[Guest Post] 3 Surprising Things I Learned From Making Recurring Donations to...
Monthly giving is important for nonprofits. But are we doing it well? To test, Brady Josephson ran an experiment involving giving to 115 nonprofits. And I'm honored that he agreed to write about his...
View ArticleA true disruption in fundraising
We often hear people claim they're going to "disrupt" an industry, even fundraising. "This will change everything," they promise. And the implied threat is that you'd better adapt or get left behind....
View ArticleCapital Campaigns for the 21st Century
Capital campaigns are a mainstay in nonprofit fundraising. There's something special about a time-limited, specific goal like a capital campaign. It gets us motivated to give generously and...
View ArticleWho's leading the army?
Last month, at the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference, I saw Jeff Brooks help nonprofits understand donor communication by sharing a great image. I wrote about it to my Fundraising Kick email...
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Fundraising in the last days of December
Year-end is a huge time for nonprofit's fundraising. There's a debate if the spike in giving is because we ask so much more frequently at this time of year or if it's because people are more generous...
View ArticleGet fundraising unstuck by reframing
I just returned from training NGO leaders in Lebanon. Prior to the training, I spent time studying Lebanese philanthropy and interviewing people who'd registered. Fundraising is clearly getting harder....
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48% of US nonprofits say December fundraising was lower than last year
But most say overall 2018 fundraising is the same or better than last year's. What a year 2018 was here in the USA. It started with a lot of nonprofit professionals and boards scared that the new...
View ArticleWhen in doubt, write a JTOY
Excellent fundraisers know that fundraising is about a relationship with a donor. Since they're a "donor," the relationship is centered around their giving. But it is a relationship. That giving is...
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Email deliverability is more than double opt-in
Nonprofits love sending email. It doesn't take all the printing time of direct mail. And it costs less. But what if your emails aren't getting to your list? In the last few weeks, Google and Yahoo have...
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Setting up solicitations based on hardwiring
.One of the hardest stages of asking for money is getting the appointment. The good news is that getting the appointment is mostly about consistency and polite persistence. But hardwiring plays a role...
View Article[Question Marc] What is a good voicemail script for fundraising?
QUESTION: What should I do when I call potential donors but only reach their voicemail? Should I leave a message? If yes, whats a good "script." MY ANSWER: Great question. Years ago, the norm was to...
View ArticleWhy your fundraising stories don't work
During my time as a leadership and fundraising coach, I've helped thousands of nonprofit leaders clarify their fundraising stories. Nearly all make the same mistake: they forget the audience - the...
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Nonprofit Academy Lifetime 2019 Membership Special!
Leading and funding a nonprofit is surprisingly hard. You got into the work to do good. But others don't see it as quickly as you do. On top of that, nonprofit work can be isolating. As they rise,...
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Are your donors missing the picture?
When you send an email, are your donors missing the picture? Seriously. Many may not have images automatically open. So all you get it a weird blank space. And possibly some words. Those words are the...
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[Guest Post] Using your data to build real relationships
Today's guest post is from Neon One's Tim Sarrantonio. He's a fundraiser, a database whiz, and regular conference speaker. A more complete bio comes after this article. You can see his most recent...
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Why you should come to the Nonprofit Storytelling Conference? Alumni tell you.
Wondering why you should come to this year's Nonprofit Storytelling Conference? I could share why I think you should. It's an event like none I've ever been able to be part of. But as a co-producer of...
View ArticleGiving headlines should grab your attention, but not for the reasons you think
Private coaching clients have been emailing me the doom and gloom articles on the latest Giving USA report. Giving was up about $3 billion but when adjusted for inflation, giving was down in 2018. This...
View ArticleWhat Nonprofit leaders need to know about the brain
Nonprofit work is stressful. So often we go about our work without realizing the effects of that ongoing stress on our brains. But Jessica Sharp does. The founder of Sharp Brain Consulting, Jessica...
View Article3 steps for less stress in fundraising for the next six months
Do you feel it? The airports and highways are filled with last minute vacation seekers. Back to school supplies are flying off shelves. The school buses are doing practice runs. It's almost the fall....
View ArticleHow to effectively interact with donors
So many fundraising problems can be solved by interacting with donors. Getting to know them. Asking about their interests. Learning their stories. I call it "seeing donors in their natural habitat."...
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