If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about most fundraisers, it would be to give them courage. Courage can be transformational. It takes courage to take bigger risks in fundraising. And many of those bigger risks are well worth taking. Do You Have the Courage to Raise a $1 Million Gift? It's the start of a new year. With … [Read more...]
#GivingTuesday is Over: 4 Critical Things to Do Next
Hopefully you are breathing a big sigh of relief now that #GivingTuesday is over. So... did you make your #GivingTuesday goal? Please let me know in the comments (at the end of this post). I’d love to know how your nonprofit did compared with your expectations, as well as the effort you put in. If you met or exceed your goal, … [Read more...]
12 Ways to Become a Better Listener and Raise Larger Gifts
Becoming a better listener and knowing when to stop talking are essential skills for effective communication and fundraising. It’s always a good idea to work on self-improvement. I’ve been surprised recently in meetings where senior level colleagues couldn’t seem to stop talking. In other words, they didn’t listen well. Yet, I’m sure they … [Read more...]
Eat Your Frog Yet? 2 Ways to Keep Up with Raising Major Gifts
Has keeping up with the raising major gifts been a challenge for you this year? If so, you’re not alone. But if you’re serious about raising major gifts this year, now is the perfect time to recommit with everything you've got. Now is the Perfect Time to Recommit We're about to round the corner as we head toward the fall and therefore, … [Read more...]
Exercise at Work? Walking Your Way to Raising Major Gifts
Last week, my partner at Capital Campaign Pro, Andrea Kihlstedt, and I went to Maine on a planning retreat. We walked, thought, and talked our way to a breakthrough. The change of scenery and change of pace got us out of our “heads” and out of our routine, and therefore allowed the ideas to flow. Sometimes sitting at your desk can be … [Read more...]
7 Personal Pet Peeves that Are Undermining Your Fundraising
After working with nonprofit leaders for more than two decades, there are patterns and bad habits I see over and over. Through the years, these frequent fundraising mistakes have turned into my personal pet peeves. It drives me crazy when I see fundraisers doing them because I know how much it undermines their efforts. If you really want to … [Read more...]
5 Simple Ways to Thank Donors AND Raise More Money
Donors are far more likely to make a subsequent gift to an organization when they feel appreciated. Which begs the question: What are you doing to make absolute sure your donors feel appreciated? Acquiring New Donors Costs More Money It costs significantly more money to acquire new donors than to keep your old ones. And donors who have … [Read more...]
Help Your Executive Director Embrace Their Role in Raising Major Gifts
Executive Directors have unique roles to play when it comes to raising major gifts. It’s not a role they can hand off to a Director of Development. It’s not a role a board member can play. It’s a role uniquely held by the CEO at your organization. Think about a leader or a boss you’ve been excited to follow. That’s the kind of person who … [Read more...]
Asking for a Gift: When Does “No” Truly Mean “No”?
You're finally ready to ask a prospective donor for a gift... You've prepared. You've practiced. You've overcome your fear of asking a donor for a gift. So you make the ask, wait patiently for a response, and the person says, “No.” Your heart sinks. When a Donor Says "No" How do you know when a donor says “no” that it really … [Read more...]
3 Reasons Setting Goals Will Help You Raise Major Gifts
Major gift fundraising is a crucial component of any nonprofit organization's revenue stream, and setting goals is a vital part of ensuring the success of a major gift fundraising effort. If you are like many other fundraisers, you may have general fundraising goals, but are less likely to have major gift goals specifically. Having … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- …
- 20
- Next Page »
