Category: Fundraising
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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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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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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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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. …
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Your organization is an intermediary
One of the more interesting words I recently heard used to describe nonprofits is as “intermediaries.” Under this way of thinking, your organization isn’t the protagonist in your story. Instead,…
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Questions from Joan Garry to ask candidates for your fundraising job
Joan Garry has some superb questions to ask those interviewing with you for a fundraising job, as well as what types of answers you should hope they provide. I particularly…
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Donor meeting locations
One of the truisms of fundraising, corroborated by expert fundraisers across nearly every type of nonprofit is that meeting in-person with donors almost always provides the best way to upgrade…
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The power of asking good questions
When I’m asked what are the most important attributes for an effective major donor fundraiser, I often say: “nothing beats being naturally curious.” Because a good fundraiser doesn’t talk at…