In major gifts, there is nothing better than a good finance person to be your partner. If you have a good one, pour on the love. They need affirmation just like you do, and they do not get enough of it. If you have a bad one, try to win them over through education, information and appreciation...
I was looking back at some questions posed in a webinar I presented recently, and this was one of them: “What’s the most common mistake you see is made when it comes to monthly giving?” Of course, I’d love to say that most of you are not making any mistakes, but that’s not totally true...
Fundraising is a value-for-value proposition. But it’s not the value you’re probably thinking of. It’s not trinkets bought at auctions, dusty trophies or cheesy "thank you" notes. It’s definitely not the momentary feel-good after agreeing to “give a dollar to..." in the check-out lane. So what is it?...
As I’m sure you can imagine, I receive questions about how best to grow monthly donor programs all the time. One of the first things I do is look at the organization’s website. How easy is it to find the monthly giving option? How easy is it to find the donation page to begin with?...
If you can build trust, plus expand a personal relationship with a donor while also having the knowledge of their gift capacity and areas of interest, a possible layering can occur. In my context of layering, it is securing a major gift or pledge in one area while asking them for a second gift or pledge in another or same area...
One of the most difficult aspects of fundraising is getting enough program impact information to give to the donor. And the amazing thing is that most managers and leaders find more value in investing on the front end of fundraising than they do in putting resources into the back end (servicing donors after they give)...
Take a break. Go for a walk or run. Look at your program with a fresh look. Think of your goals. Imagine you’re in a plane, hovering above your organization. You can much clearer see the roads and paths that lead to those mountains you’re trying to get to...
Much has changed since Harvey McKinnon wrote the book "Hidden Gold" in 1999 and since I wrote "Monthly Giving. The Sleeping Giant" in 2012. Much more emphasis on social media. Much more use of email. Much more in paid digital approaches. Yet, there’s still not enough attention on monthly donor retention...
I see so many organizations with so much great content to share. It’s often all squished into one humongous monthly email update.
The Salvation Army Indiana Division had to make several decisions, especially those affecting special events for much-needed revenue.
