Prospects

LinkedIn is a severely misunderstood and underestimated donor research tool by many fundraisers. Even those that use it often don’t take full advantage of its many useful tools. In fact, there’s a simple little search you can do on LinkedIn that can give you the perfect outreach point for thousands of potential donors that I’m…

It’s a debate. It’s a challenge. It’s confusing. Hands down, market research really does matter, but understanding the purpose and having realistic expectations is key. ...

People talk about being in the moment. It is a very important lesson for fundraising professionals. Be alert. Be where you are. Be engaged with the people around you. It is essential in our business to do the same with prospective donors...

It’s no secret: Donors are a nonprofit’s lifeline. But money isn’t the only thing worth giving ... or getting. Yes, cash keeps the cause funded (and the office lights on), but the contributions of volunteers are worth their weight in gold. When volunteers give their time, they take an active role in the organization’s mission and pledge their support to the cause. Clearly, volunteers are valuable. But they aren’t always easy to come by...

While individual giving should form the backbone of every nonprofit’s fundraising strategy, grants from foundations and corporations play an important role in many organizations’ fundraising plans. In the past, we’ve talked about the grant-writing process, as well as different places to find grants for your organization. We went into even more detail in our two-part…

“When you develop visit scripts, do we have to learn them verbatim?” the client asked. I was shocked. We develop scripts for every pre-solicitation and solicitation visit in a campaign. However, these outlines are not something to regurgitate word for word. They are outlines to use to become familiar with the flow of a visit...

A four-year study by archaeologists has comprehensively demolished cherished myths about one of the most romantic religious sites in England, Glastonbury Abbey. Those feet, immortalized in William Blake’s poem "Jerusalem," never walked on the green and pleasant land of Glastonbury; the oldest church in England was not built there by Christ’s disciples; Joseph of Arimathea’s…

Some fundraisers feel that scouting for planned giving prospects is a lot like the world’s most difficult game of Where’s Waldo. You know he’s on the page, somewhere, but for the life of you, you cannot find him. The flipside of that situation is, of course, once you find him, you cannot stop seeing him.…

At Turnkey, we try to turn every "gut instinct" decision into one made with data, analysis and supporting theory. But I see people, like me, who seek only information confirming their currently held beliefs, instead of that with which to make the best decision. Why do we do this?

Last week, while in the checkout line of a well-known national grocery chain (the one infamous for taking all or most of your paycheck), I was asked, “How would you feel about rounding up to the next dollar for charity?” A quick glance at the register told me that the ask was for 21 cents.…