Fundraising Secret #21: Is this about me or about you?
I just got an email from a person I didn't know telling me about a firm I didn't ask about. It felt like spam. Here's my response: Hi [marketer's name], I'm not sure how we connected. This feels a bit unsolicited to me. For what it's worth: I love that you...
Don Philabaum is my guest tomorrow on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show
I'm pleased to announce that Don Philabaum founder of www.internetstrategiesgroup.com and author of numerous books is my guest Tuesday on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show! Join us as we talk about nonprofits, technology, and relationships. Click on...
Guilt Free Fundraising
I had fun today creating a parody of a sales letter for fundraising consulting. You can see it at www.GuiltFreeFundraising.com. It's loosely based on the calls I've gotten from people over the last 10 years asking me to do their fundraising for them. It's all meant in...
Special Fundraising Book Bundle for your board and volunteers
I originally wrote Ask Without Fear! to be used with boards of directors and groups of volunteers. So I'm offering a special "Board Bundle": order 10 books at a 35% discount. 10 copies of Ask Without Fear! would normally cost $149.50. But purchased with this bundle,...
Fundraising Coach articles at Network for Good
I'm honored to have my Do It Yourself Fundraising featured at Network for Good's Learning Center www.fundraising123.org. Since articles on that site are "snack size," mine is served in three portions: Get R.E.A.L: Four Steps to a Successful Fundraising Plan The 3...
Email fundraising
The Chronicle of Philanthropy posts about Seth Godin's tips for email marketing. Among the key items on Mr. Godin’s list: Could I do this note better with a phone call? Did every person on the list really and truly opt in? Not like sort of, but really ask for it? Does...
Highlands in WSJ
I've been a fan of the Highlands Abilities Battery ever since I took it back in 2002. It's still something that helps me in finding the right "place" for myself. And like Victor Kiam, I liked the company so much I became a trained administrator of the Battery. So I...
“Ask Without Fear!” hits #46 on Amazon’s nonprofit list
Ask Without Fear!: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors With What Matters to Them Most hit #46 on Amazon's "Nonprofit & Charities" list, right along side of the long-term mainstays like Jerry Panas' Mega Gifts! Thanks for your support. It's gratifying to see this book...
How To Compete
Katya Andresen has a great post on how to compete like a champ in a tough economy. She expands on this in her interview on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show. I've also written about how to recession proof your fundraising. In a similar vein, Nancy Schwartz has a good...
Fundraising Secret #20: Ask people to do something specific
I'm reading Katya Andresen's Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes. It's pretty amazing...and I'm only 25 pages into the book. I'm simply floored by her first "Robin Hood Principle": Focus on Getting People to Do Something Specific. In her...
Katya Andresen is my guest tomorrow on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show
I wanted to remind you that the Katya Andresen of http://www.nonprofitmarketingblog.com/ and author of Robin Hood Marketing: Stealing Corporate Savvy to Sell Just Causes is my guest TODAY on the Ask Without Fear Radio Show! Join us as we talk about nonprofit...
Extendable ears
Most of my nonprofit executive coaching clients are surprised that so much of my "Ask Without Fear!" fundraising training is based on listening. I guess most of us fall into the trap of thinking that all we need to do is memorize a great schpeal, give it, and wait for...
More Ask Without Fear! reviews
I wrote Ask Without Fear! for "normal" people, not professional fundraisers like me. So I was thrilled to get this comment in an email yesterday: "...My mom is almost done reading [Ask Without Fear!] and has nothing but amazing things to say about you and the...
“Ask Without Fear!” featured on the Baudcast
Chad Norman did a fun interview with me on Ask Without Fear!. You can hear the entire podcast, espisode #8, at: http://www.blackbaud.com/company/resources/podcasts/thebaudcast.aspx.
Fundraising Secret #19: Make it easy!
One of my biggest frustrations is getting a passionate email appeal, clearly stating a need, but not telling me what to do to fix it. Do you want me to give money? Send a letter to the editor? But it's worse to get an email asking for a donation without a link to a...
Jeff Brooks is the next Ask Without Fear Radio Show guest!
I wanted to remind you that Jeff Brooks, the author of the amazing Donor Power Blog, is tomorrow's guest on the Ask Without Fear radio show! Join us to hear: the difference between writing for direct mail and writing for the web thoughts on fundraising via radio...
Virtual Book Tour Preview Call
For any of you that have written a book or created an information project, you know that simply writing a book doesn't ensure the book sells. That can be a shock for many of us! Alex Mandossian has a lot of cool ideas in his Virtual Book Tour System. He's doing a...
Fundraising Secret #18: Be human
Jeff Brooks' recent post at DonorPowerBlog is such a great reminder: when you're writing fundraising letters, you need to write like a human being. He offers a great real-life example of typical copy from a fundraising letter he received. Winter disasters and other...
Fundraising Coach Store Bundles Sale
I'm going on vacation for a week so I'm offering bundles of my downloadable fundraising books and fundraising training classes! You won't have to wait on shipping and I'll have the piece of mind of knowing you're fundraising efforts are improving! To check out the...
Ask Without Fear is on AMAZON!
Need I say more? 🙂 I am thrilled beyond words to announce that Ask Without Fear is now on Amazon.com! If you've purchased a copy, please write your review! If not, you can get a copy here: Ask Without Fear!: A Simple Guide to Connecting Donors With What Matters to...
Raising support for the Waterville Public Library
Here's something I wrote about library support on the Facebook page of my local library. Unfortunately, it's too long for the 1000 character limit! So I post it here and hope it'll help others. --------------------- Hi gang, Whatever you think of last night's budget...
Gayle Roberts on Ask Without Fear Radio Show
Gayle Robertswas my guest on today's Ask Without Fear radio show. You really owe it to yourself to listen to Gayle's thoughts on fundraising and generousity. You'll be challenged to re-evaluate your thoughts on raising support for nonprofits. And you'll be...
Be human
Jeff Brooks' recent post at DonorPowerBlog is such a great reminder: when you're writing fundraising letters, you need to write like a human being . He offers a great real-life example of typical copy from a fundraising letter he received. He then points out: No...
Ask Without Fear Radio Show – Jay Love from eTapestry
Today I interviewed Jay Love of eTapestery. We talked about everything from databases to podcasting to raising more money on an annual basis. You can hear the entire show by going to: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/marcapitman/2008/05/06/Jay-Love-eTapestrycom You can...
Extreme Fundraising Blog on Alltop!
I'm pleased to announce that the Extreme Fundraising Blog is now featured on Alltop.
Ask Without Fear Radio Show starts today!
I'm pleased to announce the Ask Without Fear! Radio Show is starting today! This radio show will be hosted through BlogTalkRadio.com at 11 a.m. (I chose 11 a.m. because it'll be the start of the day for our West Coast colleagues and the end of the day for our European...
Notes from Andrew Mosawi’s Web 2.0 seminar (primarily for Jim Bush)
Jim Bush wasn't able to make it to Andrew Mosawi's Web 2.0 seminar here in Montreal. So I thought I'd blog my notes and tweet the link to him. Web 1.0 - all about commerce Web 2.0 - all about people It's all about relationships, not the technology The fastest growth...
The Ask Without Fear! Radio Talk Show
I'm pleased to announce the Ask Without Fear! radio show is starting next Tuesday! This radio show will be hosted through BlogTalkRadio.com. Every Tuesday at 11 a.m., I'll be interviewing the top fundraising gurus from around the US (and eventually from around the...
Great Ask Without Fear review
About.com's Nonprofit Guru, Joanne Fritz just posted a delightful review of Ask Without Fear!. This is how she starts out: It must be the years of graduate school that have resulted in my current love for small, easy-to-read, even "sassy" books. I just found another...
Fundraising Secret #17: Ask everyone for planned gifts
Usually when we do think about estate giving, or so-called "planned giving," we tend to think of really rich people. But the AFP reports shares that a new study by Campbell & Company blows this preconception away. According to the AFP: Most surprising for fundraisers...