Strategies For Effective Fundraising

Brand-level messaging isn't just about what you say - it's about the emotional response you create. Get this right, and the rest of your messaging has a strong foundation. Get this wrong - the stories you tell - from product to sales, feel misguided. That's why PMMs need to collaborate with with brand teams to create powerful brand messaging. 1. Start with conviction What unique perspective do you hold? What do you see that others don't? 2. Make a promise How will you actually deliver on that conviction? This needs to be tangible, not just aspirational. 3. Tell the transformation story Paint the picture of 'before' (the problem) and 'after' (the world you help create) 4. Back it with proof Real examples, not buzzwords. Show, don't just tell. 5. Tie it together [Category] deserves [belief] because [conviction] The magic happens when you tell one cohesive story that resonates emotionally with your audience. What I love about this framework is its simplicity. It forces you to get clear on what you actually stand for, not just what sounds good. Use this next time you want to get foundational with your messaging.

AI is only as powerful as the problems it solves. For nonprofits, one of the most fundamental challenges is knowing how much to ask for, and when. Ask too high, and you risk discouraging a gift. Ask too low, and you leave potential impact on the table. That’s why we’ve taken Intelligent Ask Amounts to the next level for GoFundMe Pro partners. Grounded in deep user research and powered by GoFundMe’s AI models, this improved version gives nonprofits the ability to dynamically optimize campaigns for what matters most: one-time revenue, conversions, recurring gifts, or a balanced mix. The ask amounts adapt in real time to donor behavior and campaign goals—helping nonprofits drive more sustainable giving. The best part? These improvements are to a product that has already delivered results. For example: the National Civil Rights Museum used Intelligent Ask Amounts during key giving moments and saw a 62% increase in average gift size on December 31st year-over-year, along with other strong gains. (I’ll link the case study with more details in the comments!) What makes me proud isn’t just the AI, it’s the teamwork behind it. Three product pods, Applied Science, Research, CX, Legal, Marketing, Comms and more all came together to turn a complex fundraising challenge into a solution that’s both powerful and practical. Because at the end of the day, innovation is only meaningful when it helps nonprofits raise more with less friction—so they can focus on their mission. 👉 Learn more here: https://gfme.co/47CvtSc 

Welcome to the Future of Fundraising. The best question you can ask yourself when evaluating AI is “Will this directly drive revenue or will this create efficiencies?” If your answer is revenue, you're probably looking at Autonomous AI. If your answer is efficiency, you’re looking at AI Enablement. Developing a clear grasp of Autonomous AI versus AI Enablement is a skill all fundraising leaders need to develop now, because today’s choices will drive tomorrow’s growth. When I co-founded Gravyty almost a decade ago, I was a frontline fundraiser who needed to operate more efficiently to reach more of the donors in my portfolio. What we created was the first AI Enablement tool for fundraisers that could self-write emails for me to edit and send to keep me on top of outreach. This is a great example of AI Enablement, tools that draft emails, summarize insights, predict giving potential, analyze CRM data, or prioritize donor outreach lists. Those key words–draft, summarize, predict, analyze, prioritize–are often akin to AI Enablement. AI Enablement tools are measured in the efficiencies that they produce, essentially helping employees do their current job well. Autonomous AI is an entirely different category. Unlike AI-enabled tools, Autonomous AI is responsible for an entire job from start to finish, independent of its human colleagues, as a standalone solution. In fundraising, this critical difference means that it is accountable for the same outcomes as a staff member. Unlike AI Enablement, in our industry, Autonomous AI can be measured on direct revenue generation and pipeline growth. Autonomous Fundraising, and the work of the Virtual Engagement Officer, exemplifies this difference. Bucknell University’s VEO, Lauren, manages a 1,000 donor portfolio and has raised $450,000 while outperforming a control group on every metric: dollars raised, renewals, participation, and gift increases. The VEO operates just as a traditional gift officer would, using cultivation activities that lead donors to give. For this reason, we can measure the VEO by the same revenue-generating standards as every other fundraiser on the team. Rather than focusing on doing the current scope of work well, Autonomous AI has the unique ability to be applied to scale areas of growth that were previously thought impossible. As we evaluate AI and bring it into our organizations to improve fundraising, the donor experience, and ultimately our missions, asking critical questions about outcomes will become increasingly important.

Welcome Emily Groccia, VP of Customer Success at Givzey to talk about AI at Version2.ai on this episode of 🔥 The Lantern 🔥 What is Version2? Version2 is the world’s first autonomous fundraiser. Announced less than a year ago, this product directly addresses the labor shortage in non-profit fundraising. Their team creates trusted digital labor that can be applied to donors who are not managed by humans in non-profit donor portfolios. In September of 2024 they launched their first cohort of 13 innovation partners. Each partner assigns a portfolio of 1,000 donors to a virtual engagement officer responsible for executing a series of 8-12 touchpoints throughout the course of a year to lead those donors to a gift. Just like an institutional giving officer! 👀 How is that impacting the donor experience? 👀 Only 1-5% of the top donors are usually managed by a human gift officer so most of the donors served by Version 2 lie outside of a major gift portfolio. Every organization would love to manage every individual donor in a 1:1 relationship, but it’s just not possible. Version 2 is allowing organizations to reach that other 95% with a much more personalized experience. 📈 What are some of the highlights from Version2 thus far? 📈 Version2 publishes a dashboard of autonomous fundraising 2x per week. VEOs (virtual engagement officers) have raised >$500k in gifts, 3k+ engagements, and 45k+ donor activities. Their opt out rate is only 0.13%! Donors want to hear from these organizations more, in a deeper way, with the ability to reply. They value personal engagement. 🤔 Why is autonomous fundraising working? 🤔 San Diego State is a customer using Version2 for their planned giving portfolio, serving older donors. This portfolio has the highest engagement of any partner because personalized interactions that connect to donors resonate with their customers. 🔍 What is the roadmap ahead for Version 2? 🔎 Now that they’ve proven autonomous fundraising works, they are leveraging their learnings to further define use cases and apply digital labor to more aspects of advancement in the non-profit space. More to come!! The Lantern is brought to you by Givzey & MGMT Boston this March

If you plan to give more than a few thousand dollars to charity this year, consider whether giving stock instead of cash might be worthwhile. Here’s why… When you give cash to charity, you get to deduct the amount you donate from your taxable income which is a solid tax benefit. But when you give highly appreciated stock instead of cash, you not only get to deduct the value of the stock from your taxable income, you also get to skip paying the long term cap gains tax on those shares. For our clients in CA and NY that’s about 35% in tax savings. This can be a great way to both increase the tax benefit of charitable donations AND unload shares of stock without paying capital gains taxes. Win win! Think about this strategy for old RSUs you’ve held onto over the years, or those Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, or Nvidia shares you bought that are now worth waaaay more than when you bought them. Assumptions: - You want to donate to charity - You itemize deductions - You’ve held your stock for more than a year - You can give shares of stock either directly to the charity you’d like to support or through a donor advised fund

Most campaigns flop because they market to the wallet instead of the heart. If you’re in marketing, advertising, or strategy—read this carefully. Your audience isn’t making decisions based on logic. They make them based on emotion—then justify them later. Nike’s Nothing Beats a Londoner. Sport England’s This Girl Can. NHS's - We Are The NHS' What do they have in common? They told emotionally resonant stories - grounded in deep insights. So here is the Word on the Curb approved formula for campaigns that stick: ⚫ Entertain—First, grab attention. If you’re not engaging, you’re invisible. ⚫ Relate—Show your audience you see them. Their struggles, dreams, and culture. ⚫ Connect—Trigger emotions that drive action: joy, nostalgia, triumph. Before your next campaign, ask yourself: 1️⃣ Are we just selling, or are we entertaining, relating, and connecting? 2️⃣ Are we listening to our audience—or making assumptions? 3️⃣ Are we using insights that tap into emotion—or just throwing ads into the void? Like it or lump it, more than ever, attention is currency. If your campaign doesn’t resonate, it evaporates.

🕊️I regularly catch this tax-savings opportunity clients miss. Ever hear of donating highly appreciated investments into a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)?! If you're already giving donations to charities each year, why not save additional capital gains taxes on your donations? DAFs provide a more tax-savvy way to give. Lemme break it all down... 1. Open a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Account Select a provider like Schwab Charitable, Fidelity Charitable, Vanguard Charitable, or a community foundation. Fund Your Account: You’ll receive account details for funding. No minimum contributions are required with some providers, but check for their specific policies. 2. Contribute Highly Appreciated Stock Obtain Transfer Instructions: The DAF provider will give you specific transfer instructions for in-kind securities (stock, mutual funds, etfs). Complete the appropriate paperwork to transfer the investments over. Confirm the Gift Value: The DAF provider will value your donation based on the average of the high and low prices of the stock on the day the transfer is completed. Receive Acknowledgment: Your DAF provider will send you a confirmation of the donation for tax purposes. 3. Allocate Funds to Charities Log In to Your DAF Account: Access your account online or contact the DAF provider. Research Charities: Ensure the organizations you wish to support are IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) nonprofits. Recommend a Grant: Specify the charity, the amount, and the timing of the grant. Many DAF providers allow you to include special instructions or dedicate the grant. Track the Impact: DAF providers will handle the distribution and often provide updates when the charity receives the grant. 4. Keep Records for Tax Filing Save the acknowledgment of your stock contribution from the DAF provider for your taxes. You’ll only need this one receipt, as donations to charities from the DAF don’t require separate deductions (you claimed the deduction when funding the DAF). This process not only simplifies charitable giving but also helps maximize the tax benefits, especially when dealing with appreciated assets and reducing capital gains taxation on low-basis stock! Here’s why this strategy is a win-win: ✨ Maximize Your Impact: You can avoid paying capital gains taxes on appreciated assets (stocks, mutual funds or ETFs that have grown), which means more of your money goes directly to the charities you love. ✨ Get an Immediate Tax Deduction: You’ll receive a deduction for the full fair market value of the stock in the year you donate. ✨ Distribute Thoughtfully Over Time: With a DAF, you can take your time to decide which organizations to support and when. Giving Tuesday, yesterday, was a beautiful reminder of the power of generosity, and thoughtful planning can amplify that power. I'd love to hear about causes you care about (I'll list one of mine in the comments) 🌍✨

Nonprofits, if I had to find individual donors on LinkedIn today, this is what I’d do: 1. Stop looking for people who give. Start connecting with people who care. Most nonprofits search LinkedIn like it’s a donor database. It’s not. It’s a credibility engine. A place to build trust before you make the ask. Search for professionals already talking about your issue. Comment. Connect. Converse. Give them a reason to care deeply before you ask them to give generously. 2. Show up like a human, not a campaign. Your “donate now” link isn’t moving the needle. But your story might. • Share why your mission matters right now • Highlight real people your org supports • Post like you’re inviting someone into your world, not your wallet The best donor acquisition strategy on LinkedIn? Authenticity. Not ads. 3. Lead with value, not just need. High-capacity individuals aren’t just looking to donate. They’re looking to make a difference. Position your nonprofit as a place where their expertise, network, or values can come to life. • Invite them to events • Ask for advice before asking for dollars • Treat every connection like a potential partner, not a transaction 4. Build trust in the comments section. Your next major donor could be watching how you engage. So: • Add thoughtful insights to industry conversations • Respond with gratitude when someone shares your post • Use your comments to show, not sell Trust is built one exchange at a time. And LinkedIn gives you unlimited reps. 5. Think like a matchmaker, not a fundraiser. Every donor has a cause that fits their identity. Your job is to help them see why it’s yours. That means: • Mapping shared values • Connecting their background to your impact • Making the giving experience personal, not generic People give when it feels aligned, not obligated. Finding donors isn’t about louder campaigns. It’s about deeper conversations. And LinkedIn is the greatest donor discovery tool you’re probably not using right. Comment Donors and I’ll send over a free guide on how to find and connect with the right individuals on LinkedIn, without begging or spamming. With purpose and impact, Mario

You pay $40K for a branding agency. They come up with this: "The 3 words that describe your brand are: relatable, fun, and professional." Their creative team stumbled on these words while sitting in a conference room and "brainstorming." 👉 Zero customer calls. 👉 Zero testing 👉 And zero usefulness. Because how exactly do these 3 words help you? - Can you use them to increase revenue? - Increase sales? - Write copy? Not really. Instead of this outdated approach to "messaging," do this: 1. Conduct deep customer research. 2. Using this research, develop 3 value props for your product. 3. Create 3 unique landing pages around those 3 value props. 4. Test the 3 different landing pages in front of live audiences with user tests and A/B tests. 5. The highest converting/performing landing page is your new messaging. THIS is an approach to messaging that actually impacts the bottom line. Most other approaches to messaging? They're untested and unproven fluff. (NOTE: A good branding agency WILL conduct thorough research, and there are many amazing branding agencies out there. But too many agencies don't do research. When hiring an agency, ask them about their process and research approach. And evaluate multiple agencies to get an understanding of average cost and typical process.)

I published a paper showing that grant applications can be automatically generated from a one-pager idea, they meet all donor requirements and achieve 50% success rate, surpassing human success rates of 10-20%. AUTOMATION OF GRANT APPLICATION WRITING WITH THE USE OF CHATGPT Purpose: This paper examines the integration of generative AI, specifically ChatGPT, into grant application writing, evaluating its impact on efficiency, quality, and equity in research funding. The study aims to address systemic challenges in grant writing, such as high time investment, low success rates, and inherent biases against underrepresented groups. Design/methodology/approach: The research analyzes the development and submission of four grant proposals to public and private funding bodies in the U.S. and EU. ChatGPT was employed to automate key components of the process, including generating proposal structures, drafting content, and formatting team qualifications. The outcomes were compared in terms of time efficiency, success rates, and the quality of applications. Findings: The use of ChatGPT reduced the average grant preparation time from 30–50 days to 3–5 days while achieving a 50% success rate, significantly exceeding typical success rates of 10–20%. The findings highlight ChatGPT’s potential to enhance the inclusivity of funding processes by mitigating biases and lowering entry barriers for junior faculty and underrepresented groups. Research limitations/implications: The study is limited by the small sample size of four grant applications and the inherent variability of AI-generated outputs. Future research should explore scalability, reproducibility, and the ethical implications of AI use in academic and professional settings. Practical implications: The adoption of AI in grant writing can streamline the application process, allowing researchers to focus on substantive project development. Funding bodies are encouraged to adapt evaluation standards to distinguish between human-authored and AI-generated content, ensuring fair assessments. Social implications: By reducing biases and increasing accessibility, AI-driven grant writing can democratize research funding opportunities, fostering greater equity and diversity in academic and scientific communities. Originality/value: This study provides the first empirical evaluation of ChatGPT’s application in grant writing, offering insights into its transformative potential for academia, policy, and research funding practices. It is valuable to researchers, funding organizations, and policymakers seeking to leverage AI for more inclusive and efficient grant processes. Link: https://lnkd.in/dQ2CPygM #generativeAI #ChatGPT #grants #automation #AI