Donor Relationship Management

There's a single word that can be one of the worst or one of the best words to use in fundraising. The word? We. Here's how to make it the worst: When we means "those of us in the organization" or "the committee that wrote this message." When used that way, it's exclusionary. It sets…

As you attend holiday parties, you may have the opportunity to lay the groundwork for meeting with some of your largest donors.

The vast majority of nonprofits may be small, but even the big guys had to start somewhere. And it’s no accident they got so big. Growth is attainable—especially if you know where to start (and you’re willing to get your hands dirty). Here are five more ideas for growing your nonprofit...

Professional fundraisers usually don’t list “behavioral economics specialist” in our skill-sets. Now is the time to change that. To help understand why, we turn to author Michael Lewis. His work is worth a long weekend on the back porch with a cup of joe or two. His work will help you raise money...

Fundraising for your nonprofit organization occurs year-round as you build relationships with donors, host events and ask for donations. However, research shows that almost one-third of yearly online giving occurs in December. Capitalize on generosity this holiday season as you engage donors and boost donations. Here are 10 ways you can do that. 1. Create…

Several years ago, a news piece on a poll by U.S. Trust and Phoenix Marketing gave us interesting insights into the giving of the wealthy and clues on how to unlock their giving to your organization. Those findings are still true today. But let's add to the list of reasons the wealthy don't give more...

As Black Friday approached, I became very aware that our peak giving season is now here. For my organization, during the last four months of the year, we receive more than 60 percent of our donation revenue. I stopped for a moment the other day during lunch and wondered why giving at the end of the calendar year is so important...

I’m not a fan of #GivingTuesday. Don’t get me wrong, though. I do like the idea of it. Promoting philanthropy at a time of year that has become associated with extreme consumerism is a nice concept. While I have no quarrel with the idea of #GivingTuesday, I do have several problems with the reality of…

Great fundraising isn’t about you. It’s about creating careful communications that speak directly to donors, their passions and the positive change generated through their support. You know that what you do wouldn’t be possible without your donors, so you never want them to forget it...

I recently opened paperwork from a donor who left our organization a grand total of $6. That gift touched me as much as a gift many times larger. Planned giving (all giving, really) is never about the amount of funds given—it's about helping the donor attain the ultimate joy in giving. No gift amount should be too large or too small...