KMMK Communications

The Power of Nonprofit Partnerships

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 20:03:07 GMT

The Power of Nonprofit Partnerships

I'm honored to once again be speaking this year at the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations' (PANO) annual conference.

Once again, the conference theme revolves around bringing nonprofits together to develop the shared root system they need to rise together. It's about how everyone can accomplish more together than any one organization can alone.

My presentation will focus on how nonprofits can learn how to tell their own story about their organization and use that to develop an overview of what they can bring to the collective table with other partner individuals and organizations in their communities.

Partnerships Lift All Nonprofits

I firmly believe that partnerships often start with one organization finally being able to say clearly what they do and another organization recognizing themselves in that story.

With that in mind, I hope that attendees will walk away with an idea of how they can become the kind of nonprofit that other organizations want to find and build the kind of ecosystem where everyone in the community gets more than any one organization could deliver alone.

Find Your People

One of the many exercises we'll tackle in our 75 minutes together is focused on helping nonprofits find their people. This is ultimately about seeing the community around your nonprofit and finding your place and fit among it.

To do that, I developed a Community Ecosystem Mapping exercise and I want to share a little bit about it for you to think about with your own organization.

Picture a map with three interlocking circles. One is focused on Shared Audience, another on Shared Goals and the third on Shared Needs.

Who would you put in those circles? Who do you want to partner with to take your mission to the next level and help your nonprofit be a bigger part of solving issues in your local community?

You can certainly mention some individuals and organizations that you already know.

But, I would challenge you to take a look at your community and name individuals and organizations that you've heard of but don't yet have a relationship with and you'd really like to develop one.

Community Ecosystem Mapping

Let's walk through the meaning of each circle so you can really get an idea of who your people are.

As the name suggests, Shared Audience takes a look at other organizations and individuals who are tapping into the same audience that you serve. This can include other nonprofits, schools, faith communities, or programs serving the same people, even if it is in different ways.

Shared Goals is where you list individuals and organizations who are working toward similar outcomes or who are trying to solve similar issues, even if they work with different populations. Maybe your nonprofit is trying to solve the homelessness or food insecurity problem in your community. Or maybe you are working in a civic engagement space. Whatever your goal is, find those people who share it and want to work together.

For Shared Needs, you want to look at it from multiple angles: who has what you need, and who needs what you have? Your nonprofit is obviously working to solve an issue that matters to a lot of people in your community. Find those people and come together around that shared need to help others. This could include elected officials, foundations and other funders, community stakeholders, or organizations whose resources, relationships, or reach complement yours.

Who's On Your Nonprofit's Map?

I hope you'll try out this exercise at your own nonprofit.

As you do it, I want you to ask yourself two questions: “Who did I put on my map that surprised me?” and “Who is missing that I want to find?”

Report Shows Recurring Donors Are a Nonprofit's Most Valuable Asset

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:59:14 GMT

Report Shows Recurring Donors Are a Nonprofit's Most Valuable Asset

From 2023 to 2025, recurring donor retention rates remained steady between 78% and 80%. Meanwhile, non-recurring donor retention – those donors who gave one time – dropped more than three percent from 35.75% in 2023 to 32.41% in 2025.

Neon One shared some impressive statistics in its April research report The Recurring Donor Report: Data-Backed Insights for Sustainable Generosity that show why recurring donors are the future of nonprofit fundraising.

Donor Retention Fuels Nonprofits

The astounding donor retention statistic above shows that if you take even a little bit of time to do some proper donor stewardship, you could turn a one-time supporter into a recurring donor that you retain 80% of the time.

Whats' more, when asked why they were compelled to make a recurring gift, donors overwhelmingly responded that they “wanted to provide ongoing support to a cause I care about.”

People don't just donate with their wallets, they donate with their hearts. In fact, 58.6% of respondents said they started making a recurring gift to a nonprofit without being asked to do it.

Now, that's not to say you don't have any work to do. As we discussed, donor stewardship will always be important. But it does show just how invested donors can be in a cause they love.

It's pretty obvious looking at this data how important it is for every nonprofit to have an actual donor stewardship system in place. It goes beyond just sending a thank-you note and checking the box.

One-time supporters transform into recurring donors because they receive consistent touchpoints months after that initial gift and it provides a built-in reason for them to stay engaged with the nonprofit.

Three Key Donor Stewardship Plan Pieces

A proper donor stewardship plan has many elements that all work together to satisfy and retain existing donors. Let's touch on three today and not just talk about what they are but why they are so important to the process.

The Second-Touch Plan

The Neon One report also detailed that a majority of donors said they did not give a recurring gift to a nonprofit if they weren't properly thanked for the first gift or told how their contribution would be used.

Most organizations are great at making that first impression with a thank-you note in the form of an immediate receipt or confirmation of the donation. But it's the ones who follow through with the second touch who stand out the most.

Again, the “second touch” isn't another ask, it's a second acknowledgment of the donor's gift. And if it can be a personalized and humanized acknowledgment (versus an automated receipt), it will carry an even greater impact.

I know you and your staff are pressed for time but something as simple as a handwritten note or a personal email will go a long way toward making a donor feel like their donation truly made a difference to your organization.

The 90-Day Stewardship Sequence

The first 90 days in the life of a donor are crucial. The 90-day sequence helps you make three distinct touchpoints over the first 90 days after the donor's gift.

Within the first 2-3 weeks after the donation, send that initial personalized thank-you note or email.

About a month later, follow up with an impact update about your nonprofit. Make this a genuine outreach and do your best to personalize it by mentioning something specific about their gift or the program that they contributed to.

Once you've hit the 10-12-week mark since their donation, use your third touchpoint to start building a deeper connection with the donor. Send them a no-pressure invitation to something with your nonprofit. It could be to sign up for updates on a program, attend a special event or follow along on the journey of someone your organization is helping. Again, this outreach is an update and not another ask for money.

You can certainly still save time by automating this sequence using your donor CRM. The important thing is to make the messaging as personalized to each donor as possible and to invite them to build a relationship without mentioning a second donation.

The Monthly Giving Logic

When donors continue to give to a nonprofit monthly, it all ties back to delivering the right message to them at the right time. Their continued support is built on developing a consistent outreach schedule that isn't just tied to their gift.

The ultimate logic of monthly giving isn't the gift itself but the reason behind why the donor chose to give it. When donors feel like they hear from you consistently with information that is more than just asking for a donation, they will stick around and be loyal to your organization.

You may not convince every donor to make a recurring gift, but if you do your best to show them how much you value them, it will go a long way toward building the goodwill you need to reach 80% donor retention.

Donor Retention Gives Nonprofits Stability

I keep hammering it home but it's so important to remember that, as this research showed, people love to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves when they make a donation to a nonprofit.

In the article announcing its report, Neon One summed it up perfectly:

“At a time when donor bases are shrinking and retention rates are low, recurring donors offer something increasingly valuable: stability. They are passionate, resilient, and ready to invest in the causes they care about.”

What is your nonprofit doing to conduct proper donor stewardship and what impact is it having on your donor retention?

Which of the three donor stewardship plan pieces are you going to try first?

I'd love to hear your success stories and thoughts.

Three Ways a “Quiet” Fundraising Campaign Can Have a Loud Impact for Your Nonprofit

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:39:49 GMT

Three Ways a “Quiet” Fundraising Campaign Can Have a Loud Impact for Your Nonprofit

If you've worked or volunteered in the nonprofit sector for even a day, you'd probably quickly agree that fundraising campaigns seem like they are anything but “quiet.”

I have to admit that I had never heard the phrase “quiet” fundraising campaign until recently.

But, when I looked deeper at what the phrase actually means, I immediately discovered that conducting a “quiet” fundraising campaign can actually have a loud impact for your nonprofit organization.

What Is a “Quiet” Fundraising Campaign?

When nonprofits talk about conducting a “quiet” fundraising campaign, what they actually mean is a campaign that eliminates the physical, emotional and financial costs of a fundraising event like a gala, golf tournament or other big-ticket event.

We've all been there. While traditional fundraising campaigns and events can be a great financial success for nonprofits, they inevitably bring with them a lot of expenses, increasing donor fatigue and immense amounts of stress on already overworked staff members and volunteers.

A “quiet” fundraising campaign shifts the focus from big events that feel like a transaction to a more one-on-one approach that builds a real connection and relationship with donors.

Here are three ways a “quiet” fundraising campaign can make a big impact on your nonprofit.

Ditching Big Events Eliminates Expenses

When you organize a big event like a gala dinner, the costs can skyrocket in a hurry. Everything from booking a venue, to paying for catering, to renting equipment costs money.

On top of that, many nonprofits end up spending a lot of money on printing tickets and programs, mailing invitations, and paying for advertising to market the event. All of this is money that could be better spent on your programs and services.

Not to mention, there are other more efficient and effective ways that your staff could be raising money through more direct touchpoints with donors if they aren't spending all that time planning a big event.

Building Donor Relationships Leads to Long-Term Support

When you hold a gala dinner or other big-ticket event, you may sell a lot of tickets and attract a big crowd. But how many of the attendees really make a meaningful connection with your nonprofit that extends beyond that evening?

A “quiet” fundraising strategy focuses on much more personalized acts that carry deeper meaning for donors, such as coffee meetings, phone calls or handwritten letters. Doing things like this help you build a genuine connection with the donor that can lead to long-term support for your nonprofit.

Plus, by taking the time to make a personalized connection to donors, you can match the work of your nonprofit – and that donor's subsequent support – to something they are passionate about.

Planning Less Events Prevents Staff Burnout

Your staff is already tasked with doing so much with less time and budget. When you remove planning a huge annual event from their plates, it gives them time back to devote to their work with your programs and services.

Although reaching out to donors one-on-one will take time, it's much easier to spread out a fundraising campaign like this throughout the year than put in long hours to make a one-day event deliver a year's worth of revenue.

Taking the focus off one annual event has the same benefits for your volunteers, as well. In fact, it frees up their time to help with the one-on-one outreach to donors. A “quiet” fundraising campaign is also better for donors because they don't receive a barrage of emails leading up to your annual event.

How Can a “Quiet” Fundraising Plan Work for You?

What are you doing right now in your nonprofit that resembles the “quiet” fundraising campaign strategy? I'd love to hear what's working for you.

And if you haven't started with something like this yet, what might be a natural first-step for your nonprofit?

How 10 Hours a Month Could Change Everything for Nonprofit Executive Directors

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:36:27 GMT

How 10 Hours a Month Could Change Everything for Nonprofit Executive Directors

In your role as a nonprofit executive director, you often serve as the face of the organization. While I know its very rewarding for you, I also know that it brings with it an endless list of things to do.

But, there also never seems to be enough hours in the day to get them done.

On top of that, if you're at a smaller nonprofit, you're often working with a lean staff to carry out your mission.

Every task is important but I know you didn't become an executive director to write donor stewardship letters and fundraising emails. You took this role to run programs that help people in need in your community and to build community relationships around a shared cause.

What if you could get 10 hours back in your day to focus on running your programs and get out of the office and make those crucial connections?

This is what hiring a nonprofit communications consultant can help you achieve.

A Nonprofit Consultant Is Your Partner

There is so much work to do and so little staff – and the budget to hire more staff – to do it all. Every nonprofit has been there before.

For small nonprofits, it's especially a challenge. Your staff is stretched just as thin as you are and, inevitably, important tasks like following up to thank your donors, launching the end-of-year fundraising campaign on time, and keeping up a consistent communications schedule fall through the cracks.

By using a fractional support model and bringing on an independent marketing, fundraising or development consultant, you get a true partner and someone who can be an extension of your team at a fraction of the cost of hiring a full-time employee.

When I sit down to talk to a new nonprofit organization, I always remind them that bringing on a consultant will help them gain back time they can devote to their day-to-day operations or take a marketing, development or fundraising task off their plate that has to be done but may not be something they love to do.

A Nonprofit Consultant Is Your Genie In A Bottle

Imagine if you showed up for work tomorrow and a genie was there to grant you three wishes to make your work day run more efficiently and effectively.

Want to spend the day working hands-on with the constituents you serve with your programs?

Want to be able to get out of the office to visit with more major donors and key stakeholders and know goals are still being met at the office?

Want to have time to reach out consistently to your supporters across all of your communications channels?

You can accomplish all of this by bringing on a nonprofit consultant to help with those day-to-day tasks.

For example, in my work, I help nonprofits with a variety of hands-on donor acquisition/retention/stewardship tasks, communications messaging and outreach, and fundraising campaign planning and development.

This includes everything from crafting strategic plans and communications plans, to creating the email sequence that's sent to a brand new donor to properly thank and welcome them, to executing an entire fundraising development campaign that hits on targets throughout the year, and even developing multichannel communications outreach that covers social media, email and website content.

Nonprofit consultants step in to do the work that is necessary so executive directors, development directors and marketing coordinators can sleep soundly at night knowing everything is being done.

A Nonprofit Consultant Is Affordable

I understand that nonprofit budgets have never been tighter. But you can save so much money and still get the work done by bringing on a nonprofit consultant.

Most consultants either work on a monthly retainer basis or are brought on to handle specific projects throughout the year. Regardless of the route you might choose, it's a far less expensive choice than hiring someone full time. You avoid the cost of a full-time salary, benefits, insurance and all those other fees associated with hiring employees.

A Nonprofit Consultant Could Be Right For You

I understand that bringing on a nonprofit consultant might not be the right thing for every organization but I always encourage nonprofits to get more information and at least consider it.

I'm happy to sit down with any organization to discuss your needs and find out if you could use to bring on an outside consultant or just need some guidance on streamlining your operations to get more done with you and the limited staff you have.

I have free, no obligation consultations all the time with organizations and I'd be happy to chat with you.

Building a Nonprofit Communications Foundation from a Mission Statement

Sat, 22 Aug 2026 19:04:52 GMT

Building a Nonprofit Communications Foundation from a Mission Statement

Every nonprofit organization is understandably passionate about its mission. Staff members can work for countless hours helping those in need and tell everyone they meet about what they're working on next.

You feel the mission in your bones. But can you express it in a way that a prospective donor or a new community member who is unfamiliar with your organization really understands?

Let's talk about how you can take your mission statement and turn it into an entire communications foundation for your nonprofit.

Using the Mission Statement as a Communications Building Block

There's absolutely nothing wrong with shouting from the rooftops about what your nonprofit does. However, don't forget to look at the work you do from an objective lens so you can explain it to someone who is brand new to your organization.

Let me share a story about a nonprofit I'm working with and how we put all this into action.

When I started working with this organization, they had rebranded under another name and needed to build brand awareness in the community.

While they had an incredibly strong mission statement, they were struggling to find the best way to express everything they do across the organization. They were also trying to launch a fundraising campaign and needed a way to drive home the impact of the work they are doing to prospective donors.

So we let the mission statement drive the strategic plan.

We did a comprehensive analysis of each of their three core programs and the many ways they drive back to their mission statement. We coupled that with a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats) analysis that outlined ways to make those programs stand out and established some measurable goals that we could use as the basis of our communications plan.

Then, we used the strategic plan elements to develop their social media strategy. We used the information that ties their mission to their strategic plan and programs to create the basis for the content topics we'd share on social media.

Now that we had that communications foundation built, we were able to create a brochure to introduce one of their key programs to anyone who was brand new to learning about the organization.

With a comprehensive strategic plan and communications strategy, this nonprofit now had a more solid foundation they could use to begin a fundraising plan. Having all of this in place made it far easier for them to talk to donors and connect their goal with the fundraising campaign back to their mission so donors knew exactly what they were funding.

Messaging Alignment Leads to Clear Communications

Every nonprofit needs a mission statement but don't just stop there. Use that mission statement to build out your communications plan in a way that helps you clearly explain the work you do to everyone you meet.

Once you know how to clearly express the work you are doing, it will help your nonprofit build relationships with the people who can help you succeed.

KMMK Communications

The Power of Nonprofit Partnerships

The Power of Nonprofit Partnerships ﻿

Partnerships Lift All Nonprofits

Find Your People

Community Ecosystem Mapping

Who's On Your Nonprofit's Map?

Report Shows Recurring Donors Are a Nonprofit's Most Valuable Asset

Report Shows Recurring Donors Are a Nonprofit's Most Valuable Asset

Donor Retention Fuels Nonprofits

Three Key Donor Stewardship Plan Pieces

Donor Retention Gives Nonprofits Stability

Three Ways a “Quiet” Fundraising Campaign Can Have a Loud Impact for Your Nonprofit

Three Ways a “Quiet” Fundraising Campaign Can Have a Loud Impact for Your Nonprofit ﻿

What Is a “Quiet” Fundraising Campaign?

Ditching Big Events Eliminates Expenses

Planning Less Events Prevents Staff Burnout

How Can a “Quiet” Fundraising Plan Work for You?

How 10 Hours a Month Could Change Everything for Nonprofit Executive Directors

How 10 Hours a Month Could Change Everything for Nonprofit Executive Directors

A Nonprofit Consultant Is Your Partner

A Nonprofit Consultant Is Your Genie In A Bottle

A Nonprofit Consultant Is Affordable

A Nonprofit Consultant Could Be Right For You

Building a Nonprofit Communications Foundation from a Mission Statement

Building a Nonprofit Communications Foundation from a Mission Statement

Using the Mission Statement as a Communications Building Block

Messaging Alignment Leads to Clear Communications

The Power of Nonprofit Partnerships

Three Ways a “Quiet” Fundraising Campaign Can Have a Loud Impact for Your Nonprofit