It can be the toughest part of your fundraising communications to grasp. Like a slippery fish, it keeps jumping from your grasp. I’m talking about your fundraising offer, of course. The gap that describes your need. The central part of fundraising that’s so easy to slide over, or step around. The guts of the whole […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]