Fundraiser Education

Video: 5 Red Flags to Look Out for When Raising Major Gifts
July 29, 2016 at 11:38 am

Red flags often are used as a sign of warning or danger. Unfortunately, most red flags are not literal, but figurative, and often are missed by the people who need them most. Once you know the red flags of major gift fundraising, they might be easier to identify and tackle. Here are the top red…

The Quintessential List of Best Books for Fundraisers
July 26, 2016 at 1:16 pm

What are the nonprofit fundraising and communications books you turn to, time and time again? What are those books that may have brought about a shift in thinking or a new way of doing your work? These are the books that line my bookcase. What’s your favorite? And which books are missing from my shelf?...

What Do You Really Want Me to Feel?
July 22, 2016 at 9:43 am

I’m seeing a trend in what I call “fact-sharing,” instead of sharing a story. To illustrate what I mean, I’ve got a some short audio clips to share with you. Listen and hear the difference between sharing facts and sharing words that cause people to feel something. Anything. What you cause others to feel isn’t…

3 Parts of a Gift
July 21, 2016 at 11:41 am

When we reach out to our investors—our donors—our efforts are to move donors to make a gift to our cause. If not right away, then eventually. Our public relations efforts, media placements, events, even one-on-one cultivation is focused on getting the gift. Fundraisers are evaluated on their abilities to get the gift. That’s all that…

Fundraising Reminders and Refreshers
July 21, 2016 at 11:39 am

At the Bridge Conference last week, I had the opportunity to attend several breakout sessions. Like any conference, there were hits and misses, but I learned a few things, was reminded of many things and had some other things I was convinced of confirmed. So, all in all, it was a good investment of time and money...

5 Reasons Why Mission-Driven Professionals Should Get an MBA
July 21, 2016 at 11:21 am

I graduated college just as the U.S. job market tanked in May 2008, and I accepted the only offer I received: a volunteer coordinator at a scrappy environmental education nonprofit. The work we did was important, and the problems the organization fights against are mighty. We attracted talented employees who willingly worked long hours in…

How to Incorporate More Movement Into Your Nonprofit Training
July 20, 2016 at 10:45 am

Good instructional design and delivery engages people’s brains, eyes, ears and bodies. People pay attention more, they learn something, they retain it better, and there is a better chance of them applying what they learned. There are many creative ways to engage learners during a training—both face-to-face and online. Moving around is better than sitting…

Started From the Bottom, Now I’m Here: Fundraising the Smart Way
July 19, 2016 at 11:17 am

If anything, working from the underground up taught me to concentrate on what really matters, because, frankly, I didn’t have time for the stuff that didn’t. I trimmed off all of the extraneous stuff so that I could maintain a laser-like focus when it came to working the key areas that eventually would grow my business to what it is today...

We Need to Stop Treating Nonprofits the Way Society Treats Poor People
July 19, 2016 at 10:12 am

During a drink with one of my favorite program officers, I brought up some feedback about how onerous her organization's grant-reporting process was. Even though the foundation is really flexible on how the funds can be used, it still asks for exactly how much of each line item the foundation pays for. And its line…