Deadlines drive donations

Deadlines drive donations

One of my favorite fundraising colleagues, John Donovan, once said, "Deadlines drive donations." As we approach the end of June, this truth can help your fundraising efforts. Many nonprofits in North America end their fiscal year in June. The end of a fiscal year is a...

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Stop telling fundraisers their goal is “more”

Stop telling fundraisers their goal is “more”

Enough is enough. Nonprofit leaders need to set actual fundraising goals. Unfortunately, nonprofit leaders rarely do. Rather than setting a clear goal, leaders pressure fundraising professionals to raise more. "More" is vague and immeasurable. "More" is unacceptable....

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What if we’ve asked them all?

What if we’ve asked them all?

When I'm being a fundraising coach, I tend to coach nonprofit CEOs and executive directors. One of my primary tasks I try to help them build into their rhythm is for them is to make 5 - 10 major donor calls each week. But since CEOs aren't managing a large portfolio...

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You don’t need to be in crisis!

You don’t need to be in crisis!

Last week, I heard board members make a classic blunder. They were worried that they couldn’t fundraise any more. Why? Because they weren’t in a crisis. They had good reserves and the finances were very well managed. So they couldn't see why anyone would donate to the...

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Why high-achievers find fundraising hard

Why high-achievers find fundraising hard

As a leadership coach, I work with a lot of high-achievers. People who've experienced success enough times to be promoted to the head of a team, a department, or even the head the organization. One of the oddest things about leadership is in the Western model is that,...

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Just ask!

Just ask!

I've been doing LOTS of trainings in the last few months. And getting a lot of the same types of questions. They generally sound like: "How do I know when a right time to ask so-and-so?" "How do I know if that asking amount is too much?" "This is what happened during...

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The 2 things to avoid in year end fundraising

The 2 things to avoid in year end fundraising

With 4 weeks left in the calendar year, staying focused is more important than ever. Rather than feeling like you're living out a well planned fundraising year, these last four weeks can often feel like you're missing out on everything. That you're falling short...

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Fundraising is leading – from within

Fundraising is leading – from within

I've said for years that fundraising is all about leadership. And we all have leadership opportunities, even if we don't have leadership titles. One of the best ways to grow in our ability to lead is to get clear on our values. Both personally and organizationally....

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Fundraising in Uncertain Times

Fundraising in Uncertain Times

Last week, I blogged about leading in uncertain times. It's gotten the most feedback of any blog post this year. As I've been thinking about it, the three things that help leading through uncertain times fit perfectly with fundraising too. We shouldn't be surprised -...

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The biggest mistake with major gift asks

The biggest mistake with major gift asks

One of the biggest mistakes I see with major gift solicitations is incredibly easy to fix. If you've ever made an appointment for a major gift ask, you've probably felt the stress of "getting it wrong." The worry that you might offend the other. Or that you won't have...

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Fundraising Kick: Don’t Grow Weary

Fundraising Kick: Don’t Grow Weary

This issue of the weekly Fundraising Kick seems to have come at the perfect time for subscribers. So I'm sharing it here as well. Fundraising Kick coaching emails are written for busy nonprofit CEOs and my private coaching clients. The goal is to remind people who...

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Should I ask my friends?

Should I ask my friends?

One of the scariest things about fundraising is the fear that you'll ruin relationships. One of the most common questions I get as a fundraising coach is "Should I send this appeal to people I hangout with?" Last week, an accomplished nonprofit leaders asked me just...

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3 problems with the major gift as carrot analogy

3 problems with the major gift as carrot analogy

Have you ever been about to ask for a major gift only to be warned about the carrot in the garden? It goes something like this: "Sure, you could ask them now. But it might be better to wait. You see, if you were to pull a carrot now, it might come up really small. But...

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4 specific tips for each stage of the ask

4 specific tips for each stage of the ask

When it comes down to it, successful fundraising is about successfully executing the basics. When you want to raise money for something, be sure to do these fundraising basics: Research Remember, run your dollar goal through a gift range calculator. This helps you...

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21 Ways for Board Members to Engage with their Nonprofit's Fundraising book image

You'll discover the 21 ways each board member can help their nonprofit's fundraising - even if they don't like to ask for money!

As a bonus, you'll get free fundraising tips every other week too!

Help your board fundraise for nonprofit with this FREE ebook

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