Aligned Strategy Group

Curious how to communicate with donors re: federal funding uncertainty? Join us this Thursday ?? Our co-founder, Mallory Mitchell, will walk attendees through proven strategies for communicating with donors during this time of federal funding uncertainty. In this 30-minute webinar, you’ll review Joyce Uptown Foodshelf’s funding update email to donors that resulted in: - Over $20,000 in donations - 59 individual donors - 53% open rate Attendees will leave with five real-life tactics for informing and motivating donors without inciting fear or panic. Mallory will be joined by Haley McSparron, Board Vice-President of Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. Register: https://lnkd.in/gsdVU8Vg

Want to learn how updating donors on the federal funding freeze turned into over $20,000 in donations? Keep reading: Our co-founder, Mallory Mitchell, will walk attendees through proven strategies for communicating with donors during this time of federal funding uncertainty. In this 30-minute webinar, you’ll review Joyce Uptown Foodshelf’s funding update email to donors that resulted in: - Over $20,000 in donations - 59 individual donors - 53% open rate Attendees will leave with five real-life tactics for informing and motivating donors without inciting fear or panic. Mallory will be joined by Haley McSparron (Cramer), MPP, RHDFP, Board Vice-President of Joyce Uptown Food Shelf. Register: https://lnkd.in/gsdVU8Vg

"If we get rid of VIP, how will we make up for that lost revenue?" Tomorrow, over 400 newsletter subscribers will have our answer delivered straight to their inbox. Subscribe now to make sure you get it too ?? https://lnkd.in/gnhG-Ckw P.S. Read last week's newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/gj6amG3e

That's a wrap for the latest cohort of our signature course, Individual Giving 101 ?? Want to be the first to know when registration opens again? Join the waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/gtTrQpUa

LAST CALL: Individual Giving 101 starts this week Stop feeling lost and overwhelmed with your donor relationships. Together, we'll create practical fundraising strategies and unlock the path to a resounding 'yes' from donors. In this three-part course, you will: - Develop strategies aligned with your values and capacity - Revitalize donor relationships and sustain their support - Build a community-centered approach to fundraising Register now: https://lnkd.in/gtTrQpUa

We are celebrating six months of partnership with valued client, Asian American Organizing Project! ?? Together, our work focused on expanding AAOP’s abundance-minded approach to fundraising and growing the team’s confidence in individual giving. Here’s how we’re getting it done: 1. Grounding in Fundamentals - Coach, James Miller, first grounded the team in core individual giving concepts and frameworks of community-centric fundraising. This included a deep dive on the donor cycle, or as we often call it, the individual giving road map! 2. Looking Inward - Experimenting with new strategies and approaches to the work can often trap us into feeling like we have to reinvent the wheel in order to meet our goals. Looking inward at AAOP’s existing community of supporters and day-to-day programmatic activities helped us clarify opportunities to dive deeper with existing donors - all without making any big shifts to add new programming tailored specifically to donors. 3. Practical Skill Building and Experimentation -? In addition to biweekly coaching, we hosted two Team Intensives to grow the Board’s base of knowledge and practical skills in relational fundraising. With structured support in developing prospect lists and practicing making an ask in our “Ask Lab” clinic, participants left the workshop energized and well-equipped to donor organize on behalf of the organization.

Not all online trainings are created equal. Here’s how ours are different: ?? Small groups We have a speaker to participant ratio thanks to Priya Parker’s idea of “generous exclusion” - “the intentional drawing of a temporary line for the good of the guests and to help activate and fulfill a gathering's purpose”. ?? Never lecture Every training has a community element where participants can connect with other like-minded professionals. These real-time interactions and discussions allow for folks to share their experiences and gain support. ?? Actionable strategies Our strategies are practical and can be put to use right away. They’re also replicable - we give attendees a template or framework that can be reused in their everyday work. Want to join our next training? Individual Giving 101 starts January 16th. https://lnkd.in/gtTrQpUa

We see Individual Giving 101 as the perfect group learning opportunity for fundraisers of all experience levels - and so do our clients! Here's a reflection from a past participant of Individual Giving 101: "Mallory's Individual Giving 101 sessions were an excellent grounding in the practice of fundraising. The mix of newcomers, seasoned professionals, and executive leadership meant the conversations stayed rich and rewarding, guided by Mallory's deep insight and experience." Our three-part course kicks off on Thursday, January 16th at 10am CT. Learn more and register today at the link below! ?? https://lnkd.in/gUNQf5pV

Early bird pricing for our signature course ends Friday ? We created Individual Giving 101 to give you a deep dive into a new body of work where you can learn everything at once and ask all of your questions in a safe space without fear of looking silly in front of colleagues. Here’s what Individual Giving 101 includes: - Individual Giving 101 Workbook - Bonus 1:1 coaching session with me - Step-by-step framework for making your ask - Direct feedback on your individual giving strategy - Squarespace Course Portal that you can access anytime - Strategies rooted in community-centric fundraising principles - Small group setting with peers from across the country and sector Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gtTrQpUa

The term “scrappy” is frequently used to justify harmful nonprofit practices like: ? Underinvestment in infrastructure ? Tight budgets that result in underpaid staff ? Unrealistic performance expectations It’s great to be small and exciting to be in the start-up phase, but it’s time we let go of “scrappy” as a badge of honor. Read more from our colleague, Emily Seddon: https://lnkd.in/gHP3ZdPH