quality CRM can mean you can segment your asks for your year-end campaign, which means your campaign can unlock donor giving in a way that sending generic emails never will. This week on the pod, we talk about how to think about segmenting your year end campaign.

It releases tomorrow. Be the first to listen by subscribing here: https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com/subscribe

10/07/2025

Starting to think about your year-end fundraising campaign for your small nonprofit?

Start with these key questions:

🌯 What's your campaign theme? Whether it's "Love, Dignity, and Burritos" or celebrating an anniversary, a clear theme sets the tone.

🎯 Who's your target audience? Remember, if you're speaking to everyone, you're speaking to no one. You can't talk to a monthly donor the same way you talk to a new donor...so think about each segment you want to reach.

🎉 Where is your target audience hanging out? If you want to target donors who give regularly, you don't necessarily have to have a huge social media strategy—you might be more effective focusing on email and phone calls.

🤨 What's the ask? Different segments need different asks. The non-donor needs to be asked for a first gift. A regular donor might be ready to make a recurring donation. A $500 donor might be able to upgrade to $1,000. Who you're asking should inform what you're asking for.

All of these questions go together. So many nonprofits start with the content calendar...what are we sending out? But that's not the right starting point if you want your campaign to be effective.

I'm helping you figure that out on our Fridays 4 Fundraising podcast!
https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com/subscribe

10/02/2025

It's now October, and it's time to get going on those year end campaigns!

Already? Yes, already. Let me tell you why... [watch the video]

This week on my Fridays 4 Fundraising podcast, we'll be talking about:
📆 Why early planning is critical.
🎯 How to identify and target your ideal donor.
🎨 Craft a compelling campaign that resonates.

The podcast is on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube. Find the links here: https://www.fromscratchfundraising.com/subscribe Make sure you're subscribed before tomorrow's episode posts!

09/30/2025

Transform your nonprofit's email strategy with a personal touch! 📧

Discover how our Gratitude Campaign Starter Kit can help your emails land directly in donors' inboxes, not the promotions tab. Visit fromscratchfundraising.com/gratitude to grab the Kit. Then listen to our Fridays 4 Fundraising podcast to get a walk through how to use it. Link to Starter Kit and Podcast in our bio.

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