Steven Screen is at it again. Steven is an amazing direct mail and fundraising expert. And he has a way of making me feel uncomfortable. He says the best story for raising money is the “incomplete story.” You see, when I write fundraising letters, my first...
Last week, I sent my Fundraising Kick subscribers a couple ideas on how to make the most of the different pace of the summer. Although Kicks are written for nonprofit CEO’s, I thought this might be helpful to a larger group of people as well. Happy New (fiscal)...
Fundraising is a counter-intuitive profession. But it is a profession. Experts research fundraising tactics and test strategies to find out what works. Often, the results seem illogical. Like is the case in writing fundraising letters that actually raise money. The...
I recently wrote about the importance of your fundraising offer. This post has gotten more response from readers than most. And it’s captured the attention of my private coaching clients so much many of them are actively working on being more intentional about...
Listen to a direct mail specialist like Tom Ahern or Steven Screen talk about fundraising for any length of time and you’ll hear them constantly talking about “offers.” You need clear offers. Test various offers. What is your offer? This can confuse...
The Science of Giving: Why Your Brain Craves Meaning by Laura A. Roser Your brain is a meaning magnet. It can’t help it; it’s been conditioned. Since the hunter and gatherer days, humans have tried to make sense of the world. From the Egyptians and Greeks with their...