Fundraiser Education

At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic with business closures and sheltering in place across the country, nonprofit organizations scrambled to deal with their new reality, which included the uncertainty of fundraising, budget cuts and laid-off employees. Most nonprofits began to settle into a cautious routine with most asking, “What should we do next?”...

Think about your fundraising career. Did you take classes, learn from mentors, read books or attempt to gain experience on a trial-and-error basis? Specifically, when thinking about the solicitation process, you probably focused a great deal of energy on what to say and do before, during and after the actual ask process. I had to experiment and learn over time. One facet to the solicitation process that is most important is securing the first meeting. In my opinion, not enough emphasis, training and education is provided on this topic...

Many individuals in the field that aspire for leadership positions are basically on their own when understanding how to effectively lead. There is no one-size-fits-all manual for leadership. Leadership is sprinkled throughout every organization, regardless of size or functionality. If you have not studied the concept of leadership, how do you know what it is like in a nonprofit setting?...

After all these years, I know I need to continue to improve my performance when in a face-to-face solicitation situation. I always want a prospect to say "yes." For all of us — including me — what can we do to enhance the probability that the answer we want will come out of a prospect's mouth?...

We live in an era when anyone can announce anything to everyone. You’d think that would be a good thing. In most cases, it’s not. Most of the time it’s a race for cheap attention. For nonprofits seeking the unearned notice of followers on social media, it’s quickly turned into a race to the bottom...

For the past few years, I have been wondering two things. First, is the use of my devices giving me bad posture? Second, are my devices hurting my ability to focus? The answer, of course, is yes to both. What to do about it? Being distracted is a behavior. It turns out, behavior is the result of a formula...

For the last two years, I’ve been studying the impact of identity on prosocial behavior; it’s the topic of my doctoral dissertation.

It starts with the best of intentions. Your organization is focused on helping others — some in serious need.

“The Surprising Gift of Doubt” is a book that’s not just about nonprofit leadership.

We wrote a blog, “‘I’m Speaking,’ Explained,” that described an experience I had that changed the way I interacted with others.