Donor Relationship Management

Have you been to a party and got stuck in a conversation with someone who talked too much about him or herself, or bragged about all the wonderful things he or she has done? You roll your eyes in frustration and plan your escape to the drinks table. Imagine your donors having the same reaction…

You could invest a few minutes each day, or just an hour or two each week to increase your major donor retention, strengthen relationships between you and your professional colleagues, donors, potential donors and volunteer leaders, and help you stand out in the field...

Do you have a plan in place to meet your year-end fundraising goals? Just imagine: The average nonprofit raises more than 40 percent of its annual revenue during the last quarter of the calendar year. Start getting ready for year-end fundraising with the following tips you can start implementing now...

A coaching client just told me a powerful story of following up. For about six months, he followed up with three supporters. Each had made small donations in the past of less then $1,000 each. After about five months of following up, one donor said he'd make a gift "this quarter." By "this quarter," he…

A controversial pro-Donald Trump super PAC mistakenly released the personal email addresses and cellphone numbers of hundreds of Trump-loving donors—and some of them are livid. The email and phone number disclosure came as part a routine campaign finance filing Great America PAC made Tuesday night to the Federal Election Commission. A Center for Public Integrity…

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...

Earlier this week, Stanford University sent ripples though the fundraising community. Except this time it wasn't for a multimillion dollar gift announcement, it was to declare the end of its phonathon program. It sent communications to its alumni and friends that were clever and witty, grasping what many of our donors already feel about fundraising…

I enjoy snorkeling because I love to see reefs and beautiful fish. While snorkeling is possible in almost any body of water, most snorkelers prefer areas with minimal waves, warm water and shallow reefs. The deeper the water is, the darker the water is, and the more unknowns that exist. Perhaps surprisingly, snorkeling and donor relationships can have common characteristics...

Last week, I served my mandatory "American privilege," aka jury duty. I know all the arguments for why it’s a wonderful right we have in this country and how it allows us to experience in grassroots democracy in action. But it was a miserable day...

One of our team-guiding principles is to approach each opportunity and project with a sense of urgency. Early in my career, I interviewed for a few positions. After each interview, I waited for the call. Well, to be honest I waited on the call the next day. After all, who would not want to hire me? It was my major focus...