Fundraiser Education
May 22, 2017 at 10:14 am
It has been months since the changing of the guard in the Oval Office. It seems that every day has been filled with some potential legal blow for those of us in the nonprofit world...
May 22, 2017 at 9:55 am
In a previous blog post, I briefly examined what appears to be a growing sentiment in the nonprofit industry that direct mail fundraising is somehow flawed. Fundraisers have been slow to abandon outdated business practices or to evolve quick enough to react to the mounting challenges facing nonprofits today—and yes, there are many that we must overcome...
May 19, 2017 at 11:10 am
President Trump’s executive order to block U.S. aid to groups abroad that counsel or provide referrals about abortion went into effect Monday and will restrict nearly $9 billion in foreign health assistance. The rule, which has reproductive-rights advocates reeling, is significantly broader than similar bans in place intermittently since 1984. Those past actions were limited…
May 19, 2017 at 10:34 am
In this post-truth age, anyone who pretends they’re listening when they’re not may well be among the most under-informed, misguided and misled folks of all. It’s shocking to realize that people who’ve been nodding vigorously in agreement with you for decades may just have been humoring you all along, may have had little or no intention of actually doing what you thought they were so very enthusiastic about...
May 19, 2017 at 10:22 am
I am always interested in attending educational conferences and seminars in order to learn why people give and what motivates people to give. I recently attended the Rethinking Wealth meeting in Indianapolis sponsored by the National Christian Foundation and OneAscent. Pastor Ralph Browne “Chip” Ingram was the keystone speaker. He has been a pastor, coach and teacher for more than 25 years. He is currently senior pastor of the Venture Christian Church in Los Gatos, Calif...
May 18, 2017 at 11:22 am
A transformation of sorts has occurred over the last 20 years in regard to donors’ expectations of nonprofits. In years past, donors were generally satisfied with the act of giving itself, relying on little more than the assurances of the nonprofit beneficiary of their donation that their funds were being put...
May 18, 2017 at 11:10 am
Whisper it quietly: Running a charity is harder than running a for-profit business. Hiring top talent on modest salaries is harder; lack of money makes it harder to move people out with a golden parachute; mergers stumble over egos when the money motive is absent. As a co-founder of eight charities, I have made more…
May 18, 2017 at 10:59 am
When we seek to get the attention of a philanthropist to give to our cause, how do we go about it? The approach you choose will materially affect your level of success and has everything to do with how you view your donors...
May 16, 2017 at 10:08 pm
Last week the New York Times published an article titled, “How to Get the Wealthy to Donate.” The piece began with the statement, “Wealthy people are selfish jerks. So are their children.” The article chronicled research that looked at the differences in charitable giving based on net worth. The conclusion of the research studies was clear, “Across a wide range of ages, wealthy adults tended to share less of what they had with others...
May 16, 2017 at 11:28 am
As an agency that specializes in helping nonprofit organizations develop their brands, we often get calls from marketing managers or development directors who want to improve how their organizations communicate. It’s natural that they are the ones who reach out to us or are the ones we are put in touch with by a referral source. However, in our initial conversations with them, I ask who will be making the decision about the organization’s brand elements—such as the logo or website—and often I hear, “I will...
