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...
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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...We are Family!
Welcome to 2021 — here’s hoping that this is a much better year than 2020! Over the break, I spent quite a lot of time chatting with former colleagues and new contacts about the wonderful world of fundraising and have further entrenched my notion that fundraisers belong to one big huge professional family. Not...
Continue reading...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 US election, the pandemic, thanksgiving, or even year-end philanthropy, these conversations are bound to be thought-provoking, to say the least. I was fortunate enough to attend a training...
Continue reading...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, provided that you measure the right things. Last week, I wrote about the Financial Metrics, and this week I will focus on the non-financial metrics, or moves management....
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...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 concern with overhead costs per dollar raised. As a result, they have set out some guidelines that it feels charities should strive for, namely: Generally acceptable costs are...
Continue reading...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 Simon Sinek‘s thoughts/books/podcasts. I believe that it should be at the heart of the fundraiser’s toolbox as well. The gist of my 2017 article is that if you...
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...
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