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Do you want to really connect? Show, don’t just tell me.

How do you connect with donors? Show more. Yes, this is one more post about the importance of emotion in your fundraising. This time, let’s look at images, not words. There is no faster way into our brains than an image. When we read, our brains recognize images as words. We’re constantly translating. (And remember […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal letters, appeal writing, emotional contagion, fundraising appeals, fundraising images 6 Comments

Are you making it hard to give?

Are you getting between donors and your mission? With the best possible intentions, you just might be. It’s the curse of knowledge that every dedicated fundraiser develops. You know your organization’s work, inside and out. (You have to if you’re going to do a great job – so I know you do!) You understand the […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: donor communications, donor retention, Fundraising Leave a Comment

How to raise money for an arts organization

How to raise money for an arts organization Are arts organizations different? I spent most of my nonprofit career at arts organizations. My love of theater brought me into the nonprofit world. So I know a little about raising money for an arts organization. So let me tell you a little story. One day, I […]

Filed Under: Arts Fundraising, Blog, Fundraising Tagged With: arts organizations, donor relationships, fundraising basics 21 Comments

5 reasons to ditch your annual appeal

5 reasons to ditch your annual appeal… and ask more often Are you still depending on an annual appeal – a single annual solicitation – for your individual giving program? Many smaller organizations are. But if you’re one of them, you ought to reconsider. Here’s why. 1. You need money all year round To accomplish […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Planning Tagged With: annual appeal, donor communications, fundraising plans 5 Comments

What are you doing for your loyal donors?

Your loyal donors matter My friend Barbara O’Reilly is that wonderful combination of truly caring and brilliant. And this post is thanks to an important point she raised in one of her emails. (You can get yours here… well worth it!) She wrote about how often fundraisers think in terms of moving donors into larger […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor retention, Donors Tagged With: donor care, donor relationships, thank you letters Leave a Comment

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