Don’t Ask for Support, Allow Donors to Share Something of Themselves
Asking for support is a weak philanthropic proposition. Here’s what “support” means, right from the dictionary: bear all or part…
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The Pathway to Significant Giving Is Not Paved With Just “Visits”
A common Key Performance Indicator (KPI) used to evaluate fundraisers is the number of visits they pay to prospects in…
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Two Basic Schools of Fundraising: Hunters and Growers
Hunters believe, “The more we get out into the field or commit ourselves to being ‘road warriors,’ and the more…
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Why Would A Donor Want To Build A Relationship With a Fundraiser?
If you are a donor, it sounds like a questionable proposition. The organizational representative who wants to build a relationship…
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The Downsides of Asking Boards to Help With Fundraising
I get it all the time. “Jim our board (pick which kind) isn’t raising enough money for us. Could you…
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Key Performance Indicators That Ultimately Undermine Performance
Are your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) rational and sustainable? Do they appear to enhance productivity while actually raiding the cupboard…
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What We Should Value More: Fundraisers Who Are Reluctant Askers
What? What good is a reluctant fundraiser? Aren’t they professional askers? Shouldn’t they be looking for the first opportunity to…
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The Two Deadliest Words in Fundraising
The two deadliest words in fundraising are: Annual Fund The first word suggests one gives simply because the Earth orbits…
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The Most Basic Benchmark for the First Donor Meeting
The most basic, and perhaps the most important benchmark, for the first meeting with a donor is the ratio of…
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Donors Want a Peer-Based Relationship Not a Parental One
Read or listen to institutional fundraising appeals. What are many organizations really asking of their donors? The subtext is rich…
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How to Fundraise? Understand The Donor’s Why
The more objectively we study the issue, the more we see that fundraising, particularly soliciting, has much less to do…
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The Five Most Important Emphases For An Advancement Operation
Given the significant and ongoing decline in giving households and the increasing competition from that shrinking market share from a…
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Fundraising’s Two Most Common Oversimplifications
Two common oversimplifications related to fundraising are: It’s about relationships It’s about storytelling Yes, but let’s be a bit more…
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Donor Centric Doesn’t Mean Catering to the Egocentric
As wealth concentrates in fewer hands, and big gifts prove more vital to mission realization, some question if too many…
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Boomer Giving Vs. Millennial Giving: Myth-Busting Facts
Contrary to common belief, more Millennials give than Boomers. A smaller percentage of Boomers give but contribute more dollars and…
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What If Advancement Was Just Folded Into The President’s Office?
What if Advancement was just folded into the President’s Office? That’s right, advancement as a separate entity goes away but…
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Three Wonders of the Ancient Fundraising World: Pyramids, Pillars and Phases
What are the three wonders of the ancient fundraising worlds? Pyramids, Pillars and Phases 1️⃣ Don’t waste your time putting…
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The Secret to Raising More Money: Focus on Impact, Not Just Strategies
What are the best ways to raise more money? Be more aggressive in fundraising? Well, that advice is often given,…
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No, Advancement Is NOT a Synonym or a Euphemism for Fundraising
An office of advancement is made up of a number of functions that help an organization advance its mission by…
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Putting Ourselves in the Donor’s Place
If you did not know me and I approached you on behalf of a good cause, would you write me…
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New and Improved Fundraising Metrics
The metrics that will actually lead to improved fundraising performance will not be about tasking fundraisers but about creating the…
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Donor Cultivation: A Term We’re Using Out of Context
“Cultivation.” It’s one of the most frequently used words in fundraising, but used by so many in so many different…
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A Fundraiser’s First Obligation
A fundraiser’s first obligation is to philanthropy itself. All ethical fundraisers and fundraising organizations must commit themselves, at a bare…
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You Won’t Inspire Philanthropic Investment By Acting Like a Charity
Charitable appeals stress pressing need and urge the would-be donors to give immediately and out of empathy in response to…
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