Fundraiser Education

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.

Here are things nonprofits should start doing in 2014, according to fundraising experts: keep an eye on the numbers, think about the second gift, experiment with raising money from the crowd, step up efforts to show impact, think multigenerational and take visuals seriously.

Fundraising experts offered the following tips to the Chronicle of Philanthropy on things nonprofits should stop doing in 2014: ignoring people who make medium-sized gifts, using social media indiscriminately, hoarding information, using generic language, fearing mobile technology and shying away from risks.

Welcome to a new year and many challenges. Before you jump on the treadmill, take a deep breath and determine areas of personal focus for the upcoming year. Here is a blueprint for you, though each personal SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis differs. It is always wise to evaluate personal progress as we grow in our career paths. Look in the mirror, and create your own template.

For nonprofits, the end of the year is often a time for reflecting on what worked and what didn’t during the previous year, and laying plans for the year to come. It’s vitally important that our organizations make plans that not only inspire, but that also lay out an effective fundraising strategy for our teams to follow.

Whether you’re writing a whole new fundraising plan for the coming year or simply setting up some basic goals for the next 12 months, here are four quick tips for better and more effective development planning.

The year-end can be a perfect time to reflect on your 2013 fundraising activities and to anticipate 2014. If you are a nonprofit CEO, board member, staff or volunteer, we have three questions to focus your reflections: 1. What have you done well? Reflect on your nonprofit's fundraising successes. 2. Which activities or strategies didn't meet expectations? Reflect on those things that didn't go as well as planned. 3. Were your 2013 goals realistic? Reflect on your goals and outcomes.

The second fundraising resolution that comes directly to you from the list of frequent resolutions made each year is “Get organized.” Ah — another great one for fundraisers!