You may have heard that the reason why people give is because they were asked. For many years, this saying has motivated fundraisers…
There are a whole bunch of so-called “marketing companies” out there that say they help nonprofits get more planned gifts.…
I don't have any data on this whatsoever but something tells me that a good number of fundraisers might lean…
There’s brilliance down under! A while back on my LinkedIn Group (Major and Planned Gift Marketers), Sharon Wangman outlined a stewardship…
I love Shark Tank, the reality TV show that features a panel of potential venture capitalists ("sharks") evaluating aspiring entrepreneurs…
Organizations spend a lot of time and effort focusing on what they will do with the money they receive from donors.…
I know this is important. But, honestly, I'm a major and planned gift marketer... not a fundraising consultant. So I…
7. Wasting time in-house letting themselves get caught up in meetings, activities, or office politics 6. Forgetting to ask donors lots…
The private sector figured out a long time ago that a salesperson should never generate their own leads. A lead generator should…
Firstly, email subject lines are actually headlines. The great advertising legend David Ogilvy once said, "On average, five times as…
People often ask me, "How does MarketSmart work with partners (allies) to help nonprofits lower costs and increase revenues?" It's…
I haven't been much of a fan of Facebook for my business. I simply prefer LinkedIn. But recently it occurred to…
I'm constantly reminding people that fundraising is about facilitating and helping donors feel good! To do both, you might want…
If you know me and this blog, you know that I talk about the Pareto Principle a lot. That's the…
They'll talk about it at conferences. You'll read about it in the Chronicle of Philanthropy. Online discussion groups will say…
Ever want to hear the voice of SmartIdeas (Greg Warner)? Here's your chance. Mazarine Trez of Wildwoman Fundraising interviewed me…
New subscribers to my blog get a survey asking them what topics they'd like to see me cover. You can…
Most people I know are actually willing to earn less money as long as they love their job. Are you…
Veritus Group knows more about fundraising than most people learn in a lifetime. Here's some of their wisdom: 5 things truly great…
Here's the copy (below) from an old letter sent by my alma mater. In 2012 they achieved their goal and raised…
Trust leads to commitment. Then it leads to retention, loyalty, major gifts and planned gifts. Here are 7 ways to build trust…
When I first got into professional sales at Washingtonian Magazine I was taught that the only way to really sell…
If you want to know how to communicate with your donors, I strongly recommend you listen to whatever Jeff Brooks…
I love my staff!! They are so thoughtful! They figured that some of our thousands of blog subscribers might want a super-concise…