Top 5 Tips for a Profitable Year-End Campaign

Our Top 5 Tips for a Profitable Year-End Campaign

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The busy fall fundraising season is upon us, and we want to be sure you nail your year-end campaign. All of our clients, whether they're running a capital campaign, or ramping up their major gift program, all ask for - and need - our guidance…

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.
Major Donor Conversation Starters: "What Are Your Impressions?"

Major Donor Conversation Starters: “What Are Your Impressions?”

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People often ask us: "What do I talk about when I meet with donors?  How will I start a conversation? What questions should I ask? We have a very simple approach to starting conversations with donors. We like to probe, so we know immediately…

How to Craft a Killer Thank You Letter

How are your organization's thank you letters to donors? Are they warm and gracious? Or do they sound grand and lofty, like someone giving a speech? We expect your thank you's can use some brushing up. Invariably, we find that our consulting…

Every Fundraiser’s Goldmine: The Database– 5 Ways to Find Big Potential Right at Your Fingertips

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Here’s a post by my colleague Dr. Kathryn Gamble, our data expert: Finding big gift potential is on everyone’s mind these days.  Who doesn’t want to raise more money for their missions? What do you need to know to find your major…

Penelope Burk’s Favorite Wealth Screening Tool (Video)

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https://vimeo.com/352765737/f252bfdbc3 Here's a hot tip from fundraising guru Penelope Burk. Kathryn Gamble and I had lunch with her at the NC Philanthropy Conference in Charlotte, NC this week. Kathryn and I had a packed room for our morning…

Major Donors are Changing – 5 Trends to Watch

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What's going on these days with the most generous donors of all? How are they changing? What are their expectations of us? What do they really want? Do you ever wonder...How can I reach them? How can I appeal to their big hearts,…

#1 Tip to Create a Donor-Centered Appeal Letter

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Wish you could have been there: Sue was at her computer, struggling once again. She was trying to get the wording right in her fundraising appeal letter. "Dang, this is so hard," she thought. Trying to make it donor-centered was a serious…

Creating a Donor-Centered Appeal Letter: A Makeover

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Want to create a donor-centered appeal letter? It's more difficult than you think, it's not very intuitive.  It doesn't come naturally. When we actually sit down to write a letter, our natural inclination is to remind our donor how worthwhile…

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…

Power Questions Your Major Gift Donor Will Love

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Here’s a natural, friendly and much more successful approach to major gift fundraising. I’m showing you how to develop a warm, easy relationships with your major gift prospects.  Relationships where they feel heard and understood. A…

The Best Way to Treat a Major Donor: a Quick Guide

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Major donors are very special people. They mean so very much to your nonprofit, don't they? You know how much they care about your work. But do you care about THEM as much as they care about you? Think about it. As people and individuals,…

7 Ways to Build Donor Retention and Create Highly Committed Donors Who Love You

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Don't we all want "highly committed donors" to our organizations? If you have highly committed donors, what would your donors do for you? Well - they will give and give and give again. What happens when your donors are not highly committed? My…