I recently wrote about the new rules of fundraising being “human first, digital fast.” It’s a lot to wrap one’s brain around. Because, alas, having digital tools doesn’ make fundraising easier. It makes it challenging. And it requires strategic thought and planning. Please, don’t shoot the . It’s the world we’re living…
Details
Reframing how you’ve done fundraising in the past is not optional.
It’s time for a change.
You must do it, because fundraising and nonprofit marketing have changed a LOT over the past ten years. Actually, over the past two years. There is absolutely no denying this at this point. You need to adapt. Or suffer the consequences.
If you’re still doing the same exact things you did ten, five, or even two years ago, it’s time to rethink. If you have leaders who doubt there’s a need for change, simply explain the reasons as I’ve outlined below:
Details
Whatever side of the political spectrum you’re on, the photos below are triggering.
Note: I can’t show you the photos because they’re copyrighted, but if you click on the link you’ll likely recognize at least some of them.
Why am I sharing photos I can’t even show you?
I want to make an important point.
One I feel too few nonprofits give much thought to.
Could you be among them?
If so, I don’t fault you. No one teaches us these things.
Most of us didn’t go to journalism school.
But, let’s face it, journalists really do know how to grab attention!
You want to grab attention with this year’s fundraising appeal, right?
Okay then.
I’m going to share a simple tip that will boost your fundraising returns this year by leaps and bounds.
Again, it’s super simple.
But you’ve got to start now. Or maybe even yesterday.
Are you ready?
DetailsWalk into almost any traditional charity gala and you’ll immediately notice the hierarchy. There’s the VIP reception behind closed doors. The head table at the front of the room. Reserved seating. Long speeches filled with organizational jargon and insider references. Before the evening has really begun, first-time guests have already received a subtle message: “You’re…
Details
If you have board members who aren’t giving a monetary gift… If you have board members who are just seeing what they can “get away with” … If you have board members who could definitely make a larger gift… If you’ve got board members telling you their service is their gift… You’ve got a problem.…
Details
I often read Maria Popova’s newsletter The Marginalian, and recently happened upon a piece on Marianne Moore on the Three Elements of Persuasive Writing. Moore, a Pulitzer Prize and National Bo Award winner, had set down her views on writing in a series of essays. Being a connoisseur of the art of creating persuasive fundraising…
Details
Shifting politics are creating economic uncertainty for all, and it’s especially scary for U.S. nonprofits who, on average, receive about a third of their total funding from Federal grants. This means nonprofits today need to shift emphasis (and budget) toward individual donor engagement strategies. Giving USA reports 74% of all giving (lifetime + bequests) came from individuals last year.
Major individual donors are, by far, the largest slice of today’s philanthropy pie.
If I had to tell you what you need to do to succeed with major gift fundraising in one sentence it would be this:
Identify major donor prospects… qualify them so you know they want to build a deeper relationship with you… cultivate them… visit with them… listen to them… reflect back to them what you heard… ask them for something specific that resonates with their passions… steward their gift and communicate in an ongoing way to make them feel like the hero they are!
Whew – that was a mouthful!
But don’t worry. It’s definitely not rocket science. A shorter way to say this is:
Meet with donors. Listen to donors. Ask donors. Thank donors.
See — it’s simple!
It’s just good old hard work. Satisfying and rewarding work. And it’s a type of work anyone can learn to do.
Over my 40 years in fundraising, 30 of them working in the trenches as a director of development for organizations with budgets ranging from $1 – $40 million, I have asked for a lot of major gifts. I know what works, and what doesn’t work. Today I want to give you:
(1) some of my best pro tips and words of wisdom, and also
(2) answers to some of the questions folks frequently ask me .
I hope this information will help you tweak your mindset and invigorate your systems so you can be more successful fundraising in the coming year!
Details
I wish I had a dime for every time a nonprofit board or staff member told me
“We’re the best kept secret in town; if people knew what we do, they’d give to support us.”
Sound familiar?
If I had all those dimes, I could make a nice contribution to your cause.
But I likely wouldn’t choose to do so, unless you intentionally made it clear the following were important to you:
You see, merely “building awareness” will not ipso facto raise more money for your cause.
Just because I care about something, and somehow learn you are involved in doing something about that thing, doesn’t mean I’m going to support you financially.
Why should I?
There are a lot of good causes out there, and making a decision to invest in you is something I need to act on.
I’m busy.
I’m overloaded with information.
Inertia is just too powerful a force.
Want to do something to shake me awake?
DetailsI cannot tell you how many times I begin a consultation with a small nonprofit, only to discover they have no real donor database (to collect and store data) or CRM (to effectively manage donor relationships).
They’re still using Excel or Filemaker or something that was developed for the program or finance department many moons ago.
I also find many nonprofits do have a decent fundraising database, but aren’t really using it to their advantage.
It’s the equivalent of having a 747; then using it to drive down the block to the corner store.
If you’re not exactly maximizing the resources you have, or if you simply don’t have the resources you need, it’s going to adversely affect your fundraising results.
Today we live not only in an era of ‘Big Data,’ but in one in which much of this data is AI-enabled. Which means understanding why data is important, what data is most meaningful to you, and how to prioritize data collection and evaluation strategies to help you reach your goals has never been more important.
If your nonprofit fundraising and marketing strategy is not currently undergirded by data — whether AI-empowered or not yet — I guarantee you’re missing opportunities, working inefficiently and leaving money on the table.
Could you use a bit of guidance?
Read on…
Details
If you’re a small to medium-sized organization or movement, especially if you’re local, you’ve got a secret unfair advantage over your larger compatriots in the social benefit sector. Perhaps you’ve never loed at it this way. Perhaps you fret about not being able to compete with the behemoths. Perhaps you’ve been waiting to hire a…
Details