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How to Make Your Donors Happy With a Valentine!
Donor Cultivation, Fundraising StrategyValentine’s Day: 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 people who are making your work possible. They…
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How (Bad) Marketing and Branding can Kill Your Fundraising
Donor-Centered Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Marketing & CommunicationsWHY do you have marketing, communications and branding for your organization? It's important to ask these questions: WHY does marketing exist? What is the purpose of our newsletter? What is the purpose of our website? What…
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7 Steps to Fundraising Success This Year: Strategic Tips for Your Board and CEO
Annual Giving, Board Members & Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Marketing & CommunicationsThe new year is a great time to take stock of your fundraising strategy. Here are my strategic tips for board members and CEOs. These will help build a well-oiled fundraising machine inside your organization - something we all want! 1. Go…
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Is There a Crisis in Fundraising Leadership?
Board Members & Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Nonprofit LeadershipHow do we attract, develop and retain good fundraisers? At last week's International Fundraising Congress, many of us were transfixed by a provocative conversation about "The Emerging Fundraising Leadership Challenge." International fundraising…
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5 Tips for Making Your Donors Love You
Annual Giving, Asking for Donations, Donor Cultivation, Fundraising Strategy, Marketing & CommunicationsYour donor has just sent in another gift! Hurray! So you reply with a wonderful, personal thank you note. And then you call her to say thanks. In addition to the paper letter that you send. Then what? You have to communicate with her…
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A General Unrestricted Ask is LAZY Fundraising
Asking for Donations, Donor-Centered Fundraising, Fundraising StrategyI’m going out on a limb here to challenge one of the oldest and most cherished fundraising habits in our sector. Not to fear! I’m also showing you how to take that general ask and make it sharper, more urgent, and more compelling. I remember…
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Create a Profitable Fundraising Event Plan
Events, Fundraising StrategyDo you have a solid fundraising event plan and timeline? One that will guarantee a solid ROI? Fundraising events take a lot of time and energy. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, fundraising events are here to stay. They are part of the…
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How to Secure the Major Gift: 10 Priceless Tips from Jerry Panas
Asking for Donations, Fundraising Strategy, Inspiration, Major GiftsJerry Panas is clearly one of our industry’s greats. I’ve learned so much from him over the years, and I hope you have studied his advice too. Today, I’m celebrating the fact that he’s joining us for Tuesday’s amazing Telesummit on…
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Use the MPI Formula To Thank Donors and You’ll Increase Donor Retention
Annual Giving, Donor-Centered Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Major GiftsHere's a smart formula to use for ALL sorts of donor communications. Send this information to donors AFTER they give. And your donors will love you for it. Try using the "MPI Fundraising Formula" for your thank yous. What's the MPI Fundraising…
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6 Steps You Can Take Today to Improve Your Donor Retention
Annual Giving, Donor Cultivation, Donor-Centered Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Marketing & CommunicationsWe all know that donor retention is where the easy money is for you, your team, and your organization. It's the key to sustainable fundraising for your organization. Getting current donors to renew is far, far easier than bringing in new…
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When in Doubt, Throw a Party!
Events, Fundraising Strategy Believe it or not - this is my #1 motto after more than 25 years in fundraising. But let me be clear - I DON'T mean throw another fundraising event! Heaven forbid! But here's what I really mean: I believe in making everything you do as…
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Major Gift Prospect Visits: Your Questions and My Ruthlessly Practical Answers
Fundraising Strategy, Major GiftsVisits with major gift prospects can be scary. How do you handle them? What do you say? Here are my answers to all your questions from last week's webinar: Q: What if your donor hijacks the conversation and you lose control? That will certainly…
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Does Your Organization Really Support Fundraising? Take This Simple Quiz
Board Members & Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Nonprofit Leadership Many organizations pay lip service to supporting their fundraising team, but end up failing miserably. Your board, your executive director, and your program and admin staff can undercut fundraising efforts easily. And in many organizations…
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Five Clues Your Fundraising is Headed Downhill
Board Members & Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Inspiration, Nonprofit LeadershipDon’t we all want fundraising that provides reliable, consistent, revenue? Money we can count on year after year? But that kind of reliable success doesn't just happen. It takes serious work and commitment. And many organizations…
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How Major Gift Fundraising is Like Being Mother of the Bride
Fundraising Strategy, Inspiration, Major GiftsBeing mother of the bride has been an experience in "letting go." And it reminds me of how I have had to "let go" with some major donor prospects. Because they just wouldn't, wouldn't focus on what I wanted them to fund! Let me tell you the…
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How to Screw Up Your Fundraising – Easy Steps to Financial Ruin
Board Development, Board Members & Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, InspirationCould the greatest challenges to fundraising success be coming from INSIDE your organization? The nonprofit world has been abuzz recently about a disturbing report detailing many internal challenges facing many nonprofit fundraising programs. The…