Entitled donors? What rights do your donors have? How concerned are you about your donors’ concerns? Have you thought about what they’re owed from your organization – or from you? How about something basic: how much control do they have over what communications they receive? Can they request less mail or email – and have […]
Why you might be focused on the wrong thing
Wrong focus? It’s not about you. I was thrilled to see an article in the New York Times about giving. And even more excited when it featured Tom Ahern, Jen Love, and Jennifer Shang. The article’s title – Asking for Money? Compliment the Donor, Not Your Organization – lays it right out there. My mailbox, […]
How to write a super fundraising appeal
Do you want to write a super fundraising appeal? Here’s a quick primer. Start with a super story Find a story that illustrates the “why” of your organization. Talk to your program staff. Gather several stories and see which one is best. This won’t be the story that shows off the breadth of your programming. […]
Warning: bad mail coming to a box near you
Warning: bad mail coming to a box near you Do people actually go for this stuff? Every once in a while, I just can’t take it anymore. So you’ve been warned: rant ahead. The carrier envelope It came in a larger than usual 9 x 6 envelope. So far, so good. Then things went right […]
The gift they want from you
I’ve been writing a lot about the role of emotion in fundraising. That’s because it’s so important! But let’s take it another step. Fundraisers often talk about relationship fundraising as opposed to transactional fundraising. You know donors aren’t ATMs and shouldn’t be treated that way. But there is an exchange that happens with a […]