Category: Fundraising
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Outcomes Schmoutcomes
I am a big believer in nonprofit organizations measuring the outcomes they achieve. It’s an essential tool for any staff/board to know they’re having the impact desired over time. And…
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Tips for fundraising letters
Clients regularly ask me what goes into a good fundraising letter sent to previous donors. Here are some tips, in no particular order: Spend time thinking about the opening sentence…
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Tracking time
To manage your time, you need to know where it goes. The only way to know where you spend your time is to log it. Your memory tells you that…
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Don’t make these mistakes in selecting a donor database
I recently came across a great summary from TechSoup on mistakes organizations make in selecting a donor database. I can personally attest to making a couple of them myself. In…
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Why Videos Go Viral
I recently came across this fascinating short video about why some videos go viral. The bottom lines: tastemakers, communities of participation, and unexpectedness. It’s worth a watch.
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Don’t let your elevator speech fall flat
This morning I led a conference call teaching organizations about how to create an effective elevator pitch. It was an interesting exercise, since I’d danced around having an elevator speech…
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How do corporations differ from individuals
No, this isn’t a blog about Citizens United and the inanity of the Supreme Court giving corporations the right to make unlimited contributions in elections. As I work with clients…
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Raising money through strategic planning
Strategic planning can require significant resources — both time and money. Fortunately, going through the process can also be a means of raising additional resources. In my mind, there are…
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On the perils of chasing money
I recently had a conversation with an organizational Executive Director who was having their group round up its grassroots supporters to generate online votes to have the group selected to…
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Read this. Now.
Came across the attached and thought it was so good that I’m encouraging anyone I know who cares about social change, particularly fundraising for social change, to read it. Now.…