by Marc A. Pitman | Oct 10, 2017 | 3. Ask
A while back, I received a call from an ALS Foundation. The call was awful. So awful, I've waited over a year and a half to write about it. Long enough that I don't remember exactly which ALS organization it was. But fresh enough that the emotions linger. And I want...
by Marc A. Pitman | Sep 12, 2017 | 1. Research, 2. Engage, 3. Ask, 4. Love (Stewardship), Board Members, Fundraising Secrets
I've been seeing a disturbing trend of late: a sharp rise in what I call are BFFs: blunt force fundraisers. Nonprofit leaders willfully skipping planning to jump straight to asking.As the author of Ask Without Fear!®, you know I am an advocate for asking. But the...
by Marc A. Pitman | Aug 28, 2017 | 3. Ask, Fundraising Secrets
In this morning's note to my weekly Fundraising Kick coaching email subscribers, I offered two ways to respond to a tragedy like the devastation people are experiencing in Texas because of Hurricane Harvey. This message is so timely, I am sharing it here as well.If...
by Marc A. Pitman | Aug 8, 2017 | 1. Research, 2. Engage, 3. Ask, Board Members, Fundraising Secrets
Capital campaigns are a wild roller coaster ride of vision-fueled excitement followed by long stretches of slow. slogging. work.The slow parts require incredible discipline to stay on course. I know because I’ve helped run 18 capital campaigns at schools,...
by Marc A. Pitman | Aug 2, 2017 | 3. Ask, Fundraising Secrets, Internet & Social Media
Online giving definitely is growing. And if you listen to the growth statistics, you may feel you can fully fund your organization using online giving tools.If that's you, stop.Seriously. When something grows from 1% to 2% it's 100% growth, but it's still not the...
by Marc A. Pitman | Jul 20, 2017 | 2. Engage, 3. Ask, Fundraising Letters, Fundraising Secrets, Stories
I recently blogged about a storytelling tip for nonprofit leaders that I learned from Kindra Hall. The tip is especially powerful in nonprofit fundraising.Kindra took the millenia old story structure - beginning, middle, end - and reframed it as normal, explosion, new...
