Jan
22
2021
Putting the donor in the center
COVID-19 has really taken a toll on good stewardship. Donor receptions, tours, and in-person briefings have been put on pause out of an abundance of caution....
Prospects and Donors
Nov
06
2020
Discussions Around the Dinner Table
I am positive that today’s dinner table discussions are more animated than they have been for the past while. Whether it is a discussion about the...
Oct
23
2020
Fundraising Metrics Part 2
Today, the new Borat movie comes out (and I cannot wait), so the photo above is pretty appropriate. Fundraising metrics are a great measure of success,...
Oct
02
2020
The Gambler: Lyrics to Live By
I have to admit that I am a fan of country music. Something is soothing about the tempo, and I can usually understand the lyrics. Some...
Sep
25
2020
Recommended Reading
I have to admit that I wasn’t always a reader. Perhaps it was my ADHD, but I couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of staring...
Sep
18
2020
What Comes First — the Overhead, or the Revenue?
Every charity that I have worked with in my 25-plus years worries about overhead costs. As they should. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) also has a...
Jul
03
2020
8 Mistakes that Hurt Fundraising
Everybody makes fundraising mistakes. Hopefully, everybody learns from their mistakes. But, wouldn’t it be nice if we could learn from others’ mistakes without having to endure...
Jun
26
2020
Why vs How: A Tool for the Debate
A few years ago, I wrote an article discussing the Why vs How when it comes to fundraising. This has always been at the heart of...
Jun
05
2020
Don’t make people’s minds up for them
Sometimes, people who fundraise are uncomfortable when canvassing. It is usually related to the great unknown — how will the prospect/donor react? What will they say?...
May
22
2020
Are you Fishing in the Right Pond?
There is always this push/pull dichotomy between donor acquisition and donor upgrade. Above all, a fundraiser’s efforts should be precise and fruitful — the spray and...