It’s that time of year. You know. Best movies of the year. Best books of the year. Most embarrassing moments of the year.
List time!
Before we’re any more fully into 2018, here’s my “Top Ten” list of the most-read Clairification articles in 2017. Some of them were written this past year. Some in previous years (oldies, but apparently goodies – at least according to Clairification readers).
It’s interesting to me that they’re mostly very practical articles about brass tacks fundraising. Was everyone running silent auctions last year? If you ran one, let me know what your greatest challenges were. Maybe I’ll write about them again this year.
Donor retention was a popular subject, deservedly so, as was major gift fundraising. It’s super smart to focus your energies here, so I’m happy to see folks are reading more about strategies to retain and upgrade the folks who already love you. I also enjoy writing about nonprofit marketing, management and trends. Writing about the psychology of fundraising fascinates me, as do the changes we’re seeing – big ones! – in the wake of the digital revolution.
What about you? Please take a moment to let me know what you’d like to hear about in the comments below. I’d love to provide what you’d most like to learn about.
Here is what everyone found useful last year.
The Clairification ‘Top Ten’ Reader Favorites:
- Fundraising Silent Auctions: It’s the Items, Stupid
- Fundraising Silent Auctions: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, the Easy
- 6 Keys to Rock Thank You Calls and Retain More Donors
- 8 Top Ways to Send Nonprofit Donors Love on Valentine’s Day
- How to Build a Major Donor Program from the Ground Up
- Check Your Next Appeal Letter Against This 16-Point List Before Sending
- Donor’s Lament: You Didn’t Thank Me Properly
- 9 Things Your Nonprofit Needs to Know about Monthly Donations
- 3-Word Recipe Guaranteed to Raise Money
- What to Say When Your Donor Asks: How Much Do You Spend on Overhead?
The Clairification School Most Popular e-Course:
Winning Major Gifts Fundraising Strategies for the small and medium-sized shop
This course is coming up again right now — registration closes January 20th — so take advantage if you want to get the biggest bang you can for your buck this year.
On average, it costs just 5 – 10 cents to raise a dollar with major gift fundraising. That’s a darn good return on investment! To compare, it costs 50 cents to raise a dollar with a silent auction or other special event. It costs $1.00 – $1.25 to acquire a new donor. If you’re not yet a Clairification School enrolled student, and want to take this course, now’s the time to enroll and grab a $200 discount on the course (you’ll more than make up your $100 enrollment fee, plus you’ll get access to ALL my content for a full 12 months)
It is my sincere honor and great pleasure to provide useful content to you so you can do your most important work.
Thank you for all you do to make our world a better and more caring place.
Warmest wishes to you and yours for a happy and healthy new year. I hope to see more of you in 2018!
P.S. If you’ve recently enrolled in Clairification School, please log in and take a moment to visit your ‘My Clairification’ Dashboard. You’ll find a useful tip there every month (this month we’re taking a look at mission statements).
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