Several years ago, at the beginning of a fundraising workshop, I took out a $20 bill and passed it around, asking, “Is this real currency?” Everyone examined the bill and agreed that yes, it was the real thing. Then, to the amazement of the group, I ripped it up. The pieces floated to the floor like confetti. Silence – a long, … [Read more...]
Training Prep: How Much is Too Much?
Are you the type of person who likes to design every detail in advance? Do you take pleasure in anticipating potential challenges and preparing contingencies for each one? Or perhaps you’re more of a free spirit – someone who’s comfortable watching things unfold and responding in the moment. When we apply this to training and … [Read more...]
How to Create a Fundraising Plan in a Half-Day Workshop
Do you want the “secret sauce” for raising more money? According to our colleague Heather Yandow at Third Space Studio, it’s not really a secret. She just released the fourth annual Individual Donor Benchmark Report, which you can get here. Heather compiled fundraising data from 87 grassroots organizations across North America, each … [Read more...]
Co-Training – How To Work Effectively With Another Facilitator
As a trainer or facilitator, do you ever share the stage with a colleague or two? It’s worth considering for the following reasons. Two people – assuming they’re the right two people – are smarter and savvier than either one individually. Under some circumstance, a third person can make you even smarter. Having a diversity of … [Read more...]
Three Ways to Get Students Talking and One Way to Shut Them Up
Have you ever been afraid to raise your hand and speak up? Perhaps you weren’t afraid exactly, but you wondered if you might look foolish or ask a dumb question. If you’re like me, anxieties like that can keep you from speaking out. A great trainer works in many ways to encourage everyone to participate – both the naturally talkative … [Read more...]
An exercise that raises money while you do it
Is your board afraid of fundraising? You’re not alone. Most boards find the whole subject taboo. Here’s a real-world example. Imagine that your nonprofit faced the following challenges: Most of your board members are both unskilled at fundraising and anxious about doing it. (Sounds familiar, right?) You board gathers only twice … [Read more...]
Asking When Everyone Else Isn’t
This is a difficult story to tell, because it’s about one of the hardest days in recent memory: September 11, 2001. And it’s a fundraising story – but one you’ve never heard before. You may remember the chaos and confusion that gripped the nation – not only in New York and Washington, but pretty much everywhere. People glued to their … [Read more...]
Challenge Your Board, Raise More Money
You’re probably familiar with the challenge or matching gift. A generous donor provides a gift or grant on the condition that you raise an equal amount from other sources. These gifts typically require a 1-to-1 match. Each donation you receive is matched dollar for dollar, though other ratios are possible. Challenge gifts are … [Read more...]
The Donor Next Door: How to Use Your Donors to Train Your Board
Does your board resist fundraising? Do they find the whole subject distasteful? If so, you are not alone. I’ve been teaching boards to raise money for more than twenty years, and demand is endless – because the vast majority or nonprofit boards do a lousy job raising money. Why is this so challenging? It boils down to three … [Read more...]
Social Enterprise: Identify Your Assets
By Jean Block We asked our colleague Jean Block, a thought leader on nonprofit social enterprise, to share her wisdom on entrepreneurial nonprofits. Her strategy, outlined below, can help you identify your assets and begin to create earned income strategies. Oh, no! The Big Grant was not renewed. Yikes! The Walk-A-Thon was rained … [Read more...]