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Every Board member should have a copy
How appropriate that the dedication in Gayle Gifford’s newest Emerson & Church book, Make Your Board Dramatically More Effective, Starting Today: A Board Member’s Guide to Asking the Right Questions leads off with this quote from Gandhi: “In a gentle way, you can shake the world.” For...
What if one simple strategy could increase donations by 35%?
You’ll love this recent video, courtesy of Movie Mondays for Nonprofits. Fundraising author and researcher Penelope Burk shared one simple strategy that your organization’s board members can use to increase donations by as much as 35%. How could you take this further? Do what many of...
At Last, 100% Board Giving!
Does 100% of your organization’s board contribute financially? They should. In my 2012 Small Shop Fundraising Survey, an astonishing 55% of organizations are reporting that they do not have 100% board giving. How can you reasonably expect others to contribute financially to your organization if members...
FREE. Nine of the top fundraising gurus sharing their secrets with you!
Beginning on March 7th, join us as nine nonprofit experts, including yours truly, share how to build a stronger nonprofit organization by: sharing your message, growing your funding and engaging your board! This is your chance to learn: How to get your board members over their fear of fundraising. 4...
International Women’s Day—Being the Change we Want to See
When I was growing up, it was rare that any of my friends’ moms worked outside the home. My elementary school, situated in the middle of “Wonder Years” style suburbia, didn’t even have a school cafeteria at the time. You walked home for lunch. But I was one of those rare kids who did have a...
Is your organization living hand-to-mouth?
Ladies and gentlemen: the story you are about to hear is true. Only the names have been changed to protect the innocent. Many years ago, I met with with a senior citizen organization. Early on in our meeting, I asked the executive director, Adele Wilkins, a delightful sexagenarian, how much money...
Generosity Day: Did you take the pledge?
Surprise a stressed-out waitress with a humongous tip…cook a meal for your neighbor who’s just home from the hospital…send a “care” package to your best friend, who’s dealing with a homebound parent with dementia. Valentine’s Day has been officially rebooted as Generosity Day: ...
101 Social Media Tactics for Nonprofits: A Field Guide
It goes without saying that before dipping a toe into the social media waters, nonprofit organizations need to come up with some sort of strategy. Where are your donors? How much time do you have to devote to social media? What will you be sharing on social media – and listening to? How will you...
The 10 essentials of an ideal thank you letter
Are you creating partnerships with your donors? A sense of loyalty and commitment? Blackbaud’s recent Growing Philanthropy in the United States report revealed that nonprofits have made little headway into reducing donor attrition rates. According to recent data collected by the Association of...
#smNPchat: Are you participating?
How does the small, community-focused nonprofit organization “do-it-all?” After all, you’re not an international charity with a database of 300,000, a development staff of 20 and a team of direct mail consultants at your beck and call. Nope, chances are you’re an executive director or development...
Seven quintessential nonprofit resolutions for 2012…and beyond
Create a solid plan. In the words of Yogi Berra: If you don’t know where you are going, you might wind up someplace else. How much do you want to raise from grants? How much do you want to raise from individual donations – from direct mail, online, from your monthly giving program? ...
Nonprofit resolutions for 2012 | The experts weigh in
Welcome to 2012! What resolutions will you be making to advance your organization in 2012? I asked a few of my friends and colleagues to share their best resolutions for 2012. Nonprofit database expert Robert Weiner said “like many people, my resolutions are often the same year after year. ...
I Heart Sparked!
A guest post from Mazarine Treyz of Wildwoman Fundraising Are you that one person fundraising office with no graphic designer? Or do you even have a larger staff, but still people will never approve your budget when it includes graphic design? Do you have to DIYourself graphic design and are you...
An NPO Culture of Scarcity … eats fundraising for lunch
A Culture of Scarcity: If you live in and work with, an NPO/NGO culture, you understand – in your gut – what it means to live in a Gladiator Culture; where 9 out of 10 equally qualified (but unequally prepared) foundation and agency grant apps – are rejected. You know that knot in...
I had my Board Chair call to personally thank a $20 donor. Am I crazy?
Today’s guest post from Rene Bouchard, Director of Development at Cinema Arts Centre in New York is not really an article, but rather a LinkedIn discussion that I thought deserved broader coverage, particularly in light of this month’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival. Rene is one very savvy fundraiser,...
Program and Development staff: Together at Last
Today’s guest post comes from Marti Fischer of Marti Fischer Grant Services, LLC Are you a member of a development office that is fully integrated into your organization, and part of programming and long range planning meetings? If so, congratulations and read no further, this article is not meant...
What’s the One Secret to Winning Foundation Grants?
“It does not happen all at once. There is no instant pudding.” W. Edwards Deming When a colleague sent me a link to a web page with the following claims and asked me if it was legitimate, I had to smile. Hundreds of Billions Up For Grabs — Every Year! … there are the more than 75,000 foundations...
November’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival | How are you giving Thanks?
I’m hosting November’s Nonprofit Blog Carnival and what better topic, as Thanksgiving approaches, than giving thanks? According to the author of Donor-Centered Fundraising, Penelope Burk, “90% of donors who start contributing to a particular cause stop giving by the fifth renewal request.” And...
