I recently interviewed Nick Fitz, CEO of Momentum, because I was blown away by what they do when I saw a demo as few months back. Other than Calendly (which saves me over 100 hours per year), Momentum is the first tech service for major gift fundraisers and executive directors that I’ve been truly excited about. If you're inclined, feel … [Read more...]
Challenge: Double Your Fundraising in the Next 12 Months
Have you ever asked yourself, “What would I do if I could not fail?” I find that question incredibly inspiring. The question has led me to: Write a book (three, actually) Give keynote speeches Run 5K races Build successful businesses Don’t think incrementally -- think BIG! What have you got to lose? Think BIG, but Also Think … [Read more...]
Above All, Raising Major Gifts Requires Deadlines and Accountability
Setting goals and meeting them is important -- especially when it comes to major gift fundraising. In fact, I'd argue that it's impossible to raise major gifts well if you don't: Set deadlines Keep yourself accountable Why Accountability Matters -- for ANY Goal In early January, I shared some of my New Year’s Resolutions with my … [Read more...]
2 Great Ways to Qualify Major Gift Prospects and Narrow Your List
If you're planning to raise major gifts this year or are considering a capital campaign, it's critical to focus on the right donors. You'll be far more strategic (and successful) when you qualify your donors. Qualifying Major Gift Donors is Important! If you’re not sure who your biggest and likeliest prospective donors are, you're likely … [Read more...]
Finding Your Courage for Fundraising: Raise a $1 Million Gift
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...]
The Most Genuine Way to Ask Nonprofit Donors for Advice
You’ve probably heard the common expression in fundraising: Ask for money, you’ll get advice. Ask for advice, you’ll get money. In other words, if you simply ask for money, you won’t get much more than advice. But if you ask for advice (and engage your donors in the process) you can raise a lot of money. Unfortunately, most … [Read more...]
Raising Major Gifts Takes Accountability: 3 Ways to Stay on Track
Major gift fundraising can be hard for a variety of reasons. One reason is that it’s intimidating to ask for money. And human nature dictates that we delay things we fear. For that reason, major gift fundraising often gets relegated to the bottom of your to do list. Unfortunately, there are no natural deadlines when it comes to raising … [Read more...]
Assess Yourself and Your Fundraising: 5 Profound Questions
As we head into the fall fundraising season, I thought it might be interesting to do a personal and professional assessment of where you are and where you'd like to go. There’s no reason to wait until January for New Year’s resolutions -- you can make changes right now. Personal and professional improvement should be ongoing. The good news … [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...]
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