6 Reasons Pausing the Solicitation Process Can Increase the Amount of a Major Gift
Patience is powerful. When pursuing major gifts, it’s tempting to want to go fast, and to accept the first gift…
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Why Wealth Screening Data Fails to Identify Your Most Generous Donors
Wealth screening data gets a lot of attention and usage from nonprofits looking for a quick way to identify people…
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How to build deeper connections with your donors using surveys
Socratic fundraising asks questions. It’s easy to think of this as face-to-face, one-on-one conversations. But sometimes that isn’t feasible. The…
MoreFundraising Success: The Road Less Valued
I began noticing the disparities early in my fundraising career. Much of the fundraising advice shared at professional conferences did…
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The Ultimate Source for Fundraising Questions – From Permission to Confirmation
Questions are the most powerful tool in a fundraiser’s toolbox. More than anything else, asking good fundraising questions will build…
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Why tracking fundraising calls is your key to success
NO ONE WILL SAY YES TO A VISIT… I’VE TRIED EVERYTHING! Really? Frequently I’ll talk to someone who is just…
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Planned Giving Language – Words to Use and Avoid in Your Legacy Fundraising
There are two languages in fundraising – donorese, and organizationish. And, as often happens when people speak two different languages,…
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Why RFM Fails at Populating Fundraising Caseloads
Many nonprofits use RFM as a means to fill their fundraising caseloads with supposedly qualified prospects – people who have…
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Want More Gifts of Assets? Get the Wealthy to Talk about Their Wealth Assets
One of the most overlooked secrets to getting wealthy people to commit to a major gift is to simply get…
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How to Make the Ask of a Gift in a Will Less Scary
Sure, asking for money is hard. But asking for an estate gift? Even experienced fundraisers can get squeamish. As Anne…
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The Secret to Booking More Visits
DO THIS ONE THING TO BOOK MORE VISITS: The next time someone tells you they don’t want to visit… in…
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Why Fundraiser Turnover Is So High
Fundraiser turnover is an epidemic. And that’s not just our opinion or an attempt to be dramatic. Actual researchers used…
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Dr. James explains why “No” often leads to “Yes”
Disaster! We put in the work. We put in the planning. We carefully execute each step in the cultivation process.…
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For Stronger Philanthropic Partnerships: Match and Share Back Stories
I wasn’t interested in many Olympic sports until someone came up with the clever idea of preceding them with insightful…
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The problem with participation rates among fundraising shops in higher education
I think colleges and universities should STOP worrying so much about DONOR PARTICIPATION RATES and become much more concerned about…
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Dr. James’ 3-step formula for making a compelling major gifts ask
Making the ask can be the scariest part of fundraising. Setting up social events is great fun. Being friendly with…
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The Importance of Being Authentic in Major Gifts Fundraising
Getting started in Major Gifts… better learn to golf! ❌FALSE❌ Of course, if you like to play golf and it…
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6 Causes of Poor Caseload List Quality for Major Gift Prospects
If you’re a major gift officer, brace yourself, because this article might rile you up a bit. We’re going to…
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Dr. James Explains How Asking Permission Sets the Stage for “The Ask”
Before the ask, one step remains. Asking for permission to ask. The request is to present a challenge. This is…
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A Great Disservice Some Fundraisers Do To Fundraising: Play to The Stereotype
Which stereotype do fundraisers play to? The one that perpetuates false expectations, that makes the best work seem insignificant, and…
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3 Donor Related Fundraising Challenges Keeping Your Revenue Down
Major gifts fundraising faces many challenges. That’s not news, and those challenges come in many forms, from many directions. But…
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Finally, the questions you should ask that have been proven to lead to gifts from wealth
Let’s talk about wealth We want the donor to talk about assets. Why? Because 1. It creates a setting of…
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4 Strategies to Get More Meetings with Major Donors
Major gifts fundraising is about relationships. You know this, and it’s an easy truth to recite in a job interview.…
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Donor Identity Questions – Teasing Out Values, Beliefs, and Motivations
Donors give because giving enhances some aspect of their identity. They give for many other reasons too, but their final…
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