Every day there are hundreds of opportunities to be optimistic or pessimistic ... to see the glass half full or half empty. If you are aware of your attitude and general demeanor, you can train yourself to be more optimistic than you are now, and it can really help your fundraising results. Is the Glass Half-Empty or … [Read more...]
Question: Should You Ask for a Gift on a First Visit with a Donor?
One of the questions I'm repeatedly asked is: Can I Ask for a Major Gift on the First Visit? This reminds of when I was a child and I would ask for something -- and my father would quickly correct my grammar -- you CAN, but you MAY NOT. As a child, I would sometimes ask something like, “Can I have a pet snake?” His immediate response … [Read more...]
Tales from the Crypt: Dead People Are Better Donors than Corporations
Today’s title might suggest morbidity, but actually it’s a tale of profitability. It’s a story about what happens to a donor’s money that isn’t spent during their lifetime. Let me start at the beginning. Dead People Give More than Corporations I get a lot of email from nonprofit consultants and professionals. My colleague, Carol … [Read more...]
3 Steps to Overcome Your Fear of Asking for Money
Are you afraid of asking for money? If so, this video is for you! This is a “from memory” summary of what’s in today’s video, not a complete transcription. So skim the text and watch the 8-minute video above for every tip and tidbit of information on the topic. The Fear of Asking for Money is Common Before I speak at a conference, … [Read more...]
Are You Using Donor Repellent? Don’t Make this Mistake with Your Messaging!
Donor Repellent ... you don’t want spray that on your donors! There’s one message that emits Donor Repellent big time, more than anything else. You’ll want to avoid that message, since attracting donors (not repelling donors) is your job. Desperation = Donor Repellent The Donor Repellent message is desperation. It’s easy to mistakenly … [Read more...]
5 Ways to Celebrate Your Donors on Valentine’s Day
Nothing says love more than Valentine’s Day. So why not take some extra time this month to tell your donors how you feel about them? Shoot a few arrows of gratitude from your quiver of thankfulness! 5 Ways to Show Donors You Care You’ll want to avoid cliché things like sending flowers and chocolates, but there are other great ways which … [Read more...]
Cracking the Donor Code: 4 Factors that Guide Donor Actions
Up close and personal -- that’s the nature of finding major gift donors. That may feel uncomfortable to you and your potential donor. That explains why donors can seem mysterious and elusive. You can break through the mystery by understanding some fairly universal principles that guide their actions. To accomplish your major gift goals, you … [Read more...]
How to Prime Your Donors for the Ask with the Jedi Mind Trick
Let me be honest. Its no secret -- asking for a major gift is ... scary. It’s one of the biggest challenges fundraisers face. It’s a personal question which enters what is considered a taboo area of conversation -- someone else’s money. Even after years of experience, every donor conversation is personal and therefore different. There’s … [Read more...]
Storytelling 101 for Fundraisers: Interview with Lori Jacobwith
Lori Jacobwith is a master storyteller and fundraiser, and the founder of Ignited Fundraising. In this interview, Lori shares her storytelling techniques and explains how they can help you raise more money. This video is sponsored by Bloomerang. Help yourself to free fundraising resources including educational webinars, assessments … [Read more...]
Winners of the Mastering Major Gifts Scholarship (Jan 2018)
Mastering Major Gifts is currently open for enrollment! First Things First... Are you ready take your fundraising success to the next level? Here’s what I’m going to share today: The two winners of the Mastering Major Gifts scholarship giveaway Why I decided to launch Mastering Major Gifts in the first place What Mastering Major Gifts … [Read more...]
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