I had the opportunity to read Greg Warner’s book, Engagement Fundraising, a few weeks ago. The book is pitched toward those cultivating major gift and legacy donors. And its promise is “How to raise more money for less in the 21st century.” So what’s it about? The Pareto principle tells us most of the money […]
Your voice is needed! Donors and community: who’s in the center?
Community centered or donor centered? I attended a conference last week (thank you, Liberty Bank Foundation). The estimable and hysterical Vu Le offered the keynote address. If you know Vu, you know we were holding our stomachs and behaving in otherwise undignified ways because we were laughing so hard. (If you don’t know Vu, get […]
The case of the disappearing donor
There I was. In my kitchen, minding my own business. And the envelope appeared. Oh, I’d seen its like before. Always brought me heartache. So if I knew what was good for me, I would have put that newsletter down and walked away. Guess I was looking for trouble. And there it was. See, […]
Beware these pitfalls if you want to raise more money
Indulge me, will you? There are some common words or phrases that I see in too many appeals (and annual reports or even thank you letters) that set my teeth on edge. You’ll find me, almost daily, sorting my mail and shaking my head. So here, for your amusement or education, are a few. […]
4 ways you might be making it all about you
And why that’s a mistake We all do it from time to time. We fall a little in love with our own organization. Or we get a little tired of the hard work. Then we forget that good fundraising focuses on the donor and the mission. Are you making these mistakes? 1. You make decisions […]