This week is the Association of Fundraising Professionals' International Conference (aka AFP-ICON). I’ve attended this conference every year for over a decade, in addition to speaking nearly every year. While many of us (loyal attendees) had hoped this year’s conference would be in-person, it is fully virtual for a second year due to the … [Read more...]
Managing Up, Down, and Sideways: 3 Ways to Lead a Fundraising Team
As a development director, you may be in the uncomfortable position of managing up, down, and sideways. It takes a lot of effort to get everyone rowing in the same direction when it comes to fundraising. After all, fundraising is a team sport -- or, at least, it should be. Unfortunately, many people on nonprofit leadership teams try to … [Read more...]
How to Experience the True Joy of Fundraising
There are a lot of negative connotations associated with fundraising. And that strips it of the natural joy you should be getting as you're working so hard to make the world a better place. Negative Fundraising Language vs. Positive Fundraising Language One of the strategies I often use when facilitating a board retreat is to ask board … [Read more...]
Raise More by Asking for Two Gifts at Once
Has your organization received any planned gifts this year? If so, it just might be thanks to the hard work of one of your predecessors. The Smartest Fundraisers Ask for Two Gifts at Once Back when I started fundraising, big organizations had different staff members who were responsible for raising major gifts and others who solicited … [Read more...]
How to Ask Donors for a Gift: 4 Powerfully Authentic Scripts
One of the most terrifying moments for most fundraisers (staff members and volunteers) is asking for a gift. And yet, every fundraiser must request specific gifts if they are going to raise significant amounts of funding. Sometimes simply finding the right language for the right situation makes everything flow together. Before you ask … [Read more...]
Fundraising Fundamentals: Major Gift Basics – Do You Do These 4 Things?
Recently I presented a webinar on how to raise major gifts during a pandemic. With nearly 500 people on the call, there was a wide range of experience and expertise among participants. And yet, after teaching major gift fundraising for more than a decade, people of all experience levels are most grateful when I review the fundamentals. This … [Read more...]
Modern Day Storytelling is Driving Changes to Nonprofit Fundraising
From time to time, I like to share a different voice, perspective, and expertise on my blog. Storytelling is such an integral part of fundraising, so I turned to my colleague, Ephriam Gopin, for some words of wisdom. For those unfamiliar with his work, Ephriam is a nonprofit fundraising and marketing expert from 1832 … [Read more...]
Back to Basics: 8 Fundraising Essentials to Live By During a Pandemic
We're coming up on one year since the WHO declared COVID-19 a worldwide pandemic. This past year has shown us, in an outsized way, that the basics of fundraising are still essential for success. Therefore, below is a list of my best “essential” reminders of what you should be doing to raise money right now -- pandemic or not. Back to … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Completely Sabotage a Major Gift
Most fundraisers, executive directors, CEOs, and board members are scared to death of sabotaging a major gift. So rather than taking the risk of asking for a gift, they often avoid asking at all costs. Of course, that’s the biggest risk of all -- not asking! The reality is that the fear of sabotaging a major gift is much greater than … [Read more...]
Virtual Solicitation Done Right: How to Ask for Donations via Zoom
For the first few months of the Covid-19 crisis, I felt like my primary responsibility was getting on the phone with hesitant CEO’s and Board Members and trying to convince them that asking during Covid wasn’t a bad idea. In other words, I was shouting for anyone who would listen that this was actually a good, and appropriate, time to be … [Read more...]
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