Oct222013
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5 More Things Your Board Doesn’t Get about Fundraising and Nonprofits

I unlocked Pandora’s box with my last post, 5 Things Your Board and CEO Don’t Get About Fundraising and Donors. Especially when it comes to board members, many of you say their behavior has you scratching your heads much of the time. So, here are 5 more things that too many boards simply don’t seem to understand:

1. It costs money to make money. This one is odd, since many of these folks seem to understand the concept of ‘investment’ when it comes to their day jobs. 

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1 CommentBoards & Leadership
Oct212013
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5 Things your Board and CEO Don’t Get about Fundraising and Donors

Donors feel good when they give. There’s plenty of research  showing  philanthropic giving is good for people. It makes folks happier, healthier and even more successful. So there is no need to apologize when asking for support where the need is authentic. In fact, asking others to participate in philanthropy is a great gift. Just don’t forget to thank them personally and promptly when they do, so they also experience the joy of having made the right decision.

Donors respond to sizzle, not steak.

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2 CommentsBoards & Leadership
Oct152013
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Hue Are You? What Color Can Mean for Your Marketing Strategy

 

 I adore color.  I’m definitely not someone who wears only black!  I thought it would be interesting to think about how we use color in our donor communications, and happened on several great infographics, including The Psychology of Color in Design and Color Psychology and Marketing. They offer a terrific overview of the meaning of colors in the western hemisphere. What you’ll learn is eye opening.

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4 CommentsContent Marketing
Oct142013
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6 Ways to Raise More Money with Your Annual Fundraising Appeal

Working on your year-end appeal? Flying by the seat of your pants? Struggling with your copy? Think your copy is okay, but not super inspiring? Worried that folks may not even open your envelope? Crafting fundraising appeals is not rocket science, but you do have to adhere to certain guidelines if you want to achieve blast-off.  So… here come some guidelines!

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11 CommentsAnnual Giving
Oct32013

Clairity Click-it: Events; Mobile; Social Media vs. Social Business; Acknowledgment Plan; Email Appeals; Corporate Sponsors

This week’s links are a real potpourri of pretty darn interesting stuff. Check ‘em out!

Events

Click-It: The Secret of the Five Top. Simply brilliant advice from Seth Godin.  I dare you to try it at your next fundraising event. And if you’ve done it, let us all know how it worked!

Mobile

Click-It: Top 5 Reasons to Use Mobile. This post has all the data you need to

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Leave a commentClairity Click-it
Oct12013
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Your Major Donor-Investor: What’s in a Name?

I recently wrote a post about how to take charge of your nonprofit’s ‘major donor-investor plan.’  One of my readers asked “How did you come up with that term?”

Hmmn… I don’t think I came up with anything. I’ve simply considered my major donors as investors since as long as I can remember. But, honestly, I think the term may have been coined by fundraising guru Kay Sprinkel Grace, who has been a mentor and huge influence in my development practice. So, thank you Kay.

What’s in a name? Let’s take a moment to consider the power of language.

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2 CommentsMajor & Legacy Gifts
Sep292013
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10 Steps to Take Charge of Your Nonprofit’s Major Donor-Investor Plan

Major individual gifts are the single largest source of philanthropy, by far. The most recent data from Giving USA[Free Summary Download] shows 72% of gifts come from individuals’ annual gifts and an additional 7% from bequests.

The process of individual donor development proceeds along a continuum – from awareness… to education… to involvement… to investment.  People must first be made aware of the organization’s existence and its mission.  Once this occurs, people who share values enacted by your organization can be identified, further educated and majorly involved.

When the relationship is sufficiently built – and only then — the prospect can be invited to significantly invest to assist in furtherance of your organization’s mission.

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Leave a commentMajor & Legacy Gifts