Note: This guest post is by Daonese Johnson-Colón, MLS, SHRM-CP, CPC. Thanks, Daonese! A payment is late. A staff member needs access to a system. A new project is ready to launch, but no one has created the process. Someone needs to figure it out. What do you do? You send it to Admin. Each request may be reasonable on its own. But … [Read more...]
Closing the gift: A fundraising exercise
Note: This post is adapted from Train Your Board (and Everyone Else) to Raise Money by Andrea Kihlstedt and Andy Robinson. Most of what we call fundraising takes place before or after you receive the donation: prospecting, cultivation, recognition, donor engagement, and so on. You can do all those things supremely well and still miss an … [Read more...]
Who can I ask for a donation?
Note: This guest post is adapted from The Accidental Fundraiser: A Step -by-Step-Guide to Raising Money for Your Cause, Second Edition (2025) by Haley Bash and Stephanie Roth. Thanks Stephanie and Haley! A common belief among new fundraisers is that they don’t know anyone they can ask to support their cause. This is based on the … [Read more...]
Plain-speak for fundraisers
Many years ago, during a visit with two friends, we were discussing our respective jobs. One worked in the film industry. The second created educational curricula for schools. I was a professional fundraiser. Oddly, we all had the same job title: Director of Development. I was reminded of this conversation while reading George … [Read more...]
Reflections from the largest gathering of fundraising professionals
Note: This post is from Train Your Board partner Laurel McCombs. Thanks, Laurel! My colleague Bob Osborne and I recently returned from the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference (AFP ICON) – my fifth time attending. While some of these responses echo my experience at previous AFP conferences, I’m happy to … [Read more...]
Smarter fundraising with machine learning
Note: This guest post is from Chris Riddell of Thrive Technology. Thanks, Chris! In a time of deep uncertainty and instability, fundraising remains rooted in one constant: relationships. You’ve built strong connections with your supporters. The data from those relationships is one of your greatest assets. By tapping into it, you can … [Read more...]
Consultant confidential: What to know about working with consultants
Over the years, we’ve offered behind-the-scenes perspectives in Board President Confidential and Treasurer Confidential. In Trainer Confidential, published at the start of the pandemic, we discussed how to move in-person programs online. In the same spirit, we invite you to eavesdrop as Laurel, Bob and Andy discuss the philosophy and … [Read more...]
Two ways that the best boards are getting better
Note: This guest post is from Renee Rubin Ross of the Ross Collective. Thanks, Renee! One of the questions we often hear is, “What are the most excellent boards doing right?” A while back, my colleagues and I wrote a series on the practices of high-performing boards. As we shared, high-performing boards successfully incorporate three … [Read more...]
Challenging your assumptions about donors
Note: This guest post is from Alyson Molloy Hussey. Thanks, Alyson! I recently consulted with an organization that was planning a very cool cultivation event. Of course, the Executive Director wanted the group’s most generous donor to attend. When we discussed this at our weekly meeting, they seemed skeptical about the donor. “I am … [Read more...]
Is your board ready for end-of-year fundraising?
Note: This post is from Train Your Board partner Laurel McCombs. Thanks, Laurel! As you may know, roughly a quarter of all giving happens in December. And, yes, I hear you, it’s only September, but starting your year-end planning now will allow you to be more strategic, more effective, and more confident in meeting your goals. This … [Read more...]
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