Thread Journal

Tips for an Easy Start to Planned Giving

Planned giving is an enormous revenue opportunity for organizations of all sizes, and with some easy-to-do planning and basic strategizing, planned giving can be done simply, joyfully, and successfully.

“Your job is to excite the donor about the opportunity to leave a lasting legacy they can be proud of, that carries their values and connections forward.”

It’s a true fact of fundraising that when the topic of planned giving comes up,

Holly Richardson

January 24, 2022

Spotlight on our Spool: Angela Barker Jackson, DMin, CFRE

A conversation with Central Seminary's Director of Development, Angela Barker Johnson, DMin, CFRE

“As I’ve witnessed the arrival of estate gifts, I understand how important it is to continuously cultivate those future legacies. I’m particularly interested in helping donors understand that anyone can make a significant impact with a planned gift.”

 

Holly Richardson

January 24, 2022

5 Social Media Strategies for Growing Your Donor Base

John Killoran, Chairman of Clover Leaf Solutions, joins Thread with this guest blog post about to use social media to grow the visibility of your organization.

Social media is one of the most powerful tools in your arsenal to grow your impact. Make the most of it with these five social media strategies for success.

Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for growing the visibility of your organization.

Loree Lipstein

December 18, 2021

Grow Your Individual Giving through Masterful Copywriting

How you write for fundraising matters just as much as what you write.

Storytelling is one of the most important tools in an individual giving fundraiser’s toolkit. However, for as much time as fundraisers spend thinking about what stories to tell their donor community, they often don’t pay the same attention to how they’re telling it.

Holly Richardson

November 16, 2021

5 Last-Minute Must-Do’s for EOY Fundraising

It's never too late to help your EOY campaign!

You’ve heard us recommend in our Spool to Sphere Comparison that you should start planning for your end-of-year (EOY) campaign in August, September at the latest. But we’re also realists. Sometimes your ducks just won’t get in a row to start that early.

Holly Richardson

October 15, 2021

Tips for Small Nonprofits to Get Started With Matching Gifts

Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation, joins Thread with this guest blog post about how small nonprofits can tap into corporate matching gifts.

If you work for a small nonprofit that wants to tap into corporate matching gifts, we’ve outlined some of the top strategies to do so! Check them out here.

When you’re part of a small nonprofit,

Loree Lipstein

September 16, 2021

Spotlight on our Spool: Taryn Deaton

Thread Principal Taryn Deaton has strategized, executed, and evaluated scores of EOY campaigns over her long and diverse career. In this Spotlight on our Spool, Taryn shares several of her most important tips and reminders to make the most of your EOY campaign.

Holly Richardson

September 10, 2021

A Fresh (and Better!) Way to Set Your EOY Goal

Thread wants you to feel confident and in control of your campaign heading into this EOY giving season. Setting a suitable campaign goal is a critical first step.

The Sweet Spot framework considers your goal as the overlap in the Venn diagram of three different circles: money (how much do you need to raise), people (who are you asking, why, and how), and motivation (why should your people give you money?

Loree Lipstein

August 23, 2021

Donor Generosity: How to Make the Most of Prospect Research

Jay Love, Co-Founder and current Chief Relationship Officer at Bloomerang, joins Thread with this guest blog post about how nonprofits of all sizes can use prospect research to enhance their major gift strategy.

Your donors power your nonprofit’s mission. Make the most of your relationships with them by leveraging prospect research to raise greater and more donations.

Nonprofits rely on the generosity of others to drive their missions forward.

Loree Lipstein

July 26, 2021

The Names You Really Need to Know in Fundraising

As major and mega donors continue make news for their philanthropy, there are other names that matter to you more.

Especially as we fundraisers begin preparing for the EOY giving season, we can’t forget the importance of the small and mid-level donor in our planning and strategies. They are the bedrock of so many fundraising programs, and they deserve our attention and celebration just as much,

Holly Richardson

July 9, 2021