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6 big fundraising mistakes small organizations make

If you fixed just 6 fundraising mistakes, you’d raise more money. And I know, like it isn’t hard enough being a small organization, right? Not enough staff. Not enough time. And definitely, not enough money. You get used to making do. Find shortcuts. You work a lot. But too often, you don’t do the things that […]

Filed Under: Blog, Fundraising Tagged With: fundraising appeals, fundraising investment, small organizations

All about donor newsletters

Many years ago, I began reading about something new to me. Tom Ahern tipped me off to donor newsletters. Though I’d been in fundraising for nearly ten years by then – focused on individual donors and annual giving – I tended to think of newsletters as something very large organizations sent. (And those were often […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor newsletters

Is philanthropy “women’s work”?

And what does women’s work mean? A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about the struggles of balancing work and life – especially for those of us in the nonprofit world. Many of you read it, shared it, commented, or sent me email messages. I’m so grateful to everyone. Because stress is a very real problem. And […]

Filed Under: Blog, Caring for yourself, Nonprofits Tagged With: leadership, Stress, women in nonprofits

How to Segment New Donors for Effective Communications

Winning a new donor is always an exciting feat. Your mission has inspired yet another individual to support your cause, and that’s something to celebrate. However, once you pull in new donors, it’s time to start strategizing how to keep them around. Too few nonprofits focus on donor retention, and the numbers show it. In […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors, Planning Tagged With: donor communications, donor relationships, donor retention

How do you handle the most emotional gift?

Memorial gifts – the most emotional gift? It’s not a gift you look forward to making – or inspiring. It represents someone’s loss and sadness – though also their hope. As a fundraiser, a memorial gift is one of the most emotional gifts you will likely receive. For me, the question is personal. When I […]

Filed Under: Blog, Memorial gifts Tagged With: emotional fundraising, honorary gifts, memorial gifts

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