30 Ideas for Fundraising Success, Part 2

Donor lists comprise just 15 percent of the total gross names available on the list market, he said, yet some nonprofits rely too heavily on donor lists for acquisition. Terpstra suggested opening the door to commercial list possibilities by using a regression model to tap into larger publishing or buyer databases. He also said fundraisers should try co-ops (like Abacus, Wiland, Target Analytics) because some of their prospect models have great response rates.

Find a reliable 'tone checker'
How you say something is just as important as what you say, so have a "tone checker" read your letters, phone scripts and e-mails before they go, Thompson said — it's more important than spell-checking.