Posts in 'fundraising'

Infusing and integrating a rt into philanthropic campaigns can raise more money—and some leaders do this exceptionally well. Some leaders are what I call anthropologists. They learn what motivates a particular group, and identify messaging and symbols that bring communities together for a cause...

Learn to love ( or at least come to terms with ) them or you may be lost without them: 1. Monthly giving tools and automatic renewal processes 2. Seamless website-CRM integration and data cleansing practices 3. Virtual events/components to events and engagement before, during, and after the...

What’s your approach to reach non-donors or prospects who haven’t yet purchased from you? There’s been a great deal of research on influencing non-donors : * Many lack the financial resources * Some volunteer instead of giving * Others expend residual income on loved ones * A core may perceive that...

Scoring donors and business prospects is a little bit art and a dose of science. Building or changing a score is best done with data that correlates with gifts. Determine what qualities and behaviors most correlated with contributions or sales. The list should not be exhaustive – start small so you...

[originally posted earlier this fall] You can embark on the trail to greater revenue through publicly available research findings, asking your own supporters, and surveying your stakeholders. ++ An example of recently conducted research* of 1,000 respondents who gave $100 or more in 2019 provided...

You can do both simultaneously. Should you skip the strategy development part, it’s true that your short-term return might be higher. And yes, asking individuals around you and identifying the low-hanging fruit from institutional funding makes sense right now. Do it and graciously thank them for...

I worked with a nonprofit that had a limited budget for hiring full-time staff. But anecdotally, the organization's leadership was aware some community members were excited about the possibility of volunteering to serve their clients. We reviewed and revised our volunteer training manual, along with...

Years ago, I read a news article about the various ways that fundraisers were compensated. True to the American way, the opinions of those interviewed were varied. The story covered bonuses, set percentage commissions, "finder's fees," flat raises, and the decisions that CEOs were making on...

The question of how to expand your base of financial supporters comes up all the time – whether you’re a small and scrappy startup or a large, well-established organization. Before we examine some of your best options to build a mailing list of verifiably interested supporters, let's take a look at...

Keep your eye on science, history, and data: A. Hewlett Packard was among the many successful business launched during the Great Depression. B. Thomas Edison started GE during the Great Panic of 1893, when overall American business activity dropped 40% for 16 months. C. True, during the Great...