Fundraiser Education

Having been both a fundraiser and a board member, it’s been interesting to see both sides of the conversation about board fundraising. I have to say, having had a seat at the board table and now being a board chair, I have a lot more empathy for what board members are feeling when they are…

Many of the nonprofit people I’ve known are highly empathetic. That’s a big advantage for our work. Fundraisers, especially, need to be comfortable with emotions. They’re how we communicate–if we’re doing it well. But empathy can also have its downside. Some of us truly feel another’s pain. And for most of us, spending all day thinking about…

This has been a crazy week—I co-presented a webinar for NonProfit PRO and am heading to Washington, D.C., for the annual Bridge Conference (as a learner, not a presenter). Why? Because I am absolutely passionate about continuing education, both for myself and what I share with others when I can. And I want to energize you about continuing education, too, which is why I write about investing in you about once a year...

The two most dangerous assumptions in fundraising are: Thinking the reasons why people give don’t matter. Thinking we know why people give. Assumption No. 1 is beyond redemption. (You can’t fix stupid!) Thankfully, although it still pervades a few of the bigger, aggressive, fundraising departments, it’s largely on its way out. But the second is…

Whenever people sign up to receive my emails, they’re encouraged to share their biggest fundraising challenges. Here’s one such challenge recently shared with me that many organizations face: The biggest challenge we are facing at the moment is with landing larger donations ($1,000 to $5,000+), both in terms of attracting new, higher-level donors and also…

They say when life gives you history, you make history-ade. Or something. That's what Gabe Fulmerhouser did, anyway. In need of a summer hobby, the enterprising 8-year-old from Jackson, Mich., decided he'd dispense history lessons at a roadside stand for 25 cents a pop, with all proceeds going to charity, naturally. He's raised $140.25 so far, and rather than buying a World of Warcraft subscription and some Mountain Dew, like most kids would, he plans to donate it...

It is midway through 2016. In a few short months we will enter the holiday season. Most of us are either halfway through a fiscal year or just beginning a new one. In either case, it is time to take professional stock of where you are and where you are going. Last week, we discussed steps for a midyear personal checkup. This time, let's talk about the 10 steps for a professional nonprofit fundraising checkup...

Social media is one of the powerful tools that fundraisers have sitting in their back pockets. At no cost to the nonprofit or to the participant, powerful fundraising messages can be communicated to the participant’s personal network. This includes many potential supporters that the fundraiser may not have been comfortable contacting directly. Additionally, this is an effective method for increasing the visibility of both the nonprofit and the participant’s upcoming event...

If your job title falls under the category of “one-person development department,” it’s very likely that, sometimes, you feel like a chicken running around with its head cut off. Ah, the pressure. How on earth is a smart development director to do it all? Brace yourself for the big news, folks: You shouldn’t want to focus on all of that stuff, because you don’t have to focus on all of that stuff. Just look at Trader Joe's...

Good customer service is not always something we talk about in the nonprofit sector. As a sector, we often veil the concept in euphemisms, like “donor-centric fundraising” or “quality case-management.” Industry slang aside, the concepts of good customer service are the foundation of any good organization...