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Amber Melanie Smith

Changemaker Mondays Newsletter

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 80,000 changemakers on my social impact-focused YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/ambermelaniesmith!

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Featured Post

Fundraising Laws You Need to Know (Seriously!)

Fundraising Laws You Really Need to Know About Read time: 4 Minutes Don't forget: Click here if you want to get notified when my new Zero to $100,000 nonprofit start-up fundraising toolkit launches! Did you know a few small fundraising missteps could land your nonprofit in hot water? 😬 From state licenses to donor privacy laws, there are more rules than most people realize, and ignoring them can lead to hefty fines or even damage your nonprofit’s reputation. Thankfully, you don’t have to be a...

1 day ago • 5 min read

UPDATE! Thanks for sharing what kinds of toolkits would help you! I'm about to publish the one you requested MOST: My "Zero to $100,000" nonprofit start-up fundraising toolkit. It will have a complete guide covering my field-tested system for how to do this, templates, and more. Interested in getting it when it's done? Just click here to get notified! How to Boost Your Nonprofit’s Online Search Visibility in 2025 Read time: 4 Minutes Ever wonder if people can actually discover your nonprofit...

8 days ago • 7 min read

How to Prep for Year-End Fundraising in 4 Steps Read time: 4 Minutes Is it too early to think about year-end fundraising? Not if you want to avoid stress, missed deadlines, or scrambling for a story the night before Giving Tuesday. 😅 Here’s the truth: Nearly one-third of all charitable donations happen in December, but successful campaigns? They start long before that. That’s why in this issue of Changemaker Mondays ☀️ ☕ 🌍, I’m sharing four simple steps you can take now to set your year-end...

15 days ago • 5 min read

3 Refreshing Alternatives toNonprofit Strategic Planning Read time: 4 Minutes So there’s kind of a joke in the nonprofit world that strategic plans are created to collect dust on your shelf. I get it. Doing a full Strategic Planning process can feel overwhelming, especially after a year full of funding delays, policy shifts, and uncertainty. If pulling together a big 3-year plan sounds exhausting right now, you’re not alone. But what if you could tap into the goal-setting powers of strategic...

22 days ago • 5 min read

Hiring staff? How to Research Fair Nonprofit Salaries Read time: 3-4 Minutes To build an effective nonprofit team and ensure new hires actually stick around, it’s crucial to offer salaries that are fair and competitive. But how do you know what’s fair (and competitive)? If you’re like many nonprofit leaders, salary research can feel overwhelming, especially if you’re working with a tight budget and trying to balance your mission with what’s realistic. Here’s the thing: salary research doesn’t...

29 days ago • 4 min read

5 Ingredients You Need To Fundraise Successfully Read time: 4-5 Minutes Ever launch a fundraising campaign, then watch with discouragement as zero donations come in? Many of us jump straight into fundraising by setting up a donation page and crafting the perfect ask. But if your campaign isn’t getting much traction, you might be missing a few crucial steps that make the difference between a flop and a success. In this issue of Changemaker Mondays ☀️ ☕ 🌍, we’re diving into the 5 ingredients...

about 1 month ago • 6 min read

4 Ways to Start Planning for Next Year Read time: 3-4 Minutes Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room. 2025 has been full of curveballs for nonprofits, especially when it comes to federal funding and policy decisions that directly impact nonprofit budgets and program planning. If you’re feeling stuck or hesitant about what comes next, you’re not alone. But here’s the good news: this kind of uncertainty actually underscores why it’s so important to look ahead. It's a smart time to...

about 1 month ago • 5 min read

Is Your Nonprofit’sInstagram Worth Following? Read time: 3-4 Minutes Real quick -- if you didn't get a chance to answer my quick poll last week, will you let me know what you think? I'm considering launching some toolkits (templates, resources, special training content) to hopefully help out with some key areas I get questions about a lot: Which Toolkit(s) would you want if I made them? From Zero to your first $100,000 for Nonprofit Start-Ups For your Board members: Nonprofit Board Governance...

about 2 months ago • 5 min read
A man reading facts on a laptop with amazement

Things (Most) PeopleDon't Know About Nonprofits Read time: 4 Minutes Real quick -- will you let me know what you think? I'm considering launching some toolkits (templates, resources, special training content) to hopefully help out with some key areas I get questions about a lot. Which of these topics would you be most excited about? Which Toolkit(s) would you want if I made them? From Zero to your first $100,000 for Nonprofit Start-Ups For your Board members: Nonprofit Board Governance Basics...

about 2 months ago • 5 min read

4 Tips for Overcoming Your Fear of Fundraising Read time: 4 Minutes Let’s be real: fundraising can feel intimidating, especially when it’s time to ask for money. Your heart’s racing, your palms are sweaty, and suddenly that coffee meeting with a potential donor feels more like a high-stakes pitch. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. In fact, in one of my recent Fundraising 101 videos, we talk about why fundraising activates a stress response (yep, science!) and how to start shifting...

2 months ago • 5 min read