5 Ways to Know If You Have a Legacy Fundraising Operation
The donors of today are searching for meaningful stories and engagement, want to be listened to, and need to understand how they can make an impact. In the movie, No Country for Old Men, Tommy Lee Jones Character, Sheriff Ed Tom Bell, laments to Ellis that he is feeling outmatched. Barry Corbin’s character, Ellis then retorts, “What […]
Culture of Philanthropy: 6 Steps to Demonstrate the Impact of Philanthropy
When an organization accepts, understands, and embraces a culture of philanthropy…the whole institution benefits from increased donor investment. A few weeks ago, I wrote about challenges facing development departments when an organization does not embrace their work or overall fundraising. This is when a majority people in the organization are not in involved in any […]
Does your organization think fundraising is something that happens over there…?
When the organization accepts, understands, and embraces the work of the development department, the ability to engage more donors in better ways increases substantially—and the whole institution benefits. So, tell me, what is that you do in your department? That phrase, spoken with a bit (or a lot) of disdain, is often directed to development […]
Thoughtful Stewardship Ensures a Memorable Moment
Stewardship shows a true relationship rather than a transactional relationship of cultivation and making an ask. Have you ever sent a card or a gift and then waited patiently for the receiver of that card or gift to respond to you…maybe even thank you? You wait patiently, thinking surely that person will know that because […]
Six Steps to Get Through an Economic Downturn
Last year’s significant growth in charitable giving was driven by donors’ desires to make an impact during the height of the pandemic and additional resources via a strong stock market. According to the Annual Giving USA Report, philanthropy grew 4.0% in 2021 over a solid year in 2020. However, this growth trend did not keep […]
Ramping Up Revenue with a Development Committee
When you empower volunteers through the focus of a development committee, they’ll drive fundraising far beyond what development staff and your average board member can accomplish alone. These folks likely yield greater capacity than your board members. And they become champions for your fundraising goals (whether financial, educational, or social), connecting with donors and prospects to bring nuanced perspectives on your organization’s work.
Why Hiring a Consultant Helped Me Succeed and Keep My Sanity
When I started in my new role as a Development Director for a local Denver non-profit, I was confident that I was going to succeed. I believed in the mission wholeheartedly and knew that the non-profit was making a real difference in the lives of the people we served. The organization was in the midst […]
Time is NOT on your Side in Fundraising
Everyone knows staying in contact with your donors is a good thing. But if you’re an executive director or development director, there always seems to be a reason not to make that call, email or other connection with them. You can still a do a bit more editing of that annual report, maybe double-check the […]
The Millionaire (next door) Major Gift Strategy
The affluent have not changed much because people have not changed much either. Anyone entering a profession needs a go-to book to ground them. Entering the world of fundraising, specifically major gifts, it was “The Millionaire Next Door: the Surprising Secrets of America’s Wealthy,” by Thomas J. Stanley. As a researcher of the affluent, Stanley […]
Yes, YOU can get Major Gifts
Why do most nonprofits raise fewer major gifts (relative to size, mission, etc.) than hospitals and big universities? Simple, they don’t know how. They don’t know the process of major gift work. Smaller, less established non-profits have missions, clients, causes, volunteers, and staff that are just as good and with same ability to make donor’s […]