
Fundraising Blog Topics


From Porch to Philanthropy: How Porch Parties Fuel Fundraising Success
Fundraising Strategy
At its core, a porch party friendmaking event is a gathering that combines the fun of social interactions with the purpose of cultivating relationships with potential donors.
A good Porch Party can be a masterful blend of warmth,…

Three Ways a Porch Party Can Ignite Interest in Your Cause
Capital Campaigns, Fundraising Strategy
Just imagine: what if you had a new way to increase visibility and make new friends for your cause? Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you had an authentic and impactful way to help donors get to know your work, build trust and establish meaningful…

How to Get Ready for a Capital Campaign
Capital Campaigns, Fundraising Strategy
What does it take to really be ready for a capital campaign?
Often we see board members and leaders chomping at the bit to move quickly. And we hear from some fundraisers that they feel pushed to get going and start asking for lead gifts as…

How to Write an Appeal Letter That Brings in the Money
Capital Campaigns, Fundraising StrategyAppeal letters are the backbone of your annual fundraising campaigns that your nonprofit absolutely relies on.

The CEO’s Speech: “I Have a Dream”
Fundraising Strategy
At many events, your CEO has the opportunity to deliver a short, high-impact message about your organization.
This is a chance for the CEO to shine as a visionary and inspirational leader and get everyone excited…

ICON Takeways: Strategies, Trends and Data to Guide Your Fundraising
Fundraising Strategy
AFPICON was an amazing experience this year. We were pleased that attendance skyrocketed up to over 3500 attendees. (last year, there were around 2600 or so). So interest in fundraising education is high - there's much to learn and…

Top Capital Campaign Trends for 2023
Capital Campaigns, Fundraising Strategy
Capital campaigns are everywhere these days. Despite a murky economic outlook, nonprofits large and small are moving forward with big fundraising goals and high dollar campaigns.
We’re seeing some interesting new capital campaign trends…

The Advice Visit: Opening the Door to Your Major Donor
Major Gifts
Advice Visits are one of our golden tools to get to know prospective major gift donors and discover what’s on their mind. They are a key step in the qualification and cultivation process for major donors.
Advice Visits are based on the…

Suspects vs Prospects
Asking for Donations, Board Members and Fundraising, Capital Campaigns, Major Gifts
Today, we want to talk about two critical terms in major gift fundraising: suspects and prospects.
These terms are often used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings and huge implications for your fundraising efforts.
Here’s…

The Backburner List: A Major Gift Fundraiser’s Top Secret Strategy
Major Gifts
One of the biggest challenges for major gift fundraisers is in the area of prospect management. When you have a whole list of projects in your portfolio, how do you prioritize your assigned prospects? That's where the concept of a Backburner…

Build a Culture of Philanthropy: Conversations with Doubting Colleagues
Fundraising Strategy
By Beth Ann Locke
Most fundraisers aim to build a Culture of Philanthropy within their organizations. It's so important - because internal support is an important stepping stone to fundraising success – particularly in major gift…

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