Donor Relationship Management

Did you know monthly giving has the power to transform philanthropy? A longtime staple of fundraising programs in the U.K., monthly giving is beginning to gain traction in the U.S. It’s a valuable tool, so now is the time for your organization to seize the opportunity to use it, and to use it properly. But monthly giving won’t transform your organization unless you go about it the smart way. This means figuring out the most important element of your monthly giving program...

I had known the principle all along, but my sympathy for the major gifts officer had persuaded me that it was OK to do. So I supported the practice of just showing up at a non-responsive donor’s door unannounced bearing gifts and glad tidings. This changed when I heard three high-capacity donors talk about their reactions to the practice....

At the most recent International Fundraising Congress, Dr. Adrian Sargeant, director of the Centre for Sustainable Philanthropy at the University of Plymouth, and Roger Lawson, managing director of Revolutionise, presented findings from a study of five organizations in the United Kingdom that, combined, have 6.5 million donors. The goal of the research was to determine the greatest predictors of donor loyalty....

I was a development/fundraising professional for more than a decade. I learned my fundraising chops by managing and soliciting segmented donor groups, like doctors and young adults, and also running community campaigns including telethons that brought out donors and community leaders to dial for dollars....

In many cases, nonprofit marketing involves reaching out, attaining new sponsors and fresh attention. With the help of the Internet and social media, businesses now have an endless number of ways to market to other audiences. While this is a vital part in the process of developing your nonprofit, it’s important to build a solid…

As a nonprofit professional, it’s crucial to know your donors. But sometimes that’s easier said than done. In its “Fundraising Advisor 2015 Benchmark Report,” Abila, a software and service provider for nonprofits, surveyed 270 nonprofit professionals on when and how they engage donors....

Fundraising is definitely not for the faint of heart. With so many nonprofits vying for donor dollars, fundraising—just like sales—can get quite cut-throat. One of the biggest mistakes fundraisers make is projecting this stress into their pitches. If you notice that you aren’t connecting with donors successfully, it is time to audit your fundraising strategy.…

Every day, it seems like there is a new, shiny thing to play with in the nonprofit space. Some of them will stand the test of time. Others will not. But rumors of the death of “X” (where “X” is direct mail, unrestricted giving, segmentation, corporate philanthropy or whatever else is tried, true and boring) are greatly exaggerated. Highly effective nonprofits are doubling down, improving on what they know works, has worked and will work, regardless of whether their stories make for great dinner party anecdotes...

“Four coming in” the manager shared with his team, alerting them of the arriving guests. I am forever impressed with the customer service at my favorite Chick-fil-A in Athens, Ga. I can’t recall the last time that I wasn’t offered repeated drink refills at my table or I carried my own tray to the trash can. When I was on crutches after surgery, I was offered the opportunity to sit and order at my table....

Fundraising is hard, and it's only getting harder. That's according to the latest "Nonprofit Pulse," a survey from accounting firm Marks Paneth. Of the 114 CEOs, executive directors and other high-ranking officers at major nonprofits surveyed, 47 percent said that donor demand for better impact reporting (or social return on investment) has made it "challenging" or "extremely challenging" to raise funds...