As employees, stakeholders, and customers become more vocal about their desire to see CSR in action, corporations and nonprofits must seek each other out and connect on shared visions and values to outline unique corporate giving opportunities that help everyone win.

We’ll help you understand what CSR programs are and how you can use this growth opportunity to establish meaningful partnerships with top corporations nationwide.

A Quick Overview of Corporate Social Responsibility 

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) isn’t required, but it is a growing expectation for for-profit businesses to create value beyond the bottom line. Instead, CSR intends to introduce achievable and long-term outcomes to nonprofit and for-profit organizations that make the world a better place. 

Companies may create special CSR projects, start a movement, connect to an existing cause and organization, or choose to empower employees to take action on any cause that matters most to them.

Examples of Corporate Social Responsibility

There are several types of CSR that business leaders can prioritize. Areas of focus center on the industry, stakeholders, and market where an organization can gain a competitive advantage with customers. The following key areas are where many businesses develop CSR strategies:

• Environmental responsibility: The belief is that organizations should opt for the most environmentally friendly behavior possible, from sustainability and reducing potentially harmful practices (like pollution or carbon footprint) to regulating emissions and energy consumption. This can also mean offsetting negative environmental impact by funding research, donating to environmental nonprofits, and getting involved with environmental actions, such as planting trees or cleaning local parks.
• Ethical responsibility: The expectations of business practices are fair and ethical in treating stakeholders, leaders, investors, employees, supply chains, and customers. Ethical behavior may also mean creating standards for products, ingredients, materials, or components and sourcing according to fair-trade regulations.
• Philanthropic responsibility:  The sentiment businesses take to play an active role in making the world a better place through donations, volunteerism, and long-term partnerships with nonprofits that align on missions. Organizations can donate a portion of earnings, match employee-giving amounts, get involved in campaigns, and sponsor fundraising events.

The Growth of Corporate Social Responsibility in the United States

Increasingly, it’s becoming crucial for businesses to establish and showcase CSR efforts to various stakeholders to gain their trust and respect. Modern consumers are far more conscious of topics such as climate change, health care disparities, and social inequalities, which translates into higher expectations of the businesses they work for and shop from to echo that education and understanding. 

We see the same patterns of topics reflected when we looked at the top current events that drove donors to give in 2022: international human rights crises, climate change, reproductive rights and women’s health, and disability rights. These expectations continue to fuel more extensive, creative, and permanent CSR initiatives. This gets at the heart of social impact: informing business strategies that gain loyalty from the new generations of customers and employees that determine success. 

A recent study found that 76% of companies report on CSR to reduce brand reputation risk, and 83% of employees would consider leaving their jobs if the company displayed irresponsible CSR practices.¹

Why Corporate Social Responsibility Is Good for Nonprofits

One of the easiest ways for companies to maintain a strong CSR program is to build relationships with trusted nonprofits. These charitable organizations already have fundraising initiatives, events, campaigns, and donation processes that support greater communities in need. 

Corporate leaders want to make the right decision before signing a formal partnership agreement, just like nonprofits need to be cautious about potential partners for the sake of reputation. To help expedite the process and get your organization on the radar, consider proactively pitching a corporate partnership to add value to your team and theirs once you’ve identified them as a strong match.

Corporate partnerships serve as a long-term solution for CSR growth and an expansion strategy for your nonprofit’s mission. Everyone wins when you present a mutually beneficial relationship to a for-profit business you feel good about partnering with on shared goals. 

Let’s explore how you can impress a room of executives with a well-thought-out pitch.

How to Pitch Partnerships to Businesses

1. Find the Right Organizations

Start by narrowing down a handful of organizations to pitch your nonprofit to, knowing you may want to work with a few. While revenue and brand names feel like the most important determinants of your decision, look beyond the surface and into the heart of an organization to find the best fit. You can also choose organizations that employ and serve demographics that match your ideal donor base, knowing the exposure and awareness opportunities that lie ahead.

Then, explore social media channels, websites, and press coverage to learn about an organization’s personality. One example of company research that can help you understand how to frame your pitch is looking for a dedicated environmental, social, and governance (ESG) page like this one from Starbucks. When you know what matters to a business, you can find common ground for building a relationship.

Pitching a socially responsible company with a long-term commitment means looking at how well the organization will grow with your nonprofit and honoring the aspects that make you unique. If you pitch multiple organizations, personalize your message to showcase the thoughtfulness that went into selecting them for a meaningful first impression.

2. Present Multiple Options

The best way to engage corporate partners is to be ready with various ways to get involved in your organization. Here are a few options to include in your pitch based on your priorities, the campaigns that lead to the best results for your organization, and the CSR program they currently have: 

• Direct giving: Present a customized crowdfunding campaign that helps a business tell your story and celebrates donors’ positive impact in real-time, with co-branding that elevates them and their reputation.
• Gift matching: Show leaders how simple it is to establish employee gift matching and its benefit for employee engagement to retain those who want to feel their organization’s support. When you have an accessible way to establish donation matching and easily track performance across the organizations you pitch, you can present a competitive edge.
• Event sponsorship: Create tailored sponsorship packages to attract businesses with the reputation benefits of attaching their brand to your larger efforts or hosting a unique event created just for them. It could be helpful to include a branding mock-up across your event materials to emphasize how simple this option can be for them to incorporate.
• Peer-to-peer fundraising:  Show off a way to involve the whole team. This is another great way to mock up a co-branded peer-to-peer fundraising campaign to show businesses how simple it is to share across staff. You can make it fun by setting a company-wide goal and having teams or groups compete to raise the most, tapping into their friends and family for the greatest support.

When your partnership opportunities align with CSR strategies the organization has expressed interest in, leaders can start to envision the value of a partnership more clearly. 

3. Create a Repeatable Strategy

Businesses are all about long-term thinking, which means showcasing the longevity of a nonprofit partnership is essential. One way to do this is to emphasize how easy it is to spin up new campaigns unique to the business and its branding.

Campaign templates for crowdfunding and peer-to-peer campaigns are a great asset for the organization to establish an annual fundraising effort. It’s also an excellent tool to help run seasonal campaigns, such as a spring event. Businesses will appreciate that you help them showcase a more consistent philanthropic influence without additional effort. 

You can also edit permissions within a campaign template on Classy and lock elements you don’t want to change. That helps you offer autonomy to the marketing, public relations, or human resources teams that may lead your partnership efforts on the business side. Pair that with the reporting and metrics available on each campaign, and you have a solid formula for a long-term partnership built to scale with CSR program demands.

4. Encourage Employee Engagement

As you solidify your pitch, reiterate the value of employee engagement with opportunities to get people involved. Remember, modern younger employees want to do more than donate passively to a good cause. They want to be intimately involved in the cause and understand how their contribution influences the bigger picture. 

This is a beautiful place to highlight volunteerism, employee fundraising, and donation matching as key components of the organization’s talent attraction and retention strategies. Help businesses envision how to display your partnership on career sites, in job descriptions, and within employee onboarding materials. 

Not only does this appeal to an important topic for many businesses, as employee turnover remains a risk, but it also solidifies the partnership and loyalty of an entirely new donor base for your organization that can stay with you even if they move jobs in the future.

Present Your Strongest Corporate Partnership Pitch

Your corporate partnership pitch can meet the moment of heightened CSR efforts. With a repeatable, mutually beneficial process for driving direct donations, storytelling, and employee engagement, your nonprofit is in a prime position to land trusted corporate partners. 

Classy’s comprehensive fundraising platform makes corporate partnerships easier by: 

• Customizing co-branded crowdfunding campaigns that tell your story and celebrate donor impact to encourage giving
• Tailoring sponsorship packages for organizations to include their branding on your event page, virtual venue, and event swag or auction items
• Empowering employees to fundraise on your behalf with peer-to-peer fundraising and corporate gift matching to make their gifts go further

We help you remove the barriers and elevate your cause with an audience of supporters ready to form fruitful, long-term relationships. 

Learn more about the thousands of nonprofits that choose Classy to power corporate partnerships and the tools available to bring your vision to life.

Copy Editor: Ayanna Julien

Article Source

1. “Essential Corporate Social Responsibility Statistics in 2023,” ZipDo, accessed September 5, 2023, https://zipdo.co/statistics/corporate-social-responsibility/.

As more people enjoy the convenience of tuning into regular audio-based episodes, influencers, individual hosts, and nonprofit organizations respond with fresh content and more podcasts. In May 2023, there were over 4 million total podcasts registered around the world.1

So how do you know where to begin or what’s worth listening to? We’ve got you covered. Check out 18 of our top recommendations to add to your podcast lineup.

What Are the Benefits of Nonprofit Podcasts?

Podcasts are an invaluable tool for nonprofit professionals to identify new ways to scale their impact, grow their community of supporters, and apply new fundraising growth tactics to their strategy. Incredible resources for nonprofits exist in all forms, but a podcast is arguably the most convenient—it can accompany you on walks, car rides, workouts, and household cleaning days.

Nonprofit podcasts also reflect the current state of the nonprofit sector and keep up with timely commentary as it evolves. When you subscribe to a podcast, you have consistent access to essential conversations in real time. 

The dozen we’re about to introduce will inspire social change leaders, interesting fundraising strategies, nonprofit marketing advice, success stories from organizations like yours, and so much more.

Where to Listen

• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• Audible
• Google Podcasts

What Are the Top Nonprofit Podcasts?

1. Nonprofit Pulse

Nonprofit Pulse is the newest of our featured nonprofit podcasts. This show came on the scene in March 2023 and has never failed to deliver on the trends, insights, and resources we love. Nonprofit leaders won’t leave empty-handed with episodes that explore ways to achieve their missions and change the world.

Hot topics include: 

• Team development in economic downturns
• Experiential learning for nonprofit leaders
• Brand-first donor cultivation strategies
• Donor-advised funds (DAFs)
• Nonprofit innovation

2. A Sustainable Mind

A Sustainable Mind took a master’s thesis project and turned it into a weekly podcast with leaders and fundraising experts who focus on sustainability and their responsibility to improve the Earth. And since sustainability is a hot topic across the social sector, especially if you’re an environmentally focused nonprofit, this podcast couldn’t be more relevant.

Host Marjorie Alexander brings together changemakers, campaigns, companies, and projects that inspire us all to do better for the planet while focusing on representing the voices of women and young people. 

Hot topics include: 

• Reforestation projects
• Development environmental education 
• Social entrepreneurship 
• Magazine publishing

3. Nonprofit Lowdown 

The Nonprofit Lowdown, hosted by Rhea Wong, promises fresh perspectives on the priorities top of mind for every nonprofit. Rhea reviews and recommends ideas, resources, tools, tricks, and tips that nonprofit professionals love. 

She’s often accompanied by expert guests ranging from the CEO of MarketSmart, Greg Warner, to thought leaders, like Joan Garry. There are currently over 240 episodes to enjoy with Rhea, with more dropping weekly. 

Hot topics include: 

• AAPI leadership
• Real estate opportunities for nonprofits
• Grant preparation
• Campaigns in uncertain times
• Happiness sustainment
• DAFs and crypto donations

4.  Nonprofit SnapCast

The Nonprofit SnapCast is all about simplifying nonprofit management. These interview-style podcast episodes focus on the challenges nonprofit leaders face, from how to develop a board to how to put out an eye-catching fundraiser. 

The show always seeks listener feedback and suggestions, which makes every new episode full of value. Plus, host Mickey Desai brings his unique perspective as an entrepreneur with a passion for the nonprofit world. 

Hot topics include: 

• Nonprofit websites
• Communication campaigns
• Inclusive nonprofit board development
• Nonprofit entrepreneurialism
• Corporate partnerships
• Nonprofit health, success, and sustainability

5. Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio 

Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio is here to deliver everything you need to know about navigating the common struggles of philanthropic organizations. Tony talks about board members and relationships, volunteer management, legal compliance, social media, finance, and so many other key topics. This podcast is especially valuable for small nonprofits working with a tight budget. 

Hot topics include: 

• Equitable project management
• Multigenerational technology teaching
• Newsletter tactics and email accessibility
• Digital self-care
• Technology governance

6. The Stanford Social Innovation Review Podcast

The Stanford Social Innovation Review (SSIR) is famous across the social sector for its substantial print articles, digital posts, and webinars. The podcast also contributes to the sterling reputation SSIR has for providing informative content created by and for leaders across topics like human rights, impact investing, and nonprofit business models. Co-hosted by Eric Nee, editor-in-chief of SSIR, the podcast is a TED-style talk that seeks to educate and inspire listeners.

Hot topics include:

• Fostering a human-centered approach to artificial intelligence
• Debating the role of philanthropy in democracy
• Learning how to listen to beneficiaries
• Challenging your mindsets and behaviors
• Developing critical skills for nonprofits in the digital age

7. Good to Growth, Nonprofit Hub Radio

The Nonprofit Hub community gives nonprofits tools and information to operate at peak performance and serve communities to the fullest. For example, the podcast aims to help organizations increase fundraising revenue, prioritize branding, and understand the power of self-investment. 

Executive director and editor Randy Hawthorne carries this mindset into podcast episodes as he dives headfirst into content designed to help you achieve new heights.

Hot topics include:

• Leveraging the power of volunteers
• Navigating nonprofit overhead challenges
• Creating a conscious nonprofit
• Hiring tips and tricks
• Fundraising for major donations

8. The Tim Ferriss Show

The Tim Ferriss Show, often ranked as the top dog in the podcast world, welcomes high-caliber guests who may not appear relevant to an audience of nonprofit professionals at first glance. However, Ferriss is adamant about identifying, extracting, and communicating their secrets of success to his audience with the goal of providing tactics, tools, and routines to implement at any organization. 

In that light, his long-form, “raw” interviews contain countless golden nuggets for nonprofits to return to the office and increase productivity, company culture, work-life balance, and so much more.

Hot topics include:

• Exploring the science of longevity
• Unpacking the foundations of mental health
• Decision-making according to great investors
• Building habits
• Maximizing personal productivity

9. First Day Podcast

The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy podcast is short, sweet, and to the point. Each episode is about 10 minutes long but jam-packed with current news and research for nonprofit professionals to take their fundraising to the next level.

Hot topics include:

• Major gift fundraising
• Generational giving
• High net-worth donors
• Women and philanthropy
• Donor relationship personalization

10. Nonprofits Are Messy, the Podcast

The Nonprofits Are Messy podcast, created by Joan Garry and her team, serves the readers of their blog. Each 40 to 50-minute episode focuses on providing deep dives into difficult topics, personal perspectives on strategies, and best practices from high-profile individuals in the social sector.

Hot topics include:

• Learning about hybrid meeting effectiveness
• Tackling internal conflict
• Building vibrant volunteer communities
• Exploring celebrity philanthropy
• Revealing nonprofit sector trends and takeaways 

11. The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast

The Nonprofit Leadership Podcast, hosted by Dr. Rob Harter, features discussions around fundraising trends, issues, and opportunities facing today’s nonprofit professionals. The goal of this podcast is to show what it takes to be an effective nonprofit leader by sharing real-world stories and strategies from the people and organizations making a strong social impact.

Hot topics include:

• Motivating your team 
• Cultivating social change
• Improving grant writing
• Promoting mental and digital well-being
• Fundraising solutions from leading nonprofits

12. Impact Boom

Impact Boom invites top social entrepreneurs, innovators, changemakers, designers, educators, thinkers, and doers onto the show to share their stories. Every discussion focuses on creating a lasting, positive social and environmental change. If it can help you maximize your social impact, the team will make sure you hear about it.

Hot topics include:

• Accelerating peer-to-peer impact
• Providing advice for impact-led entrepreneurs
• Implementing kindness-led enterprises
• Generating transformational growth
• Creating mindfulness programs for marginalized people

13. RKD Group Thinkers

RKD Group Thinkers podcast is a great listen for nonprofit marketers to learn from the experience of though-provoking content and leaders across the industry. Each episode inspires strategic decisions and insights that help nonprofits get creative and break out of creative ruts with new potential. We highly recommend this five-star podcast.

Hot topics include:

• Building fundraising habits
• Investing in yourself
• Equity and diversity
• Leadership and role curiosity

14. Purpose and Profit 

The Purpose and Profit podcast is on a mission to bring out fresh ideas that fall at the intersection of causes and brands. They dig into the trends that are making a difference in both fundraising and marketing to teach you how to apply them at your organization. Head into each episode with an open mind to learn and your goals in mind to grab some valuable takeaways.

Hot topics include:

• Innovation
• Donor motivations
• The changing landscape of generosity
• Crypto fundraising

15. Go Beyond Fundraising

Go Beyond Fundraising is your front seat to conversations with forward-thinking fundraising professionals. As experts share their work to change the world through great causes, you’ll feel their passion light up and hopefully experience the same level of excitement about applying your takeaways at your organization. You can catch new episodes weekly to semi-monthly.

Hot topics include:

• Digital fundraising trends
• Identifying the bright spots in giving
• The humans behind the data
• Gen Z curiosity

16. The Smart Communications Podcast

The Smart Communications Podcast by Big Duck is a quick view into the way leaders view relationship building through impactful conversations. Grab ideas on how to reach your donors, partners, and more with this wealth of knowledge.

Hot topics include:

• Capital campaigns communications
• Branding best practices
• Radical honesty

17. Missions to Movements

Missions to Movements is a podcast for motivated marketers looking to amplify their online presence with the help of host Dana Snyder of Positive Equation. Look no further for the latest topics transforming the way people market their story and relate to the supporters who matter most to drive it forward.

Hot topics include:

• Being a fearless leader
• Building high quality content
• Advice for tech changes like Google Analytics

18. We Are For Good 

The We Are For Good Podcast is consistently ranked at the top of the podcast charts, recognized by ListenNotes as being in the top 1% of all podcasts internationally. The show gains over 400 episodes and 4500,000+ downloads by empowering change-makers weekly. Listeners can immerse themselves in storytelling, connection, learning moments, and inspiration that help them activate their vision.

Hot topics include:

• Fostering personal development
• Creating compelling donor journeys
• Navigating seasons of change

Get Empowered With Information to Grow Your Mission

For additional resources to fuel your learning journey, our team here at Classy is committed to breaking down the latest trends and research into actionable takeaways nonprofits can implement to amplify missions. Check out our blog, newsletters, webinars, reports, guides, and inspiring stories from fellow nonprofits by visiting our nonprofit resource center. 

We’re also proud to share our latest report, The State of Modern Philanthropy 2023, a holy grail for fundraising benchmarks and trend analysis. These findings help inform nonprofits on which campaign types and engagement tactics produce the strongest results in today’s giving landscape.

Article Source

1. “Stats,” Podcast Index, accessed May 29, 2023, https://podcastindex.org/stats. 

The last few decades mark incredible growth, love, and acceptance of diversity, but not without challenges to feel seen and accepted. The social sector has stepped up in a big way to support this significant progress, moving away from prejudice and injustices that face lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning, and transgender people across America.

At Classy, we stand beside the LGBTQ+ nonprofit organizations making a significant impact. You’ll get to see some of the special initiatives happening this June to celebrate Pride Month and more ways to get involved year-round.

Celebrating LGBTQ+ Organizations During Pride Month

What is Pride Month?

LGBTQ+ Pride Month typically falls in June and serves as a time for celebrations, protections, and commemorations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, questioning, and transgender community.

In 1969, the Stonewall riots began as a series of gay liberation protests. The timing of Pride Month represents the anniversary of those events in a positive and future-looking light—although Pride celebrations now extend throughout the calendar to continue bringing light to the LGBTQ+ community.

What does the acronym LGBTQ+ stand for?

LGBTQ+ is an abbreviation for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and/or questioning, plus other sexual and gender minorities. While individuals may feel aligned and connected to various adjectives based on their unique experience, gender identity, and sexual orientation, the LGBTQ+ nomenclature is an inclusive way to reference, celebrate, and honor the greater community.

How to Celebrate Pride

Pride is a wonderful time to get involved with LGBTQ+ organizations to learn more. Here’s a quick list of ways to celebrate:

• Browse social media human rights campaigns that inspire you.
• Explore your local community for opportunities to advocate for LGBTQ+ rights.
• Research the history and accomplishments of the LGBTQ+ community.
• Learn about ongoing efforts led by the National LGBTQ Task Force.
• Make an impact with a donation to an LGBTQ+ organization.
• Fundraise on behalf of an LGBTQ+ organization.
• Attend events that help you learn and grow alongside LGBTQ+ people.

6 LGBTQ+ Organizations to Support This Pride Month

1. The Trevor Project

Mission: The Trevor Project’s mission is to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young people.

Check out some ways to celebrate Pride with The Trevor Project:

• Contribute to supporting LGBTQ young people and showing them that they matter
• Join your local Pride march to support LGBTQ+ youth, families, and allies to find joy in advocacy and self-expression in a safe, supportive environment. The Trevor Project will be in the New York City and Los Angeles parades!
• Join Trevor’s 52-Mile Pride Ride Challenge,  a virtual fundraising challenge encouraging people to commit to logging 52 miles in any way it feels best to move, all in an effort to support Trevor’s mission to end suicide among LGBTQ young people
• Explore Trevor’s resources, such as articles, resources, and guides to learn about preventing suicide, supporting LGBTQ young people, and more

2. Radiant Health Centers

Mission: Radiant Health Centers’ mission is to provide compassionate and comprehensive health services to all underserved individuals in Orange County, with a special focus on the LGBTQ+ community and those living with and affected by HIV, the virus that causes AIDS.

Radiant Health Centers will host several events supporting more individuals to regain their independence through comprehensive care throughout the month of June.

A thoughtful array of fundraising and awareness campaigns include:

• An annual LGBTQA+ makers market to explore LGBTQA+ makers, artists, crafters and vendors and make purchases that benefit Radiant Health Centers
• A Pride kickoff happy hour to get ready for Pride weekend with cocktails and appetizers among friends
• The Midsummer Night’s Dream Gala happens June 3 at an outdoor venue that feels like a Shakespearean forest to raise money for improving LGBTQA+ health care equity and HIV care in the community

3. The LGBT Community Center of the Desert

Mission: The LGBT Community Center of the Desert’s mission is to provide an open and welcoming environment for all members of the LGBTQ family. Through individual lived experiences and collective power, the nonprofit hosts community events, assistance programs, and various other forms of support in its efforts to create a loving community where everyone belongs.

The LGBT Community Center of the Desert offers a space where everyone belongs and can be unconditionally themselves. The team lives their values of integrity, equity, and joy through events and resources throughout the year, extending into Pride Month for anyone who feels called to learn more and get involved.

This June, The LGBT Community Center of the Desert will offer:

• Yoga groups
• Community food bank distributions
• Book clubs 
• Support groups for parents of gender-expansive youth
• Women’s and men’s chats
• Caregivers support groups
• Music and art events for community members
• LGBTQ+ hangouts for young people

4. SAGE

Mission:SAGE is the world’s largest and oldest organization dedicated to improving the lives of LGBTQ+ older people.

In partnership with its constituents and allies, SAGE works to achieve a high quality of life for LGBTQ+ older people, supports and advocates for their rights, fosters a greater understanding of aging in all communities, and promotes positive images of LGBTQ+ life in later years. This Pride Month, SAGE will host several community events to invite more passionate advocates to get involved.

Pride Month community events will include:

• 31st Annual Fire Island Pines Celebration on June 3, 2023. Celebrating SAGE in the Pines and honoring Joe Conforti, Colin Joyner, Ryan Espinoza & Iman Le Caire
• Sage & Friends will follow on June 10, 2023 with an open bar, passed hors d’oeuvres, and fabulous company to keep the celebrations going

5. Family Equality Council

Mission: The Family Equality Council’s mission is to ensure everyone is free to find, form, and sustain their families by advancing equality for the LGBTQ+ community.

Family Equality Council gives LGBTQ+ families the public education and support they need to become a strong voice through outreach and legislative actions. Pride Month will be an extension of the help it offers throughout the year.

This June, a virtual hub for LGBTQ+ families will feature:

• Trans, nonbinary, and gender-nonconforming parent meetups
• A blog and newsletter for families to get new information
• Alerts to take action in Congress and legislation for equal rights

6. Gay Men’s Health Crisis

Mission: The Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) mission is to be the world’s first HIV/AIDS service organization, working to end the AIDS epidemic and uplift the lives of all affected.

GMHC is determined to end AIDS and enable more individuals to live life fully. This Pride Month, the organization will open its doors to supporters everywhere to fuel its efforts toward its mission.

Pride Month activities and events will include:

• The Latex Ball is a free event open to the community that offers HIV and sexually transmitted infection testing while enjoying a celebration of different music genres and musical artists
• Advocacy opportunities include supporting the 340B Drug Pricing Program, which allows safety-net providers, such as community health centers, to purchase deeply discounted drugs and provide essential financial support services to low-income individuals

Expanding Impact on Classy

LGBTQ+ organizations do the work that brings communities together. With Classy’s comprehensive fundraising platform, these organizations can connect with supporters who believe in and will support them for the long term.

On Classy, LGBTQ+ organizations can build supporter relationships that result in more funding and impact through:

• Fundraising events to engage supporters live and online
• Peer-to-peer fundraising to give voice to more passionate people
• Crowdfunding solutions that bring communities together
• Website donations to encourage fundraising all year
• Recurring giving options that spark a chain reaction of lasting impact

Article Sources

“50 Quotes From the LGBTQ+ Community to Help You Celebrate Pride,” Woman’s Day, accessed May 17, 2023, https://www.womansday.com/life/g32858887/lgbtq-pride-quotes/.

More funding leads to more doors opened for beneficiaries. That’s why organizations like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and others dedicate philanthropic efforts to supporting nonprofits with big ideas and passionate hearts.

Grants aren’t just for nonprofits who know the right funders, either. These are a wonderful funding opportunity for any nonprofit with missions and goals that support the communities that many grant organizations care deeply for and work within. Just like engaging the modern donor, your storytelling skills and demonstration of impact go a long way in securing your next grant.

Below, we’ll showcase 10 grant opportunities to apply to this year and advice to find the best partnership.

Grant Funding for Nonprofit Technology Projects

Organizations like AWS offer grants that broaden the scope of nonprofit projects through technology. Concepts like natural language processing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning are all examples of new approaches to solving challenges around the world.

As nonprofits become more innovative, grants match the funding to support the pursuit of philanthropy through cloud technologies.

How to Choose the Right Funding Source for Your Nonprofit

You’ve got a lot of options when it comes to funding your nonprofit’s mission, programs, people, and goals. When looking specifically at nonprofit grants, it’s about finding funding opportunities aligned with your organization, your need, and the eligibility requirements that mirror your work.

For example, you might see a grant targeted at California nonprofits focused on early childhood education. Dig a bit further to discover that typically grant organizations like yours receive around $4,000 yearly. That example shows how granular some grants can be and the value of doing your research.

Libby Hikind, CEO and founder of GrantWatch, shared her best advice for nonprofits choosing the right grants on the Whole Whale podcast:

10 Grants Offering Funding for Nonprofits This Year

As you explore funding possibilities for your nonprofit’s specific projects and goals, we’ve rounded up 10 grant opportunities to kick-start your search.

1. AWS IMAGINE Grant

The AWS IMAGINE Grant, which recently announced the 2023 IMAGINE Grant, will offer up to $150,000 in unrestricted cash and $100,000 in AWS credits for visionary nonprofits. Organizations excited about the potential of new technologies to pilot projects or enhance existing programs have a place to showcase community work and apply for funds that make all the difference.

2. NBCUniversal Local IMPACT Grants

The NBCUniversal Local Impact Grants will award nearly $2.5 million to nonprofits in 2023 through 11 NBC and Telemundo-owned television station markets. Organizations with total expenses under $1 million are encouraged to apply for unrestricted funds to support the diverse community across youth education and empowerment, next-generation storytellers, and community development.

3. Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation offers grants to nonprofits that achieve measurable impact in the fight against poverty, disease, and inequity worldwide. Grants account for 90% of the organization’s charitable giving and currently sit as its largest vehicle for funding. U.S. 501(c)(3) organizations can apply for funding that makes a meaningful difference.

4. Ford Foundation

The Ford Foundation reimagines philanthropy by catalyzing leaders and organizations focusing on social justice and establishing global movements. To do that, the foundation offers grants to a wide range of organizations that align with this type of programming. Nonprofits with missions that address the underlying drivers of inequality are great applicants for the Ford Foundation’s funding.

5. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a wonderful place to source funding if you’ve got a bold idea or solution rooted in health equity. The organization focuses on four core impact areas: health systems, healthy communities, healthy children and families, and leadership for better health. The grant process involves staff and leading experts in fields of shared interest to support nonprofit outcomes and objectives.

6. Bloomberg Philanthropies

Bloomberg Philanthropies awards grants to nonprofits in Canada, Mexico, and the U.S. The organization looks to fund organizations supporting five key areas: the arts, education, environment and sustainability, government innovation, and public health. Bloomberg Philanthropies supports millions of people in over 700 cities and 150 countries, investing $1.7 billion worldwide in 2022.

7. Walmart Local Community Grants

Walmart’s local community grants have an open application process to provide funding to organizations making an impact close to home. Looking at a more local-level grant program, corporations like Walmart are a great example of community-based grants and funding for nonprofits. Nonprofit organizations that operate on the local level or are an affiliate of a larger organization that operates locally and directly benefits the service area of the Walmart facility providing the funding are eligible.

8. Silicon Valley Community Foundation

The Silicon Valley Community Foundation looks to support nonprofits in many areas. Consider applying if your nonprofit makes waves in advancing financial stability, early childhood development, housing, arts and culture, environment, faith, health, and many other impact categories.

9. Rockefeller Foundation Grants

The Rockefeller Foundation commits to support efforts globally that improve lives and the planet through equity and fairness. If that sounds like your nonprofit, it might be worth exploring the organization’s hundreds of active grants or connecting with staff members who may share an interest in your programs.

10. Carnegie Corporation of New York

The Carnegie Corporation of New York, a proactive grantmaker looking for innovative projects with meaningful, transformative outcomes, identifies grant recipients by program staff. The organization awards grants through a smooth grant management system, and the process is highly collaborative to ensure the best partnership between nonprofits and the organization’s values.

Tips to Secure Grants for Nonprofit Technology Projects

Many types of grants exist outside the private foundations or corporate opportunities we’ve outlined today. Take the time to explore local government grants, small business grants, family foundations, and federal grants to find a sponsorship you feel aligns with your nonprofit. When you start your grant application process, here are a few quick tips to remember.

• Protect your purpose: In everything you write through your grant application, remember to circle back to the foundational “why” behind what your organization requests funding for and the impact it will make.
• Show your potential: Just as significant as talking about what you’ve built so far is the long-term impact of your programs on your community. Use proof of concept, such as your GuideStar ratings or impact numbers, to showcase your history of turning funds into incredible results.
• Be specific: While you’re at it, be sure to highlight how funding will change your initiatives or mission with examples, numbers, and visuals.

From health care to human services, your grant proposal is your time to shine. Whether you hire a grant-writing professional or turn to your team of nonprofit leaders to pull it all together, the outcomes can be extremely valuable for your strategic planning.

Empowering Nonprofits to Raise More

Classy partners with thousands of nonprofit organizations at all stages of the journey to help you raise more for that life-changing mission you hold close. We’re here to supply you with the latest information on fundraising, marketing best practices, and updates on what drives impact across the social sector through our annual industry reports.

If you manage a growing business or are an eager entrepreneur, use these 12 responsible businesses as inspiration to strive for a higher standard. We’ve also included a few potential options to consider if you’re a nonprofit looking for a corporate partner who believes in your mission and stands behind your cause.

Why Is Social Responsibility So Important?

Social responsibility is a movement to build a more inclusive and sustainable society and economy while preserving the planet through dedicated conservation efforts. Beyond that, it also benefits companies’ recruiting, employee engagement, and consumer marketing efforts.

A report from Aflac on CSR initiatives found that 77% of consumers are “motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world better,” and 49% of Americans say it is more important for a company to “make the world a better place” than “make money for its shareholders.”¹

From B Corps to companies with robust CSR programs, for-profit organizations have increasingly aligned with relevant causes and social good programs.

1. Classy

Really, claiming the number one spot? We know how it looks, but here at Classy, we hold ourselves to the highest standard.

Classy’s comprehensive fundraising suite helps organizations transform supporters’ intent into impact with tools built to support every stage of the donor journey. 

As a Certified B Corporation, we prioritize our stakeholder promise to empower nonprofits to offer an exceptional giving experience without sacrificing an inclusive work environment or sustainable future. This philosophy has led to programs like the Classy Awards, now the largest impact awards program in the country, and ClassyGives, an innovative volunteering program for our community.

We continually strive to deliver unquestionable value to all customers and their supporters, as well as our team, investors, and community. To ensure our operations and impact are sustainable, responsible, and environmentally conscious, we formalized the following company-wide environmental commitments:

• Achieve carbon neutrality
• Achieve supply chain sustainability
• Achieve a culture of environmentally conscious stakeholders

Additionally, we offer an immersive experience called the Classy Collaborative, our annual nonprofit conference, to help elevate and advance the social sector. This multi-day event helps nonprofit organizations gain insights, strategies, and inspiration for greater impact.

A Partner to Support Your Mission

2. Dr. Bronner’s 

Holding its manufacturing standards to the greatest level, Dr. Bronner’s has been certified as a B Corporation since 2015. Now the top-selling brand of organic and fair-trade body care in the U.S., this family-owned and run company has steadily risen through the ranks.

This company makes socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality while dedicating its profits to building, promoting, and advancing positive social change in everything from healthcare to human rights.

Dr. Bronner’s is the pioneer of USDA-certified organic personal care products, guiding the social responsibility efforts within the industry. The company’s exemplary societal and environmental impact landed it in the top 10% of Certified Corps across all impact areas, proving that its strategy can lead the way for other companies wanting to join the movement.

To ensure fair and just treatment of farmers and workers worldwide, Dr. Bronner’s continues to offer education initiatives and create fair-trade projects to support its mission. The company also educates its farming partners in implementing carbon-sequestering farming practices and regenerative organic agriculture.

In addition, its products are free from synthetic preservatives, petrochemicals, synthetic-foaming agents or thickeners, packaged in 100% recyclable materials, and never tested on animals. Each product is 100% biodegradable, and 33% of all profits go to social and ecological projects.

3. Google

While Google is carbon neutral today, the company aims to run on carbon-free energy by 2030. Its goal is to not only pursue new carbon-free technologies but also demonstrate that a fully-decarbonized future is possible for everyone.

From facilitating green commuting to employee gift matching and paid volunteer time off, Google inspects nearly every part of its business with a social-impact lens.

4. Ben & Jerry’s

Ice cream tastes just a little sweeter when you know the makers work to promote safe, socially responsible ingredients and business practices. Since the 1980s, Ben & Jerry’s has supported several vital causes, many of which tie directly to the business of making ice cream.

In 1989, it first opposed recombinant bovine growth hormone use in cows due to “its adverse economic impact on family farming.” It also uses its packaging to support the family farm organization, Farm Aid. 

The company even created the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation, which encourages its employees to give back to their communities and offers grants for social justice programs.

Ben & Jerry’s commitment to fair trade motivated the company to become the first ice cream maker in the world to use Fair Trade Certified ingredients. This decision aligns with its values to use environmentally-friendly farming practices, implement fair labor standards, and invest in local communities.

The company further amplifies its impact with the Fairtrade premium, an additional amount paid on top of farmers’ fair price.

5. LEGO

One of the most notable examples of how social responsibility can serve as an incredible asset to a well-known brand is the LEGO Group. 

The LEGO Group’s dedication to social impact is somewhat recent (a 2014 Greenpeace video put pressure on the toy maker to end its 50-year partnership with Shell Global due to Shell’s plans to drill in the Arctic). Still, the extent of its commitment has made the Danish company a shining example of the far-reaching impact of CSR.

In September 2020, the LEGO Group announced an investment of $400 million over the next three years to support its social responsibility and sustainability efforts. To deliver on its goal to achieve carbon neutrality, LEGO signed an agreement to set up its first-ever carbon-neutral plant in Vietnam, with production commencing in 2024.

Developers plan to rely completely on rooftop solar panels and a nearby solar farm to generate all power throughout the facility. Additionally, the company will start by phasing out single-use plastic boxes to make all packaging sustainable by the end of 2025.

The company’s Sustainable Materials Programme will continue to advance, focusing on expanding its use of BioBricks. Additionally, research into new, more sustainable plastics from renewable and recycled sources is a priority, as is partnering with other leaders in the industry to find durable, high-quality materials that keep the environment front of mind.

The LEGO Group also aims to reach children worldwide with learning through play. In 2021, the LEGO Group, the LEGO Foundation, and UNICEF announced a three-year partnership that will invest $2.5 million in providing resources to community-based family support programs to help caregivers understand the lifelong benefits of incorporating play into their everyday lives.

6. Levi Strauss

Are your jeans contributing to water scarcity? Most of us probably don’t think about this when shopping, but it’s a critical question for Levi Strauss. 

In recent years, the company has committed to reducing the amount of water used to produce its jeans, a product it has made since 1873.

The company created the first product tag in 2009, Care Tag for Our Planet, which offers tips on preserving your clothing and where to donate them when you’re ready. Levi Strauss works alongside Cotton Inc.’s Blue Jeans Go Green to collect used clothing and sells preowned or restored vintage clothing to reduce its carbon footprint.

As part of its effort to reduce the amount of water used in manufacturing, Levi Strauss adopted the Water<Less approach that ensures all key suppliers become distinguished Water<Less facilities by 2025 to alleviate water stress.

All owned-and-operated U.S. and Canadian retail locations, along with all U.S. wholesale locations, now use 100% post-consumer waste stock for print materials. Additionally, all new mannequins come from 100% recycled-base stock, and the company currently pilots recycled denim coat hangers in several locations.

7. Warby Parker

To help simplify the task of finding the right pair of glasses, Warby Parker sends customers five different frames to try on before making a decision. But knowing that a functional pair of glasses can be life-changing for many people, the B Corp also works to provide glasses for those in need.

Through its Buy a Pair, Give a Pair program, Warby Parker makes a monthly donation to its nonprofit partners, such as VisionSpring, to bring prescription eyewear to people in developing countries. 

8. Microsoft

Microsoft changed how the world works, studies, and plays with computers and software. But its ambitions go far beyond the screen.

The company, founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen, began its giving program in 1983 when the fledgling company raised $17,000 for charity. As its philanthropy webpage explains, Microsoft’s giving program has given time (employees volunteered more than 720,000 hours for nonprofits in 2022 alone) and cash. In 2022, the program raised over $255 million (with company match) for nonprofits.²

The software giant also created Microsoft Philanthropies, a social good initiative that works with nonprofits, governments, and businesses to create “a future where every person has the skills, knowledge, and opportunity to achieve more.” Initiatives cover everything from providing computer education, offering grants for nonprofits, and forming partnerships with organizations worldwide.

9. Sprout Social

A renowned social media management and intelligence tool, over 30,000 brands worldwide use Sprout Social. The company believes that building best-in-class software and a beloved brand is not just about its product and services but also about prioritizing integrity, sustainability, and humanity in everything it does.

To reduce waste and commit to sustainable practices, Sprout Social is proud to report that over 90% of the electronics it purchases are ENERGY STAR Certified. Additionally, over 50% of the organizations in its supply chain are carbon neutral or have pledged to be by 2050, and 100% of its U.S. locations are ENERGY STAR Certified buildings.

Social impact is a top priority for the company, which ladders up to its $500,000 annual donation commitment to organizations that fight discrimination and support marginalized communities. 

To stay open, honest, and accountable, Sprout Social reports on its website that 55% of its executive team and 43% of its Board of Directors is diverse in gender or race.

10. Lemonade

Lemonade serves to rebuild insurance as a social good. To support its mission, the company launched the Lemonade Giveback.

When purchasing a Lemonade policy, customers are asked to select a nonprofit they want to support. Then, once a year, Lemonade tallies up the unclaimed money left from their insurance premium and donates it to that organization. 

In 2022, the company gave over $1.8 million to charities, including Pencils of Promise, To Write Love On Her Arms, Breast Cancer Research Foundation, and more.

11. Stitch Fix

An online personal-styling service founded in 2011, Stitch Fix takes measurable action toward a healthier planet. From its suppliers to the materials it works with, this company commits to using data, resources, and partnerships to catalyze change.

By 2025, Stitch Fix plans to source 100% of the main materials in its private-label products more sustainably than conventional alternatives. In 2022, the company reached 59% of its total goal.

Each vendor relationship centers on its Vendor Code of Ethics. This ensures a shared commitment to minimizing environmental impact and providing working conditions that uphold all labor laws and standards.

Additionally, Stitch Fix’s data-driven inventory model helps reduce waste by understanding what clients want to predict inventory needs more accurately. When excess inventory becomes problematic, the company also has partnerships to direct products to alternate channels rather than directly to a waste stream.

12. Purely Elizabeth 

As a booming natural foods company, Purely Elizabeth is a proud Certified B Corporation continually using business as a force for good. The company aims to provide nutritious snacks that serve the planet and its people.

To start, the company partners with a women-owned, coconut-sugar supplier in Indonesia and a B Corp-approved granola manufacturing partner to capitalize on the power of collaboration. 

In addition to its impact on the planet, Purely Elizabeth prioritizes its impact on all employees, customers, and communities through employee volunteer days, flexible time off, and generous benefits packages.

The company approaches sustainability from various angles, including:

• Requiring green standards for the Purely Elizabeth office (e.g., lower water usage, composting, light sensors, and reducing overall waste and energy consumption)
• Sharing local resources with remote employees to adapt and uphold sustainable practices
• Upholding Non-GMO Project Verified certification for most Purely Elizabeth products
• Sourcing organic ingredients whenever possible

Additionally, the team ensures they always meet the highest standards of performance, transparency, and accountability by going through an audit every three years to reevaluate their goals, mission, and direction.

The Impact of Corporate Social Responsibility

The numbers say it all: 90% of consumers are likely to trust and be loyal to socially responsible companies compared to companies that don’t contribute to positive change, and 92% of consumers want to buy a product that supports a good cause.³ 

Seeing how critical CSR is to brands worldwide, more and more companies have adopted climate change, renewable energy, and other social good initiatives into core business models. These organizations show how far-reaching and varied corporate social responsibility programs can be.

Any business can prioritize social impact by donating its product to those in need, fundraising for a worthy cause, or starting a charitable foundation. Along with its good for society and your local community, it also benefits your brand and attracts customers and talented employees.

One of the simplest ways businesses can take a philanthropic step is to sponsor a local nonprofit organization. Corporate sponsorships between nonprofits and for-profit businesses can take many forms, so read our blog, Corporate Sponsorship for Nonprofits: The Basics, to learn where to get started.

Article Sources

1. “Aflac CSR Survey,” Aflac, last accessed April 6, 2023, https://www.aflac.com/docs/about-aflac/csr-survey-assets/2019-aflac-csr-infographic-and-survey.pdf.
2. “Achieving More,” 2022 Impact Summary, Microsoft, last accessed April 6, 2023, https://query.prod.cms.rt.microsoft.com/cms/api/am/binary/RE5b9S0.
3. “A List of Statistics That Demonstrate CSR Performance,” Impact Marketing Club, last accessed April 6, 2023, https://impactmarketingclub.com/list-statistics-demonstrate-importance-csr/.

A mission statement, also referred to as a vision statement, sums up the essence of your organization in just one or two sentences. It guides your decision-making processes and drives people to want to learn more about your organization.

At its strongest, a mission statement explains three things:

• Why your organization exists
• Whom it serves
• How it serves them

An effective mission statement hits all three points in a succinct, clear, and memorable way. However, many mission statements are vague and ambiguous, while others are too wordy and use industry-specific jargon. It’s up to you to craft a message that’s easy for people to remember and repeat to others.

Whether writing a new mission statement or sprucing up an old one, you can learn from the best. Check out these 20 mission statement examples for guidance and inspiration, along with our tips on how to write an impactful nonprofit mission statement.

Discover How Classy Can Help 2x Your Revenue With Top Tech

1. charity: water Vision Statement

charity: water is a nonprofit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations.

What we love about it: charity: water wastes no time getting to the heart of its cause. In just a few words, the nonprofit explains its mission in terms anyone can understand. The simplicity of charity: water’s mission statement could serve as a parallel to its straightforward mission of providing clean drinking water to those who need it.

2. Team Rubicon Vision Statement

Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to deploy emergency response teams rapidly.

What we love about it:Team Rubicon defines and details its purpose and services rather succinctly. The keyword “rapidly” is a fine touch—it clarifies the nonprofit’s goal to provide aid immediately after a disaster occurs with just one word.

3. Heifer International Vision Statement

Heifer International works with communities to increase income, improve child nutrition, care for the Earth, and ultimately, end world hunger and poverty.

What we love about it: Heifer International’s phrasing “works with communities” brings into focus its method to eradicate hunger and poverty worldwide. It focuses on Heifer International’s goal to help communities become self-sufficient and engage in sustainable agriculture and commerce.

4. Watts of Love Vision Statement

Watts of Love is a global solar lighting nonprofit bringing people the power to raise themselves out of the darkness of poverty.

What we love about it:Watts of Love’s mission statement makes a powerful statement. This mighty sentence communicates the organization’s purpose, the people it serves, and the solution it offers. The wording is concise, memorable, and inspiring.

5. Vs. Cancer Vision Statement

Vs. Cancer empowers any sports team, athlete, and community to help kids with cancer. As a signature fundraising campaign of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation, proceeds help fund child-life programs in local hospitals and lifesaving pediatric brain tumor research.

What we love about it: Vs. Cancer is very clear about how it intends to move the needle for the cause: by partnering with athletic teams to fund pediatric brain tumor research. As brief as it is, great nonprofit mission statements also get essential facts across.

6. First Descents Vision Statement

First Descents provides life-changing outdoor adventures for young adults (ages 18–39) impacted by cancer.

What we love about it:First Descents keeps it simple for its audience with its statement. We also love that it specifies the age range of the people it serves, keeping its mission fine-tuned and focused. While being so extremely succinct isn’t feasible for all organizations, this is a perfect example of how to write a mission statement that packs a lot in just one sentence.

7. Bright Pink Vision Statement

Bright Pink helps to save lives from breast and ovarian cancer by empowering women to know their risk and manage their health proactively.

What we love about it:Bright Pink crafts a nonprofit mission statement that’s compelling and transparent. It explains the change that will arise from the organization’s efforts and how it plans to accomplish its mission.

8. Global Communities Vision Statement

Global Communities brings together local ingenuity and global insights to save lives, advance equity, and secure strong futures.

What we love about it: Global Communities—the unified organization of recently merged nonprofits Global Communities and Project Concern International—identifies its three-pronged approach to building stronger communities worldwide. The powerful statement also highlights how it focuses on a macro and micro level to find solutions. 

9. CoachArt Vision Statement

CoachArt creates a transformative arts and athletics community for families impacted by childhood chronic illness.

What we love about it: CoachArt offers various services for the people it serves, and its mission statement captures this holistic approach in an emotionally stirring way.

10. Red My Lips Vision Statement

Red My Lips exists to transform our culture of sexual violence by educating, inspiring, and mobilizing a global community to red their lips, raise their voices, and create real change.

What we love about it: Red My Lips runs a campaign every April where supporters wear red lipstick to raise awareness about sexual violence. The organization’s name explains how people can get involved, and its mission statement reiterates this first, crucial step an individual can take—“to red their lips.”

11. Livestrong Vision Statement

Livestrong’s mission statement starts strong with the question: “Which everyday cancer problem will we fix today?”

What we love about it:Livestrong turns heads by asking a mission question, not making a statement, because it “believe[s] that [it] can only achieve the best healthcare solutions through asking the right questions.” This question format instantly gives off an impression of the organizational culture and approach—that Livestrong wants to listen to and learn from survivors and caregivers about their needs to address cancer issues as a community. 

12. SafeBAE Vision Statement

SafeBAE is a survivor-founded, student-led national organization whose mission is to end sexual assault among middle and high school students. As the only national peer-to-peer organization of its kind, it helps promote culture change by giving teens the tools to become activists and shift school culture through raising awareness about dating violence, sexual harassment and assault, affirmative consent, safe bystander intervention, survivor care, and their rights under Title IX.

What we love about it: SafeBAE began during the filming of the Netflix documentary “Audrie & Daisy,” when the survivors and their families united to prevent sexual assault and fight for human rights. The vision statement, while lengthy, details the organization’s multifaceted approach to prevent sexual assault among teens and raise awareness about the rape culture that leads to it. This statement underscores that the survivor-founded organization empowers students to lead the change. 

13. Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation Vision Statement

The Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation is committed to unlocking the potential of every child by fighting to end childhood hunger, ensuring students have access to a quality education, and providing safe places for all children to play and be active.

What we love about it: The Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation, founded by Stephen and Ayesha Curry, is dedicated to improving the lives of children and families in Oakland, the San Francisco Bay Area, and across the country. The nonprofit mission statement outlines a three-step approach focusing on well-being, nutrition, education, and physical activity. 

14. Be the Bridge Vision Statement

Be the Bridge empowers people and cultures toward racial healing, equity, and reconciliation.

What we love about it: Be the Bridge’s vision statement carries significant weight in just a handful of words. This succinct sentence embodies all the nonprofit’s efforts toward racial justice, restoration, and reconciliation without any buzzwords that would take away from the intention. The reader can grasp the organization’s heart for encouraging and equipping communities to pursue racial unity immediately.

15. The Trevor Project Vision Statement

The Trevor Project fights to end suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning young people.

What we love about it: The Trevor Project leads various programs that range from crisis intervention services to research and advocacy—but all the organization’s efforts point to the north star of its mission statement. This is a noteworthy example of how to be straightforward about the community you serve and your ultimate goal. 

16. Make-a-Wish Mission Statement

Make-a-Wish creates a sense of community when it says, “Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.”

What we love about it: Make-a-Wish offers a beautiful display of heartfelt and intentionally chosen words that detail what makes the organization stand apart. The statement successfully leaves a memorable impression and clarity around what a donation supports. This single sentence sums up the far-reaching impact of wishes while communicating every form these wishes can come in for children who need them, from having a quinceañera to being a firefighter.

17. The American Red Cross Mission Statement

The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors.​

What we love about it: The American Red Cross built a reputation as a safe space to turn to before and after disasters across the country. This mission statement showcases the challenge the nonprofit dedicates its work to support, the catalyst for increased periods of need, and how they take action across the nation to continue showing up when it matters most.

18. Feeding America Vision Statement

Feeding America gets it right by saying succinctly, “Working together to end hunger.”

What we love about it: Feeding America and its subsidiaries across the country, such as Feeding San Diego, build a haven where no one goes hungry. Each relies on its communities to donate monetary support and physical donations that create the possibilities offered to those in need. This mission statement, which starts with “working together” and communicating its impact most simply, makes it incredibly easy for any audience to get behind.

19. Habitat for Humanity Mission Statement

Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities, and hope when it “seeks to put God’s love into action.”

What we love about it: Habitat for Humanity offers its “why” at the start of its mission statement, aligning with supporters who feel a connection to the reason the organization exists. The organization has locations around the world and brings a special call to that collective programming by specifying the way it brings people together, through beneficiaries, volunteers, and supporters who step up to make a difference every day.

20. Teach For America Vision Statement

Teach For America works toward the day when every child will receive an excellent and equitable education. 

What we love about it: Teach for America shares a vision statement example that makes its goal clear and invites the community to participate. The nonprofit finds and nurtures leaders who commit to expanding opportunities for low-income students and unites around the motivation for a better quality of life through education.

How to Make the Most of These Nonprofit Vision Statement Examples

The best way to gauge a good mission statement is to brainstorm with your nonprofit board members, ask for feedback from loyal donors, and get inspiration to switch it up from other nonprofit vision statement examples.

While all mission statements should answer the essential questions—why you exist, how you incite change, and whom you serve—there isn’t a step-by-step formula to getting a nonprofit mission statement right. Study your mission statement and assess whether it does its job. Then, invest the time and effort to make it hard to forget.

Great leaders often share personal characteristics, but how they lead can vary drastically. It’s an incredible exercise to understand your unique leadership style. Doing so regularly helps you become more self-aware of your style’s associated pros and cons to manage your people more effectively.

Get ready to define your personal leadership style or identify the style you want to emulate at your nonprofit. And remember, leadership isn’t a perfect science. The leadership skills best for your organization and people may not be the best for others. There’s always room to grow alongside your mission.

Why Leadership Styles Matter

At any organization, leaders set the pace for all operations. People gravitate toward certain positions and opportunities based on their leaders and can leave a work situation if they don’t feel leadership is strong or transparent enough. At a nonprofit organization, that leadership can unite individuals around an incredible cause that changes lives.

You’re in a powerful position to cultivate a work environment and company culture that empowers your team to do the work that makes a big impact. While some common leadership qualities and styles exist today, you hold the key to how you step into your role and the legacy you create along the way.

What Kind of Leader Are You?

Take a moment to reflect on your leadership approach and how various team or group members might describe your style. From there, see which types of leadership styles below feel most aligned with your values.

Autocratic Leaders

Autocratic leaders often make decisions independently and feel they need visibility into everything happening within their organization. While sometimes seen as slightly cold or harsh, this style also famously gets things done. Because they don’t have time to consult with others along the way, decisions are quick, and your organization often reaps the rewards from this.

Democratic Leader

Democratic leaders often rely on their subordinates to help them make decisions. They invite experts’ opinions, the leadership team’s collective thoughts, and often input from the greater organization. This style tends to unearth new ideas from others and helps employees feel valued.

Laissez-Faire Leader

Laissez-faire, French for “allow to do,” is a government policy that allows the free market to run its course without government interference. In terms of a leadership style, a laissez-faire leader often delegates tasks to others and grants them the authority to make decisions. Laissez-faire leaders, typically uninvolved, equip subordinates with what they need, then hand over the reigns. They are, however, still ultimately responsible for the collective actions of the team.

Employee-Centered Leader

Employee-centered leaders commit to the success of everyone on their team. They often feel comfortable delegating tasks and invest in their subordinates’ personal and professional growth. Employee-centered leaders also work hard to ensure employees feel they have a path to advance and achieve their goals. This type of leader tends to thrive at the executive level as their focus on relationship-building and morale propels the team forward.

Job-Centered Leader

Job-centered leaders make sure things get done. They’ve got their eye on the prize and are excellent at facilitating larger tasks. These leaders are detail-oriented and precise and tend to keep tabs on their subordinates’ progress. They’re typically very particular about deadlines and aren’t shy to vocalize what’s necessary to get a project across the finish line.

Charismatic Leader

Charismatic leaders are captivating—they have no trouble gathering a room’s attention. They’re confident and can communicate in a way that transforms their subordinates’ values and beliefs. Because of their charm, they tend to gain their organization’s trust easily.

Transactional leader

Transactional leaders use rewards to motivate their team or consequences to discourage them from failure. These leaders typically prioritize shared values and structure management, which can help them get a lot done. Some people enjoy this direct style of leadership to guide them to the best outcomes.

Situational leader

Situational leaders adapt to the unique situation or individual. They don’t define themselves by a specific structure but instead remain flexible and learn the best way to lead with different variables in mind.

Opportunities Based on Your Style of Leadership

Autocratic Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Moving everything along
• Keeping a clear mind in stressful situations
• Getting control of a group

What you need to be careful with:

• Overlooking the creative solutions and ideas of others
• Impacting company morale negatively
• Micromanaging and developing an authoritarian reputation

Democratic Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Bringing a group together and making everyone feel heard
• Weighing input and multiple perspectives before making a decision
• Creating a decision-making process that invites participation

What you need to be careful with:

• Taking too long to make decisions
•  Holding back your thoughts and opinions

Laissez-Faire Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Building a top-notch team of experts
• Giving subordinates a sense of autonomy
• Getting involved only when necessary

What you need to be careful with:

• Failing to assemble the right team
• Removing yourself to a point where team members fall short on their tasks  due to a lack of guidance
• Using your detached style to avoid responsibility for the group’s actions

Employee-Centered Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Helping people realize their fullest potential
• Facilitating relationships across teams
• Making employees feel respected, trusted, and valued

What you need to be careful with:

• Focusing on your grand vision so much that you miss opportunities to contribute at a granular level
• Keeping key tasks and projects on your radar
• Sugarcoating difficult news or information

Job-Centered Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Making lists, plans, and schedules
• Helping the team understand their responsibilities
• Keeping everyone on track and ensuring quality work

What you need to be careful with:

• Micromanaging to a point where you interfere with employees’ growth potential
• Focusing too much on the nitty-gritty and losing sight of the larger picture
• Becoming autocratic

Charismatic Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Getting everyone to understand your vision
• Making people feel special and inspired to succeed
• Taking initiative and moving forward with decisions confidently

What you need to be careful with:

• Coming off as inauthentic
• Influencing people’s decision-making based on personal beliefs too heavily

Transactional Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Establishing an organizational structure
• Creating a clear path to success
• Leading a team in the right direction confidently

What you need to be careful with:

• Using scare tactics that cause a fear of failure
• Disrupting employees’ creativity and comfortability due to an overly rigid structure

Situational Leadership

What you’re typically awesome at:

• Flexing to anyone and any goal with confidence
• Understanding the people you lead
• Respecting different working styles

What you need to be careful with:

• Demonstrating too many leadership styles and causing confusion
• Creating uncertainty about your personal working style

Celebrating New Perspectives and Types of Leadership

Regardless of how you step into your power as a nonprofit leader, we celebrate you. If you’re interested in learning more from the top nonprofit leaders and experts across the social sector, we invite you to join us this June at Classy Collaborative 2023 in Philadelphia.

That’s where a formalized nonprofit organizational structure comes in handy. 

Below, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know to define your organizational structure. We’ll also provide examples of how to build a nonprofit organizational chart that outlines your workflows and sets your nonprofit up for long-term success. 

What Is a Nonprofit Organizational Structure?

Defining your nonprofit’s organizational structure helps employees see and understand the relationships, reporting structure, and workflows within their team more clearly. It also helps various departments collaborate without stepping on anyone’s toes or duplicating work.

An organizational structure defines how your nonprofit business operates, while a nonprofit organization chart is a visual representation of these systems. 

There are several guides you can find online that explain how to format a functional nonprofit org chart, but it’s so much more than just lines connecting faces on a page. Your org chart sets the foundation your staff members, board members, and chain of command rely on to continue meeting the needs of your community. 

How to Build Your Nonprofit Organizational Structure

Your organizational structure should feel unique to you. However, there are a few must-have functional areas that ensure nothing slips through the cracks. 

It’s also critical that you familiarize yourself with the standards required for nonprofits and create nonprofit bylaws that hold you to those standards. These components will impact your overall business plan and your nonprofit structure. 

Below, we’ll walk you through these functional areas and how to optimize your strategic planning to achieve specific outcomes. But before we get into that, let’s get on the same page about why this all matters. 

Reasons to Create a Defined Structure

Creating your nonprofit organizational structure takes time but is worth the investment. Here are a handful of reasons to establish your structure and reporting lines sooner rather than later:

• Remove confusion: As your nonprofit grows, it’s hard to keep track of who does what (especially for new hires). A formal organizational structure cuts down on confusion by outlining your teams’ responsibilities, reporting relationships, and hierarchy. 

• Make better decisions faster: Structure helps outline the decision-making process, empowering your leaders to make strategic decisions more efficiently without involving unrelated parties.  

• Fill in the gaps: An illustration of your structure with a nonprofit org chart helps identify job titles and positions that need to be filled to reach your full potential. 

• Eliminate silos: When you improve cross-team collaboration, teams become better aligned on metrics and performance goals. 

• Prevent duplicative work: Without clear lines of responsibility and communication, it’s more common for different teams to duplicate their efforts. This leads to lost time, money, and productivity. 

Critical Functions to Define 

Every nonprofit (and even for-profits, for that matter) has functional areas that need defining. Each employee at your company serves a different role: product development, customer service, marketing, and more.

An organizational structure helps organize these employees into broader buckets with the following functional areas:

• Governance
• Administration
• Programs

Governance

Your nonprofit board is responsible for high-level decision-making. These individuals ensure your nonprofit is strategically ready to fundraise and execute its mission.

Administration

Your administrative members oversee budgeting and strategy. They monitor the finances to ensure you spend within your means and execute strategies that meet your nonprofit’s goals.

Programs

Your program professionals likely make up the bulk of your nonprofit, as these are the individuals responsible for the nitty-gritty work. Program staff include marketing, fundraising, human resources, volunteers, and event management. 

How to Format an Org Chart

Exploring formatting options for your org chart can help spark ideas on what makes the most sense for your team. Here are a few popular formats:

• Top-down
• Bottom-up
• Flat
• Divisional
• Cross-functional
• Matrix
• Round

Top-Down

A top-down organizational structure is probably the most popular. Your board of directors and executive directors sit at the top, then leadership cascades with individual contributors sitting at the bottom.

Bottom-Up

A bottom-up structure flips a conventional chart on its head. With this structure, leadership sits at the bottom of the organization with individual contributors at the top.

However, this method isn’t just a visualization. It’s a culture and mindset. With this structure, leadership serves managers and employees to ensure they’re mobilized to do their best work, rather than the other way around. 

Flat

A flat organizational structure removes the layers of management and has individuals reporting directly to the highest level of executive staff. Organizations following this method primarily self-manage with high levels of autonomy.

Flat structures work great for smaller organizations where everyone wears multiple hats. Keeping everyone connected and on the same page can be difficult, but you eliminate unnecessary reporting and siloing. 

Divisional

A divisional structure breaks your nonprofit into different projects. For example, you might have a separate structure for each product you deliver or geographic region you serve. Each division has its key leadership responsibilities that impact critical parts of the business, such as administrative, financial, human resources, and marketing tasks. 

Cross-functional

A cross-functional structure organizes individuals based on their roles. That means your entire marketing staff can connect across initiatives and projects, and your human resources team can connect across responsibilities. This organizational structure makes it easy for members of different teams to get in contact with the right department for project collaboration. 

Matrix

A matrix structure combines cross-functional and divisional charts. It puts programs across the top, projects on the left, and individuals in the middle.

Round

A round organizational structure works for smaller organizations where linear reporting is less of a priority. The main focus of round organizational structures is knowing who’s on the team and their responsibilities. 

4 Best Practices for Establishing Your Nonprofit Organizational Structure

Here are a few best practices to ensure you maximize the benefits of defining your nonprofit structure:

1. Make Your Organizational Chart Accessible

Your organizational chart isn’t just for the board and executives—let all your employees access it. This initiative encourages nonprofit transparency and helps create trust with your employees. Then, they can use the chart to find the right partners to collaborate with for specific tasks.

While you can print copies of your chart, these quickly become outdated. Using software or a digital format to update and share your organizational chart helps you keep it up to date when you hire a new team member or someone leaves. 

2. Use the Right Visualization Tool

Your organization doesn’t need to invent the wheel every time. The best visualization tools provide built-in templates so you don’t have to build and design one from scratch. Here are a few programs your nonprofit might consider for designing your very own organizational chart template:

• Canva
• InDesign
• Photoshop
• Airtable
• PowerPoint

Additionally, some software is purpose-built for this intent. The following software options make it even easier with drag-and-drop tools, spreadsheet imports, and automation:

• Lucidchart
• Miro
• Pingboard
• Organimi 

3. Update Your Chart Regularly

Your organization will quickly lose faith in the accuracy of your charts if you don’t update them regularly. Be sure to touch up your charts immediately whenever an employee joins or leaves your company. You’ll also want to pay it some attention during promotional cycles and organization restructures. 

4. Focus on Practicality

Your organizational chart isn’t just a nice visualization of your structure—it’s a practical tool that employees can use to work better. So make your charts as functional as possible. Add contact information to empower employees to reach out quickly and ensure your charts don’t become too cluttered for users to follow. 

Uplevel Your Nonprofit With Classy

Now that you’ve established your nonprofit organizational structure, it’s time to get to work. Where better to start than fundraising? 

Classy’s giving platform provides all the tools you need to optimize your fundraising experience for greater impact:

• Donation sites: Build on-brand, mobile-responsive web pages for collecting donations.
• Recurring giving: Empower your supporters to activate recurring giving subscriptions.
• Classy Pay: Let your donors give with credit cards, ACH payments, PayPal, digital wallets, and more.
• Supporter management: Track campaign performance, build reports, and automate messaging with your donors. 
• Classy Live: Power your virtual, hybrid, and in-person events with livestreaming software designed for professional-grade fundraising and engagement.

Request a demo to get in contact with one of our experts. They’ll show you everything you can accomplish with Classy.

• Where can we start the problem-solving process?
• What are some ways we can take risks to find the best solutions?
• What do innovative initiatives look like?

To help get your creative juices flowing, we’ve rounded up a few tips on how to innovate to solve today’s social problems. Each suggestion features an organization from our list of 2022 Classy Awards winners and how they approached a timely challenge creatively and effectively.

1. Adopt Possible Solutions From Other Sectors

Some of the most effective ideas for innovation come from adopting strategies or technologies that have led to breakthroughs in other sectors. A successful business model from another industry may revolutionize your own.

Examples of How to Solve Social Problems Through Solution Adoption

Well Aware

Using mobile apps has become part of everyday life for many people but isn’t commonly associated with philanthropy. Well Aware, however, shows why tapping into this solution can be helpful for addressing social challenges.

The nonprofit decided to use an innovative smartphone app to address a lack of access to clean water in rural East African communities. Its app makes it possible to investigate, plan, design, implement, and fundraise for custom clean water systems that fit the specific needs of these areas.

Well Aware’s efforts have impacted the lives of over 300,000 individuals through more than 90 water projects. This transformative technology has helped the nonprofit carry out ongoing water system maintenance and diagnostics.

As a result, the nonprofit maintains a 1,005% success rate—an incredibly high benchmark in the industry, especially considering the 60% failure rate of water projects in Africa.

World Telehealth Initiative

Telehealth refers to the broad variety of healthcare and health education services delivered through technology. While a standard practice in certain areas of the world now, other developing regions don’t have the systems and technologies to support it.

The World Telehealth Initiative (WTI) leverages telehealth technologies from the healthcare sector to transform medical access for vulnerable communities worldwide. With this model, WTI has connected more than 350 volunteer physicians with over 24 hospitals across Asia, Africa, South America, and the Caribbean. These partnerships provided 925 telehealth sessions in 2021 alone.

Using social problem-solving skills learned through the rapid expansion of telehealth technology during the COVID-19 pandemic, WTI planned to increase its global footprint to 40 partner hospitals and 1,000 physician volunteers by the end of 2022.

Games For Change G4C Student Challenge

Applying what it knows about gaming, Games For Change developed and launched its G4C Student Challenge.

The challenge is a national design competition that invites middle and high school youth in the US to create digital games about the root causes of issues impacting their communities. Through this work, students master critical thinking, decision-making, communication, collaboration, and creativity through gaming.

By leveraging ideas from the gaming sector, Games For Change has been able to connect with its target demographic better. In 2021, the program reached 4,071 students and trained 282 teachers. And in just three years, students in the program submitted more than 2,900 games to the national competition, indicating program completion and a demonstration of their learning.

2. Invest in At-Risk or Overlooked Populations

Your best solutions may not look like material inventions that enhance people’s lives or new methodologies that transform the way nonprofits function.

When society overlooks certain populations or perceives them to be problematic, your choice to invest in them is innovation within itself. Your efforts can serve as the catalyst needed to change lives and perspectives. Being problem solvers for big social issues, like homelessness or public health crises, will likely inspire more people to join your cause.

Examples of How to Solve Social Problems Through Ambitious Action

America Needs You Fellows Program

The America Needs You Fellows Program focuses on first-generation college students. While this population has already made great strides by being accepted into an undergraduate program, they don’t always receive the support they need to ensure their continued success.

Each first-generation college student is paired with a trained volunteer mentor or coach for a two-year program, receiving more than 200 hours of career insight and personal support.

The nonprofit’s investment in this overlooked group helps ensure the students can complete internships, graduate, and secure employment. In 2021, 244 students completed the program.

KABOOM! Play Everywhere Program

While many nonprofits focus efforts on children in need, KABOOM! zeros in on a specific population of children to help—those without access to a park near their homes. Through behavioral science research, KABOOM! created the Play Everywhere Program as an innovative strategy to address play space inequity. The nonprofit uses play to spark social, emotional, and physical growth for 28 million children.

3. Embed Sustainability Into Your Program Design

For nonprofits looking to solve social problems, a temporary fix isn’t good enough. Addressing social situations needs to happen through a lens of sustainability. Both startups and established organizations can innovate by empowering the individuals they serve to participate in the solution.

Examples of How to Solve Social Problems Through Sustainability-Minded Programming

Nuru International

Farming communities in fragile areas of Sub-Saharan Africa suffer from extreme poverty and lack access to tools and knowledge to achieve brighter futures. Nuru International works with these farming communities.

More specifically, Nuru International supports farmer-led cooperatives that equip farmers with training, inputs, and infrastructure in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria. This model includes an innovative leadership development program called a “Sustainability Engine” to restore capacity to local leaders. After about 5 to 7 years of implementation, the nonprofit leaves behind a completely self-sustaining impact model owned and operated by these empowered individuals.

In 2021, Nuru International served 7,475 farmer households, resulting in a 65% increase in crop yield and a 42% increase in household income. From the beginning, Nuru International has embedded sustainability into its program design.

Trees for the Future

Climate change, generational poverty, and chronic hunger are several critical social problems that Trees for the Future has a mission to address. The nonprofit’s approach to solving these issues is to train farmers in sustainable land use.

Trees for the Future helps farmers transform their land to create new possibilities for themselves and their communities for generations to come. Farmers using this innovative approach have seen their income increase by 400% and have gained food security within three years. Meanwhile, the initiative has also planted more than 193,000,000 trees since 2019.

4. Collaborate Across Sectors to Solve Social Problems

Organizations learn how to innovate, push boundaries, and develop new solutions when connecting and collaborating with others.

While it’s common to collaborate with an organization in the same sector, there’s something about partnering across sectors—and in large groups—to come up with lasting solutions.

Examples of How to Solve Social Problems Through Cross-Collaboration

Green Bronx Machine Foster Care Farm and Tiny Home Village at Stepping Stones Residential Facility

To support foster youth in their transition out of the foster care system, Green Bronx Machine partnered with other sectors to address everything from food deserts and unemployment rates to housing and addiction treatment.

More specifically, it partnered with Stepping Stones Residential Treatment Facility to build the first-ever commercial farm staffed and run by foster youth. The hydroponic farm provides living-wage employment opportunities with 21 tiny homes for foster youth aging out of the foster care system.

In 2021, the program employed 45 students at the greenhouse and housed six foster youth in tiny homes on campus.

Yamba Malawi Childhoods & Livelihoods Program

In Malawi, 70% of the population lives in extreme poverty, and 64% of children lack a combination of nutrition, health care, education, housing, water, sanitation, and social protection. To provide support for such a wide array of needs, Yamba Malawi launched an innovative child-focused poverty graduation program.

This three-year program works with various caregivers and community partners to provide necessary wraparound support, such as training, mentoring, seed funding for businesses, and digital finance. As a result of this collaboration, Yamba Malawi has impacted the lives of more than 200,000 children, including 53,000 in 2021 alone.

5. Rethink a Traditional Process for Possible Solutions

Some of the most successful innovations in recent years simply provided a new approach to an existing solution. Determine how to innovate by identifying a creative way to elevate a stale idea.

Examples of How to Solve Social Problems With Modern Ideas

New York Sun Works

Access to quality STEM education is greatly lacking, particularly among low-income students and those who are at-risk, require special accommodations, or are currently underrepresented in STEM fields. New York Sun Works identified the holes in how institutions currently delivered STEM education and found a way to fill those gaps.

The nonprofit’s program is the first of its kind and provides inquiry-based STEM and sustainability education to kindergarten through grade 12 students through the lens of urban indoor agriculture. By taking this creative approach to a more traditional curriculum, New York Sun Works brought crucial STEM education to 155,000 students from 2019 to 2021.

Sanku Project Healthy Children

Malnourishment is a grave concern in Sub-Saharan Africa, and Sanku Project Healthy Children aims to help the 28 million children in Sub-Saharan Africa experiencing it. Traditional approaches to this social problem might include delivering food to these communities. However, this nonprofit wanted to rethink that model to ensure greater sustainability in accessing nutritious food.

To accomplish this, the organization introduced its award-winning Sanku Dosifier—a fully automated nutrient fortification technology—to Tanzania and Kenya. It works with third-party implementers in Malawi and Rwanda. This technology empowers small-scale millers to produce fortified flour at no additional cost to themselves or their customers.

With 671 installments in 2021, communities have been able to produce more than 31,000 metric tons of grain.

VoteAmerica Tool Integrations

Efforts to increase voter turnout in US elections are often localized or focus solely on reminding people to vote. Despite these efforts, just 66.8% of citizens voted in 2020. VoteAmerica developed a new solution to this problem by providing publicly available election information data and tools to simplify the voting process in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

By taking a new approach to a traditional process, VoteAmerica has made it easier for voters to verify their registration status and information, register to vote, request an absentee ballot, find a polling location, and more. Its innovative solution, alongside strategic partnership integrations, is an exponentially scalable one-to-millions approach, allowing them to reach 400,000 people in 2021 alone.

Innovative and Inspirational Ideas to Solve Social Problems

There are many ways nonprofits can innovate to solve social problems, whether through a creative social media campaign or a cross-sector collaboration. And you can leverage examples like those above to inspire your social problem-solving skills.

Know a nonprofit organization that we should consider for a 2023 Classy Award based on its ability to solve social problems? Has your nonprofit made any critical contributions that we should all elevate? Let us know. Nominations for the 2023 Classy Awards are open through March 7.

Collaborative by Classy is another way to gain inspiration for your work. This two-day June conference brings together forward-thinking nonprofit professionals and social sector experts to uncover the ideas and strategies necessary to propel the industry upward and unlock the world’s generosity.

As 2023 unfolds, nonprofit leaders have the challenge of evolving to meet society’s growing demands and deliver services that make a lasting impact. The strong return of in-person conferences and innovative hybrid events will bring even more learning, networking, and collaboration opportunities this year.

We’re helping you find the best nonprofit conferences of 2023 with this comprehensive list of can’t-miss events. No matter your role in the social sector, these conferences will leave you feeling inspired and ready to tackle your biggest goals.

Best Overall Nonprofit Conferences

Collaborative by Classy

When: June 7 to 8

Where: Philadelphia, PA

Collaborative by Classy is a two-day experience curated specifically for nonprofit professionals and social sector experts. With fundraising and technology at the forefront of the conversation, attendees will uncover the ideas that will propel the sector forward and unlock the world’s generosity. 

In 2022, over 293 organizations attended the event in Philadelphia to share goals, brainstorm innovative solutions, and develop lifelong relationships with the most influential thinkers in the sector.

Over the years, attendees have had the opportunity to learn from a wide variety of experts and leading minds, including:

• Reshma Saujani, Founder of Girls Who Code and Moms First
• Ivy McGregor, Impact Leader, Author, and Executive Director of BeyGOOD Foundation
• Alex Sheen, Founder of because I said I would
• Bert Jacobs, Chief Executive Optimist and Co-Founder of Life is Good

The event series begins with a marquee event in June and continues with year-round opportunities to connect with fellow nonprofit leaders. Take advantage of the opportunity to engage in timely conversations about the latest industry trends, priorities, and relevant events.

What to Expect 

• Intentional learning experiences that leave you ready to raise more for your mission
• Hands-on workshops and engaging speaking sessions led by a diverse group of experts 
• Networking opportunities with the sharpest minds in the sector
• Tangible takeaways and actionable next steps for you to do more good in the world
• Touches of Philly’s vibrant culinary, art, and music trends in the event venues, parties, and hotel accommodations

Discuss common issues, brainstorm solutions, and explore proven concepts in one-of-a-kind sessions. Don’t miss out on the chance to hear proven tactics for success from industry experts and peers, improve your fundraising skill set with live lessons, and more.

Dreamforce

When: September 12 to 14

Where: San Francisco, CA

Dreamforce is an annual event that brings together the global Salesforce community for learning, fun, community building, and philanthropy. Trailblazers from all over the world gather to share their insights and successes and learn the latest in industry innovations.

Since 2003, Dreamforce has grown into far more than just a conference—it’s a can’t-miss, immersive experience. From inspiring keynotes and sessions to visionary thinking on the future of technology, Dreamforce will empower attendees to grow their organizations and careers.

What to Expect

• Breakout sessions, trainings, and certification opportunities that will help you discover new innovations to business challenges
• Demos of the latest technology
• New people and old friends
• Like-minded Trailblazers, an incredible network of partners, and new ideas born

Experience Dreamforce to be a part of this celebration of the nonprofit community.

Nonprofit Marketing Conferences

2023 Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference

When: August 2 to 4

Where: National Harbor, MD

The 18th Annual Bridge to Integrated Marketing & Fundraising Conference is your chance to collaborate with nonprofit professionals, consultants, agencies, and other marketing experts on strategic ways to elevate your voice and change the world.

What to Expect 

• Dynamic keynotes, panels, and workshops on the latest fundraising strategies, techniques, and innovations  
• Ample networking opportunities to extend the conversation beyond each session
• Insights into major donor fundraising and its impact on overall revenue
• Breakout sessions tailored specifically to nonprofit professionals

Community Boost’s Nonprofit Marketing Summit

When: Feb 28 to March 2

Where: Virtual

At The Nonprofit Marketing Summit: The Big Innovation, attendees will experience three virtual days of free learning from the best and brightest thought leaders in the space. The schedule will offer more than 60 high-impact sessions with speakers from across the sector. 

Prepare to join over 25,000 nonprofit professionals for this immersive summit that will leave you with the strategies you need to drive growth in 2023 and beyond.

What to Expect 

• Hand-picked speakers that bring the most possible value to all attendees
• Opportunities to network with fellow nonprofit professionals from world-changing organizations 
• Ability to register as an event VIP for access to session recordings, notes, and more

The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization (NIO) Summit

When: September 19 to 21

Where: Dallas, TX

The Nonprofit Innovation & Optimization Summit (NIO), hosted by NextAfter, is for those who want to grow their skills in online fundraising and marketing. Hear from hand-selected experts worldwide on how to become an innovative digital marketer and raise more to fuel your worthy cause. 

Attendees enter a whimsical world adapted to the real-life realities of working at a nonprofit organization as a fundraiser or marketer. Most importantly, marquee speakers from both the for-profit and nonprofit industries give actionable insights and steps to improve your results in Ted-Talk-style presentations.

What to Expect 

• Inspiring new ideas from cutting-edge digital marketers
• Secrets to building a culture of perpetual learning and performance improvement 
• Previews of new technology solutions in a no-pressure, sales-free environment
• Networking opportunities with fellow innovators from the nonprofit and for-profit spaces
• Instant access to your own experiment research library 
• 100% money-back guarantee if you don’t walk away with new ideas to grow your fundraising and marketing 

Nonprofit Technology Conferences

NTENNonprofit Technology Conference

When: April 12 to 14

Where: Denver, CO

The NTEN Nonprofit Technology Conference is an annual event to help nonprofit professionals understand the benefits of technology, innovation, and forward-thinking. Every aspect is built with a community focus, prioritizing accessibility, equity, and inclusivity.

Regardless of your job, role, or life experience, you’ll walk away feeling more knowledgeable and passionate about your work and your organization’s impact on the world.

What to Expect 

• Over 130 in-person sessions and 45 live virtual sessions covering digital inclusion, fundraising, IT, leadership, marketing and communications, and program development
• Inspiring keynote speakers and thought-provoking breakout opportunities
• Community conversations to share stories and create connections in a relaxed environment
• Guided art, music, and activities to decompress throughout the day

Choose to participate online or in person with thousands of other attendees, including nonprofit staff, volunteers, board members, funders, consultants, and tech vendors. Take advantage of this opportunity to invest in your personal capacity to do meaningful work. 

Good Tech Fest 2023

When: May 1 to 4

Where: Washington, DC

Good Tech Fest is for you if you want to use data and technology to make a difference in the world. This conference will teach you how to take advantage of everything technology has to offer to support and scale the efforts of nonprofits, government, philanthropy, and social enterprise.

From data science to mobile applications, this conference reminds you that the potential is limitless.

What to Expect 

• Sessions led by data science and technology professionals on ways to implement technology in your nonprofit programs 
• Conversations on the role of machine learning and data analytics in your organization
• Discussions around data ethics and security 
• Firsthand insight from practitioners on how they utilize data science in their work 

From May 1 to 3, the event hosts attendees in person. On May 3, the conference goes completely virtual, with over 100 workshops led by experts from around the world.

Nonprofit Leadership Conferences

Create Good

When: April 26 to 28

Where: Durham, NC

Create Good is a conference for people brave enough to change the world. This event is about inspiring nonprofit communicators with the latest tools and techniques to fuel their cause. Create Good encourages attendees to come and share what they’ve learned so the whole sector can thrive together.  

What to Expect 

• Practitioners from around the country lending their perspectives and expertise 
• Keynote and workshop speakers like Kivi Leroux Miller, CEO and Founder of Nonprofit Marketing Guide, and Darren Margolias, Executive Director of Beast Philanthropy
• Collaborative conversations about the importance of strength, fortitude, and stubbornness to stay on the path to making change 

Engage for Good 2023

When: May 16 to 18

Where: Atlanta, GA

Engage for Good is where business and corporate social impact leaders come to grow their knowledge and network. With content for your colleagues from marketing, program design, and even human resources, this three-day conference will help maximize your potential in the world of social impact.

What to Expect 

• Targeted sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities that will link you to pros from other organizations who share your experience or social impact focus
• Interactive programming and breakouts that address your most pressing questions
• Access to critical data and benchmarking to measure your influence against others in the space

Start your conference experience by enrolling in one of three special pre-conference sessions: the Nonprofit Leadership Summit, the Business Leader Summit, or the Nonprofit Corporate Alliance Sales Workshop.

Nonprofit Alliance 2023 Leadership Summit

When: September 19 to 21

Where: Washington, DC

The Nonprofit Alliance 2023 Leadership Summit is where you can join fellow nonprofit industry leaders to learn how to navigate the world’s evolving business and service models and harness the power of transformation to strengthen your impact.

What to Expect 

• Networking facilitation techniques that stimulate critical conversations and liberate the full potential of any group or individual
• Discussions on leadership burnout and ways to recharge your vitality and endurance 
• Insight from top leaders on ways to build a roadmap to success 
• Networking reception to close each day in a more relaxed, comfortable environment

Note that attendance is restricted to The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance members and invited guests and seating will be capped at 150 attendees. Participation is more beneficial and recommended for senior leaders with 15 or more years of experience, the title of vice president and higher, or other distinguishing experience as a sector changemaker. 

NonProfit POWER

When: December 4 to 6

Where: Baltimore, MD

NonProfit POWER is an all-inclusive experience for qualified attendees to gain insights into the latest peer-to-peer fundraising strategies, technology solutions, and direct marketing tactics. 

What to Expect 

• Opportunities for connection and relationship building with leaders across the nonprofit spectrum 
• Insights from key decision-makers at leading nonprofit organizations
• Best-in-class fundraising solutions across three key educational tracks

Nonprofit Fundraising Conferences

P2P Professional Forum Conference

When: February 22 to 24

Where: Washington, DC

The P2P Professional Forum Conference is a great way to take some time out of your schedule to focus on the people behind peer-to-peer fundraising—your staff, volunteers, and fundraisers. It offers breakout tracks designed with your colleagues from marketing, corporate relations, and human resources in mind. 

What to Expect 

• Unveiling of the Top Thirty benchmark report
• Targeted sessions and networking opportunities to link peers who share similar experiences
• In-depth conversations with winners of the Cash, Sweat & Tears Award and Organization of the Year Award 

NAYDO Conference on YMCA Philanthropy

When: April 11 to 14

Where: Houston, TX

NAYDO’s 42nd Annual Conference on YMCA Philanthropy offers a week of exploring innovation in philanthropy while being inspired by one of the nation’s most innovative cities. Sessions will leave attendees with inspiration and fresh ideas to move the needle on their mission, followed by opportunities to unwind at several special events, like a group barbecue dinner and a NASA Space Center tour.

What to Expect 

• Inspirational keynote hosted by Suzanne McCormick, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA
• Preview of NAYDO 2024 in Denver, Colorado 
• Community service opportunities to participate in throughout the week

AFP Icon 2023

When: April 16 to 18

Where: New Orleans, LA

The AFP ICON, hosted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and designed with fundraising experts and professionals in mind, brings together approximately 4,000 attendees each year to discuss, teach, and learn the latest fundraising trends and best practices.

What to Expect 

• Impressive keynote speakers like Emeril Lagasse, legendary chef, TV personality, and Founder of the Emeril Lagasse Foundation
• More than 100 total educational sessions on leadership, relationship building, trends and innovation, and more to help unlock your fundraising potential
• Pre-conference workshop for an additional registration fee 

Woodmark Summit

When: May 2 to 4

Where: Dallas, TX

The Woodmark Summit is an annual, best-practices-oriented gathering for the senior-level, front-line fundraising staff of the 27 member hospitals in the Woodmark Group’s nonprofit organization. Attendees learn best practices and subject-matter expertise through jam-packed sessions, breakout sessions, and roundtable discussions.

What to Expect 

• Examinations of “headwinds”—the political, economic, social, cultural, and environmental influences that threaten the success of fundraising efforts
• Discussions of how to anticipate the threat of headwinds and develop strategies to diminish the impact
• Ways to increase transformational, principal, and major gifts, and build robust gift-planning programs to fuel your mission

Cause Camp

When: September 14 to 15

Where: Greater Sandusky, OH

Cause Camp is a nonprofit conference that Forbes has named a “must-attend” event for nonprofit professionals. Join the experience to connect with top industry speakers, participate in engaging breakout sessions, and take advantage of one-on-one networking to collaborate with and learn from other leading minds in the space. Ignite your purpose and walk away with actionable strategies you can use right away.

What to Expect 

• The best and brightest speakers working in or with the nonprofit sector
• Attendee toolkits complete with swag and other resources to elevate your experience 
• Prizes for the most engaged attendees 

AHP International Conference

When: September 20 to 22

Where: Orlando, FL

The AHP International Conference is the largest annual gathering dedicated entirely to the needs of healthcare and philanthropy professionals. Join peers from around the world for networking, best practices, and insights from experts on industry trends. 

What to Expect 

• Over 50 speakers hosting more than 35 sessions on new ways to raise funds and better serve your community
• Networking and brainstorming with over 700 attendees 
• Time to get to know peers from large health systems to critical access facilities and everything in between 

Don’t Miss Out on the Top Nonprofit Conferences of the Year

Nonprofit conferences keep you at the top of your game—no matter your experience level or specific function at your organization. Choose the best conferences for your nonprofit in 2023 that will challenge you in new ways, deliver the strongest return on investment, and allow you to expand and strengthen your network.

We’re proud to recognize eleven nonprofit environmental organizations leading the charge. Below, you’ll find out how they plan to rally communities with Earth Day donation and volunteer opportunities, and how that fuels their year-round work to support a cleaner, healthier, and more sustainable planet.

But first, let’s explore why Earth Day is so important.

So, When Is Earth Day 2023?

For most countries worldwide, Earth Day falls on April 22 every year. We celebrate Earth Day as winter transitions to spring, a tradition that started in 1970. In recent years, Earth Day has evolved into Earth Month to continue the celebrations for 30 days.

The Critical Role of Environmental Sustainability Nonprofits

Environmental sustainability is our collective responsibility to protect our ecosystems and preserve our natural resources. The actions we take today will support and protect the well-being of future generations. Thanks to the work of environmental sustainability nonprofits around the world, donors have an outlet to take action and do their part.

But why is environmental sustainability so vital? Consider this snapshot of today’s environmental sustainability stats:

• Each year, a third of the food we produce for human consumption (around 1.3 billion tons) goes to waste—an amount that could have fed 3 billion people.¹
• If all greenhouse gas emissions had stopped in 2020, global warming would only begin to slow by around 2033.²
• Roughly 11 million tons of plastic make their way into the oceans every year, harming wildlife habitats and the animals that live in them.³

While all of this might sound bleak, there are actions we can take right now to help our planet—and the organizations below are paving the way.

Earth Day Donations for Environmental Sustainability

Actions that support environmental sustainability include setting new environmental regulations, developing technology through renewable energy, and leaning into eco-friendly living. Earth Day is an excellent time to support these initiatives and the creative ways environmental organizations dedicate their missions to driving change.

1. California State Parks Foundation

Organization Mission: The California State Parks Foundation is an independent, member-supported nonprofit environmental organization dedicated to protecting and preserving the California state park system for the benefit of all.

How California State Parks Foundation Takes Action on Earth Day

At the California State Parks Foundation, Earth Day Climate Action returns each year as a month-long celebration that encourages supporters to become stewards of their local state park. The organization calls on passionate park champions across the state to help clean their local parks, playgrounds, neighborhoods, and backyards.

All participants receive a free DIY Earth Day kit with compostable trash bags, information to properly collect and sort litter in their local community, and some fun stickers. California State Park’s Virtual Earth Day Report helps volunteers track their progress and record their impact for prizes.

Connect with California State Park Foundation:

Hashtags to follow: #CalParksEarthDay, #OptOutside

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @calparks and @REI

2. SF Parks Alliance

Organization Mission: The SF Parks Alliance is the only city-wide parks nonprofit in San Francisco. For over 50 years, the alliance has partnered with communities and public agencies to create, sustain, and advocate for parks and public spaces that welcome and belong to everyone.

How SF Parks Alliance Takes Action on Earth Day

Over the last few years, parks across San Francisco have been a lifeline. In 2020, SF Parks Alliance launched its Heart Your Parks campaign, lighting city monuments in green and adding social distancing hearts to parks across the city to acknowledge how important these spaces were during the pandemic. 

In 2022, the SF Parks Alliance relaunched the Heart Your Parks campaign to showcase ongoing love and gratitude for these special places. Starting on Earth Day, SF Parks Alliance created 30 hearts in parks across 30 days and raised funds in support of parks.

Connect with SF Parks Alliance:

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @SFParksAlliance

3. Fort Greene Park Conservancy

Organization Mission: The Fort Greene Park Conservancy provides programming, maintenance, and advocacy to preserve and nourish Fort Greene Park as a community resource and public space for all New Yorkers for generations to come.

How Fort Greene Park Conservancy Takes Action on Earth Day

Earth Day at Fort Greene Park is a celebration of the natural, open space New Yorkers get the opportunity to share and of the community that loves and sustains it. Throughout all thirty acres of this verdant space within busy Fort Greene, the organization offers ways for supporters to connect with the land and the neighbors they share it with.

From educational tree walks and scavenger hunts to collaborative art projects and volunteer gardening, zero-waste in-person events will provide people of all ages with an opportunity to gather together to give back to the planet that gives so much.

Connect with Fort Greene Park Conservancy:

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @fortgreenepark

4. I Love a Clean San Diego County

Organization Mission: I Love A Clean San Diego County leads and inspires the community to conserve and enhance the environment. The organization leads by example, outreach, and local involvement to help residents and businesses build a zero-waste, litter-free, and environmentally-engaged lifestyle.

How I Love a Clean San Diego Takes Action on Earth Day

For the past 20 years, the organization has held a Creek to Bay Cleanup on or around Earth Day to celebrate—and the event returns on April 22, 2023. Supporters and volunteers are invited to join thousands of others in the largest environmental cleanup in San Diego County. Creek to Bay started in 2002 and has since blocked 2.7 million pounds of litter from entering the ocean with the help of 87,000 volunteers.

This year, the organization aims to edge closer to the milestone of 3 million pounds of litter at more than 70 local sites around the region. Donors can also contribute monetarily through one-time gifts or recurring donations on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis.

Connect with I Love a Clean San Diego:

Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram: @ilovecleansd

5. National Forest Foundation

Organization Mission: The National Forest Foundation aims to engage Americans in promoting our National Forests and Grasslands’ health and public enjoyment. They are the leading organization inspiring personal and meaningful connections to our environment through forest conservation efforts and responsible recreation.

How National Forest Foundation Takes Action on Earth Day

The National Forest Foundation is continuing its 50 Million For Our Forests campaign this Earth Day. Since the campaign’s start in 2018, more than 28 million trees have been planted on over 70,000 acres of public National Forest land.

The organization matches every dollar donated with a newly planted tree. They offer supporters the option to pledge one dollar per day for an impact of 365 planted trees by next April.

Connect with National Forest Foundation:

Facebook: @nationalforestfoundation

Twitter and Instagram: @nationalforests

Youtube: @natlforests

6. Farmer’s Footprint

Organization Mission: Farmer’s Footprint is a coalition of farmers, educators, doctors, scientists, and business leaders aiming to expose the human and environmental impacts of chemical farming and offer a path forward through regenerative agricultural practices.

How Farmer’s Footprint Takes Action on Earth Day

In 2022, Farmer’s Footprint used Earth Day as a way to launch its first-ever Garden Club with Farmer Greg. After sharing countless farmer stories, they are calling on their community to make a pledge for Mother Earth by getting their own hands dirty.

The Garden Club was an easy-to-follow, fun, and informative 3-week regenerative gardening course meant for anyone who has the desire to start growing food but feels overwhelmed by the idea of learning how to garden. The goal of the course was to help students think deeper about connecting with the land, developing food security, and ensuring their diet consists of the most nutrient-dense food.

Together, these new ways of thinking create an impact within their own body, home, and community that extends far beyond this Earth Day.

Connect with Farmer’s Footprint:

Facebook and Instagram:@farmersfootprint

LinkedIn: Farmer’s Footprint

YouTube: Farmer’s Footprint

7. Seattle Parks Foundation

Organization Mission: Seattle Parks Foundation partners with the community to champion thriving and equitable parks and public spaces. They have the vision to help visitors feel welcomed and invested in the city’s parks and public spaces, leading to healthy, sustainable, and equitable communities.

How Seattle Parks Foundation Takes Action on Earth Day

In 2022, Seattle Parks Foundation celebrated Earth Day by participating in GiveBIG, Washington state’s campaign that pairs supporters with a network of regional donation opportunities.

Throughout April and May, GiveBig encouraged supporters to donate directly to Seattle Parks Foundation’s GiveBIG campaign, People Powered Parks + Public Spaces, to support public, green space, and civic projects with over 90 community-led partners.

Connect with Seattle Parks Foundation:

Facebook and Instagram:@seattleparksfoundation

Twitter: @seaparksfdtn

LinkedIn: Seattle Parks Foundation

YouTube: Seattle Parks Foundation

8. Amah Mutsun Land Trust

Organization Mission: The Amah Mutsun Land Trust (AMLT) works to restore indigenous land stewardship practices in order to heal the earth and provide opportunities for native peoples to re-engage with their heritages. 

How Amah Mutsun Land Trust Takes Action on Earth Day

AMLT encourages volunteers, tribal members, and organization supporters to engage with one of their three most impactful ongoing service programs:

1. Volunteer work at the Native Gardens at San Juan Bautista Historic State Park in San Juan Bautista, CA
2. Service work at the Mutsun Garden at Pie Ranch in Pescadero, CA
3. Tending the ethnobotanical demonstration garden at Castle Rock State Park in Los Gatos, CA

While AMLT encourages people from all backgrounds to become involved in their stewardship work, their primary focus is bringing the Mutsun people (a modern tribe of ancestors from more than 20 distinct indigenous groups) back to their tribal homelands to resume their historical land conservation and environmental protection work. 

Connect with Amah Mutsun Land Trust:

Facebook: Amah Mutsun Land Trust

Email: Newsletter signup

9. Ocean Conservancy

Organization Mission: Ocean Conservancy is working with you to protect the ocean from today’s greatest challenges — climate change, plastic pollution, loss of biodiversity, overfishing, and more. They also advance government policies to combat climate change, protect marine habitats, and restore coastal environments.

How Ocean Conservancy Takes Action on Earth Day

Each Earth Day, Ocean Conservancy encourages supporters to take a few critical actions that support the future of our ocean:

• Take action – Write or call your local, state, and federal representatives to urge them to factor the ocean and our coastal communities into their political decision-making and pass policies to fight climate change.
• Tell Congress to fully fund NOAA – Use social media or other communication channels to tell your federal representatives to continue funding the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a critical research and regulatory agency protecting the oceans.
• Help keep plastics out of our ocean – Organize or join a cleanup to remove marine debris and plastic pollution from your local beach, waterway or neighborhood. Download Ocean Conservancy’s Clean Swell app to track the amount and type of trash you collect, which will go towards systemic solutions to the plastic and marine debris challenge.

Connect with Ocean Conservancy:

Facebook and Instagram: @oceanconservancy 

Twitter: @ourocean 

LinkedIn: Ocean Conservancy

10. Community Forests International

Organization Mission: Community Forests International creates initiatives and connects existing projects in Canada, Zanzibar, and Mozambique. Their sustainability initiatives focus on “natural climate solutions” and seek to create ethical economic opportunities for native peoples in the world’s forests. 

How Community Forests International Takes Action on Earth Day

Community Forests International encourages people to engage in one of their numerous projects throughout the world, including:

• Forest restoration in Canada
• Adaptive agriculture work in Zanzibar
• Mangrove restoration in Mozambique 

Environmentalists and environmental professionals looking to make a difference with their wallets (or who want to stay closer to home this Earth Day) can contribute to the nonprofit’s forest carbon offset program. The program focuses on planting trees in critical forests around the world, supporting the indigenous peoples living in the world’s forests, and conserving mature forests. 

Connect with Community Forests International:

Instagram: @community_forests

Twitter: @canadatrees

YouTube: Community Forests International

11. Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide

Organization Mission: Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) empowers global communities to advocate for clean air and build a just, sustainable future. ELAW unites attorneys, advocates, and scientists worldwide to support grassroots climate action that transcends borders. 

How ELAW Takes Action on Earth Day

Each Earth Day, ELAW publishes a special press release updating supporters and volunteers on its worldwide efforts to bolster climate action. 

In addition, the environmental protection organization encourages everyone to learn more about the state of environmental law around the world and advocate for policies that conserve both climate and human justice. They also beseech lawyers and scientists to donate their time to environmental justice causes, providing their valuable expertise to projects that unite the world against climate destruction. 

Connect with ELAW:

Facebook: Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide – ELAW

Twitter: @ELSAWUS

How Today’s Earth Day Donations Lead to a Brighter Future

The work of environmental sustainability is never done. It takes all of us to come together over many Earth Days, and continue our commitment throughout the year.

Take inspiration from the organizations and environmental groups doing the work on the ground and explore how you can make an impact in your local community. Every small action or donation today supports a cleaner and greener tomorrow.

Organize for Change With Classy

Change-making nonprofits need financial resources to support their missions, and fundraising is a must for any and all environmental groups. But fundraising for nonprofits doesn’t have to be complicated—Classy is making it simpler than ever to raise capital for a good cause. 

Our fundraising platform eases the donation process, helps all different types of nonprofits track their campaign progress, and builds initiatives that keep donors engaged in the mission. We’re raised over $5 billion for some of the world’s top nonprofits, and we have what it takes to help your organization make an impact. 

Request a demo to get a firsthand look at how Classy can build a second-to-none giving experience for your donors. 

Article Sources:

1. “14 Biggest Environmental Problems of 2023,” Climate Change, Earth.org, last modified January 9, 2023, https://earth.org/the-biggest-environmental-problems-of-our-lifetime/.
2. “What Would Happen To The Climate If We Stopped Greenhouse Gas Emissions Today?,” Climate Change, Earth.org, last modified September 1, 2020, https://earth.org/what-would-happen-to-the-climate-if-we-stopped-greenhouse-gas-emissions/.
3. “Ocean Plastic Pollution Is On Track to Triple By 2040,” Pollution, Earth.org, last modified August 20, 2020, https://earth.org/ocean-plastic-pollution-on-track-to-triple-by-2040/.

We’ve narrowed down expert tips to help you navigate the nonprofit banking process and stay organized along the way. Below, you’ll find the most important factors in selecting a bank account as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

The Importance of Banking for Nonprofits

A nonprofit bank account is the next step to becoming a fully operational nonprofit organization. Without one, managing various program, administrative, and fundraising costs can be less than ideal. Your nonprofit bank account is also a place to evaluate where donations originate and how to allocate them to different programs.

How can nonprofits organize finances with a bank account?

Before we explore the various nonprofit bank accounts and options available to your organization, let’s first touch on the benefits of having a bank account.

With your team busy doing amazing things each day, banking with different banks and personal accounts requires a lot of time and energy that may take you away from achieving your goals.

Your nonprofit bank account makes it easier to:

• Monitor cash flow
• Manage multiple lines of credit
• Participate in online banking
• Accept more forms of payments, making nonprofit credit card processing a breeze
• Manage employee payroll
• Pull financial reports
• File annual Internal Revenue Service (IRS) tax returns

Does it cost money for nonprofit organizations to open a bank account?

The cost to open a bank account depends on the financial institution you choose. We’ll dive into some important factors to make that choice below and a few cost-effective options to consider.

For now, know that you may run into monthly maintenance fees, opening deposits, and transaction fees. However, the financial institution you choose can often waive these, with a minimum balance available in your account.

Which type of bank account should a nonprofit open?

Business banking accounts provide nonprofits with more benefits, such as broad access, streamlined cash management, and more straightforward annual summaries. Here are a few business bank accounts your nonprofit may explore:

• Nonprofit checking account: Grab a business debit card, accept ACH payments easily, use bill pay for facilities and tech services, and access cash faster through in-person ATM withdrawals

• Nonprofit business savings account: Get an ATM card and continue to accept ACH payments, even though this is more a deposit account for future planning, offering benefits to save over time

*With a savings account, you can build interest over time. Check out this cool interest rate calculator to evaluate this option.

• Credit card: Open a credit account with your financial institution to borrow money for your nonprofit—and since you can’t overdraw your account, you’ll want to be sure you can replenish your account balance

• Money market accounts: Access a debit card and check-writing advantages with a savings account, but know those transactions have limits and interest rates can be higher than other account types

Rules to be aware of before opening a bank account

Here are a few things to keep in mind before you start the process:

• Your 501(c)(4) or 501(c)(3) status from the IRS
• Your nonprofit’s incorporation paperwork, bylaws, tax ID number, and letter of exemption from the IRS
• Your Employer Identification Number (EIN)
• Your starting deposit
• Your Form 990, despite nonprofits being tax exempt

4 steps to set up bank accounts for nonprofits

1. Gather your documentation: Make sure all the above documents are ready and available, either through PDFs if you’re planning to open a savings or checking account online or through printed assets that you can hand to your representative
2. Decide who should have direct access: Identify a treasurer and select other officers who can sign checks on behalf of the organization, with their Social Security and driver’s license numbers available
3. Choose a bank: Select the best bank and account type that works for your nonprofit (we’ll talk about this next)
4. Make your initial deposit: Know where your required deposit comes from and have it ready to go

Evaluating a Nonprofit Bank

The best way to choose a nonprofit bank is to look at several options and discuss the benefits and downsides of each with your officers. Consider asking each financial institution questions like:

• What are your ethical standards or guidelines?
• Do you have experience working with nonprofits?
• Do you have unique resources for nonprofits?
• Do you waive fees for nonprofits?
• How will you provide documentation for our annual Form 990?
• Do you provide a mobile banking option or mobile apps?

More factors to help you choose the best nonprofit bank

• Member FDIC deposit insurance: Find out if the bank is FDIC insured because it’ll determine if you have the benefit of deposit insurance
• Bank type: Partner with financial institutions specifically beneficial to nonprofits operating in a local community:
  • Community banks derive funds from and lend to the community and have no affiliation with multibank holding companies
  • Credit unions perform the same financial services as a bank but are instead nonprofit financial institutions owned by those who use its financial products and services
  • Community Development Financial Institutions are lenders that pride themselves on providing fair, responsible financing options, especially in underserved communities
• Rate of return: Know what the annual percentage yield (APY) is for your bank account
• Proven track record: Ask about how the financial institution supported nonprofits during the 2020-2022 economic downturn to learn if the bank has a positive history of supporting 501(c)(3) bank accounts. Finding a financial institution that can help foster economic resilience in nonprofitswill be paramount to having a successful banking experience.

The Best Nonprofit Bank Accounts

Now that you know what to look for and what to be cautious about, let’s get you started with the highly rated banks for nonprofits and what makes them stand apart. Start your exploration here, and use these top contenders as a baseline for future financial institution conversations.

1. LendingClub

LendingClub, a financial services company based in San Francisco, California, was the first peer-to-peer lender to register with the Securities and Exchange Commission to expand its offerings.

Vision statement: We’re leading the governance of a new industry, developing ethical, responsible ways to bring greater value and better opportunities to customers.

Features:

• Low monthly fee of $10 waived with an average monthly balance of $500 or more
• Unlimited fee-free transactions and ATM cash deposits worldwide
• Unlimited 1% cash back on credit transactions
• 1.5% APY on balances up to $100,000 and .10% APY on all balances that follow

2. U.S. Bank

U.S. Bank, the fifth-largest banking institution in America, is a bank-holding company out of Minnesota and incorporated in Delaware. It’s the parent company of the U.S. Bank National Association.

Vision statement: We will focus on adding value for our customers and making the necessary investments to ensure long-term success—and we will do it simply, efficiently, and effectively.

Features:

• Over 2,000 brick-and-mortar branches across 26 states
• Free nonprofit business account
• Free transactions and cash deposits
• Nonprofit business credit card
• Minimum opening deposit of $100
• 0.005% APY
• Calculators and rate charts to get started

3. Bluevine

Bluevine is a financial technology company with high-yield business checking and lending for small businesses, making it an excellent option for tech-savvy nonprofits. It focuses on services and bank accounts that support growing operations and prides itself on offering more attention and customer service than a large lender may.

Vision statement: We build intentionally with the prosperity of small businesses as our top priority—from our banking to financial operations products, small business owners can rely on Bluevine to grow their businesses to new heights.

Features:

• Business lines of credit available
• All deposits are FDIC insured up to $250,000
• No monthly service fee
• 2% APY on balances up to and including $100,000
• Unlimited fee-free transactions
• No fees at over 37,000 MoneyPass ATMs

Approach Nonprofit Banking With Confidence

There you have it. Now you know the value nonprofit banking offers as you strategize for future growth. You know the different bank accounts that benefit a nonprofit organization, the rules to be aware of before you start, and the four simple steps to follow when you’re ready to make the decision and open a business account.

Additionally, you have a list of the best nonprofit banking options available to kick-start your search for a solid partner that meets your short and long-term goals.

Speaking of partners, Classy always has you covered for anything you need to establish a successful foundation and raise more for your organization’s mission. From showing volunteer appreciation to choosing the best type of nonprofit to get started with, we’re here to help.

As a best practice, you should have a running list of resources that help keep you up to date on all things nonprofit-sector related. To make it easy, we’ve rounded up a few of the latest industry reports, essential software platforms, and blogs worth consulting as you set or optimize your organization’s strategic planning for the months ahead.

Nonprofit Marketing and Communications

1. HubSpot – HubSpot is an inbound marketing platform. Unlike traditional marketing tactics, like direct mail or cold calling, inbound marketing uses valuable content to attract people to your brand. Whether a nonprofit or a for-profit business, HubSpot’s blogs offer a wealth of smart, valuable tips that any organization can apply to its marketing strategy.

2. The Storytelling Non-Profit – The Storytelling Non-Profit is your go-to when communicating with your donors the stories that can be a powerful tool to spur action. Through various workshops, blog articles, and webinars, this resource offers excellent advice about communicating and making meaningful connections with your donors through expert storytelling.

3. Canva – Canva for Nonprofits brings your message to life with professional-feeling visuals. The platform makes it easy to upload your branding and customize templates for any channel. To get started, check out these eight simple design ideas you can create for free on Canva.

4. GuideStar.org – GuideStar is a platform that connects the public with nonprofits. Create your profile to highlight everything your organization offers the community, and eager new donors and potential board members will discover you. Your GuideStar profile also allows you to earn ratings and awards to showcase your incredible work over time.

Nonprofit Community and Sector Trends

5. The Chronicle of Philanthropy – The Chronicle of Philanthropy is a news source that’s a staple in many nonprofit leaders’ stash of go-tos. This source provides a wide range of content that helps organizations across all sectors, with topics spanning from corporate support opportunities to human resources and technology advancements. Check this nonprofit resource daily for current event updates, fundraising tips and trends, and downloadable tools for your organization.

6. Stanford Social Innovation Review – The Stanford Social Innovation Review serves philanthropic, nonprofit, and business leaders looking to solve global issues.

The writers’ academic ability includes innovative ideas and fresh perspectives on social entrepreneurship and nonprofit fundraising.

7. The NonProfit Times – The NonProfit Times is a long-standing news publication and a popular resource for best practices on how to manage your organization.

Its articles delve into industry news and research, as well as offer fundraising, accounting, and daily operational tips for your nonprofit staff. Peruse the content to learn how to strengthen your impact.

8. Nonprofit Quarterly – The Nonprofit Quarterly is a nonprofit resource that offers organizations a range of topics regarding news and trends, organizational management, and development. Find relevant information on everything from current political events to discussions about financial management.

9. Philanthropy News Digest – Philanthropy News Digest, the Foundation Center’s daily news service, rounds up tons of articles from the philanthropic sector. The website also publishes job openings at foundations and nonprofits, as well as daily requests for proposals listings—current funding opportunities offered by foundations or other grantmakers. Check out the site’s opinion and commentary blog, PhilanTopic, for more philanthropy-related content.

10. The State of Modern Philanthropy – The State of Modern Philanthropy is Classy’s annual report that elevates trends in donation activity using proprietary platform data. Our interactive report website shows fundraising professionals the value of implementing multiple campaign types to see long-term fundraising success. Explore over 130 data points across over 54,000 active fundraising campaigns.

11. Why America Gives – Why America Gives is Classy’s annual online donor sentiment report, which explores today’s donors’ motivations, reactions, and expectations. We surveyed over 1,000 US donors to understand where giving will go next and what’s evolved since last year, especially in times of economic fluctuation. Take away valuable insight to form your donor outreach strategies and target specific generations of supporters.

Nonprofit Management and Technology

12. Nonprofit Technology Network – The Nonprofit Technology Network is a community of nonprofit professionals using technology effectively to achieve their missions. Here, you can find a range of nonprofit benchmarks and reports regarding technology usage in the sector, as well as other resources about how to infuse technology into your organizational strategy.

13. TechSoup.org – TechSoup is an online community that brings nonprofits, foundations, and libraries the technology solutions needed to maximize efficiency. Check out articles and educational tools on the best use of technology for your organization. You can also access discounted products and services from the community’s various software partners.

14. Nonprofitready.org – NonprofitReady provides support for grant writing with free classes and best practices. Learn everything from acquiring public grants to proposal writing to various funders all in one place.

15. BoardSource.org – BoardSource is the recognized leader in nonprofit board leadership research. This board development resource provides leaders with an extensive range of tools, resources, and research data to increase board effectiveness and strengthen organizational impact.

16. Internal Revenue Service – The Internal Revenue Service has everything from incorporating your nonprofit as a 501(c)(3) to filing annual reports for taxes each year as you scale. Get annual filing information and forms by visiting this helpful site when it comes time to get organized.

Fundraising

17. The Fundraising Authority – The Fundraising Authority offers a range of fundraising how-tos and pointers. Find articles on fundraising basics, direct-mail tactics, and donor cultivation to get your nonprofit off the ground.

18. Classy – The Classy blog has everything from fundraising and marketing advice to technology trends and industry insights. Learn how to enhance your donor engagement strategy and modernize your online, peer-to-peer, event, and crowdfunding strategy. Plus, boost your knowledge even further with our free downloadable guides, webinars, and case studies.

Stay Informed With Tried and True Nonprofit Resources

Consider this an online toolkit to help nonprofits thrive. Tap on these blogs and resources to increase your nonprofit knowledge and achieve your mission. The more your nonprofit has at its fingertips, the more well-rounded your fundraising strategies can be to achieve your goals.

For additional resources created specifically for charitable organizations on topics ranging from volunteer management, corporate sponsorship, fundraising best practices, professional development, and so much more, subscribe to the Classy blog.

Donors gravitate toward stronger organizations that invite them into charitable work and treat them as essential members of the communities served. You can form long-term relationships when donors trust how you execute your vision, how you process their recurring donations, and how that money translates to meaningful results.

Below, we’re sharing six ways to strengthen transparency with your donors and the three long-term outcomes that these introduce to your nonprofit organization. You can also dive into the psyche of today’s donors and their expectations from nonprofit engagement in our latest Why America Gives report. We’ve got a tip or two that can get supporters onto your donation page.

6 Ways to Gain Loyal Donors Through Nonprofit Transparency

1. Communicate Strong  & SMART Fundraising Goals

Yes, donors want to see results. But more than that, they want to see how they were a critical part of the process to get those results and what goals they ladder up to. Consistently sharing the whole picture of how a single donor’s action leads to a change felt by many is what establishes a trusted connection over time.

Start by defining a clear set of goals that expand beyond monetary value. These showcase the specific results you hope to achieve as a charitable organization while helping to solve the challenge of concern to passionate, potential donors. You can make these visible on your website, emails, and social media content so a donor never has to search for them. It’ll also show your pride in the goals you invite them to help you achieve.

2. Share Your Story

You can relate to your donors by sharing the origin story of your nonprofit organization and how you’ve grown since. Don’t be afraid to expose challenges and missteps along the way, either. Those realistic moments only deepen the connection with donors and build trust through vulnerability.

Meaningful communications are more than an email with a list of statistics about the impact you’ve made with a donor’s money. Think about how you can make every touchpoint with a donor an opportunity to share your thoughtful narrative. 

Elaborate on how their involvement with your organization produces a big result for a community in need. Remind them that their continued involvement in your story can unlock even more solutions for the future and will continue to serve as an essential part of your nonprofit’s success.

We hear this theme throughout our ongoing Collaborative sessions:

3. Talk About Your Values Often

Donors are human beings like you and me. Emotion and self-fulfillment drive them to act in a way that makes their world and others’ a better place to live. That’s why it’s important to showcase your values often. Donors can feel more aligned with an organization when they see their values reflected in the charitable organizations they support.

And while you likely already know your values, getting clear on your personal mission statement will help you reach more potential donors. Consider adding a values spotlight to your content calendars or creating a dedicated page on your website to bring them to life. Another great way to show your values is to weave them into speaking opportunities to attract new audiences online and in person.

4. Introduce More Opportunities for In-Person Interactions

As a donor, there’s an undeniable trust factor in actually meeting someone face to face and understanding who’s behind an organization you may want to contribute to monetarily. 

By inviting your donors to events to meet your team, beneficiaries, and fellow supporters in person, you foster deeper connections to those behind the work. In fact, our research demonstrated in the 2022 Fundraising Event Attendee Insights Report shows that donors are still very interested in building relationships with fully-transparent organizations at in-person fundraising events, despite the option to attend virtually.

5. Prioritize Secure Payments

Nonprofit transparency absolutely includes visibility and accountability into how you process and use payments. And no one likes the feeling of sending money through a web page and not having full confidence that it’ll arrive at the organization to make the impact intended.

You can generate such confidence by presenting secure transactions through diversified nonprofit online payment processing methods that donors already trust and use often. This way, when donors can use an existing login to an app like PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Venmo, you eliminate the element of mystery that can cause them to stop before donating. Not only does this help with acquiring new donors, but it leaves a strong impression on those who want to return to give again.

6. Show More Than You Tell

We can all say the most amazing things about our different types of nonprofits, our goals, and our contributions to making a difference. That’s extremely powerful, but organizational transparency also includes showing that impact. Show volunteer appreciation by providing visuals of the donors, volunteers, and employees that make your mission possible and the results of the work you do for good.

The great part about the explosion of short videos on platforms like TikTok is that you don’t need professional-quality visuals to be impactful. Embrace this trend and try adding small clips of your work in the field, like building a school to share with donors who funded it or a before and after comparison of a beach sweep. You can even flex your creativity to make a big impact by showing supporters why they started supporting you in the first place.

This is another theme talked about in our ongoing Collaborative sessions:

How Nonprofit Transparency Builds Donor Loyalty

The result of building trust and transparency is donor loyalty. But what does that mean?

A loyal donor is an individual you can rely on to support your charitable organization more than just one time and at more than one specific moment in a year. That means your organization’s loyal donors can include recurring donors. Still, they also encompass donors who return to give regularly through one-time donations and nonmonetary support, such as volunteering or gifts.

Here at Classy, we distinguish loyal donors as those who show a pattern of returning to give gifts to the same nonprofit organizations, such as giving at least three times over the past five years. These donors provide long-lasting support to organizations, which is why we spent the time evaluating what exactly motivates a loyal donor in our latest report, Why America Gives 2022.

3 Long-Term Outcomes of Donor Loyalty

1. Predictable and Consistently Growing Revenue

When you know you have loyal donors, you have a strong foundation for annual planning and budgeting across your organization. After all, repeat donations sustain revenue for longer. Not to mention, the amount that loyal donors are willing to give each time they return also increases as you build trusted relationships.

ROI  in action: Operation Broken Silence saw a 549% increase in total supporters, a 1,128% jump in the total number of recurring donors, and an 865% rise in total monthly giving revenue since joining Classy five years prior.

2. Increased Participation in Events

Loyal donors often look for more ways to support organizations outside of just monetary donations and campaigns. If you secure a donor’s trust, there’s a high likelihood they will show up at your various events throughout the year.

That includes participation in online events to help you grow the impact you can have. Our Recurring Donor Sentiment Report found that 35% of recurring donors will also attend an event the organization holds in addition to their ongoing contributions.

ROI in action: StacheStrong increased revenue by 2.5x in the first four months on Classy, with an additional 3,000 unique supporters participating in its annual virtual 5K event.

3. Authentic Advocacy

Loyal donors who are informed and regularly updated about your organization may feel more inclined to spread the word about your cause. Using their experiences with your organization, staff, and beneficiaries establishes a natural path to authentic outreach. 

Consider influencers, for example, who take to social media every day to help get brand messages out to followers. It’s no different for organizations in the nonprofit sector. What better way to start than to lean into your loyal supporters?

​​Gen Z donors rated social media as the way they’re most likely to become aware of causes or issues to which they make donations. These younger generations build trust online by looking to others who advocate for causes that resonate with them. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook also offer your organization a place to provide small but more frequent updates that all add up to more transparency.

ROI in action: Broadway Cares shares, “We often have donors ask what else they can do to help. They don’t always have additional money to give, but they do have networks to reach out to. If they’re passionate about the impact they can make, they can reach out to others to share that passion through their own texts, social media, and email to encourage them to donate and join our community.”

Head Into the Future With Your Loyal Donor Base

Donors want to know that they give their money to an organization that’ll put it toward its ultimate mission. As you implement these nonprofit transparency tactics and take inspiration from the transparent organizations that have seen the strongest ROI from doing so, you’ll be well on your way to a more loyal donor base to rely on into the future. 

Trust in Classy, where we can help with all things nonprofit-related, from crafting your crowdfunding campaigns to streamlining donor management and reporting initiatives.

Even with higher-than-average motivation levels, the most seasoned changemakers have moments when they need a little boost. On those days, an inspirational quote from someone you respect can turn your entire mood around.

In fact, some experts believe that quotes from people we admire can inspire us on a biological level. In an article for Fast Company, media psychology expert and communications consultant, Scott Sobel says, “Humans are aspirational. We want to look up to role models and leaders and follow what they ask. Leaders and their words—inspirational quotes—affect us on a primal level.”¹

If you’re in need of a burst of inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and a handful of today’s most influential nonprofit leaders, check out these 30 motivational quotes. Hear the words of those who have dedicated their own lives to the well-being of others through fundraising, superior leadership skills, and a commitment to hard work.

Motivational Quotes From Leaders We Look Up to

Inspirational Quotes to Fuel Future Acts of Kindness 

There’s a reason life quotes have become so popular online and across social media, especially those that remind us of the bigger picture during moments of struggle. Reading a particularly well-crafted phrase can inspire your next act of kindness or give you the strength you need to finish the nonprofit work you started. In some cases, quotes even have the ability to put things in perspective in a way you never realized.

For more ideas on how to inspire your nonprofit organization and lead your team to success, check out the Leader’s Guide to Motivating Employees below.

Sources

1. “The Science Behind Why Inspirational Quotes Motivate Us,” Know It All, Fast Company. Last modified September 25, 2015, https://www.fastcompany.com/3051432/why-inspirational-quotes-motivate-us

Avoid the temptation to copy and paste old sample bylaws from the internet. While these can provide a good starting point, it’s better to tailor your laws to your nonprofit organization. After all, we don’t want your nonprofit bylaws to end up like “the code” in Pirates of the Caribbean—loose, misinterpreted, and broken more often than not.

We’ll help you escape mutiny and disagreement by walking you through everything you need to know about nonprofit bylaws as this is a facet of your overall nonprofit business plan. Below, we’ll get into what these are, why these matter, and how to write your own. 

What Are Nonprofit Bylaws?

Nonprofit bylaws (aka bylaws and articles of organization) explain how your organization operates. These rules explain the election process for board members, board meeting guidelines and frequency, compensation disclosures, indemnity clauses, and more.

Simply put, it’s an operating manual for running your nonprofit. 

While your bylaws don’t have to be publicly accessible, many organizations share them to increase nonprofit transparency and trust. Donors, constituents, and supporters like to know what happens behind the scenes.

The nonprofit board of directors is responsible for compiling your nonprofit’s bylaws. Ideally, it did this thoroughly when forming the organization. If not, don’t panic—you can amend your bylaws at any time, although we recommend reviewing and making edits periodically.

Then, there’s the law. 

Federal law doesn’t require any specific language in bylaws, but some states have specific requirements. For example, New York has audit requirements, restrictions on who can be the board chairperson, and nonnegotiable procedures for managing conflicts of interest.

Other states have more lenient requirements. For example, Colorado doesn’t require nonprofits to organize bylaws. However, if nonprofits don’t establish rules, the state will subject the nonprofit to general ruling and organization laws.

Why Do Nonprofits Have Bylaws?

Nonprofit bylaws are essential to your formation and longevity. Without these preestablished rules, there’s no guidance for how individuals should conduct themselves. There would also be no way to hold the organization or leaders accountable for their actions.

Here are a handful of reasons nonprofits need bylaws:

• Legal reasons: Bylaws are a requirement in some states.

• Decision-making: Bylaws define how your organization makes decisions, such as holding meetings, fulfilling terms of office, and electing board members.

• Conflict prevention: Bylaws present the rules clearly, eliminating confusion or individual disagreements.

• Protection: Bylaws limit personal liability of board members, protecting them from financial loss or harm.

Common Sections to Include in Your Nonprofit Bylaws

There’s no one-template-fits-all way to write your nonprofit bylaws. However, aside from states having requirements for what you need to include, you’re free to add further clarification in other areas beyond that.

Here are a few common sections to get you started:

Name of Organization

Start with your nonprofit’s name and purpose. Your purpose will identify whether you’re a charity, religious group, research organization, or educational institution. Then, broadly state your nonprofit’s objectives and the activities it’ll use to operate (e.g., fundraising, volunteer events, and impact activities).

Membership

Outline the details around membership in your nonprofit. Specifics could include:

• Eligibility for joining the board
• Required fees
• Procedure for electing board members
• Voting rights for members
• Approval process for changes to bylaw amendment
• Criteria for membership termination

Meeting Guidelines

Detail how many board members need to be present for a quorum. However, some states have required minimums, so ensure you follow the state guidance before establishing your rules.

Then, establish how often you’ll meet. This might be a minimum of once a year, but check to see if your state requires more. You’ll also need to define when the board of directors, chairperson, or executive committee can call a special meeting for emergencies or anything that can’t wait until the next meeting.

Board Structure

Deciding who you need on your nonprofit board is essential to the success of your nonprofit. Solidify how many board members you’ll allow, including a minimum and a maximum. Again, some states have requirements for board structure, so follow the state regulations when designing your bylaws. 

Officers

Define the officer roles of your board of directors. Roles might include president, vice president, secretary, and treasurer. Then, outline the responsibilities for each role. For example, your president might preside over all meetings while your vice president takes over in the president’s absence.

Indemnification of Board Members

Indemnification refers to how you’ll protect your board members and members from financial harm due to their role. For example, your nonprofit bylaws outline might include how you’ll pay legal fees if they’re involved in a lawsuit.

Books and Records

State how you’ll keep financial books and records of your meetings. This includes detailing where you’ll store these and how members or the public can access them.

Amendments

Record how you’ll make amendments to your nonprofit’s bylaws. Then, add each bylaw amendment to this section to record every change you make and its impact.

Dissolution

Add a dissolution clause that states how you’ll distribute your assets if the nonprofit organization dissolves.

8 Tips & Best Practices for Writing Your Nonprofit Bylaws

1. Get Legal Help

Bylaws are legal documents, and there are plenty of nuances and state-specific requirements that make writing them a bit tricky. We recommend working with a professional to draft your nonprofit bylaws. They’ll know the state restrictions and help you avoid getting into legal trouble.

2. Keep It Simple (Think Guidelines Rather Than Strict Rules)

Strict bylaws can make it hard to stay in accordance. Instead, write bylaws that operate as guidelines. For example, you might state that there’ll be a minimum of 10 board members and a maximum of 30 rather than requiring exactly 15. Or you might suggest an annual board meeting rather than a regular meeting on the first Tuesday of every new year. 

3. Personalize Bylaws to Your Nonprofit

Many nonprofits will have a lot in common regarding organizing and operating. However, every organization is unique. So customize your bylaws to your nonprofit’s special circumstances, purpose, and members.

4. Make Your Bylaws Public

The law doesn’t require nonprofit organizations to make their bylaws public, but we believe it provides accountability and transparency. When you share them with your donors and supporters on public record, you give them a behind-the-scenes look at how and why you make decisions.

5. Pay Attention to Semantics (These Matter)

The words “shall” and “may” often get confusingly tossed around in bylaws, but these aren’t interchangeable. Shall means mandatory, while may means an option. For example, if your treasurer shall establish the budget, they’re the only ones that can do it. However, if your treasurer may establish the budgets, they might do so with permission from the board.

6. Be Realistic

Be careful not to overcommit your board members. For example, don’t require a monthly meeting if you know it’ll be an unnecessary burden. The same goes for demanding an unrealistic quorum if you know you’re unlikely to get that many voting members present.

7. Review and Update Regularly

Your bylaws should be living, breathing documents—not like the Constitution of the United States. That includes revisiting your laws every couple of years and revising what’s not working. For example, consider changing your laws to require quarterly meetings if you struggle to have monthly meetings.

8. Train Board Members

Bylaws are only good when accessible and implemented. So train your board members on all the items outlined in the document. You may even consider making it a regular part of an annual meeting to review essential bylaws together and answer questions.

Build Better Giving Experiences With Classy

Creating bylaws for your nonprofit can be tricky, but managing your donations doesn’t have to be. Classy makes it easy to build donation pages, process payments, host virtual events, and raise more money for your nonprofit.

Our all-in-one fundraising platform lets you create high-performing campaigns, analyze metrics, and manage your supporters from one piece of software. It does all the nitty-gritty, time-consuming work for you to focus on what matters most: making an impact.

Request a demo to get a walk-through of how Classy can transform the fundraising experience at your nonprofit.

I am proud to look around and see a company unparalleled in its combination of relentless obsession over customer success, its focus on exceptional product and engineering innovation and excellence, and its ambition to radically transform individual giving for the most important sector on earth.

We have spent several years working together to build a team of incredible technologists that are supported and celebrated for delivering ever-greater value for our customers. Just over a year ago, we began conversations with the leadership team at GoFundMe out of a collective view that we could bring even more attention and support to the incredible causes fundraising on our platform. 

Several months into this partnership with GoFundMe, I am more convinced than ever of the potential and promise of this combined company. As part of my extended responsibilities, I am assuming the position of Chief Operating Officer of GoFundMe. This dual role as President of Classy and COO of GoFundMe recognizes the important part nonprofits play in the combined organization’s strategic focus and orientation.

Partnering with me is Eric Pannese, who is being elevated to serve as our new Chief Product and Technology Officer, and Chris Silver, who is joining the Classy executive team as Senior Vice President of Marketing. Together, along with Chief Growth Officer Marc Ferris and SVP of Engineering Shantanu Bose, we will continue to serve this space and build the fundraising technology that we believe this sector deserves. 

During my years with Classy, I have been enormously proud of the technological and organizational milestones we have delivered for clients, including the acquisition and launch of Classy Live (formerly Fondi), our delivery of Classy Pay, the launch of new payment methods such as PayPal, Venmo, and cryptocurrency, and most importantly, supporting over $5 billion dollars processed through our platform. Our rapid innovation continues unabated with our embedded checkout experience, new revenue-driving features such as abandoned cart and recurring upsell nudges, and the development of robust, native integrations for data and analytics tools, including Google Analytics 4, Meta Conversion API, and Salesforce. 

Over the past several months, I’ve also gained a tremendous appreciation for the sophistication and care the GoFundMe team takes in helping people help each other. The two companies have collectively raised billions of dollars to help nonprofits and individuals raise more for good. 

Classy and GoFundMe are uniquely positioned to build more connection points with individuals passionate about a cause. We believe that no matter the cause, there are individuals and communities interested in supporting nonprofits, if only they were aware of the impact these organizations were having. Ultimately, we want to connect every citizen philanthropist with the causes and organizations they care about. 

Just last week, we launched a pilot program to connect passionate GoFundMe donors with incredible Classy nonprofit customers supporting similar causes. The learnings from this pilot will be used to build a more robust program where the community of 100+ million engaged individuals can be connected with nonprofits working on causes they care about at scale.

It is truly awe-inspiring to see the ambition, reach, and impact of our combined organizations. Together, Classy and GoFundMe are changing the giving landscape and becoming the most helpful place on earth. 

5 Things to Avoid for Your LinkedIn Hiring Strategy

There are many ways to identify, connect with, and inspire passionate professionals to join your nonprofit team using LinkedIn. We’re looking at what not to do, so you can more easily engage with ideal candidates and find your next hire on LinkedIn.

The following advice comes from the experienced Classy and LinkedIn Talent Acquisition teams. Get ready to take impactful action to build your nonprofit teams with qualified and eager candidates.

1. Don’t Overuse LinkedIn Messages

LinkedIn messages offer you an easy way to get in touch with professionals without leaving the platform. Today, emails can feel constant in someone’s inbox. Using a LinkedIn message helps you get in front of candidates much faster and without the risk of falling into a spam folder.

LinkedIn inboxes can also overflow and overwhelm your candidates if you don’t use discretion. Think about who else might be messaging them and how to stand out with fewer but more impactful messages. Take the time to target your communications, be mindful of your candidate’s time, and be clear about what you want to share.

Characteristics of an impactful LinkedIn message:

• Introduce yourself and your nonprofit in a conversational way
• Quickly elevate why their unique skillset matches your needs
• Help them see how they can be part of your mission
• Deliver examples of your work or achievements that may excite them
• Make your call to action clear, mentioning specific roles or opportunities
• Deliver next steps that don’t feel daunting but show you’re organized
• Thank them for their time, and give them time to respond

2. Don’t Push Too Hard

It’s exciting to see ideal candidates right in front of you on LinkedIn. You’ll want to share your opportunity immediately when they know exactly who you’ve been seeking for a specific position at your nonprofit. It’s essential to be mindful of the excitement coming across as a sales pitch that could drive people away.

Remember that you are on LinkedIn to build relationships. You’ll want to avoid any urge to be overly assertive when you’re warming people up to the idea of exploring your roles. Show people you’re interested in learning more about them as individuals before you ask them to learn about you.

Pro Tip: Avoid proposing an exact day or time to chat in your opening message. Instead, lead with a more gentle call to action that opens the door to another casual conversation.

3. Don’t Follow Up Too Soon

People are busy and only getting more active. Work has become synonymous with the home for many people following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020. You never know when someone will be able to follow up on a LinkedIn message in a given week. The best approach is to give them the time to get back to you when they are most present and available to chat.

Avoid the urge to follow up through LinkedIn with a candidate to avoid making them feel rushed. Open the door to an organic conversation, establishing trust and respect around their schedule. Once you show candidates that you’re flexible, they can also associate that value with your nonprofit as they envision future employment.

4. Don’t Use Generic Language

When you get the chance to connect with an engaged candidate on LinkedIn, be sure your message is clear. Think about how you can show them your outreach isn’t just like any other they’ve received.

Candidates can easily see if your message has been copied and pasted. Avoiding generic language goes a long way to building relationships. It makes your candidates feel special and like you understand them. Take the time to craft personalized messages per candidate.

Show them you did your research by adding in specific mentions of their experience or the reason their LinkedIn profile caught your eye. From there, you can also demonstrate why the individual is the right fit to apply for your role.

Pro Tip: Be sure to help each candidate see themselves as a seamless addition to your team. Provide clear examples of how their experience would translate to a meaningful impact at your organization.

5. Don’t Lose Touch With Candidates

The reality of hiring is that you can only fill a role with one person. That doesn’t mean you didn’t engage many more candidates for that role. So, what do you do after you fill the position? You follow up.

A candidate might not be right for the role you initially mentioned. That same individual could, however, be perfect for another open requisition. Even if not, they could be a great person to have a relationship with as you build talent pools to align to roles you know you’ll hire for in the future.

Picture this: Someone could have stood out to you as a great communicator and marketer, but you filled the role they applied for. Reach out to them to let them know as soon as possible that the role has been filled, and ask if you can keep in touch for a future marketing role opening up in a few months.

Once you have that door open, you can quickly return to the conversation. Share regular organization updates to keep them warm when it is time to hire again.

Recruit Top Talent With LinkedIn Hiring

Ready to take action? Here are a few last tips to get you started and a full Nonprofit’s Guide to Hiring on LinkedIn to explore next.

• Optimize your nonprofit’s LinkedIn Page to strengthen your online presence, showcase your impact, and boost your credibility among job seekers
• Engage with your network in meaningful ways to remain top of mind with industry professionals
• Advance your thought leadership to earn a well-trusted and highly-respected reputation within the social sector
• Share timely, impactful content that highlights the unique impact of your organization and the particular elements that set it apart

Get Everything You Need to Hire on LinkedIn

Attract skilled candidates on LinkedIn with a comprehensive guide created specifically for nonprofits.

Identify, attract, and connect with talented professionals who believe in your mission, align with your organization’s values, and offer the support your team needs to drive meaningful change using our Nonprofit’s Guide to Hiring on LinkedIn.

Download your guide to uncover:

• Must-have elements of an engaging job description
• Authentic ways to connect with qualified candidates on LinkedIn
• Opportunities to promote your job listing to wider LinkedIn networks
• Platform tools to source and screen potential candidates
• Plus, expert advice from Classy and LinkedIn’s Talent Acquisition teams

Read on to learn why the right board is so instrumental and how you can build your ideal board, what members of the board are needed for a nonprofit organization, and how to define board positions, whether you’re starting from scratch or revamping an existing group.

How to Build a Board of Directors for Nonprofits

What does a nonprofit board do?

A social impact organization’s board of directors is a governing body that exists to support the organization in its mission by providing high-level guidance. The IRS requires all tax-exempt organizations to have a board to ensure they have independent oversight.

How many board members should a nonprofit have?

The average size of a board is about 15 people, the median is about 13 members. As you’re getting started, think about the core group of members that you can place your trust in to help you expand your board in time and maintain board governance.

The breadth of your board really depends on your organization’s size and needs. Most state laws require a minimum number of board members required for incorporation when you start a nonprofit. For example, to start a nonprofit organization in California, it’s recommended to have at least three members.

“Under California law, a nonprofit board may be composed of as few as one director, but the IRS may take issue with granting recognition of 501(c)(3) status to a nonprofit with only one director. It is commonly recommended that nonprofits have between three and 25 directors.” – California Association of Nonprofits

What is the value of your nonprofit board?

The National Council of Nonprofits summarizes the board’s role as: “rather than steer the boat by managing day-to-day operations, the board provides foresight, oversight, and insight.”

When you focus on the small parts of something, you may not take in the bigger picture. Consider a forest with many smaller trees. Your staff has to spend most of their time focused on the trees. Your board of directors, however, takes a higher-level view to make sure you’re headed in the right direction. For example, while your program’s staff are on the ground taking care of day-to-day operations, the board responsibilities shape your strategy and might steer your programs toward different approaches to the problem.

This need for long-term, big picture thinking and execution is why many organizations recruit a board of directors with significant experience and accomplishments in business and philanthropy. Members also often have experience generating financial support, as this is a very important task they take on for the nonprofit. Although the director of development will lead many fundraising initiatives, each member is expected to use their professional network and sometimes their personal wealth to help the nonprofit meet its financial goals.

How often does a board meet?

How often your board meets will depend on your unique situation, but many boards meet either monthly or quarterly. You’ll want to plan these meetings around key initiatives and decisions you’ll need alignment on before major milestones in a year. For example, it would be great to schedule a board meeting in July or August that’s focused on planning ahead of the year-end giving season and Giving Tuesday.

Build the Right Board

While having a board is a basic requirement for the nonprofit sector, all boards are not created equal. A strong board can make the activities of the organization more sustainable and successful in achieving your mission. As such, it is worth investing time and research to recruit the right people to guide your social impact organization.

In fact, when the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation asked their grantees what the most helpful aspect of their partnership was, they pointed to the foundation’s assistance in building out the entire board. The team at Draper Richards Kaplan helps grantees create a “board map,” explained Tom Fry. This exercise outlines the roles of the board to be filled and the kinds of advisors that would be most effective.

Nonprofit Board Positions

Fry believes that nonprofit CEOs should make sure they have a “later-stage entrepreneur” on their board, as this person can serve as a thought partner and thought leader for their own professional development. He also advises that nonprofits have a “strategy consultant,” or “somebody that can help you think about developing the strategic plan that you’re going to need to attract later-stage funding.”

Many nonprofits will use the following structure or similar to establish their board:

• Chair or president: This individual will oversee your board’s work and leadership team, working closely with your executive directors and senior members to carry out plans
• Vice chair or vice president: This individual sits on the leadership team to focus on special tasks or requests of the chair and fill in if needed
• Secretary: This person attends your board meetings and ensures minutes are recorded accurately, and the organizaiton’s bylaws are complied with
• Treasurer: This person leads the organization’s financial management and will often be the chair of the finance committee, keeping track of all financial reporting and elevating an annual audit review

You may also define roles or board committees that focus on:

• Marketing and PR
• Hiring and organizational planning
• Donor and community engagement

Define an Ideal Board Member for Your Nonprofit

When a baseball coach looks for players, he or she doesn’t just pick anyone who runs fast or throws the ball hard. While these general skills are important, the coach ultimately needs to fill a roster:  a pitcher, a catcher, a shortstop, outfielders, and the rest.

As you search for new board members or staff members, it’s important to define the important roles you need them to play. For example, you will likely need some people with the connections and skills to facilitate fundraising and sponsorship opportunities. But, depending on your cause, you may also need someone with a keen understanding of government processes or an education or research expert.

Ask what connections, resources, and skills you need from your board and create different roles to fill. To ensure candidates are prepared to take on these duties, define a job description and circulate it in your community.

Example:

Funding Chair, Board of Directors

The Awesome Organization

The Awesome Organization is seeking a Funding Chair for our board of directors. He or she will be responsible for meeting the board’s fundraising and sponsorship goals. The selected candidate will also offer guidance to the development director in fundraising campaigns, major gifts, and corporate partnerships.

It’s easier to approach and recruit a potential board member when you can clearly explain the role. You can even post your open board positions to job websites or circulate them with local business associations. Finding what you need is a lot easier when you know what you are looking for.

As you recruit for these roles, keep in mind which of your team members will be working with each board member and consider getting their insight and feedback. You should also meet and interview potential board members to determine if they are a good fit for your nonprofit.

How Can I Find Board Members for My Nonprofit?

Individuals looking to sit on a board often seek out opportunities across job boards, within their networks, and on LinkedIn. Candidates will typically look for organizations they’re interested in serving, get in touch with that organization about the opportunity, and share what they believe they can contribute as they move through the hiring process.

Your nonprofit board members should bring a variety of skill sets and experiences to your organization. Serving as mentors, coaches, and consultants, the right board helps you accomplish your goals, pursue your mission, and create a sustainable business model.

This year, inflation has hit a 40-year high, and financial institutions like Bank of America predict a mild recession.

We know this is top of mind for many organizations, so we’ll discuss how leaders in the social sector can look to their existing fundraising programs and technology, alongside data from past recessions, to develop a sustainable long-term strategy.

A Look Back on the Nonprofit Outcomes During a Recession

By now, many investors, organizations, and individuals have already felt the impact of inflation. When you tune into the news and hear of the possibility of a recession, it’s natural to experience fear or concern as a first reaction. We’ll help you explore the reality that shows more optimism than you’d think.

Nonprofit Quarterly completed a thorough analysis of the Great Recession that helps us learn from the past. The findings include a measure of nonprofit stability before, during, and after the hardest-hit years of 2007, 2008, and 2009. While some nonprofits ultimately shut their doors, there were also several positive outcomes to share.

The Financial Impact of the Great Recession

Total social sector revenue saw a slight decline

Between 2007 and 2010, total revenue across charitable organizations outside of higher education and healthcare organizations declined by 1.6%.

The number of organizations that halted operations increased slightly

Between 2008 and 2010, the number of public charities (outside of higher education and healthcare organizations) that closed increased by 3.3% from the previous period (2005 to 2007).

Optimism for Nonprofit Resilience in Recession

Assets grew by 27.6% in higher education and healthcare organizations

Between 2007 and 2015, higher education, hospitals, and healthcare organizations grew assets by 27.6%, while all other nonprofits gained 12.3% in assets.

When we look deeper into these cause categories related to recent donation trends, we also see healthcare and education in the top three cause categories donated to in 2021.

Revenue increased by 6.3% for human services organizations

Between 2007 and 2010, human services organizations experienced an overall increase in revenue. Specifically, these nonprofits saw a 15% increase in donations.

Human services also remained the top cause category to donate to on Classy in 2021, in addition to healthcare and education.

4 Focus Areas for Resilience in Economic Fluctuation

When nonprofits plan for moments of economic fluctuation by establishing long-term goals and using their existing technologies to the fullest potential, they can continue to maximize their impact.

1. Define Desired Long-Term Outcomes

We know it’s second nature to think about your annual plans and budgets. We’re proposing a shift to seeing each year’s goals, tactics, and results as part of a larger 3 to 5-year strategy. On average, recessions since 1900 have lasted about 15 months. By shifting to a 3 to 5-year strategy, the recession is no longer a focal point, but part of the natural ups-and-downs of a long-term strategy.

Establish Long-Term Goals

Economic status aside, envision your ideal organizational outcomes five years from now. Write down where you want to be, what you want to achieve, and what you need to get there.

Just as important, make sure you communicate your long-term vision to your donor base to continue their investment in your organization, even if they need to reduce their monetary giving for the short term.

Work Toward Tangible Milestones

Identify smaller milestones to hit in the next one, two, and three years that are grounded in the ideal outcomes you’ve set for your organization.

Breaking out of the one-year focus can help you feel more confident in achieving the much larger goals at play. As each year’s plan unfolds, your clear path to earning more will develop. Focus on the most thoughtful short-term decisions you can make today to bring your larger goals to light.

2. Establish Your Sound Technology Foundation

The tools your team uses determine what they achieve every hour of the day. Using your technology to the fullest shapes your ability to connect with and convert the right people in this year’s campaigns. You can then sustain your revenue to achieve your long-term outcomes.

This is the time to feel confident that your fundraising tools are powerful, flexible, and secure. If you already have software, use it to its fullest potential. If you don’t, consider the best solution to invest in now to benefit your organization for the long term.

That means looking at key factors such as:

• Extensive payment options
• Recurring management capabilities
• Flexible campaign design and branding to tell your story authentically
• A secure platform that protects data and offers a reliable infrastructure

Build the Trust That Retains Supporters

When people need to lessen their contributions due to economic strains, they will likely prioritize relationships with organizations they trust. Outside of meaningful communication, secure and seamless donation experiences are huge factors in building that trust.

Trust, security, and stability can support donor conversion, retention, and engagement rates. These outcomes will be significant as you focus on the donors who are prepared to continue giving and potentially increase their contributions.

3. Recall Tactics That Led to Results During the Pandemic

The financial uncertainty triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is a good point of reference to evaluate what donor behavior looks like when the economy shifts.

Many nonprofits exercised resilience during the pandemic in the face of new restrictions on in-person fundraising. At a time when many Americans tightened their wallets for fear of layoffs, rising prices, and an unknown trajectory for the economy, the social sector worked together to adapt to uncertainty. Those learnings will serve the industry as we approach our next wave of economic challenges.

Take a look back at which fundraising approaches your donors responded well to, and what you might want to shy away from.

Gather your teams to discuss planned vs. expected results such as: 

• Did a virtual event that you hosted during the pandemic result in an unexpected flow of donations?
• Did peer-to-peer opportunities result in higher fundraising participation among your donors?
• Did you leverage social media to engage with donors online and unlock a channel that now fuels new donor acquisition?
• Which campaigns resulted in the highest average donation amount, despite the number of individual donors who contributed?

Look at what worked well and be honest about what didn’t to focus time, resources, and budget on proven strategies.

4. Thoughtfully Allocate Resources to Long-Term Growth

With your long-term strategy and technology, you’re in the best position to maximize efficiency.

The key is to invest time now in a way that helps your future self. That comes with optimizing your team’s current tools while also reducing spending on activities that don’t ladder up to your long-term growth. Take the opportunity to reallocate time and budget to fundraising tactics that will outlast an economic downturn.

For example, you can use automation, deep data analytics, and innovative functionality within the technology you already have. These tools help you free the space and time your team needs to focus on strategy and planning that allows you to achieve more.

Get more out of your day-to-day operations and your team’s potential output with the modern automation technology provides to you. You can automate tasks to see more value from each staff member’s working hours, which we’ll review below.

Ideas to build efficiency with your technology

• Save time with campaign templating for initiatives you repeat often
• Pre-establish email and social media templates for frequent communications
• Create automated emails to keep donors informed, prompt them to give, and thank them when they do
• Integrate your fundraising tools to reduce manual data entry and keep metrics that inform performance and decision-making consistent

Find Direction in What You Can Control

While it’s easy to get overwhelmed by the latest news headlines, remember you have control over your future. These four focus areas are just a few examples of where you can turn concerned into confidence.

The nonprofit community is strong and resilient. Your visions and innovation are there. Now, it’s a matter of proactively reframing your long-term strategy to sustain any future situation we find ourselves in.

A Message From In-Person Collaborative Attendees

Hear from attendees who joined us in person over the past few years. Invest in yourself and your professional development with this once-a-year opportunity.

The people and interactions you encounter in person will help you return to your job with renewed energy. We can’t wait to see what you accomplish as a result.

Get Fresh Perspective From Today’s Fundraising Experts

Collaborative 2021 opened with Reshma Saujani, Leading Activist & Founder of Girls Who Code and Marshall Plan for Moms sharing,

One year later we see the awe-inspiring results of nonprofit leaders like you who stepped up to uncertainty over the course of the last two years. Many organizations realized that perfectionism holds us back from trying and testing innovative approaches that often lead to entirely new outcomes.

Collaborative 2022 is our opportunity to unite social sector leaders and forward-thinking practitioners around what’s possible when we push the boundaries of perfectionism and embrace new ways of thinking.

We’re thrilled to break down the details of our event and prepare you for what’s in store as we bring together leaders across the social sector for an unforgettable experience.

Collaborative 2022 Key Sessions

Get ready to experience Collaborative 2022 and all that Philadelphia has to offer, from the historic sights to our lively venues and everything in between.

Meet with industry experts and social sector leaders as they lead forward-thinking conversations, deliver sessions jam-packed with actionable strategies, and provide you with tools you can implement as soon as you return to your desk.

Here’s a sampling of interactive sessions you’ll get a front-row seat to throughout the two-day event. Sessions will be held at both the Fillmore, a venue that has hosted countless musical legends, and the famous comedy club, Punchline Philly.

Opening Keynote

Social Impact Expert: Deesha Dyer, Award-Winning Strategist, and Community Organizer; Former White House Social Secretary

The Session:

Get ready to open the day feeling inspired, equipped, and well-positioned to not only do what’s best for your mission today but for the long-term success of your organization. We’re thrilled to present our keynote speaker, Deesha Dyer.

Deesha has produced successful campaigns across entertainment, politics, philanthropy, and business for nearly two decades, and is bringing her leadership expertise to the Collaborative stage as our opening Keynote speaker.

Deesha’s journey from a 31-year-old student intern during the Obama Administration to White House Secretary will inspire any passionate changemaker. Get ready to kick off your conference with Deesha to learn how to grow as a professional, regardless of where your career takes you. 

Expert Panels

Panel: Future of the Sector, Understanding the Trends That will Shape Our Tomorrow

Expert Panelists

The Conversation: Classy’s COO, Soraya Alexander, brings together a visionary group of social sector leaders from Classy’s Leadership Council to share new perspectives about where the sector is heading and the trends that will shape what’s ahead tomorrow. 

You’ll hear their insights on what’s next for the nonprofit industry and what they believe leaders should prioritize to make the most impact ahead. This esteemed group of experts will also be joining the celebration of our 2022 Classy Award Winners at Collaborative, which they helped select as the most impactful nonprofit programs of the year.

Panel: Merging with the Metaverse, How Nonprofits Can Tap Into the Digital World to Advance Their Missions 

Expert Panelists: 

The Conversation: Join right into this forward-facing conversation between Classy and an experienced panel of nonprofit leaders to talk about everything from Bitcoin and Ethereum to NFT fundraising in the Metaverse. You’ll get various points of view on how exactly new mechanisms of giving are hitting the fundraising landscape to help create a more dynamic fundraising approach that encourages new donors to give.

Hear from experts who’ve put cryptocurrency and NFTs to the test to change the game for fundraising, and continue the conversation as it applies to your organization in between sessions and in the halls of our Philly venues.

P.S.  If you’re still wondering what NFT stands for, you’re not alone!

Panel: How to use Social Marketing to Attract, Convert, and Retain Supporters

Expert Panelists:

The Conversation:  This panel is all about making an impact on the communication channels your supporters prefer. We’ll explore what moves the needle for broader brand awareness among untapped donor bases and how to grow existing supporters into loyal recurring donors.

You’ll learn how to amplify your message on specific social marketing channels using the latest features available with perspective from nonprofits who’ve found their formula for success.

Thought Starters

Fireside Chat: Individual Giving Trends and Behaviors

Expert Speakers: 

• Soraya Alexander, Chief Operating Officer at Classy
• Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer at GivingTuesday
• Jeannie Infante Sager, Director of Women’s Philanthropy Institute 

The Conversation:  Our speakers will dig into donor behavior data and the future of individual giving. Giving changed during the pandemic, and now that we’re moving past its height, we’re looking at where giving is headed next. 

You’ll get time to ask all of your specific questions with a live Q&A, and walk away with a deeper understanding of what your nonprofit needs to do next to evolve with the trends 

TED Style Talk: Turning Your Community of Supporters into a Movement

Expert Speaker: Otis Fulton, Vice President of Psychological Strategy at Turnkey

The Conversation:  We’re going full Ted Talk with Otis Fulton of Turnkey after his memorable webinar on the topic of psychology as it relates to peer-to-peer giving. We’re bringing him back for a Ted Talk-style session about the power of turning a community of supporters into a movement, touching on his background in psychology. 

Otis is a wealth of information on the things happening inside donors’ minds before, during, and after they choose to give. You’ll be getting his real-time thoughts on how that knowledge transforms giving into a movement for good.

Closing Keynote

Fundraising Expert: Simidele Adeagbo, Olympian and Team Visa Athlete

The Session:

We’ll wrap up the two-day event with a closing conversation from Simidele Adeagbo, a trailblazing Olympian, passionate advocate and inspirational speaker focused on building a better world through sport. 

From making Olympic history at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 to being selected as a member of the Obama Foundation, Simidele is a seasoned storyteller using her voice and talent to empower others. Simidele joins us to share her perspectives with in-person Collaborative guests, offering her experience as a respected athlete, business leader, and visionary.

In this new role at Classy, Marc will lead sales and customer growth, focusing on a customer-first experience at every stage of their journey, and, ultimately, driving toward Classy’s mission to empower and mobilize the world for good.

Meet Marc Ferris

Leading for Impact

Marc’s experience spans technology, education, and social impact. He joins the Classy team from Salesforce, where he helped launch Salesforce.org. As the Senior Vice President of Growth at Salesforce.org, he led the Americas sales and distribution organizations, serving more than 55,000 organizations and delivering more than $1.8B in annual social value. 

Charitable giving also holds a personal connection for Marc, who is a father to two young sons and an active member of the youth sports community. He is passionate about youth development and educational support organizations including Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and Make-a-Wish.

Q&A With Marc Ferris

We asked Marc a few questions to get to know him better and learn about his vision for Classy. 

What goals do you have as the Chief Growth Officer of Classy?

Marc: Classy has such a solid foundation to build upon. As I look into the future, I hope to build on that foundation in a few directions.

• Customer value and trust: Nothing is more important than the success of our nonprofit customers. Through the great work of each organization Classy supports, we amplify our positive impact as a company, which drives stable growth. 
• A great culture: Classy’s employee and community culture is already thriving in so many ways. I want us to be a place for every mission-driven, high-performing employee to do their lives’ most meaningful and impactful work. When we focus on the success of our nonprofit customers and align on shared values and priorities, there are no limits to where we can go. 
• Sector innovation: I want to leverage Classy’s products to unlock innovation in a rapidly growing space. I’ve seen first-hand the power and value of the Classy giving platform, enabling nonprofits to connect with supporters through online fundraising. Now that Classy is joining forces with GoFundMe, there are whole new possibilities for powerful and unique offerings to help nonprofits connect with more supporters through digital channels. 

What makes you passionate about supporting nonprofits?

Marc:  The work of the social sector has never been more needed than it is today.  Everywhere we look we see increasing division and distrust, widening inequality, persistent racial injustice, and escalating environmental and humanitarian crises.   

Although solutions require all individuals and institutions to lean in, most often, nonprofits are the boots on the ground, rolling up sleeves and doing the work to drive change and improve lives. Wherever we can help we should  – this work and these organizations deserve and need our support and partnership to drive real impact. 

How can technology support the social sector?

Marc:  In recent years, the pace of technological innovation has dramatically accelerated and affected every aspect of our lives. Businesses know that innovation is critical to connect, operate, collaborate, compete, grow and evolve.  Mission-driven organizations are no different; however, they are often constrained by resources. 

Technology can accelerate, enhance and amplify this critical work by helping to garner more awareness and resources, connect and scale operations and improve outcomes in whole new ways.  

I’ve seen nonprofits do incredible things when they have great technology to operate and innovate and how that mobilizes the world for good. That’s an exciting movement to be a part of and I’m all in!

The Road to Unlocking Generosity on Classy

As a giving platform that provides online fundraising solutions for nonprofits, Classy is committed to bringing tech-driven solutions to nonprofits. Marc Ferris as Chief Growth Officer will be invaluable to that continued growth, innovation, and the success of our customers.

To keep up with everything Classy has in store for 2022, as well as fundraising best practices, trends and tips, subscribe to the Classy blog.  

A series of studies found that neurons in the portion of the brain associated with a sense of satisfaction start firing when a person chooses to donate money. These results are a fascinating reminder of the intrinsic motivation that many people share to make the world a better place.

To help remind your team and community of supporters of your positive impact, we scoured the web for top giving quotes that are sure to inspire. From Aesop to Mohammad Ali and Anne Frank, these words have the power to re-energize your community and spark action. 

Read the following quotes about giving and community to remember why you do what you do and reflect on all of the wise and generous people who embodied the spirit of giving before you.

Make It Easy for Your Community to Give More

Giving Quotes

Philanthropist Quotes

Quotes on Community

Charity Quotes

If you’re looking for more opportunities to gain inspiration, join us at the Collaborative on June 15-16 live in Philadelphia or remotely from the comfort of your home for timely conversations about fundraising and technology. 

Reserve your seat today for the leading nonprofit conference of the year.

Hear directly from a variety of leaders across the industry including, Erik Arnold, Global CTO of Tech for Social Impact at Microsoft, Nate Mook, CEO of World Central Kitchen, and Jan D’Alessandro, Head of Equity Initiative at Pledge 1%.

The guide addresses four key areas of opportunity for nonprofits, based on advice from top social sector leaders:

1. Prioritize your investment in analytics and data tools
2. Create a balanced fundraising strategy
3. Improve your process for adopting new technology
4. Integrate social initiatives into your organization’s roadmap

A Sneak Peek Inside the Report

Here’s a sneak peek at a few pieces of advice shared by leaders throughout the guide.

Learn more about your donors through data.

Build sustainability with a diversified fundraising strategy.

Invest in people and processes to help you seamlessly adopt new technologies. 

Prioritize the wellbeing of your team and yourself.

Download the guide for exclusive advice on ways to move the needle from some of the brightest minds in the social sector.

However, you might also need their support for longer-term projects or tasks that require training. Sourcing and retaining long-term volunteers takes some work, but you can find consistent volunteers to support your mission with the right strategies.

Get ready to learn:

• Six ways to identify volunteers who are eager for a long-term commitment
• Where to look for these volunteers
• How to communicate role details to prospective volunteers

1. Tap Into Local Universities or Community Colleges

Some nonprofits find that university and college students tend to be more committed to long-term volunteer opportunities. Volunteer opportunities often align with their educational and professional goals. It’s also easier for a nonprofit to ask for a full semester commitment that already matches a student’s schedule.

Volunteering can offer students a good way to gain “real world” experience to highlight on future job applications. When looking for volunteers through your local universities and community colleges, consider how you frame each position. You’ll want to be sure to highlight specific skills students will acquire and aspects of a role that connects them with your cause.

You can even target your outreach to specific education departments. For example, if you need volunteers who speak Spanish, focus your recruitment efforts within the Spanish department. You can do so by reaching out to advisors or career centers within the department to share the opportunity with students. If you need help with marketing, partner with the school of journalism or business by seeing if you can give a guest presentation to a class or post flyers within the department’s building.

Be sure to inquire about internship credits or volunteer requirements schools have for specific majors, as well.

2. Use an Outside Volunteer Matching Service

One way to find people who are looking for more consistent volunteer roles is to meet them where they are. There are a variety of online platforms where people can actively search for long-term volunteer opportunities.

Consider posting the roles you need on one of these platforms:

• VolunteerMatch
• Idealist
• JustServe
• United Way

Pro Tip: Make sure your listings are detailed in terms of expected tasks and express the time commitment the role requires.

3. Peruse LinkedIn

People who take pride in volunteering or who have done long-term volunteer work in the past will be more likely to list the experience on their LinkedIn profiles. Look for people in your network or donor database on LinkedIn to see if they have prior volunteer experience.

If you find a potential volunteer match, reach out to them personally via the site or through the contact information you have on file for them to see if they’d like to learn more about your opportunity.

You can also use LinkedIn for Nonprofits to build brand awareness for your nonprofit and get your message in front of the right people. LinkedIn for Nonprofits allows for things like sponsored messaging and content, as well as dynamic advertising. Use those features to promote long-term volunteer opportunities.

4. Treat Onboarding Like an Interview

When new volunteers get started with your nonprofit, treat their first few weeks like a job interview.

If you present the onboarding process as an opportunity to volunteer whenever it’s convenient, your volunteers may not be inclined to prioritize scheduling the time on their calendars. They could also feel like they’re lacking the support needed to make a bigger impact, which can increase the risk of volunteer turnover.

However, if you ask volunteers meaningful interview questions after they initially sign up, host a volunteer orientation, and create a consistent volunteer schedule, you can establish a greater sense of commitment upfront.

The onboarding process is an opportunity for you to see how volunteers can best integrate with your nonprofit. Ask questions about why they want to help out and if they can commit to a certain amount of time. See if they’re willing to complete training prior to starting their volunteer position.

If you get the sense that a new volunteer can’t meet the longer-term commitments you’re looking for, be able to redirect them to other shorter-term opportunities to keep them engaged with your nonprofit.

5. Offer Incentives and Opportunities for Ownership

Offering incentives can encourage some volunteers to commit to a larger role. For example, if you’re a membership organization, you could consider offering long-term volunteers a free membership.

Hosting an annual award ceremony to celebrate volunteers who put in extra, consistent time is another way to both show those individuals you appreciate and value them. It also helps you model what opportunities could look like for others.

If you have volunteers who commit to long-term projects, you can also help make them feel special and like they’re a part of your team by providing special swag or even volunteer uniforms. For example, many state and national parks have volunteers who help run their visitor centers. These volunteers have special uniforms that provide them a sense of ownership within their roles.

6. Survey Your Current and Past Volunteers

If you’re struggling to find and maintain long-term, consistent volunteers, it also helps to collect data from your current and past volunteers on how you might be able to change that.

Ask your current long-term volunteers questions like:

• What makes you able to fill this role?
• What do you appreciate about being involved in this way?
• How can we improve your volunteer experience?

Ask past volunteers:

• How could we have better supported you?
• What long-term opportunities would you be interested in if we could provide them?
• What main factors made you need to change your time commitment with our nonprofit?

Learning what drew volunteers to your nonprofit in the first place, as well as what made them leave, can be helpful information to improve your volunteer program.

Find Committed Volunteers to Offer Your Nonprofit Long-Term Support

Volunteers provide critical services to nonprofits. Long-term volunteers, in particular, can offer steady support over time. By looking in the right places, conducting thoughtful onboarding, providing incentives, and asking for feedback, nonprofits can grow their base of consistent volunteers.

If you’d like to learn even more ways to leverage volunteers, check out the Volunteer Engagement session recording from our 2021 Collaborative: Virtual Sessions, available now online.

Effective employee onboarding needs to:

• Ensure new hires know what’s expected of them
• Introduce new hires to other people within your nonprofit
• Integrate new hires into your organizational culture

Below, we’ll cover eight aspects you should consider when onboarding new hires to your nonprofit, including special considerations for remote hires. With an intentional design, your onboarding process can make a strong first impression and reduce costly turnover and burnout.

1. Think Long Term

Onboarding a new employee is different from hosting a new-hire orientation.

An orientation is a one-time, short-term event. It could be a daylong presentation from human resources or a half-day overview from a project manager.

Onboarding is an ongoing process with the goal of fully integrating a new employee into both their tasks and the organizational culture. It’s designed to prepare each employee for long-term success and retention.

Create a plan for a full year of onboarding. The first month will have the most activity, including orientation, introductions, weekly check-ins, and other methods to get your new hire acquainted with your workplace. After the first month, the intensity of the onboarding process will lessen over time. Toward the end of the year, you may be checking in with the employee informally once per month to see how things are going.

2. Prepare New Hires for Day One

First-day nerves are common. Help your new hire feel comfortable and reassured by sending them an email prior to their first day that includes a thorough itinerary. You can also attach or link to any resources that might be helpful for them, such as a map of your building, any door codes they’ll need, and some general marketing collateral to orient them to your nonprofit.

Preparing your new hires for day one demonstrates that you’re organized and care about their time and well-being. Those kinds of characteristics help keep employees around year after year.

3. Create an Employee Handbook

It’s nice to have a one-stop resource for new hires to turn to for questions throughout their first week and beyond. Attach a copy of your employee handbook to your day one preparation email to start getting them familiar with your policies and procedures.

Some items to add to your employee handbook include:

• List of frequently asked questions
• List of team members, along with their contact information and a few fun facts
• Your nonprofit’s mission, vision, values, and basic history
• Notes on your workplace culture and typical dress code
• Technology cheat sheets
• Human resources information on any required paperwork, available benefits, or other administrative needs

Make sure to have a process for periodically reviewing and updating your employee handbook. You can redistribute it electronically to all of your employees once per year to make sure both new hires and veteran employees have the most recent resources.

4. Designate a Buddy

Pair new hires with a peer-level buddy who can help move them through their first day and continue to be a quick point of contact for small questions that arise.

Having a buddy can help new hires feel less alone during their first-day jitters. It also facilitates important bonds between teammates that can improve collaborative projects as they get started.

5. Make Personal Introductions

You want to make sure your new hire feels welcomed and that other employees are aware they’ve started work at your nonprofit. Making personal introductions is critical to folding a new employee into your nonprofit family.

Your new hire’s buddy can introduce them to people around the office informally when giving a tour. You’ll also want to make sure that you introduce and welcome new hires in any staff meetings.

Once you’ve introduced your new hire to your main staff, also schedule time to make larger introductions to board members and other stakeholders.

6. Set Short- and Medium-Term Goals

The first few months at a new job can feel overwhelming, especially if it’s unclear what’s expected of the new hire. Help new employees see where they fit in by working with them during their first week to set short- and medium-term goals.

Short-term goals can focus on integrating them into the work culture and getting all of their accounts set up. Medium-term goals can move into project work to give them a better sense of the tasks they’re expected to complete over time.

Goals can keep your new hires focused and engaged with your mission.

7. Establish a Feedback Loop

Oftentimes, workplaces will wait until annual reviews to give feedback. However, this approach can miss the opportunity to identify and address issues early before they impact new hire morale or employee retention.

Create a process where supervisors and new hires can offer feedback to each other on an ongoing basis to get ahead of any bumps along the way.

8. Make Special Considerations for Remote Onboarding

The COVID-19 pandemic ushered in an era of increased remote work. With this comes some special considerations for new hire onboarding, both for those who will be fully remote and those who may begin returning to the office or starting a hybrid schedule.

• Focus on clear communication. While communication is always key, it’s particularly critical in remote work environments. Be clear and consistent with your communications so new hires don’t feel left out or confused on what they should be doing. You can use tools like Grammarly to help with grammar and tone in your messages.
• Facilitate meaningful introductions. Making introductions also takes more creativity and intentional effort. Use video conferencing software to make sure people can put a face to a name. You can also find tools like Donut for Slack that facilitate informal digital one-on-one meet and greets.
• Connect them with peers. Having an assigned buddy is especially helpful in remote environments, as that contact can also help facilitate introductions and familiarize the new hire with how your teams communicate over your digital platforms.

When considering hybrid schedules or whether employees should return to the office if they were originally hired remotely, take a look at job responsibilities. Determine which tasks can be done remotely and which might be better for in-person gatherings.

Also look at what times and days you have regularly scheduled team meetings. These considerations can inform your strategy for returning to the workplace, or optimizing your remote work processes.

For more remote tips, check out our post on how Classy pivoted to remote hiring.

Onboard New Hires Effectively to Reduce Turnover and Burnout

Your employees are one of your greatest assets. Save time and money by effectively onboarding them from the start. With positive introductions and the right resources, they’ll be ready to integrate into your nonprofit’s workplace culture with ease.

Did you know the top reason donors reconsider making a gift is that they do not clearly understand its impact?

Your annual report is your opportunity to tie donor contributions to your accomplishments. Grab everything you need below to package your year into a simple and compelling resource for your donors, board members, and the general public to reference when reflecting on the milestones you’ve achieved.

What Is a Nonprofit Annual Report?

Nonprofit annual reports give a thorough account of what you’ve accomplished in one year’s time with the support of your donors. The reports typically include visuals that bring data, stories, and milestones to life in a way that’s appealing and digestible to read.

Unlike a Form 990, which is required for any tax-exempt organization as an annual information return or notice with the IRS, an annual report is an optional resource nonprofits can create and share with their community to remain fully transparent, celebrate their successes, and express gratitude for their supporters.

Purposes of a Nonprofit Annual Report

• Emphasize your organization’s mission statement
• Express gratitude for your supporters and partners
• Showcase your organization’s most successful initiatives
• Deliver financial transparency with detailed reports
• Demonstrate a clear impact
• Look ahead to the coming year

What Should a Nonprofit Annual Report Include?

Nonprofit annual reports should serve as a high-level overview of relevant information for your donors and the larger community to reference at the end of each year.

Modern nonprofits often opt for a less-is-more approach to avoid overwhelming their readers, while still delivering concrete data and qualitative insights that leave a memorable impression.

Contents of a Nonprofit Annual Report

• Financial data
• Accomplishments
• Impact stories
• Mission statements
• Donor spotlights (e.g. major donors, recurring donors, etc.)

Get creative about engaging donors with your annual report. Don’t worry if you’re not sure where to start. Below we’ve outlined a template you can use to create something you’re proud of.

Simple Steps to Create Your Nonprofit Annual Report Template

Step 1: Choose the Right Format for Your Nonprofit Annual Report

The format of your report will depend on your organization’s size and bandwidth. It may be a straightforward PDF one-sheeter of essential information that donors can download and print. You could also bring it to life as an interactive page on your website that you update throughout the year.

Digital formats increase the likelihood that supporters will discover and engage with your content. If you have donors who prefer direct mailers, consider sending them a postcard with a QR code to the full online report.

Explore the benefits below of offering both options to appease all supporters.

Benefits of a One-Page PDF Annual Report

• Deliver through email or social media with ease
• Can be printed and referred back to
• Convert into an image for social sharing in minutes
• Link to in-depth web pages that support your data

Benefits of an Annual Report Website

• Provide an easily-accessible live experience
• Tell a story with engaging visuals
• Download with ease as a PDF from the site
• Represent your brand with a cohesive, streamlined design

Step 2: Include the Right Content

Get started with your nonprofit annual report by including these top 10 elements. Use these as a guide as you build a template for the first time or enhance your existing template to delight donors.

1. Your mission, goals, philosophies, and beliefs
2. An executive summary of annual accomplishments
3. A letter from your nonprofit board, directors, or leadership
4. Strong numbers to show your programmatic impact
5. Impactful imagery and video
6. Statement of financials & activities
7. A list of major donors, advocates, partners, or sponsors
8. A special thank you to donors and supporters
9. Awards, grants, loans, and donations received
10. Future outlook, long-term goals, and what’s ahead

Nonprofit Annual Report Examples We Love

Girls Who Code: 2020 Annual Report

This interactive site highlights a memorable year for Girls Who Code. Enticing call-to-action visuals invite you to scroll down the page. Animations in a snapshot view reveal more information as you hover over certain elements with your mouse. The concise format allows readers to visit what interests them, and grasp the full picture of how donations translate to results.

RAICES: 2020 Annual Report

RAICES takes the PDF approach in this standout work of art. Right from the start, the report invites you in. Simple colors and compelling imagery clearly communicate the impact of RAICES and its donors. Supporters can learn exactly how they move the RAICES mission forward, with the information broken out by specific programs and campaigns held during the year. It’s hard not to walk away with a new level of connection to their work.

The San Diego Foundation: 2021 Annual Report 

The San Diego Foundation took its 2021 annual report to the next level. Their web page uses powerful imagery to tell the stories of the people affected by their work.  Animations help readers follow along on the journey and their links to relevant videos help visitors learn about any topic of interest.

Readers see a donate button up top at all times while moving through the report. Whether it’s the first time that person is hearing about the San Diego Foundation’s work or they’ve been supporting it for years, there’s a clear connection to why donations matter and how contributions will continue to impact lives in the future.

Ready to Get Started on Your Nonprofit Annual Report?

Take advantage of the opportunity to get your impact in front of potential donors, corporate partners, and any others interested in your nonprofit. Remember, you spent all year doing the hard work. Now, it’s about how to showcase that to the masses and build momentum for another impactful year ahead.

If you’re looking for design resources, check out Canva’s free annual report templates available to your nonprofit as part of a free Canva Pro account.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, check out Classy’s first annual Impact Report.

Classy’s vision is to create an environment that unites the best interest of its community, financial partners, customers, and team members. One of the ways we do this is by creating a team experience where everyone is truly invested in their work. For Classy, our work means helping nonprofits become as successful as they can in raising money for their missions. To give team members a personal investment in our customers’ success, Classy recently announced that 100% of employees will be offered equity in the company. Spearheading this employee experience vision into 2022, is Ann Catrina-Kligman, Classy’s new Vice President of People.

What Providing Equity Means for Classy Employees & Customers

The ability for all employees to own equity gives everyone a stake in Classy’s growth. At the same time, it shows that Classy has a stake in each employee’s growth and reminds them why the work they do matters. We want everyone to feel ownership and pride for the work they accomplish at Classy.

Ultimately, employee ownership shows that Classy trusts, cares about, and invests in its people at the highest level. When our people are motivated to succeed, we are in the best position to serve our nonprofit customers through excellent service, new ideas, and insights that continue to keep our fundraising platform innovative. By making each employee feel aligned to company success, we create a community of 300 individuals ready to help any customer today and in the future achieve their goals with Classy.

Classy’s Investment in Employees

Classy has fostered a community of impact, which makes employee ownership in the company’s success that much more rewarding. Let’s look at a few of the ways Classy has invested in becoming an impactful community that employees want to be a part of.

• Classy became B Corp certified in December of 2020. This declared a passion and social responsibility to focus on all stakeholders, including employees.
• Classy reincorporated as a Public Benefit Corporation in April of 2021. This further emphasized its commitment to all stakeholders.
• CEO Chris Himes shared that Classy will offer equity to all employees in October of 2021. Now, all employees of any level have stock options. He shared, “As Classy thrives, it must pass on more benefits to the employees who are responsible for its success.”
• To continue to elevate its investment in its employees, Classy welcomed Ann Catrina-Kligman in November of 2021 to lead the employee experience as the VP of People.

Meet Ann, Leading Classy Into 2022 and Beyond

Ann brings a breadth of experiences innovating and reimagining work by building and delivering employee-centered experiences that make it easier to communicate and collaborate while fostering a sense of inclusion and belonging. Classy’s employee-owned model is a foundational element of her strategy.

Ann has a long history in the technology space as a former leader on the Human Resources teams at Zendesk and Salesforce. Her experience sets the stage for the next step in her journey to support Classy and its giving platform for nonprofits.

Get to know Ann. We asked her to answer some timely questions to better understand her vision for Classy and its culture.

Q: What have you learned about leading people through the pandemic?

A: Navigating unprecedented change in real-time taught me that having a growth mindset is no longer a nice-to-have. We’re all navigating changes that haven’t stopped. The most recent example that comes to mind is going into a long Thanksgiving weekend with hopes for safer gatherings with family and friends. We returned the following Monday to a new COVID-19 variant.

The minute we think we know something, the world will shift. The key to strong leadership in times like these is adapting to constant change. It’s all about flexibility and proper work-life integration. I believe in giving talented individuals the autonomy to choose what they do and how they do it in a way that results in value for all.

In the same vein, it’s undeniable that there’s an extreme focus on connection and wellbeing. You can argue they are at the core of each element I mentioned. Leaders need to focus on benefits beyond medical and dental to retain valuable employees. We need to ensure they feel seen and appreciated by their workplace.

In my prior roles and now at Classy, my goal is to create an environment where people can bring their whole selves to work. I want people to do the best work of their lives while staying connected to those close to them outside of the office. Ownership in the company is one of many ways this can come to light.

Q: What is your vision for the employees of Classy and our internal community of talent?

A: I’m most excited to deliver an employee experience that helps people feel a sense of belonging and focus that drives them to a fulfilled career. My plan is in no way going to be dependent or static on the state of the world because the one constant right now is change. I’m prepared to bring people together regardless of location or time zone.

There’s a lot I’m looking at to digitize the employee experience. Without our headquarters as a physical home base, we have the chance to build an experience irrespective of physical space.

We will continue to ensure that every employee feels a sense of belonging and connection to the company’s trajectory. We can organize a few meaningful moments during the year that fuel all day-to-day activities that happen online. I see these moments as dedicated time for planning, reflecting, and celebrating together.

I need to note that without a diverse and inclusive workplace, none of this is possible. I’m passionate about prioritizing this in the employee experience at Classy. Every employee can be true to their unique identity, and embrace shared perspectives and connections at the same time.

Q: How will employee ownership bring value to current and new employees?

A: Not only do we care about our employees at Classy, but we consider them stakeholders in our success. Not only are they doing work that matters, but they are beneficiaries of the impact made by our organization. That’s exactly what providing equity to 100% of employees means to us. Every employee is reminded of that when they see our success benefit their futures.

Leaders looking to implement an employee-owned model can better attract and retain diverse talent by demonstrating their impact. Organizations need to exemplify their values in every conversation, interaction, and business decision. Splashing values and an appealing mission statement through a website doesn’t cut it.

There must be authenticity in these promises to pull in amazing talent. Communicating what you stand for showcases how every employee plays a critical role. The sentiment must carry on beyond the first 30, 60, or 90 days on the job.

At Classy, we are successful when our customers are successful. That success is directly correlated to our employees’ growth. Our employee-owned model helps us celebrate that together beyond in-office perks. It includes true ownership, influence, and impact on the future of Classy.

Living Out a Connected Employee Experience

By investing in our people and offering every employee equity in the company, we believe we will help our customers become more successful. And, as a result, have even more impact on the communities we serve.

If you’d like to be part of the Classy community, take a look at our available career opportunities. Or, explore our Impact Report to learn more about how we realize our mission to mobilize and empower the world for good through an employee-first approach.

You can look forward to hearing more from Ann and our Classy people team here on the blog and over on LinkedIn.

Connected by the common goal to deliver a world-class supporter-centric fundraising platform for the social sector, Classy is proud to celebrate Soraya Alexander and Shantanu Bose in their new roles as Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of Engineering.

Meet Soraya Alexander, Classy’s New COO

Prior to being appointed COO, Soraya was Classy’s SVP of Marketing and Customer Growth. Over the past three years, she has played an integral role in the success of Classy’s 6,000 nonprofit customers across the country. Her focus has been on helping these customers realize their full potential for online fundraising, showing how a seamless donor experience and frictionless technology can not only help them reach their goals, but exceed them.

Soraya’s dedication to the growth of our nonprofit customers contributed to the activation of 46,000 campaigns on the Classy platform in 2020 and $1 billion raised from over 9.4 million donations—of which, nearly 4 million were recurring gifts.

In addition to her commitment to our customers’ success, Soraya’s creativity has pushed our marketing team to new heights. Here’s a small sample of assets that were created recently under Soraya’s leadership to support our customers’ fundraising efforts and fuel their missions:

• Classy’s Giving Tuesday Resource Center
• The Smart Guide to Strong Year-End Fundraising
• The Recurring Donor Sentiment Report
• The State of Modern Philanthropy 2021

Meet Shantanu Bose, Classy’s New SVP of Engineering

As SVP of Engineering, Shantanu’s strategic planning for growth will continue to largely impact the evolution of Classy’s giving platform. Over the past two years, his balance of technical evolution and innovative product enhancements has opened Classy’s eyes to new technologies, allowing our customers to unlock generosity in more meaningful ways and drive action toward impactful change in society.

Learn how Classy customers are using our product enhancements to better serve their beneficiaries from our 50 Best in Classy organizations, and take our free assessment to uncover new opportunities for your nonprofit based on benchmarks set by over 4,800 organizations.

We Asked, They Answered

Q: Tell us about your journey with Classy over the past few years and how it led you to this new role on the executive leadership team.

A: I spent time navigating back and forth between the nonprofit and for-profit sectors before coming to Classy, always with a focus on customer engagement and technology. Joining this team a little over three years ago felt like finding home.

My role evolved from leading product marketing, to taking on responsibility for our larger marketing team, and then expanding to include a focus on customer growth. Those opportunities allowed me to help our Classy customers realize their full potential for online fundraising, and drew me closer to our mission to mobilize and empower the world for good.

My goal was then, and still is, to help ensure nonprofits have access to best-in-class technology that allows them to raise more funds and drive greater positive change. My new role as COO will allow me to continue working with our own team and our broader customer base to ensure we are creating an exceptional experience for our customers, and supporting them as they accelerate their impact and future-proof their fundraising.

A: I started at Classy scaling the platform for enterprise customers by introducing exciting new capabilities, such as ClassyPay. Over the past two years, our focus has been to transform the giving experience by doubling down on security, scalability, and an accelerated migration to a mature microservices distributed architecture.

Navigating these product enhancements and ongoing technical evolution allowed me to better understand our nonprofit customers and deliver on their wants and needs. In this new role as SVP of Engineering, I will continue to address these opportunities from a strategic level so we can better support their goals.

Q: What motivated you to step into this role and what do you hope to achieve? 

A: My position, like every position at Classy, is designed to serve as a resource and advocate for our customers. The Classy team considers ourselves to be a natural extension of the nonprofit organizations we support, and that mindset guides all of our internal discussions, debates, and decisions.

Our job each day is to build great technology that helps our nonprofit customers unlock the generosity of their supporters in intuitive, engaging ways, and to help these customers leverage our technology to advance their incredible missions.

A: Over the past couple of years, I’ve been so inspired by the team I get to work with every day at Classy. After getting to know both the broader engineering team and the rest of the executive leadership, I truly felt like Classy was the perfect opportunity for me to do the best work of my career.

With a balanced focus on infrastructure and platform evolution, I want to bring the best online fundraising experience to our customers. Our core focus is to help grow donation volume, which aligns directly with our customers’ incentives—the more successful our customers are, the more successful we’ll be.

Our sophisticated software helps nonprofits raise more by maximizing conversion rates and retention rates, without placing huge technological demands on our customer teams. We are technologists who bring that value to our customers. I want to continue serving our Classy community in this way by staying ahead of the latest innovations in conversion and payments and evolving our product to anticipate and deliver on the needs of the sector for years to come.

Q: What’s your personal connection to the nonprofit sector?

A: I’ve spent a good part of my career in the social sector and currently sit on the Board of Directors of a San Diego nonprofit that provides surf therapy and mentorship for foster and adoptive youth who have suffered complex trauma.

This sector at large is tackling the world’s most intractable problems and fighting for resources and attention to make headway. I’ve experienced it firsthand. It’s why I’m so passionate about the work we do at Classy. Every decision is made with our customer and the greater good in mind. We aren’t always perfect, but we are intentional and consistently striving to be better.

A: I’ve had the pleasure of being closely involved with many nonprofits over the years, including opportunities like mentoring high school students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields and serving on the board of Hire Our Heroes, an organization aiming to expand job opportunities for veterans.

Seeing the impact of their work firsthand was very inspiring and opened my eyes to the value of Classy’s technology. Building intuitive, innovative products to help our customers move the needle on their missions is critical to their success. That motivation remains top of mind for me day in and day out.

Q: What’s ahead for Classy that excites you the most?

A: Classy is growing quickly, and much of our growth is coming from our huge investments in our product and engineering organizations, which means the velocity of innovation we can deliver for the sector is increasing.

We are spending a lot of time thinking about what great giving experiences look like as the world keeps changing—everything from really elegant donation pages that maximize donor conversion and retention rates, to cryptocurrency and NFT giving, to amazing hybrid events, to workplace giving.

Not everything will make it to our product roadmap, but staying curious and creative on the full breadth of possibilities allows us to be really thoughtful and holistic with what we are building.

A: It’s so exciting to see how rapidly our industry is changing and I think this is just the beginning. We saw so many innovations during the pandemic in the way nonprofits were able to raise money, and it was incredible to see their success.

At Classy, we want our technology to meet the evolving needs of our customers by almost disappearing into the background. The focus should really be on the nonprofit and the work they’re doing—donating should feel seamless.

Q: How does Classy being a Certified B Corporation impact your approach to leadership?

A: Classy operates as both a Certified B Corporation and a Public Benefit Corporation, because we believe in the power and obligation to consider the impact to all stakeholders when conducting business. 

We consider four primary stakeholders when making all meaningful decisions: our customers, our employees, our community, and our financial shareholders. This compels us to think holistically about the impact of our business practices and leads us to make decisions that keep us on a path to good. 

The great thing about how we structure our operations is that our customers are at the forefront of everything we do. We primarily look at the impact our customers are able to have by using our products. For our customers to succeed, we have to ensure our staff is empowered and supported, as they are the frontline champions of our customers. We look at the engagement we have with our communities through things like dedicated volunteer time for staff. Finally, we have structured our revenue model to only allow us to succeed when our customers succeed in their fundraising efforts, so our interests are completely aligned to our customers’ success. This approach helps clarify and focus all big decisions, and allows us to be part of the good we seek to advance in the world. 

Q: How has Classy’s Product and Engineering team evolved and where do you see it going?

A: At Classy, we build incredible technology to help supporters give to causes they care about. This intersection of technology and impact allows us to attract world-class technologists who are passionate about using their skillset to mobilize and empower the world for good.

We have made huge investments in our Product and Engineering team. They currently make up one-third of our full-time staff. Each with the goal to thoughtfully expand our platform and sustainably scale our codebase to help strengthen the work of our customers.

And this investment doesn’t stop here. As our customers continue to grow, Classy will continue to prioritize being a product-led organization that meets the needs of nonprofits—not just today, but in the future—so they can continue to solve our world’s most complex challenges day in and day out.

Looking Ahead

Classy has been serving the sector for over ten years, and we have a long and exciting path ahead.

If you’re interested in joining our interdisciplinary team that offers the best fundraising technology available, please view and consider our open roles.

On average, successful nonprofits bring four users into their Classy platform within the first 90 days. Those nonprofits see an 84% higher donation volume and 122% more transactions than those who don’t take advantage of multiple users and features.

In this post, we’ll look at how to be a high-performing team when multiple stakeholders are confidently using your fundraising software. We’ll outline the role each area of a nonprofit’s organizational structure plays in a successful fundraising strategy and the value that each user from different areas of your nonprofit can gain by getting involved.

Breaking Down Your Nonprofit Staff Structure for Fundraising Success

1. Development and Fundraising

Your development and fundraising team typically owns campaign creation, supporter management, and reporting. The focus of this team is to identify and implement online giving and other fundraising events to grow a sustainable revenue stream for your nonprofit.

High-performing teams will use reporting features to gauge success over time and see where there are opportunities for improvement. Members of this team review fundraising metrics, such as:

• Which recurring donors have upcoming credit card expirations, in order to stay ahead of lapsed recurring gifts
• Number of returning one-time donors, in order to identify good candidates to convert to recurring donors
• Number of top donors who have gone a year since their last contribution, in order to establish a re-engagement plan with them

With such a close connection to the ins and outs of fundraising, members of this team can teach other departments the basics of fundraising and how they can support that work.

2. Database Owners

Database owners on your team ensure donations sync up with your customer relationship management (CRM) system, such as Salesforce.

They use donor data to deduplicate customer records, which ensures you have all the information to build a relationship with a donor in one place. They may also receive payout reports or other data from different teams to incorporate and track within a database. They’ll look at metrics on missing donor data, address updates, and donor actions.

High-performing teams collaborate with database owners to ensure everything is organized and accessible for successful campaigns and relationship building. One example of how nonprofits get their database owners involved in their Classy fundraising platform is through Classy Pay, our seamless integration with Stripe.

3. Marketing and Design

Your marketing and design team can lead the storytelling efforts of each of your campaigns. They’ll collaborate with the development and fundraising team to map out the year’s campaigns and match them to original, impactful stories and data that show your nonprofit’s value to potential donors.

Marketing and design specialists can ensure your brand shines through in your campaigns’ designs and narratives with the functionality in your fundraising platform. By selecting emotional imagery, following your nonprofit’s style guide, and considering elements like donation button placement, they create compelling campaign pages and promotional materials that drive donations.

High-performing marketing and design team members will be interested in tracking metrics on donor engagement with different campaigns to learn ways to improve for the future.

4. Volunteering and Direct Services

Volunteer coordinators and direct services staff have ground-level experience with your mission. They spend their days implementing services that support your mission, organizing volunteer events for others to directly engage with your mission, and collecting data on the work they perform.

The metrics that matter to these team members are those related to the direct impact of your mission, such as:

• How many people were served this year
• How many volunteer hours were recorded for a park cleanup event
• How close you are to meeting a service goal

High-performing volunteer coordination and direct services teams can pass along impact stories to the marketing staff and identify projects worth highlighting for donors. They can also identify volunteers the development team can cultivate as donors, and work with other teams to learn which are in need of volunteer help.

5. Finance

Your finance team takes care of reconciling donations and surfacing insights on incoming revenue. They can ensure you’re getting the most out of using Classy Pay, which has the lowest processing rates in the industry, automatic credit card updating, enhanced reconciliation, and powerful fraud protection.

They’ll be interested in metrics related to things like which projects need funding focus and how unrestricted funding levels are doing.

A high-performing finance team keeps all of your departments afloat and can collaborate with different teams to understand how to shape the most effective budget possible for your nonprofit’s work.

6. Information Technology

Your IT team helps to maximize integrations between your Classy platform and other tools in your business ecosystem. They’ll make sure that your technology is easy to use and able to support what each team needs to be able to do to ensure effective campaigns.

Your IT team will be interested in tracking metrics around how well your systems are performing and overall donor and data security measures.

High-performing IT teams play an important role in fundraising success through preventing and troubleshooting technology issues surrounding your campaign and donor relationship-building efforts.

Optimize Your Fundraising Success by Leveraging the Various Nonprofit Roles Your Team Plays

Each member of your nonprofit’s staff plays a key role in fundraising success. By learning how each person fits into your team, you can increase the effectiveness of your campaigns and donor relationships.

See exactly how your fundraising stacks up today against thousands of nonprofits, and which gaps to focus on as you get team members involved.