Fundraising

I've been asked a lot recently on podcasts how to evaluate and think about large sponsorships. At ClickUp, we had a strategic partnership with the San Diego Padres that was extremely beneficial from an activation perspective. Here are some key points on how it worked/ was structured: 1. Embedded Partnership: It was important for us to be as integrated into their ecosystem as they were in ours. Our agreement included them using ClickUp as their primary work management tool across several departments. This integration was beneficial in many ways, helping them to speak our language when building out assets and discussing different aspects of our sponsorship. 2. High-Quality Content: We brought our team on board and ensured we had almost unlimited access to tell their story alongside ours. Baseball has a rich history and underwent significant transformations during the pandemic and when everything reopened. We were alongside them for that journey and wanted to tell that story through high-quality content. 3. Fluidity: I dislike rigid agreements. Life and business are dynamic, and our agreements should reflect that. We structured our partnership to be as fluid as possible, allowing us to add assets ad-hoc and make real-time changes. This created a true two-way partnership where both parties were continually thinking about how to further utilize each other. In many ways, it was one of the best partnerships/sponsorships I've done in my career (and I've done a lot). When evaluating potential sponsorships, beyond market fit and target demographics, consider the type of relationship you want with your partners. Look for organizations that align with that vision—it will pay dividends.

Your development director has 20 years of experience and can't close a major gift. Your new hire with 2 years of experience just secured $100,000. The difference isn't knowledge. It's emotional intelligence. I see this pattern constantly. The seasoned fundraiser talks too much in donor meetings. Pitches before asking questions. Can't read when a donor is ready to give or needs more time. The newer fundraiser listens more than they speak. Picks up on body language. Knows when to push and when to pause. Technical skills get you in the door. Emotional intelligence closes the gift. This applies to your entire fundraising operation. With your team: Can you sense when your development director is burning out before they quit? Do you know which staff members need public recognition and which prefer private acknowledgment? With your board: Can you read which members are ready to make asks and which need more support? Do you know who responds to data and who responds to stories? With your donors: Can you tell the difference between polite interest and genuine engagement? Do you know when "let me think about it" means yes, no, or actually let me think about it? You can teach someone your CRM system. You can train them on your programs. You can hand them scripts and templates. You cannot teach them to care about people. You cannot train intuition. When I'm hiring, I use Patrick Lencioni's ideal team player framework. Hungry, humble, and smart. Smart doesn't mean intellectually capable. Smart means emotional intelligence. Do you have the ability to read the room and understand how to show up in a way that is meaningful to the person you're communicating with? Hire for emotional intelligence. Develop it in your team. Practice it yourself. Because in fundraising, the ability to understand people matters more than the ability to understand processes.

Your gala just ended. You raised $125K. Everyone's exhausted. So you send a thank you email with photos. Just like every other nonprofit. And just like every other nonprofit, you watch those attendees disappear until next year's event. Here's what actually works: Your guests don't need another generic thank you. They need to see what their money did. The nonprofits converting event attendees into year-round donors follow a 10-day impact workflow: Day 1: Text thank you (personal, brief, sets the tone) Day 2: Email with photos and a single impact metric ("Your $50K will provide 200 families with...") Day 5: Impact story (one beneficiary, real name, what changed because of Saturday night) Day 7: Second impact story (different angle, reinforces the mission) Day 10: The ask (specific, tied directly to the stories they just read) But here's the part most people miss: not everyone gets the same sequence. Who bid? Who bought raffle tickets? Who was a first time attendee? Use that data to trigger different follow-ups: Bidders get a call from your ED before the email sequence even starts. Raffle participants get SMS nudges on Day 8 ("You bought raffle tickets. Would you consider a monthly gift of $20?") First-time guests get a longer nurture sequence focused on education, not asks. The workflow isn't complicated. But it requires two things most nonprofits skip: reviewing your event data and planning the sequence before the event ends. Stop treating your gala like the finish line. It's lead gen. And the real fundraising starts the moment your guests leave.

In the past 6 weeks, 3 nonprofits asked me to be their "consultant". I said no because it didn't feel right to charge them when I knew I'd give them this same advice anyway: 1. Change your donation form default from one-time to recurring, today. One study across 600,000 potential donors found that optimizing default frequency increased recurring conversions by 27%. Other research suggests the effect is higher. Recurring donors stay 8 years on average vs 1.7 years for one-time donors. That's roughly 2x donor lifetime value and better cash flow predictability. 2. Corporations don't want to fund you. They want to protect their reputation. With rare exceptions (Patagonia, Ben & Jerry's), corporate foundations fund established nonprofits with track records and existing institutional backing. They're not looking for the best cause -- they're looking for the safest bet, which is why: 3) If you're not bragging, you're losing. Every big check from an institution has two benefits: a) cash and b) legitimacy If you're not posting on social media, "Thank you X corporation/foundation for this $Y dollars grant to do Z", you're capturing half the value of their gift. Our top users all do this because: a) the grantor loves the publicity and is more likely to give again b) it reduces perceived risk for new funders 4) The "untrackable" stuff has the highest ROI. Your 990. Your annual report and Instagram. Your website. Your ED's LinkedIn. Funders review all of it before they ever read your proposal. I met with the head of a corporate foundation last week and this exactly what she told me. You can't measure it in a CRM, but it's influencing every large funding decision behind the scenes. The best example of this is that: 5) DAFs are a $326B blind spot. Donor-advised funds now hold more than $326 billion -- and they're growing 28% each year. But I spoke with a DAF director -- they're opaque. No application. No clear contact. No public priorities. As active fundraising gets harder, your passive public presence matters more than ever. 6) Having 9 revenue streams isn't diversified. It's over-extended. For example, a community kitchen with catering, cooking classes, food pantry, delivered meals, banquets, school trips, merchandise, and grants. That's not a strategy, that's bad bookkeeping. You haven't calculated ROI on each stream, and you're subsidizing losers with winners, and burning out your team in the process. Real diversification = 2-3 streams you're excellent at. Not 9 you're barely holding together. Until next time, Ben

Your Impact Report is Probably Boring (And It's Costing You Donors) One approach puts donors to sleep. The other opens wallets. Which are you choosing? Effective storytelling in impact reports is key. Here's how to do it: Start with a Hook: Before: "We provided 10,000 meals last year." After: "Maria turned our food bank into a stepping stone for her family's future.” Use the "Before and After" Technique: Before: "Our job training program had a 75% success rate." After: "John went from homeless to homeowner in 18 months. Here's how our program made it possible..." Incorporate Sensory Details: Before: "We built a new playground." After: "Where there was once an empty lot, kids now laugh and play. The bright red slides and yellow swings have brought new life to the neighborhood. Parents chat on nearby benches, watching their children make new friends and create lasting memories.” Showcase Donor Impact: Before: "Your donations helped us achieve our goals." After: "Because of supporters like you, Sarah received the life-saving surgery she needed. Here's a letter from her family..." Use Data Visualization: Before: "We increased literacy rates by 40%." After: [Include an infographic showing a child's journey from struggling reader to honor roll student, with key stats along the way] End with a Clear Call-to-Action: Before: "Please consider donating." After: "For just $50, you can provide a month of tutoring for a child like Tommy." How to implement this: ☑️Identify your most compelling success stories ☑️ Gather quotes and personal anecdotes from beneficiaries ☑️Collect before-and-after photos or data points ☑️ Craft your narratives using the techniques above ☑️ Test different versions with a small group of donors ☑️ Refine based on feedback and roll out your new, story-driven impact report

A ‘major’ donor said to me once “The only reason I give honestly is because of you." While it might sound like the ultimate compliment, it’s actually a red flag. Here’s why: Donors should be engaged through a hearts-and-minds approach, but not just a single person. Of course, part of my job is building trust and personal connections—but if I’m the only contact for that donor, we’ve got a problem. Sustainable funding is the goal…not just immediate dollars in the door driven by one person. If the donor doesn’t trust at least two other people at the organization, I haven’t set them up to truly invest in the work itself. My charm might open the door, but their belief in the mission is what weaves them into the ecosystem. They shouldn’t just be riding for me—they should be riding for the impact, the purpose, the vision. So yeah, it’s a cute moment for my ego, but it also means I needed to organize my team and do a little more. Program staff touchpoints beyond the development folks are crucial. Donor relationships that depend solely on me don’t ensure longevity—and this work demands sustainability. Make sure folks are riding for your work, not just you. #SustainableFunding #BuildingTrust #AskSadé #SadeKnows

I surveyed 50 nonprofit boards about fundraising. The struggling organizations had "fundraising boards." The thriving ones had "ambassador boards." The distinction matters. Effective board fundraising isn't about asking—it's about connecting: • Boards focused on "making the ask" report 27% lower participation rates • Boards trained as ambassadors engage 4X more donors through their networks • Organizations with ambassador boards raise 3X more than those with traditional fundraising boards One organization reframed board fundraising as "sharing passion" instead of "asking for money" and saw 100% board participation for the first time in 15 years. The most effective fundraising boards don't sell—they share. How do you engage your board in fundraising? Share your approach.

Donors don’t remember what you asked for. They remember how you made them feel. No donor remembers your budget line. They remember the moment they felt seen. Last year, I worked with a mid-sized charity struggling with donor retention. Their appeals were beautiful — but donors weren’t coming back. When we looked closer, it wasn’t the messaging that was broken. It was the feeling. Or more accurately, the lack of feeling. Every email spoke at their donors. None spoke to them. So we rewrote their follow-ups. We started with: “You made this possible.” We ended with: “How did this story make you feel?” Within six months, repeat giving rose by 38%. Fundraising isn’t persuasion!!! It’s connection!!! Donors don’t remember the amount you asked for — they remember the moment you helped them feel part of something bigger than themselves. Before you send your next appeal, pause and ask: → “Where’s the feeling in this message?” → “Would I be moved to respond?” If the answer is no, start again. This is the philosophy that drives all my work: Fundraising is meaning, not money. AI, data, and strategy matter — but they should amplify empathy, not replace it. If you’re rethinking your donor strategy for 2026, start with how you make people feel. That’s where loyalty — and legacy — begin

Identifying your target audience is step one. Success in business requires much more: It's one thing to know who you're selling to. It's another thing to know: - Where they spend their time - What mindset they're in when they encounter your message - What triggers them to take action That's the message behind this Lamborghini quote: Don't spend money trying to reach buyers in the wrong places. Most brands ignore this principle. They launch campaigns and run ads without asking fundamental questions: ➡️ Where does our customer actually spend time online? ➡️ What moment are we trying to reach them in? ➡️ What problem are they trying to solve when they see our message? The platform matters as much as the message. But so does the context. If you're selling enterprise SaaS to tech leads... They're searching Google for solutions. That's intent-driven behavior. Instagram won't capture that moment. If you're targeting founders running DTC brands... They're listening to podcasts during commutes,  checking Slack between meetings, and reading emails at night. They're not passively scrolling TikTok looking for business tools. If you're marketing luxury wellness retreats... Your buyers are researching through referrals and testimonials. They want proof from people they trust,  Not direct response ads interrupting their feed. Understanding this changes how you allocate budget. Your customer isn't everyone. And being present on a platform doesn't mean they're in buying mode. Someone scrolling Instagram at 11 PM is in entertainment mode. Someone searching Google at 2 PM is in solution mode. It’s the same person, but with a different intent and conversion likelihood. That's why relevance is a critical component of any scalable advertising system. At Ad Pros, we map out three things before launching anything: ✅ Audience behavior:  Where they spend time and what they're doing there ✅ Platform mechanics:  Which platforms reward the type of content that fits your message ✅ Timing and intent:  When they're most likely to act and what triggers that action The right message is only half of the work that needs to be done. To convert, you need the right message, at the right time, on the right platform. Ready to add $1m/month to your eCommerce business? Join the waitlist: https://lnkd.in/e-Av-tdY Do you know where your audience spends most of their time?  Leave a comment below with your thoughts. ♻️ Repost to share this reminder with your network.  Follow Nehal Kazim for more advertising strategy.

Stop treating your CRO like a vendor - and start treating them like a partner. CROs aren't just service providers you hire and forget. Instead, they are strategic partners who can make or break your study success. Instead of: "We hired them to execute our plan."   Think: "We partnered with them to achieve our shared goals." But - what does make a sponsor-CRO relationship successful? Trust: The basis for solving problems together. When a site is struggling with enrollment, the partners brainstorm solutions as a team rather than playing the blame game. Transparency: The best sponsors give their CROs full context and not just task lists. The better I know the sponsor's goals, the better I can manage (my/your) our study. The partners have a common goal. Flexibility: We need to acknowledge that protocols may change, timelines shift, and unexpected challenges arise. The better the risk assessment, the higher the accepted need for flexibility. Respect: We must not forget that success is collective. Partnering on the sponsor side means: Choosing CROs based on capability and cultural fit, not just the lowest bid.  Investing time in relationship building, not just contract negotiations. And providing regular feedback, not just when problems arise. And CROs? They should think like owners, not contractors. They bring solutions and consult in case of challenges. They communicate proactively, especially when things go wrong. Let us be honest: Most CRO professionals entered this industry for the same reason as pharma, biotech or medtech professionals: Namely to help bringing life-changing treatments to patients. What does partnership look like in your sponsor-CRO relationship? #ClinicalResearch #SponsorCRO #Partnership #ClinicalTrials #Collaboration