Have you ever spent time with a three-year-old child? As a parent, grandparent, sibling, babysitter, teacher…whatever your role. If the answer is “yes,” then you undoubtedly learned the following strategy. It’s not useful to ask a young child, “What socks do you want to wear?” Instead, you offer a specific, limited set of … [Read more...]
The Big Shift in Fundraising
Like many fundraisers, I always anticipate the annual release of Giving USA, which offers a thorough overview of trends in U.S. philanthropy. I’ve also been reading Ruth McCambridge of the Nonprofit Quarterly, whose cogent analysis of the Giving USA data is really helpful – and inspired this post. Thanks, Ruth! As you plan your fall … [Read more...]
Who is Your Board Fundraising Spark Plug?
Imagine the following scene. The lonely staff fundraiser – let’s call this person Executive Director or Development Director – sits alone in a very small room, thinking about a very large fundraising goal. “Hello, board!” the fundraiser cries out. “Are you there?” A long pause. Nobody answers. “We need to raise a lot of money. … [Read more...]
Stop Nagging Your Board! Encouraging Follow-Through on Fundraising Commitments
In my role as a fundraising consultant, the question I’m asked most often is, “How do I get my board to raise money?” I bet you’ve asked it, too – perhaps dozens of times. The next question is also pretty predictable. “They offered to help, but they won’t follow through. What do we do now?” First, remember they’re volunteers Board … [Read more...]
How to Build a Fundraising Democracy Within Your Organization
Once upon a time, there was an executive director with great fundraising skills. He cultivated grantmakers and individual donors with care – meeting often, honoring deadlines, keeping them updated on his nonprofit’s success. He explored mutual needs and interests, then crafted his requests accordingly. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t … [Read more...]
The Gift of Time: What Can You Expect From Your Board?
In building a board, many people fixate on the potential for big gifts. Perhaps you’re familiar with the “wealthy board” fantasy? However, a board member’s most important contribution is the gift of time. With our families, jobs, social obligations, etc., personal time is a shrinking resource, which makes it ever more precious. Do you … [Read more...]
New Consultants and Trainers: Five Tips for Success
It’s resolution season, and perhaps you’re considering a change in your work life. Maybe – just maybe – you’re thinking about starting your own consulting and training practice. How do I know? Because at least once a month, somebody – a friend, a client, a participant in a community workshop – asks me, “How do I become a … [Read more...]
Three Ways to Hire a Fundraiser
Do your plans for the New Year include hiring a development director? Perhaps your board is saying, “If we’re going to be better fundraisers, we need better professional training and support from the staff.” I have this conversation often, because so many nonprofits are looking for skilled development people and want recruitment … [Read more...]
Help Them Grow or Watch Them Go
Note: This is a guest post from our thoughtful colleague Joseph Tumolo, CAP®. Joe helps fundraisers, nonprofit leaders, and board members grow their major and planned gift programs. Visit him online at www.joetumolo.com. Thanks, Joe! Sometimes I hear nonprofit managers wrestling with the questions, “What if we invest in training our … [Read more...]
What’s your relation to preparation?
Last month, I facilitated a train-the-trainer workshop for the faculty of the Center for Nonprofit Leadership, a program of California Lutheran University. It’s a lively network of skilled consultants, academics, and nonprofit staff who support and train their peers. For the icebreaker, I used one of my favorites – the continuum … [Read more...]
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