Fundraising is a balancing act. You need both the analytical and the emotional to be successful. Your data matters – a lot. But so do your donors. It’s easy to focus more on asking for money and less attention on thanking people. The money’s in the ask, right? Not so much, really. We talk about […]
Why your fancy newsletter is failing you
Recently, I’ve been holding on to a few newsletters from organizations my husband and I give to. With one shining exception, they’re disappointing. Or worse. What’s frustrating is they could so easily be great. The organizations do good work. I’m sure they have good stories to tell. And yet, they spend the time and money […]
The Ultimate Guide On Donor Experience
I recently had the pleasure to present a talk on donor personas to my local Tech 4 Good community group. During the discussion that we had, I had made a comment that using a person’s first name in a communication was not going to cut it for the donor experience. Someone asked me why that […]
Three steps you should take now to keep your donors this year
I hope last month was a good month for you and your organization. It is for most. According to Neon, 31% of annual giving happens in December. 12% in the last three days of the year. So, with hope, I say “Congratulations!” And then: now what will you do next? How will you keep those […]
5 Lessons From Year-End For Fundraisers Like You
Chances are, your mailbox and email inbox have been busy the last few weeks. SO MANY appeals – sometimes from organizations you haven’t given to. Sometimes, you wonder how they even got your address. Sound familiar? I thought so! But it’s 2019 now. A new year. A fresh start. So instead of sighing and deleting, […]