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Are donors the problem with fundraising?

Are donors really the problem with fundraising? There is a concept being talked about in some fundraising circles – “donor dominance”. The idea is that some donors behave badly (true enough) and because of that, all donors must be… I’m not really sure. Educated? Chastised? Maybe just taught to understand that while we welcome their […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Fundraising Tagged With: donor relationships, Donors, individual giving 1 Comment

Why is an annual giving program so scary?

Why is annual giving so scary? You need an annual giving program. Here’s why. I’ve noticed annual giving is sometimes treated as an afterthought. Sometimes, it’s not even a small part of an organization’s fundraising program. Some organizations prefer fundraising events or foundation grants to communicating with individuals. And some depend on government reimbursements for […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog Tagged With: annual giving, donor retention, fundraising plan 4 Comments

Your annual giving toolkit – part two

Roll up your sleeves and get ready: here’s an annual giving toolkit Last week, I wrote about some of the ideas you need to create a successful annual giving program. Those form the thoughtful (and necessary) underpinning. This week, our focus will be more tactical – “hands-on”, if you like. An annual giving toolkit – […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog Tagged With: annual giving, donor newsletter, monthly giving 2 Comments

Your annual giving toolkit – part one

Annual giving is a process – and a toolkit can help To create a successful annual giving program, you need to think beyond the once-a-year appeal. Think about what you’ll need to succeed. Then put together the tools you’ll need. Fundraising is relationship-building. When your donors hear from you once a year – and that […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog Tagged With: annual giving, donor communications, fundraising plans 2 Comments

Love your donors? Why you need to care about keeping them

Love your donors? Why you need to care about keeping them Recently, Tom Belford at The Agitator shared information from the latest Fundraising Effectiveness Project Survey Report. Two statements jumped out at me. Perhaps most striking is the performance difference in retention between the top 20% of organizations, who lost on average 14.1% of their new […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog Tagged With: donor focus, donor retention 3 Comments

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