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Fundraising Blog Topics

Is Your Back Office Staff Supporting or Undercutting Major Gift Fundraising?

Is everybody on your staff supporting major gift fundraising? Let me tell you a story: Back when I was a hard-working fundraiser, I had a dollar goal that was so big, it was scary. Like you probably have. My job required me to be out of…

This Tip Makes Asking for a Gift Much Easier and More Successful

Asking for Donations

It's the scariest moment in fundraising. It's when you sit down with a prospective donor. You look them in the eye. And you ask for a gift. What would happen if you turned the conversation over to your donor? It could be quite different! Here…

How to Warm Up Your Donors for Big Major Gift Asks

Asking for Donations, Capital Campaign, Major Gift Fundraising

Donors are people just like we are. They don’t want to be surprised by a solicitation. If you have a close relationship with your donor, then you’ll want to lay careful groundwork to prepare her. And you'll want to do this well before…

Donor-Centered Moves Management: Systematic Cultivation for Your Major Gifts Prospects

Donor Cultivation, Major Gift Fundraising

If you want to manage your major gifts fundraising program, then use a moves management cultivation system. Moves management is a great tool for building those important relationships with top prospects over time. And we all know that…

How to Get Off the Fundraising Treadmill

How to Get Off the Dang Fundraising Treadmill

Board Members & Fundraising, Major Gift Fundraising

By Gail Perry, Updated August 2025 I wish you could have been there. It was a chilly winter day. I was in a large back room of a big office building, meeting with the board of a top-notch local nonprofit. This savvy board had gathered…

How to Drive Major Donors Away and Kill Off Your Major Gifts Program

Asking for Donations, Donor Cultivation, Donor-Centered Fundraising, Major Gift Fundraising

Hint: Your donor says to you, "I'm not an ATM." Have you ever had the sense that your major gift prospects are fleeing from you? Do they turn down your invitations for events, tours, even private VIP get-togethers? Do they refuse to see…

Your Major Gift Fundraising Questions – Answered!

Major Gift Fundraising

Q: Should we include a major gift prospect in our email blasts which include asks? Yes, but you should personalize these appeals, acknowledging your prospect's relationship with your cause, if at all possible. It’s a mistake to remove…

How to Get the Most Out of a Major Gift Visit!

Capital Campaign, Donor-Centered Fundraising, Major Gift Fundraising

You finally have the meeting with Mr. Big. What’s next? What do you do? What do you say? It can be tough to keep your eyes on the prize when you get in front of your best major donor prospects. And it's easy to get distracted and…

How to Make Your Donors Happy With a Valentine!

Donor Cultivation, Fundraising Strategy

Valentine’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…

How to Get Your Current Donors to Give You 40% More

Donor-Centered Fundraising

What would it look like if you raised 40% more from your current donors? Let's run the numbers: What if you are raising right now - say, $100k a year - and it comes from a group of about 700 donors. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if you could…

How Fundraising is Turning into “Fund Marketing”

Donor-Centered Fundraising, Marketing & Communications

Are you using the new marketing and communications tools to support your fundraising? There's now an amazing array of techniques, formats, strategies out there for us. New and Innovative Tools We have more ways than ever to tell our…

How (Bad) Marketing and Branding can Kill Your Fundraising

Donor-Centered Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Marketing & Communications

WHY 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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