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Do you want your donors to stick around?

Do you want your donors to stick around? Donor retention continues (rightly) to be a hot topic. It risks being like the weather, though: everybody’s talking about it, but nobody’s doing anything about it. Let me share an example from my past. I thought about an organization I used to work for. Riverfront Recapture built and programs […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: donor retention, writing for donors 9 Comments

No fundraising plan? Don’t worry. Here’s what you can do.

No fundraising plan? So, it’s October and you still haven’t gotten around to making a plan for your fundraising through December. Yeah. You’re screwed. No, just kidding. You can still make this work. But you need to start today. Why not just wing it? Just do what you always do, right? Who has time to think […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Planning, Thanks Tagged With: appeal writing, fundraising plans, year-end plan 2 Comments

Why we do our nonprofit work

Have you had one of those days where all you can do is wonder why we do it – this nonprofit work of ours? I think we’ve all had those days. I hope not too many of them! A friend shared a video that I had to share with you. If you’ve ever wondered why […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: emotional fundraising, generosity, storytelling 4 Comments

Are you guilty of donor abuse?

Are you guilty of donor abuse? It happens too often. You might want to check yourself. Here are some signs: You value the person according to their checkbook It’s happened more than once. I make a thank you phone call, only to hear the person on the other end protest. “You don’t need to call me! I’m […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: donor care, donor love, thank you letters 4 Comments

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

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