Acquisition

This membership effort faced two significant challenges and met each well. First, 
it found commonality between two artists—Leonardo da Vinci and M.C. Escher—and was able to communicate how the works of both provide glimpses into their extraordinary minds. Second, it repeated the benefits of membership throughout every element of the package...

People new to fundraising are hesitant to ask for the money. It doesn’t seem to make sense that people would give. Why? "How will this donation benefit the giver?" youngsters ask. But give they do...

I came home. I was frustrated and discouraged. I had been to an outing with well-to-do people who seemed removed from the reality that my nonprofit clients face—disease, poverty, social injustice. These people sipped their morning mimosas, oblivious to the pain and suffering statistically likely to be only miles away, lamenting immigrants, welfare queens and other ne’er do wells...

During a recent orientation session with two new major gift officers, one individual asked me to define the term “case for support.” He was very eager to learn what I thought about the concept. It is an essential part of the fundraising process, and I'm not the only one in the profession that feels this way...

Fundraising is an art and a science. It’s hard work and easy to screw up. Right this minute, you may be planning to make an ask and you may already have set yourself up to fail. For every 10 asks you make, you’ll get, on average, seven noes. And that’s if you are really good…

With the rise of laptops, smartphones, social media and more, nonprofits now have more tools available to them for engaging donors than ever before. The problem that comes with having so many choices, however, is that it can be difficult to figure out exactly which engagement techniques are most effective. To complicate the matter even further,…

Are you thinking about participating in a giving day? Good news! There are so many organizations that have given it a try, and you can learn from them (the good and the bad). Look at their websites, donation landing pages, countdown clocks, emails, social media accounts, images and hashtags. Do a Google News search to…

I began my career as a fundraiser at a large nonprofit. I loved that prospective donors were familiar with the work of my organization long before I ever had a chance to talk with them. But like many other charities, almost everyone I encountered had a very strong opinion about our nonprofit. I heard everything…

The increasing trend toward globalization over the last 30 years has changed the way American interests do business. As America’s preeminent companies find themselves competing for markets and influence outside the U.S., the targets of their philanthropic efforts have also shifted...

"Make giving fun!" That’s the great advice offered by Michael Kaiser, chairman of the DeVos Institute of Arts Management at the University of Maryland and president emeritus of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Kaiser had observed, "[Donors] don’t join our family to be whined at. ... They join because we’re inspiring…