Characteristics of a good development director
Technical skill or personality, which is most important when hiring a new Director of Development?
That is a great question.
And, while both would be ideal, that is not always a guarantee.
So, what do you look for in this case?
While…
How to dispel the endowment myth in your fundraising
Sometimes I work with organisations that have endowments. And, these endowments scare these organisations as they consider fundraising. They wonder if having an endowment, some of them significant in amounts, will deter donors and others…
How to build a strong fund development committee
The "warm body" approach to selecting committee members, always fails the diversity and strength test. Far too often, organisations will accept those interested persons without first determining who and what they need to best serve the purpose…
Developing “Strategic Relationship Building Strategies” for your donor prospects
Developing relationship building strategies for your donor prospects
So, you have the start of a donor portfolio. You have run all the lists, sorted them, and then ranked them. And now, you have your top two hundred donors.
Do you start…
Items you should bring on a donor fundraising visit
You have made the call and scheduled the meeting with your major donor.
Now, the question is, what do you need to bring to this visit? Do you bring a brochure or a video, or perhaps even a PowerPoint presentation? I say you bring it all. …
Creating a “Grateful Resident” Fundraising Program
If you have ever worked for a non-profit senior residential community, you know the importance that the residents play as a prospective donor constituent audience. It is they, and their families, who are the "warmest" potential prospective…
Planning your first fundraising cultivation event
Cultivation events are great ways to begin to qualify prospective donor relationships and deepen already existing donor relationships. Cultivation events should be a part of any individual giving.
However, when first getting started with…
How a matching gift challenge can boost your fundraising donor acquisition and retention rates
Matching gifts offer an excellent way to help organisations raise more money to fund their missions than they ordinarily do on their own. This type of gift program gives donors a sense of immediacy and urgency to their giving.
A matching…
Measuring your fundraising programs acquisition and retention metrics
While there are some relatively simple measures for evaluating the effectiveness of your fundraising program, such as Return on Investment (ROI) and the fundraising numbers, you often need to go beyond that to determine the long-term health…
How to acquire new prospective donors while reactivating lapsed ones
According to recent findings in the 2018 Fundraising Effectiveness Project, The Agitator points out that "The warning signs are there – decreasing numbers of new donors and decreasing reactivation rates of lapsed donors."
We are apparently…
How to create sponsorship opportunities for your fundraising event
So, you have an upcoming special event and you want to seek sponsors, and now you are wondering how to develop sponsorship opportunities that make sense and that inspire businesses to support you.
Well, when I advise my clients on how to…
How to get started with “Moves Management” in your major gift fundraising program
So, you have finally decided to start your major gifts program in your fundraising office, and now you are wondering how to establish a Moves Management system for cultivation.
Well, you may be first wondering, what are moves?
Moves are…
