Smart fundraisers start planning their end of year fundraising as early as July. Why? Many successful organizations raise as much as 30% of their individual gifts in December along, sometimes as much as 50%! Did you procrastinate? There's still time for you to make end of year epic. You just [...]
When my kids were little, my friend Colleen made them fabulous cakes for their birthdays. The cakes were elaborate, themed and tasted great. When she delivered a cake, I tried to pay her, but she declined every time. This made me feel horrible because I wanted to pay her for [...]
I remember reading an article in Fast Company last summer with a headline of, "Charities are Spamming You Because it Works." I’ll admit, at first I was a little incensed that a business publication would be broadly painting nonprofits as spammers. It’s a poor choice of words when what they [...]
Have you fallen into the trap of making your major gift fundraising template complicated or hard to use? I want to encourage you that it doesn't need to be that way. You may be surprised to know how often I meet directors who are spending more time developing plans than [...]
Let’s talk addiction. That’s something we think is related to the brain, right? We think some folks have “addictive personalities,” while others may simply enjoy something so much – like chocolate – that they’ll say they are addicted. Guess what? Philanthropy is addictive too. Yup. MRI data show us when [...]
When a problem seems overwhelming, donors can’t wrap their brains around solving it. It seems too daunting. They feel their gift will be a mere drop in the bucket. It feels to the donor like a losing proposition. As a result, they do nothing. Your task is to persuade people [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
It can be tough working with a nonprofit team of volunteers, donors, and paid staff. Everyone has their own ideas, their own ways of working, and their own perception of what’s best for the organization. It’s a common challenge. It seems to pop up whenever three or more people get [...]
Have you ever been blown away by an off-the-wall question from a donor or board member? You know, the one that makes you wonder if they even know what your organization does? I hear this often. On the flip-side, one of my favorite things about my business is that I [...]
What’s in a nonprofit brand? Everything. Think about the most popular and well-known charities. What comes to mind? I’ll bet you’re able to envision who they are, why they do what they do, and what they do in an instant. For example, Charity: water. The ASPCA. The ACLU. Red Cross. [...]