Fundraising
Insights
Fundraisers cannot afford to be passive.
This is a message I recently shared with a major gifts team. As major gift fundraisers, we can't wait for donors to come to us; we must actively engage them, showcasing the impact of their contributions to our nonprofit’s work.
While major gift...
What happens when Mission Impact + Nonprofit Leadership + the Fundraising Team are not aligned
Recently, while working with a client, she shared exciting news over Zoom. They had received a generous $25,000 gift for their museum. I was overjoyed for them! Initially, the plan was to meet...
People sometimes wonder why I am obsessed with using phone calls as a key tool in major gift fundraising. The answer is simple: it works. And it boosts giving and donor retention.
My mantra: "phone calls are a powerful tool for major gift fundraising."
I've seen firsthand how a simple phone...
How can you craft a more effective donor tour underpinned with a solid major gift strategy?
I've had several clients ask me how they can improve the donor tours.
I'll use a recent coaching call as an example, with a food bank in the United States.
This food bank had a unique...
I've handled huge portfolios where I felt as though I was playing catch-up all the time on certain donors. They rarely responded when I sent something like an update until they were ready to talk about their gift.
Other times, I worked with donors who I couldn't give enough information, and in...
"I JUST HATE PHONE CALLS!"
I have two clients I recently worked with and they both hate making phone calls.
When exploring the discomfort of his phone experiences, I asked Client A if he ever called his mom. "No, I just see her around town.
Do you text instead? I asked. "Nope!" T
...One of the great joys I have, being a fundraiser, is meeting donors who are true fans of our mission.
You may have had donors like that - they're supporters and they give regularly. They may attend events or volunteer. They talk about your work to others. You may not even realize how much...
"So if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.”
This quote from Dale...
As a fundraiser, I've come to realize that I'm more than a connector to charitable gifts. I'm a catalyst for change.
As fundraisers, we take the hopes and aspirations of supporters and prospects - their desire for a better world - and connect them to the life-changing missions...
I believe that the most effective fundraising is connection-based fundraising.
Sure, you can "get donations in the door" with simple transactions. But most nonprofits are in it for the long haul, to create lasting, positive change in the world. So you want lasting donor...
I hear fundraisers complain about gifts received through Donor Advised Funds, known as DAFs.
"I never know who is actually giving."
"I can't steward these people properly!" (nor cultivate the donor for a second gift.)
"We have major donors who have stopped giving - how do I know if they are...
Yesterday I came across a document from my early fundraising days in Canada. The Director of the nonprofit asked me for phrases she could use when asking for large gifts from donors.
I'd forgotten that I had created this document and "Key Phrases and Next Steps when Asking...