Hands-On Fundraising

Donor Communications | Fundraising Strategy

  • About
  • Blog
  • Praise
  • Services
  • Contact

Dear Fundraiser: Things we shouldn’t do

Dear fundraiser: things I wish you wouldn't do

  Dear Fundraiser, Here are the things I wish we wouldn’t do. I’m cheering for our success. So in a helpful spirit, I offer you my list below. So, putting on my donor hat, I wish we wouldn’t: Send an automated thank you message for an online gift and assume that’s enough Forget to thank […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeals, donor retention, relationships, thank you letters 35 Comments

Check your we

I opened a piece of mail the other day. It was from an organization we’ve supported – one that does good work, important work. But here’s what jumped out at me right away about this short piece. It was ALL about them. I couldn’t help myself. I grabbed a pen and started circling the references to […]

Filed Under: Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, copy-writing, direct mail, donor appeals, donor-focused, relationship fundraising, relationships 8 Comments

Stop thinking about money!

Imagine

I was at a meeting the other day. A local foundation offered training about soliciting major donors. It was a small enough group that we had time to hash out a few hypothetical situations. A good session and well worth the hour or so. As is often the case, a phrase was shared that stuck […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: appeal writing, donor retention, Donors, money, relationships 3 Comments

The Oprah Syndrome

I think of it as The Oprah Syndrome. And if you raise money for a nonprofit, I’m betting you’ve run into it, too. Picture this: you’re at a board meeting. The topic of discussion is a forecast deficit for the year. “What are we to do?”, the finance chair moans. Board members look around, hoping […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: Donors, fundraising plans, Oprah Winfrey, relationships, strategic planning, wishful thinking 13 Comments

Your killer advantages

What are your killer advantages?

The other night, my husband called my cell phone. “Are you home?” he asked, puzzled. “Yes”, I answered, just as confused. Apparently, he’d been trying our home line and getting no answer. I checked, and yes, our line was dead. I tried to call AT&T, our service provider. Their website is full of sales pitches. […]

Filed Under: Annual Giving, Blog, Donor communications Tagged With: Customer service, donor retention, Donors, Nonprofit, relationships, writing for donors 2 Comments

Next Page »

Fundraising advice served fresh to your inbox

Get yours here:

Search

Recent Posts

  • How to use awe to raise more money
  • Can you feel it? How you can use the power of metaphor
  • The birds and bees of fundraising
  • In defense of GivingTuesday
  • Getting Your Board on Board for a Capital Campaign

Work with me!

Let's talk about how I can help your organization raise more money.

Contact

  • Donor communications
  • Fundraising Strategy

Copyright © 2021 · Mary Cahalane · Hands-On Fundraising · P.O. Box 183 · Plantsville, CT 06479