Fundraising

In my 30 years of involvement with philanthropy professionally, when volunteers and professionals think of fundraising, they almost invariably are thinking of that moment when an “ask” is made. Whether through the mail, email, social media or—the dreaded face-to-face meeting—the act of asking for money sends chills up the spine and tremors of fear through the limbs...

The University of Notre Dame says it has received a $25 million donation toward the new music building that is under construction at the school's football stadium. University officials say the music building is among three structures being added to the exterior of Notre Dame stadium as part of the $400 million Campus Crossroads project.…

Barack Obama gave away more than $1 million while he was president of the U.S., more than half of which went to charities supporting children, according to a Forbes analysis of his tax returns from 2009 to 2015. The biggest recipient was the Fisher House Foundation, which supports families of veterans and received $392,000 from…

Tim Cullen ran into an unexpected obstacle recently when he decided it was time his cannabis business should start donating money to nonprofit organizations. “I have been shocked at how few places will take our money,” said Cullen, CEO of the Colorado Harvest Company chain of shops and a shareholder with O.penVape, a company that…

Twitter is the primary communication platform for U.S. President Trump, but that hasn’t stopped staff of the social media company from donating to one of the most prominent organizations opposing him. Nearly 1,000 employees made a $1.59 million donation to ACLU, which fought Trump’s recent executive order banning citizens of seven countries from entering the…

The nonprofit world is all about time, talent and treasure. We all seek ways to engage others in our organizations, so we can build relationships with them. What we hope to get is a family member and, eventually, the whole family as part of your network. If you can orchestrate a way to capture one ‘s attention, the possibilities for further engagement are endless...

It’s winter in State College, Pa. For thousands of Penn State students, alumni everywhere and hundreds of families of pediatric cancer patients, that means one thing. THON—what’s short for a very long dance marathon—will soon begin. This year’s event is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 17 through 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 19.…

Growing your successful individual giving program, including major gifts, is a process, often involving years of cultivation. It’s not about looking outside of your organization, but rather finding the diamonds within your own database. So, how will your organization move from here to there?...

Actor and former White House staffer Kal Penn has raised more than $500,000 for Syrian refugees after a person left a message on one of his Instagram posts saying that he "[doesn't] belong in this country." Penn posted an image of the comment on Saturday accompanied with a link to a crowdfunding page. "To the…

Imagine if you could make great presentations. I’m not talking about merely good speeches. Instead, I’m speaking of truly memorable, meaningful, influential presentations at staff meetings, board meetings, professional conferences and gatherings of prospects and donors. Would taking your presentations to the next level help you more effectively guide your staff, inform your board, teach…