Raising more money from your current loyal donors through repeat and best-ever gifts
What happens when you don't invest in donor acquisition? Well, your organisation will face a declining donor base with the need to raise more money from fewer donors. With about 10% of donor bases naturally declining each year, the focus…
How to craft an effective and impactful plan for your next fundraising fiscal year
For many, as the calendars switch to spring, our organisations begin their budget planning season in preparation of a new fiscal year. As a result, development departments are often hard-pressed to come up budget sometimes right in the middle…
How to take care of yourself as a busy nonprofit fundraising professional
It all happens to us. Time silently ticks away, and deadlines loom. And, then, BAM, out of the blue, a crisis occurs with a client, or some other proverbial "fire" starts burning. Perhaps it is a last-minute grant deadline suddenly arises,…
How to keep your small shop fundraising focus on your major donor work
After having served most of my career as a Director of Development in a small organisation, I understand the realities of trying to handle all of the major tasks and responsibilities that come up daily; plus the fires that seem to endlessly…
Analyzing your calendar year-end fundraising efforts for effectiveness
Many groups end the year and then move onto their next project starting January 1.
While forward-thinking and acting is important, it is also equally as critical to do some analysis of the past year; calendar year-end, particularly, since…
We're growing our interim fundraising division to help YOU reach your possibility.
Let me share a story with you... A few years back when I first started consulting, I provided organisations like yourself with strategic fund development audits and assessments and then crafted finely honed plans. What I thought were roadmaps…
How to get your fundraising "Mojo" back through finding your ideal development position
Not satisfied with where you are currently in your field? Feeling like you have lost your "Mojo?" I know the feeling, I have "been there done that" as they say. What often happens next, is that we begin to apply for job after job with…
How to create a manual that ensures your database stays clean and up to date
Now that December is here, I have been running many lists and queries and during those list pulls, I have noted inconsistent data in databases that have caused numerous complications during one of the busiest times of the year. As a result,…
Using a gift chart to validate a fundraising goal and campaign
When you have been presented with a fundraising goal, the best next step is to determine the feasibility of that goal. One of the most challenging tasks is setting out to accomplish a fundraising goal without knowing whether or not you have…
Using a mini-feasibility study to determine the strategy of your next fundraising campaign
Ever wonder as to what is the best course to take with your fundraising strategy? Let's say that you have been given a challenge match by a donor or you have a fundraising goal that the Board has given to you to raise. The question becomes not…
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…
