Year-end brings the largest flurry of direct mail within the nonprofit sector. Most charities rely on the final two months of each year to achieve more than 50% of the funding of their mission. New research confirms a course of action that can increase the results of those year-end [...]
The following is a story. Two out of three of my recent giving experiences have been negative. Within a three week period, I gave to three different organizations, one large, one medium, and one small: Org A - Larger higher education institution Org B - Medium higher education institution Org [...]
In this digital age, the main comment I hear from donors about our book-length nonprofit annual report is that “no one actually reads them, right?” Sadly, it's true, but like many nonprofits today, we're adopting new conventions to more effectively communicate with our donors. Succinct annual reports are replacing the old [...]
I love stories. Reading books and getting lost in another world is something I have done since I was a kid. There might even be a picture out there of me holding my favorite book wearing a homemade shirt that says “Brian Loves Books.” Don’t judge. I was young and [...]
As you start to get ready for Giving Tuesday, it can seem like a monumental task. Below are three tips for you to use to make sure you're making the most of one of the fastest growing giving days on the calendar! 1. Communicate the mission, not the day If [...]
Every so often, a scandal puts a nonprofit all over social media, newspaper headlines, and the evening news. For those of us working within those organizations, it can be a heart-wrenching time. Whether you are actively involved in communications, development, or administrative roles, a scandal can make the core foundation [...]
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 [...]
Tom Ahern, a dear friend and Bloomerang’s Communications Coach recently released a free downloadable eBook that can literally change your charity’s donor communications forever. More importantly, for many nonprofit organizations the level of funding for your mission could be increased significantly based upon the knowledge gained and the best practices [...]
There’s no shortage of things the experts say fundraisers should be doing: handwritten notes, donor visits, thank you phone calls, bequest marketing; the list goes on and on. It can be overwhelming when you’re bogged down planning an event that your leadership team insists on, or when you’re simply trying [...]
As Labor Day approaches in the United States, you will read about and be invited to many webinars helping you and your fundraising team prepare your year-end appeals. In addition, there will just as much stating you need to prepare for your Giving Tuesday appeal(s). However, very seldom (if ever) [...]
Meet Sarah Willey, Director of Development at Great Rivers Environmental Law Center and my new fundraising hero. She's out here fighting for Missouri's environment while showing off her donor communications skills. I don't know why she attended one of my recent webinars on donor retention (because she should be the [...]
The other day I receive a donation appeal that contained a curious sentence. It read: "Whether you donated today, previously have given, or still plan to give, we thank you for your ongoing support in our mission." I had seen it before; this practice of listing all the possible reasons [...]