If you have ever read about or asked a great player from any sport what inspired him or her, they always talk about a coach that was
As you attend holiday parties, you may have the opportunity to lay the groundwork for meeting with some of your largest donors.
I made a presentation to a large church men’s club on a recent, chilly Saturday morning. I was invited as their breakfast speaker. As I was speaking, many individuals, now retired, were describing their retirement nonprofit volunteer adventures. It immediately occurred to me that we all have the opportunity to have a "fifth quarter" of service to nonprofits, and this tenure could last at least two decades or more...
Now is the time to think about what you want to do in the new year that will leave you a better fundraiser one year from now. I’m not talking resolutions—those are too often forgotten before January comes to an end. Rather, jot down some things you want to make a priority in the next 12 months as part of your professional growth. Here are a few ideas to help you begin your list...
Professional fundraisers usually don’t list “behavioral economics specialist” in our skill-sets. Now is the time to change that. To help understand why, we turn to author Michael Lewis. His work is worth a long weekend on the back porch with a cup of joe or two. His work will help you raise money...
Small shop fundraising is a tough job, and its difficulty is often underestimated or ignored entirely. Is it really any wonder that the turnover rate is highest among small shop fundraisers? Far too often, an organization’s board and executive director are focused on the right here and right now. But a smart development director is focused on the long-term sustainability of the organization...
Several years ago, a news piece on a poll by U.S. Trust and Phoenix Marketing gave us interesting insights into the giving of the wealthy and clues on how to unlock their giving to your organization. Those findings are still true today. But let's add to the list of reasons the wealthy don't give more...
As Black Friday approached, I became very aware that our peak giving season is now here. For my organization, during the last four months of the year, we receive more than 60 percent of our donation revenue. I stopped for a moment the other day during lunch and wondered why giving at the end of the calendar year is so important...
I’ve never been strong at prediction—I suppose just keeping up with what’s happening today consumes all my brain capacity. But recently, I’ve been thinking about five things that are impacting fundraising in specific and nonprofits in general. These aren’t going to go away no matter what happens in Washington, D.C., so I challenge you to think about them as you plan how you will make 2017 your best fundraising year possible...
Football brings about a lot of passion (and agony), especially this time of year. A few years ago, I was guest lecturing in my Lighthouse Counsel colleague Tom Landrum’s class on higher education fundraising. Many of the students had just returned from the annual Georgia - Florida football game in Jacksonville (also referred to as…
