How to have an immediate impact in your new fundraising position
You have just been offered a job as a Director of Development and now what?
Well, over the past twenty years, I have had my share of jobs and have started some fundraising offices within nonprofits as part of my consulting practice. As a…
How to create donor recognition opportunities for your fundraising campaign
An important part of any fundraising campaign is how you plan on recognizing your donors at different giving levels. While donor recognition opportunities do not motivate all donors, the fact is that some are. And, you need to be prepared to…
How to follow up on your direct mail appeal letter
Do you mail a spring or fall direct mail appeal letter and hope for the best? Well, "a wing and a prayer" is not a strategy. A strategy by definition is a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major or overall aim.
Here are some…
How to turn your fundraising event attendees into supportive donors
Spring is the season of Galas or so it seems.
And, rightly so, the weather is turning warmer and everyone's thoughts seem to be on getting out after a long winter.
I am often asked by organizations who are holding galas or other fundraising…
How to create a quick and easy fundraising plan to help you reach your goals
So, maybe you have been operating without a plan up until now. And, that is ok, but it is not strategic, and to meet your goals, you need to have a plan that you follow, monitor, and correct if needed.
Here are some simple instructions on…
How your direct mail appeal letter typesetting can help your letter raise more money
One may think that the content or copy of a direct mail appeal letter is King (or Queen), but studies have found that there is something else as equally or maybe even more important than what the letter says.
What is that one thing?
Typesetting. …
How you can find prospective donors for even your small nonprofit
One may think that there are only a limited number of donors to go around, but think again.
In my work, I assist small to mid-sized organizations in running their first capital campaigns. Many do not have established donor bases to tap into…
How a gift range chart can help you raise more money even in your small nonprofit
One might think that gift range charts are just for large projects such as capital campaigns or for significant fundraising efforts. And, while, yes, there is some truth to that, gift range charts can be used effectively in even the smallest…
How to run a successful Mother’s Day fundraising campaign
At the start of Spring, our thoughts turn to flowers, sunshine, and our Mom's! And, for many nonprofit organizations, this is a great direct mail theme and just in time for a Spring appeal.
So, how can you maximize this appeal to give your…
What’s next after your capital campaign feasibility study?
So, your consultant has just finished your capital campaign feasibility study. The report is sitting on your desk, and you are wondering, where do I go from here?
Here are some possibilities:
The report may recommend that the organization…
More than just a monetary number – the capital campaign feasibility study
There are quite a number of groups seeking to test the feasibility of a possible capital campaign.
And, so naturally being a consulting firm catering to small fundraising shops, I tend to get asked to talk about these, and I am currently in…
The revolving fundraising door at our organizations
What is going on out there?
For the past year, I have watched development jobs come and go on the job boards.
I lamented that folks like myself with over 20 years of experience, certifications, and education were getting passed up for the…
