Generosity
Saw this on Beth Kanter's blog post Generation Generosity. Whether we're in a for-profit business or a not-for profit organization, it's far to easy to focus on scarcity. I think slides like these help us re-center on abundance. Goodness And Happiness - Why Generosity...
Fundraising Secret #34: Ditch your email newsletter?
Last week, the Chronicle of Philanthropy pointed out a story from ThirdSector. In it, President Obama's digital strategist, Thomas Gensemer, called email newsletters "a waste of time." In the article he's quoted as saying: "Email newsletters don't get read, yet they...
Twitter: A Translation Guide
I love Twitter. To help streamline my life, I use Twitter to update my Facebook profile status. Well earlier this week, I posted: RT @rdearborn #SROI @kanter proving she can explain complicated ROI theories and also conquer PPT templates with humorous photos. Three...
Fundraising Secret #33: Include a donation form link in your email fundraising letters
One of the most important things to do in fundraising is make it easy for the donor. If you've listened to my fundraising training Creating Donor Evangelists, you'll remember me saying that "hiding" isn't an effective fundraising strategy. Every communication from you...
A Salute to Ground Hog Day
In a salute to Ground Hog Day, I'm reposting Fundraising Secret #11: Don't Be A Ned. Enjoy! Fundraising Secret #11: Don't be a Ned Click on the image to watch the clip. Does this sound like your fundraising efforts? Ned: Phil? Phil Connors? Phil Connors, I thought...
Fundraising Success #32: Don’t go it alone
True confessions: ten days ago I freaked out. I'm an optimist by nature. You know that "Is the glass half-full or half-empty" question? My standard answer is that it's always full. It's always got something in it: air, liquid, something. I regularly blog in the...
If you’re not on Twitter…
...you should at least be learning about using Twitter for your nonprofit. Check out the volume of tweets during the Inauguration: The green line is last week at the same time. The blue line is this week. Twitter reports up to 5 times as many tweets per SECOND during...
Are we playing God? Economists continue to investigate motivations of donors
The Chronicle of Philanthropy pointed to a report by The Economist on research showing that public recognition may motivate donors to give bigger gifts. Dan Ariely of Duke University, Anat Bracha of Tel Aviv University, and Stephan Meier of Columbia University sought,...
Are you guilting people into giving?
@Philanthropy pointed me to a humor piece in the New Yorker called Looking Forward to Your Check. The invitation to a fictitious fundraising event starts out with: The Benefit Committee wishes to remind all Subscribers that the thrill for those pledging as much money...
Fundraising Secret #31: Clean up your Google profile
2009 looks like it will be a challenging year for fundraising. But people are going to give. It's just a matter if they're going to give to your organization. So one of your goals this year should be to make your nonprofit easy to find. Since more and more people are...
Twitter Webinar January 30!
I'm excited to be giving a webinar with Don Philabaum called Twitter Your Way to Contributions! You may remember, Don as a guest on my Ask Without Fear! Radio Show. He's been a leader in the field of donor relations. Here's some text from the webinar page: Sometimes...
SPECIAL: Free Fundraising Coaching 1-on-1 Call with purchase of Fundraising Training
I've added a new fundraising webinar to the Fundraising Coach Store, Ask Without Fear! EXPANDED. It's three 90-minute webinars expanding on the four steps of the "Get R.E.A.L." fundraising process. Read the entire list of things you'll learn at:...
Fundraising Secret #30: Write fundraising letters for ACTION
If you're not reading Seth Godin's blog, you may want to make it a New Year's Resolution to start! He recently had a pithy blog post on improving copywriting using the slogan on the sign in a Peets' Coffee store "Unlike Any Coffee You've Ever Tasted Before." He...
New Fundraising Training Resources for 2009
2009 looks like it'll probably be a challenging year. Since many are having their education budgets cut, I've put several tools up on the web. These are packed with incredible content and are conveniently available for you to learn without leaving your office! Last...
Thoughts on fundraising “sales”
See's Chocolates sent me a tin of chocolates they use for a chocolate fundraiser. I told them my blog doesn't talk about fundraising sales, but they insisted and who am I to turn down free chocolate? 🙂 The tin came yesterday. I was pleasantly surprised by both the...
Bernard Madoff and the Double Standard of Scrutinizing Nonprofits
I sure love the Chronicle of Philanthropy's "Give & Take" roundup of nonprofit blogs. Today I found a gem from fundraising consultant Tom Belford on the Madoff ponzi scandal. Tom writes on a pretty obvious, but unspoken, double standard: every few years, nonprofits...
Fundraising Secret #29: Ask businesses
The end of the year is coming upon us with unrelenting speed. Even if it's not the end of your fiscal year, this is a tremendously important time. And there's just over 2 weeks to go. I tend to focus on soliciting individuals...or rather "inviting people to invest in...
What if nonprofits did fundraising like the Big 3?
Like many Americans, I've been inundated with news stories about the Big 3 automakers attempts to get a federal loan of billions of dollars. Yes, billions. So I started wondering, what if the Big 3 were to teach nonprofits how to fundraise? Some of the humorous...
FREE: “Join” the FundraisingCoach.com page & connect with others raising money for their cause!!
I love the benefits of social media: the ability to make connections, meet people I'd never meet staying here in Maine, two-way conversation rather than simply one-way broadcasting, etc. So I've added Google FriendConnect to my site. Just go to...
10 Tips for Fundraising in a Recession
A reporter interviewed me earlier this week for a story on fundraising in a recession. As a follow up, he asked if I had tips to give nonprofits. Here's what I wrote. I hope they're helpful! Keep Asking! Treat your donor like an adult and let her make the decision...
Fundraising Secret #28: Nobody wants to buy a drill
In Secrets of Closing the Sale, Zig Ziglar says: Each year over 5 million quarter-inch drills are sold, yet it's safe to say that nobody wants a quarter-inch drill. They want a quarter-inch hole. Isn't that great? We do that in fundraising too. Donations are our...
Online fundraising idea for Black Friday & Cyber Monday
I love The Boston Project. They do amazing work and have a long track record of effectiveness. They're also one of the best I've ever seen at telling stories that reinforce their mission. Readers of my blog know that I'm a fan of good nonprofit storytelling! Today I...
Donor-centered fundraising or schpeal-centered?
Does your fundraising conversation with donors look like this: Or is it more like this? Donor Centered Fundraising We tend to sell tools: tax-deductions, planned giving tools, stock transfers. We get all wrapped up in them. Fundraising tools should always be...
Americans continue to be generous
The Chronicle of Philanthropy highlighted an article in the Washington Post: Americans still giving, despite economic meltdown. Kudos to the Washington Post and the AP. It's great to see more media outlets talking about fundraising in a recession using the actual data...
Thoughts on generational fundraising
FundRaising Success has a nice summary of a talk given by Blackbaud's Samantha Cohen. As I Gen-Xer myself, I found this quote particularly compelling. “Tell them you want to end world hunger, and they’ll say, ‘No, you’re not,’” she said. “Tell them you want to put a...
Fundraising Secret #27: The basics ARE extreme
Last week, Lois Lindauer summed up some fundraising advice as: Keep Your Friends Close and Your Donors Closer: At a recent gathering of executive-level fundraisers in Boston, the following suggestions and thoughts for working during these uncertain times were...
Whining is not a fundraising strategy
Debra Blum of The Chronicle of Philanthropy has a great summary of comments from Reynold Levy, president of the
Fundraising Secret #26: You gotta do it yourself
This week I've had two conversations with founders of nonprofits. I've had to tell both the unwelcome truth: you're going to have to do the fundraising yourself. This was a bitter pill for both of them. You see, they'd created their nonprofit because of their passion....
“Survival” is NOT a fundraising appeal
Today the Chronicle of Philanthropy reported on a seemingly provocative comments from the head of the Wal-Mart Foundation, Margaret McKenna. According to the Boston Herald, she said some charities should fail. I whole heartedly agree. Some nonprofits should fail. Just...
There’s nothing compassionate about not asking!
Turn on any news program and you'll hear about how bad the economy is. But I've been hearing some even more disturbing news: some nonprofits are telling their donors "we know the economy is rough so we won't ask you for money." Don't do that! Compassion during times...