Let me share a rule I learned from a grizzled old-time direct response professional. He learned it from the classic days of commercial direct response, when he’d spent years creating direct mail for magazine subscriptions. It’s called the 40-40-20 Rule. …
Read More6 Tips to Conquer Your Fear of Making Mistakes
I once worked at a place where everyone was focused on avoiding mistakes. It was a deeply engrained cultural value that came, I think, from the president of the company, who came from a difficult family background. It was a…
Read MoreBOOK REVIEW: Orbiting the Giant Hairball
Orbiting the Giant Hairball: A Corporate Fool’s Guide to Surviving with Grace by Gordon MacKenzie I read a lot of books that are meant to make me better at my work. You probably do too. Every fundraising book I can…
Read MoreHow to Keep Writing When You’re on Empty
NOTE: This blog post was written during — and is about — normal times. Now is not a normal time. There are a number of suggestions below — like “sneak out to a movie” and “do your work in a…
Read MoreHow to Survive Shiny Object Syndrome
When we asked our community of great fundraisers around the world about their biggest fundraising challenges, one of the big ones was Shiny Object Syndrome — SOS. It’s that need to chase after cool new stuff, often ignoring more immediate…
Read MoreVIDEO: Bass Players and Fundraisers – the Real Thing
I play the double bass. That’s the biggest, lowest string instrument in the orchestra. It’s the one that rests on the floor while the player stands or perches on a tall stool to play. Yep — that’s me. Let me…
Read More2 Truths Your Donors Wish You Understood about Direct Mail
I am a Gen Xer. I am not the core target market for direct mail. In my early twenties I had to learn two lessons quickly in order to do my job as a Fundraising Appeal Manager. Lesson one: The…
Read MoreWhere Good Fundraising Ideas Are Born
In fundraising, as in any creative work, ideas are among the most precious things we have. Big ideas. Small ideas. New ideas. Even old ideas brought back to life. People who are good at dreaming up ideas — especially good…
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