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The one thing you need to know about fundraising

What 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 […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donors Tagged With: donor focus, Donors, nonprofit mission Leave a Comment

Nonprofits: Why you should stop trying and start doing

Nonprofits: Why you should stop trying and start doing Are you achieving your mission – or only trying? Last month, I read an article advising women to eliminate the word “just” from their vocabulary. The author explains why the word was bothering her: I am all about respectful communication. Yet I began to notice that […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: donor communications, mission statement, nonprofit mission 6 Comments

Donors ARE heroes. So are you.

Donors are heroes. There, I said it. Can we celebrate donors without ignoring everyone else? You bet we can. My friend Vu wrote this in his usual funny and Game of Thrones-scented style about donor-centered fundraising. His concern was that in focusing on donors’ roles and making them central, we were ignoring many other parts […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications, Fundraising Tagged With: donor as hero, donor-centered fundraising, nonprofit mission 8 Comments

Here are the questions every nonprofit should ask

Let me share a brief and not-too-flattering story. A few years ago, a friend announced her new job in an area that intersected with my organization’s mission. I offered any help I could give someone new to the nonprofit world. And then had a moment when I wondered if that could be a problem. Would […]

Filed Under: Blog, Planning Tagged With: community, nonprofit management, nonprofit mission, nonprofit planning Leave a Comment

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  • How to raise more money? Less sell and more tell

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