February is a month I’m devoting to writing well and with that writing, connecting more with the donors who sustain us. I invite you to join me....
This year, I invite you to join me in writing differently. Let’s commit ourselves to anticipating more often. Getting ahead of the curve. Let our writing steep more. Write in such a way that our audiences will read it. Be more effective communicators....
I once read that organizations should thank their donors seven times. How do you even do that? Here are some ideas to get you thinking:...
Fundraiser’s Almanac: January Happy New Year! For 2015, I am creating a week-by-week guide to organizing a fundraising program. My ambition is to provide strategic ideas for approaching your work more so than providing some kind of overlay to what you might be doing already. Some of...
A Top 100 (or T-100) is simply a list of top donor prospects. These are people who warrant and deserve your special cultivation attention. This is the list of priority donor prospects that the board members should be working with. ...
Don’t talk about your overhead. Don’t graph it in your annual report. And above all, don’t brag about it. Be the organization that always seems to be getting something done. Find and invite those outside the organization to tell your story for you....
“Hi. My name is David Allen, and I’m on the board of The ______ Land Trust. I’m calling to ask that you consider renewing your membership before the end of the year. You have been a supportive member for several years now, and I noticed...
Volunteers have three experiences when they work for you, and all three should be positive to keep them coming back and inspiring others to do the same. Each event coordinator can influence these factors with a little forethought and organization. ...
If you’re like me, you get more and more Thank You messages about this time each year. Somehow, by taking a little extra time with the writing, by seeing this exercise as more than a chore to get done on schedule, they managed to capture...
Now is a good time to think back on all the best things that were made possible because of the appeal donations you received last year, and collect the best ones and share them with your donors in January. Call them....