Although I’m not a South Park watcher, a colleague sent me this 35 second video and I immediately thought of the way some nonprofit boards function. Check it out and see how working at a nonprofit can feel a bit like dealing with the Underpants Gnomes. Hey... What's "Phase 2?" These enterprising little guys have a business plan … [Read more...]
Let Board Members Tell Your Story in THEIR Words: The Un-Elevator Pitch
When facilitating a board retreat, there's one question I ask board members more than any other: Why do you give your time, expertise, and finances, (time, talent, treasure) to this organization, when there are so many other worthy organizations out there? Share it with others -- Today’s Tweetable: Have your #nonprofit board … [Read more...]
Lemons to Lemonade: How Your Nonprofit can Overcome Charity Scams
Last week, the Federal Trade Commission revealed the results into their investigation of three bogus cancer “charities,” apparently run by a single family, that were stealing donors' money. As professional fundraisers, we all know that the actions of thieves like this family, coupled with the media attention any scandal attracts, makes it … [Read more...]
Getting Donors to Help with “Chores”: Donor Advice Visits
Now that spring is here, I wanted to clean out my garage. At the same time, I've been working on teaching my ten-year-old son the importance of helping out around the house. Fortunately, I was able to use a tactic I've learned from teaching board members to conduct donor visits and accomplished both at the same time! If you've ever … [Read more...]
Seth Godin on Successful Fundraising (Video Interview)
Seth Godin was one of the featured speakers at the AFP International Conference in Baltimore. He sat down with me for an exclusive interview for my Ask the Fundraising Expert series shortly before he took the stage. Interview Highlights (Transcript) Here are some brief highlights of the interview, but be sure to watch the video for … [Read more...]
How Do You Create Volunteer “Evangelists” for Your Cause?
How do you create a team of volunteer “evangelists,” people who will always come through for you? I was asked this question by a staff member the other day when we were discussing her upcoming board retreat, and I thought it was a great question. Instilling Volunteer Loyalty I recently saw a quick clip of Tom Ahern and Jeff Brooks at a … [Read more...]
Use Board Member Bingo to Make Board Retreats Fun!
Today’s question comes from Margaret, who asks: Amy, I want to hire you as our board retreat facilitator, but I want to make sure you make our retreat is fun and engaging. How can we ensure it’s not boring? Share it with others -- Today’s Tweetable: Use Board Member Bingo to have fun and start discussions at #nonprofit board … [Read more...]
Turn First-Time Donors into Repeat Donors with Board Gratitude
It can be hard to be grateful, especially when you're not raising as much as you wish you were, and when a donor gives less than you think they "should". Frustrations can run high around fundraising. Last week at my AFP Chapter, Jay Love, the Founder and CEO of Bloomerang, spoke about the importance of donor retention. Getting a Second … [Read more...]
Do You Really, Seriously Need a Board Retreat?
This fundraising question comes from Tom, who writes: I can’t convince my ED that we should have a board retreat. Can you help? Share it with others -- Today’s Tweetable: Schedule a #nonprofit board retreat today to focus on team building, planning, and #fundraising! @amyeisenstein Video Transcript Yes, Tom! I can … [Read more...]
Nonprofits by the Numbers: How Many Board Members and Boards?
I recently fielded a couple questions on my blog from Tonya. She wanted to know: How many board members should you have on your nonprofit board? How many different nonprofit boards should you have? For example, an Executive Board and a Fundraising Board. These are both great questions -- and ones I’ve been asked many times … [Read more...]
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