10 December 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Twenty-one days left in 2024 – three weeks. Take out weekend days (6) and Christmas Day and you’re left with just 14. How will YOU use them? Regular First Thing Tuesday readers will know that I strongly encourage fundraisers NOT...
12 November 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation If you send a follow-up letter to the people not responding to the appeal, you might get closer to your goal. We can’t do that. Oh? Why? Too expensive. Can’t afford it. It’s not in the budget. [Quizzical Huh? Face] When was the...
26 December 2023 “The future belongs to citizens who are passionate, knowledgeable, and engaged.” - Richard Louv Mr. Louv was almost certainly thinking more broadly than just conservation, but when I read this quote the first time, I read it through a conservation lens. There are many ways...
12 December 2023 By David Allen, Development for Conservation I hope you’re pleased with yourself. I know that sounds critical, but I’m being serious. This is the time of the year when all the work you’ve put in really pays off. Every day brings a new snowfall of...
28 November 2023 By David Allen, Development for Conservation I read somewhere that 70% of the money raised for charity every year is raised in November, December, and January. That doesn’t necessarily mean that 70% of donors give then, but it would be easy to believe. It...
28 December 2021 Looking for something to do this week? Try picking up the phone. I get teased every year by somebody who tells me they are NOT taking this week off, because “someone” advised them to make themselves available to donors who might need to talk...
14 December 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Tomorrow is the 15th of December. Which means that today is the day for an annual reminder that all fundraisers should be available all week this week for the people you serve. Hopefully, this is all review! Sorry about...
2 No0vember 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation I’ve heard from many land trusts around the country that 2020 was a banner year in several respects, at least from a fundraising perspective. In fact this is true for many other land conservation / Nature-related organizations, too. ...
24 August 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation It’s been years since I last tested different ask amounts, and I’m not in a position this year to test them now. Maybe this post will inspire someone to do so this year and share their results. What is...
8 June 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation It’s June! Welcome to summer! From a fundraising point of view, think about this: You will ask just about everyone currently giving money to make another gift between now and 12/31. How much will you ask them for? I get asked...