Oh, there's some ranting happening over on #FundraisingTwitter . . . and with good reason: Year-End Fundraising Solicitations. Email inboxes flooded with year-end appeals on December 30 and 31st. Our friend, Ephraim Gopin, at 1832 Communications posted a list of subject lines he'd seen in just one day. (side note: if you haven't signed up … Continue reading But We Raised a Ton of Money!
Annual Fund
Disrupt Your Innovation
Disrupt. Innovate. Think bigger, think differently! All valuable advice. In fact, innovation is often listed as one of the most important focal points for any company. It encourages growth, creates value for employees and customers and brings much-needed advancements to the field. Arguably, any of the greatest achievements in history have occurred because someone, somewhere … Continue reading Disrupt Your Innovation
On Algorithms, Analytics and Discernment
Have you seen it? The Top 100 Charity Industry Influencers ranked by Onalytica. I ranked at #12. In a list with people like John Haydon (who totes deserves to be at #1), Tom Ahern, Lisa Sargent, Michael Rosen, Pamela Grow, Jeff Brooks, Gail Perry . . . Phenomenal thought leaders whose work has - and … Continue reading On Algorithms, Analytics and Discernment
Does Giving Need Saving?
Probably. If you read any recent reports or statistics, yeah, we've got a lot of work to do. Fundraising Effectiveness Project, GivingUSA, literal thousands of case studies, webinars, trainings, conferences . . . . we're investing a lot of time, money and energy in saving giving. This article in the Chronicle of Philanthropy . . . … Continue reading Does Giving Need Saving?
On “The Annual Fund”
I'm honored to have been invited to speak at the AFP Silicon Valley chapter. The topic? My favorite: The Annual Fund Isn't Annual. I'm equally as honored that there were so many responses to a random Twitter question I posted: I mean, goodness, Simone Joyaux even blogged about it! The over-arching, most common themes and … Continue reading On “The Annual Fund”
On Storytelling – The Good, The Bad, The Meh, Whatever
Whether you loved it, hated it, didn't watch it or obsessively tweeted about it, it's inarguable that Game of Thrones captured the world's imagination and was, possibly, one of the most phenomenal series in television history. Not phenomenal as in great, but phenomenal as in - it was a phenomenon - a "remarkable person, thing … Continue reading On Storytelling – The Good, The Bad, The Meh, Whatever
Are You Literally Losing Donors?
Yes. Thank you for attending my TED talk. OK, let me elaborate. If you're not proactively managing your data, you are literally losing donors and letting real money walk out the door. And I'm not talking about the general and to-be-expected lapsing donors, or donor retention rates. I'm talking about just the data itself - … Continue reading Are You Literally Losing Donors?
The “F” Word & Fundraising
Sat through another meeting where Fundraising was referred to as "the F word" . . . . ha ha ha, giggle giggle, 'cause it's a bad word. I failed. I should have confronted. I should have taken the opportunity to correct, teach, coach. I should have stood on the table and shouted with all the … Continue reading The “F” Word & Fundraising
Tree-Top Fundraising
Trees can die from the bottom up. Photo by Sebastian Engler on Unsplash Especially with Evergreens, if they're not getting enough water, the lower branches and needles will die out to allow more hydration to get to the upper branches - the ones that get the most sun. The lower branches may also be blocked from the sun … Continue reading Tree-Top Fundraising
The Absolutely Foolproof Five-Step Fundraising Plan
Everything anyone needs to know about fundraising can be summed up in a five-step process. Find prospects who are concerned about The Problem your mission exists to solve. Connect with them. Ask them to solve The Problem with their financial support. Thank them - profusely - for doing so. Report back to them - tell … Continue reading The Absolutely Foolproof Five-Step Fundraising Plan
Annual Fund Lab 