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 »
Posts Categorized: Fundraising
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 »
Giving as an Investment
At the Volunteer Hampton Roads conference last Friday, we heard a speaker talking about giving as an investment. If you’ve heard us speak about major gift fundraising, you’ve heard us say that donors, now more than ever, view their major gifts as investments. That means that we, as development professionals and board members, need to be prepared… Read more »
Major Gifts: Guidance from the Experts
Last week Wendy and I taught a two-day Development and Fundraising course at Tidewater Community College’s Academy for Nonprofit Excellence. On the second day, Kay Stine of Norfolk Collegiate School, Billy Foster of TowneBank, and Christine Morris of Hampton Roads Community Foundation served on a panel that addressed issues surrounding major gift asks. All of… Read more »
The Role of Social Media in Fundraising: Still More Art Than Science
In our effort to help nonprofits incorporate social media into their fundraising programs, last Thursday three of us Curtis Group staffers attended a Chronicle of Philanthropy webinar on the topic. First, we learned that because social media campaigns are still so new, determining the best way to use them is more art than science, as… Read more »
Mobile Giving: What You Need to Consider
A recent Newsweek article, “Helping Out with a Text,“ may have some nonprofit staff and board members wondering if it’s time to implement a mobile giving program. While I think it has potential in the future, keep in mind that based on total U.S. giving, text giving is still minuscule. With a maximum contribution of… Read more »
Sr. Rose: Proving the Myth of Funding Diversity?
In a recent blog post on The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s site, Clara Miller writes about the case of “Sister Rose,” who runs a nonprofit with a $30 million annual budget. Miller presents Sister Rose’s fundraising burnout as an example to shatter the myth that nonprofits need to diversify their funding revenue. But I submit that… Read more »
