Fundraiser Education

It's the truth: As a sector, we’re accustomed to dysfunction. Sometimes we're mired in it. We’re used to a mentality of lack, rather than embracing the abundance that surrounds us. We’re so busy trying to pinch pennies that the dollars are whizzing by us. And we're often oblivious to that. This becomes our "normal." But it isn't right...

What's worse in fundraising: Doing what everyone is doing? Or following your own path? The answer, of course, is it depends. The downside of carefully following "best practices" is articulated by The Agitator, at "Losing Donors In The Sea of Sameness." They call it herd behavior and "sloppy, copycat practices." Which is frequently true. But…

Think of the impact of time, talent and treasure the nonprofit sector provides on a macro level in the U.S. in a given year. Millions of men, women and children receive free benefits from thousands of organizations dedicated to serving populations in need. What would happen if these organizations did not exist?...

I made a presentation to a large church men’s club on a recent, chilly Saturday morning. I was invited as their breakfast speaker. As I was speaking, many individuals, now retired, were describing their retirement nonprofit volunteer adventures. It immediately occurred to me that we all have the opportunity to have a "fifth quarter" of service to nonprofits, and this tenure could last at least two decades or more...

Now is the time to think about what you want to do in the new year that will leave you a better fundraiser one year from now. I’m not talking resolutions—those are too often forgotten before January comes to an end. Rather, jot down some things you want to make a priority in the next 12 months as part of your professional growth. Here are a few ideas to help you begin your list...

Small shop fundraising is a tough job, and its difficulty is often underestimated or ignored entirely. Is it really any wonder that the turnover rate is highest among small shop fundraisers? Far too often, an organization’s board and executive director are focused on the right here and right now. But a smart development director is focused on the long-term sustainability of the organization...

Curiosity has arguably been the catalyst for virtually every significant discovery and innovation known to man. Curiosity led one man to a new world. It was the motivation behind another man’s decision to fly a kite during an electrical storm. And it was a curiosity for typefaces that resulted in one of the most innovative…

I’ve never been strong at prediction—I suppose just keeping up with what’s happening today consumes all my brain capacity. But recently, I’ve been thinking about five things that are impacting fundraising in specific and nonprofits in general. These aren’t going to go away no matter what happens in Washington, D.C., so I challenge you to think about them as you plan how you will make 2017 your best fundraising year possible...

Football brings about a lot of passion (and agony), especially this time of year. A few years ago, I was guest lecturing in my Lighthouse Counsel colleague Tom Landrum’s class on higher education fundraising. Many of the students had just returned from the annual Georgia - Florida football game in Jacksonville (also referred to as…

Great fundraising isn’t about you. It’s about creating careful communications that speak directly to donors, their passions and the positive change generated through their support. You know that what you do wouldn’t be possible without your donors, so you never want them to forget it...