When nonprofits lean into “major gift” fundraising, they typically start with data mining to see who in their donor pool has untapped capacity—and then unleash a gift officer to visit those donors. That, however, is only half the battle. The other half is what will you use to motivate that $100 donor to start giving […]
Few things create a power imbalance more precisely than money. Fundraisers encounter this power imbalance acutely, perhaps more than people in other professions. Wealthy people tend to socialize and congregate with people like themselves (as most people tend to do). Because successful fundraisers are successful relationship builders, navigating this dynamic can be particularly tricky as […]
As the calendar winds down, many nonprofits rush to remind donors about tax deductions, required IRA distributions, and year-end deadlines. You know donors will be bombarded with requests to give in the next eight weeks—including by you. So, how will you make your year-end appeal stand out? Worry less about the calendar and more about […]
If you were hired to sell a particular brand of car, and somebody walked into your showroom, chances are you wouldn’t spend much time talking about a competing brand. Toyota salespeople make commission on Toyotas, after all, not on Hondas. I thought the same principle held true when it came to my work as a […]
If you had no interest in becoming a flugelhorn player, and attended a training on how to become a flugelhorn player, what are the odds that you’d emerge from that training a budding flugelhornist?* Not totally zero. It’s possible you will start researching brass bands. But odds are, a training won’t motivate you to do […]
Think about all the nonprofits in the world and the number that you personally support. Did you do a detailed analysis using a cost v. value matrix to make an informed, rational decision about where to donate your hard-earned money? Unlikely. It’s much more likely that you support nonprofits with which you feel a personal, […]
Philanthropy heals. Not just by supporting nonprofits working to heal people recovering from a physical or mental setback, the loss of a loved one, abuse, or any other form of past or present trauma. Philanthropy actually heals the philanthropist. This truth was revealed to me at a conference for healthcare development professionals that I attended […]
Like death and taxes, volunteers and fundraising are among life’s inseparables. Unfortunately, I’ve seen too many development shops flounder because they’ve recruited the wrong volunteers and spend too much time catering to their needs, following up on their half-baked ideas or generating mountains of reports that they will never. Or they’ve recruited the right volunteers […]