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It’s personal

It’s personal. Fundraising, that is. Picture this: you walk to your mailbox. Inside, you find an envelope with a return address you recognize. “Real mail!” you think. You open that envelope first and in a hurry. Then you begin to feel confused. Disappointed. “Dear Ms. LastName” it begins. “Because I am a caring person, I […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: donor retention, stewardship, thank you letters 3 Comments

What puzzles can teach us about fundraising

Puzzles and fundraising? I’ll admit it. When I want to relax, I’ll play games on my phone. (You too?) These days, I’ve been playing a simple game that’s like one my younger daughter was given as a little kid. It involves moving blocks around, one at a time, to free another block from the field. […]

Filed Under: Blog, Planning Tagged With: nonprofit fundraising, puzzles 2 Comments

Stop thinking about money!

Do we need to stop thinking about money? I was at a meeting the other day. A local foundation offered training about soliciting major donors. It was a small enough group that we had time to hash out a few hypothetical situations. A good session and well worth the hour or so. As is often […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, donor retention, Donors, money, relationships 3 Comments

Can I help you?

Can I help you? I am not a scientist. Mine is a brain made for metaphor, not molecules. But so long as I don’t need to crack a biology textbook, memorize the periodic table, or dissect a frog, I’m willing to dip a toe in. And one area I find fascinating is neuroscience. Why do […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Donors Tagged With: Donors, helpfulness, neuroscience 5 Comments

Say it again!

Say it again! Why repetition works so well. Today I found myself hunting for an idea I’d seen for a lapsed donor appeal. My search took me to some letters I’d written years ago. I wrote the letters at my former organization. With a few years’ distance, I definitely found a few things I’d change. But […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, direct mail, Writing 3 Comments

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