(Note: this is not meant to criticize either my fundraising consulting colleagues who provide wonderful support and advice to their clients, the fundraisers I know who are trying hard to raise more money, or the nonprofits who are trying to advance their missions. This is…
Let’s get this out there from the start: I don’t claim to be a crowd funding guru or expert. While I have over 25 years of experience in more traditional fundraising methods (annual giving, major gifts, grant writing, events, etc.) I’ve run just one (1)…
You will not succeed in finding (or raising) money for your project or organization if you: Are too busy to focus on what matters. Focus on the wrong things. Don’t plan your week, or do it sporadically. Let the meetings and daily activities of your…
As a fundraising volunteer, you have to be familiar with the organization or project you represent and be able to explain the mission, organizational goals and objectives, benefits of giving, ways to give, and anything else that a prospect or donor might ask about. Just as your…
Last fall I was invited to submit an article for an e-book by the fundraising software giant Blackbaud. Never one to pass up an opportunity, I obliged and was surprised when they chose what I wrote for their book. It’s now available free (if you give…
I’m very excited to announce the winner of 10 hours of free consultation. It was a bit tougher to choose than I initially thought since so many great causes and projects submitted letters of interest. And they were literally spread across the country from Connecticut…
Update #3 (07/03/2013: The deadline for submitting a Letter of Interest has passed and I’ve started reviewing. I expect to get through this stage by the end of the week and make a decision that I’ll announce next week. Thanks to everyone who took the…
There are a myriad of things necessary to create an environment that will allow your nonprofit to significantly advance its mission. In fact, it’s extremely common for executive directors and board members to get overwhelmed with the amount of work it takes to make progress.…
One of the things I know my clients get tired of hearing is this: Be real. I’m always reminding fundraisers (professional and volunteer) that they can be incredibly confident, smooth and polished, but if they’re not real and authentic in their passion for the cause,…
One of the most frequent inquiries I get is from people wanting to know how to raise money. They’ve got this project that helps so-and-so with such-and-such. Or so-and-so needs help with this-and-that. And the projects run the gamut: from established nonprofits and associations to…
I’m going to try and get back on the social media treadmill today, but I have to say, I’m not all that excited about it and wonder whether it’s worth it or not. For the month of January, I took a nearly complete break from…
