Now that the Major Gifts Challenge has officially come to an end, it's time to think about the significance of year-end giving to your organization. If you’re like most organizations, you might get 40% or more of your total fundraising revenue in the last few weeks of the year. That’s a HUGE deal. So what are you going to do differently this … [Read more...]
How to Set Your Major Gift Fundraising Goal for Each Year
As we wind down the Major Gifts Challenge, it's important to consider the best way to set your major gift goals going forward. Some organizations use last year's results to set the next year's goal, but that's not always a good idea because year-to-year totals can swing wildly depending on all sorts of circumstances. This is particularly … [Read more...]
How to Thank Your Donors: Stop Focusing on the Money!
Before you can ask for a major gift, you need to focus on gratitude. Stop thinking of your donors as ATM machines and really focus on them as people. Think about what they do for your organization. They don’t simply give money. They save lives. They feed the hungry and house the homeless. They educate children. They help cure … [Read more...]
Exceed Your Fundraising Goals in the New Year
Are you prepared to fundraise in the New Year? Will you meet, or even exceed, last year's fundraising goals? How much more could you raise with a few changes to your plan? Follow these 10 steps and I guarantee you’ll leave last year in the dust. 1. Start by setting some goals. As the saying goes, if you don’t know where you’re … [Read more...]
8 Simple Steps to Create an Outstanding Development Office
Whether it’s your first day on the job at a new organization, or you’ve been at your organization for many years, you’re reading this because you want guidance on how to get your development shop off on the right footing, or significantly improve an existing one. If you fall into the latter category, do not despair! It’s never too late to … [Read more...]
A New Resource for Donor-Centered Planned Giving
As a consultant, I try to stress the importance of having a planned giving program to all of my clients, regardless of the size or capacity of the nonprofit I’m working with. However, other priorities often get moved to the top of the list and planned giving gets moved to the back burner. But it doesn't have to... Looking at Planned Giving … [Read more...]
Creating a 60 Day Fundraising Plan: Days 31-60
To get your year off to a strong start, I've prepared a 60 Day Fundraising Plan to ensure your fundraising efforts are successful. Having a fundraising plan in place is critical to your success. Missed the first two posts in this series? Go back and check them out: Creating a 60 Day Fundraising Plan: Days 1-15 Creating a 60 Day Fundraising … [Read more...]
Creating a 60 Day Fundraising Plan: Days 16-30
Missed days 1 through 15? Check it out here: Creating a 60 Day Fundraising Plan: Days 1-15 Creating a Fundraising Plan: Days 1-15 (Recap) By now you should have identified your best donors, including your largest and your most loyal donors. Using those lists, your next step was to create a combined list of your top prospective donors … [Read more...]
Creating a 60 Day Fundraising Plan: Days 1-15
A friend and colleague, who happens to be the new executive director of a nonprofit that's in financial trouble, called me and asked me to help him develop an "emergency" 60 day fundraising plan. The board hired him, in part, because the organization is in trouble and he’s going to try to turn things around. Hopefully you're not in as dire … [Read more...]
Why You Should Set Fundraising Goals for the New Year
With the end of the year so rapidly approaching, it's the perfect time to think about your accomplishments as well as the things you wish you had done differently this past year. In order to be more successful in the new year than we were in the previous year, it's essential to reflect on what worked and what didn't work. But the most … [Read more...]
