You might be asking yourself, “What exactly does LOVE YOUR DONORS mean?”

Fair question. It’s not done by putting on your 60s costume and singing “All You Need Is Love.”

You also have to understand your donors. And that’s the hard part. It means embracing the science of fundraising. And understanding that donors are not just like you. They act and think differently. And sometimes in ways that puzzle or even bother you. My career has been all about this one lesson: Loving donors is as much a matter for science as it is something that happens in your heart.

I’ve been helping nonprofit organizations connect with their donors for nearly 30 years.

I have worked as a writer and creative director on behalf of top nonprofits in North America and Europe, including CARE, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Feeding America, Project HOPE, and dozens of urban rescue missions and Salvation Army divisions. I have planned and executed hundreds of campaigns in direct mail, print, radio, digital, and other media that have motivated millions of donors to help make the world a better place.

I blog at futurefundraisingnow.com, podcasts at fundraisingisbeautiful.com, and am the author of three books: The Fundraiser’s Guide to Irresistible Communications (2012), The Money-Raising Nonprofit Brand (2014), and most recently How to Turn Your Words into Money (2015). I live in Seattle.

I hope you’ll contact me if you want to talk about how we can make things better for your fundraising program.