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Amber Melanie Smith

I am on a mission to equip nonprofit and social impact changemakers with the tools and resources to grow their impacts. Join me and over 73,000 changemakers on my social impact-focused YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/ambermelaniesmith!

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Animal lovers and changemakers unite?! šŸ¶šŸ±

Introducing: Social Issue Deep Dive Videos Read time: 3-4 Minutes A few newsletters back, I mentioned how I was expanding my YouTube content with a new series on fundraising. But actually, thatā€™s not all. As part of my new Changemaker Cafe content, weā€™re also going to explore the ins and outs of different social issues together ā€“ from homelessness, to food insecurity, and more. Iā€™m starting with the topic of Animal Rescue (something I know is dear to many of your hearts!), but weā€™ll tackle...

How to delegate with confidenceand empower a team Read time: 3-4 Minutes Trust me, Iā€™ve been there. Running a nonprofit feels like spinning a hundred plates at once. Youā€™ve got fundraising, program management, communications, board meetingsā€¦ and somehow, youā€™re also in charge of snacks for the next event. šŸ„ØšŸ§ƒ Trying to do it all yourself? Thatā€™s a fast track to burnout (Iā€™ve been there, too). But something Iā€™ve seen time and time again is that the strongest nonprofits are not built by leaders...

Introducing Fundraising 101: A New 15-Week Series Read time: 3-4 Minutes Iā€™ve been working on something special for you. For a few years, my YouTube strategy has been: ā€œOh that sounds like a good video topic, letā€™s try it!ā€ But now I want to try something different, inspired by your questions and requests throughout the past few years. I want to step. up. my. game. Thatā€™s why Iā€™m launching Changemaker Cafe: Fundraising 101, a new 15-week YouTube series designed to break fundraising down into...

A Beginnerā€™s Guide: Using Social Media to Build Donor Trust Read time: 3-4 Minutes We usually think of social media as just about posting updates. But, itā€™s one of the most powerful ways to build trust with your donors. (And when donors trust you, theyā€™re more likely to give!) The most effective nonprofits donā€™t just share what they do; they show how theyā€™re credible, transparent, and making a real impact. In this issue of Changemaker Mondays ā˜€ļø ā˜• šŸŒ, weā€™re diving into five powerful ways to...

3 Fundraising Metrics Every Nonprofit Should Track Read time: 3-4 Minutes For short-term campaigns, a pretty good measure of success is: Did you meet your fundraising goal? But what about tracking whether your overall fundraising approach is heading in the right direction? Letā€™s take the guesswork out of it! Tracking the right numbers can show you whatā€™s moving the needleā€”and whatā€™s not. In this issue of Changemaker Mondays ā˜€ļø ā˜• šŸŒ, weā€™re breaking down 3 simple but powerful fundraising metrics...

The 80/20 Rule for Nonprofit Content Creation Read time: 3-4 Minutes Ever notice how some of your content gets great engagement, while other efforts justā€¦ fall flat? Iā€™ve been there. šŸ™‹ā™€ļø Youvā€™e probably heard of the 80/20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle. Itā€™s the idea that 80% of your results often come from just 20% of your efforts. For nonprofit leaders, understanding this can help you figure out what content is really resonating with your audience ā€“ whatā€™s most likely to inspire...

Landing Your First Nonprofit Grant Read time: 3-4 Minutes I still remember my organizationā€™s first grant, years ago. We got lucky with a $5,000 grant from a family foundation that saw our potential ā€“ and our passion. We were able to build on that momentum and grow from there. You always remember your first. šŸ˜ Grants can be a game-changer for nonprofits, but trying to land your first one? That can feel daunting. If youā€™ve ever wondered -- where do you even start? Or, what are funders really...

Managing Burn Out in 10 Minutes Per Day Read time: 3-4 Minutes Thereā€™s a lot going on right now. I am hoping you are taking care of yourselves in the mix of it all. Burnout is an important topic to me ā€“ and Iā€™ve been open about my own burnout struggles in the past. So! While the work weā€™re doing to improve our communities (and the world) wonā€™t happen overnight... there are a few small things we have control over in our day-to-day lives. Letā€™s talk about it in this issue of Changemaker Mondays...

Tell Your Nonprofitā€™s Story in Just 3 Sentences Read time: 3-4 Minutes It turns out that whole thing about the average human attention span clocking in at just 8 seconds was a hoax šŸ˜†. Still, when introducing new people to your cause, itā€™s important to grab their attention quickly, if you can. If you can create interest, intrigue, and emotion in a few sentences...Well, thatā€™s the start of a great relationship with a future potential volunteer, donor, or ambassador! In this issue of Changemaker...

Donā€™t fall for these fundraising myths. Read time: 4-5 Minutes Ohh boy, did I have some misunderstandings about how fundraising works when I started a nonprofit years ago. šŸ˜³ I quickly learned fundraising fact from fiction through my adventures. Talking to and learning from hundreds of other nonprofit and social impact leaders along the way helped, too. The truth is, there are some major, common misconceptions about fundraising that are holding us back from getting the funding we need to grow...