First Thing Tuesday

19 Apr More Cool Stuff to Know and Love About Direct Mail

Posted at 04:35h in Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

How do you balance what the “experts” tell you (four-page letters) with the siren call of being green enough to not waste paper and hip enough to have it designed by a professional PR firm? MUST we keep mailing to people who don’t and won’t...

12 Apr The Secret to Renewing Event Sponsors – Revealed!

Posted at 04:11h in Board Development, Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

So how do you secure sponsorship donations year after year? How do you “renew” them? There is a foolproof secret, and I’ll reveal it...

05 Apr A Quick Take on Diversity

Posted at 05:49h in Board Development, Featured, Membership, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

It means we don’t need “token” people of color on our Boards as much as we need people who can connect us in meaningful ways to communities of color and agree to do so. It also means we need to look beyond just skin...

29 Mar Are You Ready for April?

Posted at 05:34h in Board Development, Communication, Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

April officially starts on Friday. Are you ready? What is on your ToDo List for April? Here’s what I’m thinking about:...

22 Mar A Few Thoughts on Unpaid Staff

Posted at 05:16h in Board Development, Featured, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

I have often argued that working boards are still called upon to govern. But when the “working” part gets confused with the “governing” part, chaos and/or dysfunction can ensue. And that is not sustainable. So imagine what it would look like if the governance-specific roles...

15 Mar Capital Campaigns – Part 2

Posted at 05:28h in Board Development, Communication, Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Foundations, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

Successful capital campaigns will have five key elements: Clear Vision; Great Leadership; Qualified Donors (sufficient to fill out the pyramid); Compelling Case for support; and Strong Planning....

09 Mar Capital Campaigns – Part 1

Posted at 04:35h in Board Development, Communication, Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

Capital campaigns are tools organizations use to raise the level of performance for all three giving decisions and build loyalty and commitment in their donor-base....

01 Mar Several Random Pet Peeves

Posted at 04:59h in Board Development, Communication, Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

We’ve gotten so paranoid about spending too much on fundraising that we are not budgeting enough, and even then, we’re second-guessing every expenditure. We’re holding the fundraising staff accountable for the return, but we’re neglecting the investment....

23 Feb Collaborative Membership Programs

Posted at 05:20h in Communication, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 0 Comments

I am launching a feasibility project to test whether several different organizations with similar missions (land trusts, for example) and separate service territories can work together to increase membership for all. In other words, can they collaboratively negotiate list rental, design, and even mailhouse services...

16 Feb Fundraising Metrics

Posted at 03:48h in Development Audit, Donor Cultivation, Featured, Membership, Plans and Budgets, Staff Development, Uncategorized 3 Comments

In any discussion of metrics, how they will be used is an important question to ask right up front. 1) You want people to give you money every year as part of their personal philanthropy. Therefore the metrics you choose should be the same or...