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So you want more active donors and more income…

Individual donors are the backbone of a good fundraising program. Not just for the money they bring to your mission. But more people who care about your mission means more opportunities to grow. Donors talk to friends, and sometimes they become your new friends, too. Start with a good data foundation You should have a […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Donor communications Tagged With: donor relationships Leave a Comment

How to help people feel connected

Connected? What’s that? We’re zooming, we’re calling, we’re writing… but are we connecting? Here are some ideas to help people feel connected now. An article in Psychology Today explained the importance of feeling understood. In fact, the title was: Feeling understood is more important than feeling loved. Whoa. Maybe this is a good time to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor communications, donor relationships 4 Comments

Is this any way to treat a friend?

I don’t treat friends like this, do you? I’ll admit that I only open some of my mail. Like most people, I quickly sort out the bills and other “must-open” things. Then I go through the rest. One glance at the envelope is usually enough to tell me whether I want to bother opening it. […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal, appeal writing, donor retention, Donors, Fundraising, Mail, Nonprofit, solicitation Leave a Comment

Size matters. But don’t be too rough on the big guys.

Size matters, right? Do you work in a smaller nonprofit?  Chances are you do. In 2025, “most nonprofits are small and community-based, serving local needs: 92% spend less than $1 million annually; 88% spend less than $500,000.” (Nonprofit Impact Matters) So you probably can’t turn to a well-oiled fundraising machine to coordinate complicated campaigns that […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: Customer service, donor retention, donor-focused, small nonprofits, thank you letters 13 Comments

Why the things you hate make good appeals

Why the things you hate make good appeals Ever seen an appeal you just hated? I mean, really hated? For most of my career, I’ve focused on annual giving – and especially on communicating with donors. I often open and look at the solicitations I receive. I usually have professional opinions on the appeals. But […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: effective fundraising, fundraising appeals, writing for donors 1 Comment

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Recent Posts

  • So you want more active donors and more income…
  • How to help people feel connected
  • Is this any way to treat a friend?
  • Size matters. But don’t be too rough on the big guys.
  • Why the things you hate make good appeals

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