Nonprofit organizations often list their board members on their official letterhead. On the surface, this seems like a very minor thing. But as you dig deeper, it can cause a few hiccups when generating appeal letters, gift acknowledgements, and other types of communications. Legendary direct response fundraiser Mal Warwick has [...]
There are a lot of strategies out there about the best ways to begin a new capital campaign. And because no two campaigns are exactly the same, it can be difficult to find information and best-practices that fit your unique scenario. Generis, a consultant group specializing in helping faith-based [...]
A few months ago I participated in a local blood drive through the American Red Cross. I honestly haven't done this very often, so I was excited to participate. My time giving blood was pretty standard, but the way the Red Cross followed up with me has left a lasting [...]
Below are 6 “lies” that I’ve seen in action at different small-shop nonprofits in one form or another. Can you identify with any of these? 1. “My board members know best how to fundraise.” Board members are a great and necessary part of a successful nonprofit. However, sometimes they [...]
In any area of life, it's important to teach young people the values that are important to you. In today’s culture, I have found that it can be difficult to teach children the values of giving and philanthropy. As kids turn to adulthood, the idea of giving time, talent, and [...]
Will you allow me to vent for a second? I was on a nonprofit’s website this week that uses an acronym in their name. I searched for 10 minutes on the website and never found what the letters stand for. At first, I felt silly. Then, I grew frustrated. Be [...]
It’s already hard enough to get your constituents to read and interact your emails. But don’t make it harder by not giving them a reason to open your emails in the first place. […]
One of our employees tells a story about the lessons he learned buying fundraising software while working at a nonprofit organization. One of his board members recommended a software solution, so they unquestioningly bought it. They figured, why shouldn’t the nonprofit team trust one of their own to know what [...]
June 30 is fast approaching – and for many nonprofits, this marks the end of another fiscal year. […]
It is May in Indianapolis, which means much attention will turn to the biggest single-day sporting event in the world: the Indianapolis 500! […]
There is a proven correlation between volunteering and donating. One study found that on average, volunteers donate ten times more than non-volunteers. In addition, nearly 70% of folks surveyed said they donate to the organization for which they volunteer. But how do you convert your volunteers into donors for your [...]
If you’re familiar with Bloomerang, you probably already know about the software’s focus on donor retention and donor engagement. When you combine that with its affordability, ease of use, expert product advisers and the fact that it’s recommended by hundreds of nonprofit consultants and support service providers, one could make [...]