Elijah van der Giessen (@vandergiessen.ca.web.brid.gy) Bsky

Replay: How To Build A High-Converting Lead Generation System I just finished hosting a session with George Woodard from eLsqrd Media Group, and one of the biggest “ah ha!” moments was his take on “Lead Magnets” for nonprofits. George explained that we shouldn’t just see leads as data—they are our future donors and advocates. The secret to attracting them isn’t a big “ask,” but&ellipsisRead the full post »

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Recap: The Future of Political Engagement for Nonprofits I just finished editing the replay of my webinar on the Future of Political Engagement Research Project, and the data on where supporters are actually hanging out in 2026 is eye-opening. One of the biggest takeaways from Steve Anderson (Co-founder of New/Mode) is that the “algorithm tax” is more real than ever. If you’re posting&ellipsisRead the full post »

2 months ago 0 0 0 0

Event Replay: 19 Tech for Good Ideas for 2026 I’m still buzzing from our “Essential Tech for Nonprofits in 2026” event. We packed 19 experts into 90 minutes, and the “thought bombs” were flying. If you couldn’t make it, here is a lightning-fast look at the insights shared by our incredible lineup: A huge thank you to every presenter for sharing their brilliance. You&ellipsisRead the full post »

3 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: Create and Optimize Nonprofit Workflows in Slack Ever feel like you’re the only person who can answer a request? You become the bottleneck. And your team waits. Stephen Lavery shared a brilliant fix for this in our latest workshop: The Slack Ticketing System. By creating a central “Tech Requests” (or “Design Requests”) channel with a simple form, you make the work visible.&ellipsisRead the full post »

4 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay from TechSoup Connect: Tools and Strategies for Nurturing Your Nonprofit’s Key Relationships Strategy must come before the tools! Raaj Chatterjee from Meaningful stressed that before you even look at a CRM or an automation platform, you need a strategy built on three pillars: Information, Communication, and Automation. Everything starts with Information—creating a clean, comprehensive contact record for every person. Without a consistent, shared database, your team can’t&ellipsisRead the full post »

5 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: 9 Signs Your Nonprofit Is Ready To Host A Successful Gala If your nonprofit is dreaming of a big gala, you have to pass the “Stress Test” first! 🤯 Mike Imholte, Benefit Auctioneer and strategist at Black Diamond Benefits, dropped a major truth bomb: If you can’t confidently sell 100 tickets at the $50–$100 price point, you are not ready for a large-scale fundraising event. Success&ellipsisRead the full post »

5 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay of Fundraising Tech Stacks 101 I recently hosted the “Fundraising Tech Stacks 101” webinar with Kim Peterson, and for those who missed it, no worries! The replay is available, and I’m excited to share a fantastic event summary with the top 7 actionable insights. I learned so much about how our CRM is the engine of our relationship building and&ellipsisRead the full post »

6 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: Unleashing AI for Nonprofits, with Deepa Chaudhary Feeling the pressure to do more with less at your nonprofit? You’re not alone. My TechSoup Connect Canada meetup recently hosted a fantastic event with AI expert Deepa Chaudhary, who shared some incredible insights on how AI can streamline your work and boost your mission’s impact. We’ve recapped the top 7 takeaways on our blog,&ellipsisRead the full post »

7 months ago 0 0 0 0

Measuring Your Member’s Sense of Community Back in the TechSoup Connect days I published a piece at CMX about a question we all wrestle with: how do you actually measure whether your members feel a real sense of community—beyond the usual “engagement” numbers? In the post, I shared how I’m using the Sense of Community Index (SCI) to get clearer signals&ellipsisRead the full post »

8 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: From Stories to Strategy: Unlocking the Power of Qualitative Data in Nonprofits Drowning in stories and open-ended feedback? Turn them into strategy. Watch the replay of our TechSoup Connect Canada session with Yashna Jhamb and Akshay Roongta from Ooloi Labs. Watch the replay: https://youtu.be/jCZE2clhjQo

8 months ago 0 0 0 0

Video Hacks with Descript and ChatGPT In this seven-minute video I walk you through a fast, low-friction workflow for turning rough Zoom/webinar recordings into publishable videos using Descript, with a final assist from ChatGPT. The core idea: edit the transcript like a Google Doc and let Descript sync the cuts to your audio and video. Why I’m bookmarking: this combo makes&ellipsisRead the full post »

8 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: Donor-Advised Funds for Canadian Nonprofits Did you know Canadian donor-advised funds (DAFs) granted nearly $1 billion to charities in 2021? Yet many nonprofits still don’t have a DAF strategy. In our latest TechSoup Connect Canada session, we welcomed Mike Todd from Transform Philanthropy to demystify DAFs and share actionable advice on how to: Watch: https://youtu.be/eMTy10r6h3w Thanks to Mike for the&ellipsisRead the full post »

8 months ago 0 0 0 0

REPLAY: Harnessing the Power of Film: Event Strategies for Nonprofit Fundraising and Community Engagement Nonprofits are always looking for fresh ways to engage communities and inspire action—and film might be your next powerful tool. 🎥✨ At a recent TechSoup Connect Canada session, Eva Zheng from Empact shared how nonprofits can use film screenings not just to move hearts, but to drive measurable impact—from donor engagement to volunteer signups and&ellipsisRead the full post »

9 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: Smart Website Maintenance Is your nonprofit website due for a redesign—or just in need of some TLC? In our latest TechSoup Connect Canada event, we learned how strategic website maintenance can save your team time, stress, and money. Thanks to Dennis and Danielle from Cheeky Monkey Media for sharing practical advice on making your site more secure, accessible,&ellipsisRead the full post »

10 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: What You Need to Know Before Launching a Capital Campaign 🚨 Planning a capital campaign? Stop what you’re doing and watch this first. At our June TechSoup Connect Canada event, fundraising strategist Frances Roen shared the real lessons behind successful capital campaigns—what works, what flops, and how to get your team and donors truly ready. Whether you’re considering your first major gift push or already&ellipsisRead the full post »

10 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: Using Telemarketing to Engage Donors and Secure Gifts 📞 Can a phone call change the future of your fundraising? At TechSoup Connect Canada, we explored how the David Suzuki Foundation used a simple, no-ask telemarketing campaign to spark $1.4M in legacy gifts. 💥 This session is packed with practical takeaways: ✅ How to talk about gifts in wills (without sounding awkward) ✅ Why&ellipsisRead the full post »

10 months ago 0 0 0 0

REPLAY: 7 Ways to Simplify Internal Processes at Your Nonprofit Drowning in post-it notes and scattered processes? 🌀 Watch our replay with David Pisarek to learn 7 practical ways to simplify systems at your nonprofit. Tools, tips, and a free ebook await 👇

11 months ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: 📺 Board Governance Basics – Responsibilities of Individual Board Members Nonprofit board members: Are you clear on your legal duties, fundraising role, and how to support your Executive Director? If you’re unsure—or just want to do better—check out this free workshop replay from TechSoup Connect Canada, featuring nonprofit expert Becky Schueller. With 30+ years of experience, Becky breaks down what individual board members really need&ellipsisRead the full post »

1 year ago 0 0 0 0

📺 Augmenting Your Tech Stack With Automation and AI Nonprofits everywhere are asking: How can we actually use AI and automation to save time and do more with less? At our latest TechSoup Connect Canada event, Chaplain Timothy “TIG” Heaslet gave us real answers. From agentic workflows to chatbots with a human-in-the-loop, TIG shared use cases, tools, and a whole lot of heart. Watch&ellipsisRead the full post »

1 year ago 0 0 0 0

Replay: Creating an AI-Powered Chatbot on Nonprofit Law Pacific Legal Education and Outreach (PLEO) is using AI to bridge the legal knowledge gap for nonprofits. Their new AI-powered chatbot offers quick, reliable legal guidance—without the high cost of a lawyer. Learn how they built it, the challenges they faced, and key takeaways for any nonprofit exploring AI solutions.

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Replay: Using AI for Research at Your Nonprofit > 10 Tips for AI-Assisted Advocacy Research: Learnings from “How to Build AI Tools That Save Time and Money”

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Replay: Bluesky for Nonprofits > Nonprofits, It’s Time to Play: Exploring Bluesky for Digital Engagement

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Posts by Elijah van der Giessen