Fundraiser Education

Once upon a time, there was a need. A number of people recognized it and wanted to do something about it. They knew this would involve them giving money. That wasn’t a problem. They needed to be organized, so they set up an office. An organization. The government had decided that organizations like this should…

My idea to publish a list of very useful nonprofit leadership books came from the class I teach at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg School for Communications on nonprofit communications strategy. Every year, I say to my students during the last class, "If nonprofit leaders—board and staff—read the same material you did this spring, the nonprofit…

When you have been in the nonprofit business as long as I have, you have seen everything. I have been to countless meetings, lunch appointments, seminars, dinners and various events. In the nonprofit world, you typically react to someone’s act. We all strive for the end result, whatever that turns out to be in the long run. I can wait forever if, in the end, it results in large quantities of time, talent or treasure for the institution I represent...

So have all the cool kids moved to digital? Is mail so yesterday? Sometimes it seems like that’s what I’m hearing. And I often feel like a grandma, warning people not to move everything online. But grandma or not, I’ll keep doing it. I know the arguments: Yes, email is cheaper to send. Yes, online…

"Fundcrushing" is a form of anti-fundraising that works on the mistaken assumption that people will want to respond to a situation if they understand how huge it is. It's exactly wrong. Donors are far more likely to give when they see how solvable a problem is, not how big. An overwhelmingly huge problem actually is…

We also are seeing a lot of fundraising "tourism" these days. You know—the drive-by attempts at raising money. Don’t get me wrong. It’s fun being a tourist. It’s about being entertained. It’s about feeling as though you’re "really" in the experience. When you’re seeking to raise serious resources for serious causes just cruising by doesn’t cut it, however...

For some time now, I’ve been saying fundraising has changed more in the past five to 10 years than in the previous 50. It’s due to the digital revolution that fundamentally has changed business as usual—for everyone. Change is inevitable, yet change is hard. And nonprofits seem to have a more difficult time embracing change than their for-profit counterparts. Perhaps it’s due to the way social-benefit organizations are structured.

Conferences include a variety of general sessions, workshops and networking opportunities. When you feel burned out or stale in your nonprofit position, go to a conference that interests you. You will feel renewed and validated...

It’s fundraising event season! And everybody is hard at work with caterers, venues, auctions—you name it. But what about your guests? Sometimes in all the hubbub, we forget to worry about our lovely guests who are nice enough to attend. If your guests are not enjoying themselves, you just might not see them again. Then…

In the market for good news? Look no further than “The Philanthropy Outlook 2016 & 2017,” a study from Marts & Lundy, researched and written by Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. The report projected national giving trends and examined factors that impact the outlook. Here are some of its key findings...