How to Create a Culture of Learning at Your Nonprofit
Your nonprofit’s impact begins with learning. After all, donors, or as Convergent Nonprofit Solutions refers to them, investors, need to learn about your cause before they commit their time or resources to support you. At the same time, your staff members need to pursue continuous learning opportunities to fulfill their roles with confidence. Building a […]
Why, How and When to Communicate Your Nonprofit Outcomes
Convergent Nonprofit Solutions has successfully completed nonprofit fundraising campaigns throughout the country by focusing on outcomes, not outputs. These are two distinct concepts used to measure and communicate the impact of their programs and activities, outputs and outcomes. Outputs are tangible activities such as the number of classes held, people housed, or children tutored, and […]
Leveraging Your EOY Fundraising Data for Campaigns
In Q1, nonprofits, chambers, and economic development organizations should review their 2022 giving data in an EOY fundraising review. It is essential to identify critical insights into year-end gifts that could lead to long-term investor relationships and future contributions. In a previous blog, Turning Data into Dollars, Convergent’s General Manager Brian Abernathy referenced real examples of organizations […]
The Importance of Outcomes in Today’s Fundraising
As we watch the national economy–and each of our own communities–grapple with the pandemic, nonprofits cannot lose sight of the element most crucial to their sustainability and even survival: Investable OutcomesTM. In our Emerge Ready: Fundraising During and After COVID-19 webinar, we shared the results of a survey of nonprofit leaders. Our research showed that […]
Lessons for Economic Developers from the COVID-19 Crisis
What makes an economic development organization more or less effective in times of crisis? Reflecting on her education in natural disaster mitigation and management, Christa Franzi from Camoin 310 talked to the Economic Development Council of Maine (EDCM) about the things that economic developers are being called to do as the COVID-19 crisis continues, and lessons […]
A Feasibility Study: The First Step to Fundraising in Uncertain Times
I recently spoke on our podcast with four members of our Convergent team about their experiences during the Great Recession of 2008-2010. Senior Project Director Doug Croft was running the Thomasville Chamber in North Carolina and Senior Project Director Dennis Hinkle led the Greater Burlington Partnership in Iowa at that time. Both were involved in capital campaigns for their […]