Most fear of fundraising boils down to two factors: (1) fear of rejection, and (2) fear of loing stupid due to insufficient knowledge/skills. It turns out these fears are relatively easy to overcome. But it requires some serious reframing. A move away from begging and towards offering a gift of opportunity. The opportunity to feel joy,…
DetailsMaybe this wasn’t a good place for fishing? We spend too much time thinking about the right way to ask people for donations, yet not enough time thinking about who the right people are to ask. It’s like buying a perfect fishing rod and reel, learning how to cast, and then casting off into empty…
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Last week I wrote about the evils of using jargon. I got lots of responses. It’s clearly hard for people to get outside of their ‘insider’ mindset. When we use words at work daily, they begin to seem normal (even though we may’ve never used those words before). Before working at a social service agency,…
DetailsJargon is the opposite of constituent-centered writing. You must avoid it because it’s not constituent-centered. I could stop here, but I won’t. Because most of us use jargon all the time without being aware we’re doing so. Why? Because we only know that it’s ‘bad’ and to be avoided. Yet how can one…
DetailsWhat makes an appeal package successful? In Part I I talked about (1) getting the letter opened and (2) enticing people to read the important parts of the letter. Today I’ll discuss what should happen next, if we’ve been so fortunate as to have had the letter opened and digested. 3. Make it easy…
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We Have Blast Off! What makes a fundraising appeal, well, appealing? Success is not that hard to achieve, provided you systematically consider all the key elements. It’s not rocket science. Yet there is some science, and art, involved. Here’s what you have to do: Get it opened. You have about two seconds to get noticed. If…
DetailsYou think I’d prefer peanuts? It’s often said that people give to people. So true. And people are funny. Our behavior is ruled by emotions much than logic (remember the difference between irrational humans and logical Vulcans on Star Trek?). With most of us, hope springs eternal. We seek a brighter future. A better…
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Why is “Undercover Boss” so popular? Could it be because most of us feel like no one is listening to us? No one understands our pains and sorrows? It’s cathartic to see a boss, for a change, put himself in the shoes of his workers and consumers. It’s usually a kick-in-the pants, eye-opening experience. If…
DetailsIt can’t all be about ‘push’. We’ve also got to ‘pull.’ Recently I’ve been writing a lot about social media. It’s an important tool for engaging with our supporters. But let’s not forget that what makes technology sing is not the technology; it’s the people behind the technology. Successful technology is about bonds, not bells…
DetailsSuccessful nonprofit development (both fundraising and marketing) is all about persuasion. One of my favorite bos is Daniel Pink’s To Sell is Human. His premise is that we’re all in “sales” on a daily basis. Whether it’s simply trying to get your kids up and out the door in the morning or persuading your boss…
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