Grace Groner lived through the Great Depression, so saving money was her expertise. Nobody knew just how much she had saved until she died in January at age 100 and left $7 million to Lake Forest College, her alma mater…. “She could have lived in any house in Lake Forest but she chose not to. [...]

Today’s link roundup includes advice regarding a variety of internet strategies for nonprofits:
Integrating Your Web Site and Database for Greater Donor Engagement by Robin Fisk, FundraisingSuccess
Are you new to blogging? Read this simple primer. by Sandra Sims, Cause Blogger
Online Outreach on a Budget - the January Nonprofit Blog Carnival, issueLab’s Footnotes
15 Nonprofit Social Media [...]

News on two programs available from major corporations:
With the Pepsi Refresh Project the company will be giving up to $1.3 million in grants to businesses and nonprofits for fresh new ideas. The project is a crowd-sourced granting program where the public submits and votes on ideas, in various categories, that can change the world.
Go to [...]

In last week’s newsletter I featured Marc Pitman’s great ideas about The Pareto Principle: The 80/20 Rule for Fundraising.  (If you’re not on our newsletter list you can sign up here.)
Basically the rule says that 20% of your efforts produce 80% of results.  This concept reminds us that effective fundraising is not just about the [...]

The immediate outpouring of support for Haitian relief efforts has been astounding.  Donations are reaching record amounts and people continue to want to donate or fundraise to help the people of Haiti.
Britt Bravo has a great article with links: Helping Haiti: Places to Donate, Creative Fundraising Ideas, and Being a Smart Donor.  I’d like to [...]

If you’re on my newsletter list you may have already heard about the new addition to the Sims family, Micah Wesley.  He decided to come into this world a couple weeks sooner than expected, arriving at 5:47 AM on Tuesday November 24th. Thanks again to those who emailed with such kind well wishes.
We just returned [...]

There are many companies eager to help you with the task of online donations, from standard credit card processors to those specializing in nonprofits.  So how do you decide which provider is right for you? Here are seven factors for you to consider when choosing an online donation service provider:
1. Features
When evaluating service providers first [...]