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...
Nonprofit board members: The next 3 minutes can transform your nonprofit’s next event
As a nonprofit board member, it can be challenging to know how to best help your nonprofit. After all, they are the experts. They know their sector far better than you ever will. So how can you help them? 1 simple thing you can do today to help your nonprofit get new...
Don’t Wing It! Major Gifts Webinar with Kathie Kramer Ryan
The Nonprofit Academy Members’ August Webinar Don’t Wing It! – Major Gift Mistakes Even Smart Fundraisers Make August 14, 1pm ET (noon CT / 11am MT / 10am PT) In this webinar, Kathie Kramer Ryan will share the critical mistakes often made by even the most seasoned...
Don’t Wing It! Major Gifts Webinar with Kathie Kramer Ryan
The Nonprofit Academy Members’ August Webinar Don’t Wing It! – Major Gift Mistakes Even Smart Fundraisers Make August 14, 1pm ET (noon CT / 11am MT / 10am PT) In this webinar, Kathie Kramer Ryan will share the critical mistakes often made by even the most seasoned...
![[Guest Post] Donor Acquisition – the painful necessity of fundraising](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/02231029/McCarthyBob200w.png)
[Guest Post] Donor Acquisition – the painful necessity of fundraising
Today it's my pleasure to share with you a post on finding new donors for your nonprofit. A few weeks ago, Bob McCarthy and I were emailing about the formulas to look at when getting new donors. So I asked him to write a blog post about it! Read it both to learn the...
The Nonprofit Academy joins The Fundraising Coach
Fundraising training has never been more affordable! You may have already heard the news: The Fundraising Coach will now be directing The Nonprofit Academy! And I couldn't be more thrilled!! Started by Kirsten Bullock, The Nonprofit Academy has become one of the most...
How Mr. T can help your nonprofit fundraising. Seriously.
Here's a short video explaining one of the most important aspects of fundraising: shutting up. When you've done all the researching, engaging, and you've just made the ask...the decision is out of your control. And that's ok. In my fundraising training, I recommend...
An unlikely summer reading list for nonprofit leaders
Summer can be a great time to catch up on some reading. "Catch up" may be relative term. Summer doesn't really slow down anymore, does it? But as those of you in the Northern Hemisphere experience the change in pace that summer brings, here are some books I recommend...
Why I pay for the Chronicle of Philanthropy
Years ago, the school that employed me as a fundraiser paid for a subscription to the Chronicle of Philanthropy. So when I began running a development shop, I made sure the Chronicle subscription was in my budget. But then, somewhere along the line, I realized two...
Nonprofit Marketing Tips from 19 Experts
A while ago, I was invited to be a guest lecturer at Brandeis. As my friend David Mersky was introducing me, I put this question across various social media platforms: RIGHT NOW: Nonprofit people, what marketing tips would you tell a graduate class on philanthropy?...
15 Social Media Tips for Ministry Fundraising
This month's Church Executive features an interview with me on how pastors can use social media for fundraising. The editor pulled out 15 of the most important tips I've learned, both pastoring a church and in coaching church planters and others in ministry...
4 Disney Lessons to Transform Your Donor Retention
I'm just finishing up another family trip to Walt Disney World. Every time I'm here, I study the culture, habits, and design of the parks and resorts. I'm fascinated by their attention to detail, their ability to create brand new merchandising opportunities, and their...
5½ Things to say at Your Next Major Gift Solicitation
Since writing about the exact words to say on your next major gift ask, many have asked me for what to talk about during the meeting, both before and after the ask. What to say to a donor prospect Here are 5½ things you can say on your next major gift visit: Hi...
5½ Things to say at Your Next Major Gift Solicitation
Since writing about the exact words to say on your next major gift ask, many have asked me for what to talk about during the meeting, both before and after the ask. What to say to a donor prospect Here are 5½ things you can say on your next major gift visit: Hi...
Your steering wheel: the single most important tool for making effective fundraising asks
The response to my "it's not the donor's first date" post to CEO's has been wonderful! I've received emails, tweets, and comments saying this was the best post they've seen in years. As Heather Stewart points out in the comments to the post, major donors actually get...
Story Conference for Nonprofits: Last day for pre-early bird
Hollywood expertise for your nonprofit For years, Chris Davenport has creating videos for nonprofits, employing the storytelling techniques he honed in Hollywood. For the first time ever, he's going to share them! I speak all over the world, and I get to work with...
CEO’s: It’s not THEIR first date!
Over the last 18 months or so, I've been hearing a similar phrase from a number of my nonprofit executive coaching clients. The phrase? "I don't ask on the first date." This is often said with a self-righteous smuggness, as though the CEO is taking the moral high...
Fundraising certainly is fun!
I often remind people that fundraising is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes hard work, strategic planning, and most importantly consistent execution of the plans. But it's important to remember that fundraising is fun! We get to connect donors' assets with their...
![[Guest Post] 5 Principles to crowdfunding success – a case study](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/02231042/Renee-September-2012-cropped.png)
[Guest Post] 5 Principles to crowdfunding success – a case study
Today it's my distinct pleasure to introduce you to Renee Tougas. I've known Renee and her husband Damien for more than a decade. They're not your typical fundraisers, so when their crowdfunded Kickstarter campaign for $16,000 raised over $19,000, I knew I wanted...
Are you using that all wrong?
Sometimes, we get so used to using something, we don't realize we're using it the wrong way. Here are three tools that nonprofits use all the time. And many use the wrong way. Common uses and a better way Donor Database Common use: Recording gifts and keeping...
Upcoming Leadership Trainings
One of the joys of my work is getting to speak at conferences and inspire boards. Since, I'm often asked "When are you coming to my area?", I thought I'd share my upcoming speaking gigs. March 9-11: Closing Plenary at the New England Association for Healthcare...
Yet another unassuming donor gives multi-million dollar gift
Today The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported about Lotta Fields. According to the New York Times, Ms. Fields was an avid reader and a regular donor to the New York Public Library. Her regular gifts were only described as "modest." But when she died, she left the...
Exclusive Code: Almost 20% to FundRaising Success’ ENGAGE Conference
I'm thrilled to be speaking at FundRaising Success Magazine's ENGAGE Conference on April 10 in Philadelphia. They've let me extend an exclusive offer of $75 off the registration to readers of my blog. Just use this code in the registration: MARCP75 Note: This MARCP75...
![[Guest Post] Correctly setting up your nonprofit’s Google+ Community](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/02231051/GabrielReynoso-200w.png)
[Guest Post] Correctly setting up your nonprofit’s Google+ Community
A few months after I wrote the book Google+ for Nonprofits, Google+ released a new feature called "Communities." In the time since the introduction, have become a great tool for interacting on Google+, both in raising awareness and in interacting with supporters. As a...