This BLOG is intended to help conservation organizations and land trusts pursue excellence in all aspects of their conservation endeavors. I welcome your comments and feedback to these posts.
15 June 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Much of this post was originally published in 2014. I have updated it and reprised it, because I am noticing a significant uptick in the number of organizations considering campaigns and feasibility studies. I hope it is helpful. So...
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...
1 June 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation As a broad generalization, organizations that were dependent on fundraising events did not fare as well in 2020 as organizations that were not. For some, this was related to the transactional nature of events – when the event...
25 May 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation An important concept in fundraising is that of “access” to current and potential donors. Access in fundraising implies that if you call, she will answer; that if you send an email or leave a voice message, it will...
18 May 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation I need to get something off my chest. Major gift fundraising is the most important fundraising you can do. OK - that feels better. Major gift fundraising is NOT dependent on the scale of the projects being funded, and it’s not...
11 May 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Last week, I wrote about the limited-term possibility that has suddenly loomed (or perhaps bloomed) in front of us. (See Pep Talk) Biden’s 30 by 30 plan People getting outside more. New levels of climate change awareness. More...
4 May 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Wisconsin Spring is something to behold. A week ago, on the dog walk, the sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, and the day had struggled to crest 50 degrees. I was defiantly wearing shorts and...
27 April 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation I started raising money as a canvasser in Eugene Oregon. It was to be a summer job in 1983, and it turned into a career. It’s safe to say I had no idea what I was getting myself...
20 April 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation HAPPY EARTH DAY! Before I start this week, I want to put in a plug for donor stories. I am beginning to hear heartwarming stories about gifts that have been motivated in part by how much the land...
13 April 2021 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Dear Board Director: Does your organization have a Conflict-of-Interest Policy? Do you – specifically you – know what it says and how to use it? Could you provide evidence that it is being used? How about a Gift Acceptance Policy, an Investment...