Want a powerful strategy to work smart? Here’s the single most important lesson I ever learned. Begin with the why. Always. If you don’t, you’re likely to work very hard and not achieve much of value. Why? Because you didn’t begin your endeavor by asking yourself: “What’s the value in this work upon which I’m…
DetailsIt’s not too early to begin planning your fundraising strategies for the fall and end of the calendar year. You’re probably already thinking about your appeal. But what about person-to-person major gift fundraising? For most nonprofits the lion’s share of money comes from the smallest group of people. Many of these folks respond well…
DetailsFor many of you this is your fiscal year end. That means making sure you don’t lose any of those donors you to such pains to acquire last year. It also means tying up loose ends to assure you don’t leave money on the table. For those of you on a different fiscal year, skip…
DetailsNow is the time to assure you’ve got a manageable plan in place so you’re ready for prime fundraising season next Fall. This month’s tips are designed to help you figure out how to prioritize and manage everything on your plate. A task management system may help a little. Here’s one some of my clients use…
DetailsWhat better time than spring (at least in the northern hemisphere) to focus on the same cycle of renewal that many parts of the earth go through? This is a good time of year to focus on reactivating lapsed donors. The point is you have to plant the seeds and water the plants before your…
DetailsAs we move into Spring in the northern hemisphere, and Fall in the southern regions, I have a few tips to “spring” on you and some best practices for you to “fall” into! [NOTE: Did you know modern medicine changes somewhere around half its “best practices” every few years? We should be thinking about, re-evaluating…
DetailsConsider February, with Valentine’s Day smack in the middle, as #donor month. Why not? The you speak the language of to your donors, the they’ll shower you with in return. And by ‘,’ I mean ‘ of humanity’ – aka philanthropy. Robert Payton, the first full-time Director of the Center for…
DetailsConsider these tips your New Year’s Resolutions. They’re simple to accomplish, relatively inexpensive, and they’ll give your fundraising program a big boost in the coming year. As the folks at Nike would say: JUST DO IT! Tip One: Correct Your Bad Addresses Give donors the gift of reconnection! Did you know in the U.S., at any…
DetailsWelcome to your Clairification Dashboard and Monthly Tips! You’ll find something new here each month — paralleling what you’re likely thinking about during this time period. This month I’m giving you multiple tips because, heck, it’s a very critical month for fundraisers! Did you know nonprofits receive, on average, 50% of their annual contributions from…
DetailsI’ve personally declared November ‘Gratitude for Blessings’ month. For me, this means finding opportunities to demonstrate gratitude. And today I’m grateful for you, my readers. Whereas donors are the center of your nonprofit’s universe, you are the center of mine. You are the reason I write. When I can’t share my ideas, it’s almost as…
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