Video Transcript Nonprofit “overhead” is a hot button issue among donors and the general public. Unfortunately, many people “judge” a nonprofit based on how much they spend on overhead. I’m not sure why or how this started, but it has been perpetuated by the mainstream media, as well as certain websites that rate charities. Sadly it’s … [Read more...]
Board Members Should NEVER Ask for Money – Here’s Why
Today’s question comes to us from Angela and it’s a great question. Angela writes: The trouble that I have is getting past the 'I don't want to ask my friends for money' response. What else can I do to motivate those board members who aren't comfortable asking directly? Share it with others -- Today’s Tweetable: Change the … [Read more...]
Seth Godin on Successful Fundraising (Video Interview)
Seth Godin was one of the featured speakers at the AFP International Conference in Baltimore. He sat down with me for an exclusive interview for my Ask the Fundraising Expert series shortly before he took the stage. Interview Highlights (Transcript) Here are some brief highlights of the interview, but be sure to watch the video for … [Read more...]
How do I Explain a Reserve to My Donors?
A few months back I was facilitating a board retreat for a historical society in Denver and talking about the importance of fundraising, when a board member named John stopped me and asked me this: How can you expect us to feel motivated to raise funds when we have such a big endowment? I’m not convinced we actually need the money. Great … [Read more...]
Opening Doors: A Great Way to Engage Your Nonprofit Board Members
While almost anyone can learn how to raise money, there will always be at least some of your board members who will resist asking for one reason or another. So how can you involve your “non-asking” board members in your fundraising? One of the best ways is to ask them to open doors to your organization. In other words, ask them to … [Read more...]
You’re Not Too Late to Raise More on #GivingTuesday
If you’re not already planning a fundraising campaign around #GivingTuesday, you should! It’s the perfect antidote to all the shopping happening on #BlackFriday and #CyberMonday. If you aren’t familiar with #GivingTuesday, it’s an online campaign started in 2012 that any nonprofit can participate in, allowing your cause to take … [Read more...]
5 Practical Steps to Raising Major Gifts in Time for Year-End
The summer has flown by and the kids are back to school. It’s now time to think about your year-end fundraising. Statistics show that most organizations will raise up to 60% or more of their total fundraising in the last few months of the year, so the fall is always a very critical time of year. Although raising major gifts is a lengthy … [Read more...]
Getting Real with Major Gifts: Interview with Jamie Roseman of Planned Parenthood
For more than a year, I have been blogging about how to raise major gifts. I thought it would be interesting to team up with some of my colleagues in the field to share some of their expertise on the subject. Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Jamie Roseman, at Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Planned Parenthood … [Read more...]
Exactly How and Why to Use a Pre-Call Letter with a Donor
A pre-call letter is a letter (or email) you send to a donor to let them know you will be calling, so hopefully, they are more receptive to your call. Tim asked what I thought of pre-call letters, and how much detail they should have. He also wanted to know if you should really let prospective donors know why you’re calling, or if you … [Read more...]
How to Determine The Right Ask Amount When Asking Donors for Gifts
Our question this week is from Sarah, who wants to know: How do you determine the right ask amount? This is a great question, and one that many people struggle with. Unfortunately, there's no exact formula. Fundraising is about working with people, which makes it part science and part art -- but there are some general guidelines … [Read more...]
