The top six tips to avoid the "Hope and Pray" method of calendar-year end campaign planning
Often, I work with clients who don't adequately plan for their calendar year-end efforts. This lack of planning does a disservice to the organization for a couple of important reasons. One such reason is that calendar year-end efforts and…
The top seven steps to creating special event sponsorships that sell
Before you can even solicit sponsors for your fundraising special events, you need to take several key steps first to best position your organization. What most groups fail to do is evaluate their sponsor value proposition first and foremost,…
What one thing can make or break the success of YOUR organization?
The Board. It can make or break your organization. If assembled and organized correctly, it can chart a successful future that prospers and preserves inspiration and creativity of its members and benefactors alike. If not, well...insert…
The key indicators of a strong nonprofit fundraising campaign
I often get asked, "What are the key indicators of a strong nonprofit fundraising campaign?" In order to have a strong fundraising campaign of any sort, whether it be capital, endowment, or even annual, you need several hallmarks of success…
Raising more money from your current loyal donors through repeat and best-ever gifts
What happens when you don't invest in donor acquisition? Well, your organization will face a declining donor base with the need to raise more money from fewer donors. With about 10% of donor bases naturally declining each year, the focus…
Using multi-channel digital fundraising "shoestring" strategies to acquire new donors.
In this day and age, as development professionals, we need to keep our eye both on donor retention and acquisition. It is one thing to retain your current donors. But if you are not constantly acquiring new ones, your donor file will naturally…
How to craft an effective and impactful plan for your next fundraising fiscal year
For many, as the calendars switch to spring, our organizations begin their budget planning season in preparation of a new fiscal year. As a result, development departments are often hard-pressed to come up budget sometimes right in the middle…
Hosting Your First Fundraising Cultivation Event
Donor cultivation events should be an important part of your fundraising program. Whether you are a small or large non-profit, or if you are raising money for annual operations for capital campaigns, you need to incorporate them as a vital…
How to raise more money through fundraising special event corporate sponsors
What happens next after you develop your sponsorship prospect list for your next special event? Do you send them all the same letter? Do you make personal phone calls? To whom? How do you get in the door? Who should you ask first? I…
How to take care of yourself as a busy nonprofit fundraising professional
It all happens to us. Time silently ticks away, and deadlines loom. And, then, BAM, out of the blue, a crisis occurs with a client, or some other proverbial "fire" starts burning. Perhaps it is a last-minute grant deadline suddenly arises,…
How to keep your small shop fundraising focus on your major donor work
After having served most of my career as a Director of Development in a small organization, I understand the realities of trying to handle all of the major tasks and responsibilities that come up daily; plus the fires that seem to endlessly…
Analyzing your calendar year-end fundraising efforts for effectiveness
Many groups end the year and then move onto their next project starting January 1.
While forward-thinking and acting is important, it is also equally as critical to do some analysis of the past year; calendar year-end, particularly, since…
