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...
22 December 2020 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Tomorrow is the 30th 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. Sorry about that. Let’s say that I’m a...
15 December 2020 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Double your Giving Tuesday gift! Celebrate Giving Tuesday The importance of one day in land conservation 3 Reasons to #SaveTheBay on #GivingTuesday - TODAY! In uncertain times, the Alliance meets the need Give Today - Support Leaders of Tomorrow! Final hours to give back...
22 September 2020 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Here’s a great idea that deserves another mention: Send $50 to five different organizations you admire. It will cost your land trust $250, and it will take about half an hour. But for that investment, you will see every piece of...
4 August 2020 By David Allen, Development for Conservation A few years ago in mid-November, a client asked me whether they could just use the same appeal letter they used last year. That appeal letter had done reasonably well and had surpassed the fundraising results from previous...
By David Allen, Development for Conservation Start again. January of another year. 2019 is over. History. Fa, sol, la, ti, Done. And January brings us ‘round again “to Do.” 2020 yawns before us. It could be anything. What will it be for you? January is a good time for reflection....
By David Allen, Development for Conservation It’s the most wonderful time of the year. I’ve heard that 70% of the money given away each year is committed just four months: October, November, December, and January. If that’s true, then most of that 70% comes in just six...
By David Allen, Development for Conservation I don’t have enough time! There are two problems with taking that statement on its face. The first is that it is almost never literally true – there is usually plenty of time. We’re just using it to do other things. A...
By David Allen, Development for Conservation DA: So Tom, tell me about these donors – Pulen and Tumany Weeds. Well-Meaning Tom: What do you want to know? They’re not from around here. DA: I figured that out. Well-Meaning Tom: Kind of exotic. DA: I’ll bet. Well-Meaning Tom: She’s a gardener. DA: STOP...