For many years, I wrote and spoke about the fundraising cycle. You know, identify donors, cultivate, solicit, and steward them. Start again, and round and round you go. But that’s not how real relationships work. Relationships evolve over time. So to be honest, a cycle doesn’t exactly make sense. Consider Donor Relationships on a … [Read more...]
Learn to Raise Major Gifts: A Better Way (That Actually Works)
You’ve probably attended conferences and webinars, and maybe you’ve even read some books on how to raise major gifts. You understand the concepts but implementing them is hard. You’re still nervous about meeting with donors and asking for advice -- and for gifts. And you’re not having much luck getting meetings anyway. If that sounds … [Read more...]
8 Questions to Answer Before Year-End Giving
Are you prepared to receive your share of the millions (billions) of dollars that will be donated to charities over the next few months? Midsummer is always a good time to begin planning for year-end giving. Take a look back and honestly assess what you've done so far this year to prepare. If you’re off track, you’ve got nearly six months … [Read more...]
Challenge: Double Your Fundraising in the Next 12 Months
Have you ever asked yourself, “What would I do if I could not fail?” I find that question incredibly inspiring. The question has led me to: Write a book (three, actually) Give keynote speeches Run 5K races Build successful businesses Don’t think incrementally -- think BIG! What have you got to lose? Think BIG, but Also Think … [Read more...]
Time for a Nonprofit Leadership Retreat? Lead With SWOT
Is it time for your nonprofit's leadership to have a retreat? Ideally, you ought to have a leadership retreat annually. The team at Capital Campaign Pro is preparing for a three-day retreat in NYC. For several weeks leading up to the retreat, we wrestled with how it should be structured, who should facilitate, and more. We started with … [Read more...]
The Future of Fundraising: Should You Be Concerned or Optimistic?
An upcoming speaking engagement has gotten me thinking about the future of fundraising. I’m guessing you’re thinking about it too. If you're paying attention to statistics on giving trends, you’re probably discouraged. The number of donors, dollars, and donor retention rates have trended down every year for nearly a decade. Reasons to … [Read more...]
A Surefire Way to Raise More Than You Ever Imagined
There’s one surefire way to raise more money than you ever imagined for your organization. It’s not simple or quick or easy, but it’s practically guaranteed. The surefire way to raise more than you ever imagined is through the power of a capital campaign. Capital campaigns are magical because they require nonprofit leaders to implement … [Read more...]
Top 6 Reasons for Your Nonprofit to Have a Board Retreat this Year
Does your organization hold an annual retreat for board members? And, if you do have an annual retreat, is fundraising on the agenda? Why Should Your Nonprofit Have a Board Retreat? Board retreats serve many purposes: Team building Strategic planning Deep thinking Training opportunities (particularly fundraising) Generating … [Read more...]
7 Ways You can Use AI to Boost Your Fundraising Right Now
I recently attended a local fundraising conference and sat in on a session on AI (artificial intelligence). One of the participants raised her hand and said she didn’t understand how AI could help her. She bravely admitted she had never tried ChatGPT. The speakers smartly asked the audience to help give the woman examples of how and when … [Read more...]
How to Hire a Great Consultant for Your Nonprofit
As a fundraising consultant, I often sit across from nonprofit leaders, staff, and board members, who are struggling to determine whether to hire Capital Campaign Pro (my capital campaign consulting firm), another consultant, or no one (i.e., do it themselves). Luckily, sitting on a nonprofit board enables me to get a sneak peek at the … [Read more...]
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