Donor-centered fundraising has never been as important as it is now. Or so goes the buzz among development gurus. I’ve said as much myself – first in Growing Givers’ Hearts: Treating Fundraising as Ministry and then again (and again and again) in my interaction with clients. When it comes to nurturing loyal giving, nothing beats [...]
4 tips for minimizing risk when selecting a donor management system
April 24, 2013 By 1 Comment
Infrastructure. For most folks, the topic is about as exciting as underwear. No one wants to talk about infrastructure, let alone pay for it. But ignore infrastructure, and you doom your best laid plans for fundraising success to failure. Topping the list of infrastructure essentials – just after budget and staff – is your donor [...]
When building a board, look for the helpers
April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Look for the helpers. You’ll always find people who are helping.” Following the bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 15), this comforting word from Fred Rogers has popped up again on social media sites. Our favorite neighbor was referring, of course, to advice from his mother about dealing [...]
When building a board, look for the helpers
April 17, 2013 By Leave a Comment
“Look for the helpers. You’ll always find people who are helping.” Following the bomb explosions at the finish line of the Boston Marathon on Monday (April 15), this comforting word from Fred Rogers has popped up again on social media sites. Our favorite neighbor was referring, of course, to advice from his mother about dealing [...]
Avoid the trap of “maybe gifts” and mission drift
April 10, 2013 By Leave a Comment
I heard it again on my last trip out — a proposal to expand an organization’s mission packaged as a development strategy. “By launching X, we’ll open the organization to a whole new group of donors,” the executive director said with more conviction than evidence. Never mind that the organization’s strategic plan included nary a [...]
7 deadly sins of grant seekers
April 1, 2013 By Leave a Comment
For the faith-based nonprofits with which I work – and in fact, for the majority of small to mid-size 501(c) 3s – foundation-funded grants are a tiny fraction of total gift income. Yet invariably, “write more proposals” is the first suggestion from organizational leaders when money is tight. I spend a lot of time talking [...]
10 indications your organization is healthy and doing well
March 27, 2013 By 7 Comments
Similar to Leo Tolstoy’s families, healthy organizations are all alike. Or so I’ve noticed. Mission, scope, size, or sector don’t much matter. Nonprofits that are performing well share characteristics the ailing crowd lacks.
Turning fundraising losses into gains with the help of old friends
October 17, 2012 By Leave a Comment
This just in from the Association of Fundraising Professionals: 2011 was a tough year for America’s nonprofit community. That’s the word based on an analysis of fundraising data from 3,184 respondents covering year-to-year fundraising results for 2010 and 2011. According to the 2012 Fundraising Effectiveness Survey: Every $100 gained in 2011 was offset by $100 [...]
Tales of donations almost derailed by technology
July 16, 2012 By 1 Comment
Unless you’re a 21st century Rip Van Winkle, you’ve likely heard technology touted as the fundraiser’s new best friend. What you may have missed is that technology is also a tease. Just when think you’ve achieved techno-Nirvana, up pops another possibility. A nifty new function. An emerging platform. Yesterday’s hot innovation is today’s yawn. Fearful [...]
