Time matters, especially today. Time is precious. So why would you not give thanks to a foundation that took the time necessary to peruse your proposal and directly communicate with you afterward? Why would you not take the opportunity to create a connection, when connections serve as building blocks for so many amazing things?...
Richard and I believe that no matter what you do, there are people out there who will connect with your mission on an emotional level—even if you don’t think so. By accepting that, and by using emotion in how you talk about what you do, not only will you attract those new donors to your cause, but those you do have will become connected in a much deeper way and will give more.
If you reverse the fundraising process and see what your results can bring at the end of it, you will have a clearer perspective of why you are asking for funds. If you look into a child's eyes and see his or her smile and connect on an emotional level, your dedication and willingness to raise funds deepens...
A process is "a systematic series of actions directed to some end." The process in strategic planning, for example, can even be more important than the resulting plan. If you conduct planning as a process and not an event, have a proven outside facilitator and let the process work without a leader trying to control it (after all a plan is about the organization, not one person), the results are phenomenal...
As a sector, as practitioners, we put a lot of stock in the sector’s leading "gurus" (man, I loathe that word). We regard them as safe, as infallible. We jump on every new report as if it were gospel. In the eight years that I’ve been in this space, I’ve witnessed the world of fundraising becoming more and more insular—almost clique-like within the confines of its sphere...
If you want to jump-start your annual fundraising using campaign strategies, you’ve got to be willing to try some new things. Here are five capital campaign strategies we think can be very effective for your annual fundraising this year...
If you find yourself in the discussion of new money or “what have you done for me lately, major gift officer,” then, hopefully, the content of this post will be helpful to you. If nothing else, I hope it will serve as a reminder to seriously value the good donors who are currently in your care. They are good people who have made a commitment to you. They deserve your careful attention, respect and love. Let me explain...
Simply choosing a goal based on need only sets your organization up for failure—the double failure of not reaching your monetary objective combined with the failure created by demoralizing those who support you. Successful fundraising campaigns are achieved, in part, by generating a sense of accomplishment among those who give. When you ask them to give to a goal that isn’t reached, the question, “What good is it?” comes into the mind of the investor. It isn’t your passion that’s generating the energy, it’s the donors’...
With the holidays coming, have you checked it twice? I’m speaking of your receipting program, of course, not your gift list. Any regular reader of Old Dog Fundraising knows that I am a fanatic about sending out receipts. Donors stick with an organization past one or two gifts when they have a relationship with that organization, and part of maintaining a relationship is saying “thank you.” If your receipting method or message needs a tune-up before the year-end rush, here are some things to consider...
Too often, fundraising is made to sit in the corner while her stepsisters, content marketing and online communications, get busy dressing up for the marketing ball. Her stepmother and stepsisters think raising awareness is more important than raising money. They think all they have to do is look pretty, and they’ll get chosen. Nobody can be bothered to include Cinderella (aka fundraising) in the planning. If this strikes a chord with you, you’re probably working at one of the far too many nonprofits where marketing communications are considered the stepchild of fundraising...
