You can do everything perfectly in terms of fundraising technique, but it’s all for naught unless you have enough viable prospects. It’s all too easy to forget about this all-important task, or to think about it as merely an ‘administrative’ function that never rises to the top of your priority list. You can’t ask anyone…
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…
DetailsHow will you keep the donors who just gave to you? Securing donors only to lose them is just silly business. If you want to move away from transactional one-time gifts, and towards longer-term, transformational giving. here is the single most important thing you need to know: RESOLVE to make donor retention a priority. Really! if you want…
DetailsWelcome to your Clairification Dashboard and Monthly Tip! 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 50% of their annual contributions from October to…
DetailsFirst, please know how very special my Clairification School students are to me, and how grateful I am to have this opportunity to share my experience and wisdom with you. It gives me a warm glow to know there are so many folks like you endeavoring to make our world a better and caring…
DetailsOf course you’re working on your annual appeal and year-end fundraising plan. And if you want detailed specifics on how to do either you can grab one of my E-Guides: Anatomy of a Fundraising Appeal Letter plus Sample Template Year-End Fundraising Solution Kit – To-Do’s + Checklists Right now I want to give several specific, timely tips…
DetailsThe summer months are a great time to plan to hold an “inspiring philanthropy” (aka board fundraising training) session; then provide volunteers with assignments so they can hit the ground running! These are best held in September/October – in time to fire folks up for year-end major gift asks. Consider inviting a facilitator to run…
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…
DetailsTIP #1: This is a good month for a brief donor survey. Donor surveys offer you a “twofer.” One is for you (useful information). One is for your donor (a way to usefully participate other than giving money). This information can be gold to you as you prepare your content calendar and campaign materials moving forward.[See 2…
DetailsCan I tell you a story? Who isn’t receptive to that question?!?! Human beings LOVE stories. We’re wired from early childhood to be lured into the narrative. We relax, kick back and are willing to be open, interested and attentive. Of course, if you’d prefer to lecture me, I’ll take another stance entirely. Facts and…
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