Earlier this week, The Hampton Roads Community Foundation gathered past grantees of its Building Excellence program to share ideas and discuss development challenges. The gathering not only produced very interesting conversation but some great ideas that we thought we’d share. Board engagement was a reoccurring theme that presented itself over the course of the lunch…. Read more »
Posts Categorized: Fundraising
Planning for Pledge Attrition
Speaking of questions that have come up following our presentations lately, someone recently inquired about pledge attrition after our webinar on effective capital campaigns. The question was: How can nonprofits best plan for unpaid pledges during a campaign? Because capital campaigns are built around multi-your pledges, a nonprofit can expect to experience some pledge attrition… Read more »
The Restricted Gift Dilemma
Wendy had an interesting question following a presentation last week that we felt was noteworthy. A participant inquired how best to handle a donor who offers to make a restricted gift that could be put to better use if directed toward a different area. This nonprofit leader described a situation in which a donor wanted… Read more »
More Nonprofits, Really?
A recent study found that 12 million baby boomers want to start their own nonprofit or socially oriented business over the next decade. While this sounds like a wonderful way to engage in social change by improving communities, it’s troublesome news to those of us in the nonprofit industry who observe constant duplication of services… Read more »
Strategic Fundraising Events
While in Chicago last week for a Giving Institute board meeting we heard an interesting presentation on fundraising events by Jeff Shuck, President and CEO of Event 360, the Giving Institute’s newest member. Event 360 is a leader in the world of nonprofit event development and production, orchestrating events for some of the country’s largest… Read more »
The Right Approach to Board Solicitation
Recently, we’ve had a lot of people ask about the best way to solicit leadership gifts from board members. As with any major gift solicitation (because that’s what you’re aiming for, right?), it’s always best to make an in-person ask. Having a board member solicit another board member in-person, is hands-down the most effective way… Read more »
Rethinking Your Annual Giving Approach
Last week Wendy and I attended an interesting presentation on annual giving at our Hampton Roads AFP chapter meeting. Kim Sperling, Director of Development at the Mason School of Business at William and Mary, revealed “Ten Truths and a Myth about Annual Giving,” which reiterated much of the advice we’ve been giving recently around the… Read more »
Buyer Beware: Online Giving Challenges More Than Meets the Eye
Online giving challenges are a growing trend among corporations these days and it’s easy to see why. It’s a great way for corporate entities to not only fulfill their philanthropic obligations but heavily market their brand while they’re at it. From a nonprofit’s standpoint this can certainly be an enticing opportunity; after all, how difficult… Read more »
The Key to Successful Fundraising: Leadership
For years, Wendy and I have conducted board training workshops and presented “The Role of the Board in Fundraising” to clients and nonprofit leaders. The one thing we try to emphasize: effective fundraising boards don’t just happen; they are built and developed – strategically. A major philanthropist once told me, “an organization’s nominating committee is the… Read more »
Still a Young Organization? Don’t Underestimate the Potential for Legacy Gifts.
I have recently had the pleasure to work with a fairly young organization that has been named the recipient of many, generous bequests. Younger organizations should not underestimate legacy gifts. If your donors are connected and feel passionate about your organization and its mission, they may be legacy gift prospects. Wills, living trusts, retirement plans… Read more »
