Fundraising: What Does Mark Twain Say?

Let's face it — "shiny" is appealing. Whether it's the new car we covet or the sparkly bauble that is being advertised (again and again) as the perfect gift for Valentine's Day, "new" catches our eye. And that's so true in fundraising, too!

After all, we've been doing the "same old, same old" since … well, almost forever, it seems. (In realty, the first appeal letter was written in 1843 and the first fund drive took place that same year, according to the history of giving compiled by the National Philanthropic Trust. Despite rumors to the contrary, this old dog did not write that first appeal.)