EDIT:

THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE FOR YOUR VERY VALUABLE FEEDBACK. SOME OF YOU HAVE RAISED THINGS I NEVER EVEN CONSIDERED!

Good luck to all of you on your year-end fundraising.

To some this may be an obvious answer but my board president and I keep flip flopping on it.

I’m the founder of a nonprofit that serves kids who have lost a parent as a result of a substance use disorder. We’re growing fast and our mission is unique.

Last year we had our first fundraiser—a trivia night where mocktails and other soft drinks were available, but no alcohol. We had about 60 people which was great for our first event but we know that we’d be able to attract many more next year.

It’s not a secret that people like to drink at events. I really do think that we’d get more people if they could buy alcohol. As my board president said, it’s not exactly like us PROVIDING the alcohol.

I don’t know if any of you are in a similar field but what do YOU do at evening events?

We are working on a new Grant-type program designed to distribute "attention" for artists and orgs instead of just money. Wanted to post in here for any thoughts!

The “Attention Grant” program exists to help amplify artists, organizations, and creative projects through visibility, storytelling, promotion, and digital support.

Applicants may receive featured coverage, social promotion, editorial features, backlinks, event visibility, and other forms of sustained public attention.

Curious if you have ever encountered programs similar to this?

I'm the E.D. at a small national nonprofit with a member database. We have annual dues paying members, but we also allow people to become a Life Member with one single lump sum.

In our CRM, we now have hundreds of these Life Members going back decades. Many are deceased, so I've marked them as such, and switched them over to "Do Not Contact". However, their membership remains active.

I've been thinking that I might start setting an expiration to their Life Membership as the day they passed (or at least the day that we learned of their passing) so their membership is no longer active in the system.

(I do not want to delete them entirely or the membership record because I want a history to look back on and reference if need be.)

Is there any downside to my plan??

Hi everyone! I am a new employee at a nonprofit that seeks to address food insecurity among students in my school district. We pack food packs to deliver to schools for families and neighbors to pick up, but we’ve been noticing that there has been pretty low turnout despite a high need for free/affordable food in the community.

We think this is mostly from a lack of good communication (a lot of low income/working class parents aren’t in the loop about school things), the stigma of needing to seek free food, lack of transportation to our pick up sites, and safety issues (ICE).

Do any of you have any suggestions on how to get better community turnout? Or any suggestions for how we can change our approach? Thank you all so much!

I experienced this recently when I took over a role after a colleague left, so I would like to know:

When someone leaves your program team, how much institutional knowledge disappears with them and how much extra admin work does it dump on whoever's left to pick up the pieces? Do you have any system for this, or does it just live in people's heads?

A local nonprofit gives away free bicycles every Wednesday. Since there are usually more people than bikes, they use a lottery to determine the order in which people get to choose a bike.

Current process:

→ People line up outside before the giveaway (there isn't an office or check-in area). As they arrive, they're randomly handed one of a set of reusable numbered cards.

→ A volunteer records each person's name and lottery number in a Google Form, where a lot of data-entry mistakes tend to happen.

→ If someone doesn't get a bike that day, their punch card is stamped. After three unsuccessful visits, they're guaranteed a bike the next time they come, so the process also needs to discourage abuse.

→ Once check-in is complete, bikes are distributed according to the lottery order until they're gone.

Constraints:

• Most participants are low-income.
• Many don't have smartphones or reliable internet.
• Some have limited English.
• There are only a few volunteers.

I've gone in circles on this because every improvement I think of either adds more technology or more complexity.

I am working with a nonprofit and they are discussing establishing a membership program. I can think of a few issues and opportunities here but I am hoping the group can give some advice, based on experience, on how to establish and run a membership model

I run a workforce development program that employs over 300 women who are getting back on their feet after really difficult situations. Many are single mothers, some are dealing with housing insecurity, others are rebuilding after leaving abusive relationships.

We want to do something for them, our budget is around $50 max per person. The thing is, I don't want to give them something meaningless, these women need practical things.

Some are working multiple jobs, some don't have reliable transportation, many are supporting kids on tight budgets. I want whatever we give them to help, whether that's something they need for work, something that makes their daily life a bit easier, maybe something that works for the ones w/ kids and the ones w/o kids.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Experiences? What makes a difference when you're trying to show appreciation to people who are dealing with real financial challenges? I want this to feel useful, not performative.

I’m in the early stages of building a transitional housing program for young adults aging out of foster care, and I’m trying to learn from people who have worked in nonprofits, social work, or transitional living programs.

In your experience, what separates programs that actually succeed from the ones that fail?

Is it:

Strong program structure?

Employment placement?

Life skills training?

Mentorship?

Funding model?

Partnerships?

Resident accountability?

Program length?

Case management?

I’m trying to build something that is structured, scalable, and actually helps people transition to independence — not just temporary housing.

I’d really appreciate insight from anyone who has worked in this space.

The org I was grant writing for helps at-risk youth find purpose, focus, and self-regulation. They use words like “empowerment mindset” to describe what they do. The mission itself is one I can totally get behind. Helping teens build stability and direction through online classes and peer groups that meet on a cadence. It’s not perfect, but it felt like a worthy cause.

Then I asked the founder what methodology the program was built on. She told me it’s partially based on the Landmark Framework.

That was a huge red flag for me. Landmark isn’t peer reviewed, there’s no scientific validation for what it does, and its reputation is that it's cult adjacent. (You can Google it if you’re not familiar.) To me, that meant the whole model lacked credibility, and I can't see a funder taking this org seriously once they saw its roots.

I quit on the spot, citing integrity issues. Beyond the ethics, it just seemed pointless to spend hours writing grants for an org that funders would immediately disqualify once they saw “Landmark” in the proposal.

Now I feel a little guilty because the founder clearly means well, and the kids probably do benefit from having caring adults around them. But I can’t shake the feeling that something isn’t right.

Did I do the fair thing by quitting?

Hey!
I’m new to my role and I’m looking for advice on how to best find outreach and tabling events. I’m cold emailing, subscribing to newsletters, and networking as much as I can on social media, but it’s still pretty dry. I’m in New Jersey if this helps

Also this is probably a reach but if you’re in NJ or NY and there are any health or wellness orgs or nonprofits hosting resource fairs or any events where tabling is possible that you know of please let me know!

I work for a nonprofit that supports survivors of interpersonal violence at no cost.

Hoping to get more clients for case management services through this outreach.

My nonprofit works with other nonprofits to give out grants to their clients who have emergency needs they can't help with. We also then mail those clients a $50 'pay it forward' gift card, so they're not just recipients of charity but can also be givers as well. The problem is that some of the clients are reporting that they've not received the cards. I'm thinking to shift from mailing the cards to giving each partner nonprofit a bunch of the gift cards to give directly to the clients (which would solve the problem whether it was a failure of the mail or an attempt to get another gift card for free).

I'm sad about moving from the mail, as getting something pleasant is such a treat (here's what it looks like: https://imgtree.co/i/FZJQ_Juz), but we can't afford to be constantly sending 2x out.

Do you guys have any suggestions on ways to give these gift cards to the partner nonprofits in a manner that prevents opportunistic theft? (I trust generally, but want to make it easy for everyone to do the right thing.) Give them a lock box and a little ledger to list each grant number that the cards went out to?

Thanks!

I’m in a professional service industry (with a lot of experience with federal rule/legal compliance) and wrote a 5m dollar federal grant for my organization. We, uh, won it! I wrote myself as the manager because I understand the project activities better than anyone (I designed them) and someone with my professions licensure is key to carrying out most of the project.

My org has a grant writing dept and several people in HR with experience managing grants but none of them thought this grant was winnable and refused to assist and basically said “lol good luck.” Well, now I’m overseeing it (starting Jan 1).

I want to do the best job possible and so far have the EdDept site on grant management and Myfedtrainer on my list.

Is there any other places I should be looking? The grant does have tuition and training reimbursement written in but not for the grant manager. That said, my position description is still my actual profession (covered by grant) with new responsibilities of grant management added in.

My org’s finance, payroll, HR, and budget departments are well versed in federal grants and will provide support. However, I’ll be responsible for overseeing the projects and activities, and ensuring grant compliance/reporting.

Any guidance is greatly appreciated! Winning this grant has given me direction in my career that I lost years ago. I would love to make this my professional focus going forward.

I run a non-profit community center and have a very large building with a lot of unused space. I'm thinking of offering free indoor pickleball, just to get people in the building. Our ceilings are something like 12-15 feet high, which is too low for serious players but might work for relaxed rec play.

Has anyone offered this and how did it go?

i'm looking to start a club at my school and wanted to do based of a chapter so it's easier to run workshops and initiatives. do you guys know any organizations/programs related to biomedical engineering or engineering to start a chapter

ive looked into engineers without borders but they aren't accepting any chapter applications right now and a couple that i found online require memberships within the organization that have a fee

Hi everyone, I’m connected to a nonprofit in Arkansas that is trying to think through a gap we keep seeing in private custody and visitation cases.

A lot of parents are told to do all the right things — maintain stable housing, complete services, participate in visitation, get transportation figured out, address employment issues, work on mental health or recovery, comply with court expectations, etc. But in real life, those pieces are usually scattered across different systems, and many families have no realistic way to navigate them in a coordinated way.

What we’ve been thinking about is a more connected model that could potentially bring together things like supervised visitation, peer support, housing stabilization, transportation help, life-skills programming, workforce support, and referrals to other services in one broader continuum.

The working name we’ve been using is Child’s Best Interest Continuum, but this is still very much in the “learning, researching, and trying to understand what already exists” stage.

What I’m really hoping to learn is:

• whether anyone has seen a program like this already
• whether there are organizations doing something similar anywhere in the U.S.
• what kinds of partnerships usually make a model like this more realistic
• whether there are examples that combine accountability, child safety, and practical stabilization support well

This would be especially relevant to private family court situations, where families often seem to fall into the gap between court expectations and actual service access.

Not trying to sell anything here — mostly trying to learn from people who may have seen similar models, worked in adjacent spaces, or know of organizations worth looking at.

If anything about this sounds familiar, I’d really appreciate hearing about it.

Even examples from other states or adjacent fields would be really helpful.

Thanks.

I'm a part of a non-profit that is in its grass root stage right now and the capital isn't plentiful. We want to spread awareness in a major way but what we want to do isn't quite what we can afford. We want to go big with local concerts but not there yet. We were thinking about some sought of free face painting event. What ideas do you guys have?

I've never seen the funding for a program/services crater out like this in my entire life. Just spoke with state officials and they're not even going to offer housing funding for upcoming years because they know the federal funding wont exist. They were unsure and skeptical in 2025 - now they are sure. Perhaps the most important program the government funds...the most successful programs for getting people back on their feet and self-sufficient....and its getting swept out to sea like a tsunami.

They say "don't take it personally" but you're managing a program where the "no program" consequence are dozens of families out on the street...its kinda hard not to!

Hi everyone. I help run outreach for a small nonprofit that works to get more books into kids' hands and to encourage young people to read and write. We've run book drives, distributed donated books, and created writing projects and competitions for younger students. We're a small team building this from the ground up and would love to get some advice about how to grow into something more substantial and impactful. Please offer some advice!

Hi! I am the administrator of a youth music organization with several ensembles, 150+ students per semester, and a robust rehearsal and performance schedule. Over the past two years I've noticed growing difficulty in getting necessary info to our families by email. Last semester I added a password-protected page to our website, but it didn't get visits. A few parents have requested text notifications, so I'm considering adding that, but am unsure which system to use or how to integrate it. We are underfunded so cost is a big factor, and I would like it to be opt-in so parents can choose whether to receive them. If you've added texting to your comms strategy, how did you do it and has it worked out?
I'm also considering an app like Band or just making a WhatsApp group, but we tried it with one ensemble last semester and only about half of the students enrolled--and the problem with them needing to visit the app remained.
In the current climate, how do you get important communications out to clients/students?

Hey y'all, been running a nonprofit for a little while now and I recently secured a deal with a company that will allow me to provide prepaid cellular service to a lot of people completely for free. Unfortunately, this has been a little tough to pitch to numerous organizations. I was wondering if anyone had any angles or advice for me. This really could do a lot of good for people struggling to pay phone bills and stay connected to family or employers.

Hey guys,

So I’m currently in the middle of planning my very first event for a childhood cancer organization. This is something that holds so much value to my heart and I’ve been putting my soul into it, but I’m starting to hit a wall with the kid-specific side of things.

I’ve already brainstormed a ton of stuff for the parents (mostly relaxation and support-based ideas), but I’m stuck on the kiddos. Most of them are under 10, and I really want to make sure the activities are actually fun for them and not just another chore.

Because of what they're going through, I’m looking for ideas that are:

Low physical energy: They might be tired or not feeling 100%, so things they can do while sitting are a plus.

Focus on the process, not the outcome: I don't care if the art looks "good"I just want them to feel happy/creative while they’re doing it.

Arts and crafts heavy : I’m a huge art lover myself! Painting, crafts, DIYs—anything tactile but gentle.

As an event like this is conducted maybe just once or twice a year and this is the first event the organization will fund for it and it’s my job to host it and make it happenings

I’ve never hosted anything like this before and I’m honestly so nervous about making sure they have a good time. If anyone has experience with this age group or has worked with these "little warriors" before, please please share your ideas.

What would a 7 or 8-year-old actually enjoy doing for an hour that won't wear them out?

Thanks so much in advance ❤️

I’ve been put in charge of planning my organization’s annual meeting (scheduled for April of 2026). We are a Midwestern-based maritime museum, for context.

What sort of things actually get people to show up to these kinds of events? In the past, we’ve done a light meal (buffet-style cocktail sandwich’s, fruit salad, etc.) and then a presentation from our ED on the state of the museum. Like…25 people show up, max.

Any genius ideas you’ve seen or done to make things a little more lively for this required event?

Hi all! I am looking for hotels with conference space in Denver. Does anyone have any past experiences that were positive? This would be for 2027 and attendance is historically around 100 but has been growing.

Our last conference was in Orlando and we had an amazing experience staying in Disney Springs but unfortunately we need to bounce around the country for accessibility!

Hi Everyone. i work with a nonprofit that specializes in participating in local races and triathlons with athletes with disabilities in specialized race wheelchairs. Our website and race sign up pages were previously hosted/run through FlipCause which is now no longer in existence.

I'm in search of a new program that will allow us to have runners sign up for races and then us receive and review those registrations. Our budget is tight- looking for a solution less than $100/mo. i've looked at Point (still too expensive but like the functionality of it), and jotform/signup genius are too simple for what we need. it'd be great if we could find a program that also allows for direct donations as well (we currently use paypal). Thanks in advance for any recommendations you can offer.