Stewardship is the fourth and final stage of the fundraising cycle. (Step 1 is Donor Identification, Step 2 is Cultivation and Step 3 is Solicitation.) What is Stewardship? Everything that happens after a gift is made is a part of stewardship. In other words, all forms of expressing gratitude and letting the donor know how their gift was … [Read more...]
Raising Major Gifts Post-COVID – Part 2: Cultivation
This is part two of my “back to basics” series on how to raise major gifts during Covid and beyond. Part one looked at donor identification (step 1 in the fundraising cycle). Remember, there are four steps in the fundraising cycle: Identification – Who you will raise money from Cultivation – Building relationships with potential … [Read more...]
Raising Major Gifts Post-COVID – Part 1: Donor Identification
Over the years, I’ve written a lot about how to raise major gifts, but it's been a long time since I’ve gotten back to basics. As the pandemic is winds down, it's helpful to consider how things have changed as we review the basics. With that in mind, here’s part one of a 4-part series on how to raise major gifts in a post-pandemic … [Read more...]
4 Steps to Raising Major Gifts: Tried-and-True for Over a Decade
Recently, I went back and revisited this old post from a decade ago to see if my thoughts had changed. This 2011 post about how to raise money from individual donors is something I’ve been teaching, writing, and speaking about for more than 10 years since its original publication date. The original post began with a statistic from Giving … [Read more...]
Christmas in July: The Best Time to Prepare for Year-End Fundraising
If your fiscal year ended on June 30th, as is the case with many nonprofits, you may be taking a well-deserved week off after closing out your “year-end” last week. And after some much-needed rest and relaxation, it’s time to start planning for the calendar year-end (regardless of when your fiscal year-end is). 3 Steps to Prepare for … [Read more...]
How to Experience the True Joy of Fundraising
There are a lot of negative connotations associated with fundraising. And that strips it of the natural joy you should be getting as you're working so hard to make the world a better place. Negative Fundraising Language vs. Positive Fundraising Language One of the strategies I often use when facilitating a board retreat is to ask board … [Read more...]
Raise More by Asking for Two Gifts at Once
Has your organization received any planned gifts this year? If so, it just might be thanks to the hard work of one of your predecessors. The Smartest Fundraisers Ask for Two Gifts at Once Back when I started fundraising, big organizations had different staff members who were responsible for raising major gifts and others who solicited … [Read more...]
How to Ask Donors for a Gift: 4 Powerfully Authentic Scripts
One of the most terrifying moments for most fundraisers (staff members and volunteers) is asking for a gift. And yet, every fundraiser must request specific gifts if they are going to raise significant amounts of funding. Sometimes simply finding the right language for the right situation makes everything flow together. Before you ask … [Read more...]
Raise Millions, Even in Poor Areas: Tips from Sabrina Hernandez Walker
Sabrina Hernandez Walker raised millions of dollars for her Boys and Girls Club in the 3rd poorest county in the USA. If she can do it, so can you! I invited her to share her journey with you. Raising Millions: Building Relationships is Key Amy Eisenstein (AE) -- Sabrina, please paint a picture of the Boys and Girls Club when you first … [Read more...]
Fundraising Fundamentals: Major Gift Basics – Do You Do These 4 Things?
Recently I presented a webinar on how to raise major gifts during a pandemic. With nearly 500 people on the call, there was a wide range of experience and expertise among participants. And yet, after teaching major gift fundraising for more than a decade, people of all experience levels are most grateful when I review the fundamentals. This … [Read more...]
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