Fundraiser Education

The successful fundraisers that I know don't dwell on problems and negativity; they fix challenges and move on. They are positive! Positive fundraising professionals don't constantly say, "I didn't know," and they don't just sit there and watch a situation going bad — they step in and fix it.

Ted Hart speaks with CFRE fundraising consultant and Association of Fundraising Professionals Master Trainer Kirsten Bullock about essential fundraising for small nonprofits on his Nonprofit Coach radio show.

Time and advanced planning are necessary for marinades to produce the intended result. The same is true for your organization’s strategic planning. Thoroughness (time) and thoughtfulness (advanced planning) allow ideas to marinate and develop, and for strategy to be pleasantly consumed. This is why strategic planning yields the best results as a process that occurs over several months, as opposed to a singular meeting or event.

Ted Hart speaks with David C. Banks, president and CEO of Eagle Academy Foundation; Shawn Dove, campaign manager of the Open Society Foundations' U.S. Programs and Campaign for Black Male Achievement; and Andrew Wolk, founder and CEO of Root Cause on his Nonprofit Coach radio show celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day and philanthropy.

Recently, the Indiana Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals sponsored a "Speed Networking With an Experienced Fundraiser" event. This concept matched 22 senior-level professionals with a combined 600 years experience with 22 younger professionals.

Very few important tasks are worth going it alone. So, when you are building relationships, be sure that you have a team involved because there is synergy in a team approach, one that brings different perspectives and ideas.

If you are responsible for fundraising, below are five steps you can take to become a fundraising master: 1. Change your mindset. Fundraising isn't begging; it's selling. 2. Organize and strategize. Use online tools and your calendar. 3. Identify your target. Fundraise from the people most likely to "get it." 4. Use teamwork. Leverage your network to produce momentum. 5. Be patient but methodical. The best fundraisers create momentum over time.

If you’re like most nonprofit communicators, you have a list of specific goals for 2014. No doubt they include growing your e-mail list, acquiring new donors and increasing engagement on your Facebook updates. But whatever your goals are, make sure they cover these seven resolutions for 2014: 1. Write it down. 2. Practice split-testing. 3. Maximize secondary actions. 4. See beyond the dollars. 5. Be useful. 6. Take risks. 7. Test and measure.

In October, FundRaising Success held its fourth annual Virtual Conference & Expo, a daylong, online gathering that allowed fundraisers to listen to and interact with some of the industry’s most respected and innovative fundraisers. Our closing session was a panel discussion focusing on things nonprofits need to think about and do to grow and thrive in 2014 and beyond.

Whether you work at a nonprofit organization or at an agency partner, would you like to know the secret to being more successful in your job and your career? Here are 15 steps on how to succeed in fundraising.