March marks Women’s History Month, and as part of our celebration of women around the world we are highlighting some nonprofit organizations that are in the business of supporting, uplifting and empowering women.

A new year of fundraising is underway! Do you have all the ResultsPlus insight you need to make it a successful year? We have you covered with a variety of virtual training courses and webinars to help get you and your fundraising team up-to-speed on everything ResultsPlus, from the basics to brand new functionality.

It’s a brand-new year, and after almost a full year of virtual meetings, we think it’s time for a new resolution: reduce video call fatigue. When you’re already working a full day (and then some) in front of a computer, having virtual dinner with family and friends, and spending more time than ever watching Netflix due to the pandemic, having too many video calls is resulting in exhaustion, stress and frustration for many work-from-home employees.

Don’t worry, 2020 is just about over. Finally. Nonprofit Quarterly looked back at the year and how it impacted nonprofit revenue and programming through a collaborative initiative with Propel Nonprofits and FMA. Nonprofit Quarterly surveyed 572 people, asking them about the factors that affected their programming and finances this year. Here are the findings:

Was 2020 the longest year ever? Yes. But, despite the fact that the year appears to be never-ending, year-end is here again, and most nonprofits are making their final requests for donations for the 2020 calendar year. And while nonprofits are having to change their strategy for year-end fundraising to accommodate the raging pandemic, it’s still important that you follow your year-end procedures to assure your database is up-to-date with the latest donation and donor information. 

We are approaching the most charitable time of the year, and it’s often the time of year when nonprofits ramp up their fundraising efforts.

We don't know about you, but since starting to work from home our homes have become MUCH cleaner! Work-from-home has been great for our laundry situation, our bathrooms are looking much cleaner and we've even been taking part in some purging. Having an efficient workspace makes our jobs easier. Now that our homes are our offices, we know that we are much more efficient (and much happier) when our workspaces are clean and organized.

Executive directors, fundraisers and other nonprofit employees, we know that you’re in unfamiliar territory this year. The impact that COVID-19 will ultimately have on the sector is still unknown, but what we do know is that you are all taking on these unprecedented times with ingenuity, creativity, strength and resilience.

It’s been a mystery as to whether or not fundraisers would thrive during COVID-19. Despite the fact that many people want to help, the reality is that unemployment is high and income is low for many Americans right now due to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused substantial stress for many people around the world. From working from home, home-schooling kids, social distancing, quarantine, etc. – life as we know it has changed. However, folks are finding ways to boost their mental health AND give back to their communities while also staying safe and healthy.

The world is currently experiencing challenging times. Being a provider of nonprofit fundraising software, we want to provide suggestions for how you can support your local community and neighborhoods that are struggling with a food and supplies shortage.

Work-from-home. It may sound like a luxury, but for those of you who were thrown into the new work-remote culture suddenly, you can attest that the transition is difficult. From trying to access information to keeping your work life separate from your home life, connecting with co-workers via video and chat to getting used to new tech tools, working from home isn’t nearly as simple as it sounds!

In the midst of crisis, what happens to charitable giving? We are currently in the throes of the COVID-19 crisis, and charities are feeling the effects of the pandemic. Historically, economic downturn has not ignited charitable giving. In fact, according to The Conversation, average giving has actually decreased by 0.5% due to more people being out of work, leading to less income and reduced wealth availability.

Fundraisers have been raising money, developing and executing campaigns and appeals, and nurturing relationships with donors for decades. Yes, that means before computers, before social media, before fundraising platforms and online giving. However, just because fundraising has been done without technology in the past doesn’t mean that it should be done without technology today. In fact, technology is essential to fundraising success.

As Millennials and Gen Z continue to change the workforce, the economy, technology and consumerism, we did some digging to find out how they are also changing philanthropy. Because these generations are impacting our society in such dramatic ways, it’s important to know how they are affecting the nonprofit industry.

New year, same great nonprofit! And while we think that you’re already awesome, there’s nothing wrong with having a few resolutions to start off the year. Setting goals now helps you prepare for a successful year ahead and create measurable initiatives.

This week, Metafile Information Systems celebrated 40 years of providing state-of-the-art, innovative technology solutions! When you’ve been developing business solutions for this long, it’s fun to take a look back at where it all started, and we thought it would be fun for you to see how far we’ve come, too!

One of the most popular volunteer opportunities that individuals take part in is helping out at senior living facilities. The interaction is great for the physical and mental health of older adults. However, research has found that it is also beneficial for older adults in retirement to engage in volunteerism, as well.

When it comes to giving to charity, oftentimes it’s the adults of the house who choose the organizations they donate to. And with the ease of online giving, charitable donations can be made quickly, or even scheduled if you’re a recurring giver, so that you don’t even need to think about it. However, it’s important to instill philanthropic tendencies into the next generation, which is why we encourage you to chat with your kids about how you give back and why.

Whether you work in nonprofit or retail, marketing or engineering, email communication with prospects, customers and donors is essential. And while every organization uses email just a little bit differently, nonprofits – according to a study by Campaign Monitor – experienced higher-than-average email open rates in 2018 compared with other industries.

We all know that volunteering has a positive impact on our communities and our world, and that it tends to give us that warm, fuzzy feeling (also known as “helper’s high”). But did you know that volunteering can also provide health benefits?

“People will try to convince you that you should keep empathy out of your career. Don’t accept this false premise.”

Each year, $4-7 billion in matching gifts go unclaimed. This is a ton of money that nonprofits are missing out on that could go toward supporting their missions and allowing them to do the great work that they need to do to improve their communities and the world. Matching gifts, especially through corporate giving programs, are a great way for nonprofits to increase donations and allow employees to give to the causes that mean the most to them, while doubling that donation through an employer contribution.

We are humbled by the work that nonprofits are doing, and the time, money and heart they put into their missions to make their communities and the world a better place to live. The work being done is valuable, but the nonprofit sector continues to experience declines in giving, according to the FEP and Growth in Giving Database.

This year’s Charitable Giving in the USA 2019 Report has been released, and we love having some new insights into the charitable giving habits of Americans. Many aspects of the nonprofit industry are still struggling, but it is encouraging to see the number of people taking part in charitable activity and volunteerism rising.

Millennials: there’s no escaping this generation and the stereotypes that accompany them. Set to be the largest demographic in the workforce in America by 2020, it’s no secret that this group of individuals is having and will continue to have a huge impact on our economy.

We love nonprofits and we admire their dedication to their individual missions and the impact they make on their communities and on the world. However, we also recognize that the nonprofit sector is losing money and donors year-over-year.

We all know the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” But what if you and your fundraising took the time to deviate from your usual fundraising methods to try something a little bit different? Sometimes, changing the giving experience for your donors is the key to encouraging your donors to increase their giving amounts or frequency.

The holidays are already among us, and this year you may be looking for the ultimate gift for your fundraising team. And if you're looking for a gift that will keep on giving all year long and for years to come, nonprofit CRM software is bound to be a hit.

As nearly every report highlighting the health of America’s nonprofits has shown, donor retention is hugely lacking. In fact, most donors – up to 50 percent – do not give a repeat gift following their first gift.

The relationship between your organization and its supporters is a beautiful, wonderful thing. They support your cause, and you use their support and trust to help improve your community.

As a nonprofit organization, you work hard to raise funds and promote the importance of your cause or mission. So, what happens when you find out that a local corporate social responsibility (CSR) program is focusing its efforts on the realm that you’ve committed yourself to, as well? This means that people who are socially conscious and want to dedicate themselves to a mission no longer need to work for a nonprofit, but can instead expand their job search to for-profit companies that have a strong CSR program.

You and your colleagues work hard to keep your donor database updated and current with the most accurate donor information, but we all know that sometimes less prominent prospects can get lost in there. While your loyal and active monthly donors, volunteers and major gift donors are front-and-center, there are plenty of other donors in your database who you may be overlooking and shouldn’t be.

“Men are from Mars, women are from Venus…”

There are a host of differences between men and women, aside from just which planet they presumably come from. When it comes to giving to a specific cause or organization, males and females tend to differ in their donation habits.

It’s that time of year again; time for the charitable giving stats for the previous year to start rolling in! And if you’re a nonprofit nerd like we are, you can understand the excitement that ensued when the Giving USA 2018: The Annual Report on Philanthropy for the Year 2017 came out last week.

Throughout the year, we post encouraging blog posts about nonprofit industry trends, tips and tricks, inspiration, and happenings. However, as the political landscape, technology and the world around us continue to change, our industry must, too. With that, nonprofiteers are facing new challenges and issues head-on.

It's that time of year again -- time to head to the AFP International Fundraising Conference! Kicking off this Sunday, this conference is one of the most premier fundraising conferences in the world and brings in fundraisers, philanthropists and service providers from around the world, and we are proud to be a part of it for another year!

One of our goals here at Metafile is to constantly provide up-to-date, functional software that will enhance your fundraising efforts and make your job easier.

We’ve heard it said time and time again – it’s more beneficial for nonprofits to retain existing donors than to try and acquire new ones. A one-time donation is something to be thankful for, but it’s vital that nonprofits can rely on donors who give regularly over longer periods of time.

The new Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is now law, and it has many nonprofits and small businesses quivering a little bit. It’s important to remember that there are many facets to this new act and to understand the potential repercussions, both positive and negative.

By: Sarah Tedesco, Executive VP at DonorSearch

Back in June of this year, NonProfit Pro published an article about the five "Donor Love Languages," stemming from Dr. Gary Chapman's well-known book about strengthening romantic relationships, "The 5 Love Languages." With Thanksgiving on the horizon, many of us really start to think about the things, people and situations that we are thankful for. Oftentimes, these include our family, friends, jobs and opportunities and Thanksgiving and the holiday season offer the ideal chance to show love and thankfulness in a very tangible way.

You're a dedicated fundraiser with a passion for your mission. You know the ins and outs of major gift programs, creating campaigns, organizing donor data, segmenting your constituents and handling appeals. But asking for donations, no matter how seasoned you are in the world of fundraising, can still be intimidating and even a little awkward.

Even if you're typically relaxed, easy-going and go-with-the-flow, there's a little bit of Type A in all of us. When you're walking through the store and see a jar of peanut butter facing the wrong direction, one shirt unfolded, a roll of paper towel in the soup aisle... there's a little piece of all of us that gets driven a little crazy by these inconsistencies.

It’s that time of year again, and whether you’re holding on tight to the last few remnants of summer with your kids or ushering them out the door, back-to-school is inevitable. By the time they’re getting on the bus to head to their first day of school, you are confident that their lunch is packed, backpack is zipped, supplies are purchased, they’re rocking their first-day-of-school outfit and you’re mentally prepared not to cry (OK, maybe a little) this year. They’re ready and you’re ready to take on another year.

We won’t deny it – working for a nonprofit organization is hard. Limited funding, endless hours of work that so often goes unrecognized, number crunching, task juggling and fundraising. While Metafile is not a nonprofit, we work closely with the organizations who work day and night to accomplish their missions and see the blood, sweat and tears that nonprofiteers put into their work. This, and many other blog posts out in cyberspace, probably make you wonder why anyone would ever choose to work for a nonprofit.

Each year, Giving USA releases its annual Report on Philanthropy for 2016. This report is one of the most respected yearly updates on trends and stats in the philanthropic realm in the U.S. We are constantly amazed by the momentum and forward movement within this space.

Let’s be real here: Everyone, at some point, has dreamed of being a superhero. Flying at the speed of light, saving the world from evil, using your supersonic strength to move mountains, having the latest and greatest superhero gear and gadgets…

Getting your executive director or upper management on-board to adopt new software technology can be difficult. Between the associated costs, time spent transferring data and the learning curve involved, many nonprofit executive directors will keep outdated technology (or no technology) indefinitely. In case you need more fodder to convince your leadership team that new technology is for you, here’s another reason you may not have thought of yet: It’s good for the environment, too! With Earth Day coming up tomorrow, it’s great to remind ourselves that being environmentally friendly should go beyond just one day of the year. And, believe it or not, technology, like a donor management system, can help you do that. How?

As a millennial PR and communications professional, I think it’s safe to say that I love me some social media. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Snapchat, LinkedIn – I’m always plugged in. And while we can debate whether or not this is healthy another time, it’s clear that the best way to connect with me is through digital means. In the words of children’s cartoon character, Kim Possible, “Call me, beep me if you want to reach me!”

We are one month into 2017, and we hope that you are on-track to achieve both your personal and professional resolutions! This year promises to be an innovative and transformative year in the nonprofit industry, and we are excited to see what it ha09s in store. Here are some of the fundraising trends we’re keeping our eyes on in 2017:

2016 is coming to an end and, while some of us are bidding it a sad farewell, many are pushing it out the door and are anxiously awaiting a fresh new year.

Importing data into your database can be a very efficient method for updating your donor information. For newbies or first-time importers, however, it can also be a bit intimidating.

In 1918, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, an agreement was signed in a forest outside of Paris to end hostilities between Germany and the Allies at the end of World War I. It was the beginning of the end of World War I and the start of Armistice Day, celebrated by many allied countries to honor and remember those who serve the military of their countries.  In the United States it has evolved into what is now Veteran’s Day, a federal holiday set aside to honor any and all persons who have served in the armed forces.

Have you ever gone to a home improvement store and bought all the materials for a project, then got home and asked yourself, “Now what do I do with all of this?”

By Karrie Wozniak, VP of Sales and Marketing at BidPal

Yesterday, the USA Women’s Gymnastics Team took home the gold medal at the Rio Olympics. And not only are they officially the best women’s gymnastics team in the world right now, but they may be the best women’s gymnastics team EVER.

The 2016 presidential election is coming up, and whether you are enjoying the debating, political-ranting, opponent-bashing and candidate paraphernalia or not, it’s impossible to escape. The U.S. is completely consumed in politics right now as Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton duke it out for the position of President of the United States. The election propaganda has taken over more than just your Facebook and Twitter feeds – it's also affecting charitable giving and fundraising. But not in the way you might think.

It seems that there is some new technology available to development professionals nearly every day. Phrases like ‘data-driven decisions,’ ‘mobile optimization,’ ‘cloud-based computing’ were not even on our horizons just a few short years ago. And yet here we are, using terminology like this in our planning, strategy, and day-to-day discussions. It appears that we just won’t be able to survive in the future if we don’t adapt to and take advantage of all the technological developments that are currently available.

I belong to a list serve of people in the senior-services sector of the nonprofit industry, some of whom are fairly new to the world of fundraising and development. Today someone posed a question to other members of the group, seeking advice on how to get started:

Take a second to think about the organizations that you are drawn to the most. Which would you be more inclined to give to: The local nonprofit that sends a generic letter asking for a donation for their upcoming event? Or an organization who details their mission through photos, videos and personal details to give you a sense of the urgency and need for your donation?

The annual AFP International Fundraising Conference is coming up in less than two weeks, and we are so excited to be jetting off to Boston to exhibit again this year! When it comes to attending conferences, we fancy ourselves to be pretty much experts. And since we are AFP International Fundraising Conference veterans, we have compiled a list of tips and tricks to make sure you’re getting the most out of your conference experience.

There is a fascinating discussion beginning to play out in the media regarding data privacy and security. It’s a battle between the FBI and Apple over a cell phone used by one of the attackers in the mass shooting at the San Bernadino County Department of Public Health on December 2, 2015.

At your organization, you likely have a great team behind you, each member with a unique set of skills. When combined, these team members enhance your mission and make your organization more diverse and well-rounded.

By Adam Weinger, President of Double the Donation

On this last day of work before the Christmas holiday here at Metafile, there are people wearing Santa hats, and goodies galore. Even in the midst of a strategy session or team meeting, someone’s earrings will be blinking or a holiday pen will be scribbling notes.

By Jack Karako, Founding Principal and Strategist at IMPACTism

Anyone currently using EventsPlus should know by now that support for this legacy special event management application will soon be ending. That may be unsettling for those who prefer things to stay as they are, but with most change also comes new opportunity. In this case, the new Projects area of ResultsPlus is the new opportunity, and it’s designed to be a better fit for current-day event management.

I’d be willing to bet that one of the most valuable features of ResultsPlus (or any donor management system, for that matter) is also one of the most under-utilized. I’m talking about constituent-relationship management:  the fields in your database that allow you to define, record, monitor, compile, analyze, and report on your major donor cultivation progress.

By Richard Smith, DonorSearch

Interested in learning more about your current donors but don’t know where to start? Researching prospective or current donors can be a daunting challenge, especially if your organization hasn’t conducted prospect research before.

Tomorrow is System Administrator Appreciation Day, and we want to use this week’s blog post to say how much we appreciate our System Administrators here at Metafile, and why you should show yours how truly thankful you are for them.

By Sarah Tedesco, DonorSearch

In all likelihood, you’ve heard about the benefits of casting a wide net. Whether sending out job applications or entering the dating game, expanding your options can help you succeed in the long run. Shouldn’t the same strategy hold true for nonprofit fundraising?

If you haven’t yet started receiving donations online, you may have a little catching up to do. In this digital day and age, so many donors – particularly younger ones – are more apt to go online to accomplish nearly everything, including making a charitable gift. And like with traditional giving methods, the easier you make the task, the more likely the donor will complete the steps that result in a successful donation to your mission.

One of the most important aspects of donor retention is making sure to thank your constituents for their contribution to your cause. Letting them know that they are appreciated and that their money was put to good use is a major factor in turning one-time donors into repeat donors.

Many of us in the nonprofit industry rely on email to correspond with donors and prospects, whether it’s asking for a gift, reminding them about an upcoming event or thanking them for a donation. If your response and click-through rates are not where you would like them to be, it may be time to rethink your nonprofit email marketing campaign and try some new tactics.

It’s all over Facebook, blogs, Twitter, Pinterest and nonprofit publications.

Does it feel like the millennial generation is speaking a foreign language? With their eyes glued to computer, smartphone and tablet screens, it seems that today’s young adults are uninterested in face-to-face communication and that they’re lazy and can’t drag themselves away from their electronic devices.

Shortcuts can sure get a bum rap.  They’re too often associated with negative concepts like laziness, poor quality and undesirable outcomes. But I’m a fan, and I personally think they have some pretty important uses. (Example: that store-bought pie crust I used for my Thanksgiving Day offering last week.)

We hear it at least a few times per year: “The home of the free because of the brave.”

Our local community is observing National Philanthropy Day on Thursday, Nov. 6. The Southern Minnesota Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals has organized and promoted a gathering of donors, nonprofits and beneficiaries to share, learn and celebrate. It’s been happening for more than 10 years, but this year may be the best yet. It will feature Jerold Panas, a nationally-recognized (and internationally-known) expert in the field of philanthropy, as the keynote speaker.

Regardless of when your organizations’ fiscal year ends, your donors operate on a ‘fiscal’ year that ends on December 31st. We know that because that’s what the IRS tells us. And since donors often behave in predictable ways based on the calendar (e.g. giving surges in December), it makes sense for you to use the January-December timeframe for analysis and reporting – regardless of what your accounting year is.

We’re nearing the end of summer, which generally causes some predictable things to happen here at Metafile. Our support team tends to get busier as our customers return to a ‘normal’ office routine. Summer vacations wind down, new school years are prepared for, and employees on reduced summer schedules are back in the office full-time.

Memorial Day – the official start of summer. For schools, it’s the start of those precious 2-3 months when all the planning gets done. Often it’s a time when people take vacations or are just not as available as they are at other times of the year. And for many, it’s the slowest time of the year in terms of donor activity.

I've recently been getting communications from an organization of which I've been a member for a number of years. And I've been getting communications regarding my lack of renewal, which prompted me to go online and renew. The reason I'm mentioning this is because it reminded me of a number of things that I like when it comes to communications from my favorite organizations-especially in regard to lapsed donor/renewal communications. Each of these things can be managed/made easier with CRM software. If you're a ResultsPlus user and don't know how, please give us a call!