Our Blog

Let’s face it: our organizations can’t exist without donors. And in the dynamic world of fundraising, building lasting relationships with prospects is essential. This blog explores why such meetings are crucial and how they can significantly enhance your fundraising efforts!

Make connections and broaden your network using your biggest supporters!

Using the leap year to your advantage, cleaning your database, and making the most of donor visits.

Get on track for a successful end of year campaign!

Start sharing your story . . . Do you ever wonder why brands like McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, and Nike still spend billions each year on advertising and public relations?

The nervous looks. The clammy hands. “I’m terrible at asking people for money.” Will anyone volunteer?

The success story of how strategic planning and fundraising management can become a $3 Million capital campaign!

We’ve compiled a list of 6 powerful resolutions your non-profit can adopt for an amazing 2023.

Picture it: you’ve got some openings on your board, but you don’t know where to start looking for new board members. Don’t despair, there is a smart way to step through this challenge – AND get your organization to the next level.

When your organization has a major event and several board members attend, it is an exciting situation. However, engaging your board members as Special Events Ambassadors during events can support your organization with stewardship and fundraising efforts.

Many organizations can survive without the assistance of consultants; however, a consultant can serve as your organization’s “fourth wheel.” While not completely necessary, an expert can amplify success, build capacity, and transform your organization into the high-end SUV it was always meant to be (metaphorically speaking, of course).

There’s been a great deal of discussion recently about the effects of inflation. These price increases are not only impacting home life but also the workplace, especially for those at the helm of organizations that are responsible for budgeting and operations.

Take a note from the corporate conglomerates — when the summer heat hits, it is the perfect time to think about year-end.

Let’s break down “Donor-Advised Funds” so that you can navigate your way through the fundraising process with clarity and ease.

The first rule of non-profit fundraising should be: if a donor tells you they want to be referred to in a certain way, you do it.

Frequently, non-profit organizations are too focused on where they are — not where they are going. Organizations will have "banner years," crushing fundraising goals, engaging donors, and hosting sold-out events, and assume that they can maintain that level for years to come. They can't.

Board governance is critical to your organization’s success, as well as maintaining an engaged Board of Directors that understands its responsibilities — and what it is not responsible for. Ultimately, governance ensures everything is working as it should by clarifying and maintaining the outlined roles.

Sometimes, after long periods have passed, board members can, unfortunately, become bored. Somewhere along the way, their energy or excitement has subsided, and they stop committing mental energy to their board role and wait to term off.

While many non-profit organizations are focused on raising money year-over-year and use this measurement to determine success, this fails to provide an analysis of historic performance and prevents accurate projections.

There is an incredible opportunity to make the Betty White Challenge into a lasting, positive day for your organization by retaining these donors and their financial support.

As we transition into a new year, non-profit executives should take some time to lay a solid foundation for a successful and strategic 2022.

Organizations must consider the critical differences between professional solicitors and fundraising counsel when engaging a non-profit consultant.

How many donors and prospects a major gift officer or other professional fundraiser should have in their portfolios is a moving target and while there isn’t an exact science to making that type of decision, for many years I have recommended development personnel consider “Dunbar’s Number.”

Whether you want to call it a Capital Campaign, Major Gift Campaign, or a combination of the two, focused fundraising campaigns provide nonprofit organizations a unique opportunity to advance their mission.

Philanthropy is supposed to be about bringing together people and passions, but if you don’t even know someone’s basic information – how can you make that connection?

The ongoing year has seen a rise in fundraising trends. That, along with surveys and information technology, might help us predict its future reasonably accurately for the next two years or so.