Hands-On Fundraising

Donor Communications

  • About
  • Hands-On Fundraising Blog
  • Services
  • Contact

Why we do our nonprofit work

Have you had one of those days where all you can do is wonder why we do 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 donors donate, […]

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

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

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

Put it in writing

It’s fun when something you should do is also something you enjoy doing. I’ve grown to truly enjoy sending hand-written thanks (and other notes) to our donors. It’s partly the challenge. For instance, after the end of the year, I had more than 70 in a backlog. That was one marathon note-writing session! But I […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications, Thanks Tagged With: appeal writing, donor relations, donor-focused, thank you letters, thank you notes, writing for donors

Triage and nonprofit fundraisers

Nonprofit fundraisers could use some applause I wrote last week about our smaller donors and how wonderful they are. The often unsung backbone of many organizations (or the smart ones, anyway), these folks don’t ask for much and offer what’s probably a lot to them. But without sounding too self-serving, I’d like to celebrate another […]

Filed Under: Fundraising, Thanks Tagged With: fundraiser, nonprofit staff, thank you

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • …
  • 5
  • 6
  • 7
  • 8
  • 9
  • Next Page »

Fundraising advice served fresh to your inbox

Get yours here:

Search

Recent Posts

  • How to Write a Donor Thank You Letter That Retains Donors
  • How to Follow Up with Your Donors About Matching Gifts
  • Unlocking Beautiful Donor Relationships Through the Power of Data
  • 4 Tips for Crafting Emails That Boost Donor Retention
  • Why you should exercise your imagination

Work with me!

Let's talk about how I can help your organization raise more money.

Contact

  • Donor communications
  • Fundraising Strategy

Copyright © 2026 · Mary Cahalane · Hands-On Fundraising · 847 S. Main Street · #183 · Plantsville, CT 06479