Years ago, I had lunch with a colleague (John Bordeaux). We had a lovely time getting to know one another. (We had both done the same job, many years apart and the organization is still close to my heart.) He had many interesting things to say, but one really stuck with me. I think you’ll […]
Why you should care about ALL your donors
There are no small donors We know we should care about all our donors. But fundraisers often talk in shorthand that sounds bad when exposed to the general public. “Small donors” is one of those shortcuts. When you care about donors, you know that sounds bad. It implies some donors matter, and some donors… not […]
It’s personal
It’s personal. Fundraising, that is. Picture this: you walk to your mailbox. Inside, you find an envelope with a return address you recognize. “Real mail!” you think. You open that envelope first and in a hurry. Then you begin to feel confused. Disappointed. “Dear Ms. LastName” it begins. “Because I am a caring person, I […]
Memorial gifts: do the right thing
Memorial gifts are the most emotional gifts. We buried my aunt on Monday. She was an incredible woman – a musician good enough to have played professionally, a university professor, an artist with a needle or fabric, a wonderful cook, a loving mother and wife, and an adoring grandmother. Her loss leaves a big void. […]
Are you available to donors?
Are you available to donors? Can they reach you when they want to connect? I’ve written about a few badly done gift acknowledgments, here and here. I didn’t want to shame the organizations, so I omitted their names. But after each post, a colleague urged me to contact the offending organization. These organizations deserve to […]