Recently I was on a coaching call with a new client who doesn’t have experience raising major gifts. We discussed his plans for raising money from individual donors before year end. His idea was to call as many businesses as possible to “get meetings,” then tell them about all the amazing work his organization was doing, and then ask for a … [Read more...]
A Capital Campaign Tool You Can Use to Raise Major Gifts
The most important capital campaign tool is the gift range chart. This chart demonstrates how many gifts (and donors, and prospective donors) at each level (amount) it will take a reach your goal. Traditionally this tool has been used exclusively for capital campaigns, but the principles apply equally to raising major gifts for your annual … [Read more...]
3 “Non-Risk” Risks for the Fearful Fundraiser
Are you risk-averse? If trying something new gives you butterflies in your stomach and stops you in your tracks, you're likely risk-averse. Many fundraiser's are. Some people have an immediate and negative reaction to trying new things. And sometimes, their cautious natures are warranted. But often they’re not. So when Seth Godin … [Read more...]
An Effective Major Gifts Plan Template: Just 4 Simple Steps
I’m regularly asked for a major gifts plan template. Over the years, I’ve worked to refine the process and make it as simple as possible. Here’s a major gift plan template broken down into 4 steps: Major Gifts Plan Template in 4 Steps Identify the best prospective donors for your organization. Build relationships with those donors and … [Read more...]
The Minimalist Guide to Planned Giving: Just 3 Simple Steps
The very idea of planned giving can seem overwhelming. Complicated new tax laws, combined with unfamiliar acronyms like CRAT and CRUT, not to mention strange sounding vehicles like Charitable Gift Annuities… it’s enough to make your head spin! And that just scratches the surface. Planned Giving Can Make Your Head Spin There are so many … [Read more...]
4 Unquestionable Major Gift Fundraising Metrics to Accelerate Your Program
You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, you won’t know when you’ve arrived.” And that holds doubly true when raising major gifts. In order to accelerate your major gift fundraising program, it’s essential to define what a major gift is at your organization (no, it's not the same at every organization) and … [Read more...]
How to Listen Your Way to Raising a Major Gift by Asking for Advice
There’s a popular expression in fundraising: Ask for money and you’ll get advice, but ask for advice and you’ll get money. The expression is a euphemism for “getting to know your donors.” It reminds us not to ask too soon. In other words, if you ask for money right away, you might get an earful -- the donor will tell you all the reasons … [Read more...]
Misconceptions: Annual Fund vs. Capital Campaign, Restricted Gifts vs. Unrestricted Gifts
The other day, a client asked if the major gifts she raises should count toward her annual fund goal. At first, I was confused by her question. But it reinforced one of the more common misconceptions about raising major gifts. Common Misconceptions About Raising Major Gifts It turns out that the woman who wondered whether major gifts … [Read more...]
Women Fundraisers: You’re Just One Ask Away from Raising Major Gifts
Attention Women Fundraisers! You CAN raise major gifts! I know this because I’ve seen it... again, and again and again. One Ask is All it Takes... Recently I consulted with a woman named Mary. Although she has been the director of development at her organization for four years, she had never asked for a major gift. And even though … [Read more...]
9 Ways to Engage and Motivate Your Board Members to Raise Money
Recently I provided a webinar for Candid (formerly GuideStar and the Foundation Center) called, How to Engage Board Members in Fundraising in 15 Minutes per Month (recording available here). There were a number of great questions at the end of the webinar. I promised the attendees I would respond in a blog post. This is that post, and I … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- …
- 20
- Next Page »
