Software for Social Good
We design, build, implement and support innovative Software for Social Good that connect donors – and companies – to the nonprofit missions and causes they care about
and we’ve got a committed partner – Microsoft Corporation – joining us in that effort.
“The disconnected nature of our [previous solution] made reaching the goal of becoming a truly donor-centric organization nearly impossible. StratusLIVE helped us make a fundamental shift to a true fundraising CRM system and bring control back to our internal staff. We no longer need multiple systems, third-party data management, analysis and segmentation vendors.”
Caroline Itoh, Associate VP of Strategic Business Operations
National Wildlife Federation
Building a Better Donor Experience
For-profit CRM and customer management technologies are built with one goal in mind: to meet the distinct needs of each and every customer while maximizing their value to the brand. Why should nonprofit technologies and the donors and constituencies they’re supposed to serve be any different? At StratusLIVE, they’re not.
Constituent Management, Tailored Just for Nonprofits
We designed and developed our suite of donor engagement and fundraising CRM technologies and services to help organizations like yours build outstanding experiences for the individuals and companies you depend on for success. Because most of us have worked in the nonprofit industry, we know what you know: if you meet the unique needs of your supporters, they’ll continue to meet yours.
Building Deeper Donor Engagement
Workplace giving, volunteerism, and other forms of philanthropy have never mattered more, both to the charities and causes that depend on them and to the corporations eager to do their part.
There’s also a growing body of research demonstrating that today’s best and brightest want to work for socially conscious companies; that consumers want to buy from them; that investors want to, well, invest in them; and communities put out the welcome mat for them.
Lots of wins in that equation.
Here’s another.
Our workplace giving software already powers the philanthropic aspirations of more than 1,200 companies through their nonprofit partners, because our tools make it incredibly easy to create and manage virtually any kind of philanthropic program. They’re also intuitive, meaning no steep learning curve and improved engagement from your employees. Oh, and our implementations are the fastest in the industry – we don’t outsource anything.
A Few Words About
StratusLIVE and Microsoft
Our relationship is characterized by award-winning, innovative, dependable technology. But it is forged in the spirit of something even more important: a shared commitment to advance nonprofit and social good missions regardless of the need, scope, or complexity.
Together we are focused on Software for Social Good.
Latest News, Research, and Thought Leadership
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Find – and Use – Good Software
Welcome to part 10 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."This latest blog series is written to help nonprofits of all sizes navigate through several different fundraising situations. Each tip is designed to help you raise more money with less stress and hassle for your organization.If you missed part 9 which is all about winning grants by casting the big picture vision, you can view it here. Read more » - Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Win More GrantsWelcome to part 9 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."This latest blog series is written to help nonprofits of all sizes navigate through several different fundraising situations. Each tip is designed to help you raise more money with less stress and hassle for your organization.If you missed part 8 which is all about your website, you can view it here. Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Planned GivingWelcome to part 8 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."This latest blog series is written to help nonprofits of all sizes navigate through several different fundraising situations. Each tip is designed to help you raise more money with less stress and hassle for your organization.If you missed part 7 on thinking outside the box when connecting with corporate donors, you can view it here. Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Corporate DonorsWelcome to part 7 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."This latest blog series is written to help nonprofits of all sizes navigate through several different fundraising situations. Each tip is designed to help you raise more money with less stress and hassle for your organization.If you missed part 6 which is all about donor loyalty among major donors, you can view it here. Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Giving ClubsWelcome to part 6 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."We have reached mid point of this 11 part blog series. So far, we have discussed Events, your Website, Direct Mail Audience, Memorial Gifts, Involving your Volunteers, and Giving Clubs- each post based on helping your nonprofit raise more money with less stress and hassle. If you missed part 5 on getting your volunteers involved, you can view it here. Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Involve Your VolunteersWelcome to part 5 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."This 11 part blog series is crafted to help your nonprofit navigate several different fundraising situations, with the goal to help you raise more money with less stress and hassle for your team. These tips span the most common strategies used by organizations of all sizes.If you missed part 4 on Memorial Gifts and which gift is the most important, you can view it here. Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Memorial GiftsWelcome to part 4 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."This series is created to help you raise more money with less stress and hassle for your team members. These tips span the most common strategies used by organizations to support their work and apply to nearly every organization, large or small.If you missed part 3 which is all about Direct Mail and the "10 Second Club", you can view it here. Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Direct Mail AudienceWelcome to part 3 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."We've put together this 11 part series to help you maximize your fundraising revenue. These tips span the most common strategies used by organizations to raise money to support their work and apply to nearly every organization, large or small.If you missed part 2 which is all about your website, you can view it here. Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising, Take a Look at Your WebsiteWelcome to part 2 of our blog series, "Level-Up Your Fundraising."In this series, we're going to help you maximize your fundraising revenue by providing 11 great tips for raising more money with less stress and hassle for your team… and without the need to hire new staff or dramatically increase your fundraising budget. These 11 tips span the most common strategies used by organizations to raise money to support their work and apply to nearly every organization, large or small.If you missed part 1 on Events, you can view it here. Now, without further ado- Part 2: Understand the True… Read more »
- Blog Series: Level-Up Your Fundraising Starting with EventsYour nonprofit does great work, and the people you serve rely on you to raise as much money as possible to grow your impact and support your mission. Like every nonprofit, you have limited time, resources, and budget to invest in fundraising. For that reason, it is important for your organization to maximize revenue from each and every fundraising strategy to ensure that you optimize your return on investment in your development program. Read more »
- The Evolving Digital Nonprofit Technology LandscapeLast month, Forbes posted an article titled “Why Enterprise Software Will Be Forever Changed.” Within the article, software executives commented on the future of technology. One of these executives, Adam Mansfield, the Practice Leader at UpperEdge, highlights Microsoft: Read more »
- Database Cleanup TipsThere are always some tasks that you have hidden on a to-do list that you'll get to... eventually. It's likely that a database cleanup is one of those tasks. It may be an arduous task, but once complete, you and your team will operate more efficiently and effectively. Read more »
- Effective Change Management PracticesThere’s change management, and then there’s change management in a crisis. Many of us wish we would have been prepared for COVID-19. We would have tested whether or not our VPNs worked from home. We would have finally purchased an ergonomic desk chair and set up our home offices, but we didn’t have the chance to prepare. This crisis forced us to change… no questions asked, and hardly any of us had time to think or plan, we had to act. Read more »
- Tips for Microsoft TeamsMicrosoft Teams is a great tool for staying connected while working remotely. If you are new to Microsoft Teams, here are some of my favorite tips for using it like a pro! Read more »
- The Time for Digital Transformation is NowSeth Godin wrote the following blog post earlier this month which prompted internal conversation surrounding change management and digital transformation within the nonprofit industry: Read more »
- 5 Little Changes to your CSR Initiatives That'll Motivate Your TeamDiscover (and Celebrate) your Teams Motivation through your CSR Initiatives Corporate social responsibility, workplace giving, employee engagement, productivity, positive environment, and impact all go hand in hand, and motivation is what ties them all together. Read on to see how, as a nonprofit organization, you can implement just a few small changes to positivity effect your team's motivation. Read more »
- Virtual Fundraising in the Time of Social DistancingJust because COVID-19 forced your organization to cancel your in-person fundraising events does not mean you need to cancel your events in their entirety. Now more than ever, your constituents need your support, and donors are looking to contribute in meaningful ways to important causes. Read more »
- The National FFA Foundation Concludes Record Fundraising Year with StratusLIVE 365After years using 14 disparate technology platforms for donation processing, tracking, marketing appeals, membership management, and more, the National FFA Foundation recognized the need for an integrated platform. A donor gifted licenses to Microsoft Dynamics 365 which provided the organization a baseline platform upon which to advance their technology. After working with consulting firm, Bentz Whaley Flessner (BWF), National FFA selected StratusLIVE 365 as their donor engagement and constituent relationship management solution in May 2018. Read more »
- How FFA Performs Alumni EngagementThe National FFA Foundation recognizes the importance of alumni engagement. Recently we spoke with Staci Glaser, Director of Development Operations, regarding their alumni program. Here’s what she had to say: Read more »
- The Top Four Nonprofit Challenges TodayOvertime, nonprofit professionals select various technology platforms to solve a challenge(s). These disparate, disconnected platforms introduce four challenges nonprofit organizations face today. Based upon primary feedback and secondary research, we compiled a list of these challenges: Read more »
- StratusLIVE Successfully Implements StratusLIVE 365 at National 4-H CouncilStratusLIVE, a leading provider of cloud-based solutions for nonprofits, companies, foundations, and workplace federations, announced today the successful implementation of their Enterprise CRM Platform for Nonprofits, StratusLIVE 365, for National 4-H Council based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. After a detailed selection process totaling nine months, the national non-profit organization already recognizes the value of the platform. Read more »
- Do You Know the Value of Corporate Volunteer Programs?Volunteering is very rewarding on many levels. Not only does it make a positive impact on the life of the doer (and receiver), but the feeling of goodwill and positivity can radiate in the halls of your company. Read more »
- TechSoup Identifies StratusLIVE as a Nonprofit Tech Trend for 2020TechSoup published a blog post highlighting five nonprofit tech trends for 2020. We are excited to be featured as one of these tech trends. Here is the excerpt featuring StratusLIVE: Read more »
- Three Top Tips to Define OutcomesInternational affairs organizations know all too well the importance of outcomes Read more »
- Top 5 Fundraising Predictions for International Affairs Organizations in 2020In May 2019, the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and USAID’s Office of American Schools and Hospitals Abroad released a global philanthropy study. These findings influence the fundraising predictions nonprofit professionals can expect within international affairs in 2020: Read more »
- StratusLIVE Announces Achievements in 2019 with Biggest Takeaways Involving Software EnhancementsStratusLIVE, a leading provider of cloud-based solutions for nonprofits, companies, foundations, and workplace federations concludes another exciting year of growth. Among many impressive achievements, StratusLIVE created additional Donor Engagement Scoring features in StratusLIVE 365 to provide more predictive analytic opportunities for our nonprofit partners to enrich Donor Performance, unveiled a compelling new website design, implemented many software enhancements, and helped a record number of organizations on their path to social good. Read more »
- Five Tips to Build a Trust Culture at Your NonprofitOne of the top challenges nonprofits face today is displaying data transparency. Not only is your organization beholden to the government and your board but also your donors. These individuals trust that the dollars contributed to your cause effectively conduct your mission-critical work. Many times, donors even expect proof in terms of quantitative and qualitative data that demonstrate your impact. If your donors expect this level of trust from your organization so does your team. Here are five tips to build a trust culture at your nonprofit: Read more »
- Giving Tuesday, CSR, and Your Year-End PlanGiving Tuesday is a reminder of how vital our nonprofits are to the communities we choose to live and expand our businesses. We are especially reminded of this as 2019 comes to a close. It is a common understanding that community involvement is a critical factor in the success of our business; it’s difficult to thrive in a stagnant place. This belief is a fundamental reason why companies strive to make an impact on their communities through CSR programs. The end of the year is a great time to look at your company’s overall efforts. Read more »
- StratusLIVE Ignite Included in Global Study of CSR Technology ReviewThis month, the Realized Worth Institute released a Global Comparison and Analysis of Corporate Volunteering, Giving, and Grants Technology review, sponsored by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Read more »
- Tips to Identify your Funders' Centers of InfluenceImagine walking into a room filled with individuals who shared similar characteristics with some of your most loyal donors and contributors. These individuals understand your mission and vision, and they have a propensity to give. This room exists, and it’s filled with your donors’ centers of influence (COI). If you tap into this group, you have the potential to unlock an influx of new donor dollars. Read more »
- Why are CSR Programs Surging in Popularity?I was preparing a presentation the other day for our company’s user conference on the benefits of CSR. While looking through the research I was struck (once again) by how important a vibrant CSR program really is for a companies business and more importantly for maintaining their employees. Read more »
- StratusLIVE Announces US Roadshow ScheduleStratusLIVE, a leading provider of cloud-based solutions for nonprofits, companies, foundations, and workplace federations, announced today the schedule for their upcoming US roadshow. This StratusLIVE Microsoft Roadshow is a two-day, four-city event designed for individuals working within philanthropy and corporate social responsibility (CSR). Read more »
- How to Effectively Engage your Alumni in your Fundraising EffortsAs former participants of your programs, your alumni represent a unique donor demographic. They understand best the effectiveness of your outreach, and they are living examples of your work. If you cultivate this donor group effectively and remind them of the lessons learned and opportunities granted to them, they can become a consistent funding source. Read more »
- CSR and Diversity & Inclusion: Infographic on 6 Benefits of D&IHappy National Diversity Day! Read more »
- Data Health Tips for Donor AccountsThere is data that is clean, right where it is supposed to be and meaningful to all who view it. There is also data that is dirty. Maybe a prospects State is misspelled, or perhaps a list of potential communication preferences has multiple values that mean the same thing. And then there is data that is just plain in the wrong place, and therefore meaningless. I work on implementations, helping non-profits move from their old CRM to our platform, StratusLIVE 365 CRM so I have seen a fair mix of these throughout the years. Read more »
- Is your Donor Database a Goldmine?There is so much data sitting right in front of your eyes. If you work for a non-profit, you probably look at your donor database many times a day, or maybe not. Maybe you have come to love your excel spreadsheet more and more because your database has let you down. Read more »
- Step by Step Guide: Raising Funds from Donors Who Already Know YouIn April we did a Blog post about How to Measure and Reduce Donor Churn, that blog concentrated on how key it is to your non-profit to make sure you understand and reduce the number of donors that churn from year to year. In that post, we discussed different reports that can be run and extracted so that you can do an appeal. But did you know there was a simple way for you to use Marketing Lists in Dynamics 365 to get a churn list? Read more »
- A Guide to Donor Engagement ScoringThinking back to a past blog post, “8 Key Fundraising Strategies Your Non-Profit Needs to Have in Place This Year,” a post on Donor Engagement Scoring seems aptly timed. When your organization puts together smart fundraising goals and plans, it is vital to be able to keep track of their efficacy, which is why the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) recommends measuring engagement to determine how your organization is doing with your donor base by measuring what can be measured, assessing the importance, and assigning points. Read more »
- StratusLIVE Workplace Engagement Solution Delivers New Release of Innovative Features and Experiences Record Growth in UsageStratusLIVE, a leading provider of cloud-based, enterprise-class software for nonprofit organizations and companies focused on corporate social responsibility (CSR) announced today new updates to its Workplace Engagement platform, Ignite. StratusLIVE Ignite’s latest enhancements include upgrades to its matching gift programs, new features to inspire contests and friendly competition, and enhanced charity and cause- search capabilities, all of which will better serve its growing number of users. Read more »
- 8 Key Fundraising Strategies Your Non-Profit Needs to Have in Place This YearGood planning is the foundation of good fundraising. Far too many non-profits “fly by the seat of the pants” when it comes to fundraising. They try to do too much, they incorporate every idea they get from their board, management, and major donors, and they fail to evaluate the return on investment for their various fundraising programs. This leads to staff and board burnout, donor fatigue, and a feeling that there’s got to be a better way to fundraise. Read more »
- 14 Great Ways to Say, "Will You Make a Donation to Our Non-Profit?"There’s no doubt about it… making asks can be one of the most intimidating tasks for any fundraiser. The thought of sitting down across the table from someone and asking them to give your organization $5,000 or $50,000 is enough to make many people eschew the profession all together. Read more »
- How to Engage Your Board in FundraisingYou know how crucial it is for your board to be engaged in your development program. Countless books, articles, and webinars have preached the importance of a board that is active in fundraising, helping you identify and connect with new donors on a regular basis. That’s good advice… and like most good advice it is easy to understand but hard to implement. Read more »
- Support: Workplace Giving & StratusLIVE 365 Contact IntegrationSupport Call: Steps to requeue an employee record ‘In Process’ status yourself. Read more »
- Key Differences of StratusLIVE and Salesforce Nonprofit CloudsStratusLIVE and Salesforce both offer nonprofit clouds that bring fundraising, program management, and engagement solutions into one integrated platform. Read more »
- How to Measure and Reduce Donor ChurnDonor churn is the percentage of your donors who choose not to donate again. Donor churn is an important nonprofit metric to measure and take steps to reduce the number of donors who will not make a donation the following year. Read more »
- Maintaining a Self-Hosted Nonprofit Microsoft Dynamics CRM InstallationThere are a handful of things that can be done to ensure your nonprofit Microsoft Dynamics CRM installation runs smoothly. These only apply to self-hosted installations. StratusLIVE perform these tasks for our hosted customers and they cannot be controlled in CRM Online Instances. Read more »
- Tips to Improve Your Nonprofit RFP ProcessLarge software implementations are prone to failure and for good reason. They are typically long, drawn-out processes that for many are akin to a heart transplant. Over the years as an industry we’ve learned “best-practices” that every organization should apply towards a successful implementation project. Ideas like executive buy-in, change management, RFP consultants, and team participation are all concepts that are well accepted and practiced in most projects today. With all the advances in implementation best-practices you would think software projects are having a much higher success rate. Unfortunately, the data does not support this and if anything, the failure… Read more »
- Simple Strategies to Better Manage Non-Profits Staff and VolunteersThe backbone of any non-profit organization is its staff and volunteers. Without your team working together, effectively and efficiently, everything will suffer at your organization… including programs, operations, and fundraising. Read more »
- How to Raise More Money for Your Non-Profit .. with Less Stress and HassleThe vast majority of non-profits are struggling when it comes to fundraising. They may be raising enough money to keep their programs going, or even growing… but they’re doing it with too much stress, constant staff turnover, and constant friction in their development program. Read more »
- Tips on Creating Employee Leave Sharing ProgramsIt’s becoming increasingly popular for employees to donate unused PTO, either for fellow staff members in need or to their favorite charity through a corporate CSR program. Like all corporate programs designed to help employees give back to their communities, employee leave sharing programs may benefit the employer by enhancing the employee morale and camaraderie. Read more »
