Here’s the sixth fundraising tip in our series of 10 Tips for 2010: Develop a detailed cultivation plan for each of your top donors. No two donors are alike. They have different funding interests, different concerns, different schedules. But when they’re your top donors, someone connected with your organization has a relationship with them. And that’s… Read more »
Recently several people have asked me about prospect research—how to find and manage new potential donors. After asking some questions, it became clear that these organizations were thinking more about new prospects than they were about renewing or increasing past donors. When I mentioned this to Keith, he said that in the last three trainings… Read more »
In the last couple of tips, we’ve focused on how your board can help raise money during the economic recovery. This week’s tip, our fifth in the series, is all about donors. To remain a philanthropic priority during the recovery, you have to keep your current donors close to you. Some nonprofits mistakenly believe that challenging… Read more »
The buzz around the text-to-give option for charities has yet to die down since the Haiti earthquake. So much money was donated to the relief efforts this way that we’re still getting questions from nonprofit staff and board members who wonder if they should offer potential donors this option. A fellow blogger at “Future Fundraising… Read more »
Last week, we talked about the board’s role. This week, the board focus continues in our fourth tip to remain a philanthropic priority during the economic recovery: Help your board by having regular training sessions. A board member sharing his or her story with a potential donor is one of the most effective ways to raise… Read more »
Here’s our third weekly fundraising tip to help you remain a philanthropic priority during the economic recovery: Board members must be clear about their role. To be sure they are, you need to talk to them about that role. For most nonprofits, fundraising tops the list of a board member’s duties, but that doesn’t mean… Read more »
To help you remain a philanthropic priority with donors this year, here’s our fundraising tip of the week: Develop a consistent communications program. If the only time your donors ever hear from you is when you’re asking for money, you’re not building relationships. “But we send a newsletter,” you might be thinking. It takes more than… Read more »
This fall, the nation’s first bachelor’s degree program in philanthropic studies will be offered at Indiana University. “Philanthropy and the nonprofit sector are becoming increasingly complex,” said Patrick M. Rooney, executive director of the IU Center on Philanthropy and our Giving Institute colleague. “Those who plan to work in this field need more sophisticated education… Read more »
Every Tuesday, we’ll post a Fundraising Tip of the Week that will help you remain a philanthropic priority during the economic recovery. Here’s the first one. Now more than ever, your case must articulate needs and successes clearly and concisely. “Give to our annual fund” or “Support our operating budget” do not make for a… Read more »
At the Hampton Roads Institute for Nonprofit Leadership Conference last Friday, I went to a good workshop by our Giving Institute colleague Jay Love of eTapestry. It was called “The Internet Unveiled: The Newest Tools & Website Trends for Relationship Building,” with the key words being “relationship building.” Jay’s message was to make sure your online… Read more »
