I know, I know… Dan Pallota thinks charities need a defense council to inform the public that administrative costs are…
In Abila's new donor engagement report, the first question they asked donors was, "What matters most to you?" Problem is...…
One thing (among so many others) that I never understood about nonprofits is why they sell or swap lists with…
"Make the font smaller!" That's what the brand police told me to do. I reminded them that the supporters we were targeting for…
I just saw a video for a nonprofit's planned giving department that made me sick. Truly nauseated. In it, the…
Softening statements help you "get your toe in the water" with difficult conversations. They smooth out the discussion. They help…
So you want to know the real reason why people make major gifts and bequests? Ok. But first, I must…
The new LinkedIn fundraising group is called Major and Planned Gift Marketers. It's growing fast. Here's why…
Your annual report (only if it has good pictures, stories about impact, and financials that show responsible use of funds) A…
I bet you already know that each and every one of your supporters has a unique reason why they first…
In the late 1800's, a motivational speaker gave a speech over 6,000 times. His name was Russell Conwell and his…
When it comes to marketing planned gifts, always remember that you want your supporters to think about how they can find…
“Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.” –…
Last weekend's Sunday paper (business section) included a nice little story about MarketSmart and our recent growth spurt. LEAVE YOUR…
A couple of decades or so ago, I was fresh out of school selling advertising space for a local newspaper.…
Sometimes we don't want to look at the results of our marketing efforts. Facing them isn't easy. Especially if they…
Empathy helps you understand what a prospective donor is feeling. Perspective helps you understand why they are feeling it. Which…
1. It's simple and direct 2. It does not include any legal jargon 3. It does not remind the reader about…
A few months ago, William Rivas-Rivas (Director of Philanthropic Gifts at Animal Legal Defense Fund) posed the following question/challenge to…
I have always felt that the word "fundraiser" stinks! As a donor, I feel like "fundraiser" screams "salesperson". When a…
Impressive results. One of my clients told me yesterday that almost 1/3 of her organization's revenue historically comes from planned…
Bees will sting a person whose mind is releasing vibrations of fear, much more readily than it will bother the…
Ya don't know what ya don't know My firm once used a vendor to help us. He was a nice…
There's a very well-known planned giving marketing vendor running around talking about "email readership." Here's what I mean. One of my…