Ripple Effect | News
What to do AFTER your year-end fundraising letter has been sent
Julie Whelan Capell | Hopefully by now–mid-November–your annual fundraising letter has gone out to donors, or it is scheduled to be mailed in the next couple of weeks. Neither COVID, nor working remotely nor any of the challenges facing the world should stop your organization from asking supporters to donate at the end of the […]
How to have a real conversation with a donor
Julie Whelan Capell | “In sales, you don’t have to actually believe in the product or service you are hawking. That is NOT true of fundraising, at least not if you’re doing it right!” – Tori O’Neal-McElrath Fundraising is not the same as sales. Some executive directors and many board members come from a background […]
Executive Directors v COVID fatigue
Sara Wilson, CPCC | The “new normal” is impacting everything–individuals, families, nonprofits and for-profit business. Every leader I have spoken with is experiencing COVID fatigue in their professional life and home life. It is overwhelming. Here are 5 actions you can take to help your organization, team and yourself. 1. Reach Out. The saying is […]
Reset your relationship with the Board Chair
Sara Wilson, CPCC | Ever had a day when you wished there was a reset button on your relationship with your board chair? I certainly have. Like the movie Groundhog Day, there is little worse than repeating the same mistake over and over…and over. Why not use the RESET button? It takes: Courage: to admit […]
Use your leadership skills to be part of the Tipping Point
Sara Wilson, CPCC | Since the brutal murder of George Floyd by police I have experienced many emotions–shock, anger, sadness and a sense of being at loss. Loss of what to do, loss at how I, a white person of privilege, can use my leadership skills to make a difference. Eighteen years ago, I was […]
Reboot to improve your crisis leadership skills
Sara Wilson, CPCC | Week six of COVID-19 and I see the toll on people’s faces and hear it in their voices. People are worried. Tired. Stressed. Spinning their Wheels. The reality is you are trying to work from home without the assets of the office, juggling family demands and many things are uncertain. You […]
Steal these 5 ideas for a great #GivingTuesdayNow
Julie Whelan Capell | There’s a very special Giving Tuesday coming up on May 5th. Organizers are billing it as an emergency response to the unprecedented need caused by COVID-19. To get involved, start with some well-timed emails. In the days leading up to #GivingTuesdayNow send a couple of messages to your whole list sharing […]
Celebrate Earth Day in a new way
By Sara Wilson, CPCC | Earth Day during COVID-19 could really be an Earth Day. It is overwhelming when paying attention to statistics on deaths, unemployment, businesses teetering… In small print, there is environmental good news like global decreased air pollution, vegetable seed sales skyrocketing, more people walking and on a light note, dogs are […]
How to celebrate Earth Day at a distance
By Sara Wilson, CPCC | If you work for an environmental or conservation organization, you no doubt had some fun, in-person activities planned for April 22nd. Activities that now cannot take place due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders. What to do? Here is a list of ideas: Create a downloadable toolkit that parents and […]
Don’t stop fundraising now!
By Julie Whelan Capell | In one month, we’ve gone from business as usual, to social distancing measures that have forced most organizations to cancel or postpone the special events, lunches and donor engagement activities essential to meeting end-of-year income goals. In this situation, it’s tempting to throw previous plans out the window, downsize fundraising […]