Follow This Example To See How Automated Cultivation Can Work To Meet Donor Needs.
If you were a fundraiser at my alma mater seeking a donation from me for a new building, a progressive campaign might look like this:… 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.
Feb
20
2019
Feb
15
2019
10 Ways to Use Body Language to Close More Major Gifts
Almost 50 years ago, Albert Mehrabian figured out that our words matter least and our body language matters most in face-to-face communications. His landmark… Read More
Feb
13
2019
4 types of supporters that self-qualify their interest in being in your portfolio/caseload.
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you probably know that I think donor surveys are great for qualifying and prioritizing your supporters… Read More
Feb
11
2019
Too much major and legacy gift fundraising is focused on HOW when it should be focused on WHY.
What the heck am I talking about? Major gift fundraising communications (especially legacy gift marketing) tend to focus too much on showing supporters how they… Read More
Feb
08
2019
5 thoughts that might lead your supporters to feel donor remorse
Here are some of the thoughts crossing your donors’ minds while you’re asking them to support your cause: Will they say thank you or just… Read More
Feb
06
2019
What The Heck Is Progressive Profiling And Why You Need To Do It?
It’s about their timing, not yours. Fundraisers, as well as their organization’s leadership and board members, need to come to terms with the fact that… Read More
Feb
04
2019
It’s too bad that nonprofit leaders and board members thwart risk-taking
I think too many in the nonprofit sector fear failure. Unfortunately, that paralyzes people. It prevents them from making decisions and thwarts innovation. In most… Read More
Feb
01
2019
10 Ways to Deliver Value to Your Major Donors and Planned Giving Prospects
1. Find ways to release dopamine and/or oxytocin in your supporters’ brains. Oxytocin creates intimacy, trust, and builds healthy relationships. It is essential for creating strong… Read More
Jan
30
2019
Let’s treat donors like piggy banks, not ATMs!
Stay with me on this. Of course, you can’t expect to get money out of a piggy bank unless you first make deposits. That framework… Read More
Jan
28
2019
Why Your Year-End Fundraising Failed To Generate As Much Revenue As You Hoped
If your end-of-year ‘interruption’ marketing results were not what you hoped for, perhaps my prediction about ‘FUNDRAISING CLIMATE CHANGE‘ (in my book, Engagement Fundraising) is… Read More
Jan
25
2019
Ever wonder about the history of philanthropy and fundraising? Here it is!
This is so cool! You’re going to love it! Thanks to the good people at the National Philanthropic Trust, now you can take a… Read More
Jan
23
2019
Isn’t it time you leveraged technology so you can be the fundraiser you always wanted to be?
Let technology do what you don’t do well. Everyone knows that technology has been the key for innovation in the private sector. But the nonprofit… Read More
Jan
16
2019
The Four Selfs
I think donors like to qualify themselves, educate themselves, involve themselves, and solicit themselves. I call these the “four selfs” of Engagement Fundraising: Self-qualification Self-education… Read More
Jan
14
2019
Automated Cultivation vs. “Moves Management”
I’ve never really felt comfortable with the phrase “moves management.” If you’re unfamiliar with the term, it refers to a process Gift Officers or other… Read More
Jan
11
2019
Are You Too Busy to Succeed?
As Henry David Thoreau pointed out: “It is not enough to be busy, so are the ants! The question is, what are we busy about?”… Read More
Jan
09
2019
Are You Ready to Engage?
If you have been following our past posts, you should have a deep understanding of Engagement Fundraising and its fundamental concepts by now. You may… Read More
Jan
07
2019
3 scientific concepts you should understand and use properly to break through the noise and gain your supporters’ attention.
People are busy. They’re also drowning in information, data, marketing, and fundraising communications. Gaining their attention isn’t easy. Here are 3 scientific concepts to help… Read More
Jan
04
2019
Free Webinar: 9 Useful Proven Strategies To Get The Major Donor Visit (Claire Axelrad)
I’m excited to share that Clairification Claire (Claire Axelrad) will be hosting a webinar with us on Tuesday, January 8th at 2 PM EST. This… Read More
Jan
02
2019
Here are my IN’s & OUT’s for 2019… what do you think about them?
OUTS Being disrespectful, interrupting & annoying supporters Spray-n’-pray marketing Show up n’ throw up presentations Treating donors like ATM machines Asking for money (begging) Counting… Read More
Dec
12
2018
Top 3 reasons why major gift or legacy gift officers don’t have enough face-to-face meetings with donors
I hear a lot of people complaining about gift officers not meeting with enough donors. Usually, these complaints come from people who don’t really do… Read More
Dec
10
2018
What to do when a supporter notifies you that they left your organization in their estate plan but won’t take your calls.
I know, it’s frustrating. You want to thank them but they won’t respond to your outreach. First things first. There are a bunch of reasons why… Read More
Dec
07
2018
5 Simple Steps for Fundraising Success Thanks to Marc Pitman
A Welcome Discovery! I came across this terrific little book while I was home, nursing a really bad cold this past week. I bought it a… Read More
Dec
05
2018
Exciting addition to the team!
On December 3rd, we shared an exciting announcement that nonprofit fundraising veteran, Dan Doyle is joining our Fundraising Report Card team! Coming on as Chief… Read More
Dec
03
2018
Imagine: One extra call each day.
I simply love inspirational quotes. Here’s one I recently came across from Thomas Edison. He once said, “The successful person has a habit of doing… 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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