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.
6 February 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Some ten years ago or so, the keynote speaker for Rally was Andy Goodman and his topic was story-telling. His basic message was that we all need to be in the group of people who communicate all the...
30 January 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation One day, back in my TNC days, a donor walked in and told us that he was taking his company public and that he wanted to make a million-dollar gift. He was not unknown to us. He had...
23 January 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation As I mentioned last week (See On Metrics, Data, Information, Science, and How We Use Them – Part 1), we spend a good deal of time counting stuff without ever really changing what we are doing based on...
16 January 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Several years ago, I put together a workshop for Rally on Metrics. Fundraising Metrics, that is. I was and continue to be interested in learning more about what we measure in fundraising and how we use that information...
9 January 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Every year, I dig back through my files and throw out most of my paper from seven years ago. This year, it was 2016’s turn for the shredder. And every year, I come across some piece I had forgotten...
2 January 2024 By David Allen, Development for Conservation Happy New Year! Time to start again. January of another year. This is a blog that I post every year right after New Year’s Day. I modify it slightly, and I add to it from time to time, but basically,...
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...
19 December 2023 By David Allen, Development for Conservation There exists a perception that conservation is for old people, that land trust constituencies are getting older, and that attracting young people has to be a strategic priority. And just like all perceptions, it’s partially true. I regularly screen...
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...
5 December 2023 By David Allen, Development for Conservation I think $250 is a magic number in fundraising. It’s a small enough number that everyone can afford it. Some will argue that point, but I’m talking about $20 a month – there aren't many people in the country...