How to have REAL Conversations with Major Donors

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Vice President. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Communication, Donor Prospects, Donors, Fundraising, Major Donors, Major Gifts Programs, Making the Ask.

In case you missed it. Victoria’s webinar with Bloomerang on how to have REAL conversations with major donors is recorded. She shows you the proven steps to have meaningful conversations and build stronger relationships with your donors by keeping them engaged and properly setting expectations.  

Do These 9 Things While You Can’t Meet with Donors

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Vice President. Topic: Crisis Fundraising, Development Plan, Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Communication, Donor Prospects, Donor Retention, Donors, Fundraising, Major Donors, Major Gifts Programs.

By Victoria Dietz Vice President During these incredibly challenging and uncertain times, we want our nonprofit community to know that we are here to help make you successful. I have spoken to many of you, and I am in awe of your creativity and commitment. Through ongoing dialogues and teamwork, we will not only survive… Read more »

Create an Inspiring Annual Report

Posted , by Wendy McGrady, Executive Vice President. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Communication, Donor Retention, Donors, Fundraising, Webinars and Videos.

Create An Inspiring Annual Report from The Curtis Group on Vimeo. In 3 minutes, Executive Vice President Wendy McGrady and Vice President Victoria Dietz share practical insights and tips to help you create the best possible annual report for your nonprofit. An annual report should be concise and tell a story. How can you do those two things… Read more »

Donor-Advised Funds Webinar

Posted , by Keith Curtis, President. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Advised Funds, Donor Communication, Donors, Government, Major Gifts Programs.

What You Need to Know about Donor-Advised Funds in 2020   It’s not too late. Even if you missed the live webinar on donor-advised funds, we recorded it as well as printed the slides that accompanied the presentation. Keith Curtis and Jeff Giannotto delve into the details of donor-advised funds. You can learn about the… Read more »

12 Tips to Increase Year-End Fundraising

Posted , by Abby Weber, Consultant. Topic: Development Plan, Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Communication, Fundraising, High-Net-Worth Individuals, Major Donors, Year-End Giving.

I recently had the privilege of presenting with my colleague Abbie Hacker to a group of nonprofit leaders about maximizing year-end fundraising. While the current weather may suggest otherwise, December will be here before we know it. Now is the time to prepare for your year-end fundraising to be sure your organization is ready to… Read more »

Four Ways to Engage Donors in the New Era of Philanthropy

Posted , by Marissa Monell, Client Manager. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Communication, Donor Prospects, Donors, High-Net-Worth Individuals, Major Donors, Philanthropy Events.

Four Ways to Engage Donors in the New Era of Philanthropy Key Takeaways from this year’s Virginia Fund Raising Institute By Marissa Monell Client Manager Last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend this year’s Virginia Fund Raising Institute(VFRI) in Richmond, Virginia. Whether or not you were able to be there in person this… Read more »

How to write thank-you letters your donors will actually read

Posted , by By Melissa James, Marketing Director. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement.

Acknowledgment letters are more than an obligation. They’re an opportunity—to build donor relationships, to educate and hopefully, to inspire future giving. But let’s face it, many of these missives leave us less than inspired. Do you read all the nonprofit thank-you letters you receive? Me neither. What’s different about the ones you do read? Here… Read more »

Top 5 pitfalls to avoid when thanking donors

Posted , by Victoria Dietz, Consultant. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement.

Are you effectively thanking and engaging your donors? I often encounter well-intentioned nonprofits that are hurting their acknowledgment efforts through common mistakes: 1. Slow response. You risk losing donors—and donations—by waiting too long to send thanks. Some say that 48 hours is the ideal turnaround time, but if that’s not realistic for your organization, aim… Read more »

Donor Stewardship: Need Your Thoughts

Posted , by Keith Curtis. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement, Donor Retention.

For the last five years, a good friend of mine has given $750 a year to a nonprofit that serves people in need. It’s a worthy cause, no doubt, and my friend understands that the need has grown. He noted that in the last six weeks, he’s received three direct-mail appeals from the organization. But… Read more »

Are Donors on Your Gratitude List?

Posted , by Wendy McGrady. Topic: Donor Acknowledgement.

With Thanksgiving upon us, it seems appropriate to talk about the importance of thanking donors. Everyone likes to be thanked for a gift. When it’s a charitable gift, donors also appreciate knowing what their money helped accomplish. It’s important that development professionals and their board members are doing simple but powerful things like sending handwritten thank-you… Read more »