Fundraiser Education

Richard and I believe that no matter what you do, there are people out there who will connect with your mission on an emotional level—even if you don’t think so. By accepting that, and by using emotion in how you talk about what you do, not only will you attract those new donors to your cause, but those you do have will become connected in a much deeper way and will give more.

If you reverse the fundraising process and see what your results can bring at the end of it, you will have a clearer perspective of why you are asking for funds. If you look into a child's eyes and see his or her smile and connect on an emotional level, your dedication and willingness to raise funds deepens...

What is the magic in fundraising? Those times when the strongest connections are made or the right donor at the right time to the right project. Either way, it is awfully hard to get there. We can all recognize those moments: the backstage tour, the vibrant conversation with our CEO at a donor lunch that…

The present political campaign season offers a number of lessons for the astute nonprofit fundraising professional. Although the heated and sometimes virulent rhetoric political campaigns employ may often seem out of bounds and incongruous with nonprofit charitable work, the strategies on which these campaigns rely for procuring financial support from donors are plainly effective...

Simply choosing a goal based on need only sets your organization up for failure—the double failure of not reaching your monetary objective combined with the failure created by demoralizing those who support you. Successful fundraising campaigns are achieved, in part, by generating a sense of accomplishment among those who give. When you ask them to give to a goal that isn’t reached, the question, “What good is it?” comes into the mind of the investor. It isn’t your passion that’s generating the energy, it’s the donors’...

Ever had a fundraising goal “handed” to you out of the blue? I bet you have, and you’re not alone. But that doesn’t make it right. I’m sick of development directors being expected to perform miracles. And that’s generally what’s happening when their fundraising goal is created without their input. When that happens, I know…

Too often, fundraising is made to sit in the corner while her stepsisters, content marketing and online communications, get busy dressing up for the marketing ball. Her stepmother and stepsisters think raising awareness is more important than raising money. They think all they have to do is look pretty, and they’ll get chosen. Nobody can be bothered to include Cinderella (aka fundraising) in the planning. If this strikes a chord with you, you’re probably working at one of the far too many nonprofits where marketing communications are considered the stepchild of fundraising...

During a site visit, a foundation trustee remarked half-jokingly to me, “We hate development people—we like to talk to the program staff.” I responded that, yes, I did too. It was the only way for me to learn and effectively write about our programming. Then I got to thinking about the whole divide between program staff and fundraisers...

The next 60 days promise to be hectic. Holiday spirit, tax planning and general procrastination collide at this time of year to create a perfect storm for nonprofit fundraisers. Charities need to embark on an all-out effort to ensure the maximum amount of dollars flow to their cause. Here are 20 things you can do right now to help ensure success next year and long into the future...

In the U.K., late September saw the publication of NCVO’s long-awaited report, "Charities’ Relationships with Donors: A Vision for a Better Future." Its mission is to deliver the single objective stated on its cover, "…Recommendations on how to enable donors to give consent," to untangle this complex area and recommend what charities should set out…