Are you lying to your nonprofit board members?
I'm not sure why it is, but so many of us outright lie when we invite people to our nonprofit board. We tell them, "It won't be a lot of work. And it will be alot of fun." But neither are totally true. Board work is work. Sometimes it's hard. Sometimes it's routine....
Nonprofit Board Orientation – 3 tips to starting them right!
In a recent study, 75% of nonprofit executives said their board members weren't sufficiently engaged. 3 out of 4! With numbers that high, you know there has to be a systemic issue. Nonprofits are doing amazing things around the world. People work and volunteer at them...
What would you like to learn about nonprofit boards?
As we wrap up the year, it's amazing to see what a year it's been. Many of you are reporting increased donor retention, better storytelling results, and increased fundraising (some of you dramatic increases!). As I've been reflecting this year, I've been remembering...
[Guest Post] How to Make Your Fundraising Plans for Next Year Better… and More Effective
I've been enjoying Joe Garecht's work at The Fundraising Authority for years. And I'm thrilled that he'll be teaching in The Nonprofit Academy in January. He'll be teaching on How to Write a Successful Non-Profit Fundraising Plan, so I've invited him to share a few...
[Guest Post] 5 Reasons Your Peer to Peer Program is Failing
Today, I've invited Dave Linn to teach about peer-to-peer fundraising. Having run bikathons and walkathons myself, I know how powerful they can be...and how much of a pain they can be too! Dave is the Chief Operating Officer of The Generosity Series, a series of...
5 truly useful gifts for travelers who fundraise
I've been seeing lots of "gifts for travelers" lists. Unfortunately, most of them are full of expensive items that are of questionable value. Do we really need $85 galoshes? Or a $70 light bulb? Here are some real gifts you can get your favorite traveling fundraiser!...
Training Your Board to Raise Money – a book for your new year
I love finding practical tools that can help nonprofits thrive. The new book Train Your Board (and Everyone Else) to Raise Money is just that. Crisis with nonprofit boards Gone are the days when boards could be rubber-stamping social clubs. More than ever, nonprofits...
[Guest Post] Are you frustrated with some of your board members?
Today, I'm pleased to share with you a fun post by Simone Joyaux. Simone is one of the most provocative and insightful fundraising consultants I know. She is particularly good at working with boards and governance, so I asked her to write a piece in relation to her...
Ask Without Fear!® now in Chinese
We are thrilled to announce that Ask Without Fear!® is now available in Chinese! Thanks to the tranlators at Shantz Language Services, people raising support in China and in Chinese speaking populations around the world will be able to read Ask Without Fear! in...
Ask Without Fear!® now in Chinese
We are thrilled to announce that Ask Without Fear!® is now available in Chinese! Thanks to the tranlators at Shantz Language Services, people raising support in China and in Chinese speaking populations around the world will be able to read Ask Without Fear! in...
The power of thanking and #npstoryconf
Even though I'm currently doing fundraising trainings in Europe, I'm still basking in the glow of the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference in Seattle. An amazing experience I've probably been to hundreds of conferences. But this one was like no other. A couple hundred...
Is your nonprofit fundraising ask like Al Roker’s #Rokerthon?
Legendary weatherman Al Roker is attempting to set a Guinness record for the longest weather broadcast with a 34-hour weather report. 34 hours! For every hour of reporting, he gets a 5-minute break. You can watch the #Rokerthon live here. Does your donor feel like...
Upcoming Fundraising Coach Speaking and Trainings
I am often asked where my next speaking events are. Here are the upcoming trainings and talks for November 2014 into January 2015. In addition to online events, I'll be on all over the USA and in two other countries! Updated 11/15/2014: Included PennyBridge's...
[Guest Post] How to Overcome Objections in Scheduling Your Fundraising Solicitation Meetings
I'm a huge fan of Andrea Kihlstedt. She's a true expert in fundraising - one that makes you feel smarter just by being around her. She's the author of multiple books and the creator of the "asking styles" way of helping people ask in coordination with their hard...
Storytelling is for fundraising NOT for nonprofit marketing!
I'm shocked at how people looking for solid fundraising tactics, simply blow off storytelling. It's as though there is some cosmic organizational chart in the sky that has storytelling is on one side (the "marketing" side) and fundraising is on the other. Divorcing...
Quick storytelling tip for nonprofit board members
Being a nonprofit board member can be an exciting adventure. You're part of something bigger than yourself, doing incredible work. But the joy tends to evaporate when you're asked to talk about your nonprofit to your friends. My coaching clients often ask me questions...
Get new donors with Facebook Ads?
Are you confused about Facebook Advertising and how it applies to your nonprofit fundraising? You know that your donors and prospects are on Facebook. Facebook ads are becoming a must in today's pay-to-play Facebook model but where do you start? And how much do you...
4 Great Nonprofit Trainings this Month in The Nonprofit Academy!
A few weeks ago, The Nonprofit Academy joined the Fundraising Coach. With over 50 webinars, templates, and tools in the NPA Online Vault, it's already a great resource for affordable, efficient, and effective nonprofit trainings. But members typically get one new...
Stop being jealous! Tips on dealing with #ALSicebucketchallenge
Lately, I've been getting a lot of questions about my "view" of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. When I saw it happening, I watched with professional curiosity. I love seeing a nonprofit hit a fundraising campaign out of the park! You'd think that as a guy lost his mom...
Get jazzed when a donor says “no”!
As I wrote earlier this week, some of my coaching clients are being transformed by the idea of keeping on going until we get no. This concept is helping them keep up their endurance in asking. And it's helping donors really connect to causes that matter to them. So...
Sometimes, you need to go for no
I just finished writing my latest "Question Marc" column for FundRaising Success magazine answering a question from "Panicked in Pasadena." Panicked was that way because donors weren't responding to her solicitations. Can you relate? We stop too soon One of the tips I...
Ebola, Apple’s iPhone 6, and your nonprofit’s successful fundraising
Today the Apple iPhone 6 hits the streets. People are lining up by the hundreds like the line going around the block in this image from New York City. Are they lining up that way for your nonprofit's fundraising? Yesterday I published an article on LinkedIn's Pulse...
3 inexpensive tools to make your year-end giving amazing
In creating an Ask Without Fear! training for the executive directors of the Jewish National Fund of Canada, I was reminded how important September is for the vast number of nonprofits. Even for those like JNF that have religious holidays in the coming weeks, the end...
How to raise more money through donor retention – without throwing money away
I spent Labor Day morning reading about the labor of fundraising. I am so glad I picked up Roger Craver's book, Retention Fundraising! These three hours will be with me for years. I'm not new to this. I've been studying donor retention for over a decade. My first...
Free Donor Stewardship Class!
[UPDATED 9/2/14 with the recording of the special hour-plus long class!] We're rapidly moving toward the most generous time of the year. Many nonprofits see 30% or more of their annual donations in December. But according to recent studies by Google, September is when...
Are you ready for donors using LinkedIn?
In teaching nonprofit social media, I call LinkedIn the "little engine that could." Started in late 2002, LinkedIn has seen many social media platforms rise and fall. (Anyone remember Friendster or MySpace?) But LinkedIn keeps trucking along. And in my non-scientific...
Don’t waste time trying to copy the #icebucketchallenge
Every week, I send a fundraising coaching email to nonprofit CEOs and Executive Directors. These Kicks are designed to remind them to get out from behind their desk to interact with 5-10 major donors and prospects. I rarely share these Fundraising Kicks with anyone...
KindleUnlimited offers a great marketing opportunity for your library!
A few weeks ago, Amazon announced KindleUnlimited. For $10/month, you can read from their list of books, and listen to some of them on Audible. Doesn't this sound like charging for what libraries already offer? Start where your donors are In my book on raising library...
How to get new donors
As a fundraising coach, one of the most common questions I get is about how to get new donors for a nonprofit. The question was well summed up in this question from an Ask Without Fear! email newsletter subscriber: "How do I acquire new donors? I find that people keep...
Training: Fundraising for Christian Ministry
Fundraising isn't easy. But fundraising for your own ministry support can be even harder! Steve Shadrach knows that better than most. And he has tips and strategies for helping you raise your support and deepening your relationship with God. Ministry fundraising...