I’ve been seeing a disturbing pattern in fundraising appeals this fall. Smart, well-meaning people are making the same critical mistakes – and ignoring decades of proven data about what actually works. These well meaning people are smart, creative,...
You know that moment when your board announces, “We need to raise $50,000″… and everyone looks at you like you’re supposed to magic it into existence? Yeah, me too. It’s easy to panic. Especially if the board mistakenly thinks that you...
In the last few weeks, many nonprofit leaders have been asking me a variation of the same question: “How do I know how much to ask the donor?” Do you ever wonder? In the last few weeks, I’ve heard more interest in tools like WealthEngine,...
Fundraising effectively requires communicating clearly. And we can learn from all sorts of different sectors to communicate clearly. Today I was listening to a podcast on local civic engagement. And a note on communicating clearly struck me as helpful for fundraising...
Last week during our monthly Nonprofit Academy call, I found myself in a conversation that felt both familiar and frustrating. The topic? How tariffs and rescissions are creating confusion among donors and nonprofit boards—and making fundraising feel nearly...
