Our Best Practices.

Discover our advice. Put it into action. Raise the funds you need.

Fundraising Blog Topics

Why Are We Facing a Fundraiser Exodus?

Are fundraisers ready to leave their jobs? Are we really facing a future fundraiser exodus This week’s big news is a new survey of fundraisers conducted by the Harris Poll for AFP and the Chronicle of Philanthropy. The survey found that…

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

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…

Penelope Burk’s Favorite Wealth Screening Tool (Video)

Annual Giving, Donor-Centered Fundraising, Major Gift Fundraising

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…

Five Strategies that Will Motivate Donors

Asking for Donations

How do you motivate your donors to give? It's a question I get asked a lot. Especially with the numbers of donors in decline, we have to do a better and better job at fundraising. If fewer people are giving, our appeals need to be…

What Do You Just Love About Fundraising?

Inspiration

Here's a little inspiration for fundraisers! Fundraising can bring such joy to many people - and also yourself. There's nothing in the world like seeing what your own work has accomplished - to create new good in the world. And. . . to…

Trend #7: Monthly Donors Are Going UP!

Annual Giving

Great news - more and more people are becoming monthly donors to their favorite causes! Thank goodness. After so much dismal reporting about small donors dropping off, overall rates of giving going down, and retention rates declining…

Trend #4: 5 Ways to Overcome Declining Trust and Wary Donors

Annual Giving

This is the fourth installment in my series on major trends that will impact your fundraising results: the huge issue of declining trust and wary donors. Donors are losing trust in nonprofits - and giving less. So how do we deal with the…

Trend #2: Gifts Over $1k Are Going Up – And What To Do About It

Major Gift Fundraising

I think it's time for a major gift checkup! Why? Some giving trends are showing that major donors are still brimming with generosity. What does the crystal ball say about fundraising today and tomorrow? Here’s the big news: A recent…

Small Donors are Disappearing . . . and What You Can Do About It

Asking for Donations

One of the most disturbing trends in fundraising today is that small donors are disappearing. I interviewed Roger Craver of the Agitator/Donor Voice Blog this week. (Roger is one of the direct mail/multi-channel gurus of our field, and I read…

The Asking Conversation: How to Ask for “Permission to Ask”

Asking for Donations, Major Gift Fundraising

So much of fundraising comes down to the Asking Conversation, doesn’t it? It’s inevitable -- because we are simply in the business of raising money. But asking can be tough: in worst cases – it’s full of fear and trepidation. Other…

It’s OK to Bless and Release a Donor

Donor Cultivation, Major Gift Fundraising

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…

How to Create an Inspirational Nonprofit Case Statement

Capital Campaign, Major Gift Fundraising

This post is by Dr. Kathryn Gamble, senior consultant with Gail Perry Associates Your case statement is the backbone of your fundraising program. Why? Your nonprofit's case statement outlines your entire fundraising rationale: why your organization…

Partner with Gail Perry Group

Find out how we can help you achieve your fundraising goals with world-class consulting and custom training.

Reach Out