Fundraiser Education

“All politics is local” is a famous saying by late Speaker of the House Tip O’Neill, who believed the success or failure of elected representatives had more to do with how the constituents in their home districts viewed their job performance than what was happening nationally. Based on my experience, I believe nonprofits also tend…

Focus. As in life, it’s the most powerful tool in fundraising. We’re all familiar with The Pareto principle—the law of the vital few—which states that, for many events, roughly 80 percent of the effects come from 20 percent of the causes...

Nonprofits engage in marketing to help win support for their causes, attracting potential donors and members, which can be challenging enough. But nonprofits in unique niches face additional challenges, especially if their causes are relatively unknown...

Ever since junior high school, I have been inspired by quotes. My eighth-grade history teacher would provide us with at least one significant quote a week. I was inspired by these quotes on a variety of topics...

You may have heard of the fundraising technique called “fundcrushing.” It was presented to me recently as a novel way to raise money. It’s based on the mistaken assumption that your prospective donors will respond if they know truly how huge the challenge is you want to solve...

It’s your ultimate goal: To raise enough money for your organization to be healthy and prosperous … for as long as your important work is needed. Just like Spock said, “Live long and prosper!”...

It’s your ultimate goal: To raise enough money for your organization to be healthy and prosperous … for as long as your important work is needed. Just like Spock said, “Live long and prosper!” But in our work, it’s sometimes hard to focus. The firehose of deadlines, event planning, meeting follow-up—so much to do that […]

One of the hardest things to do when you’re the founder of a startup is gain traction and funding for your company. The marketplace is crowded and investors are inundated with requests. With so much competition, how can you separate from the crowd? One way is to get rated by Oddup, a research platform that…

When you hear the words “self-care,” what images come to mind? Maybe you imagine peace and quiet on an empty beach with crystal blue waters or getting pampered at a local spa, but it could be as simple as being given an hour alone to catch up on a good book or enjoying a cup of coffee at your local park...