Gail Perry

Gail Perry

Gail believes in parties first, rabble-rousing second, and having fun while changing the world.
Gail Perry CFRE is an international fundraising coach, speaker, trainer and thought-leader. She is a leader in a new breed of fundraisers who are on the cutting edge of fundraising today. Her Fired-Up Fundraising approach, developed over the past 25 years as a nonprofit philanthropy expert, has helped organizations raise hundreds of millions in gifts. Gail’s practical and refreshing approach to raising money in today’s world is based on the very latest innovative fundraising strategies. An inspirational and popular speaker, she leads energizing fundraising workshops and board retreats around the globe. She particularly enjoys working with nonprofit board members, introducing them to a new perspective on fundraising and ways they can be successful at it. Gail’s book, Fired-Up Fundraising, has been called the “gold standard guide to building successful fundraising boards.” Gail got her start in fundraising at Duke University, and then went on to lead fundraising at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. You can read Gail’s weekly blogs at FiredUpFundraising.com, and also find her provocative articles at FundraisingSuccess, Guidestar, and Capital Campaign Magic.

October 21, 2015 Video: 5 Ways Board Members Can Raise Money

We have to remember that most board members are naturally hesitant about fundraising. After all, nobody wants to be asked to hit up their friends. Or hit up anybody for that matter. But there are many ways board members can help in fundraising. In this video, I explore five easy ways that trustees can help impact the bottom line...

September 23, 2015 7 Steps to Get Your Board Reconnected, Re-engaged and Enthusiastic

Have your board members lost their enthusiasm? Have they lost their energy to create change and make a difference? Have they checked out? Nonprofit boards can’t run on fumes. You have to keep their motors primed or they will run out of steam. But keeping that energy level up isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here’s my recipe for creating change, renewing enthusiasm and firing up these lovely people who care so much about your cause...

August 5, 2015 7 Steps to Stay Out of Fundraising Crisis Mode

It’s that time again. It’s fundraising planning time. The fiscal year closed on June 30. And I bet you are working now on your detailed operational fundraising plans for the coming year. (I hope so anyway!) Why not take time right now to create a complete fundraising plan that can catapult your fundraising to new heights, one that can even transform your results...

July 1, 2015 From a Fundraising Appeal to a Donor-Centered Appeal

Are you struggling to nail the perfect appeal letter? Whether we are sending appeals via email or direct mail, we will need to nail the ask. It needs to be solid, heartfelt—and donor-centered. Everybody’s talking about donor-centered fundraising, but in my opinion, very few nonprofits are getting it right.

June 10, 2015 Top Fundraising Strategy to Raise More Money in the Coming Year

Today I am sharing the No. 1 fundraising strategy that you need to implement for 2015-16.

May 20, 2015 6 Ways to Get The Most Out of a Major Donor Visit

You finally have the appointment with your major donor. Don't strike out when you finally get in the door. Here are my top six ways to get the most out of a major donor visit.

April 29, 2015 The Fundraiser’s Kiss of Death: Talking Too Much

What's the kiss of death for every fundraiser? What's the best way to turn your donor off? And what can you do to make sure your donor never, ever wants to see you again? It's when you are guilty of being boring.

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April 1, 2015 The Role of the Board in Nonprofit Success

Nonprofit boards can be a huge pain point for many people. Here are 23 habits of high-performing nonprofit boards to help alleviate that pain.

March 18, 2015 5 Keys to Get in the Door With a Mega-Capacity Donor

So you've identified your big kahuna potential prospect, your mega-capacity donor. What next? How do you get in the door? Here are five quick tips to help you get that very first visit.

March 11, 2015 How to Sabotage (or Save) Your Major Gifts Program

Everybody knows that emphasizing major gifts can turn the development offices into money-raising machines, if we can just get a major gifts program rolling. But there’s one killer mistake that sabotages too many major gifts efforts.

March 4, 2015 Major Donor Visits Made Easy in 3 Steps

Here are three important objectives for every single major donor visit you will ever make.

February 25, 2015 The Fastest Way to Turn Off Your Major Donor Prospect

There is one important thing you can do to ruin your chances with a major donor. It's when you are guilty of being boring.

February 18, 2015 The 3 Most Boring Words in Fundraising Appeals

Today I'm sharing with you the three most overused, most boring and least useful words ever to be used in fundraising appeals.

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February 4, 2015 5 Ideas That Make Asking Much Easier and More Successful

These five insights will help you approach your next ask from a more comfortable, authentic and successful standpoint as a fundraiser!

January 28, 2015 How Fundraising Is Turning Into 'Fund Marketing'

Communications best practices merge the "fundraising" function and the "marketing/communications" function. So if you want to be successful at fundraising, you have to master some marketing skills and become a master at "fund marketing."

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