I have written numerous times that fundraising is about relationships. And those relationships are usually built on trust. But are charities truly being transparent? Or, are they worried about sharing “too much information”? It fascinates me that so many organizations do not practice transparency — with the outside world or even internally with their...
Continue reading...donor relations
UPDATE: Facts About Stewardship
A few years ago, I wrote an article that listed seven different truths about fundraising (here). The past 14 months have been quite a roller coaster ride for many charities, but I firmly believe that those that have succeeded are those charities that have focussed on stewardship. I address some of these points made...
Continue reading...UPDATE: The Relationship Needs to Change
A few years back, I wrote about the need to change the relationship with the prospect/donor (here). There, I quoted my good friend Jason Lewis as saying, “Once an initial gift has been received, the relationship has changed, and both sides of the relationship will have higher expectations of the other.” But, as we...
Continue reading...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. But, how do fundraisers relate to donors effectively with these restrictions? The key is putting the donor at the center of the virtual experience. It is still quite...
Continue reading...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 other types of music I can barely understand — my teen sons mock me for it. One of the tried and true songs is The Gambler by Kenny...
Continue reading...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 at pages for hours. While I am proud to say that it is no longer the case (long live the pills), I am still very judicious when reading...
Continue reading...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 pray mentality just isn’t very effective. I wrote about the spray and pray method here. But, how is a fundraiser to effectively raise more funds? I have often...
Continue reading...What you should be doing during COVID
I have seen so many articles and thoughts on the internet with respect to the next steps in the world of fundraising that I thought I would point out that for every piece of advice out there, one can find the exact opposite piece of advice. For the uninitiated, making these choices is like...
Continue reading...Doing the Right Thing
So, this Covid-19 thing has everyone very concerned. And rightfully so. Where I work, we have had to temporarily lay off over 480 hard-working folks as we shuttered most of our operations. At the time, we are doing the right thing. But, in the fundraising world, I have seen the best in people. People...
Continue reading...Feb. & March are Tough
I have noticed over the past while that the Winter Blahs seem to pervade the fundraising industry. Many charities see a huge upswing in pledge payments/donations at the end of the calendar year. That is quickly followed by a general lull in donations in Q1 — the January/February/March timeframe. The reason is pretty logical...
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