Fundraising’s False Proposition
It’s so common we don’t even see it any more. We keep putting forward a false proposition – that all…
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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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To Find Your Best Fundraising Opportunities, Remember This
A significant portion of donors are underwhelmed or dissatisfied with their giving experience, including yours. You may have assumed they…
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Debunked Fundraising Myth: The #1 Reason People Don’t Give Is Because They Weren’t Asked
It gets posted all over social media. Featured in books. Heard at seminars. Repeated on webinars. It’s hard to work…
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Don’t Chase Prospects, Look for the Willing
When we think of people as prospects, we approach them, more often than not, with our lists of what we…
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The 6 Core Elements of a Well-Told, Well-Executed Donor Fundraising Story
Before you think this is another post about how to tell great fundraising stories, read this: This article is not…
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The Ongoing Discouragement of Our Best Fundraisers When Their Talents are Most Needed
I hear from them almost every day. Smart, hardworking, principled, mission-driven fundraisers. They share examples of the mindless, myopic metrics…
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Do low-dollar donors even matter?
It’s a sensitive topic considering the fact that the vast majority of revenue for nonprofits comes from major donors. The…
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We Can’t Make People Philanthropic But We Can Deepen or Discourage Their Philanthropy
In a long career that led me to interact with thousands of donors, I can say with certainty that I…
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Are Nonprofits Driving Gift Officers to Do Fundraising Activities that Don’t Work?
As a gift officer, do you sometimes feel like your administrators and leaders are directing you to perform fundraising activities…
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Fundraising is Not About “The Ask.”
Fundraising is not about “The Ask.” But it is about asking the questions below. When you do, “the ask” becomes…
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What Is Donor Qualification? Major Gifts Fundraising Fundamentals
Well done! You’ve identified some potential major donors! Maybe. You think. Well, you’re pretty sure. About some of them. But…
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Donors Won’t Feel Like They Belong if Your Advancement Staff Doesn’t
How strong is your advancement team’s sense of belonging? I have condensed a great deal of donor research, both my…
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Donors Won’t Feel Like They Belong if Your Advancement Staff Doesn’t
How strong is your advancement team’s sense of belonging? I have condensed a great deal of donor research, both my…
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Are You Spending Too Much on Low-Dollar Donors?
Low-dollar donor acquisition typically occupies a large share of the fundraising budgets for nonprofits, and a similarly large share of…
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Here’s How To Really “Qualify” Your Top Prospects
Ask your CEO to commit to six 90-minute no-holds-barred dialogic sessions, real or virtual or some combination thereof, limited to…
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Donor Levels – Why and How to Treat Your 3 Tiers of Donors Differently
When you look at your donor base, what do you see? Do you see a plain filled with stick figures…
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What We Can Learn From Giving to Higher Education
It’s the enduring appeal of the scholarship. It is a way for one person to help another person realize their…
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The 7-Step Donor Journey from Stranger to Philanthropic Partner
All your donors are on a journey, whether they know it or not. Some of them are on a journey…
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Putting the Right Idea in Front of The Right Donor in the Right Way at the Right Time
Put the right idea in front of the right door in the right way at the right time. The more…
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What Is Donor Identification? Major Gift Fundraising Fundamentals Series
As you begin scouring your donor and supporter databases for your next batch of major donors, where do you begin?…
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The Great Obstacle To Professional Growth, Fulfillment and Sound Decision Making
The Great Obstacle To Professional Growth, Fulfillment and Sound Decision Making It’s the need to be more honest with ourselves.…
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Why Business Marketing Automation Platforms Don’t Work for Nonprofits
As a large or perhaps mid-size nonprofit organization, you probably know the general value of marketing automation platforms such as…
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What Is and Isn’t Philanthropic
To be philanthropic is to acknowledge that we are in this together; that: Your misfortune is mine because I have…
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