Peer-to-peer is the fast food of fundraising. It is fundraising by the numbers. It is about setting up a system with known drivers and letting that system work. It is big. It is exponential. It is predictable...
Picture this familiar scenario: It’s been six weeks since you spent time and effort researching regional foundations and sending out eight new proposals in support of a planned educational initiative on behalf of your three-year-old community arts organization...
Who are you? Have you been asked that question? My wife asked me that several weeks ago when I was having a meltdown on a particular subject that was especially frustrating to me. She did not recognize me in my reaction. I was not aligning to my stated beliefs and values. I was someone else...
Conferences include a variety of general sessions, workshops and networking opportunities. When you feel burned out or stale in your nonprofit position, go to a conference that interests you. You will feel renewed and validated...
In most cases, the question of who benefits from your nonprofit is directed at the end-user: What are your program’s outcomes? How does your nonprofit benefit society? But that question is not often directed toward the for-profit businesses that also benefit from your positive outcomes. By digging deep into this question, you will be able to find new funders for your nonprofit...
I have a favorite charity that regularly demands I buy from it, but rarely asks that I support it. Since September, I have received 23 emails from this organization. Eight of those emails had the word "buy" or a cash prize for something in the subject line...
I’m angry. Recently, a major gift officer (MGO) reached out to us at Veritus desperate to understand her problem. "I feel like I’m doing everything wrong," she said. "I read your blog posts about major gifts and that feels right to me, but my boss is saying I have to ask people for money who I’ve never even met or know and, in many cases, have never given before....
I have known for many years that nonprofit professionals are in a net-revenue results business. Besides treasure, we always are looking for time and talent. There is constant pressure to perform and achieve goals. Besides the obvious job-performance factors, we do engage with many interesting people. Our donors and prospects can provide moments in our lives that we relish...
Fundraisers don’t usually think of themselves as sexy. Yet, most of the world does. When someone to whom I have just been introduced asks "What do you do?," I’m always a bit surprised by the reaction to my answer. "What a cool profession" "Wow, you really get to hobnob with the wealthy." These are typical responses...
Taking steps to reduce your donor attrition actually is the least expensive strategy for increasing your fundraising income. In fact, if you’re looking to save money on your fundraising costs, focusing on retention is the smart thing to do. What are you doing to reach out and touch your donors—you know, those wonderful people who make your work possible?...
