Soon it will be #GivingTuesday. My inbox, and yours, will overflow with messages from every nonprofit we’ve had contact with in the past. Too many of the messages will be the same: Send us money, because… #GivingTuesday! Let’s remember what this day was meant to be: Celebrated on the Tuesday following Thanksgiving (in the U.S.) […]
Please share a moment of humanity with me
Do you ever feel cynical about fundraising or even humanity? It’s a hazard of our age, I guess. I hope it’s not one of our profession, though. You’ve heard that storytelling is key to good fundraising. And you’ve heard that focusing on our donors and showing them need and appreciation are critical. You’ve heard that […]
I don’t owe you: why I’m not giving back
“I don’t owe you.” That’s what I thought as I opened the envelope. Makes me sound awful, doesn’t it? But let me explain. When you ask people to “give back” by making a gift to your organization, you’re setting up a relationship based on obligation. And transaction. Think carefully about whether that’s really what you […]
What you need to know about generosity
What you need to know about generosity How does generosity work and can we encourage it? For a long time, there has been a notion that humans are innately selfish. That our generous impulses are either foolish or part of a calculated plan to help ourselves. It makes some sort of sense. Our lizard brains, […]
Try indulgence to improve your next appeal
Comparing a donation to an indulgence? It’s not often that you come upon an interesting study that helps with a project you’re working on right then. That happened to me this week, and I thought I’d share, it in case it’s helpful to you, as well. I’ve been working on an appeal for a brand-new […]