Prospects

Create More Brand Awareness With Google AdWords
May 5, 2017 at 9:25 am

Let’s face it—there’s a plethora of information out in the vast cyberspace about different types of technologies available to help improve your nonprofit. It can all get a little confusing, can’t it? But it all comes down to what your nonprofit it looking to improve. Are you looking to create more brand awareness to drive more donations? Let’s take a look at a tool out there that we’ve all heard of, but (maybe) are not taking advantage of...

Expand Your Horizons
April 26, 2017 at 9:10 am

We are big on not attending the same professional conferences year after year. Take a break from your routine and attend a new conference—maybe one outside of your nonprofit sector. This year, I’m taking a break from AFP to attend a different conference and I plan to be back at AFP next year...

#GivingTuesday Donations on the Rise
April 19, 2017 at 2:53 pm

The day after Thanksgiving, the holidays hit full-force. And it’s not just the radio stations blasting “Here Comes Santa Claus” every half hour—it’s the shopping frenzies of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Thankfully, (no pun intended) for the past four years, we’ve had a day to shift the focus away from materialism and back to the true spirit of the holidays: Giving Tuesday...

Wisdom from My Mom to Supercharge Your Fundraising
April 19, 2017 at 2:40 pm

My mother was known for having impeccable manners. At her memorial service, it seemed as if every other person who shared a memory talked about her manners. They did so not in a nitpicking way, but in a loving way. It seemed she always knew just the right thing to do to show her appreciation...

$25M Gift to Boston Medical Center Will Help Launch Opioid Center
March 8, 2017 at 9:08 am

Boston Medical Center has received a $25 million gift—the largest in its history—and plans to use the money to fight what it calls the “heartbreaking” public-health crisis caused by drug addiction and the opioid epidemic. The donation to BMC, which serves more low-income patients than any other medical facility in New England, will create the…

5 Myths of Evergreen Philanthropy: Part 1
February 23, 2017 at 11:03 am

You see, philanthropists are people just like us. They have their own set of dreams and aspirations. They, too, have core values they seek to realize in their lives. And it’s on these that philanthropists have their focus...

The Most Important Thing a Donor Can Give You (It’s Not What You Think)
February 10, 2017 at 10:27 am

What is the most important thing a donor can give you? If I were to ask that question at an Association of Fundraising Professionals conference, I suspect most members of the audience would respond by saying, “A big check!” If I were to pose the same question at a National Association of Charitable Gift Planners…

Preliminary Report on Charitable Direct Mail Contribution Volume in 2016
February 3, 2017 at 10:39 am

As I have for four consecutive years, I’m starting 2017 off with a report on last year’s charitable giving volume. The analysis is based on 17 million individual direct mail contributions received in 2016 by more than 60 national nonprofit organizations. It encompasses six primary charitable sectors served by Merkle’s Response Management Group...

Fundraising and Football Part 3: Rallying Point and Best Use
December 21, 2016 at 11:54 am

Last week, we discussed segmenting and being prepared to revise your strategy in part two of this fundraising and football series. This week, we’re covering two more things fundraisers can learn from the game: Football games and campaigns provide a rallying call for the faithful, and everyone has a best role.