Support Raising is a process many ministries and individuals use by which they rely completely on the generosity of individuals, churches and organizations to provide for their financial needs. As nonprofits, these donations are tax-deductible. While the process can seem intimidating, a lot of ministries use this model and many have found it to be a huge blessing even apart from the financial benefit. The Prayer Model Within the support raising world, their are two camps. The first says you should rely completely on God for support and never talk to supporters or potential supporters about money. You just need to pray about your support. Currently I am taking the Perspectives Course.…

You are preparing your taxes. All of your documents are in order. You grab you year-end charitable contribution documents and include them as well. Are all of your donations tax-deductible? “Of course, I’ve been giving to such and such organization for years.” Unfortunately, this does not guarantee they are (or ever were) a 501(c)3 nonprofit. You should check. If you need help navigating Select Check, I give instructions in #3 here. Of course you should always check any new organization you are giving to. Be aware that various scams exist. The IRS lays out a few of these scams in Fake Charities Among the IRS “Dirty Dozen” List of Tax…

It’s time to start your blog. You’ve been thinking about it for awhile. You have considered the pros and cons of why you should blog. Now you need to make it happen. Where do you start? Well, I still have a lot to learn about being a blogger, but here are 5 tips to start you on your way. 1) Set Up Your Blog. There are a ton of ways to do this first step. Don’t spend forever learning about setting up a blog. Actually do it. I recommend WordPress.com or WordPress.org. You can google the difference between the two. Also Michael Hyatt has a great video for setting up…

Have you ever wondered if blogging is worth the time investment? Does your business (nonprofit or for-profit) really need a blog? I believe the answer is a resounding YES! Here are 10 reasons why. 1) Help Others – Do you want to be a successful business? Then there is just one thing you need to do. No, it does not matter what industry you are in. There is still just one thing. You must add value to people’s lives. Add more value than anyone else, and you will be set apart. Blogging allows you to add value to those in your company and out. 2) Help Yourself – As you…

Still not sure about starting an online platform? There are many reasons for starting a platform, whether you are an individual, business owner, nonprofiter or minister. These are 3 reasons why I started an online platform. 1) To Add Value to Friends, Volunteers and Donors. I have found that my platform is a great place to add value to others. From business to family to faith, my platform is where I share my important thoughts to others. My number one goal, is to add value to those I care about most, those doing life with me. I’m still learning, but I hope to continue to get better and help more…

For my nonprofit, I have been blogging and doing eNewsletters for several years. In the past 2 to 3 years, however, I have stepped up our game and added social media and the eAsk to our mix. “eAsk?” Yeah, you heard it here first. 😉 What is an “eAsk?” This is when you request funds from your donors using social media, blogging and eNewsletters. At least, that’s how I’m defining it. My question is this, “Have you been successful with an eAsk?” I am not totally convinced one should put all their eggs in the “eAsk basket.” For me only a few people per year click on my eNewsletter giving…

Over the past several years of being on Facebook, I have seen Facebook Groups used in various ways. I thought I would share some of these in order to help you consider ideas you hadn’t previously. To clarify, I am not talking about Facebook Timelines or Facebook Pages, but Facebook Groups. Facebook Timelines are personal pages. This is what you sign up for when you first join facebook. Most likely you know a little bit about these already. Facebook Pages are public sites within Facebook. They function a lot like websites. Although they are similar to Groups, they are not the same. Facebook Groups are the focus of this post.…

If you are like me, you are probably preparing to send a check (or two or three) to your favorite charity in the coming week. Either you are catching up or you are pulled by a serious need that you can help meet. Whatever the reason, you are choosing to make a difference in the lives of others by giving financially. Here are some tips: 1) Monthly – After you give your year-end gifts, consider joining your favorite charity’s monthly financial support team. These commited givers form the core of every nonprofit. 2) Pick One – Rather than dividing up your donations over many charities, consider giving a larger donation to…