A few weeks ago, Andrea and I led a webinar about teaching board members to ask for gifts. It was a lively workshop. We shared five training exercises and answered lots of questions about board involvement. Overall, it felt like an effective, engaging experience. And then… Tell us what you really think As we were wrapping up, … [Read more...]
The Big Ask: Training Your Board to Pitch in Public
Note: This guest post is from our colleague Crystal Middlestadt at the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. GIFT publishes the Grassroots Fundraising Journal (one of our favorite publications) and organizes Money for Our Movements, North America’s largest gathering of social justice fundraisers. Thanks, … [Read more...]
Making Decisions? A Simple Facilitation Tool
A few years ago, I sat down with my colleagues Nancy Wasserman and Stephanie Lahar to discuss ways to work together more intentionally. We’re friends, we’re consultants with different (but complementary) expertise, and we all run our own one-person businesses. Nancy suggested a very basic exercise. She wrote three columns on a flip … [Read more...]
When Recruiting Board Members, Look for a Willingness to Learn
Note: This is a guest post from our colleague Kim Klein, a terrific author, fundraising trainer, and mentor to many, many grassroots fundraisers. Thanks Kim! Early in my consulting practice, I had the opportunity to work with the boards of three very different organizations. A well-established theater company A welfare rights … [Read more...]
Fundraising Training, Step by Step
Name one important skill you mastered the first time you tried it. Perhaps you can find an example or two, but let’s face it – we become good at things by learning basic principles, followed by lots of practice. Fundraising is no different. It’s a skill to be mastered. If you want your board, staff, or any group to master … [Read more...]
Ask Your Board: How High Will You Go?
Note: This guest post is from our colleague Amy Eisenstein, one of the country’s leading fundraising consultants and trainers. Thanks Amy! Your board members are essential for successful fundraising, especially when it comes to major gift fundraising. Unfortunately, fundraising doesn’t come naturally to most board members, which means … [Read more...]
Gnarly Questions (and Answers) About Board Training – Part 1
Andy recently sat down with Mazarine Treyz, a terrific colleague based in Portland, Oregon. Mazarine asked tough questions about training boards. Andy did his best to answer them. Thanks to Mazarine for sharing this Q&A on her blog. Here’s your chance to eavesdrop on their conversation. The biggest mistake – and how to avoid it … [Read more...]
Using Fundraising Parties to Engage Reluctant Board Members
As we roll into spring – and party season! – we’re offering two exercises to help you create and host profitable house parties. Last month, we shared a simple activity, Planning a Fundraising House Party, that you can use to create a party plan calendar. Do this exercise first. Today’s post features a follow-up exercise, Fundraising … [Read more...]
Party Time! A Fundraising Party Planning Exercise
As we turn forward the clocks (well, most of us), perhaps you’re anticipating longer days and spring weather. Fundraisers have seasonal clocks, too. As the weather warms and the days get longer, I hope you’re thinking what I’m thinking – it’s almost party season. And you can use parties to raise serious money. Yes, you can … [Read more...]
When Bad is Good: How to Facilitate a Great Exercise Based on Bad Behavior
How many times have you heard somebody (probably your mother) say to you, “Learn from your mistakes!” It turns out that your mother was on to something. We can, in fact, learn a lot from our failures, missteps, and missed opportunities. When it comes to training fundraisers to make the all-important face-to-face ask, encouraging … [Read more...]