We've made an entire industry out of those terrible gifts we used to get at the holidays. Ugly Christmas sweaters are now a staple of contemporary holiday parties and we joke about how wonderful it is to actually get socks as a present. But, boy was a it disappointing as a kid. You still had … Continue reading Why Can’t You Just Say Thanks?
Fundraising Profession
Five Fundamental Questions of Fundraising
1. Is your Fundraising transactional or transformative? 2. Is your Fundraising driven by the mission or the budget? 3. Is your Fundraising an integrated core value of the organization or is it the bank account that pays the bills? 4. Is your Fundraising 'developing' the organization or is it raising funds? 5. Is your Fundraising … Continue reading Five Fundamental Questions of Fundraising
Continuity of Care
Donors last longer than staff. How do you create value and keep donors engaged during the endless revolving door of staff changes?
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
The Things That Came Before
Sometimes, to make truly lasting, important, substantive change we have to honor what came before. We weren't there for the little decisions, the tough choices, the concessions that had to be made that led to the status being quo. We might've missed the thousand-and-one paper cuts, putting a band-aid on this one and that one … Continue reading The Things That Came Before
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?
What’s In a Name? In Praise of Development
WONDERFUL post today from Amy Eisenstein on Nonprofit Job Titles. Touch of humor and some really good points. We're seeing trends in all sectors that job titles are changing to be a little more fun, a little more descriptive - saw one the other day that was "Chief People Officer" and another one was "Head … Continue reading What’s In a Name? In Praise of Development
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
Why Fundraisers Have It Best
There's a lot of ugly in the world right now. There's a lot to feel angry and dejected about and there's a lot of negativity and frustration and hopelessness. It's hard to hold on to the good and the right and the true. But aren't we, as fundraisers, really lucky? Think about it for a … Continue reading Why Fundraisers Have It Best
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 