Anyone that’s attended any of my fundraising seminars knows I’m a big fan of storytelling.
The NY Times offers a great article called 5 Tips for Telling Better Stories.
In short, they are:

Keep it simple

Openings and closings are very important

Be mindful of your story’s spine

Make sure not to alienate your audience

Tell the truth

It’s amazing how easy [...]

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Here’s another story in the growing collection of unassuming people that become noteworthy philanthropists by leaving millions of dollars to charity.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports that James Ebbert, the son of a sharecropper, left $10 million to charities in Pennsylvania.
When reporting on this high-school-turned-business-owner:
He lived frugally and invested his money well, says the [...]

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Katya Andresen has a great post on how to compete like a champ in a tough economy.
She expands on this in her interview on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show.
I’ve also written about how to recession proof your fundraising at PNNonline.
In a similar vein, Nancy Schwartz has a good post on standing [...]

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Just read this in the daily update from the Chronicle of Philanthropy:

Large Bequest Surprises Diabetes Charity
An 86-year-old Annapolis woman who died in a house fire last March shocked a diabetes group by bequeathing it the largest donation in the organization’s history — $7.3-million, reports The Washington Post.
The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which had known Helene [...]

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Leona Helmsley’s will is causing quite a stir. In addition to leaving millions of dollars to her dog, the NYTimes says it contains nuggets like:

To receive money from the trusts, the grandsons are required under the will to visit the grave each year of their father, Jay Panzirer, Mrs. Helmsley’s only child, who died on [...]

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There’s a great article about the philanthropy of Myra Kraft (owner of the New England Patriots) in the Boston Globe called Giving Large.
It’s long but read the whole thing. It’s a great insight into what motivates giving.
Here’s a sample:
Kraft treats board work like a job…She says she comes at the work with no [...]

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This past Monday, I had the honor of speaking to the enthusiastic members of the Georgia Independent School Association.
They invited my in to speak on the three topics:

importance of storytelling,
how to ask for money, and
how to handle objections.

In this edition of Extreme Fundraising, I wanted to make the handouts available to [...]

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Reading Andy Goodman’s “Why Bad Presentations Happen to Good Causes” reminded me of my post on the Scottish nonprofit Engage’s national ad campaign.
Goodman says most presenters start with the question “What do I want to say?” And starting here is fatal.
You may craft an incredible message but it will be totally ineffective and fall on deaf ears. People [...]

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I started pastoring VCW after a decade of fundraising. I love pastoring and teaching on financial stewardship but I’ve been intrigued with the donor stewardship issues.
We once got a $5000 check–HUGE for our small, central Maine congregation. As a fundraiser, my first instinct was to pick up the phone. As a pastor, I realized she [...]

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In my decade or so of doing fundraising, I don’t ever remember having a community member tell me they really liked a fundraising letter I sent them.
This summer it happened! Someone at the gym I go to told me how much they enjoyed the letter they’d just received.
Could it be because I used stories?
Here’s the [...]

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