I haven’t written much about fundraising events. That’s because they’ve usually felt necessary, but not particularly interesting. Let’s be honest: rare are the people who look forward to planning and throwing a gala. Rare are the people energized by finding sponsors. Rare are the people who are great at working with crowds of volunteers. (Rarer […]
The one thing you need to know about fundraising
It’s not about you I’m embarrassed to say it took me years to realize this. I – like you, maybe – was filled with enthusiasm for my organization. That’s good. It’s really hard to do good work when you don’t feel that way. But I let it color my fundraising perspective. This lesson can come […]
Mom tested, donor approved: when to use your inside voice
My youngest just turned sixteen. So I found myself looking through old pictures, remembering a chubby little guy who is now neither. My visit to old times reminded me of inside voices. When each of my kids was little, I tried to explain the difference between inside and outside voices. Outside voices could be […]
Why we do it
A friend shared a video that I had to share with you. If you’ve ever wondered why donors donate, this might help. I hope it also reminds you of why you do this work. Enjoy!
Who cares about donors, anyway?
Do you? The Agitator hosted what became a heated conversation about the value of focusing on relationships in fundraising a while back. The heat came from one commenter in particular. The Agitator recommended a post by the esteemed Ken Burnett, called Keeping the Right Fundraisers. In his post, Ken offered the Clayton Burnett definition of the […]