Field NotesVol. 1

Practical guidance from the work, not the marketing.

Stewardship-minded essays on donor management, recurring giving, end-of-year campaigns, and the operational details that decide whether a nonprofit grows or quietly stalls.

August 5, 2026
Donor pledge tracking without spreadsheets: a practical nonprofit guide
Learn how to track nonprofit pledges, installments, reminders, aging, and fulfillment without spreadsheet reconciliation or duplicate donor records.
9 min read
Yehuda Stern
August 5, 2026
Nonprofit CRM and bookkeeping reconciliation: make fundraising match the books
A practical workflow for reconciling nonprofit CRM donations, processor settlements, bank deposits, fees, refunds, restrictions, and accounting reports.
9 min read
Daniel Ortega
August 5, 2026
Nonprofit CRM buyer's guide: how to choose donor management software
A practical guide to choosing nonprofit CRM and donor management software, including requirements, pricing traps, migration, accounting, and a trial scorecard.
13 min read
Daniel Ortega
August 5, 2026
Nonprofit CRM migration checklist: switch without losing donor data
A step-by-step nonprofit CRM migration checklist covering data inventory, cleanup, field mapping, test imports, validation, staff training, and final cutover.
10 min read
Yehuda Stern
May 6, 2026
Donor management software for small synagogues
A practical guide to picking donor software for synagogues with under 300 families. What to actually look for, what to ignore, and what to never pay for.
9 min read
Yehuda Stern
May 4, 2026
How to build a recurring giving program from zero
A step-by-step playbook for nonprofits that want to start a real monthly giving program, what to ask for, when to ask, who to ask, and how to keep them.
11 min read
Yehuda Stern
May 2, 2026
Nonprofit CRM vs spreadsheet: when to actually switch
Most "you need a CRM" advice for nonprofits is sales pitch. Here's an honest framework for when a spreadsheet is fine, when it's killing you, and how to tell.
8 min read
Daniel Ortega
April 28, 2026
End-of-year giving campaign checklist
A week-by-week operational checklist for nonprofits running end-of-year giving, what to do in November, December 1-15, December 15-29, and the last 48 hours.
10 min read
Yehuda Stern
April 25, 2026
How to write a donation thank-you that gets the next gift
Most nonprofit thank-you emails are templated, generic, and signed by "The Team." Here is how to write one that actually moves donors toward the next gift.
7 min read
Noah Friedman
April 22, 2026
The donor retention math nonprofits keep getting wrong
A clear walkthrough of donor retention math, why most nonprofits track it wrong, and the 4 levers that actually move the number.
8 min read
Noah Friedman

Practical guidance from the work, not the marketing.

Donor pledge tracking without spreadsheets: a practical nonprofit guide

Nonprofit CRM and bookkeeping reconciliation: make fundraising match the books

Nonprofit CRM buyer's guide: how to choose donor management software

Nonprofit CRM migration checklist: switch without losing donor data

Donor management software for small synagogues

How to build a recurring giving program from zero

Nonprofit CRM vs spreadsheet: when to actually switch

End-of-year giving campaign checklist

How to write a donation thank-you that gets the next gift

The donor retention math nonprofits keep getting wrong