Sandy Rees

Fundraising coach and consultant Sandy Rees recently released a new book, "Get Fully Funded: How to Raise the Money of Your Dreams."

Before you begin any fundraising program you need a plan to guide you along the way.

A good fundraising plan is a roadmap to success and shows you how to allocate your precious resources of time and money.  It can also help keep you out of crisis mode and help you control the flow of work in your office.   This is a shift from being reactive to being proactive. When you’re proactive, you’re organized and focused.  You raise more money.

We love this blog post, 3 Words for 2010, by fundraising consultant Sandy Rees on her Get Fully Funded blog —  and the comment that follows it.

With the tightening of budgets, some large charities are scaling back on direct mail efforts, especially large scale donor acquisition mailings. However, the authors of a new book contend that it's important to keep direct mail as a fundraising strategy - just refine it so that it's more effective.

Fundraising can be a tough job. There’s usually more to do than we can get done, and there’s a constant need for increased funding. Even in a prosperous year, working in fundraising isn’t for the faint-of-heart. This year, with the unsteady economy and the sense of gloom hanging in the air, it can be downright stressful.

In her report “Ten Common Mistakes Made in Nonprofit Direct Mail,” fundraising consultant Sandy Rees lists the following big boo-boos: 1. Failure to ask for a gift. 2. Using a dirty list. 3. Failing to personalize. 4. Bad timing. 5. Asking for the wrong amount. 6. Ignoring automation benefits. 7. Asking for generic help. 8. Poor quality letter. 9. Paying too much for postage. 10. Failure to measure. Read the complete article here.