Services
Getting Started
You are passionate. You are committed. You are a Founder.
There is a downside to being a Founder of a new nonprofit. It can be a lonely place. You have so much to do to get your great cause off the ground but you aren’t sure how to do it. Let me help.
I have free resources below that will help you find clarity and put you on the path to success. All of the free materials below have one goal in mind: get you started, functioning, and on your way to fundraising. You are not alone.
If you are looking to start a nonprofit, please go to this resource to find information on starting one in your state.
I sat on a brand new nonprofit’s Board as an Officer. I was the only person on the Board that had worked in nonprofits and had worked in fundraising as a professional staff person. I learned the real struggles of new Boards. My 9 Step Action Guide grew out of the need I saw in this new nonprofit for structure and organization. They needed a roadmap to a firm foundation and to get ready for fundraising, donations, and grants.
Everything starts with a plan. This simple to create Fundraising Plan will have you saving time and money. Not to mention, you will raise more money with a plan than without! Fundraising Plans will focus your efforts and cut down on the stress of fundraising because you will have a game plan for the entire year! Check out this free template!
Resources to Get You Started
Free and Affordable Resources to Build Your Infrastructure
The links here are resources you may find helpful in getting your nonprofit started. They follow the 9 Steps Guide to help you build your foundation of your nonprofit. An asterisk (*) is placed by the products that are an affiliate link, meaning if you purchase the product, I receive a commission on the sale but there is no added expense for you. In some cases, you get a discount! I do this in order to continue to provide free resources and services to you.
The links here are resources you may find helpful in getting your nonprofit started. An asterisk (*) is placed by the products that are an affiliate link, meaning if you purchase the product, I receive a commission on the sale but there is no added expense for you. In some cases, you get a discount! I do this in order to continue to provide free resources and services to you.
Management Resources
Management Resources follow the 9 Step Guide to build your nonprofit’s infrastructure.
General
Google for Nonprofits -Google offers nonprofits their Basic G suite for free. You will need to apply at the link above to get your G Suite. I like G Suite because once you have a domain name, you can link it to G suite and have branded emails. But, it doesn’t stop there. You can create, share, and store your nonprofits documents, presentations, and you can create and share calendars- great for board meetings and deadlines. Some of the lesser-known apps available in G suite for nonprofits are Google Hangouts Meet, Google sites, and Google Groups. I can see each of these being super useful for boards. Hangouts Meet is a video conferencing software that could be used to have board meetings if your board is geographically spread-out or as a convenience to board members who may not be able to attend at your location. It would also work if you are having problems finding a location to meet. Google sites are for internal websites. You could create a board orientation site to onboard anyone looking at joining or who has already joined. I like Google Groups for board members. Groups allow file uploads and sharing, discussions, and notifications through email. No more email threads!
Techsoup.org -TechSoup is a well-known website in nonprofit circles but not well known among new nonprofit leaders. This site offers free or greatly reduced computer software, hardware, and other services. I love this site because many of their offerings are free or minimal pricing. You can get Microsoft Office, computers, and donor management software. A little-known offering is free website hosting by reputable companies. Here is the link to the list.
Accounting Software (free)
Wave– Wave is free accounting software. I was recently shown this site and I was amazed! When you set up your account, choose charity and Wave instantly sets up your chart of accounts and everything you need to get started putting in your transactions. It is user-friendly and a great place to start! The best part is it is completely free.
Project Management
Asana -Asana has a free version and a discount for nonprofits. It is a project management app. This app can be used for onboarding board members, keeping track of to do, or any project or checklist you can think of. Pair Asana with nonprofit specific temp templates in Templana for free. You can keep track of your social media, fundraising event checklist, 90 Day Content Roadmap, Google analytics setup checklist, and so much more.
The links here are resources you may find helpful in getting your nonprofit started. An asterisk (*) is placed by the products that are an affiliate link, meaning if you purchase the product, I receive a commission on the sale but there is no added expense for you. In some cases, you get a discount! I do this in order to continue to provide free resources and services to you.
Fundraising Resources
Fundraising Resources follow the 9 Step Guide and help you build your fundraising infrastructure and funding.
Graphic Design
Canva offers nonprofits their paid Canva for Work for free. In it you can create social media covers, posts, flyers, and anything else you can think of. They have templates you can quickly put your information in and have it look professional. Canva has great presentation slides and I use Canva to put together annual reports. The great thing about the paid version is that you can also put together your branding colors and fonts. you can also have team members that you can share the account with.
Email Service Provider
MailerLite is an email service provider. It is free up to a thousand email subscribers. You may ask why you need Google Mail and Mailerlite. The reason is that they have different functions. Google Mail will be here for your day-to-day email needs. Mailerlite is for people who sign up for your email list through your website or anyone who gives you permission to mail them. Mailerlite should be used for newsletters and all communications with your donors. The free version of MailerLite offers email sequences like welcome and nurture sequences and funnels. You can tag and group subscribers so you can only email information that a subscriber is interested in. A side note: MailChimp is also free up to 2,000 email subscribers but with recent updates, they do not have as much functionality as Mailerlite.
Website
How to Create a Free Website: Step by Step Beginners Guide (2019)
This guide walks you through how to set up your website from start to finish.
Join the FREE Facebook Group, At The Top: Small Nonprofit Leaders. We are a community of small nonprofit leaders who come together to support one another.
The Nonprofit Insiders Club offers blog posts and podcasts to help you get your nonprofit off the ground. Read the articles and download the free SWIPE files, templates, and other materials to help you move your nonprofit forward and towards funding.
3 Fundraising Basics Every Nonprofit Needs
Talking to your donor in a way that resonates with them helps you communicate your mission.
Four Fundraising Habits of Nonprofit Leaders
“I can’t get people to donate! “says the nonprofit leader. “Who is your ideal Donor?" I ask. With a puzzled look, the nonprofit leader replied, “Everyone!" Another nonprofit leader wants to know how to get more donations. The problem is that they...
How to Easily Recruit Stellar Board Members
A Founder came to me a few years ago to help her get her Board together. Through the training, she was able to put together a Potential Board Decision Package. For her, just getting clear about what she wanted in a board and the expectations she had, made all the...
The Hard Truths of Starting Your Nonprofit
“I have my 501 c 3! Now what?” the conversation began. It always begins that way. When a Founder has started a nonprofit but isn't equipped to move forward, we walk through where they are and where they want to go. In my time walking through the question, I...
Fundraising Strategies to Avoid When You Are New
I’ve seen organizations say – we are just going to hope the funding comes. It’s kind of a field of dreams attitude, if we build it, funding will come. Unfortunately, fundraising doesn’t come without a plan and working the plan.
Why do new Nonprofits fail?
50% of all Nonprofits fail in the first year. The top reasons cited are 1) lack of infrastructure and 2) lack of funding. Years ago, I was on a new nonprofit’s working board in their first year of operation. I felt the overwhelm of everything that I knew...
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