Asking for donations with ease... it sounds too good to be true, right? After all, asking for a gift is the most feared part of fundraising. Most development directors and executive directors I’ve met are afraid to ask. And I’d guess you’re (at least a little) afraid to ask, too. But in addition to being the most feared part of … [Read more...]
5 Things You Can Do NOW to Prepare for Year-End Giving
The time for year-end giving (i.e., fall fundraising) seems to come faster and faster each year. Back to school shopping ends and Halloween decorations line the aisles of your favorite stores. If you wait until Halloween rolls around, you'll have waited too long. So, carpe diam -- seize the day! The reason it’s so important to prepare … [Read more...]
How Nonprofits and Donors can Build Epic Partnerships: Unicorns Unite!
There’s a new book out called, Unicorns Unite: How Nonprofits and Foundations Can Build Epic Partnerships. It’s by Jessamyn Shams-Lau, Jane Leu, and Vu Le. I’ve swapped out one word in the subtitle of the book ("foundations" for "donors") for the title of this post and identified my "lessons learned" from this insightful and fun book … [Read more...]
How to Measure and Communicate Fundraising Effectiveness: Interview with Andy Davis
Not sure how to measure fundraising effectiveness? Take a few tips from Andy Davis, the director of education at BoardSource. In this interview, Andy explains how to discuss the cost to raise a dollar with your board members and how to steer the conversation with your donors from costs to impact. 3 Keys to Measure Fundraising … [Read more...]
5 Stellar Ways to Engage Your Nonprofit Board in Fundraising
You may have recently received emails from an organization promoting the idea that board members don’t need to help raise money. You know the old adage, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That stands to reason in this case. So, if you’ve been pulled in by their shenanigans, I may have a bridge I want to sell you. On a … [Read more...]
4 Fundraising Lessons Learned from a Mangy Fox
There’s a sickly fox in my neighborhood. He has a bad case mange (or so I’m told) and is clearly starving. I don’t live in a rural area or near any woods, so I wonder... what’s he doing here? This poor little fox... lost, confused, looking for food. I’ve seen him on my street three times this week. There Goes the Neighborhood There’s a … [Read more...]
Spend Time Actually PLANNING to Raise More Money for Your Cause
In many development offices, staff are on a never-ending hamster wheel -- running from grant deadline to grant deadline, from one event to the next, and juggling direct mail deadlines, too. It’s a hectic and harried environment. Between deadlines, you’re expected to raise major gifts, put out fires, send thank you letters, and so much … [Read more...]
New AFP President and CEO Shares 5 Key Goals: Interview with Mike Geiger
Meet Mike Geiger, the new President and CEO of AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals), arguably the most important organization in our sector. In this interview, Mike shares his vision for AFP, as well as his top priorities for his first year on the job. Interview Highlights Below I've posted the highlights of my … [Read more...]
3 Website Tweaks to Improve Your Donor Retention: Interview with Jay Wilkinson
I had the opportunity to interview Jay Wilkinson of Firespring. Jay's expertise revolves around donor retention and, in particular, what people can do to improve their online presence. In this interview, Jay shares 3 simple but effective website tweaks to to help you retain donors, as well as more insights regarding donor … [Read more...]
The ABC’s of Identifying Major Donors: Access, Belief, Capacity — and Generosity?
If you are responsible for major gift fundraising, one of your important tasks is to identify prospective major gift donors. In other words, you need to discover those people who are most likely to give major gifts to your organization. Frequently, development professionals will call me in search of “new” potential prospects for major … [Read more...]
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