Newsletters: a love letter to your donors. I had the opportunity to talk with a couple of executive directors who are working with a friend of mine, Jenny Mitchell. Both were interested in the how-to of an annual giving program. I found myself mentioning newsletters often. Yes, appeals. Yes, great thanks. Newsletters rock. But newsletters… newsletters […]
Has your fundraising program stalled?
Let me start with a story Many years ago, when we were first married and before kids, my husband and I took a trip out to California. We wanted to see San Francisco and visit my brother, then in Salinas. When we got to San Francisco, we were looking around when a cab driver approached […]
Why your smaller-dollar donors should matter
Why should you care? The Agitator ran an article about changes in giving that ought to concern us all. While overall giving was up last year, more of the money came from wealthy donors. Smaller dollar gifts declined. Do read the article, and the study, Gilded Giving, it references. In the article, Roger Craver points […]
How good are you at customer service?
Can we talk customer service? Maybe you don’t think about our work as customer service work. That’s the folks at the store or on the other end of the phone when you need help. Or the person at the counter of your favorite bagel place. But if your organization deals with the public – especially […]
Here’s to your fresh start
2015 A new year. A fresh start. A chance to take a breath, see where you are and where you want to be. OK, so we all know about resolutions. (Raise your hand: who’s going to lose weight this year, for sure?) But seriously, resolve to improve your fundraising. Pick just a few things and then do them! You’ll […]