Once upon a time, we all gathered together – physically. Meetings, workshops, and classes required participants to be in the same room at the same time. Those days are over. In addition to the ubiquitous webinars, virtual meetings, Facebook Live events, and online classes, an interesting hybrid has emerged: the trainer or teacher in … [Read more...]
Donor personas – the key to powerful fundraising appeals
Note: This guest post is from April Weppler, an organizational development consultant based in Ontario, Canada – and a graduate of the Training, Facilitation, and Consulting Certificate Program. Thanks April! Are you working on your spring donor appeal? Are you writing your next member renewal letter or “e-blast ask?” Perhaps … [Read more...]
No new nonprofits! A manifesto
As a consultant, I handle a lot of inquiries – by phone, via email, and in person. For example, Can you train our board to raise money? Do you do strategic planning? We’re dealing with “founder’s syndrome” – can you advise us? Can you help with our fundraising plan? We’re considering a merger with another organization and … [Read more...]
Fuel your annual fund with a bequest challenge
Note: Andrea Kihlstedt is a good friend, trusted colleague, and co-founder of Train Your Board. This guest post is adapted from Capital Campaign Masters, where she shares lots of wisdom about capital campaigns. Check it out! Does planned giving always fall to the bottom of your to-do list? Yes, you know it’s important. But planned … [Read more...]
Your group isn’t unique – and that’s a good thing
From time to time, my phone rings. A nonprofit staff or board member begins to talk. “We’re in a unique situation,” this person says. Silently, I roll my eyes. Or maybe, “We have a unique problem.” Actually, you don’t. Apologies for the snark. During these conversations, I do my best to listen deeply, respond … [Read more...]
Five big meeting mistakes – and how to avoid them
Note: This guest post is from Heather Yandow at Third Space Studio. She helps organizations with strategic planning, board development, business model design, implementing fundraising strategies, and going from good to great. Thanks, Heather! How much time do you spend in meetings? If you’re like me, the answer is simple: a … [Read more...]
Dialing for dollars, reinvented
What do you get when you combine an old-school fundraising strategy – phone banking – with a new online platform like Zoom? People working together – while also working remotely! – to engage their donors and raise more money. Here’s a great example from Training for Change. Thanks to Zein Nakhoda (staff) and Sonia Silbert (board) … [Read more...]
Training both sides of the brain
Take a look at these two photos. Which one looks like the more engaging learning experience? Given a choice between the two, where would you rather be? Your answer may depend on how your brain works. Your brain isn’t one thing In the 1960’s, psychobiologist and Nobel Prize winner Roger W. Sperry proposed that the brain’s left … [Read more...]
Making and Managing Change: A Field Manual
The following is adapted, with my thanks, from the Institute for Conservation Leadership. Are you a consultant, facilitator, or trainer? Maybe you work as nonprofit staff, or you serve as a board member or volunteer. Perhaps you’re an activist, advocate, or community organizer. Regardless of your position, I’d like to offer … [Read more...]
PowerPoint For Good:
4 Tips For Trainers
Note: This guest post is from Laura Rhodes of Third Sector Consulting and author of the LetsTalkNonprofit.blog. Thanks, Laura! Ask nonprofit staff or board members why they attend conferences, and you’ll get a variety of responses. To be with like-minded people. To network with others in the field. And, invariably, to … [Read more...]
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