Creative

ACTION Against Hunger, a nonprofit group that fights malnutrition, is running a public service ad campaign that uses nontraditional, abstract imagery, rather than photos of starving children, to gain support.

Instead of employing photographs of starving children, the ads take a different tack. One shows a line of seven simple paper dolls; the doll in the middle is a stick figure compared with the other six. Copy in this ad says, “3.5 million children die each year from acute malnutrition. Take action. Save a child. ActionAgainstHunger.org.”

Following are the remaining four commandments that can help you apply best practices and time-tested strategies in your fundraising — and avoid the mistakes that undermine our best efforts.

If your fundraising hasn't been going well, you might have been telling yourself it's not your fault — it's the economy. But it's not. At least not entirely. Here are five much more likely reasons your fundraising doesn’t work.

Ted Hart speaks with veteran fundraising professional Julia Walker, author of "Jump-Starting the Stalled Fundraising Campaign," about her book and how to deal with the current challenges in the fundraising environment on his Nonprofit Coach radio show.

Veteran fundraising consultant Tom Gaffny provided 10 timeless keys to fundraising success that he's crafted over the past two decades during his session, "The 10 Commandments: 10 Ageless, Irrefutable, Non-Negotiable Keys to Optimizing Your Fundraising Success," at the DMA Nonprofit Federation's 2011 New York Nonprofit Conference held last month.

Here are the six lessons I have learned over the years — and find myself learning over and over again — in fundraising and marketing. They are simple but also powerful. And oh-so-easy to forget.

Veteran fundraising consultant Tom Gaffny provided 10 timeless keys to fundraising success that he's crafted over the past two decades during his session, "The 10 Commandments: 10 Ageless, Irrefutable, Non-Negotiable Keys to Optimizing Your Fundraising Success," at the DMA Nonprofit Federation's 2011 New York Nonprofit Conference held last month.

Whether your mission is helping people, animals or the environment, telling a story is critical to engaging potential donors — and turning them into committed supporters.

Veteran fundraising consultant Tom Gaffny provided 10 timeless keys to fundraising success that he's crafted over the past two decades during his session, "The 10 Commandments: 10 Ageless, Irrefutable, Non-Negotiable Keys to Optimizing Your Fundraising Success," at the DMA Nonprofit Federation's 2011 New York Nonprofit Conference held last month.

Some organizations may have one thank-you letter to send to donors, but Trinity College, in Hartford, Conn., wants to be sure nobody gets the same letter twice.

Dorothy Thompson, assistant director for donor relations, says she is constantly tweaking the basic letter, building new ones from the interchangeable parts displayed below so she can find the most appropriate way to acknowledge each gift.