Strengthening Our Nonprofit Community

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Partnering with Corporations

By Emily Bruce, Senior Associate. Local corporate partnerships are often part of the funding mix for many nonprofits, though typically a small proportion (only 5% of overall philanthropic giving, according to Giving USA.) Developing a win-win partnership that aligns your mission with the philanthropic priorities of a local corporation has benefits for both parties. How do you build a relationship with a company? Begin building relationships within a local company by getting to know its people. 1.     Employee Volunteerism. Local companies invest where their employees are investing their time. Many corporations provide paid hours for their employees to volunteer, and even better, several also provide matching gifts for every hour an employee volunteers. Recent trends also reflect companies’ willingness to provide grants or reimburse nonprofits for the expenses they incur for hosting volunteers. 2.     Community Affairs/Corporate Social Responsibility. Many corporations invest in [...]

2021-03-19T17:41:37+00:00March 19th, 2021|All Posts, Fundraising Counsel, Team Expertise|
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Practical Advice for the New Year

By moss+ross team. The moss+ross team gathered virtually last week to kick off the new year, and exchanged advice for approaching the opportunities and challenges ahead. Be Intentional Use virtual meetings to your advantage by emphasizing the interaction and inclusiveness that this medium offers. Don’t just present a webinar - engage and inspire. Introduce some fun - be creative in how you’re engaging with people, whether that’s through Google Meet or from behind your mask. Reach out for help, or find and lift up the voices of others who have done the work that can be helpful. Do things to plant possibility for the future – like a gardener plants a seed. Be present Connect personally. Pick up the phone. Plan ahead, but don’t get too far ahead. Sometimes opportunity comes in working with what you have [...]

2021-07-26T20:59:53+00:00January 19th, 2021|All Posts, Team Expertise|
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m+r interim solutions: Temporary Help to Set the Tone

By Anne Wein, Associate. Does your nonprofit need help meeting communications goals and telling your story? m+r interim solutions matches highly skilled professionals with your temporary staffing needs. Communications and marketing professionals can support your goals for: - Year-long plans for communications and marketing deliverables - Development and production of collateral such as annual reports, mailings, newsletters and brochures - Strategies and execution for digital outreach in web and social media How it works: m+r interim solutions develops the scope of work and contract with the client, manages the client relationship, and provides support to the affiliate contractor. Affiliates are guided by moss+ross best practices and understand our expectations to deliver high-value service. Much of this work can be done remotely, and we work with nonprofits in the Triangle area and beyond. Virtual check-ins and meetings will maximize efficiency [...]

2021-07-26T21:00:19+00:00January 19th, 2021|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, Messaging, Staffing, Team Expertise|
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Challenging Times Bring Solutions and Hope

By Mary Moss, Partner. It’s 2021. The hope for a bright and shiny new year was dashed with images from January 6th at the U.S Capitol. An already beleaguered nation that is dealing with issues of life and death – the pandemic, racial inequity, and economic insecurity – is struggling to come to terms with how the first week in January affects the rest of this year and beyond. At moss+ross, we hold fast to our mission to support nonprofits in their missions, amid growing crises. Hope lives brightly on the horizon. Working together, through the toughest of times, we will find ways to get there. Phase I-B for vaccine distribution has been announced, and we are better positioned to address open festering wounds in racial justice and democracy. We will be stronger working together on these issues. For [...]

2021-07-26T21:00:26+00:00January 19th, 2021|All Posts, Campaign Counsel, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel, Team Expertise|
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Gifts That Keep On Giving

By Wes Brown, Director of m+r Faith Communities. The year 2020 winds down with some questions answered about life in the pandemic, yet much remains unknown on the far horizon. In this digital age many of us have discovered new ways to move our lives forward. Stores, classrooms, offices, gathering places, and resources have gone virtual, continuing to be accessible online—but not for everyone. The best institutions form us to be resourceful and collaborative, particularly in unusual circumstances. My vocation working to strengthen faithfulness and develop spiritual leadership has taught that unusual times offer extraordinary opportunities. Traditionally, faith communities tend to think more about the past than the future. The pandemic has pushed us into new practices such as online giving, reordering priorities about physical facilities, and innovative ways of witness and service. This summer when it became clear that [...]

2020-11-11T03:58:47+00:00November 11th, 2020|All Posts, Capital Campaigns, Client Highlights, Team Expertise|
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Time to Put it in DRIVE!

By Susan Ross. Now that Election Day has passed, the calendar shows just eight weeks left to hit your year-end goals. Now is the time to get your message out and bring in the gifts you need for your nonprofit. Here is where to start: 1)   Set a goal and get to work. Analyze your data and budget - how much money do you need by 12/31? Look up what you usually raise this time of year. You may have some catching up to do -- you need to get out there and ask. Enlist your colleagues and Board members to help you bring in gifts. 2)   Get your 2020 message right. Last year’s recycled message points just won’t do it. Take the time to uncover and tell new stories that are relevant to donors making a 2020 decision. Donors want [...]

2020-11-11T03:39:41+00:00November 11th, 2020|All Posts, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel|
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m+r interim solutions: Look Ahead to 2021

By Lizzy Mottern. People are what make your organization amazing, and moss+ross affiliate contractors have a variety of skills that can contribute to your organization’s success. As you think about closing out the year and looking ahead to 2021, consider a short-term hire of a talented nonprofit professional who can step in on short notice, for as long as you need. Over the last few months, many organizations have reconfigured staffing models and pivoted, some several times, to ensure programs are available for those who need them most. moss+ross specializes in helping organizations navigate transitions. For example, we can provide critical staffing support for a vacancy during a search for an executive director or development director, to lead a special project, or to help build a development operation. In 2020, m+r affiliate contractors worked more than 7,000 hours making an impact in 25 Triangle-area [...]

2020-11-11T03:58:04+00:00November 11th, 2020|All Posts, Staffing|
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To Keep Your Donors, Keep It Clean!

By LisaCaitlin Perri. Database clean-up will help retain your nonprofit’s donors by equipping you with the tools to get those second- and third-time donations through the door. 1. Identify the top 25-50-100 individual donors and prospects, and make sure you have accurate email addresses and phone numbers on their records. 2. Generate the following lists for your development staff, executive director, and board to review. Then, make notes in the database about who is connected to whom so you can improve solicitation assignments for large gifts and maximize stewardship actions like appeal follow-up and thank yous. a.      New donors above a certain giving amount b.     Top donors from the previous year (LYBUNT, or Last Year But Unfortunately Not This Year) c.      Top, lapsed donors going back no further than 3-5 years, considering that the average “recapture” rate of lapsed donors [...]

2020-09-09T18:45:07+00:00September 9th, 2020|All Posts, Fundraising Counsel, Team Expertise|
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It’s Fourth Quarter, Now What?

By Mary Moss. You have been working all year long to keep your head above water, to strengthen the relationships you have, and to identify new ones along the way.  You have learned how to operate remotely, and even ask for money remotely. While filled with gratitude for what you have been able to accomplish due to the generosity of so many, you are still telling us that you are worried about your donors not giving as much or at all this year. Even with powerful relationships, you are worried about money. So now, here you are, headed into the fourth quarter. What is your next best play when the times are so uncertain? Your next best play is to concentrate on donor retention of your individual prospects. As you enter the last quarter of the year, [...]

2020-09-09T18:46:41+00:00September 9th, 2020|All Posts, From The Partners, Fundraising Counsel|
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Welcome Dr. Bill Ingram

from the partners. moss+ross welcomes former Durham Tech President Dr. Bill Ingram to our Of Counsel team, starting August 1. Bill brings extensive experience in public higher education, having served as DTCC president from 2008 until his retirement last month. His 30 years at Durham Tech came during a period of tremendous growth, capped off by the recently completed $5 million Forge Great Futures campaign. His leadership at Durham Tech and in the Durham and Triangle communities gave him a valuable perspective on the importance of community partnerships in supporting accessible educational opportunities and other community needs. The moss+ross Of Counsel team is a select group of executive-level professionals who offer strategic counsel, sector-specific insights, and unique skills for client engagements. "We are thrilled that Bill has chosen to join our team. Mary and I have long [...]

2020-08-11T20:11:19+00:00July 31st, 2020|All Posts, Team Updates|
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