What does it take for someone to decide to donate to your organisation? Connection. A sense that they are part of something that matters to them. A belief that their giving matters. The knowledge that they are known, appreciated, and…
Read MoreHow to Handle a “Demanding” Donor
I used to have a mental picture of “difficult” major donors, based on horror stories I’d heard. I imagined a cigar-chomping business tycoon who wanted to use large donations to remake a nonprofit to fit his own preferred vision, not…
Read MoreHow to Build Lasting Relationships with Your Donors with Webinars
People often ask me, What’s new in fundraising? Every time I hear that, I have the urge to scold: Don’t ask what’s new. Ask what’s working! Because most “new” things in fundraising don’t work very well. Sometimes they don’t work…
Read MoreThe Not-Really-a-Newsletter Newsletter That Can Supercharge Your Donor Retention
Almost all fundraisers understand the value of a donor newsletter: They improve donor retention by showing donors that their giving makes a difference. Newsletters can also raise net revenue on their own. It’s a major win-win for fundraisers. Here’s some…
Read More7 Boring Ways to Transform Your Fundraising
Fresh out of college in the mid-1990s, I took a traveling sales job. My responsibility was to sell as many industrial tools and supplies as possible. Yes, that’s just as exciting as it sounds. My liberal arts education hadn’t trained…
Read MoreIs This the Year to Trash that Annual Report?
I once had a client that was smart, cool-headed, and professional — most of the time. Until “The Twig.” Once a year, they produced an Annual Report. They considered their Annual Report the most important piece of communication they did.…
Read MoreThankuary: Donor Love for the Win!
There’s a new word for us fundraisers that I just love. It’s not in the dictionary (yet), but it can really help you do great work. It’s Thankuary. Thankuary is a period of time when smart fundraisers focus on thanking…
Read MoreThings We Are Thankful for This Weird Year
The Thanksgiving holiday (this week in the US, last month in Canada, with other nations and cultures celebrating similar holidays at different times) is a special time for fundraisers. Because we live on thankfulness. Being thankful is good for you.…
Read More5 Donor Love Must-Do’s for the COVID-19 Crisis
Think for a moment what it’s like to be a donor right now during this pandemic crisis… You are afraid — for your own health, your economic future, for your family and loved ones, for the world. You want to…
Read MoreHurry up and Read This Beautiful Book on Caring for Your Donors
Book Review: Donor CARE: How to Keep Donors Coming Back AFTER the First Gift, by John Haydon When you read a book, you often get a sense of the author. It’s so much like they’re in the room with you,…
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