Fundraiser Education

It's finally here. It's been roughly 11 months since our inaugural Engage Conference, and after such wonderful response and participation last year, we here at FundRaising Success knew we had to keep it going. And now the day is finally just here, with the second annual Engage Conference all set for tomorrow at the WHYY building in Philadelphia.

What I love about the roundtables is that they are almost completely attendee-driven. The moderators say a quick hi and share an overview of the topic, but then the discussion is steered by the questions posed by the guests at the table.

Whether it is PB42 or like organizations, to thrive and not just survive, nonprofits must have the following key elements. No one can predict the future, but it is clear the nonprofit sector is here to stay — and the competition for time, talent and treasure will continue to intensify. Keep thinking why people should invest in your cause. You better be on top of your game!

Not only do speakers at Engage reside over our in-depth cases studies and delve deep into attendees' concerns and questions, but they're available all day long to chat and further explore whatever it is the audience is looking to explore.

Face it, if you're involved in any way with the fundraising community, the topic of engagement is almost always on your mind. That's where next week's Engage conference in Philadelphia can help.

How many fundraisers does your team have? One? Ten? Fifty? Mine has more than 1,700. Yep, you heard me right. The catch is, they don’t all work for the development director. There are fundraisers, relationship builders and donor stewards hidden all over the place. When done right, every member of your staff could be a fundraiser. But it takes work. So, let’s get to it. Here are five steps to unlocking hidden fundraisers in your organization.

Fundraisers may hear the word "no" quite often in their line of business, but it takes a "yes" person to be a truly effective fundraiser. Jeff Schreifels, senior partner at Veritus Group, says he's "encountered two distinct types of people that have both made an impression on us and served as predictors of their success in fundraising."

The future of fundraising belongs to those organizations that refuse to stagnate, that opt for evolution over revolution, and are willing to embrace the shift. A shift in the fundraising paradigm that fine-tunes your efforts and your attitudes.

It's never too early to plan for the year-end fundraising season. With that in mind, Ellen Cobb Church, CEO of Craver, Mathews, Smith & Co., provided five things fundraisers should already be doing to make sure they retain donors and improve income at year-end 2014 in her column "Looking Ahead to Year-End 2014":

As fundraisers, we can get caught up with the strategic planning for our programs and achieving our quarterly goals — so much so that we neglect any intentional effort to manage our own careers. We still grow and get recognition, but it may be more haphazard because we couldn’t find enough time to develop a plan for our own career. If you’re stuck in that whirlpool, here are some non-time-consuming ways to manage your career and, therefore, impact your future.