30 Jun Summer Shorts
It’s June 30. You know everything you need to know right now about who you will solicit at year-end. You know who they are, how much they gave last year, and how much you will ask them to give this year – those you will...
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19 May Snake Mountain
We are part of a community of people – thousands strong – who are productively engaged in permanently protecting conservation land across the country – even across the world. Beating back the FODs (Forces of Darkness). And there are little wins everywhere. And in some...
02 Mar Is Your Acknowledgement Process like a Torn Seat Cover?
I have always believed that an official acknowledgement of receipt can be different from more personal expressions of gratitude. The receipt should be sent immediately. The actual thank you can be produced on a more reasonable 2-3-week busy-person schedule – especially in a small office....
12 Jan Recalibration: The Five Most Important Fundraising Metrics
Metrics are valuable in relation to a baseline state. Something that didn’t exist before and does now (like a website page devoted to Planned Giving), something that existed before and doesn’t now (like Lifetime Memberships for $1,000!), or something that is growing or shrinking (like...
05 Jan Happy New Year! – Looking Forward
Having a theme running through will create the possibility for connection, convergence, and leverage. Your work will be more memorable, and more likely to be retained. Pro-Tip: want some help finding a theme? Look for one in your Organizational Values of Guiding Principles....
22 Dec Happy Holidays!
23 December 2025 “We must remember that our sense of entitlement to the natural world is not only a matter of ownership, but of stewardship.” Richard Louv Thank you for your stewardship. Thank you for remaining optimistic. And thank you for the role you play in the conservation of our nation's most special spaces. Peace, -da PS: Your...
02 Dec Development for Conservation is Moving!
2 December 2025 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Due to a combination of factors including weather and family changes, my wife and I (and Development for Conservation) are moving from Wisconsin to western North Carolina. We are at once saddened to leave long-time friends and the...
25 Nov Careful with First Person Possessive Determiners
We should all stop using first-person possessive determiners in our writing. And they are so easy to avoid. Avoiding “my” is a no-brainer. Avoiding “our” is only a little more difficult, because “our” could theoretically include the reader. Avoid using “our” when you mean the...
04 Aug It’s Time to Start Talking About How OBBB will Affect Charitable Giving
It means that you can bet that we won’t be the only ones studying all this. Ask your Board members to pay attention to the mail they get from their colleges and universities and even some other charities they might support. If that mail includes...
28 Jul Making Plans to Give AND Get This Year
Let’s start with the idea that the organization is worth it. This is a land trust that you believe in; that is doing important work. And this is an important place for you to devote your time and energy. Serving on the Board is a...