Unless you’re living under a rock (or very new to fundraising), it’s likely you’re aware of #GivingTuesday (the Tuesday after Thanksgiving). It’s a play on #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday. By this point, I hope you’ve gotten your #GivingTuesday plans in order. First, Consider Your #GivingTuesday Emails If you are planning to participate, … [Read more...]
5 Keys to Raising Major Gifts in the Final Weeks of the Year
While I would never recommend rushing a major gift ask, I’m guessing there are several asks you could make in the next few weeks. If you really want to boost your year-end revenue, as well as establish your prowess as a major gift superstar, make a commitment to solicit at least ten major gifts before year-end. I know you can do it! 1. … [Read more...]
Talking About the Uncomfortable Subject of Money with Donors
In many cultures -- ours included -- talking about money is taboo. It’s considered impolite to talk about how much you make, how much your home costs, etc. Of course, you can find out some of this information online, but it’s more likely you’d look it up than ask your friend how much they make. Consider the Uncomfortable Subject of … [Read more...]
Fundraising Habits: Can You Really Create New Habits?
According to Mirriam-Webster, a habit is: a settled tendency or usual manner of behavior. Good Habits vs. Bad Habits vs. New Habits I like to think about habits as something a person does regularly without thinking about it. For example, brushing your teeth. Another habit many people have is biting their nails. There are good habits … [Read more...]
Above All, Raising Major Gifts Requires Deadlines and Accountability
Setting goals and meeting them is important -- especially when it comes to major gift fundraising. In fact, I'd argue that it's impossible to raise major gifts well if you don't: Set deadlines Keep yourself accountable Why Accountability Matters -- for ANY Goal In early January, I shared some of my New Year’s Resolutions with my … [Read more...]
Finding Your Courage for Fundraising: Raise a $1 Million Gift
If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about most fundraisers, it would be to give them courage. Courage can be transformational. It takes courage to take bigger risks in fundraising. And many of those bigger risks are well worth taking. Do You Have the Courage to Raise a $1 Million Gift? It's the start of a new year. With … [Read more...]
7 Ways You can Use AI to Boost Your Fundraising Right Now
I recently attended a local fundraising conference and sat in on a session on AI (artificial intelligence). One of the participants raised her hand and said she didn’t understand how AI could help her. She bravely admitted she had never tried ChatGPT. The speakers smartly asked the audience to help give the woman examples of how and when … [Read more...]
#GivingTuesday is Over: 4 Critical Things to Do Next
Hopefully you are breathing a big sigh of relief now that #GivingTuesday is over. So... did you make your #GivingTuesday goal? Please let me know in the comments (at the end of this post). I’d love to know how your nonprofit did compared with your expectations, as well as the effort you put in. If you met or exceed your goal, … [Read more...]
The Most Genuine Way to Ask Nonprofit Donors for Advice
You’ve probably heard the common expression in fundraising: Ask for money, you’ll get advice. Ask for advice, you’ll get money. In other words, if you simply ask for money, you won’t get much more than advice. But if you ask for advice (and engage your donors in the process) you can raise a lot of money. Unfortunately, most … [Read more...]
Raising Major Gifts Takes Accountability: 3 Ways to Stay on Track
Major gift fundraising can be hard for a variety of reasons. One reason is that it’s intimidating to ask for money. And human nature dictates that we delay things we fear. For that reason, major gift fundraising often gets relegated to the bottom of your to do list. Unfortunately, there are no natural deadlines when it comes to raising … [Read more...]
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