In today's digital-dominated world, personal touches like handwritten notes and phone calls can break through the noise. Though mostly anecdotal, top fundraisers and consultants have espoused the power of such personal touches, particularly the use of the phone. We even have some data to back it up: McConkey-Johnston International in [...]
Each quarter the Fundraising Effectiveness Project releases their latest findings from billions of dollars donated through the participating donor database companies providing anonymous data from the majority of their customers. This allows the philanthropy world to establish metrics in a similar fashion to all of the key industries within the [...]
It does you no good to drive folks to your website… have them follow you on social media… or even hear about you in the news – unless they take an action that furthers your mission. Trust me, I know. At one nonprofit where I worked we asked folks to [...]
It's late June, which in the philanthropy world always means the release of the latest Giving USA report. The report estimates total giving in the United States based upon a multitude of sources. It is the oldest and most referenced barometer on the state of the charitable sector's health. The [...]
Do you have a background in finance? Me neither. What’s funny is that I wasn’t a person who loved data and numbers until I entered the nonprofit world. Much to my surprise I now live, eat, and breath numbers every day. I’m a disciplined person by nature, and I suppose [...]
Evidence is piling up from more than one source in the world of philanthropy regarding the reduction in small and medium-sized gifts. In the past year, both Giving USA and the Fundraising Effectiveness Project report have reported that the level of giving from small and medium gifts is dropping. [...]
As expectations increase for more sophisticated development strategies and tactics that win and keep donors engaged with organizations, donor data plays an increasingly influential role in the nonprofit landscape. The good news is that most nonprofits already have excellent record-keeping practices in place thanks to the integration of CRM and [...]
Bloomerang and I have made a survey! Let us know what makes you like a job, and what makes you NOT like a job! We want to figure out what's most important to you, to then share the results as far and wide as possible! Why? So you can have [...]
There’s a lot being written about donor retention – why it’s important and how to increase it – and even more data on the averages within the nonprofit sector. We're curious what the real pursuit of donor retention looks like among boots-on-the-ground fundraisers. Your responses to this short, 2-minute survey [...]
I often find myself getting called in to nonprofits where everybody is unhappy with the CRM. And I mean everybody. From the gift processors to the Executive Director, no one has a good thing to say about it. It’s not intuitive It’s hard to navigate It’s impossible to get data [...]
Did you know that bequest marketing produces the most ROI (return on investment) of any fundraising activity? In fact, it's “kind of off the charts” according to Tom Ahern. He goes on to say that “While a good major gifts officer can bring in 10 to 20 times her salary, [...]
So, you’ve decided to purchase a new donor database. You’re feeling great about your decision and just KNOW it will help you nurture those critical relationships more effectively, communicate efficiently and raise more money! One more step remains though, before you can get to enjoy your fundraising success. You need [...]