Is your board engaged in fundraising? I speak across the country at fundraising conferences, training fundraisers and doing board retreats. When I ask audiences that question, I rarely get a positive response. Last week I was coaching a client who confessed, “Everything you said NOT to do is exactly what [...]
The recently released 2019 M+R Benchmarks Study – their annual comprehensive report for online giving -- gives you all the online fundraising benchmarks you need to know to measure your results against other nonprofits, get insights into trends and begin to plan for a future where you know one thing [...]
Co-dependency is such an ugly term. Yet, a pleaser is often one-half of a co-dependent team. The one who accommodates, and the one who does their best to smooth things over, placate, please, and keep the peace. If you are a pleaser fundraiser at work, you may have internalized some [...]
In this webinar, Mazarine Treyz will highlight some ways to get unstuck and improve your employee retention rates, even when you’re strapped for time, money and bodies. Full Transcript: Steven: All right, Mazarine. My watch just struck two o'clock. Is it okay if I go ahead and get this party [...]
In my last post “Get a GRPI to Improve Your Nonprofit Team,” we discussed how using a Six Sigma tool called a GRPI (which is an acronym for Goals, Roles, Processes and Interpersonal Relationships) can be used to increase the effectiveness of non-profit teams. Today, let’s add more letters to [...]
Successful nonprofit events -- fundraising events, galas, friendraisers, 2-for-1 kitten adoption meetups -- can be great ways to boost awareness of a nonprofit’s mission, recruit new members/donors/directors, and supplement direct fundraising efforts. But they can also be expensive, time-consuming, and more cost than benefit if attendance and engagement are poor. [...]
Nonprofits tend to wring their hands a lot about fundraising. We don’t have enough. It’s so difficult. Our board won’t help. Our staff isn’t sufficiently skilled. It’s so distasteful. It’s a necessary evil. We have more important things to do with our resources. All of this hand-wringing comes from a [...]
Have you ever met a pleaser, or worked for one? What is a pleaser? A pleaser is someone who: Has a hard time saying no, so you can’t trust their yes. Will give and give instead of setting good boundaries. Will say “oh, sure, do what you want” and that’s [...]
Alfie Kohn, the awesome education and parenting expert says this over and over as a sort of golden rule of parenting. I would argue that it’s great advice for any person in any relationship, but especially for fundraisers looking to connect with donors. When you’re talking, you’re focused on yourself, [...]
In this webinar, Robin L. Cabral, CFRE will provide simple steps into developing a framework for your calendar-year end fundraising campaign to help raise even more contributed income this year towards your mission than ever before. Full Transcript: Steven: All right, Robin, is it okay if I go ahead, get [...]
Does end of year fundraising seem a million miles away? Let’s face it, there’s a lot to get right. Smart fundraisers just like you are planning now to ensure an epic year end. I’m here to make it easier with some quick wins to boost online giving. But first, the [...]
Often when I ask folks what their needs and fundraising plan are, I’ll hear: “We need to raise more. With more money we could do so much more.” That’s not a fundraising plan. It’s hopeful thinking. And while I’ve nothing against feeling hopeful, you know the old saying: “If wishes [...]