I am currently chairing my church’s stewardship campaign. (Stewardship being another way to say “fundraising” of course.) I find myself switching hats often. Fundraising professional vs. volunteer. What I’ve learned vs. our situation. This is an all-volunteer effort, and we’re a small church. But as with so many nonprofits, we also have fixed costs that […]
Are you missing important donors?
Fundraisers spend a good amount of time thinking about their donors – at least if they want to succeed. But there may be a group of people you’re not thinking of: your volunteers. Fundraising staff might not be responsible for managing volunteers – interviewing, scheduling, assigning. But you might want to consider getting to know […]
How to raise money for your small or new organization
People often ask how to raise money for their small or brand-new organization. While no one answer is right for every organization, there are some basics that will help. But first, some hard truths: Going from zero to sixty is not how it works. Donors don’t come from fundraisers’ contacts. Donors come from your organization’s […]
4 Ways to Recruit and Retain Volunteers for Your Fundraising Event
Thinking about a fundraising event? If you run a nonprofit, you may not have the budget to pay for a huge team. As a result, pulling off a fundraising event may take a significant amount of time. You need help. So, you may be asking yourself, “How do I get passionate individuals on board?” In […]
Partied to death: can we escape the gala trap?
Fundraising events: love ’em or leave ’em? I just read Nell Edgington’s excellent piece. (You should read it now. I’ll wait.) Nell refutes most of the usual arguments for holding these events. She points to their real costs – costs we don’t often consider. And I think she’s absolutely correct. Conversations with colleagues followed: if […]