Fundraising Archives ⋆ Page 23 of 29 ⋆ Hands-On Fundraising

Is our donor focus hurting or helping our nonprofits?

Or, why donor focus might not mean what you think it means. Vu Le of Nonprofit AF recently wrote a long, very thoughtful piece about donor-centrism. He hoped it would generate conversation. And I hope so, too. Vu is an amazing dynamo who is making change happen, not just in his organization, but across the […]

Are you in a groove or in a rut?

Groove or rut? When messaging is good for fundraising Given time and trial, you may find ideas and language that work well for your fundraising. When you do, feel free to continue to use it. Your readers aren’t waiting for your latest artistic creation; they read your appeals to know how they can help. They […]

Trust: the gift you need the most

Nothing is as critical to good relationships as trust. That goes for your organization’s relationships with its donors, too. Trust is precious. And fragile. In a 2015 poll, the Chronicle of Philanthropy found that “A third (of those polled) said charities do a “not too good” or “not at all good” job spending money wisely; […]

The lesson of my mom’s chili

Or why too many cooks who don’t know what’s already in the pot can make a mess. Years ago, my family was gathered at my parents’ home to celebrate Christmas. By now, we were a big crowd – I have three siblings, and each of us has two children. So my mom planned to make eating […]

Don’t make my aunt write your acknowledgment

Don’t make my aunt write your acknowledgment I was ticked off into writing. It wasn’t what I’d planned to start with. But for my very first post at Hands-On Fundraising, I wrote about a situation that really upset me. To recap: A dear friend lost his mother. At the funeral home, handy forms suggested memorial […]

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