Fundraiser Education

We're bringing the popular Engage Conference back to Philadelphia on April 10. Once again it will be held in the shadow of the Liberty Bell at WHYY in Old City. And once again it will offer a great lineup of scintillating speakers, roundtable discussion, and lots of opportunities to network and get your questions answered.

As fundraisers, now is a good time to do some spring cleanup. We’re right smack in the middle of the year-end surge and the summer slump. Our creativity may be buried in slush, and our passion seems to be coated in ice. So roll up your sleeves, and let’s get cleaning!

Over the years, many nonprofits have shared their fundraising secrets with us and we’d like to pass those on to you. Keep the following in mind as you begin to plan out your fundraising initiatives for the year: 1. Make your case with your donors. 2. Appeal to your donor's personal side. 3. Manage your funds responsibly. 4. Thank your donors. 5. Create a culture of fundraising. 6. Develop a well-thought-out fundraising strategy. 7. Utilize fundraising software.

Ted Hart speaks with a group of fundraising professionals to celebrate the fourth anniversary of his Nonprofit Coach radio show.

One simple trick I’ve learned is to set aside the first hour of your fundraising day for accomplishing something really important — something that will move the ball forward for your organization. If you can resist the urge to answer emails and work on “small picture” stuff for the first 60 minutes of each day, you can start the day with what really matters, and in the process gain a huge sense of accomplishment that often extends to the rest of your day.

Nothing sharpens your decision-making prowess quite like establishing a new fundraising operation, with the heart-thumping expectation of growing income quickly. Opportunities abound, but how do you make the best of them? Anita de Ruijter, fundraising and communications manager at Save the Children New Zealand, outlines four scenarios. What would you do?

So what books are fundraisers reading? Strategist and trainer Nancy Schwartz of Getting Attention! asked her peers that question and shared "15 Books That Could Change Your Life."

When you consider the ubiquitous raffles, benefit events, cookie and candy sales, most of us have far more fundraising experience than we realize. Many people have sales backgrounds and ask for money every day. Others have prepared grant proposals or solicited corporate gifts. The purpose of this activity is to assess the fundraising skill level of your team and to reinforce the idea that your colleagues know more than they think. It's also a fun, physical activity that gets people moving.

While the economy is not quite as rocky as it was back in 2009, turbulent times are certainly not a thing of the past. That's what makes the advice doled out in the session "Fundraising in Turbulent Times" at the DMA Nonprofit Federation's 2009 New York Nonprofit Conference still so relevant today.

Over the past century, almost all the compelling examples of philanthropic impact involve multiple grant makers, nonprofits and other organizations working together toward common goals. Think of the campaign against tuberculosis a century ago involving foundations, nonprofits and insurance companies. Or think of the work by so many on gay rights in recent decades.

Big progress against tough challenges requires a lot of effective organizations working together.