Nonprofit Fundraising

Now that it is January, you may think that it is time to relax a bit after that hectic holiday season. However, now is the time to ensure that you have strong follow-up to your calendar year-end appeal. If you have closed out one fundraising year completely by doing the needed follow-up, you have established a […]

What is the one thing that can have a tremendous impact on the success of your Calendar Year-End Campaign? A solid message. And, this year, that message needs to be on-point. Giving has entered a slump, PPP grants have ended, there is limited pandemic government support, and overall general virus fears and economic conditions have […]

One of the top questions asked these days are, “How do we take our gala event and make it virtual?” Since COVID-19 has happened, there has been a deep desire to take events and make them all virtual. I assert that it can be done. But, I also argue that not all events translate into […]

Yes, there will be life after COVID 19. Of that, I can guarantee it. What I can’t guarantee is what life will look like. But, what I can guarantee is that life will look and feel different than it does today. Change is almost a constant guarantee. And, admittedly, this is a moment of global […]

The clock is ticking ever so close to midnight on December 31. Are you ready? Have you taken all of the steps you possibly can to give your donors opportunities to contribute during this giving season? Here are a few simple last-minute follow-up steps that you can take to ensure that you performed your donor […]

Following up on your fundraising appeal letter is the most important thing you can do to raise money this year. I know you put a lot of work into writing an excellent letter to donors—even the ideal appeal letter. It was even more work to lay it out, produce it, and get it into the mail. (Especially […]

In talking with many groups, I often offer a specific role that their Board can play during this holiday giving season. That role is as an ambassador. Board members can easily share your giving season appeal with their social networks, and it is simple, easy, and yet, effective. And, it’s something that every Board member […]

Tis the season. For appeal letters, emails, text messages, and even a video or two. Here is a list that you may want to check twice when creating your Giving Season ask. To have the best Giving Season the best, or as best as it could be in 2020, then you want to be sure […]

“Times are tough.” That is the understatement of the day now. Isn’t it? Donors, many who own their businesses or companies, or work for one, have faced significant losses themselves. “Times are tough” seems to be the mantra these days. What is an organization supposed to do when faced with a fundraising deficit because of […]

What is the one thing that I see most often with grant proposals? The need statement is a big assumption, full of fluff and vague language. And, in many cases, this needs statement lacks what it takes to entice a foundation that is dealing with one major problem after another to take action in favor […]

Each year, I urge my clients to begin planning their Calendar Year-End Campaigns around this time of year. This year is no different. But, wait, yes it is. In any ordinary “fourth” year, we face election fundraising, but this “fourth” year, we face an election process quite different from past years, a pandemic that is […]

One of the questions that I am asked most often, “How do I collect email addresses for those that I do not have them for?” Quite frankly, it’s not easy, and it takes hard work. Below, I will provide you with my top seven tips for collecting those email addresses from your present donors for […]

Long the hallmark of major gift work, qualification through engaging in dialogue with our top-level donor prospects has allowed us to identify those prospects who will entertain developing a relationship with our organization or not. This qualification will enable us to understand their motivations, needs, and experiences to custom-tailored a donor-centric cultivation experience. Beyond our […]

Long the hallmark of major gift work, qualification through engaging in dialogue with our top-level donor prospects has allowed us to identify those prospects who will entertain developing a relationship with our organization or not. This qualification will enable us to understand their motivations, needs, and experiences to custom-tailored a donor-centric cultivation experience. Beyond our […]

The number one reason donors do not give aside from not being asked is that they are not provided a problem to solve. Or at least a problem that they understand why they need to solve it. It is in their donor “Calls to Action” that a slight tweak or two can make a substantial […]

The Pandemic has been a great global summons. A call. In the middle of the night to awake. To something new. What are you talking about? Yes, it has. I know, I know. You are probably saying it has been a grand inconvenience, even a worry. At times, you may have been equally scared and […]