Mar
01
2019
What to do With In-Memoriam/In Honor Donors
I admit it. I read the obituaries daily. First, I check to see if my name is there. If it isn’t, I go to work. Seriously...
Prospects and Donors
Nov
16
2018
Who is the Superhero Today?
Almost twenty years ago saw the birth of the comic-book-turn-to-movie phenomena. Storytelling went from comics to the big screen. Marvel Comics was at the forefront of...
Nov
09
2018
The relationship needs to change
For as long as I have been a fundraiser, Direct Mail has always been toted as the holy grail — where the most number of donors...
Sep
07
2018
Vendors Often Make Great Supporters
Far too often, fundraisers overlook some of their strongest supporters —- their vendors. In most non-profits, the single largest expense is salaries. But after that, many...
Jul
20
2018
5 tips to mine your database for upgradable donors
I have often said that most charities do not need to find more new donors to add to their database in order to raise funds, rather...
Jul
06
2018
Hmmm… The numbers don’t add up!
I have a degree in Statistics (7 out of 10 folks say this is neat, btw.) One of the first things I learned is that statistics...
Apr
20
2018
Is your bucket leaking donors?
There is a great adage out there that it is better/more economical to retain a customer/donor than it is to acquire a new one. That is...
Feb
16
2018
The quality of a gift is directly related to the quality of the relationship between the solicitor and prospect
I have been asked so many times if I have a degree in business (arguably so that I can utilize the business acumen I acquired to...
Feb
09
2018
What’s a Major Gift for your Organization?
The phrase Major Gift is fundraiser jargon. Personally, I loathe the term, but in our industry, it’s what we use. (Some fundraisers actually have the title Major...
Jan
12
2018
Accountability & Impact — don’t be like George
As I was watching Seinfeld one evening over the holidays, I was doubled over in laughter at the Festivus episode. This is probably one of the...