The Monthly Leap - August 2025
Hi there!
After a busy start to summer full of travel, a lot of events, and tons of client celebrations, August is looking a little quieter for public events. At LEAP, we’ll be leaning into the end of summer and gearing up for a busy fall, so you might not see us out and about as much as we have been the last few months. (Which is why you should follow our new social media pages to keep in touch with what we’re up to!)
Per usual in our monthly newsletters, keep reading to find out:
What's on our minds: What makes you feel most comfortable?
A tip of the month: Now is the perfect time to schedule conversations with donors!
A quick request: Follow us on Facebook and Instagram
I hope this email is a little spot of joy in your week!
Rikki
Founder & CEO
LEAP Nonprofit Consulting
What's on our minds?
A big part of our work is helping people feel more confident in donor conversations, which often feel a little uncomfortable. (Yes, even for seasoned fundraisers!) There’s a not-so-subtle power dynamic at play. And even when the goal is to build a genuine relationship, everyone knows money will eventually come up.
We believe that one of the most important things to do to gain confidence in those situations is to prepare ahead of time, and notice when you feel most like yourself, so you feel more at ease going into every donor interaction.
At the Wisconsin Nonprofit Summit in July, we ran a quick poll at our booth about personal preferences around building relationships. There were no right or wrong answers…just an invitation to reflect on what feels most natural.
If you’d rather write a heartfelt thank-you note than make a phone call, own it! Be the best thank-you note writer around.
If meeting at someone’s home feels too personal, it’s totally okay to suggest a neutral location where you’ll both feel at ease.
The trick is to understand what your preferences are so you can lean into what works best for you and find ways to work around or strengthen what currently makes you feel uncomfortable.
Especially for newer fundraisers, donor meetings can feel awkward. We’ve long been taught to center the donor at all costs. But donors are only one piece of the equation. Every interaction includes three essential parts – the donor, the organization, and you. When you bring intention to your approach, you can make space for comfort and authenticity.
Tip of the Month
We have several clients who are feeling a bit of a summer slump. Donations feel down, and things just aren’t moving as quickly as they’d like. I keep assuring them that it’s normal to feel that way at this time of year and that they just need to stay focused on their plan. We’ll be in Q4 before we know it, and the slow summer days will feel far behind us…as long as you’ve been laying the groundwork for success at year end!
With that in mind, we encourage you to pick up the phone and start scheduling meetings for the fall. Call your donors now to get on their calendars in September for deep conversations about the state of your organization. Be prepared to share honestly about what your work looks like right now. Bring your donors in on both the successes and challenges you are seeing.
By prioritizing these conversations over the next few months, you’re preparing donors to give during the holiday season. You’ll be top of mind when they’re making their year-end giving decisions.
A Quick Request
We’ve launched new Facebook and Instagram pages, and we’d love for you to follow us! We’ll be sharing fundraising tips, updates on trainings, and a little more joy and sunshine in your feed. Think of it as a behind-the-scenes peek at our work and the amazing things our clients are doing.