Author: David Allen

22 April 2024   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   My topic today is donor files, but I want to start by acknowledging that today is Earth Day. I don’t know about you, but it feels to me that our work protecting land and caring for Nature is...

  8 April 2024   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   I’ve been thinking about Board Development Committees a lot lately. The word “development” in the fundraising context is short for “donor development,” meaning building relationships with organizational donors. It’s one of the core functions of non-profit governance work...

  1 April 2024   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   Today is not normally a day for taking things too seriously, but I need to share with you something actually quite serious. It turns out I’ve been wrong. All along. I meant well, and it seemed right – it made sense...

  25 March 2024   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   Joe just made a one-time gift toward a land acquisition project. Patrina just bought a couple of tickets to the Gala. Raine gave $100 in memory of an elderly neighbor who just passed away. The family is directing gifts to...

  18 March 2025   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   Dear Board Director: Does your organization have a Conflict-of-Interest Policy? Do you – specifically you – know what it says and how and when to use it? Is it signed by every Board Director every year? Have you seen evidence that...

  11 March 2025   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   I have come to believe that $100 is pocket change, more or less. It’s a very common withdrawal amount from an ATM for those of us still using cash at all. $250 is not pocket change. It’s a threshold...

  25 February 2025   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   Before I start in on this week’s topic, I want to ask for your help in gathering data for a future blog post. If you are willing to participate, here’s what I will need from you: Isolate the...

  18 February 2025   By David Allen, Development for Conservation   Beginning in about 2017, I started collecting data from readers of this blog about the five-year value of new members and donors making first gifts to their land trusts. My theory was that because recruiting new donors in...