Fundraising isn’t easy. And there are no magic shortcuts. My friend Ephraim reminded me of this recently. Nonprofit board members or even staff leaders suggesting fundraisers just… call Oprah. Or Bill. Or whats-his-name with the spaceship… That’s not how it works. Really. I’ve witnessed this firsthand, too. An arts organization, talking about the budget. And […]
Donor identity: you should care about how donors see themselves
Understanding donor identity will strengthen your fundraising. My daughter recently graduated from Oberlin College. At the ceremony, speakers repeatedly encouraged the grads to go change the world. They were greeted with loud cheers. It was obvious that from alumni to faculty, to graduating students and their younger friends, that Oberlin has a strong sense of […]
5 Steps to Create a Donor Attraction Campaign
You can create a donor attraction campaign with these 5 steps. In the previous article (How Changing your Mindset Will Help You Attract New Donors), I shared a different kind of mindset that can help your organization consistently find new donors. This way of thinking is key to creating an effective donor attraction campaign, so […]
What’s in a name? Respect
Do names matter? A few weeks ago, Roger Craver wrote about an issue dear to my heart. Having been caught in a tweetstorm with Whiny Donor, my tweets on the subject were mentioned. Whiny, Clay Buck, Tom Ahern, and I all complained about how organizations ignored our names because using two different names on a […]
The birds and bees of fundraising
“Mommy, where do major donors come from?” Well, dear, it’s a very special story. And you’re old enough now for me to share it with you. It begins with a group of people. They decide to work together to make something better. To be kinder to people or animals. To make beautiful things that everyone […]