![[Guest Post] Helping board members maximize fundraising effort](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/02231237/peter-headshot.png)
[Guest Post] Helping board members maximize fundraising effort
Peter Genuardi & I are fellow bloggers for npENGAGE. I finally met him at NTEN's annual conference a couple months ago. He's the Founder & CEO of Strenth in Members. He helps organizations build better relationships with their supporters by finding social influencers...
Free fundraising tips and ideas in 3 podcasts!
In the past week, I was privileged to be the guest on three terrific podcasts! In each I was asked various aspects of fundraising. Ted Hart's Nonprofit Radio On Ted's show, about 15-20 minutes in, we talked about Ask Without Fear! and the ins and outs of major gift...
Self talk, body chemistry, and being successful at fundraising
What we say to ourselves can sink our fundraising program. He's probably not interested. I'm probably bugging her. They get "hit" by everyone so they won't want to talk to me. When we say things like that, we think we're being "honest" or "realistic." But we're...
Fundraising for ministry support
A couple weeks ago, I gave a series of lectures at the Funding Your Ministry Symposium to over 100 coaches from around the world. These people represented 48 different missionary associations including large organizations like The Navigators, InterVarsity, Cru, YWAM,...
![[Guest Post] Using Gallup’s StrengthsFinder to help your board fundraise more effectively](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/02231240/johnfulwider.jpeg)
[Guest Post] Using Gallup’s StrengthsFinder to help your board fundraise more effectively
Today it's my honor to introduce you to John Fulwider. I'm a guy who loves helping people find their strengths and talents. John is the first person I've met who teaches nonprofit boards how to use the Gallup StrengthsFinder to find their strengths. He's a...
Throw statistics out of your fundraising letters!
A couple weeks ago, I was grounded in Newark, NJ so I got to listen to some NJ radio. One ad for a nonprofit caught my attention and then quickly failed. I blogged about it at Does the phrase "tax deductible" kill donations? And I gave some suggestions on how the ad...
21 Social Media Tips for Nonprofits from Top Experts
I love nonprofits. And I love social media. But nonprofits don't always "get" social media. While there are few truly firm rules about using Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, or any of the other myriad of platforms out there, there are some things that bug donors....
Shame on UNICEF for attacking “slacktivism”
The Chronicle of Philanthropy just posted a note about an article in The Atlantic called "UNICEF Tells Slacktivists: Give Money, Not Facebook Likes." This really bothers me. How dare we as NGOs or nonprofits command people in how to support us. How dare we berate them...
Overhead isn’t the issue – and it’s not a fundraising tool
Last week, in my weekly email to Fundraising Kick subscribers, I told them to stop talking about what percent of their budget goes to "overhead." I won't go into the entire message I sent, but here's a summary. You need to know the percentage People are talking about...
Does the phrase “tax deductible” kill donations?
Last night my flight home to Maine was cancelled, presumably due to the manhunt in Boston. So I got to spend more time in NJ. While there, I turned on WDHA, a rock station in New Jersey. In the midst of a commercial break, I heard an add about an organization that...
![[Guest Post] Why Donors Stop Giving](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/02231258/GuestPost-Jay-Love-Why-Donors-Stop-Their-Support.png)
[Guest Post] Why Donors Stop Giving
I've been a fan of Jay Love for years. I even interviewed him for my radio show back in 2008! He gets both databases and effective fundraising. So I asked him if he'd write a post on donor retention. Jay is a serial entrepreneur, the creator of eTapestry and now the...
The Donor Retention Project works!
Last week we released The Donor Retention Project. Yesterday, I got this email from an already satisfied customer: Thanks for the Donor Retention Project! I've finished the first two segments. We're doing a lot of what is recommended and it's sparked a couple more...
Give a lunch for professional development
I run into so many nonprofit leaders who don't "have time" for professional development. "I have so much to do I don't have any time for myself." One of the interesting things about self-talk: what we say over and over, especially with emotion, can hypnotize us. It...
Making it easy to spread your message
Thanks to our digital age, people can now spread the message of their favorite cause further than ever before. But is your nonprofit helping them? The End It Movement Does It Right! Today, I saw a post about the End It Movement. I was thoroughly impressed. They've...
FREE npEXPERTS Webinar Tomorrow
I'm honored to be giving the first webinar in Blackbaud's npEXPERTS series! Donors Don’t Live in One Place so Why Do Your Communications? I'll be sharing four ways to make sure you are integrating communications for your online donors and your offline donors. We'll...
![[Guest Post] 6 channels to call in the crowds to your crowdfunding campaign](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/02231300/brett-scott.jpg)
[Guest Post] 6 channels to call in the crowds to your crowdfunding campaign
I've been fascinated by the rise of successfully crowdfunded projects through sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo. I think nonprofits can take lessons from them to apply to their own fundraising. So I when I read a thorough analysis of Brett Scott's successful...
Explosive growth: The Donor Retention Project
Wow! Response to The Donor Retention Project has been so strong, you all crashed the servers yesterday! Fortunately Chris at 501 Videos has the situation fixed and they were up and running within a few hours. What's all the fuss? Donor retention is, that's what. Some...
![[Question Marc] Conversation starters for cold calls](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/02231313/questionmarc.jpg)
[Question Marc] Conversation starters for cold calls
I recently received this question from a client: I have a question for you. I have a list of wealthy prospects, many have given our hospice small dollar amounts thru memorials. My intent is to build a relationship with them, can you give me an example of what to say...
What keeps you up at night?
For her weekly FundRaising Success Magazine post, Jo Black Sullivan asked a bunch of us fundraiser-folk what kept us awake at night. People like me, Roger Craver, Jeff Jowdy, and more. Here's the video of all of us. It cut out the screen-printed bow tie on my t-shirt...
Just do it already!
Now That person you've been scared of asking to make a specific contribution to your nonprofit? Ask her now. That note of appreciation to your board member that you've been putting off? Write it now. That staff member that just did something that makes your job...
Shoe Shine guy gives $200,000
This man, Albert Lexie, shines shoes at a hospital in Pittsburgh. Over the last 30 years, he's given all his tips to the charity care fund at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. That's added up to $200,000 so far! From a shoe shine guy! All that glitters... I love...
![[Guest Post] Three Ways Nonprofits Can Use Promotional Products Effectively](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/02231305/FogelGuestPost4.png)
[Guest Post] Three Ways Nonprofits Can Use Promotional Products Effectively
I met Elaine Fogel a few years ago when she organized a conference in DC. I've been impressed with her commitment to nonprofits and her knowledge of promotional items. (I call it schwag.) So I asked her if she'd write a post on how nonprofits can use them effectively....
What if we just called them part of the family?
A couple weeks ago, I had the privilege of hosting the Nonprofit Blog Carnival. I asked some of the nonprofit industry’s top bloggers how they kept donors coming back. 16 experts shared their best tips. 7 out of 10 don’t come back One of the shocking statistics is...
[Question Marc] How do I recruit new board members?
From time to time, I have a feature I call Question Marc?. [Pun fully intended] A coaching client who is a board member for an arts organization recently sent me this question: We are trying to quickly build up our board since it is small. I am planning on asking 3...
Check your Google+ page image
Your Google+ page just changed. Google has increased the cover image size to 2120 x 1192, from 940 x 180. And the profile image is now an ugly circle, not a square. I'm not a fan of the change. If you have a Google+ page, and you should, check it out to make sure it...
New free ebook “npEXPERTS: Online Marketing Insights for Nonprofits”
I'm honored to be one 20 experts included in the ebook: npEXPERTS: Online Marketing Insights for Nonprofits. In this ebook, we share tips, tricks and stories on "how to use nonprofit marketing to connect with supporters, activate your donor base, and raise money...
16 experts tell you how to keep your donors wanting to come back
Since we celebrate Valentines Day in February, I thought I'd have this edition of the Nonprofit Blog Carnival focus on long-term donor relationships. I like to think of it as showing them "love." A few weeks ago, I posted this question to nonprofit bloggers: How do...
Donor’s don’t need another best friend!
About a week ago, I was able to do a Twitter chat on “loving your donors” and showing them appreciation. You can read a transcript here: http://storify.com/audiencedevspec/auddev-chat-2-14-noon-et-loving-your-donors Do you have to answer donors' questions? One of the...
![[Guest Post] Special events: Make them worth the effort](https://cdn.fundraisingcoach.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/02231309/Clover_about.png)
[Guest Post] Special events: Make them worth the effort
From time-to-time, I get to introduce you to a rock star in my universe, a colleague I trust implicitly. Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to Clover Frederick, a fundraising and marketing expert from Lincoln, Nebraska. I love her idea of fundraising events being a...
Free Valentine’s Day Bow Tie Card
Whether for you or that special Valentine in your life, get them a free bow tie card this Valentine's Day!