Top blog posts of 2023
Another year, another roundup 😜
As we close up 2023, instead of another “year in review” post, I wanted to give you something actionable. Here are the 5 top blog posts of 2023, filled with how-tos and walkthroughs fit for small shop executive directors like you.
Scroll down for inspiration on where to focus your efforts this coming year.
#1 How to create a memorable impact statement
Your impact statement is the single most important thing you can have to engage and retain new donors. It’s no longer an option to not have one. To stand out and build your nonprofit community, you need to be clear, concise, and memorable with a one-line statement.
When I was an executive director, I’d get so frustrated with myself when I fumbled over my words about my own organization. How could I expect someone to drop $15,000 if I couldn’t explain what we did?
👉🏼 ENTER THE SYSTEM
I created a system to write - and remember - your impact statement. The secret ➜ it’s all about being conversational and genuine.
Head to the blog to create your own memorable impact statement; one that’s short, sweet, and easy to keep in your back pocket, ready to share at a moment’s notice.
Side note: this post has ranked page #1 on Google for the last 2 years. Clearly struck a chord!
Prediction for 2024
Nonprofit impact statements aren’t going anywhere. If anything, the need for your one-sentence message is only going to grow. Impact statements allow you to show the tangible outcomes of your work, making the decision to support even easier. Clear messaging is a gift ➜ a gift to your audience AND your fundraising efforts!
🧠Think about it this way: the average American sees 4,000-10,000 ads per day, so less is more.
#2 How to create a new donor welcome series
It’s no surprise our welcome series guide came in at #2 this year. Anytime you can automate and create deeper connections is a win in my book.
Plus, since donor acquisition is more expensive than retention, your return on investment is worth every minute (or dollar) you spend on automatic email marketing.
Your welcome series builds the foundation for lasting relationships and retention. Create a positive and meaningful relationship with donors from the very start by focusing on the donor experience from day one.
👉🏼 MORE CONNECTIONS, LESS WORK
Busy work — or constantly worrying about how far behind you are on your stewardship — won’t move your nonprofit forward. Systems work will. Elevate your donor experience and build meaningful connections from the very first interaction with a new donor welcome series.
*I won’t get into why we don’t need to wear “busy” as a badge of honor today, but if you want more on that, check out the emotional labor of being an ED.
Trends to watch in 2024
2024 will be the year of trust-building. I don’t want to gesture widely at everything here, but the fact is, consumers are feeling more vulnerable. As vulnerability increases, nonprofits need to work smarter to build even more trust. And that doesn’t mean disappearing from January to Giving Tuesday.
Believe it or not, after someone invests in the impact of your nonprofit, they want to be reminded why they made the right choice - and why they might invest again. You aren’t annoying them. In fact, consumers are “looking for ongoing engagement after the point of purchase,” according to the Edelman Trust Barometer Report.
You read that right: after someone spends money, they want to keep hearing from you.
It’s a two-way relationship. And all relationships are built on trust. How do you develop trust? With open, consistent communication.
Take this as your sign to go create your welcome series. Or hire Small Shop to set it up for you.
#3 The 4 Things successful EDs have in common
I was a little surprised this post hit our top charts. But, then again, who doesn’t love a short listicle with quick wins?
Even though I wrote this in 2021, I still stand by 3.5 out of 4 of these tips.
👉🏼 What’s the #1 best thing you can spend your time on as an executive director?
Set up your stewardship systems. Automate your gratitude and stewardship to retain donors and give you much needed brain space for strategizing and leading your org. (Remember, donors who are thanked within 48 hours are 4x more likely to donate again. So automate that thank you!)
See below to find out what’s shifting for EDs 😏
What’s ahead for 2024
It’s time to release your social media pressure valve. Yes, “showing up consistently” is important, but for Small Shops we need to focus on the high impact, high ROI actions. I’d so much rather you spend 5 hours writing and setting up a donor nurture sequence vs. stressing about this week’s social media posts.
In 2024, operations and systems will take precedent over riding the content creation tractor wheel. 🚜. That means having a system for:
Content recycling--re-sharing as many social posts and emails as you can in Q1
Content curation--sharing relevant articles and podcasts vs writing from scratch
Donor communications--nurturing donors with automatic email sequences
➜ Because upfront work to set up your systems means hours and hours of time back, over and over again.
Skip to #3 for my absolute favorite tip for EDs: systems setup.
#4 My favorite nonprofit productivity tips for 2023
We love productivity around here. When you wear 13 hats at any given moment, you need to optimize your time at your desk — and away from it too!
Head to the blog for some of my favorite nonprofit productivity tips for the New Year.
👉🏼PRACTICAL PRODUCTIVITY
Want ridiculously useful resources and productivity-minded tools delivered straight to your inbox? Join the thousands of small shop nonprofit leaders and changemakers learning how to create solid systems that carve out space to think, reclaim your time, and get practical with your productivity. Subscribe to practical productivity.
Productivity trends in 2024
Two trends coming in for small shops in the New Year:
1 ➜ automation
Ready or not, nonprofits are learning how to leverage AI tools like chatGPT. Why spend two hours brainstorming a rough draft when you can start with something on the page? Sure, it’s not perfect, but it' gives you the “on ramp” you need to get sh$t done. The best writing is actually a bunch of editing anyway 😉
2 ➜ sustainable impact
Working harder is not the goal. You already work hard enough (maybe too hard). Burnout is affecting more than 50% of the nonprofit sector. But leaders are constantly expected to do more with less.
My aim for productivity is to provide practical and actionable tools to break out of the burnout cycle. Let’s put empathy and meaningful impact over output and efficiency. Join the sustainable impact movement: sign the pledge here.
Productivity isn’t the point - because your self-worth isn’t connected to how much you produce.