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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

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 Leave a Comment

How you can appeal like a Girl Scout

Girl Scouts have a great product. Do you? Sure, your organization probably doesn’t sell Girl Scout Cookies. But those cookies didn’t become wildly popular in a vacuum. They’re good. Really good. And they’re special because you can’t just find them on the store shelves. So think about: What is your organization really, really good at? […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: appeal writing, donor communications, donor relationships Leave a Comment

Does your thank you letter really matter?

Yes. Your thank you letter matters. I once saw an opinion that I couldn’t disagree with more. I’m paraphrasing, but it went something like this: Donors should be happy with whatever thank you letter they get. Worrying about a real signature or other things is a sign of donor dominance. So much nonsense! Your donors […]

Filed Under: Blog, Thanks Tagged With: donor relationships, thank you letter, your thank you letter matters 4 Comments

Do your thank you letters need a little help?

I want you to raise more money. So I want you to fix your thank you letters. I understand why thank you letters might seem an afterthought. When I first started working in development, I felt comfortable around data and record-keeping. It felt neat and orderly. You plug the numbers in correctly, and you get […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: Donors, Nonprofit, thank you letters, Writing 20 Comments

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Recent Posts

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  • 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
  • DIY Donor newsletter – yes, you can

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