Thread Journal

Spotlight on our Spool: The Thread Team at a Conference

Make the most of your conference attendance with some helpful hints!

Attending a conference can be an intense experience with a lot of decisions to make. How do you make the most of your experience?

Fresh off their attendance at NTEN’s Nonprofit Technology Conference, Thread Directors Andrew Edwards and Mackay Gunn and Thread Principal Tracy Shaw share their advice on how to navigate a conference successfully.

Holly Richardson

April 26, 2023

5 Suggestions To Encourage Professional Development at Your Nonprofit

It's time to intentionally encourage and invite professional development

How does your organization approach professional development?

Is it a faraway and fantastical desire, something everyone on your team would love to do but knows they never will?

Is it a sneaky secret, wherein folks are guiltily stealth-joining free webinars because they feel like they should be “doing their job”?

Holly Richardson

April 26, 2023

Spotlight on our Spool: Monica Steigerwald and Becky Mills from Living Beyond Breast Cancer

Experience and advice about using AI in fundraising as a small nonprofit

LBBC has been one of Thread’s most courageous partners when it comes to experimenting with new technology and fundraising, specifically around Artificial Intelligence (AI). In this Spotlight on our Spool, we are delighted to introduce Monica Steigerwald, Vice President of Development,

Holly Richardson

February 21, 2023

How to Use New Artificial Intelligence In Your Fundraising Writing

With the right approach, AI like ChatGPT can make fundraising writing easier

One of the Thread team’s favorite adages is that fundraising is all about experimentation. By trying new tools and tactics, you might just discover the next big lift for your fundraising program.

Over the last few months, it’s been hard to miss the media attention about OpenAI’s ChatGPT (and if you’ve missed all the buzz,

Holly Richardson

February 16, 2023

7 Questions to Answer AFTER EOY Fundraising

It may be January, but the work of EOY fundraising is not quite done.

Hello, fundraisers, it’s finally January – Happy New Year!

January is a time when fundraisers breathe a big sigh of relief after the whirlwind of work that is End-Of-Year (EOY) fundraising. However, while you may no longer be actively cultivating and soliciting gifts,

Holly Richardson

January 13, 2023

Spotlight on Our Spool: The Smith-Kingsmore Syndrome Foundation

A conversation with Kristen Groseclose, President and Co-founder of the SKS Foundation

Thread Strategies had the pleasure and honor of working with the SKSF team through the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative’s (CZI) Rare as One grant program. In this Spotlight on our Spool, we are delighted to speak with Kristen Groseclose, President and Co-founder,

Loree Lipstein

October 25, 2022

What’s New (or Not) in Foundation Fundraising

A helpful summary of the good news, not-so-good news, and no news of foundation fundraising

While the interrogation of the power dynamics in funder-grantee partnerships isn’t new, what is new since the COVID pandemic is the number of foundations actually changing their support models. In the May 2022 edition of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, the lead article explored the changes (and oftentimes,

Holly Richardson

October 3, 2022

When Was Your Last Staff Retreat?

Especially after the last few years, take time to reconnect to your work and with your team.

On Monday, September 12th, the Thread team will brave the current dysfunctional state of airline travel, take to the skies, and gather in Tampa, Florida for our first in-person staff retreat since October 2019.

We’re grateful for this opportunity to come together as a team.

Holly Richardson

September 7, 2022

Work the Process: The 6 Essential Phases of EOY Campaign Planning

All EOY campaigns that successfully meet their goals share something in common: they work the process.

Each November and December, fundraisers at nonprofits large and small are consumed by the End-of-Year (EOY) giving season. In these two months alone, many organizations raise as much as 30% of their annual philanthropic income. With so much revenue at stake,

Holly Richardson

July 20, 2022

Spotlight on our Spool: Christina Roberts

The Thread team has grown yet again!

When I prioritize the things that give me joy, such as interior decorating, baking, or listening to music, I’m more inspired to think beyond traditional fundraising while still honoring best practices.

One of Thread’s core values is to be a Proactive Team for our partners.

Holly Richardson

July 20, 2022