May
03
2024
Top Ways to Blow an Ask
As a fundraiser, I have learned that asking for money is an art form. It requires a delicate balance of strategy, preparation, and understanding of the...
donor centered
May
13
2022
Ask the Right Question (of a Potential Fundraiser)
There is a lot of movement out there in the fundraising world. Some have left the profession, while others have entered the profession. I have been...
Dec
10
2021
I Cannot Believe You Did(n’t) Do It
I have heard many fundraising stories in my 25-plus years as a fundraiser. And, I have seen a lot of things —unfortunately, I cannot unsee some...
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....
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...
Nov
08
2019
Giving Tuesday — Does it Work?
I should preface this article with the statement that the views contained herein are solely my own. Personally, I have huge issues with Giving Tuesday. I actually...
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...
Jun
21
2019
Hurry up and Wait……. Really?
Sometimes the way fundraising activity is managed by a charity can be cutthroat. Especially in bigger fundraising shops. Far too often, there is a sense of...
Jan
11
2019
People Know When the End of the Year is!!!
This is truly a pet peeve of mine. I received no less than 22 emails from various charities (local, national and international) in the last 10...
May
26
2017
The Top 10 Myths About Fundraising Part 9
Introducing donors to other charities will hurt my fundraising efforts for my own charity. For those folks that know me well, they also know that I...