Have you ever asked someone for a major gift and they said "No"? I have, and it’s not nearly as much fun as when your donor says yes. However, "No" is an answer you need to be prepared for if you’re going to be a successful major gift fundraiser. You know the saying, if you’re not getting any no’s, you’re probably not asking enough. … [Read more...]

Video Transcript As you may know, there’s an overused expression in fundraising which goes: Ask for money and you’ll get advice and ask for advice and you’ll get money. I don’t love the expression, but its underlying message is important. It reminds us that it’s important to build relationships with donors before they invest, and one … [Read more...]

Last week I was speaking to a group of fundraisers in Erie, PA and one of them said: What you’re teaching is ‘old school.’ If you cultivate a person well, they’ll make a gift on their own. They don’t need to be asked. To put this in some context, we were talking about raising major gifts. One of his donors whom he knew quite well, kindly … [Read more...]

Video Transcript Today’s question comes from Jon, an executive director at a health foundation. Jon asks: “What can we do to secure a visit? That’s our greatest challenge.” I love this topic, because fundraising is about relationships. And, if you can’t get a visit or “get your foot in the door,” you certainly can’t build a … [Read more...]