Fundraiser Education

Every so often, I'll read a blog post titled something like, "9 Ways to Write Better Fundraising." I love pieces like that, because I'm fascinated by what people consider "short-list" critical elements for success. And, as often as not, I learn something from those lists. The thing that dismays me is how often one of those…

One of the challenges every fundraiser has is being told constantly what he or she must do—a daily dose of articles and seminars, not to mention advice from the organization’s management, board leadership and colleagues about what must be done to make sure the fundraising machine is primed for success. And yet, the reality for most fundraisers is limited time and money. We often know what we should do and would like to do—but constraints mean something "important" is being neglected...

In a recent, intentionally provocative opinion piece on the Plymouth University Critical Fundraising blog, Joe Jenkins shared the notion that the social benefit sector has “a big problem: the entrenched homogeneity of charity communications. To the rest of the world we mostly look, act and appear to be the same.” Does nonprofit fundraising have an innovation problem? In part one of of a four-part series, we look for answers...

College graduates across the country are kicking off their first job hunt, looking to launch their dream careers in their fields of choice. And for many recent grads, that field is nonprofits. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, average employment in the nonprofit sector increased 8.5 percent from 2007 to 2012, while employment in…

Good recipes are road maps to desired outcomes. Do you want to eat a homemade load of bread? Follow these 10 steps, and you’ll have one in a couple of hours. Recipes can be easy or hard. They can take practice and require tinkering. But once someone develops a good recipe, anyone should be able…

Some of the country's most iconic nonprofits have struggled to raise money in the past few years, while a new breed of philanthropic organization is thriving thanks in large part to its appeal to Millennial donors. While the American Red Cross ran an operating deficit after its worst fundraising year in over a decade in…

Whenever I go to a fundraising conference or meet with other fundraisers, one question that, without fail, comes up is, "What’s next in fundraising?" It’s like we are hoping for someone to wave a magic wand and say, "Hey, guys! Here is the next big thing that will raise all the funds you will ever…

We were meeting with people at the Atlantic City Rescue Mission to help them build a major-gift program and start developing real relationships with donors. The rescue mission has some really faithful donors, but many of them have not been challenged to make a real investment in the mission...

The best storytellers will tell you: Keep your message concise, relevant and engaging. Yet, you put time and hard work into crafting your nonprofit’s story—how it started, grew over time and became the success it is today—all to find out your donors couldn’t care less. What’s the deal? You probably know the basics of good…

The 100 percent model—the idea that 100 percent of funds raised will go to programs, none to overhead—attracts nonprofits, as well as donors. Charity:water is one well-known nonprofit following this course. But is it a good idea for your nonprofit? Let's see. First of all, if you look at it from the donor's perspective, you…