Fundraiser Education

Each individual metric we track and try to improve upon is a KPI. And if we just try to improve KPIs, we will fail at accomplishing our missions because we are focused on the wrong things. Why is focusing on KPIs bad?...

How many times have you tried to research foundations, corporations, organizations, associations and individuals only to find out that these entities are not accepting new proposals? In fact, they have not accepted new proposals for quite some time...

Taking that first step is what separates those who dream about creating change from those who actually create change, those who are change-makers. The nonprofit sector is a unique and powerful sector because of this...

When you have been in the nonprofit profession for a number of years, you interact with many colleagues. I am blessed to have known and continue to know colleagues who have impacted me during my career. One special person who I admire for a variety of reasons is Ernie Vargo, II, CFRE, in Indianapolis...

In previous blogs, we have been critical of the way in which nonprofits are often evaluated—their so-called “overhead ratios.” An overhead ratio compares the operating costs of the nonprofit with its income. A low-overhead ratio implies that the organization is minimizing its expenses (e.g. salaries, office rent) and, therefore, has more resources available to dedicate to its mission...

One of the great pleasures in working with nonprofits is getting up every day and knowing that you are helping them do good on behalf of their constituencies. There are nonprofits out there that advocate on behalf of people living with autism, cancer, ALS and cystic fibrosis...

It’s always good to have that outside perspective. That voice of experience. Those fresh eyes. The wisdom of someone trained in your area. That is the role of a good consultant—not only to be that objective voice that can speak to you and others, but to bring needed expertise and experience...

I have been writing articles and blogs for many years. I love to promote having a nonprofit career and to share information with others. The by-product of writing is the variety of questions asked of me in a given month. These questions represent a wide range of topics...

For the past several years, we’ve been advising smart fundraisers to zero in on their individual giving program with a laser-like intensity. And despite the current political and fundraising climate—or perhaps especially because of the current climate—that’s still sound advice. How will you be increasing fundraising revenue AND strengthening donor relationships in 2019? Make plans…

While you were sleeping, something transformative happened. People began to behave differently. To get their information differently. To communicate with their friends differently. To purchase things differently. We live in a digitally revolutionized, highly connected, hugely networked zeitgeist...