I’ve been stewing for a while about a certain kind of solicitation I’ve seen. I’ve hesitated to write about it. But I get more annoyed the more I think about the damage these things can do. Want some examples? This is an email I got last December. (Good organization, bad solicitation.) And this tactic made […]
Are you making these fundraising mistakes?
As a consultant, I work with some smaller nonprofits. To begin, I try to get a sense of how they’re fundraising now. I see similar problems across different organizations. But here’s the surprising thing − I see these same problems in my mailbox every day, from national and international charities. So these aren’t only small organization problems. I’ll […]
Say it again!
Today I found myself hunting for an idea I’d seen for a lapsed donor appeal. My search took me to some letters I’d written years ago. I wrote the letters at my former organization. With a few years’ distance, I definitely found a few things I’d change. But one thing struck me – how consistent […]
Dear Fundraiser: Things I wish you wouldn’t do
Dear Fundraiser, Some things you do really bug me. As your colleague, I’m cheering for your success. So in a helpful spirit, I offer you my list below. I wish you wouldn’t: Send me an automated thank you message for an online gift and assume that’s enough Forget to thank me at all Send me […]