While the calendar may have just turned to the month of June, fundraisers are starting to prepare for their end of year campaigns. Now, the question is, how do you plan the structure of this campaign? What are the elements that need to be in place before you even develop your calendar of strategies? I […]
You have made the call and scheduled the meeting with your major donor. Now, the question is, what do you need to bring to this visit? Do you bring a brochure or a video, or perhaps even a PowerPoint presentation? I say you bring it all. What? And, it doesn’t have to be full of […]
If you have ever worked for a non-profit senior residential community, you know the importance that the residents play as a prospective donor constituent audience. It is they, and their families, who are the “warmest” potential prospective donors for the organisation’s philanthropic component. Many have had such a positive experience, either through caring staff or community amenities, that […]
Cultivation events are great ways to begin to qualify prospective donor relationships and deepen already existing donor relationships. Cultivation events should be a part of any individual giving. However, when first getting started with a major gift program, most nonprofits often don’t know where to begin. And so, they don’t begin at all, leaving potential relationships left […]
Matching gifts offer an excellent way to help organisations raise more money to fund their missions than they ordinarily do on their own. This type of gift program gives donors a sense of immediacy and urgency to their giving. A matching gift can take your fund development program to the next level by providing a natural pipeline for […]
While there are some relatively simple measures for evaluating the effectiveness of your fundraising program, such as Return on Investment (ROI) and the fundraising numbers, you often need to go beyond that to determine the long-term health of your development program. And, it is these measurements that we most often overlook in evaluating the health of our development […]
According to recent findings in the 2018 Fundraising Effectiveness Project, The Agitator points out that “The warning signs are there – decreasing numbers of new donors and decreasing reactivation rates of lapsed donors.” We are apparently doing a better job with donor retention, but not acquiring new ones or bringing lapsed ones back into the fold. […]
So, you have an upcoming special event and you want to seek sponsors, and now you are wondering how to develop sponsorship opportunities that make sense and that inspire businesses to support you. Well, when I advise my clients on how to develop sponsorships, one thing that I urge them to do is to consider […]
So, you have finally decided to start your major gifts program in your fundraising office, and now you are wondering how to establish a Moves Management system for cultivation. Well, you may be first wondering, what are moves? Moves are cultivation activities. They may include things such as a telephone call, a personal visit, or a […]
Have you ever wondered if all you can ask for is general operating support? Or perhaps, you asked how you could offer different projects for your donors to support without creating restricted donations? I recommend to my clients that they consider packaging their annual operating budget into a “Family of Funds.” A Family of Funds […]
Soliciting new donors, much like growing your major gifts portfolios and upgrading mid-level donors to give more, should also start with those you already know. Prospects can be hiding in plain sight. It is after you’ve culled through your existing list that you should, then, utilize proven strategies to find major donors elsewhere. I recommend […]
If your nonprofit organisation has a membership component to it, you may have found that individual’s membership levels remain the same year after year. Or, members seem to be choosing one specific level over another, time after time. What we do know is that donors will tend to maintain their current membership level indefinitely, unless […]
Giving societies can be an excellent way to cultivate, steward, and upgrade donors in your organisation. Some giving societies focus on level, monthly, major, and legacy donors. Generally, non-profits set up various groups at different giving levels and offer corresponding benefits to group members. If done correctly, these giving societies have the potential of creating deeper engagement and […]
The cultivation event was a starting point. It’s what you do after the event that counts when it comes to donor cultivation and building sustainable relationships with your attendees. Event follow-up is the critical element to starting to build your prospective donor base. What is donor cultivation? Donor cultivation is any house party, reception, gathering, or other […]
The many factors that affect grant writing success are incredibly diverse. They include such things as the reputation and professionalism of the organisation; the quality of the program or evaluation design; the qualifications of proposed staff; the needs of the funder for diversity in the geographic distribution of awards or types of beneficiaries; foundation’s giving […]
I started my fundraising career almost twenty-five years ago. Like most people during those days, I learned on the job. It was something that I “chose” to be or to do. It was a necessity to keep the organisation operating. Back in those days, one did not have access to such detailed and informative training. […]
organisations often become so focused on acquiring new donors and broadening their universe of prospects rather than developing and building relationships with the ones that they currently have. Many organisations that I see are not focused on renewing their current donors and planning for potential gift upgrades. In fact, while some groups are focused on […]
A wise organisation is one that provides its donors with multiple options, whether programs or projects to invest. Donors come with all different types of passions held deep in their hearts, and it is our job to match those desires with our organisation’s programs. Sometimes, when you only provide one option (e.g., general operating support), […]
How to start a major gifts fundraising program without any major donors I often get asked, “How can I start a major gifts program if my organisation does not have any major donors?” Is it even possible? And, the short answer is YES! Even those organisations that do not have an existing major donor base […]
I often get asked, “Isn’t my organisation too small to have a major gifts program?” And, I always say, “No!” Even the very smallest of fundraising offices, can take the same steps to establish a robust major gifts effort for their organisation. Here are some simple steps that you can take to start your major […]
For those interested, in the Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential, the most often asked question is, “How do I prepare for the application and the exam?” Well, for starters, the CFRE is the first globally recognized credential for fundraising. The CFRE is an educational program, not affiliated with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). It has […]
The clock is ticking ever so close to midnight on December 31. Are you ready? Have you taken all of the steps that you possibly can to give your donors opportunities to contribute during this giving season? Here are a few simple last-minute follow-up steps that you can take to ensure that you performed your […]
Databases are indeed the foundation of your development program. While it is critical to have one, it is not enough to just enter data into it. I have long advocated for consistency in data entry through developing a manual of standards and for procedures to dictate how gifts should be processed. Here are several key […]
Giving Tuesday, the Global Day of Philanthropy is on Tuesday, November 28. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is partnering with Facebook again this year to provide a match up to $2 million to donors who give during that day. Here are the specifics of this match: Donations made to participating nonprofit organisations through Facebook’s […]
