Should #nonprofits feel optimistic about their fiscal health this year?
There are signs that the economy is improving.
According to #DanParks of the #ChronicleofPhilanthropy, there are six economic indicators for nonprofits to watch that right now are showing mostly positive gains.
*Consumer sentiment index rose in March to its highest level in a year.
* Gross Domestic Product rose by 4.3% this quarter.
* Regional economic indicators may be more relevant to local non-profits. This has varied significantly, by region. For instance, the South and Midwest shut down less of their economy which may make donors feel more confident in the economy than in regions experiencing massive shutdowns.
* Unemployment is down from a high of 15% to 6.2%, which may reduce demand for some social services. But not all communities have experienced the same level of employment resiliency.
* #Stockmarket which took a hit at the beginning of the Pandemic has roared back stronger and saw record increases in the Fall.
* #Federalstimulus of $1.9 trillion includes $350 billion to states and localities who will in turn pay nonprofits what they owe and continue to contract for services.
$50,000 million will go to nonprofits to boost hiring and meet increased demand for services.
#fundraising
Storytelling is Worth a Thousand Words
A story is worth a thousand words.
As a #nonprofit, it is vital to communicate your impact in a compelling way.
#Storytelling should be a part of every nonprofit’s toolkit.
How you use stories can make or break the message.
Although compelling, extraordinary examples may not be representative of the larger work you do.
Consider using #casestories, stories that combine a representative and compelling example of a person or community you have impacted, with empathy, strong emotional resonance, and data.
According to Sue Holloway, case stories a great way to show your beneficiaries' successes—you can show how they felt about the problem you helped them to solve, outline your solution, and show results in easy-to-digest ways including graphs or images.
By combining data with emotional elements, the story can carry the larger picture and context of what you do without losing touch with the main character of the story. End the case story with a powerful call to action.
Now You: Have you ever been moved to act, through a case story you read?
To elevate your #fundraising efforts, contact lpoller@agilefundraisingfundraising.com
#fundraising #nonprofits
The Side Door for Cultivating Foundation Relationships
#Nonproits how do you get introduced to new foundations and begin cultivating these relationships?
Use the “Side Door” to start a relationship with a new foundation prospect.
Foundations are inundated with hundreds of proposals for every single proposal that they fund.
Developing relationships with foundations can be challenging.
Regional and national foundations can be purposely inaccessible and have strong gatekeeping.
Many family foundations fund preselected organizations or are by invitation only.
Use the Side Door--A strategic approach that will get you into a conversation faster.
If you would like to learn how to implement this strategy to gain better traction with new foundation relationships ..
1. Download your free Power-Up New Foundation Relationships
Guide https://lnkd.in/eRseW2E
2. Contact lpoller@agilefundraisingstrategy.com for additional resources and a 15-minute discovery call.