With some nonprofits, there seems to be a disconnect. These groups have operated using the same fundraising methods as they did twenty years ago, perhaps with the same leaders leading the organization. They fail to look at national giving trends that show individuals giving more than 70% of all contributed income and only 15% made […]
What are the first steps to your grant planning? First you need to document your funding priorities with custom tailored cases for supports that can be used to match up to a funders priority. Once you have outlined your needs, the next steps are to do some detailed research to identify potential funding sources. It […]
Yes, I have a motive, and it is a bequest. As a young woman with no children, I have already created my estate plans. Yes, I have. And while those I love will be taken care of as they should. There is a time after they are gone when my assets held in trust will […]
When developing a fundraising plan, I am often asked whether or not, I can skip the development audit analysis. And, I arguably say “no!” A fundraising audit is probably the most critical stage of the entire planning process looking at where an organization is now, where it has been, and where do they want to […]
This week, I had a conversation with one of my very first clients. And, I wanted to share their success story. You see, too many groups don’t want to invest in donor acquisition because they know that they will lose money – in the short-term. Who intends to invest in that, particularly if you are […]
Younger donors don’t give as much. You can chase the Millennials and the generation whatever’s, but if you don’t take into consideration the family life cycle, then you are misdirecting your energies. What is the family life cycle I hear you ask? Wills and Gubar (1966) identified nine distinct life cycle stages of a family. […]
We are all so very guilty of appearing to listen to someone, but yet already forming a reply in our head.. You know, you are sitting with a donor and rather than listening, you are rehearsing what your response may be. Are you missing some critical information when you don’t listen intently? Sure! It is […]
Data from the U.S. Census Bureau indicate that the number of people dying in the United States will double in the next forty years. WOW! Hard to read, but surely reality. And, sometimes reality is stark. The Baby Boomers will soon be facing retirement, old age, and eventually death. And, Baby Boomers will have more […]
This week, I read a post by the very insightful Veritus Group. In the post, they asked,”When you think of your donor, do you first think of them as a source of cash – as a way to reach the goals you have set?” This question indeed touched a cord in me. How many organization […]
For many donors who hold great wealth, they sometimes want to do more than just give. In fact, they want to shape directly rather than just support a charitable cause. This term is often called, “hyperagency.” In most cases, that is fine. In fact, it is very welcomed. Paul Shervish, Director of the Center on […]
Yep. You can go through the motions with your donor, but if you don’t A S K, you don’t G E T. Simple as that. So, where do you even start? Each donor is an individual. And, being an individual, he or she needs an individualized strategy – each solicitation is a campaign on its […]
The one best tip I have for nonprofit newsletters – stop calling them newsletters. I am of the mind that this title creates a great deal of confusion both for the nonprofit and the donor. Why? First, donors are like investors. They are giving their financial resources to support something, dare I say, a mission […]
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