Fall fundraising season is heating up. It’s normally the time nonprofits raise more than the rest of the year combined. But as the markets falter and uncertainty creeps in, you and your donors may be facing increasing anxiety about the economy. Relax -- you've got this. 8 Ways to Raise Money in ANY Enconomy If you're worried about the … [Read more...]
7 Things You Learned in Kindergarten that Apply to Fundraising
Robert Fulghum’s bestselling book, All I really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten, is close to 40 years old and is still as relevant as it was when it was written. Many of the credos below, which I’ve taken directly from Fulghum’s book, can be applied to fundraising. As the fall fundraising season gears into full swing, I thought it … [Read more...]
How to Create a Development Plan that Catapults Your Fundraising
I often remind people of the definition of insanity -- doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. What are you going to do differently down the road to try to raise more money for your cause? You must have a development plan for your nonprofit. And if you already have one, you should take the time to reevaluate and … [Read more...]
5 Times I Was Wrong About My Approach to Fundraising
The first decade of my fundraising career, I made many mistakes. Of course, mistakes aren’t necessarily bad if you take the opportunity to learn from them. Fortunately, I’m older and wiser now, and I hope you can learn from my own missteps. After 25 years of fundraising, I’ve learned a lot and am happy to pass along these tidbits to you. … [Read more...]
How Nonprofit Executive Directors Should Support their Development Director
Occasionally I like to share different perspectives on my blog. For this post, I connected with Canadian colleague Larissa Stoddart, Founder and CEO of Growth & Co., for her insights on effective nonprofit leadership. Executive Director and Development Director: A Critical Relationship AE: Larissa, let’s start with a relatively easy topic. … [Read more...]
Fundraising is Not Always Fun: 7 Strategies to Help You Cope
You don’t need me to tell you that fundraising isn’t always fun. Sadly, many fundraisers are miserable at work. I hope you’re not one of the miserable ones, but I imagine your days aren’t constantly filled with joy either. I know fundraising can be a drag, which is why I’ve written several posts over the years about putting the fun back in … [Read more...]
6 Nuggets of Fundraising Wisdom I Wish Someone Shared With Me
It feels like yesterday that I was the youngest professional in the room. But the reality is that that’s not been the case for many, many years. In fact, today I’m probably closer to the end of my career than the start of it. As I look back, there are a number of "life lessons" I picked up through personal experience that I wish someone had … [Read more...]
3 Simple Steps to Turn Your Volunteers into Fundraisers
One of the biggest challenges for many nonprofit organizations these days is how to efficiently and effectively use their volunteers as fundraisers. I've been asked to speak on this specific topic many times to help organizations that are struggling with this issue. Fundraising should always be a team effort. It's rarely accomplished by … [Read more...]
6 Ways to Thank Donors Virtually and Really Stand Out
Recently I was leading a training on raising major gifts and one of the participants asked how she could steward donors virtually. It got me thinking about why stewardship is important and why you should think outside the box when following up with donors after they make a gift. The Importance of Stewardship Stewardship is the fourth and … [Read more...]
3 Reasons to Start a Capital Campaign Now and How to Get Started
Nearly every nonprofit should embark on a capital campaign at least once every ten years. If your organization hasn’t had a campaign in the last decade, it’s time to start planning one today. You know the expression: If you’re not growing, you’re dying. It's a cliché, but it's also true. If you haven’t accomplished your mission, it’s … [Read more...]
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