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...]
Doing board service differently: Couples sharing a board seat
Note: This guest post from Christal M. Cherry of The Board Pro is part of an ongoing series on rethinking nonprofit boards. Thanks, Christal! More than sixty-four million people in the US serve on nonprofit boards. They make life-changing decisions that impact all of us. Does the current board model yield the best results? As society … [Read more...]
What every board member needs to know, do, and avoid
Yes, this is the title of my latest book, now available from Civil Sector Press. However, it’s also the inspiration for a recent conversation with Tammy Zonker, one of North America’s great fundraisers and fundraising trainers. I joined Tammy on her podcast, The Intentional Fundraiser – and she asked the know/do/avoid questions. This … [Read more...]
Three tips for better hybrid meetings
Note: This guest post is from Anna Adachi-Mejia; an earlier version appeared in Medium. Thanks, Anna! Are you planning a combined in-person and videoconference meeting – in other words, a hybrid meeting? As a former faculty member who has facilitated and attended hundreds of hybrid meetings, I understand how this can feel like the worst … [Read more...]
When thousands of fundraisers gather, what happens?
Note: This post is from Train Your Board partner Laurel McCombs. Thanks, Laurel! My colleague Bob Osborne and I just spent a few great days in New Orleans at the Association of Fundraising Professionals International Conference (AFP ICON). This might be the largest fundraising conference in the world, with several thousand attendees from … [Read more...]
Your favorite thanks: A fundraising exercise
Note: This is adapted from Train Your Board (and Everyone Else) to Raise Money, which I co-authored with Andrea Kihlstedt. Fundraising is about gratitude and appreciation. When we demonstrate genuine, personal appreciation, donors respond – and they keep giving. By developing a “thank you menu,” you can provide more opportunities for … [Read more...]
Raising money from businesses: Six ways board members can help
Whenever I’m working with nonprofit boards – specifically, boards with limited fundraising experience – the brainstorm always begins like this: Let’s ask businesses for donations. While I have mixed feelings about this approach – after all, corporations provided only 4% of philanthropic dollars in 2021 – I also understand and … [Read more...]
Seven ways to build community fundraising partnerships
Note: This post is from Train Your Board partner Bob Osborne of The Osborne Group. Thanks, Bob! As the nonprofit sector considers how to behave in a more holistic, community-centric way – in other words, deeply engaging and partnering with the communities we serve – I’ve been wondering: How do we implement this approach with … [Read more...]
Five tips to improve your writing
In March 2014 – almost nine years ago – my colleague Andrea Kihlstedt and I shared our first blog post on Train Your Board. Today’s post is number 200. Wow! How did that happen? This project began as a book of fundraising exercises, then expanded to include a website, blog, and video training series. After a few years, Andrea stepped … [Read more...]
It’s time to check in with your donors
Note: This guest post is from Bob Osborne of The Osborne Group. Thanks, Bob! As we move from the economic uncertainty of a global pandemic to the economic uncertainty of inflation, high energy prices, and what many see as looming recession, it’s important to have happy, loyal, well-stewarded donors. How can you determine how your … [Read more...]
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