The Association for Fundraising Professionals and their strategic partners adopted the third week in October as National Estate Planning Awareness Week. Through this initiative, AFP and the Financial Awareness Foundation hope to educate, highlight and celebrate estate planning and the important role nonprofits play in this field. According to the 2012 Bank of America Study of… Read more »
Posts Categorized: Fundraising
According to Google, September Online Research Drives Year-End Giving
How soon is too soon to begin year-end fundraising? According to a new Google and Millward Brown Digital Path to Donation research study, engaging your donors before the first chill is in the air may be the answer. In 2012, Google noticed an interesting trend: donation-related searches increased by 30 percent from August to September…. Read more »
“Donor-Centered Fundraising” Defined
AFP of Hampton Roads recently hosted a seminar featuring industry expert Penelope Burke on “Donor-Centered Fundraising,” which is also the title of a study published by her research firm Cyngus Applied Research, Inc. Burke opened her presentation with three attributes donors define as most important when making a gift to a nonprofit. 1. Receiving prompt, meaningful acknowledgment… Read more »
Connecting with Millennials: How Nonprofits Can Build Relationships with Tomorrow’s Leaders
The most recent AFP eWire featured three short, but informative, articles on tapping into the power of Millennials. Nonprofits know this influential generational group is more “connected” than any of its predecessors. But, how can the estimated 92 million members of the Millennial generation (born between 1980 and 2001) be motivated to effectively rally behind a… Read more »
Key Indicators of Planned Givers: Highlights from a Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council Event
Last week the Hampton Roads Gift Planning Council hosted a presentation by Jeff Johnson of The Stelter Company. Jeff shared some key findings from research his company has conducted over the last few years on indicators and behavior of planned givers. I have summarized a few points below. • Among Americans age 40+, people who… Read more »
The Curtis Group Presents Fifth Successful Webinar: The Role of the Board in Fundraising
On February 20, we offered a free webinar on “The Role of the Board in Fundraising.” This timely subject proved to be one of our most popular webinars yet with nearly 100 nonprofit staff and board members tuning in. Our extensive work with nonprofits over the past 24 years has provided us the opportunity to… Read more »
Tips for a Successful Annual Giving Program: Harris Connect Presents at AFP-HR
This week at the Association of Fundraising Professionals-Hampton Roads luncheon, Kurt Worrell, general manager, Fundraising Solutions Division at Harris Connect, presented on the topic of annual giving. Kurt began with the statement that running a successful annual giving program can be time intensive and costly. However, he continued, it’s an integral part of any fundraising… Read more »
Engaging Board Members in Fundraising is Key to Success, Latest NRC Study Finds
The latest Nonprofit Research Collaborative (NRC) study on board member engagement in fundraising concludes, among other things, that board members serve two primary fundraising functions: helping the organization reach new prospective donors (access) and indicating the organization’s value to the community by their own association with the group (signaling). Here are some key findings: –… Read more »
The Giving Institute’s Eight Steps for Selecting Fundraising Counsel
The Curtis Group has been a member of The Giving Institute for nearly five years. Established in 1935, The Giving Institute has been the thought leader membership organization for fundraising consultants and nonprofit services firms. One of the many resources they offer to nonprofit leaders is a list of the eight steps on how to… Read more »
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Fundraisers: Notes from Virginia Fundraising Institute 2012
Last week The Curtis Group sponsored and attended the annual conference hosted by the Virginia Fundraising Institute (VFRI) in Richmond, VA. We have been involved in VFRI for nearly a decade and we always look forward to this gathering of fundraising leaders from across the Commonwealth. The conference, composed primarily of development professionals, provides an… Read more »
