We send out blog articles 1-2 times a month, and our content is meant to inspire non-profit leaders in their work even if they don’t use WaterGrass. Thank you for you interest!
Blog
Finding the Right Software for Managing Volunteers and Donors
If you missed us at the Partnership for National Trails System’s Workshop this fall, we wanted to share a recording of our conference talk with you!
What’s the best software for managing volunteers and donors? The answer changes as your organization’s “data culture” matures. Chart your own organization’s path along our “trail of data culture,” and compare your experience of the Arizona Trail Association as it tried three separate software products which fit its needs better and better.
The software you use and how you use it can influence your bottom line and contribute to or hinder your organization’s ability to raise donations. A previous study of rivers organizations showed that over a three-year period, groups which kept their data in a single, shared database almost doubled their income from individual giving, whereas groups that kept their volunteer or donor data in written lists shrank.
Listen in as Wendy Lotze, the Arizona Trail Association‘s former Director of Volunteer Programs, shares what she learned on her journey from an early Microsoft Access database to a custom-built WaterGrass system which allowed them to track the contributions of their volunteers, donors and members in a holistic way.
You’ll also hear from WaterGrass’ Baird Straughan, who discusses what he’s seen in the evolution of databases and how new developments like Artificial Intelligence (AI) will radically change how we gather data and work with it.
Building Sustainable Funding from the Start
If you missed us at the Chesapeake Watershed Forum this Fall, we wanted to share a recording of our conference talk with you!
In 2000, the Potomac Riverkeeper Network (PRKN) started small, with just one part-time staff member. They successfully followed the traditional model of raising money first from their board, then from board friends, then reaching out to solicit memberships, and finally expanding to events and grants.
But times have changed, and today PRKN is working for a new mix of funding sources to ensure their sustainability.
And simultaneously, organizations from underserved communities have found completely new models of building sustainable fundraising.
In this recording, Emily Franc, PRKN’s former Vice President of Development & Philanthropy, shares the organization’s journey, from early direct mail campaigns to the creation of the large-scale summer festival, Riverpalooza. And WaterGrass Founder, Baird Straughan, compares PRKN’s experience to other organizations and assesses how fundraising models are changing today.
Webinar: Getting your Board on Board with Your EOY Appeal
The date for this webinar has passed. If you missed it and would like a copy of the session, please send an email to contact@watergrass.org to request a copy.
🫴❤️ Why not enlist your board’s support during a time of year when people are more willing to give? 🫴❤️
Your End-of-Year Appeal is the *perfect* time to engage your non-profit board (or re-engage a dormant one) with your fundraising! Join us for our webinar “Getting your Board on Board with Your EOY Appeal” to discuss how our clients have harnessed their EOY Fundraising to rally support and funds from their innermost circle. We’ll also hear from Baird Straughan, WaterGrass’ Director and a former nonprofit fundraiser, who will share his simple recipe for generating a board match donation.
Many nonprofits experience a significant surge in donations during the final quarter of the year, particularly in December. In fact, the 2024 M+R Benchmarks Study found that nonprofits raise between 17% and 34% of their online revenue in the last month of the year.
What’s the best database for conservation nonprofits? Your insights matter!
It's been over a decade since we surveyed the non-profit community to see what database systems they use and how they like them. It's high time we pulled some updated numbers. So tell us, what database system do you use to manage your non-profit work? Would you recommend it to others?
Results will be posted at this link in Fall 2024. And if you're in the market for a new platform, we hope these results will help you find the system that fits your organization's needs.
Webinar: Kick Off Your EOY Appeal Planning Now!
The date for this webinar has passed. If you missed it and would like a copy of the session, please send an email to contact@watergrass.org to request a copy.
As the world watches athletes chase gold 
on the Olympic stage, we're already starting to think about the goals our non-profit partners have for End-of-Year Fundraising.
Join us for our webinar "Kick Off Your EOY Appeal Planning Now!" This session is FREE and open to the public, and (backed by popular demand) we've decided to bring it to you in August. Because now is the time to start planning.
During this session, we’ll lay the framework for your EOY goals, discuss how to fit your appeal into your busy Fall schedule, define your audiences, review outreach techniques and help you build your fundraising team. With your peers on the call you’ll also hear new ideas and take-aways from the year before.
This webinar is part of a larger series we offer to our clients that help keep them on track with their EOY goals. If you're a client, we hope you'll join us for the whole thing. Please contact Carl Paulsen for more information.
Here’s what some of our clients had to say about the workshop series last year:
“Speaking to the one-on-one and group sessions: I found that extremely valuable. Just the brainstorming at the very beginning of the sessions. I don’t think Carl is really speaking to how much help he is one-on-one.” --Crys B.
“Why we did this workshop again, why we’ll do it next year: There is just no way you can get the same accountability and personal attention anywhere else, especially as conservation organizations. When you try to look online at resources, they’re just not geared toward our kind of work...” --Brittany C.
“Like everyone else has said, it is invaluable. The wisdom and idea sharing from everyone in the other organizations as well as Carl’s expertise really contributes to your ability to hone your goals and put a structure behind them. It also creates a greater sense of communication between any of your staff that are working on your end of year campaign…” --Lisa C.