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Please don’t go! 5 ways to win donor hearts again.

A lapsed donor is a donor who hasn’t given in a while. (And of course, that’s insider talk. But you’re an insider, so we’ll use the term here.) But how do you define that period? How long do you consider a donor active? Experts tell us that after a first gift, you need to thank […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors Tagged With: donor care, donor retention, lapsed donors

Can we stop this in its tracks, please?

Okay, I admit it might already be too late. This nonsense is out there and may be growing in the wild. But if I can persuade you not to jump on this bandwagon, I’ll be very happy. What am I talking about? Appeals made to look like bills. Yup, instead of a warm and genuine […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Donors Tagged With: appeal writing, donor communications, donor relationships

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

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

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

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