This past weekend, I embarked on an event that frightened me. Literally and figuratively. You see, several months ago, I entered a lottery. And, the drawing was for a chance to run up Mt. Washington in the Mt. Washington Auto Road Race. I got in. At the time, it seemed fabulous. Then as reality dawned, […]
Twenty-two years is an awfully long time. I can’t believe it has gone by that quickly. And, it all happened by pure chance or maybe little small choices all along the way. Now, I find myself a CFRE and have my Masters in Fundraising and Philanthropy. Years, years ago, I got my start as a community […]
Feeling listless, stressed, in a funk? Snap out of it! I have been in the field of fundraising for a long time. And, I know that sometimes (maybe a lot of occasions), development work can be hard and draining, and sometimes you end up in a funk. Well, here are some great ways that YOU […]
Let’s cut to the chase. I know, and you know that one of the biggest things that stop us from being effective in our fundraising is fear. Good old, heart pumping, nail biting, fear. Recently, I had a conversation with some folks, and I asked them the question, “what is your number one concern around […]
Do these phrases sound familiar to you? “I never have enough money!” “Money goes out faster than it comes in!” “Money doesn’t grow on trees!” How often have we heard these phrases growing up? Well, if you were like me, probably a lot. As a child, these were the messages that I subconsciously learned about money, […]
Research has shown that people like to talk about themselves. And, there is a reason why. It stimulates areas of the brain. It makes them physically feel good to talk about themselves – stimulating the same areas in the brain that sex, cocaine, and good food does. And, we all know what good food does […]
Recently, I had some conversations with a former co-worker. Her outlook and atmosphere had changed so dramatically that I had pause and ask, what is different. Well, she set me on the course of all of her “research” on the importance of human body language. And, I realized that there was profound applicability for me […]
Let’s get rid of our printed newsletter and just send an e-newsletter. Our donors don’t like personal solicitations. We are only going to send out one appeal a year because we don’t want to send too much mail to our donors. I hear statements like this all the time. And, I wonder if we are […]
Are you looking at your donor retention rate? It seems like this is old hat in the field, but yet, it is such an important metric to be measuring in your development office. The question is, are you? It is more expensive and difficult to obtain a new donor than it is to keep a […]
I enjoy asking for gifts. I like to connect a donor with a mission and see magic happen. Indeed, when you ask one for a gift, the giver gives. When I have broached this topic as of late, I see faces cringe and heads nod, “no.” The body language says it all. But, what is […]
The fundraising audit is a major step in fundraising planning. When you think about planning, you think about where are we, where do we want to be, and how are we going to get there? The fundraising audit helps you to determine, where are you. And, it is probably the most important step of the […]
Why good grant applications fail. Yes, every grant you write will not be funded. That is a reality. I know, you and I both wish that they were, but that’s not always the case. According to The Fund Raising School at the Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, these are some concrete reasons why foundations decline […]
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