The 9 Most Popular Fundraising Blog Posts of 2018

You don’t want to miss this!  We’ve rounded up the 9 most popular blog posts of 2018 that have helped Salvation Army development officers raise more funds to continue Doing the Most Good.  From donor newsletters, to social media changes, to donor development, our experts weighed in on the hot topics you wanted to learn more about.

Here Are the 9 Most Popular Fundraising Blog Posts of 2018

1. 6 Tips to Make Your Donor Newsletter Donor Focused
   
   A donor newsletter helps to raise awareness of all the good work The Salvation Army is doing and strengthens the commitment and trust factor with your donors.  It can also be a significant source of net income.  Check out these 6 tips to maximize the impact of your donor newsletter.
2. Dear Caring Friend, Can I Ask You for a Donation?
   
   How do you ask a donor for a gift if you can’t ask them for a donation?  That is the challenge many donors create when they ask an organization to reduce communication or stop it completely.  What makes the request for less or no mail a problem is that many donors don’t make ongoing donations without a regular cadence of communication.  Here’s how to raise money AND honor your donors’ wishes.
3. 4 Tips to Motivate Social Media Followers to Give
   
   On social media, you have the opportunity to connect with constituents, raise awareness for your cause, and collect donations. Samantha Jasnos, our Digital Strategist, shares 4 tips to turn your social media followers into donors.
4. Top 10 Frequently Asked Questions About Mid-Level Donor Fundraising
   
   Mid-Level donors are your committed donors who are too important to be lumped into a general direct-response annual fund, but they don’t qualify to be in a major gift portfolio.  Wondering what to do with them?  Our experts weigh in on the top 10 most frequently asked questions about Mid-Level donor fundraising programs.
5. 6 Fundraising Trends You Need to Watch
   
   Ask 10 fundraisers what they think the next big trend is, and you’ll probably get 10 different answers.  But fundraising trends, like all other trends, need diligent monitoring — reviewing return-on-investment, staying relevant in a changing landscape, and making sure the trends you’re following fit your organization.  Here are the 6 trends worth monitoring.
6. What Salvation Army Fundraisers Need to Know About Donor Acquisition
   
   TrueSense Marketing has been partnering with The Salvation Army for over 50 years.  While a lot has changed over the decades, one fundraising strategy remains the same: Direct mail is the best way to acquire new donors.  In fact, 80 to 85 percent of all new Salvation Army donors are still acquired through direct mail.
7. Filling The Salvation Army’s Planned Giving Opportunity Gap
   
   According to The Shelter Company, 33 percent of Americans are willing to consider a charitable bequest, but only 22 percent say they have been asked for a planned gift.  Here’s how TrueSense Marketing is working with The Salvation Army to fill the opportunity gap.
8. How The Salvation Army Can Supercharge Direct-Response with Digital
   
   Digital fundraising often pays the price of over-promised and under-delivered digital fundraising sales pitches from five years ago.  And, it is still difficult to compare a budget and its direct attributable digital revenue against direct digital expenses.  Jason Wood, our Vice President of Digital, shares how digital efforts can lift direct-response and direct mail revenue.
9. 21 Fundraising Trends and Best Practices You Need to Know in 2019
   
   On experts put their heads together to share with you the top fundraising best practices for 2019.  Use these tips and tactics to win, keep, and lift even more donors and move them from a transactional to a transformational commitment to your mission.