I normally speak to large groups at conferences or to smaller groups of board members, but I’ve been privileged to do a lot of one-on-one major gift fundraising training this year. One of the most common questions I am getting from nonprofit employees and board...
As the one-person development office at a rural hospital, my CEO kept asking me: “Why are we going back to the same people? When are you going to find new people?” He wasn’t impressed by all the statistical and logical answers about donor retention...
A few weeks ago I sent a version of this to my Fundraising Kick subscribers. But I’m seeing someting that will seriously impair your fundraising so I wanted to share it with you too. Fundraisers: Stop the political vitriol! If we live in a democracy, we need to...
In the last 24 hours, I’ve heard 6 different commentators talk about the polarization of our US government being exacerbated by the fact that no one socializes anymore. Ok. I was one of the people. And I was talking to my aunt and uncle in a restaurant in...
Last night, I was asked for some tips to help my fellow board members with a fundraising dinner on Thursday. Fundraising events so often devolve into board members huddling together in tight groups of people they all ready know. But money is raised when board members...
As the economy continues to falter (or barely grow), we need people’s donations more than ever. But if we operate from a place of “need,” we can start sounding like we think we’re entitled to people’s money. We never are. So it’s...
