How Your Restaurant Waiter Can Teach You About Fundraising
The theory of reciprocity is powerful. And nowhere is it displayed more dramatically than in restaurants every day. Think about…
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How to think about major gifts
Ditto! That’s all I can say when I read Veritus Group’s blog articles. Ditto! These guys (Richard Perry and Jeff…
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The Definitive Menu of Engagement Fundraising Marketing Channels
We know that it’s not always easy to determine where you should be focusing your efforts (and your dollars). So…
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Now you can hear me on the ‘Freakshow’!
My pal Brady Josephson (self-proclaimed charity nerd) had me on his relatively new podcast titled: The Generosity Freakshow. I encourage…
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Free Download: Engagement Fundraising – Introduction and Chapter 1!
Today’s your chance to read the introduction and chapter 1 of Engagement Fundraising for free! We are offering a free…
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Are you avoiding your donors?
Too often I’ve seen some ‘fundraisers’ do whatever they can to avoid actually talking to donors. “I can’t call ’em…
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Why you need to think of yourself as a facilitator
Supporters give to satisfy a need. Supporters give because they trust your organization to satisfy that need. Supporters give because…
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Top 8 reasons why you might want to read my new book: Engagement Fundraising
Here are 8 reasons why you might want to read my new book: Engagement Fundraising …
How are you doing compared to your peers?
Claire Axelrad, J.D., CFRE (an expert on fundraising, social media, and nonprofits) pulled together these nuggets from my Fundraising Report Card app.…
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15 Reasons Why Colleges and Universities Better Start Raising Money Much FASTER!!!
According to Glassdoor, the following 15 companies no longer require college degrees. I think they are starting to recognize that…
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9 Tips to Help You Start and Maintain a Major or Legacy Giving Conversation
Before you can even get to ‘the ask’ you’ve got to start and maintain a conversation. Here are some pointers…
MoreWant a copy of the ‘best of my blog’ book?
Some of you might already know that I’ve got a book coming out this year on September 18th titled Engagement…
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Why you should think more than twice about allowing anonymous responses in donor surveys
Sometimes people ask us why we don’t allow donors to be anonymous when taking donor surveys. I guess they actually…
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11 reasons why donors and organizations love charitable gift annuities
Why donors like CGAs CGAs help them feel good because they get to make a gift to support a cause…
MoreHow nonprofit organizations can provide more value to generate more revenue in 5 simple steps
In my last post, I tore up the concept of the disappearing donor. I proclaimed that donors are not disappearing.…
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The myth of the disappearing donor
Lots of folks think donors are disappearing. While populations in the U.S. and other philanthropic countries are still increasing how…
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Complacency is a prelude to disaster
I know, change is hard. But I think too many people are afraid of change and disruption when they really…
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Are you a piñata fundraiser?
Piñatas are decorative, papier-mâché containers usually filled with candy. I learned about them at children’s birthday parties. There, the children get a chance to…
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9 reasons why people put money in holding pens (such DAFs or foundations) instead of giving directly right away
1. Indecisive. They want and need to give and they might have organizations in mind, but they haven’t decided where…
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What everyone is missing about the 2018 $410 billion giving figure from Giving USA
$410 billion. Hooray! Right? Not so fast! Lots of folks are not so happy. So today I’m going to tell you…
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Focus on your donors’ lives, not their wallets
I came across this very interesting article a couple of weeks ago and thought I’d share it since it led…
MoreFocus on your donors' lives, not their wallets
I came across this very interesting article a couple of weeks ago and thought I’d share it since it led…
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The Best of SmartIdeas 2017 Book Now Available! – Get it free from us, quantities limited!
Each year we round up the most popular blog posts from the prior year to create a book for our…
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What do you really think about DONOR SCORING?
Here are some types of donor scores I’ve seen: Wealth scores Capacity scores Legacy gift likelihood scores Major gift likelihood…
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