How to Host a Successful Porch Party

How to Host a Porch Party, a Fun Donor Cultivation Event

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A casual, small social event like a Porch Party is a terrific donor engagement and cultivation tool. Porch parties and small socials can be wonderful for building community support, engaging people, and generating momentum about your…

Gear Up for a Thankathon Now

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November is a season of gratitude. It’s the perfect time to for a Thankathon. It can be a vital part of a smart year-end fundraising strategy.

Using a Feasibility Study to Close Major Gifts – Without an Ask

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An expertly crafted Feasibility Study can open your donors' hearts and minds to wonderful possibilities your project will create.

Want to Know What Your Major Donor is Thinking? Try This Question!

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Want to find out what your donor is thinking? Ask them what they think or what are their impressions. It's our favorite Golden Question to ask donors.

Don’t Get Stuck in Endless Cultivation 

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Don't get stuck in endless cultivation and let your donor's slip away. Move a donor from discovery questions right into a gift conversation.

Creating a Donor-Centered Case Statement

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We're sharing expert guidance on how to create a snappy, compelling case statement. Take a look and don't make the all too common mistakes.

The Fundraiser’s Kiss of Death: Talking Too Much

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Learn why it’s important to listen to the donor, rather than make a presentation. And why talking too much is a fundraiser's kiss of death.

How a Capital Campaign Planning Committee Develops Lead Donor Relationships

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If you’re planning a capital campaign, you are very likely evaluating your fundraising potential.  How much can you raise? Who will be your major funding sources? Would a Capital Campaign Planning Committee help you raise more?   A…
How Will We Cultivate Donors This Fall?

How Will We Cultivate Donors This Fall?

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“Cultivate donors.” I bet you’ve heard that before.  But how do we accomplish this in the virtual environment?  We like to think of cultivation as nurturing your donor’s philanthropic interest in your organization’s work. And…

Listening – The #1 Skill for Virtual Phone or Zoom Meetings

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Everyone needs to sharpen their listening skills for fundraising in the new virtual environment. Dealing with donors is more difficult these days. Many of us can't get in front of our donors - so we are on zoom or on the phone. Everyone is…

The #1 Secret of Raising Lots of Money? Face Time With Major Gift Donors

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Don't we love our major gift donors?  And we all know smart fundraisers should be spending their time with these lovely folks. But it can be really tough to get out of your office. And that’s a problem when you’re trying to raise serious…

It’s OK to Bless and Release a Donor

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What do I mean by Bless and Release? It’s what you do with an incommunicative, unresponsive donor: You just let go and release them from your attention. Take this situation for example: Here you are, trying so hard to reach out…

6 Ways to Nail Your Next Major Donor Visit

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Here you are, prepping for your big major donor visit. Yay!  As you walk into her office or home, should you be saying: "Yikes! What do I do now?" Don't fail in your next major donor visit. I’ve seen lots of people strike out when they finally…

Screening Sessions: A Terrific Tool for Major Gift Prospect Research

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Screening sessions are one of our favorite major gift prospect research tools. Why do we like screening sessions so much? Because the information you obtain is often more up to date, on point and accurate than much of the data you can find…

Could Donor Identity Revolutionize Your Fundraising?

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Drumroll please! My favorite new buzzword to help you ramp up your fundraising for 2018 is “Donor Identity.” What’s donor identity? It’s a profile of your donor in some way. It’s an indicator of your donor’s preferences - perhaps…

12 Ways to Send Your Donors Love With a Valentine

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Have you considered Valentines for donors this year? It's time to show your donors some love! A charming, thoughtful Valentine can express your appreciation to your donors in a delightful way. After all, they are the generous, wonderful…