[Riley]

Based on my experience with donor databases, the boss’s approach misses the relationship. Thanking only the administrator is like thanking the postman for a birthday card. Hard credit the fund, soft credit the individual, and send a warm personal note to the donor who directed the gift. Just skip tax-deductible language and benefits talk to keep the IRS happy.

[Riley]

I think overhead percentage is only one small part of the picture. Reserves, revenue diversity, debt, cash flow and transparency can tell donors much more about financial resilience. I’d also look at whether the numbers make sense alongside the organisation’s mission and activities.

[Riley]

This is a good read. You may want to include these two perspectives in your next conversation:

8. Treat social media as a donor journey, not just a traffic source

Social media should not simply send visitors to a nonprofit’s homepage. Each campaign should guide people toward a specific next step of donating, volunteering, signing up, attending an event, or learning more about the cause.

9. Build trust before asking for donations

A nonprofit’s social presence can demonstrate transparency by sharing impact reports, beneficiary stories, project updates, and evidence of how donations are used. This gives potential supporters reasons to trust the organization before they reach the donation page.

[Riley]

Jordan, I know that manual verification grind well. API solutions like Nonprofit Check Plus or CharityAPI can verify EIN and tax status instantly, often with a free tier.

[Riley]

Michael, this is a worrying catch. I have always just pointed people to the IRS sample policy, assuming it was a safe template. Now I feel a bit silly for it.

The distinction between “interested person” and “disqualified person” is subtle but important.

Thanks for sharing. It has genuinely made me rethink my own advice.

• This reply was modified 3 weeks, 2 days ago by  Riley.