In Tucson, where I lived for many years, there’s a popular line of t-shirts based on the Mexican card game loteria. My favorite, El Mundo, features a picture of Atlas balancing the world on his shoulders. He’s the same fellow, sculpted in bronze, who towers over Rockefeller Center in New York City – knees bent, biceps bulging, head … [Read more...]
A Trainer’s Guide to Asking vs. Telling
I have a colleague – a thoughtful, compassionate consultant and educator – who loves to tell people what they need to know. Here’s the relevant research, my colleague says, clicking through the slide deck. Here are the trends. Here are the facts. Internalize this stuff. Use it to change your behavior. This is, after all, a … [Read more...]
New Consultants and Trainers: Five MORE Tips for Success
A few months ago, we published a blog post about how to create and build a consulting and training business, with lots of practical, hands-on advice. The post was so popular – many comments, shares, and emails – that we’re jumping in again with five more tips to support your work. Even if you’re not a consultant, consider this an … [Read more...]
How to Avoid an Overstuffed Agenda
What follows is a confession. It’s uncomfortable, but it’s true. After 20-plus years of facilitation and training, my time management skills still need some work. Perhaps you have the same problem. Maybe you’re designing a workshop, planning a meeting, or putting together a webinar – and if you’re like me, you have a strong impulse … [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...]
Ask Better Questions, Raise More Money – An Exercise
In my work with boards, I’m always amused (and occasionally annoyed) by the obsessive pursuit of the perfect elevator pitch. Many trustees – especially those who are new to fundraising or simply find it difficult – tend to indulge in magical thinking. The magic thought goes something like this: “If I can just master the elevator … [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...]
Thank Your Donors Better, Keep Them Longer
Because it’s December, here’s the best-case scenario – your year-end fundraising program is in full gear and the gifts are rolling in. You’ve invested lots of time writing, designing, and sending letters and email appeals. Perhaps you recruited board members and other volunteers to write notes on all those fundraising letters, which … [Read more...]
In Training – and in Fundraising – You Can’t Make Everyone Happy
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...]
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