Communication

05 Aug Four Things You can Do in August to Raise More Money This Fall

Posted at 06:04h in Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Uncategorized 0 Comments

You can get out ahead of this November stress factory. Plus, you can probably raise more money in the process. Here are four things you can do right now that will help: 1. Write your fall fundraising letter NOW; 2. Get your mailing list ready...

29 Jul Lessons on Inspiration from a Hiker

Posted at 05:12h in Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Plans and Budgets, Uncategorized 0 Comments

There’s a lesson here for land trusts. Instead of being limited by how few people we know or who support our current work, maybe we are getting the level of support our current vision will attract. Maybe if we put a bigger vision on the...

22 Jul The Seven Habits of Highly Effective Fundraising Board Members

Posted at 05:43h in Board Development, Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured 0 Comments

Highly Effective Fundraising Board Members: 1) Understand the goals; 2) Know the organization’s donors; 3) Interact with donors in person and over the telephone; 4) Support each other’s fundraising efforts; 5) Use personal stories; 6) Keep good records; and 7) Practice. ...

27 May Just go Cultivate the Donors!

Posted at 05:50h in Board Development, Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured 0 Comments

Cultivation is easy to say and easy to understand. But sometimes it’s hard to figure out what to do. Here’s something tangible: board members can help by becoming the conduit through which donors receive information about the land trust. Be the bearer of news. Be...

20 May But Raising Money for Programs is Easier!

Posted at 10:39h in Board Development, Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Plans and Budgets 1 Comment

Never – ever – turn an unrestricted gift, into a restricted gift. Try simply saying “Thank you” instead....

13 May Because: That’s Where the Money Is!

Posted at 08:30h in Board Development, Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership 0 Comments

In the end, fundraising is about personal relationships. Done well, the relationship is between the donor and the organization, but every relationship begins between two individuals. And 90 percent of fundraising comes down to how well you’re doing at building those relationships. Maybe instead of “fundraiser”...

31 Mar Anonymity isn’t Necessarily Friendly

Posted at 09:26h in Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership 0 Comments

A land trust was recently confronted with a peculiar problem. A major donor with a keen and personal interest in protecting a specific piece of property offered an enabling gift equal to, and restricted to, the entire purchase price of the property. The gift amount...

03 Dec December is for Saying “Thank You”

Posted at 17:42h in Board Development, Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership 1 Comment

Are you as engaged in fundraising as you should be? If not, December is a great month to change that – by saying thank you. Making calls to donors and members carries the twin benefits of increasing their connection to the organization and increasing...

17 Jul Thinking (or Rethinking) Membership Systems

Posted at 12:02h in Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership 0 Comments

Most organizations, including land trusts, tend to default to a monthly membership cycle. However, managing such a system for organizations with fewer than 2,000 members or so is inefficient for staff whose positions are not solely dedicated to it. There are alternative systems that can...

02 Apr Fundraising-speak

Posted at 14:54h in Communication, Featured 0 Comments

As a practical matter, most smaller organizations need a Marketing Plan and a Fundraising Plan. The Marketing Plan should include elements of branding and especially visual identity, but the effort and resources should be very strongly focused on bringing new people under the tent. The...