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This is a common question in the nonprofit community. Many organizations have reached the realization point of needing paid staff. Whether that's a social worker, executive director, or even just an accountant, they need to begin the transition from being run by volunteers to having paid positions. So how do I do that? Start with a plan about how you're growing your organization. Here are a few questions to get you started:How are we going to take our nonprofit from the current stage it’s into that next stage? How much money is that going to cost? What are we going to be accomplishing?How are we going to fund this?Need help taking your organization to that next level? Contact us and one of our nonprofit experts will give you the guidance you need! https://sharityglobal.com/contact-us/For more about Sharity Global and how we can help your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.comSupport the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

For many nonprofits who have just gotten a 501c3, they jump into doing services and skip the most critical step.Once you have the 501c3 paperwork in your hands, pause, take a deep breath, pull those close advisers, that new board of directors around you, and develop that business plan. You're never going to make it to the next step if you don't have a plan in place, and you know where you're going to be over the next couple of years. If you don’t know where to start, log in or sign up for free to the Sharity Knowledge Center. We have tons of tools and resources to help your nonprofit get started. https://sharityglobal.com/knowledge-center/For more about Sharity Global and how we can help your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.comSupport the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

So, what is the difference between grants and large donors?Some major gifts are going to be more technical with meeting the outcomes and reporting requirements of the funder. You need to work with the donor, cultivate them, get them engaged in your plan, and then have the stewardship afterward to make sure that they feel very confident that their money has been well spent. There is a lot of effort involved.It's just a different type of effort and a different type of follow-up and stewardship, but both require that effort. Make sure that you have that plan in place whenever you start to go out and look for major donors and major investments in your nonprofit, because it's important that your organization shines in the beginning, middle, and afterward.If your organization needs help putting a fundraising plan in place, email carol.wick@sharityglobal.com and schedule a free 30-min consultation today! For more about Sharity Global and how we can help your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.comSupport the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Know the difference between public vs. private grants!Public grants come from government sources. They have a lot of strings attached. Before receiving public funding, make sure your nonprofit has the infrastructure in place to do the back-end part of the grants, not just deliverables on the money.Private grants come from individuals, foundations, and corporations. Funding from private sources are less restrictive and require less paperwork than public funding. Need help with grant budgeting? Check out our Grant Budgeting Template! Download and create your own copy for free through our Sharity Knowledge Center. https://sharityglobal.com/knowledge-center/#budgeting For more about Sharity Global and how we can help your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.comSupport the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Identifying the right donors is the biggest mystery for nonprofits, but it doesn’t have to be complicated!Start with your center circle, those closest to your nonprofit. If you haven’t convinced your inner circle to give, you shouldn’t be looking outside that network.There is so much potential with those that are already connected to your organization. You probably just haven’t segmented and targeted them with the right types of asks. That’s why wealth screening is so important! It can help you know how much to ask those people for and how to start segmenting your donor list.So, start with individuals in your inner circle and then work your way out. Sharity can help your organization clarify who to start asking and what kind of strategy to approach them. Email Carol.Wick@SharityGlobal.com to schedule a free consultation today!For more about Sharity Global and how we can help your NPO, please visithttps://sharityglobal.comSupport the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Collecting data to show your nonprofit’s impact can seem really difficult. However, it doesn’t have to be as complicated as some make it out to be.Start out by sitting with your team and asking the question: What are we trying to accomplish? When someone walks through our doors, what transformation do we want to happen?When organizations pinpoint that one transformational thing they’re trying to make happen, they can then ask: How do we know it occurred?Collecting data to show impact can be simple if your nonprofit takes a step back and looks at its overarching mission. A lot of nonprofits collect the wrong data and show potential investors what they’re doing, rather than what happened as a result. If your organization is struggling to show impact and land major gifts, sign up for the Sharity Knowledge Center and get free access to tools, resources, and webinars designed to help nonprofits grow. https://sharityglobal.com/knowledge-center/For more about Sharity Global and how we can help your NPO, please visithttps://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Funders look for variety of things when deciding which nonprofit to support. Do you have everything in place?There are 5 main things funders examine: Plan, Measurable Outcomes, Budget, Team, Additional Donor Support.Take Sharity’s Fundraising Fitness Test and find out how well your nonprofit stacks up to what philanthropists are looking for. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SharityFundraisingFitnessTestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Make sure you know when there are strings attached to the funds you receive!When there are funding restrictions, it’s important to understand and document where that money needs to be spent, and let funders know you spent the money in the way that they intended it.If you have questions, we have some great Sharity experts who specialize in nonprofit accounting. Schedule a free consult with one of them today! https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Who should be involved in your board meetings?It all depends on your organization and the conversations you’re having in meetings. Its a balance between ensuring your board doesn’t overstep their boundaries, while still getting the opportunity to understand the depth of what’s going on at your nonprofit.Sharity’s Organizational Fitness Test can clarify certain aspects of your organization that need improvement, so you can be running at tip top shape with a happy board and staff. Take the assessment for free today!https://sharityglobal.com/assessment/For more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

This should be a major red flag for your organization. When it comes to donor relationships, it’s so important to be open and transparent. Anytime money comes in from a donor, save that information in writing, including what you promised and how you would deliver.Respond to donors, have a conversation if there’s a problem, and always be open with them.If your organization is struggling to keep a plan in place, talk to one of our nonprofit experts. Visit https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Make sure you've got everything in place before submitting those grants! You often get one opportunity before getting a bad reputation and losing funding in the future.Sharity’s grant management services can set you up in a project management system and provide expert review of your reports to ensure your organization is putting its best brand forward and convincing donors to invest in your mission.Schedule a free consultation with one of our grant experts by visiting https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

So, how do you get somebody to go from giving a one-time ask to giving monthly?Think about recurring expenses of your organization that you could go out and ask donors to sponsor. Then, make sure you have a good software platform to make it easy for donors to integrate into your monthly giving plan.A majority of donors come from monthly giving programs. If your organization doesn’t have one in place or it needs help working out the details, Sharity’s nonprofit experts are happy to help.Schedule a free consultation today! https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visithttps://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

So, how and where should your organization get started with the grants process?Grants are just like a major gift ask. They have to be cultivated! You need to go in a meet with the staff, talk to them, and show them why you are a good investment for their funds.It’s all about having a plan, pitching it, and having them want to invest in your mission. Need help getting started with the grants process? Schedule a free consultation with one of Sharity’s nonprofit experts today!https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visithttps://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

It’s important to have an understanding of the different roles and titles within your nonprofit.Think through what you’re calling people, why, and have the legal documentation behind it.Sharity can help you organize your team and make sure you have the roles in place to grow your organization. Schedule a free consultation today!https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

Don’t make the wrong hiring decisions!Sit down with your team and have a conversation about what is important to us in terms of our culture. Document behaviors that come along with those attributes, so you can look out for them when interviewing.Need help expanding your team? Sharity’s nonprofit experts will make sure you’ve got the right team in place to grow your org to the next level. Get started by scheduling a free consult today!https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visithttps://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

1 out of every 4 times we do an ask, it gets rejected.If your grant gets rejected, don’t just leave it and walk away. Take a step back and figure out why. Follow up and ask for feedback. Know where your proposal fell short, so you can improve the next time.Learn from Sharity’s top grant professionals and get key tips to improve your nonprofit’s grant process. Register for our Grants Panel Discussion on Wednesday, May 12th! https://info.sharityglobal.com/How-to-Write-and-Win-Grants-Panel-DiscussionFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

ROI is a hot buzzword in the nonprofit sector right now!Return on investment can be a lot of different things. Make sure you are really clear about what ROI means to the particular person you’re talking to and how your organization is communicating it.Sharity can help your organization look at those outcomes and figure out how you can monetize them. Schedule your free consultation with one of our nonprofit experts today!https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestFor more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visithttps://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

This is a big question for nonprofits.In order to communicate your organization’s impact with donors, you first have to know what your impact is. How is your nonprofit measuring whether or not your programs are transforming people's lives?Know what data to share with donors and how to identify the outcomes of your organization. In order to communicate impact, you need to show donors how their investment in your programs will benefit them individually.Want to learn more about impacts, outputs, and outcomes? Check out our free webinar:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y_CZ2Rtv9A&t=3s For more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

How do you start writing grants?In today’s episode Carol Wick, Sharity President, shares where to begin in the process of getting grants for your organization. The first step is to write a business plan. Have an idea of what you’re trying to accomplish, what programs you’re going to have involved, what the outcomes are gonna be, and how much this plan will cost. This will lead you to better understand which grants to reach out to and start cultivating.Need help setting up your business plan? Schedule a free consultation with one of our nonprofit experts today!https://info.sharityglobal.com/consultation-requestTo learn more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visit https://sharityglobal.com Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)

So how do you personalize outreach to your organization’s supporters?In today’s episode, Carol Wick shares some key things nonprofits should do in order to build a more personal relationship and open up new opportunities with donors. When donors come in through the internet, it is so important you pick up the phone and be human!As a nonprofit, it can be difficult talking with donors and finding commonalities. They approach business differently and prioritize different needs than nonprofits. Need some guidance on how to speak their language?Check out our free webinar: Why A Pitch Deck Will Help You Land More Major GiftsTo learn more about Sharity Global and how we can help you grow your NPO, please visithttps://sharityglobal.com. Support the show (http://www.sharityglobal.com)