When we start our nonprofit, we seem obsessed with is buying stationery and business cards. I think we feel these somehow show that we’re a legitimate organization. Good quality stationery is nice and can be a benefit. You definitely should look professional, but...
As a fundraising professional, you should be getting fundraising and leadership training annually. But I’ve heard that the average development professional stays in their position for 18 months. Since the downturn of 2008 that might be a little longer. In any...
Have you checked out Google Docs? I keep finding remarkable ways to use this for collaboration! For example, an organization I work with recently ran a phonathon that didn’t involve asking for money, but asking people to advocate for our cause. Our database...
Lately I’ve been getting lots of questions about how individuals can fundraise for walkathon events and many other -athons: bike-a-thons, bowl-a-thons, etc. So I wrote down some of the basic advice I was giving. When I finished, it was a 5-page article!! Rather...
I’m a fan of Steven Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. One of the most powerful concepts, in a book chock full of powerful concepts, is the idea of weekly planning. Daily planning is important, but that often amounts to no more than prioritizing...
Have you ever asked someone trying to sell you a product if they use it themselves? It can be pretty illuminating. After all, if they don’t use the product, perhaps it’s not a good one for you to use either. So too with fundraising. If you’re asking for money, be sure...
