Don’t botch your thank you. It matters!
Our culture has gotten used to it. Get a letter, write a check, and receive a sterile thank you letter that goes into your tax file, usually unread. Sadly, many donors don’t even recognize how disrespectful the nonprofit has just behaved. But you can be sure that they are influenced, and 81% of them won’t…
Do you know this nun?
In 2012, this extraordinary woman – armed with a small group of nuns – was instrumental in organizing the “Nuns on the Bus” tour of nine states to oppose the “Ryan Budget” approved by the House of Representatives. This budget would decimate programs meant to help people in need. “Nuns on the Bus” received massive…
This idea is emotionally difficult – do it
As we’re officially into the holiday season, I found myself thinking about donors, but in a different way. We all know that calling donors to thank them after they’ve made a gift is a smart use of a board member or executive director’s time. Not only is it the right thing to do, there is a…
What is your fundraising EQ?
It was Daniel Goleman who first brought the term “emotional intelligence” to a wide audience with his 1995 book, and it was Goleman that first applied that concept to business with his 1998 Harvard Business Review article, What Makes A Leader. In his research, Goleman found that while the qualities traditionally associated with leadership—such as intelligence,…
3 ways women play small with fundraising
The notion that women executive directors and board members of small nonprofits (they mostly aren’t in the leadership roles of the large ones) play small nags at me. In my writing, I’ve hinted at it but mostly danced around the topic. When I see it play out in fundraising, which it does in spades, it makes…
This 1 thing will guarantee better year-end fundraising results
Sometimes the simple things make all the difference. One of the keys to successful fundraising is speaking to your donors in a way they can actually hear you. Yes, your message is important and you must get that right. But what’s even more important is the way you get your message into their hands –…
Why confidence is so important to fundraising (and how to boost it)
I’m not particularly confident. Scratch that. I’m situationally confident: sometimes, very much so; other times, not at all. So I spend a lot of time thinking about how to gain confidence. Confidence is quiet. Confidence is a natural expression of ability, expertise, and self-regard. There’s not a fundraiser or nonprofit leader alive who has never sweated before…
Warmth, love, and your holiday fundraising
If you read any of the “how to” fundraising books, you know that fundraising is not about money. It’s not about manipulating folks with your sad story or “selling” anybody anything. It is about self-interest. Altruism or arm-twisting may be a part of the equation for some, but mostly people share their resources because of…
3 tips for a top rate year-end letter…but first
December is coming and we all know what that means. It’s the largest giving time of the year – by far. Are you procrastinating? It’s time to kick into gear. If you don’t believe me, check this out from Network for Good. Everyone wants help writing their letter, and with good reason. It matters. But…
3 Tiny Tasks to Build Your Nonprofit’s Capacity
Be smart – begin increasing your capacity today by using the assets that you have right now to move your nonprofit forward. With tiny tasks, you’ll be surprised at how energizing it can be to improve something and build it into your daily operations. When you do it consistently, you’ll change the culture of your organization.…