Love me or lose me – How donor communications can do both.
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…
Reflecting on a career in fundraising; simpler times
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…
Is your fear of asking causing you to make assumptions for your donors?
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…
Is scarcity stopping you from asking for a major gift?
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…
Let’s talk about YOU, not me!
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,…
What does your body language say about you in fundraising?
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…
Ask your donors key questions, and fundraising becomes simple!
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…
Where are all your donors going?
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…
What is your aversion to asking others for money?
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…
Fundraising audits inside and out
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…
How does your fundraising ROI measure up?
How are you looking at your fundraising rate of return?
It is critical that you develop a variety of ways to measure your performance and report these results to the board.
In doing so, you are ensuring appropriate stewardship of your resources…
Are you stuck in the fundraising dark ages?
With some nonprofits, there seems to be a disconnect. These groups have operated using the same fundraising methods as they did twenty years ago, perhaps with the same leaders leading the organisation.
They fail to look at national giving…
