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Unleash Your Board Members’ Energy for Fundraising

Do you want to unleash your board members' energy for fundraising? Fundraising is often a huge pain point with many nonprofit board members. And it's a pain point for many fundraising staff members too. Staffers all want to know "how…

Three Easy Secrets to Major Gift Success

Capital Campaign, Donor Cultivation, Major Gift Fundraising

Major gifts programs can become a money-raising machine for your wonderful cause. Here are three secrets that will dramatically improve your results from your fundraising activities and events. 1. Narrow, narrow, narrow down your focus. Restrict…

How to Screw Up Your Fundraising – Easy Steps to Financial Ruin

Board Development, Board Members & Fundraising, Fundraising Strategy, Inspiration

Could 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…

Create a Donation Page that Rocks!

Asking for Donations, Year-End Fundraising Campaign

What would your donors say about your donation page? Especially here - right at the end of the year. And you are hoping, hoping, that plenty of online donations are starting to flood into your site. A recent survey found that 47% of people…

Count Your Blessings and Appreciate Your Donors at Thanksgiving

Capital Campaign, Major Gift Fundraising, Year-End Fundraising Campaign

It's the week of Thanksgiving here in the U.S. and we are counting our blessings. As you consider what you are thankful for, perhaps you might remember your DONORS - the wonderful people who make the work of your organization possible. I think…

The Grim News About Your Fundraising Strategy

Fundraising Strategy

I am usually the voice of cheer and optimism. But today I have to share some pretty bad news with you. And I hope (expect!) that it will be a serious wake up call to you and your board to fix your fundraising strategy. AFP (the Association…

How Do You Get Board Members to Understand Their Role in Fundraising?

Board Members & Fundraising, Motivating Board Members

Here's the pain point! Board members and fundraising. It's a perennial question that everybody asks. But you know what I think? I think board members exist in another universe than staff. It's sorta like parallel universes: board members…

5 Tips to Raise Much More from Your Current Donors

Asking for Donations

Did you know that you can shape your message in a way that will dramatically improve your fundraising results? HOW you deliver and shape your message has EVERYTHING to do with your fundraising success. We are tackling this topic this month…

Crafting Fundraising Letters that Resonate: Use Language that Inspires Action by Donors.

Asking for Donations

A couple of weeks ago I ranted about the “3 Most Boring Words in Fundraising.” My most boring words award went to “underserved, programs and services.” I railed against lazy fundraisers who use lame words and then expect donors to…

Dump the Cliches: Words and Phrases Fundraisers Love to Hate!

Annual Giving, Asking for Donations, Marketing & Communications, Year-End Fundraising Campaign

Wow, I hit a nerve last week when I talked about my Least Favorite fundraising words. For the record, my own personal award for most disliked word goes to "underserved." I think that word is a very lame effort to describe the wonderful people…

How to Transform Your Board in One Bold Step

Board Development, Nonprofit Leadership

Everybody wishes they had a more powerful, more connected, more engaged board. Right? Here is the story of my favorite organization, Lillian’s List, and how we transformed our board with a Dream Team group of new board members. Here's…

5 Tips for a Happier & More Effective Board

Board Development, Board Members & Fundraising, Motivating Board Members

1. Lighten up. Don't make the experience of your board members something that is dreary and dragging. Help them enjoy their experience. A happier & more effective board is more committed and productive. You may know my number one fundraising…

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