Before we dive into these real-world questions and answers about raising major gifts, I have something to say about the recent massacre in Orlando. A Message to my Readers One of the reasons I got into the nonprofit sector is because I care about people. I care about human rights and social justice. We have lived with mass shootings … [Read more...]
Join the #MajorGiftMovement and Revolutionize Your Nonprofit
If your organization is like most nonprofits, you have more paid staff that focus on grant writing and event planning than you do on raising major gifts. It’s time to turn that around. The #MajorGiftMovement marks a shift in fundraising where organizations reprioritize their resources and focus on raising major gifts -- the future of … [Read more...]
Recap: What’s Stopping You From Raising Major Gifts?
As a fundraiser, you know how important it is to raise major gifts. It's essential for your nonprofit, and if you do it well, it can give your career a major boost. Unfortunately, there are a number of factors which often get in the way. However, if you can overcome the obstacles preventing you from raising major gifts, you will most … [Read more...]
What’s Stopping You from Raising Major Gifts? Part 2: Bad Prospects
What’s Stopping You from Raising Major Gifts? Part 2 of 5: Bad Prospects In part 1 of this 5 part miniseries on overcoming every obstacle to raising major gifts, we crushed your self-doubt about raising major gifts. In this post, we'll address the notion that you have the bad prospects (i.e., the wrong prospective donors). One of the … [Read more...]
What’s Stopping You from Raising Major Gifts? Part 1: Self-Doubt
What’s Stopping You from Raising Major Gifts? Part 1 of 5: Self-Doubt Do you ever wish you could raise major gifts, but simply aren’t sure if you can? Maybe your organization doesn’t have the right: donors board members executive director infrastructure Or maybe it’s time you don’t have enough of. Or maybe, just maybe, … [Read more...]
3 Ways to Transform “No” into “Yes” when Asking for Major Gifts
Have you ever asked someone for a major gift and they said "No"? I have, and it’s not nearly as much fun as when your donor says yes. However, "No" is an answer you need to be prepared for if you’re going to be a successful major gift fundraiser. You know the saying, if you’re not getting any no’s, you’re probably not asking enough. … [Read more...]
When is the Perfect Time to Ask Your Donors for a Gift?
Do you ever feel stuck in cultivation? Like you’re simply not sure it’s the right time to ask? How can you know when the donor is ready? Figuring out when it’s the right time to ask can be one of the most difficult challenges for fundraisers to overcome. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to coach a group of consultants. Someone posed … [Read more...]
What to do When a Donor Gives You BAD Advice
Video Transcript As you may know, there’s an overused expression in fundraising which goes: Ask for money and you’ll get advice and ask for advice and you’ll get money. I don’t love the expression, but its underlying message is important. It reminds us that it’s important to build relationships with donors before they invest, and one … [Read more...]
Do Fundraisers REALLY Still Need to Ask for Donations?
Last week I was speaking to a group of fundraisers in Erie, PA and one of them said: What you’re teaching is ‘old school.’ If you cultivate a person well, they’ll make a gift on their own. They don’t need to be asked. To put this in some context, we were talking about raising major gifts. One of his donors whom he knew quite well, kindly … [Read more...]
How to Secure a Donor Visit and Overcome Any Objection You’ll Get
Video Transcript Today’s question comes from Jon, an executive director at a health foundation. Jon asks: “What can we do to secure a visit? That’s our greatest challenge.” I love this topic, because fundraising is about relationships. And, if you can’t get a visit or “get your foot in the door,” you certainly can’t build a … [Read more...]
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