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Fundraising Fun? You Betcha!
Nonprofit blogger and Twitterer, Marc Pitman, recently twitted that “many see fundraising as an evil, a necessary evil but evil nonetheless.” I couldn’t agree more and, frankly, I just don’t get it! Fundraising is challenging, it’s people-centered, it’s constantly...
October 19, 2009 – Simple Tip of the Day
Recently one of my client’s board members celebrated her birthday in style – in lieu of gifts, she requested that donations be made to her favorite charity. We publicly thanked her – on Twitter, Facebook and in our quarterly newsletter. If you’ve received a unique gift from one...
Nonprofits and Employee Attrition – The Truth Hurts
This unedited ad recently appeared, seeking a “Development Associate” for a local nonprofit organization. DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 1) Development Office assistance • manage donor/gift records including processing gifts and reconciling with business office, receipting gifts and producing acknowledgments...
It’s just emotion that’s taken me over … Tied up in sorrow, lost in my soul
(With apologies to the Bee Gees …) For six years I worked for a regional private family foundation. It was an amazing learning experience on so many levels, including teaching me how donors respond. In a recent post on Kivi’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog, Kivi notes that people’s hearts tend to...
6 Tips for Collecting Great Nonprofit Stories
If you’ve been in this field for any length of time, you’ve heard all about how important it is to capture your organization’s story. Most nonprofit marketing bloggers, however, tend to focus solely on one aspect of your organization’s story when, in fact, having an entire cadre of stories...
Godin’s The Problem with Non and Another Duh Moment
“You lose it if you talk about it.– Ernest Hemingway The problem with non, a recent Seth Godin blog post got a lot of attention from nonprofit bloggers recently. Godin is a marketing guru who attracts a large nonprofit following. He argued that nonprofits “abhor change” and notes that,...
September 11, 2009 – Simple Tip of the Day
One quick, easy, free way to generate viral publicity (and involve your board) is to create a byline for your organization for every staff member and board member to include within their email address. Be sure to include a link to your organization’s website, Twitter url and Facebook Fan Page! What...
How Much Should You Request in Your Grant Proposal? How Much Do You Need?!
One of the most common questions I’m asked is “How do you know how much to request when drafting a foundation grant proposal?” Well, how much do you need? Folks, this isn’t rocket science and I refer, once again, to my constant mantra of “systems, systems, and systems.” Have you been researching...
It’s the Economy Stupid! What Smart Grantseekers Need to Know to Get Funds in Today’s Economy
“When written in Chinese, the word “crisis” is composed of two characters-one represents danger, and the other represents opportunity.” John Fitzgerald Kennedy The other day I was chatting with a fellow nonprofit consultant on Twitter about business and she noted that “organizations...
Behind the Scenes at a Grantmaking Foundation
Have you ever wondered just exactly what goes on behind the scenes at a private, grantmaking foundation once your proposal is delivered? I was fortunate for the opportunity to work at a private, family foundation for over six years. I worked for them during their early days, when they were just beginning...
Direct Mail Dilemma: Re-solicit Existing Donors or Acquire New Donors?
Faced with limited dollars, is it best to hit up existing donors again, or forage for new ones? Like many questions, the answer to this question depends? In his book, “Revolution in the Mailbox: Your Guide to Successful Direct Mail Fundraising (The Mal Warwick Fundraising Series),” Mal Warwick suggests...
How To Lose Donors & Persuade People To Hate You
I’m a big fan of John Carlton. For those who aren’t familiar with John’s work, he’s one of the highest paid copywriters in the world and a very successful marketer. He recently hosted a couple of events, one in San Francisco and the other in Las Vegas, and experienced some interesting hotel...
Nonprofit Development – There are No Shortcuts – Only Systems
“There are no shortcuts to any place worth going.” Beverly Sills Last week I participated in my first live chat on Twitter. It was hosted by Hildy Gottlieb and a large group of nonprofit consultants shared their current experiences within the world of nonprofit consulting. One topic that came...
Do Angels Sleep?
When my youngest daughter was three years old her great grandmother died. I traveled to Michigan for the funeral, leaving my husband in charge of my two daughters. It was the first time I’d ever been away from Abigail overnight. I was gone five days and when I returned Abbey couldn’t quit asking...
Are You Throwing the Baby Out With the Bath-water? Long-term vs. Short-Term Development Success
Several years ago I had a job working in sales. Advertising sales to be exact. For a small weekly newspaper that was struggling to the point where, every payday, I’d rush downstairs to the bank housed in the building to cash my check, praying that it wouldn’t bounce. Anyone who knows me well knows...
6 Degrees of Separation and Fundraising
A week or so ago a discussion came up on the AFP Group that I belong to on LinkedIn. A member’s organization was debating whether or not to participate in the Benevon method, a rather pricy series of workshops and coaching. Benevon, formerly known as the Raising More Money model, uses the method...
Announcing World #twenty$tuesday
Never underestimate the power of a few committed people to change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. Margaret Mead I’ve been on Twitter now for several weeks and I LOVE IT! It’s been a boon to my business in unexpected ways, it’s fun, it’s fabulous connecting with people...
Can Your Nonprofit Benefit from a Celebrity Endorsement?
Several years ago I participated, along with board and staff of the organization I was working with, in the Benevon training. They’re the organization formerly known as Raising More Money who have taken the idea of small, intimate prospective donor get-togethers and individual giving and parlayed...
