How A Donor Communications Program Keeps Donors Giving and Giving

February 2, 2012 Donor cultivation

Are you over-soliciting and under-communicating? The problem is – we solicit our donors often, probably way too often. But what happens with our donors in between solicitations? It’s called “communications,” says my friend Kivi Leroux Miller, the nonprofitmarketingguide.com guru. And there’s the rub. We study, study, study how to ask. But do we study as…

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What Keeps My Clients Up at Night and Why Boards are The Biggest Pain Point of All

January 27, 2012 Board Development

Here’s an interview I did recently for the nonprofitmarketing360 blog. I thought you’d enjoy it! What are the issues that are keeping your clients awake at night? GAIL: I think the economy is just a huge issue. People are worried about whether they can raise the money they need or not. But I’m also seeing…

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3 Key Major Gifts Strategies for 2012

January 20, 2012 Homepage

We all want more of those major gifts. And we know that major gifts can make or break our organization’s financial future. But major gift donors are changing, just like fundraising is changing. This month my “Fundraising Insiders” members (join us!) are focusing on Trends for 2012. I’m interviewing Margaret Battistelli, editor of Fundraising Success…

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Want to Change the World? Do This First!

January 12, 2012 Board Development

I bet you made some new year’s resolutions, didn’t you? That’s great! I have an additional resolution to offer you: Take a stand. Just take a stand for what you believe in. Just like that. Draw a line in the sand and say to yourself, “I want to make a difference.” And then say “I…

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2012 New Year’s Resolutions for Board Members

January 6, 2012 Board Development

It’s that time again – for turning over a new leaf, for reexamining our work and life, for refocusing on what we really want, and for refreshing our commitment to good works. I created a list of  New Year’s resolutions for nonprofit board members last year. It was a wildly popular post – with both…

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How to Throw a Party Everyone Wants to Attend

December 23, 2011 Fundraising Events

One of my favorite holiday traditions is a really big family party. I mean a big one. Last night I had about 150 people at my house, (can you imagine!) and it was a blast. Somehow over the years, this party has become an institution. My friends tell me that they actually schedule their holiday…

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How to Craft a Killer Thank You Letter

December 16, 2011 Homepage

You wrote a dynamite year-end appeal. You’re now receiving those badly needed year-end gifts. Now it’s time to write a drop-dead thank you letter. One that will: Assure your nervous donor that she made a wise investment. Make your donor SO VERY HAPPY that she gave to your cause. Make your donor feel like she…

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Mastering the “Soft Skills” of Fundraising

December 9, 2011 For the Beginning Fundraiser

Social skills matter. Appearance matters. Graciousness matters. How much do they matter to a master fundraiser? Tons! I gave a brand new presentation on “Mastering the Soft Skills of A Fundraiser: What They Don’t Teach You in Fundraising 101″ last week at the AFP Toronto Fundraising Congress. And it was quite a hit.  Fundraisers, both…

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Top 10 Things Donors Want From Your Web Site in 2011

December 1, 2011 Asking for Donations

Year-end is coming!  And online gifts will spike up in December. (We hope!) Especially the last two days of the year. Is your web site ready to handle all this attention? And, did you know that most donors check out your web site before they make a gift? And they do this whether they are…

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9 Things I’m Thankful For (YOU’RE on my List!)

November 25, 2011 Homepage

It’s Thanksgiving here in the US.  It’s a time when we celebrate family, friends, and all the blessings of our world. I rarely talk about myself and my own life here in my blog, but today I’m telling a bit of my personal story. Here’s my list of the blessings that I am so, so…

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Top 10 Ways to Screw Up Your 2011 Year-End Fundraising Campaign

November 18, 2011 Annual Giving

There’s nothing more important this fall than your year-end fundraising effort. The next six weeks is the time when many nonprofits receive most of their contributions. And there is so much at stake right now. This year, more than ever, you’ve got to engage donors in your opportunity and ask them to join you –…

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Bad News and Good News about This Year’s Fundraising

November 11, 2011 Annual Giving

The latest data on fundraising trends are showing some scary figures – and some optimistic ones too. Did you know that the overall numbers of donors is plummeting? A recent study showed that donor populations have dropped by 21% in the past 5 years. Check out the study by Target Analytics  here. Target says even…

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Here’s A Real, Live “Donor-Centered” Appeal Letter

November 4, 2011 Asking for Donations

You’ve probably heard all the talk about making all your appeals in a “donor-centered” fashion. But what does “donor-centered” really mean? What does it look like in action? We all know what we are supposed to do. We’re supposed to make it all about the donor and not about our organization. It’s easy to pay…

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The Role of Quirky, Surprise and Delight in Fundraising Appeals

October 28, 2011 Asking for Donations

What is it going to take to open the hearts and wallets of today’s recession-weary donors? If you are like me, you are watching the trends on donor behavior carefully, looking for that golden key to their hearts. I’m summarizing all the trends in next week’s FREE webinar: “Where To Find The Donors This Fall….

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Top 10 Tactics to Raise More Money This Year-End

October 21, 2011 Asking for Donations
Thumbnail image for Top 10 Tactics to Raise More Money This Year-End

I hope at this point, you are in the middle of an intense year-end fundraising campaign. The fundraising outlook is uncertain, just like the economy. But the stakes have never been higher. You need the community’s help now more than EVER before  and you need to tell everyone so. Where to find the donors this…

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