19 reasons why nonprofit donor surveys are awesome

7 years ago

Here are 19 reasons why nonprofit donor surveys are awesome: They help you learn about why your donors care about…

Two steps to make the best of donor-advised funds

7 years ago

1. Uncover who among your supporters has a donor advised fund. Just ask them the very simple question: Do you have…

Why the only thing to fear is fear itself.

7 years ago

I think nonprofits need to be more real. More genuine. Less formal. And, less afraid of being real and genuine…

NEWS FLASH: Most of your supporters don’t really want to be in your legacy society

7 years ago

But, oddly, that's the first thing fundraisers offer legacy gift prospects and those who have disclosed their legacy gift intentions. …

HELP! Please….

7 years ago

I really need your help. I funded a study to help you. Basically, we're trying to help you and your peers…

Your donors want to find meaning in their lives. But are you helping them?

7 years ago

Sick of my rants yet? I've droned on and on about the fact that your job is to make your…

Are you hunting mice or antelopes? [Guest post from T.J. McGovern]

7 years ago

The following is a guest post thanks to my friend T.J. McGovern, Owner/Principal at McGovern Consulting Group (McG). Here is a…

What Fundraisers Can Learn From Restaurants and Waiters

7 years ago

People give billions of dollars each year to waiters for a lot of the same reasons they give to charities. 1.…

5 reasons why you should "connect" with me on LinkedIn

7 years ago

I'd like to connect with you on LinkedIn. Full disclosure: I pretty much like to connect with everyone in the…

You don’t own your donors

7 years ago

Here's the deal folks. You don't own your donors. Too many times I've heard chapters say that they don't want…

4 powerful major gift "probing closes" (for moving your proposal forward)

7 years ago

A probing close is yet another phrase I made up. I do that... a lot. Basically, it's a question you…

8 simple ideas to involve your donors and build deeper connections

7 years ago

L.M. Montgomery was a famous author in the early 1900's. Her novels were internationally renowned.  She once said, "Tell me and I…

I must sound like a broken record but here’s more nonprofit data that will inspire you to focus more on major donors

7 years ago

The left-leaning Institute for Policy Studies crunched the data from Giving USA Foundation’s annual philanthropic survey to figure out who was giving what. Here's…

9 simple pointers for writing better emails and letters to your donors

7 years ago

I failed to get into business school. I hoped to be a business major at the University of Maryland in…

Does an "empathy gap" exist among your donors?

7 years ago

A lot of charities tout the fact that they take care of their own. Marines helping marines! Cancer patients helping…

How to ensure that your letter signer will sign your fundraising letter even if he/she doesn't like it

7 years ago

I'll skip to the end and tell you how: Set some ground rules with whoever you ask to sign your fundraising…

Introducing MarketSmart’s 2017 IN’s & OUT’s

7 years ago

Happy New Year everyone! Each year my IN's & OUT's usually get passed around and shared quite a bit. Sometimes…

3 ways to use direct mail effectively in the age of social media

7 years ago

Although direct mail requires printing and postage, we still include it in our marketing plans because it can be effective…

Opportunities vs. Problems: Which will your donors support?

7 years ago

I'll cut to the chase. People want to take advantage of opportunities more than they want to solve problems. Here's how…

A list of some humongous bequests that should get your planned giving team psyched up for only 3 seconds!

7 years ago

I give you permission to read this list but only if you'll count to three afterward. Let it sink in. …

5 best practices for delivering progress reports to your major gift and legacy supporters

7 years ago

Tony Robbins, the author of Money: Master the Game, discussed “How Progress Equals Happiness” earlier this year on Oprah's digital…

Here’s one great legacy giving promotion

7 years ago

I love this legacy giving promotion. It's actually a placeholder for your beer! You can find this along with its…

Imagine this.

7 years ago

Imagine this. Since you're reading this, I'm betting you are someone who cares deeply about helping supporters with capacity (wealthy people)…

Should legacy gift notification forms die?

7 years ago

I once heard a story about a legacy gift that was about to be "closed" until the organization's CFO fumbled…