Fundraising isn’t your side-gig Your organization’s side-gig, that is. Too often, fundraising is “something we need to do to fund the mission.” That’s not an effective way to look at it, though. I have seen small organizations that are trying to build support. They have their mission firmly in mind, they’re already doing the work… […]
Are you feeling stressed? Why good might be better than perfect
Are you a perfectionist? I’m going to make a wild guess: you care a lot about your work. If not your organization, then about the mission. We wouldn’t be doing this work if we didn’t care. A lot. That leads me to another guess: you tend toward perfectionism. About 30% of people are perfectionists. That […]
4 ways silos are toxic to fundraising
Silos are death The more we learn about what works in fundraising today, the more we’re encouraged to focus on the donor’s journey or the donor’s experience. Customer service – something that has always been important – is suddenly getting more notice. That’s a really good thing. One thing guaranteed to hurt customer service is when […]
How to grow a culture of philanthropy
Definitions of culture: (Miriam Webster) 5 a: the integrated pattern of human knowledge, belief, and behavior that depends on upon the capacity for learning and transmitting knowledge to succeeding generations 5 c: the set of shared attitudes, values, goals, and practices that characterize an institution or organization What’s your experience? I’ve worked in organizations where […]
How to raise more and spend less money
Some unsolicited advice for organization leaders Whatever your fiscal calendar, this is the time of year when hopes are placed on fundraising success. Most organizations raise a good part of their money between November and December. Your fundraising staff are busy. There are mailings to get out, email campaigns to design… oh yes, and #GivingTuesday […]