Fundraiser Education

I received an onslaught of emails with subject lines showing a political candidate’s name. It was an invitation to contribute to one of many campaigns during this mid-year election season. "Max out at $2,700 is a solid show of support," claimed some of the pitches I received...

At year-end, we are focused on that last push. December is a critical month. Take a moment to step away from the madness and gain perspective. Fundraising can be especially intimidating and discouraging for leaders of both new and small organizations...

According to CNN, many people take advantage of a provision in the tax code that enables benefactors to donate appreciated stock to charity. It is a win-win situation: charitable organizations get a nice contribution (they usually sell shares immediately), while donors can write off the gift and avoid paying capital gains taxes on the stock gains...

Bill was one of the first people I met when I worked at a local American Red Cross chapter. Now, a decade later, I mention him often when I train nonprofit staff because he taught me an important lesson. Maybe he can help you be successful in your nonprofit career, too...

For many nonprofits, the final quarter of the year—especially November and December—will determine their fundraising success. With the demands of year-end giving and a plethora of events and activities around the holidays, the final weeks of the year will be a blur. But it is time to close your door and do a quick check on these important points...

If you bring up the question of how to measure nonprofit success to several organizational executives, you will probably receive many different answers...

In today’s changing climate, it’s important for nonprofits to consider equity, to not only improve the nonprofit on how they serve their community, but to promote that the nonprofit understands it, as well. But here’s a thought: It’s more than just diversity and inclusion...

I had a meeting the other day with a board member. My assignment was to ask for a pledge/gift to a fundraising effort we were undertaking. I did not know this individual well. He had a unique personality and communication style. I immediately realized that I would have to give 100 percent attention on literally…

The older I get, the deeper and more intense my reflections become as I look in the mirror. I want share my professional reflections with you from this birthday, as I believe this process is important to one’s growth and development in the nonprofit sector...

When you ask someone to invest in your cause, what’s the first question that pops into their mind? What’s the one real hurdle you’ll need to vault to get to “yes”?...