A couple weeks ago, I got to lead a storytelling training with presidents of community colleges from around the country and their board chairs. They were a refreshingly lively group! As these board presidents shared, many of them told stories of students who’d...
With Thanksgiving sixteen days away here in the USA, it’s a great time to do a quick 2-step gratitude check. Pull out your most recent fundraising letter. (You sent one in September, right?) Or your next one. (You have one queued up for late November/early...
Fundraising is a funny thing. When combined with casting a vision, telling people how much you’re trying to raise can be a powerful motivator. But could announcing your goal kill your ability to raise funds? Neuroscience and goal setting Watch this 3 minute...
First off, I didn’t watch the debates tonight. I find political debates to be more akin to rehearsed speeches than engaging in dialogue. But my Twitter stream was filled with tweets about the presidential debate. Tweets were all over the place. But Big Bird got...
Studies continue to show that online giving is the fastest growing fundraising channel. But not every nonprofit is experiencing this stellar growth. The best way to grow online donations So what’s the best way to grow online donations? A firm called...
If you’re like many nonprofits, you’ve sent a fall fundraising appeal this month and you plan on sending one towards the end of the year. You might want to reconsider that plan. NPR did a great piece on political direct mail. It’s definitely worth...