Don’t survey your donors unless you have cultivation ready to go
Let’s start at the beginning. Almost 10 years ago, when MarketSmart was a marketing agency for private sector businesses and I first offered to help… Read More
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Helping you qualify, cultivate and prioritize major donors and legacy supporters so you can have fun closing more gifts more efficiently.
Jul
30
2021
Jul
28
2021
Why you should never get a job and go to work
I taught my kids to avoid using the words job, work and can’t. To me a job is what some people get so they can work to get money; and if they fail to find one, they might say it’s… Read More
Jul
23
2021
Top 2 cringeworthy things some fundraisers say to major donor prospects (and what they might want to say instead)
1. “I’d like to meet you to update you / tell you what we do / tell you what we’ve been doing, etc.” I’ve had… Read More
Jul
19
2021
A powerful new way to deliver value to your future supporters
If you work for a college or university, you already know that many of your donors give because of the experience they had when they attended your institution. For… Read More
Jul
16
2021
7 big reasons why capacity is so hard to uncover (how the rich hide their wealth)
Here’s how the ultra-rich make sure you can’t figure out how much money they really have: They figure out ways to evade taxes entirely They use… Read More
Jul
14
2021
Is a day of reckoning coming for fundraisers and their employers?
Fundraisers like you are in a difficult spot. You’re constantly being asked to raise more money by your board of directors, but you don’t have… Read More
Jul
09
2021
Are you chasing wealthy people or philanthropists?
Wealthy people are not necessarily philanthropists. But philanthropists are usually wealthy. When organizations develop their lists, I think, perhaps, a little too much attention is… Read More
Jul
07
2021
Why your nonprofit’s donor survey could be causing more harm than good
Thinking about sending out a donor survey? If so, be sure to use the survey responses properly so you ‘speak’ personally and relevantly to each… Read More
Jun
30
2021
How to put marketing automation to work for your nonprofit’s fundraising
Catching up. If you read all my previous posts (starting here) about how you can use marketing automation to raise more major and legacy gifts,… Read More
Jun
25
2021
Are you playing games with your supporters?
Sadly some fundraisers think they’re playing a game. But if only one participant is playing, what’s the other one doing? Being played! At its core,… Read More
Jun
23
2021
What’s really wrong with moves management?
A lot of people feel uncomfortable with moves management but they don’t know why. I think discomfort might arise because it focuses a lot on you and… Read More
Jun
18
2021
Top 10 ways marketing automation helps nonprofits raise more money for less
Quick review In my previous post I outlined the 3 types of marketing automation tools fundraising operations really should understand. Plus I recommended you deploy… Read More
Jun
16
2021
3 types of marketing automation fundraising operations need to understand (including one you really need to deploy right away)
In this previous post we discussed the fact that lower-level, basic automation works better for raising low-dollar donors. That’s why you need more sophisticated automation… Read More
Jun
11
2021
Do you really need MORE gift officers to raise more money?
Too many nonprofits mistakenly assume that the best way to increase major gifts fundraising is to hire more major gifts officers. To a point, this… Read More
Jun
09
2021
Can your nonprofit organization afford to invest in marketing automation?
SPOILER ALERT: You can’t afford not to automate your fundraising operations In my previous post, I promised to examine whether or not you can afford… Read More
Jun
08
2021
Product Updates: June 2021
See How Your MarketSmart Emails are Performing Email Reports enhancements are here! Check out the updates below that provide you with a better overview of… Read More
Jun
04
2021
How marketing automation helps nonprofits raise more major gifts, planned gifts and mid-level gifts at lower cost
Quick review In my previous post I outlined the reasons why nonprofit fundraising operations need marketing automation so they raise money more cost-efficiently. In this… Read More
Jun
01
2021
The case for marketing automation: Why nonprofit fundraising operations should automate tasks to optimize staff performance
Fundraising is getting harder You don’t just feel it. You know it from the data. Retention is getting tougher. Attracting new donors is becoming more… Read More
May
26
2021
Mass marketing, relationships and trust
One-to-many marketing/fundraising relationships are the same as personal relationships. Trust is essential. But, if you send spammy emails and direct mailers that are impersonal, irrelevant, interruptive,… Read More
May
21
2021
12 Principles of Donor Love From David Love
Today, I’ll be treating you to a guest post written by a true fundraising legend— David Love. David (also known as The Godfather of Good)… Read More
May
19
2021
Top 5 reasons why it might be time to kill donor visit quotas!
Quotas… YUCK! Many major and planned giving professionals are required to secure and carry out a certain number of face-to-face visits each year. This is… Read More
May
14
2021
How to increase the likelihood that your major or legacy donor prospects will engage in a meaningful conversation with you by 700%
Follow-up failure. Follow-up failure is prevalent in every business category around the world. In 2011, the Harvard Business Review studied 2,241 U.S. companies to see… Read More
May
12
2021
How asking for advice helps fundraisers: (1) qualify donors for their portfolios AND (2) build deeper relationships
Your donors want a partner, not a solicitor. Partners ask for advice before asking for money. Partners looking for advice are looking to collaborate. Partners… Read More
May
07
2021
Have I mentioned how self-actualization ties in with why donors give?
Self-actualization (realizing one’s full potential) rests at the top of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Donors aim for self-actualization and giving helps them make progress toward that goal…. Read More
Get the book!
Feeling like your job is getting harder because donor expectations have changed and competition for the charitable dollar is growing?
Finding that the old orthodoxies and conventions espoused by so-called experts in online echo-chambers and at conferences don’t work anymore?
Want to help more people make impact by facilitating their acts of philanthropy but feel like too many obstacles keep getting in your way?
Then this book is for you.
Engagement Fundraising was developed from the perspective of a donor who discovered firsthand that the impersonal, spray-and-pray approaches of his beloved charity were not only offensive but also wasteful and ineffective. So he took action. And now, you can too.
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