Dump the Cliches: Words and Phrases Fundraisers Love to Hate!
Annual Giving, Asking for Donations, Marketing & Communications, Year-End Fundraising CampaignsWow, I hit a nerve last week when I talked about my Least Favorite fundraising words. For the record, my own personal award for most disliked word goes to "underserved." I think that word is a very lame effort to describe the wonderful people…
20 Best Practices for Monthly Giving Programs
Annual Giving, Asking for Donations, Marketing & CommunicationsDo you want a fundraising strategy that creates ongoing predictable cash flow? One that is low cost, and returns a high RIO? That creates a wonderful prospect pool for planned and major gifts? That gets donors to quadruple (or more) their…
Add Surprise and Delight to Your Appeals. Like This One.
Annual Giving, Asking for DonationsI want to share with you my very favorite fundraising appeal that I've seen in a long time. It's charming, readable, and unusual. (click here to read the entire appeal letter.) Next time you are stuck for creative ideas, consider heading…
14 Easy Ways Board Members Can Raise Money
Annual Giving, Asking for Donations, Board Development, Board Members & FundraisingBoard members can be enthusiastic fundraisers if you make it easy for them. Here are 14 examples of very specific natural, comfortable formats for asking. It's so helpful to board members when we can show them easy ways to make the ask. Offer…
Five Tips for Overcoming Fundraising Fears
Annual Giving, Inspiration, Motivating Board MembersOk, we've all been there...Fundraising fears. You know what you need to be doing. . . but you just -- you just -- you just -- manage to find something else to focus on that's lots more interesting and certainly less dreadful. There's that…
Show Me the Money: How to Move From Friendraising to Fundraising
Annual Giving, Asking for Donations, Friendmaking, Major GiftsIn my regular column I write for the Guidestar newsletter, a smart reader sent me the $64,000 question: "All your talk about "friendraising" is great, but show me the money! My organization needs funding right now!" You're exactly right to focus…
