Fundraiser Education

What if, instead of simply going with the flow, we started asking why? Here are some fundraising things worth asking "why?" about.

Or do you want to? Either way, you should plan on joining us in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 21.

In the spirit of handing down wisdom from those who have forged a path before us, Connie Sanderson, co-executive director of Kurn Hattin Homes for Children, shares advice, tips and best practices she has gathered over her own quarter-century of fundraising success.

People will think less of you if you do a bad webinar than if you don't do one at all. So before you decide to host one, make sure you have information that's worth your colleagues' valuable time.

One of the hardest things we have to do sometimes is to admit we’re stuck. (Hey, it happens to all of us from time to time.) Being stuck means you can’t see possibilities anymore. You’re confused. You’re frustrated. And you need someone to help you get out of it. Here are three things you’ll either say or think that indicate your fundraising is stuck: "We tried that." "I don't have time." "I don't know any rich people."

Here are three of the most important, basic fundraising principles that are applicable to every nonprofit organization and every fundraising strategy: 1. Fundraising is everyone's responsibility. Because fundraising is so important to the success of your nonprofit, it needs to be made clear to your entire board and staff that fundraising is everyone’s responsibility. 2. The best fundraising efforts are scalable. 3. Relationships equal success.

"I have some good news … and some bad news." We've all heard that saying — and probably said it from time to time. And it's true — in life and in fundraising.

I've been asked to define the characteristics of a successful fundraising professional. To answer this question, I've thought about my own experience, the success of my peers and people I admire, and I've listened to what other experts in the field have said on this topic.

Here's the compilation of these ideas, which I hope will help attract new people to the fundraising profession, remind people now in the field what it takes to succeed, and help executive directors and boards recruit talented fundraisers.

A while ago, I was invited to be a guest lecturer at Brandeis University. As my friend David Mersky, managing director of Mersky, Jaffe & Associates, was introducing me, I put this question across various social-media platforms:

RIGHT NOW: Nonprofit people, what marketing tips would you tell a graduate class on philanthropy? I'm guest lecturing at Brandeis right now and would love to show the power of social media.

There was a lot of wisdom in the responses so I thought I'd share them with you. I'm including the links to the people who posted them.

There are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations across America all competing for the nation’s charitable contributions. The average person is only willing to give so much to charity organizations each year, so it’s a battle to compel those individuals to contribute. To succeed, it’s vital that your charity has an edge. These business skills will help it gain the advantage it needs to thrive.