In his book From Good to Great, Jim Collins talks about getting the right people on the bus and then finding them the right seat. As development professionals, how do we identify the right people? More importantly, how do we identify the donor that has the capacity and propensity to make a transformative gift? To...
Has your capital campaign lost its momentum? Don’t lose hope. You CAN regain traction and hit your goal. First, analyze why the campaign has stalled. It is possible that you have hit a natural lull of activity after many months of momentum. All campaigns have peaks and valleys. If you determine the campaign has stalled,...
If the purpose of your donor stewardship program is to build lifelong relationships with your major donors and ensure that your nonprofit is their charity of choice, then you need to discover what your donors want and then exceed their expectations. As a baseline best practice, there are two fundamental rules that should ALWAYS be...
Every organization needs more money. Most nonprofits have great missions that make the world a better place, so why are some better at raising money than others? What makes some organizations better at attracting those prospects who are on every organization’s list? It’s the ability to avoid common development mistakes. Fundraising isn’t rocket science. But...
Every nonprofit—even those that aren’t in a capital campaign—needs a case for support. Without a case, how can you answer a prospective donor who asks, “why should I give to your organization?” Part elevator speech, part mission statement, part vision for the future, a good case for support clearly and succinctly tells donors why you...
The success of your capital campaign hinges on one early decision: who will chair the campaign? Understanding the qualities that make a great campaign chair and then recruiting the best possible leader are the most important factors in your ultimate success. When we work with clients to identify and recruit the best campaign chair, we...
“The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it.” - Michelangelo After reading this quote, I am convinced that Michelangelo was not only a gifted sculptor, but also a fundraiser. How else...
As fundraisers, we focus (as we should!) on finding the money needed to further our mission. I remember the days when we used to keep index cards to track information about our donors. When we got updated information, we would “white out” the old info and type over it with updated info. Times, they are...
Every Board member can make a real impact on the ability to raise meaningful significant gifts, even if they never directly ask for a gift themselves. 10. Thank: Help write thank you notes to donors. Send thank you emails. Make thank you calls. Studies have shown that a personal, heartfelt “thank you” from a Board...
A nonprofit’s success depends on strategic, visionary leadership from the board. Books have been written about how to identify and cultivate the “right” board members. While our advice to clients about the right board members for their particular needs is highly customized and specific, we share the following suggestions for a process to guide your...
The generous will prosper: those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.
(Proverbs 11:25)
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