Donor Demographics

I spend a great deal of time thinking about potential donors. I believe research is one of the keys to success in fundraising. My excitement comes when I engage with people and ask for a gift. The greatest percentage of a fundraising person’s time, unfortunately, is not exciting...

The No. 1 strategy for sustaining good-standing relationships with donors is by engaging with them on a personal level—not just the major donors, but all donors. And yes, this includes your mid-level donors, too...

One of the toughest challenges in our sector is getting donors to give time and time again—to get one-time donors to become repeat donors. Perhaps it’s showing donors the impact that the organization is making or having a mission powerful enough for donors to want to be a part of the organization. Perhaps simplifying the…

So if you are thinking of becoming a volunteer, please do so. I am thrilled my retiring board member has chosen my organization to focus his full-time volunteer endeavors. When that time comes, my job will be to see that he has a great experience in this new role. I am certain he will!...

Today is Feb. 14th, so Happy Valentine’s Day! In celebration, let’s explore some information on how couples donate to charities. Fidelity Charitable recently released a report called “How Couples Give,” which was based on survey responses from 694 Fidelity Charitable donors who are either married or live with their significant other...

The ACLU saw a record number of donations come in right after the Trump administration enacted its travel ban. This spawned a discussion on the Nonprofit Happy Hour Facebook page, in which someone wondered if these would be one-time donations. That’s a good question since donor retention rates are declining again. Yikes! This should not…

I was reminded of recently of the truism behind Ricky Nelson’s lyric “You can’t please everyone so you gotta please yourself” when the

Charities looking to bolster their fundraising efforts should focus their attention on Baby Boomers. This group will provide the bulk of money for charities for at least the next decade. But be careful—while Baby Boomers provide a great charitable opportunity, there are some things you should know about targeting this group in your fundraising activities...

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17 percent of the U.S. population is Hispanic. That’s 55.4 million people—the largest ethnic or racial minority in the country. And it’s growing. Of the 2.36 million people added to the U.S. population between 2013 and 2014, almost half (1.15 million) were of Hispanic origin. Urban areas, like New York City, have seen larger increases. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Hispanics are expected to be California’s majority by 2042. Likewise for Texas, according to the state’s Office of the State Demographer...

Creating a donor profile is one of the most illuminating things you’ll ever do—and my first step in working with most new clients. It’s only when you truly can envision the individual you’re writing to that you’ll find your overall writing—from your appeals, to your emails, to your website copy—will take on a deeper, more personal approach...