Pulse: When Fundraising Gets Personal

Every fundraiser has his or her tried-and-true bag of tricks. But in this day of donors seeking to be more actively involved with the charities they support, it might be time to bury those bags and try a fresh approach.

International fundraising consultant Bernard Ross says donors no longer respond as well to things such as boring speeches delivered during stuffy fundraising galas, overworked and overused direct-mail packages, and bland e-mail appeals. Instead, he says, they’re looking for fundraisers to aggressively motivate and inspire them — and that happens best in person.