How do you make that decision to accept your next position? Do you go by with what your heart feels? Well, there is some importance to listening to your “heart,” “intuition” or “gut” when making decisions like this, there is also an important thing you can do, and that is due diligence. You want to […]
There are quite a number of groups seeking to test the feasibility of a possible capital campaign. And, so naturally being a consulting firm catering to small fundraising shops, I tend to get asked to talk about these, and I am currently in the midst of one now. What I find is that groups think […]
What is going on out there? For the past year, I have watched development jobs come and go on the job boards. I lamented that folks like myself with over 20 years of experience, certifications, and education were getting passed up for the lower paid, less experienced, “greener” young ones. And, there might be some […]
So, let’s talk database. What? That seems like something so mundane. Well, it may be, but it is so critical to fundraising. Throughout my professional career, I have been victim to bad databases, and I have been asked to work with bad databases. One thing is for sure, without an initial thought out structure, problems are inevitable. I […]
Development Consulting Solutions is announcing NEW interim and project-based service offerings: Who is DCS? There are limited Certified Fund-Raising Executives (CFRE) providing outsourced fund development services and serving as interim fund development staffing. What most organisations need is someone who can do the work for them! “DCS” recognizes this need and has provided this service […]
When to go public? A question that I am asked a bit. When can our capital campaign go public? When can we put a thermometer out on our lawn? When can we start to ask our constituents and the general community? When can we have a special event and invite everyone? The all important question, […]
I have worked in the nonprofit world far longer than I can remember. My job began in the sector back in 1992 or so, when I became a grant writing intern for a local non-profit organisation as part of my undergraduate work. Little did I realize that some twenty plus years later, I would still be […]
Best practices. We hear that phrase often. This week, I even read a question asking if “best practices were misleading?” Are we throwing that phrase around to legitimize our field? Our do we have best practices and what are they? Well, I contend that the only true best practice is one that is grounded in […]
What, wait, we hired that Capital Campaign Consultant to run the campaign, and now you are telling me that I have to do something. No, this can’t be possible. Yep! It would be unrealistic to think that a capital campaign is left up to the staff to manage. How could they? The staff doesn’t have access […]
So, I have a niche somewhat of assisting smaller nonprofits with their capital campaigns. This niche can be challenging because many of these groups have not had an ongoing, comprehensive fund development program in the past. However, working on these smaller campaigns can also be very satisfying because I can help them use this campaign […]
This weekend I took a little vacation of sorts. I ran a marathon. The Marine Corps Marathon in Washington, DC. Running a marathon is exhausting, but also, reflective. For you see, you run for 26 miles. That is a long time on your feet – sometimes, three, four, five, six, or even more hours. Over […]
So, here it is. I am laying this question and answer right out on the line. Especially now that we are coming to the year-end giving season. I am asked time and time again, “Didn’t we just mail to them, won’t we be bothering them?” No, no, and no. You can never ask enough. Yes, […]
Lately, I have been doing a lot of driving. And, as a result, a lot of thinking. I have clients all throughout the Northeast. And, sometimes, yes, the driving does get “old.” But, then I sit back and reflect. You see, there are many different types of fundraising consultants. And, lately, I have been hearing […]
There is so much science behind fund development. You can study it, take courses in it, and read books on it. Campaigns have become honed regarding best practices; there are easy steps to put into place, materials to be created, and people to be engaged. The one thing that I have come to realize, though, […]
Meetings, meetings, meetings. We all know them, and we all attend them.here are three types of meetings and the way that you position yourself physically within the meeting could make a world of difference. Including meeting with our donors. But, did you know there are three types of meetings, and the way that you position […]
“I don’t have the time!” Development professionals probably have one of the most demanding jobs in an organisation. There are so many expectations, and the work is full of deadlines that need we need to meet. We work long hours on grant proposals, travel across the country to visit donors, and need to prepare budgets […]
There always comes the point in an organisation when the natural order of things is change. Whether that change is an executive transition, upheaval in the Board of Directors, or even things greater than that. Things such as what should we do as an organisation? Stay the same? Merge with another organisation? Or even cease […]
Interestingly enough, I met with a wonderful and highly intelligent gentleman this past week. As we were eating lunch, we started talking about systems thinking. It reminded me of a mentor who once said that we needed to be reading people like Peter Senge. I could never really make the correlation between Peter Senge’s highly […]
Good governance doesn’t end at creating a Governance Committee of the board or even of establishing processes for governance such as policies and procedures, or even developing new committee structures. Governance has only begun. It continues with a well formed and crafted agenda for all meetings both at the Board and, most especially, at the committee […]
So, who leads the governance process? Is it the Board? Is it the staff? I wondered to what role does the staff or Board play in shifting a culture that is not longer useful? In fact, sometimes a management culture can be downright disruptive after an organisation has reached a particular place in its life […]
We often talk about banning jargon when we speak to others about our organisation. And, that is so needed. But, I would like to take it one step further, and say that we are not here to “educate” our donors about what we do. They don’t care about the specifics. There, I said it. Truly, […]
The founder. What does that mean to be a founder of an organisation? And, how does that impact the relationship with your Board of Directors? organisations have natural life cycles and founders play a unique role in the organisation that the found. There is growth and with growth comes pains. For founders, what was once […]
How big is your need? Interestingly enough, a group that I am currently working with is in the process of conducting an outside needs assessment. I think this is such a wise move. Over the years, I have led strategic planning and board development for quite some time. For those groups who have engaged […]
The lens of mission must guide everything that a Board of Directors decides in an organisation. Everything. Board members are the vanguard of the mission. They develop it; they refine it, and they ensure it. They ensure that the organisation is meeting the needs of those that they serve through assessing the community during a […]
quick fundraising ideas for nonprofit organisations
and crowdfund campaign to help you raise more money for your favourite cause. Many organisations when seeking to start their first development office do not which way to turn or where to start first. Far too many organisations often start and end with grant writing. They don’t get beyond this particular strategy. Quick Fundraising Ideas for Nonprofit organisations. It is year-end campaign planning time. Far too often I see organisations using a blanket approach with their donor base. With a few minor tweaks in their strategy, they can increase their revenues by a third, sometimes even double. >