Posted , by Abbie Hacker, Campaign Coordinator. Topic: Campaigns & Campaign Planning, Capital Campaigns, Fundraising, Nonprofit Management, Preparing for a Campaign.

How Kari Vincent Keeps the United Way of South Hampton Roads Moving Forward By Abbie Hacker, Client Manager, The Curtis Group and Kari Vincent, Foundation and Major Gifts Manager, United Way of South Hampton Roads We are excited to introduce a brand new series written by you. It’s called “A Day in the Life of…,”… Read more »

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Vice President. Topic: Boards of Directors, Development Plan, Donor Prospects, Donor Retention, Donors, Fundraising, Major Donors.

I had the privilege of presenting at the spring conference for the Association of Independent Schools of Greater Washington last week. One of the things I spent some time discussing was the importance of focusing on donor retention. In my opinion, too many nonprofits are stuck in this cycle of having to acquire a huge… Read more »

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Vice President. Topic: Development Plan, Fundraising, Philanthropy Research & Events, Professional Development.

According to an article on the survey conducted by the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ 2018 Year-End Fundraising Survey, 54% of nonprofits reported raising more money in 2018 compared to 2017 and 28% reported raising the same amount. Only 18% reported raising less.   Respondents considered the impact of external factors such as the economy and… Read more »

Posted , by Keith Curtis, Founder, President. Topic: Campaigns & Campaign Planning, Fundraising, Funds and Funders, High-Net-Worth Individuals.

As we celebrate The Curtis Group’s 30th anniversary, I could reflect and reminisce on the past, and maybe I will at a later date. But today, I would rather look to the future of fundraising and philanthropy. Below are six philanthropic trends that I think will impact fundraising in 2019. High-net-worth donors continue to give… Read more »

Posted , by Wendy McGrady, Executive Vice President. Topic: Donor Prospects, Donors, High-Net-Worth Individuals, Major Donors, National Philanthropy Day.

Have you enjoyed the Virginia Symphony or visited Thomas Jefferson’s Poplar Forest? Have you ever rushed your child to the Emergency Department in the middle of the night? Have you donated canned goods to your local foodbank at the holidays or volunteered at The Salvation Army?   These services, a part of the fabric of what makes every… Read more »

Posted , by . Topic: Campaigns & Campaign Planning, Fundraising, Nonprofit Management.

A Strategic Plan is Not a Development Plan. Your Development Plan is the Next Step  Has your organization recently updated its strategic plan or is about to begin that process? If the answer is yes, that is great news! Thinking about your short- and long-term organizational goals and strategies to achieve them is integral to… Read more »

Posted , by Wendy McGrady, Executive Vice President. Topic: Boards of Directors.

After reading “Empowering Young Children Through Philanthropy,” in this month’s AFP magazine Advancing Philanthropy, I spent some time thinking about the possibility and power of this concept.  My Curtis Group colleagues and I do a lot of speaking to fundraising professionals, community leaders, and boards.  The most frequent questions we hear from these interactions are about fundraising leadership: “How do we… Read more »

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Vice President. Topic: Donor Communication, Donor Retention, Donors, High-Net-Worth Individuals, Major Donors, Major Gifts Programs, Philanthropy Events.

Earlier this month, we enjoyed catching up with old friends and making new ones at the 2018 VFRI conference. This year in particular was incredible as I had the opportunity to chair the conference. I was inspired by the passion that my fellow fundraisers have for their organizations and for our profession. I was invigorated by… Read more »