Setting goals and meeting them is important -- especially when it comes to major gift fundraising. In fact, I'd argue that it's impossible to raise major gifts well if you don't: Set deadlines Keep yourself accountable Why Accountability Matters -- for ANY Goal In early January, I shared some of my New Year’s Resolutions with my … [Read more...]
Finding Your Courage for Fundraising: Raise a $1 Million Gift
If I could wave a magic wand and change one thing about most fundraisers, it would be to give them courage. Courage can be transformational. It takes courage to take bigger risks in fundraising. And many of those bigger risks are well worth taking. Do You Have the Courage to Raise a $1 Million Gift? It's the start of a new year. With … [Read more...]
7 Ways You can Use AI to Boost Your Fundraising Right Now
I recently attended a local fundraising conference and sat in on a session on AI (artificial intelligence). One of the participants raised her hand and said she didn’t understand how AI could help her. She bravely admitted she had never tried ChatGPT. The speakers smartly asked the audience to help give the woman examples of how and when … [Read more...]
#GivingTuesday is Over: 4 Critical Things to Do Next
Hopefully you are breathing a big sigh of relief now that #GivingTuesday is over. So... did you make your #GivingTuesday goal? Please let me know in the comments (at the end of this post). I’d love to know how your nonprofit did compared with your expectations, as well as the effort you put in. If you met or exceed your goal, … [Read more...]
The Most Genuine Way to Ask Nonprofit Donors for Advice
You’ve probably heard the common expression in fundraising: Ask for money, you’ll get advice. Ask for advice, you’ll get money. In other words, if you simply ask for money, you won’t get much more than advice. But if you ask for advice (and engage your donors in the process) you can raise a lot of money. Unfortunately, most … [Read more...]
Raising Major Gifts Takes Accountability: 3 Ways to Stay on Track
Major gift fundraising can be hard for a variety of reasons. One reason is that it’s intimidating to ask for money. And human nature dictates that we delay things we fear. For that reason, major gift fundraising often gets relegated to the bottom of your to do list. Unfortunately, there are no natural deadlines when it comes to raising … [Read more...]
Major Gift Readiness Assessment: 10 Questions to Ask and Answer
What would it mean to your organization if you could raise 5, 6, or even 7 figure gifts? If you’re not currently soliciting gifts in-person for specific amounts, it could be a game-changer for your organization. With just a small handful of gifts, you could raise an additional $50K, $100K or even $500K. That’s what makes major gift … [Read more...]
4 Ways to Find a Fundraising Mentor or Coach to Raise Major Gifts
Many development directors struggle to raise major gifts. If this is you, you are not alone. The best way to learn the ropes is to have a mentor or coach to show you the way. Mentors vs. Coaches for Major Gift Fundraising The most basic difference between a mentor and a coach is that a mentor is generally pro-bono, and a coach is paid. A … [Read more...]
Empowering Women Fundraisers: 9 Tips to Excel in Nonprofit Leadership
Fundraising is an amazing profession for women and men, alike. However, fundraising is not immune to the challenges that women workers face across all sectors. While women tend to dominate the field of fundraising in numbers, we still lag behind men when it comes to high-paying leadership positions in fundraising and in the nonprofit … [Read more...]
Gift Tables: The Roadmap to Successful Major Gift Fundraising
Gift Tables -- aka Gift Range Charts or Gift Pyramids -- are they key to successful major gift fundraising. That’s because they clearly demonstrate how many gifts you need at what levels to be successful. In other words, they provide a roadmap to your fundraising goal. How a Gift Table Works for Major Gift Fundraising Let’s say you want … [Read more...]
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