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...
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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...
Oct
25
2019
What are we (Marketing) Asking for?
I admit that I am not a marketer. (I happen to have worked alongside great marketers, however.) Marketing is a highly-honed skill set that often works...
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...
Jul
27
2018
Is Using a Sad Photo Manipulative?
I have spent many blogs writing about emotions — how you need to have emotion in your case, your direct mail letters, and your canvasses. I...
Jul
13
2018
Lead with emotions
Fundraising is an activity full of emotions. So many folks out there focus on the cerebral — tax benefits, mechanics of donating, etc. To put it...
Jun
22
2018
What if our charity disappeared tonight?
Presumably, every charity out there has a raison d’être — a reason for being. (And the reason for being is never about raising money — that is merely...
Nov
24
2017
Feasibility Study vs Action Plan
A lot has changed in the last 20+ years in fundraising. I remember (fondly) performing Feasibility Studies prior to the launch of a capital campaign —...
Jun
09
2017
Urgency drives fundraising.
There was not any more money in the world the day before Hurricane Katrina than there was the day after Hurricane Katrina. Yet tens of millions...
Mar
10
2017
The Top 10 Myths About Fundraising Part 1d
Last article, I spoke of Planned Giving (or better yet, Legacy Giving). Here is the next revenue stream that I am going to mention — Major/Campaign Gifts....