Smartideas

Straight talk about major, mid-level and legacy gift fundraising to help you be a better fundraiser

It ain't friendraising… it's fundraising

Popular opinion is wrong. Usually, it is believed that extroverts make the best sales people (and fundraisers). But, according to tons of recent research including… Read More


Why not create a donor appreciation department?

Does your organization really appreciate its supporters? Many private businesses have customer service departments because they want to increase the lifetime value of each customer…. Read More


2 marketing Jedi Masters tell us why fundraising IS marketing/selling

Fundraising IS marketing and selling Yet some fundraisers think it’s different from other forms of marketing and sales when it isn’t. Somehow the altruistic aspects of… Read More


Ever wonder what donor advisors tell their clients when it comes to giving their money away?

Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors has spent the past 120 years advising one of the worlds most philanthropic families— the Rockefellers. Today they help their clients give away… Read More


Have you connected with me on LinkedIn yet?

I hope you will. I’m what you call an open networker. I love meeting new people on LinkedIn and I frequently help anyone I can… Read More


Why you should join mastermind groups instead of attending conferences

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you probably know that I don’t really like conferences that much.  Sure, there are some good… Read More


7 common major gift marketing mistakes you should avoid this year (including planned gift marketing)

Believing that you are imposing on your supporters by asking them for money. Remember, they want to give. The key is to think of yourself… Read More


Thank you for being part of our growing ecosystem

I created Engagement Fundraising and invented our software because I’m really a donor, not a fundraiser. In fact, I have never been a fundraiser according to Webster’s definition… Read More


Our 5 most popular blog posts (according to our subscribers)

Each year I like to review which blog posts were viewed most by my subscribers (and which were viewed least). Here are the top 5:… Read More


My Gift To You This Holiday Season

A lot of people have asked me, “Can you really achieve planned gift marketing success online?”   They didn’t believe me when I first came… Read More


How to keep your donors in 2016

In the nonprofit world, it’s widely recognized that retaining donors can be quite challenging. If it wasn’t challenging… if it was easy, everyone would be doing it and doing… Read More


The number one reason why you aren’t getting your share of dollars from donor advised funds

According to Fidelity Charitable, most donor-advised fund account holders included or will include a bequest in their estate plans. You might not think that matters… Read More


Would you give money to this person?

Trust is crucial, necessary and vital.  I think all of us would agree that one of the most basic reasons why any major donor would… Read More


Why failing to focus on major and planned gifts can be so dangerous

For decades, it’s been abundantly clear that a very small number of people have been and continue to be responsible for most of the money… Read More


What fundraisers can learn from reality TV shows

Can’t we be “real” with our donors, advocates, volunteers and other supporters? As of the writing of this article, fourteen of the top fifty television… Read More


7 major principles for major gift fundraising (including planned gifts)

Before we get into these 7 major principles for major gift fundraising (including planned gifts), let’s review some neat stats first. In the United States,… Read More


Could December be the month when you will LOSE the most donors?

I’m worried about fundraisers who get too excited about Giving Tuesday. Yesterday I received Giving Tuesday emails from a bunch of charities and I was… Read More


How NOT to design the perfect fundraising campaign

Today I would like to discuss how NOT to design the perfect fundraising campaign. According to The Telegraph newspaper in the United Kingdom, 2,000 people were… Read More


Why less is always more and how to get more from less

Less is always more. Subtraction always adds value. Ever wonder if your nonprofit is trying to do too many things and trying to be too many things… Read More


2 big reasons why email open rates are meaningless and 3 things you should track instead

This drives me crazy. I keep hearing so-called planned giving experts congratulate themselves for getting phenomenal open rates from their e-blasts even though email open… Read More


Here’s how fundraising retention rates compare to other industries

Fitness/health clubs – 72.4%   Software as a service (SaaS) – 46% annual churn leaving 56% of customers retained is considered BAD!   Individual membership organizations… Read More


The Rule of 7 vs. 3-to-1 fundraising

Jerold Panas’ classic fundraising book Mega Gifts published in 1984 includes a story about a zoo’s board member named Mary G. Roebling. According to Jerold,… Read More


8 ways to ask for a donation without actually asking

Many of us don’t feel comfortable asking. This is because many of us have never had anyone teach us that we don’t always need to blurt out… Read More


Air support

Military forces have been used for humanitarian purposes for decades all over the world. These days, in the aftermath of a disaster, we fully expect… Read More


Get smarter with the SmartIdeas blog

Subscribe to our blog today and get actionable fundraising ideas delivered straight to your inbox!