40 Lessons Learned by Nonprofit Professionals in 2015

“If you try to be relevant to everyone, you’ll be relevant to no one. Define who your audience is, what they want, and what you can teach them.”

“Use social and web analytics to learn who your audience is. Whether it be demographics or interests, tailor content to your audience for better engagement and conversions.”

“Get to know your audience. Empower them to be a part of your mission. And even if it is subtle, always provide them with a call to action.”

“Believe in the potential of the communities you serve and partner with. Let them lead.”

“If we listen and know those we attempt to serve, we will value them and affirm their dignity. Sustainable development WILL happen.”

“It’s not about you or your organization. It’s about the donor and what they can do with their gift.”

“Know your vision, know your next step, and empower your audience to help you get there.”

“Build a committed and loyal base of supporters that is so strong that the biggest challenge will be keeping up with their desire to help. Good Luck!”

“Set yourself up for success. Have the right infrastructure in place so that you can maximize your outreach and learn even more about your audience and their preferences.”

“An end of year campaign is putting oneself into the mindset of a potential donor. Sometimes you have to roll the hard six to connect to your cause.”

“We found that one powerful, Instagram-able image can make a big difference when shared by influencers.”

“Find new ways to create a dialogue online with your supporters. Help them share your organization’s story with their friends.”

“Classy’s platform interface allows for comments and encouragement leading to more successful campaigns and hands-on approach to donor care.”

“Mobile-friendly, easy ways to engage with you are critical. Combine this with real stories about the impact you have on the lives of others.”

“Making the ask: a no is sometimes just as good as a yes. At least you know.”

“While social media has impacted nonprofit stakeholder engagement strategies, it is no substitution for building meaningful connection and authentic community.”

“Treat all supporters like seven-figure donors and track all interactions with them. Be bold, be different, be real.”

“Keep your donors in mind for every detail—aim to surprise and delight them, from choosing the envelope to crafting your donor page.”

“Tiered incentives worked great for #Fellows2016 fundraising campaign. $50 gets you a postcard from Ecuador, $200 gets you an Ecuadorian meal.”

“Treat each donation as if it were the single largest gift you ever received—your sincerity and deep appreciation will foster many more!”

“#GivingTuesday is the day to celebrate all your philanthropists, big and small, for their efforts. At PCI, we stewarded all donors the same day and treated them like our biggest donor, regardless of the size of their gift.”

“Hire the most talented, committed, and emotionally intelligent team members in the world. Then, support them to your utmost… and get out of their way so they can create, produce, and change the world.”

“People are the most important thing for any startup organization. Without dedicated people, you won’t accomplish your mission. Work hard to find the right people for your board, staff, and volunteerism. A charity is only as good as the dedication level from the people who want to see the mission succeed.”

“The transformative experiences that lead to true sustainability are found not in the outcome, but in the process of working together.”

“No organization can go it alone. Be creative and work with other nonprofits—even some that might be considered competitors—to magnify and amplify results. At WWP we are aggressively investing in and with nonprofits to reshape the charity landscape and reimagine new ways to collaborate for greater impact in the lives of wounded service members.”

“Stay focused on your mission and take pleasure in small, useful achievements. Remember, you work with someone else’s money, so do good by doing well!”

“Define and refine. Define who you are as an organization and stick to it! Refine what you do through monitoring, learning, and adapting.”

“Frame the issue, stay on message, and repeat, repeat, repeat.”

“Shape the work you do around the opinions and priorities of those in need, not a funding source.”

“#2015LessonsLearned: Mistakes made in programming lead to opportunity, creativity, and innovation. Be ok with it and share it with others.”

“At Boot Campaign, flexibility and agility help us advance our mission of patriotism, awareness of veterans’ issues, and assistance for military families. We work hard, try new things, fail fast, and listen to the needs of our constituents. We’re not afraid to take risks, but measure everything against our WHY to ensure we’re efficient and effective in what we do.”

“Support and recognize your peer fundraisers, and give them the tools to be the very best spokespeople for your mission. Their voice amplifies the reach of the organization!”

“New peer-to-peer donors are a potential pipeline for your organization’s future, invest in building a relationship with them.”

“Securing ambitious matching funds was key to our success. Our volunteers were eager to meet the challenge, and blew past the goal we’d set.”

“Special project fundraising tied to compelling outcomes desired by the donor is the secret to new donor major gift success.”

“Be authentic, be human, do serious work. But don’t take yourself too seriously.”

“A campaign that is fun, interesting, and inspirational to create is more likely to be fun, interesting, and inspirational to receive!”

“Sweat all the details, but remember this is fun. You have changed the world! #haiku #Base2Space”

“If you’re not growing, you’re dying. The most important people to listen to are your beneficiaries and their developing needs.”

“Never get comfortable. Always examine your product and throw out whatever is not working. Reinvent yourself if needed. Never lose your hunger.”