Author: jonathanpoisner
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Some thoughts about donor stewardship
They gave! Now what? You want donors to have an ongoing, steadily deepening relationship with both you and the organization. So you should steward that relationship. Hence, donor stewardship. Stewardship starts…
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Overcoming the fear of rejection
When people say they are “afraid” of making fundraising asks one-on-one with a prospective donor, there are many facets to that fear. One is the age-old fear of rejection. Everyone…
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Creating a “Time” Budget
As a consultant, one thing I often observe is that clients routinely have staff who are working far more hours than is sustainable. Moreover, they often have little idea where…
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A primer on nonprofit dashboards
What’s a nonprofit dashboard? Why should my nonprofit consider getting one? And how should we develop one? These are some of the questions I address in a recent guest blog…
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Thoughts on developing a culture of philanthropy
Beyond the nuts and bolts of fundraising, one topic that often emerges when I work with clients is how to imbue the organization with a culture that supports fundraising growth.…
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Tips for “Virtual” Meetings
This blog was originally drafted in 2016. A lot has changed on the virtual meeting front since them, although many fundamentals remain the same. I periodically update it to reflect…
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Essential Major Donor Toolkit Workshop
On June 2nd in Portland, I’ll be offering a special 3 hour workshop I’ve put together on the essentials of an effective major donor program. It will be tailored for…
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Should your nonprofit use a Resource Council?
A Resource Council. A Council of Leaders. These are two names I’ve experienced as alternatives to an “Advisory Board,” which is more common in the nonprofit world. What I like…
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What makes something a “strategic” plan?
What do we mean by strategic planning in the nonprofit context? In my mind, there are three key distinguishing characteristics. First, it’s long term. Certainly more than a year. It…
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Donor Stewardship Basics and Beyond
I recently put together a presentation for The Databank on effective donor stewardship, which some people call donor cultivation. You can check out the slides from the webinar below. …